Construction National

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COVER STORY

CONTENTS London 2012’s safety record is already a medal winner The front cover of this issue shows the London 2012 stadium and warm-up track, as seen from the air on 16 April. The mammoth project was completed without a single fatality and with an accident rate one third of the industry norm, an achievement described by CHRIS STOKES. read more on p5

Picture © LOGOC, courtesy of Getty Images

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NEWS 4 18 30 30 32 32 34

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BOOK REVIEW PermaRock ThermoSan-NQG ‘selfcleaning’ renders Air Spectrum re-engineer their award winning range Marley Eternit Profile 6 ‘Tots’ the bill on Isle of Rum Amiri on start line for Chichester Uni Olympic standard athletics track 2012 roofing awards announced New £15 million Telford construction project takes shape Colourful statement made in Doncaster’s Civic and Cultural Quarter Roof-Pro goes for gold at leisure centre

HOUSING 6 6 6 7 10 11 11

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Computer says ‘yes!’ to new equity models Crowning glory Controversial scheme gets off to a successful start New build – site reports from across the country Encraft completes first ever UK certified Passivhaus retrofit project S is for Sigma II – Stewart Milne completes Serpentine project Pasquill’s roof truss expertise showcased in Edinburgh

DRAINS & SEWERS 12

A long way to go – beyond the transfer of private drains and sewers

19

The Online Blue Book

STREET SIGNS & LIGHTING 21 21 22 22 22

Cuts to signage lighting not the answer to energy saving Sun and wind light the way “Put that light out!” – ARP comes to the streets of Britain Safety Solutions for the workplace Highway luminaries meet in Leeds

HEALTH & SAFETY 23 23

New PPE clothing officially launched Nearly one in five construction sites fail safety checks

TRAINING 24 24 25

Find the training you need at www.lantra-awards.co.uk PASMA puts towers in the spotlight IPAF – Operators need training, familiarisation and management

SECURITY 28 28 28

Is your lock vulnerable to attack?

SIA Approved Contractor scores show continued improvement Address construction site security early on, advises BSIA

CONCRETE 31 31

UK Concrete Show advances to NEC 3D concrete printing promises new artistic freedom for architects

OLYMPIC NEWS AERIAL INSTALLATION 14

Evolution in the air

CONSTRUCTION IT 17

ENQUIRIES: Advertising

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Case Study – Pollard integrates key business processes with Summit

33 33

STYROFOAM to share in the glory of the London 2012 Olympics FM Conway continues its makeover of Shepherds Bush Common

CONSTRUCTION SUPPLIES 35

Classified supplies listing

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.

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CHR

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PermaRock ThermoSan-NQG ‘self-cleaning’ renders n External façades have to cope with the full force of the weather and climatic conditions, from driving rain and high wind pressures to soiling through dirt and mould growth. The effectiveness of cladding products against the elements has always been of upmost importance to the client and building specifier.

With these important issues in mind, PermaRock recently introduced ThermoSan-NQG renders into their product range, incorporating the latest innovation in clean façade renders, Nano-Quartz technology. PermaRock has pioneered the next generation of ‘self-cleaning’ renders which offer superior levels of performance in terms of cleanliness and colour stability and provide unparalleled resistance to the elements.

For the client and building owner ThermoSan-NQG renders provide the added benefit of cost savings over the lifetime of the cladding system through reduced maintenance requirements in comparison to standard acrylic and silicone based renders.

Nano-Quartz technology renders and coatings are constructed from organically cross-linked nano-particles which form a compact, mineralhard, three dimensional quartz-matrix structure which protects against soiling and keeps façades cleaner for longer. The special silicone resin/ binder combination also generates water repellent, highly water vapour permeable surfaces.

These pioneering materials incorporate inorganic pigments which offer superior light and colour fastness and enable the use of dark colours on insulated (external wall insulation) backgrounds.

PermaRock have also specially developed a colour range to provide specifiers the latest offerings in terms of material technology and quality whilst bringing near limitless options in terms of colour choice.

PermaRock’s Façade A1 colour range, available in 500 selected shades, offers the best in colour fastness and to colour brilliance for unbeatable results and sets the industry benchmark for through-coloured renders. q • Further information on ThermoSan-NQG renders can be obtained from PermaRock Products Ltd on (T) 01509 262924 or by visiting www.permarock.com.

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PermaRock ThermoSan-NQG Renders - Key Benefits: • Self-cleaning • Increased resistance to mould & mildew • Highest colour brilliance and lasting colour • retention • Achieves Colour Fastness Code A1 (PermaRock • Façade A1 Range) • Available in 500 colour shades • Highly water vapour permeable • Low consumption (up to 20% less material • consumption compared to conventional acrylic and • silicone renders) • Lower maintenance requirements (compared to • standard acrylic and silicone based renders over the • lifetime of the cladding system)

London 2012’s safety record is already a

medal winner

by CHRIS STOKES n As this issue of Construction National goes to press, the clock on the London 2012 website is informing anyone who doesn’t already know that there are a little over two months to the opening of the London Olympics. The project, which began back in 2005 in Singapore, has been five years in the building.

Even when the first clear-up of the site started, it was intended that the construction project for the London Games would be the safest ever. If that has not been achieved, certainly for the modern Olympics, it has to have run close. As Karl Tonks, the incoming president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and a recognised specialist in the area of workplace health and safety, declared in his inauguration speech on 19 April: “…we should be proud of the achievements of building the Olympic Park site in east London – probably the safest Olympic construction project ever.” He compared the London project to those of Beijing, which cost six lives, and Athens, where at least 14 people died.

The theme was echoed later that month by Judith Hackitt, chair of the HSE, who blogged: “Not only were there no work related fatalities during the 'big build' phase of construction, but the project as a whole has shown that high standards of health and safety can make a positive contribution to the delivery of an extremely demanding project. In a project which has clocked up more than 80 million working hours, figures from the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) show fewer than 130 reportable incidents. By any measure this is gold standard performance.”

In fact, during those 80 million hours there was a period of three million hours without a single reportable injury. The ODA itself was not backward in reporting the theme: “Despite being the largest construction site in Europe, with over 12,000 workers, the reportable accident rate on the Olympic Park is around a third of the construction industry average and below the national average for all workplaces,” it said in a statement.

The ODA’s head of health and safety Lawrence Waterman added at the end of last year: “Health and safety has been our number one priority from the clean-up of the Olympic Park through to the completion of the ‘big build’. We are not complacent and as we approach the finish line we will continue to work with our contractors and workforce to set new standards in health and safety in construction.”

The ODA’s commitment to health and safety was rewarded by the RoSPA with its Astor Trophy and by the British Safety Council’s five star award and Sword of Honour.

The on-going legacy can be garnered from the Learning Legacy website at www.learninglegacy. london2012.com. There, case studies and reports from all aspects of the mammoth tasks can be found and learned from.

No matter how many how many or how few medals of whatever colour are won by our Olympians and Paralympians this year, the legacy of ‘the safest Games’ is already in place and it is something of which the whole country should be proud. q

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Pictures © LOGOC, courtesy of Getty Images

In a project which has clocked up more than 80 million working hours, figures from the ODA show fewer than 130 reportable incidents. By any measure this is gold standard performance.

JUDITH HACKITT CBE, chair of HSE

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HOUSING

In this five-page feature we bring you some of the latest news from the house building sector and showcase a cross-section of what is being built around the country.

Computer says ‘yes!’ to new equity models n Nearly two-thirds of people who do not own their own home, but would like to, report that the biggest barrier they face is the need to raise a large enough deposit. That is why the Building Societies Association has launched a new housing initiative, the Housing Hub, to provide an opportunity for lenders and housing associations to co-operate more closely and bring alternative home ownership models into the mainstream to help consumers jump that hurdle.

There has been a perception that shared ownership and equity loan models have operated at the margins of home ownership – however, in recent years the schemes have become more mainstream. The Government’s affordable housing agenda has already included schemes such as the FirstBuy equity loan programme in England. These alternative forms of tenure are progressively being made available to a much wider audience across England, Wales and Scotland.

The Housing Hub is already populated with information from eight housing associations and eight lenders, with more to follow shortly. Over time there is potential to extend access to ‘the Hub’ to other interested parties and include additional information for conveyancers and brokers. Consumers can already use the Hub to find housing association developments in their local area and lenders willing to lend on such properties.

Paul Broadhead, head of mortgage policy at the BSA, said: “Increasingly, forms of shared ownership offer a viable alternative for young professionals, who may have household income of up to £60,000 but are struggling to raise the deposit needed to get a foot on the housing ladder. The Housing Hub is one of a number of BSA initiatives looking to establish a more creative approach to help house the nation. Mutual lenders are generally far more open and less likely to apply a 'computer says no' approach to mortgage lending.” q

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Crowning glory n Stormking’s SmartStack reproduction chimneys are being used to enhance finishing detail by Taylor Wimpey Group for the latest phase of their Newton Leys development in Milton Keynes.

This large development commenced around four years ago and for this latest phase Taylor Wimpey Group have introduced a new range of national house types to change and upgrade the street scene.

Comprising of a variety of houses to meet the needs of all ages of house buyer, from first time to empty nesters, the houses are designed with comfort, convenience and style as key priorities.

The SmartStack chimneys feature various finishes including facing brick and render options, colour matched to the finishes of the houses.

The specification of the reproduction chimneys results from a visit of Taylor Wimpey Group housing portfolio directors to Stormking’s factories in Tamworth, where they were impressed by the large scale and quality processes which were ideally suited to provide a cost effective solution to meet the local planning requirements and offered cost saving simplicity of installation on site. The new Stormking prefabricated chimneys also incorporate all the abutment and lead apron flashings which further simplify installation and which are patent pending for their unique design features.

SmartStack chimneys are lightweight yet very robust and impose no extra loading to the roof structure.

They can be supplied with or without pots and for 35, 40, 45 and 50 degree roof pitches as standard.

They come in buff, cream, red and burnt red brick effects or white and cream rendered effects although special options including brick slip finish, special colour matches or alternative roof pitches as well as twin wall gas flue models can be made to order. They have been exhaustively tested and trialled for fire resistance, durability, ease of fixing and for being fully weather proof. They pare simple to hoist into position on site saving on roof work time and scaffolding costs.

As the first houses to be built to the new designs, representatives from the regional offices of the Taylor Wimpey Group have visited the site to see the new house types and the use of innovative products, several of which are provided by Stormking including bay window roofs, complete one piece dormers, door surrounds and door canopies. The SmartStack chimneys were also chosen for inspection by the BBA to assess their ease of installation, handling, packaging and finish as part of their testing procedures leading towards BBA Certification. As well as being BBA certified, Stormking SmartStack meet the technical standards of the NHBC and are manufactured to ISO9001 and ISO14001 standards.

SmartStack is just one of the many Stormking ranges of prefabricated building products designed to make life easier and more convenient on site as well as reducing costs and enhancing house style. q

Controversial scheme gets off to a successful start n Despite reservations at its launch, figures released by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) on 17 May reveal that 400 people reserved new homes through the NewBuy scheme in its first nine weeks.

The milestone was announced on the day that other statistics revealed a 15% drop in housing starts in the first quarter of this year – down to just 24,140. According to the HBF, the figures further emphasise the value of NewBuy to home buyers, the industry and the economy, at a time when we are already building fewer homes than since the 1920s, and fewer than half those required to meet housing need.

Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of HBF, which was part of the team that developed the NewBuy scheme said: “Reaching 400 NewBuy reservations within weeks of its launch is a fantastic start and clearly demonstrates the customer demand for this vital scheme. These figures make us very confident that the scheme will deliver tens of thousands of sales over the coming years.

“As today’s house building statistics show, we have an acute housing delivery problem.

By enabling home buyers to purchase a new home, NewBuy will kick-start new home construction, creating economic growth and thousands of jobs across the country.” q

Yuill trumps them all with this prial of threes DENEWOOD DEVELOPMENT, MURTON, COUNTY DURHAM n Murton, in County Durham, is a place where the threes come in threes – particularly when it comes to new homes. For that is where Yuill Homes has its Denewood development, which offers three-bedroom homes in a choice of three styles: the smart Linden, the modern Litchfield and the stylish Salisbury.

All of these homes have an impressive layout and wonderful design touches, perfect for homeowners wishing to make their mark.

The Linden has a spacious lounge, with room for a dining table, and is illuminated by natural light from the elegant French doors. The kitchen, a cloaks area and useful storage cupboard are all on the ground floor, just off from the entrance hallway.

Upstairs, the master bedroom has fabulous spacious robes and a stylish en suite with large shower. There are two further bedrooms, a separate family bathroom and plenty of storage space.

The Litchfield, on the other hand, offers innovative design over two-and-a-half levels, perfect for those looking for a practical, yet stylish home. The living area on the ground floor can also be used as a dining area, with plenty of room for entertaining friends and family around the dinner

table. Again, French doors lead to the back garden and a separate, fully fitted kitchen completes this floor.

On the first floor, the master bedroom features double fitted robes and an en suite with large shower. The second floor leads to a magnificent flexible room, which has fitted robes and can accommodate a number of different uses: a playroom for the children, guestroom for family and friends, private area for an office or a cinema room for the whole family.

The Salisbury offers a spacious open-plan living area and kitchen, featuring a convenient breakfast bar allowing the homeowner to chat with friends while preparing food or drinks in the kitchen. It also has an impressive versatile room on the top floor. The master bedroom features double fitted robes and a stylish en suite with large shower, luxurious enough to grace any five-star hotel.

Yuill Homes take equal care with the outsides of their homes, making every one its occupier’s pride and joy.

Murton is conveniently placed between Sunderland and Durham, near to the main A19 for access to the motorway system. q • To find out more, visit www.yuillhomes.co.uk.

The Litchfield

The Linden

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There’s a good deal in N Yorks MOORLANDS DEVELOPMENT, PICKERING n When Persimmon Homes say they have an offer on the Hanbury three-bedroom home at their Moorlands development in Pickering, North Yorkshire, they mean it! The semi-detached version of the Hanbury is currently being offered at only £136,799 – that’s against a list price of £170,999.

The Hanbury is just one of the top-value homes on offer in the historic market town.

With everything from the Pembroke, a three-bedroom bungalow with garage, to the five-bedroom, three-storey Barrington, there’s a home for everyone.

Pickering is known as the gateway to the North Yorks Moors National Park and is known for its historic market place. Despite its rural location, the town is conveniently placed for access to York, Scarborough The Farroll – one of the homes at Moorlands in Pickering and the motorway network. q

Luxury with

individual features The Salisbury at Maple Grove

MAPLE GROVE DEVELOPMENT, HATFIELD n When Alf Mell founded G A Mell (Builders) Ltd in Bawtry, near Doncaster, over 30 years ago he was starting something special. Now Mell Homes is one of the most exclusive names in new home development in the Doncaster area. Each Mell Home is individual, with features that distinguish it from its neighbours. Plus, there is the opportunity to influence the internal configuration of each property.

Such is the case at the Maple Grove development in Hatfield. With only six properties available, Maple Grove offers the ultimate in luxury living in the popular town, situated in a semi-rural location on the main A18 between Doncaster and Scunthorpe. q

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Beaches and cream!

CLIFTON HEIGHTS DEVELOPMENT, HOLSWORTHY, DEVON

Where in the World?

PEACOCK GARDENS DEVELOPMENT, GORTON

n Where can you buy a brand new home for £105,500, within two miles of a World Monument site? The answer is in Gorton, Manchester.

Gorton Monastery is the 19th-century masterpiece of E W Pugin, which fell into decay and was the subject of an award-winning restoration programme to become an outstanding conference venue.

A couple of miles away is Wayland Road South, where Bloor Homes is building Peacock Gardens, a compact and affordable development of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes. That £105,500 will buy a two-bedroom Mayford semi, while for £120,000 a growing family can purchase a three-bedroom Bramwell. The current collection is completed by the four-bedroom detached Bowden, priced at only £160,000. q

The £160,000 four-bedroom detached Bowden

A typical example of the Broadway and the Evesham, two of the homes that can be found at Clifton Heights n Holsworthy is a delightful market town in north Devon, just nine miles from the border with Cornwall. So the pretty market town benefits from the rolling landscape of the one and the rugged coastline of the other, with its incomparable beaches.

It is also where you’ll find Clifton Heights, a new development from Redrow Homes. The homes at Clifton Heights are part of Redrow’s New Heritage collection, which offers new homes with traditional build quality and a host of features.

The development currently boasts three- and four-bedroom homes in six styles. In the offing, though, are three further designs, including the compact, two-bedroom Evesham. q

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Encraft completes first ever UK certified Passivhaus retrofit project n Low carbon engineering consultancy Encraft has completed the first building in the UK to be certified to the Passivhaus retrofit standard by a UK based certifier.

Encraft was appointed by housing association Orbit House of England to retrofit one of its 14,000 homes as part of a pilot scheme to see how adapting existing properties to Passivhaus and other low carbon standards will help slash tenants’ energy bills.

The 1940’s semi in Elliott Drive, Wellesbourne, Warwickshire is expected to see heating consumption drop by around 85% as a result of the £100k project.

Not only is it the first building in the UK to achieve EnerPHit (Passivhaus retrofit) certification from a UK certifier – it is also the first Wimpey no-fines (sand free concrete) construction house in the world to achieve the standard.

The Elliott Drive house was one of a number of speedily built properties built to tackle the post war demand for new housing whose construction is well known for creating condensation, providing poor insulation and thus generating high heating bills.

A 70 sq m house of this type would typically cost around £1,100 a year to heat, and Encraft estimates the transformed building should now cost just a couple of hundred to run.

The Passivhaus principle is to construct or retrofit a house to minimise its need for heating and cooling by maintaining a constant temperature through effective insulation, airtightness, triple glazed windows and the installation of a mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) system.

The project saw Encraft oversee the installation of improved insulation in the walls, roof and floor which involved digging out the floor to install 200mm of under concrete insulation and 200mm of insulation around the foundations to minimise thermal bridging. It also required raising the roof level to accommodate thicker insulation, installing new triple glazed windows and doors, attaching airtight rubber grommets around soil, gas and water pipes, installing the MVHR and a small gas heating system. Although they were not strictly a requirement of a Passivhaus, it also involved installing a new kitchen and bathroom and fitting solar PV tiles.

Energy reduction is being monitored by Coventry University and the savings are being compared with those achieved by the other half of the pair of semi-detached houses which Encraft also retrofitted but in a less extensive, more affordable manner.

A growing number of housing associations are keen to explore the

58 Elliott Drive has become only the second building in the UK to be certified to the Passivhaus retrofit – EnerPHit – standard

benefits of Passivhaus construction and retrofit to enable tenants to reduce their heating costs and avoid or escape fuel poverty.

Encraft are also working with several other housing associations on Passivhauses and on a newbuild site in Coventry as part of a project to compare Passivhaus standards to Code level 6 on two adjacent properties on an infill plot donated by Coventry City Council.

Encraft Passivhaus consultant Helen Brown explained: “This project marks a turning point in the UK Passivhaus and EnerPHit sector. Not only is it the second EnerPHit project, and the first to be certified by a UK-based certifier, it has also achieved higher air tightness results than those required by Passivhaus standards, thus dramatically reducing energy bills for tenants.

“58 Elliott Drive was the first Wimpey no-fine house in the world to be retrofitted to this standard. It shows what can be achieved with this kind of building and how it can be applied to the rest of the UK housing stock.

“This gives us hope that in these times of austerity and fuel poverty, we can really make a difference to thousands of families on a limited income, in a cost-effective way and with respect for the environment.

“Because the triple glazed windows remain at 17 degrees, even if it is below zero outside, there is no need for traditional heating such as radiators under the windows. The temperature remains constant and additional heat can be delivered via the MVHR system which has ducts to every room. Background heating can be fitted as an additional source of warmth but a 100 sq m house only needs a 1kw boiler compared with the 12 to 20 kW model required in a traditionally constructed Encraft Passivhaus team Paul White, Dr Sarah Price, Helen Brown and Steven Coulsting celebrate making 58 home.” q Elliott Drive the first building in the UK to be certified to EnerPHit standard by a UK certifier

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S is for Sigma II Stewart Milne Timber Systems completes cutting edge Serpentine project O Stewart Milne Timber Systems, the UK’s leading provider of timber frame building solutions, has completed work on The Serpentine, Thames Valley Housing Association’s flagship affordable housing development in Aylesbury.

Designed by Make Architects, The Serpentine is a modern interpretation of the traditional Victorian terrace. The major new community development comprises 94 homes and is designed to aid sustainable living. Stewart Milne Timber Systems (SMTS) supplied and erected the high specification closed panel timber frame for the S-shaped development of houses and flats.

The unique flexibility and cost effective offsite construction of the SMTS Sigma II build system enabled Thames Valley Housing Association to create affordable housing without compromising on aesthetics, quality or delivery times. The use of timber frame and cladding also reduces the environmental impact of the development, which will meet Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Commenting on the project, Group managing director for SMTS, Alex Goodfellow, said: “We are finding unusual shapes and modern designs used increasingly in affordable housing projects. This approach ensures that space is utilised correctly and the maximum number of properties can be built while still allowing for an aesthetically attractive design and plenty of green space.

“Our Sigma II build system was a perfect fit for this project as it allows for design flexibility while the focus on fabric provides a robust, ‘fit and forget’ solution to low carbon building.”

Joe Richardson, Head of Project Delivery at Thames Valley Housing Association, said: “We are pleased to have worked with Stewart Milne

and our contracting partners on this innovative scheme that will deliver high quality affordable housing with a range of eco-friendly features.

The scheme’s unconventional shape proved no problem for Stewart Milne Timber Systems, delivering a hassle-free design and development process, on time and on budget.” R

Pasquill’s roof truss expertise showcased at Barratt Homes development in Edinburgh O Pasquill, the largest supplier of trussed rafters in the UK, has completed the manufacture and installation of a complicated, curved roof on behalf of Barratt Homes for a feature block of flats in Edinburgh.

Part of the prestigious new Salisbury Court development, the centrepiece seven-storey building, showcases Pasquill’s in-house design services.

The configuration of trusses was required to accommodate varying height step-changes, with particularly precise product listing required to facilitate installation. Featuring MiTek® connector plates, the trusses were manufactured by Pasquill off-site using its state-of-the-art facilities, before being carefully transported to site and craned into position.

Commenting on the manufacturing and installation process, Barratt Homes’ site manager, James Higgins, said it had all gone ‘extremely well’.

He added: “The guys from Pasquill were extremely helpful on site and we found the company’s communications with us to be particularly beneficial, especially when it came to the itemisation of all the myriad elements of this complicated roof. The site has won us an NHBC Commended award for Health and Safety, an NHBC Pride in the Job award and Seal of Excellence award, all of which certainly illustrates the calibre of the teams with whom we have been working on this development.”

The block of flats, now completed, features 92 apartments, including 1, 2 and 3 bedroom options. The concrete building has a car park in the basement and is block-clad with render. The structure’s curved, composite roof is finished in decorative panelling.

Roof and attic trusses are now the most widely used form of framing in the UK. Not only ideal for simple roof structures, they are the perfect solution for transforming architectural visions into working roof structures.

Pasquill offers a full in-house, computerised roof truss design, manufacture and national UK delivery service. R www.constructionnational.co.uk

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A long way to go

beyond the transfer of private drains and sewers

by VAL GIBBENS of the National Sewerage Association

n It is now six months since the transfer of private drains and sewers took place in England and Wales and, despite the lateness of the Regulations and Guidelines, the changeover appears to have been smoother than envisaged. Initial enquiries to the water companies indicate that work levels are much lower than anticipated. This may be due to the unseasonal weather in the period or a lack of public awareness.

The impact on the smaller contractor has yet to be measured but concern has been expressed that water companies are undertaking some work which should be available to the private sector and thus placing more pressure on diminishing returns.

It had been hoped that a new mandatory build standard would be in place by the time of transfer but this has proved difficult and is still under discussion with the house building industry. Provision therefore had to be made for the adoption of sewers in the period post 1st July 2011 and the introduction of new legislation.

Developers now know that there will be important changes to sewer adoptions. Under new legislation within the Floods and Water Management Act 2010, a Section 104 agreement will now have to be obtained in advance of obtaining a Section 106 agreement. A specific condition of a Section 104 agreement is that the new sewer development meets a Mandatory Build Standard which sets out the required standards in the design and construction of new sewers and lateral drains.

It would also be appropriate for surface water pipes that will be adopted by the water companies to be included in this mandatory standard. If the surface water pipes are not included then there is the probability that separate agreements would be required, increasing costs and delays, with all the problems currently in place for adoptable pipes.

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There are a number of sticking points between the interested parties which more than likely could be overcome if the standard of workmanship is addressed and this can only be to the good of the industry. It should be recognised that the issue is not the mandatory standard, as such, but the ability to lay to a standard compatible both with the material used and the mandatory standard. Most drainage materials are fit for purpose (even some sub standard pipes can be fit for purpose), but it is the workmanship of the drainage operative and the type of contractor engaged in the construction which result in the issues that have required the transfer of private sewers.

Poor workmanship results in disputes, delays, further disturbance for customers and additional costs to all parties. Any failures could result in excavation to newly constructed roads, pavements and private lands.

The introduction of a register for drainage operatives, advising the skills and competencies of that operative and the use

of accredited contractors (similar to the self lay water supply process) who can show they employ registered drainage operatives with the relative skills, will ensure a trouble free process.

There is only one relatively easy and simple way to ensure a better compliance and that is for the entire workforce engaged on adoptable sewer laying to have the necessary construction and training skills.

The scheme would prove to all parties that the workforce had the necessary skills for the type of work being carried out and, if linked to an accredited drain laying contractor process, would ensure that the water company had a guarantee that both material and workforce had all that was necessary to produce quality systems with minimum maintenance requirements.

The water companies are looking to a minimum jetting requirement of 4,000psi (265 bar) but consideration should be given to the fact that the cause of blockages in sewers and drains are mostly the result of inappropriate materials being discharged down a sewer and poor laying of the pipes. To clear a blockage generally requires low pressures and a good water flow. A high pressure merely punches a hole through a blockage rather than clearing it.

There is already a code of practice in use by the water jetting industry which recognises the need to use the correct jetting head and nozzle pressure appropriate to the pipe material and condition of the pipe to be jetted and, as all of the sewerage foul system and lateral drains will be under a water company control, they should have no difficulty in ensuring that only well trained and informed operators are working on their systems. Restricting pipes to be used for public sewers and lateral drains to a 4,000 psi minimum is in fact an over assessment of the requirements and will restrict the use of modern alternative materials in pipe design.

Common sense says that realistic and cost effective design criteria, such as the use of concrete surrounds to concrete manhole rings, should only be required where it is known that ground water levels will cause infiltration to the foul system, and a modern design specification based on realistic probable water flows with a tightening of the construction quality can only be good for the whole industry. Why there is a suggestion that water companies could require a 100% bond when many have found the current practice of a 10% bond to be unnecessary, can only be guessed. The use of accredited contractors to lay new adoptable sewers would be of mutual benefit.

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) is another outstanding issue and it is still not yet known whether this will have any implications for the transfer where downstream pipes discharge to the surface water system.

Provision has been made for an economic approach to construction and as long as the design process allows for responsible maintenance provision then this will be achieved. This has to take into account development sites where conventional piped solutions discharge to a reasonably close sewer or watercourse and where the pipe discharge does not require storage via an enlarged pipe which will inevitably be a lesser cost than the SUDS option. In addition, the maintenance costs of a SUDS system will be greater than the conventional pipe solution – grass cutting, weed control, silt, leaves and rubbish control.

It is essential that existing definitions for drain and sewers are maintained to avoid conflict. In the same way, if there is a need for SUDS under general planning requirements then this needs to extend to cover Neighbourhood Development Orders and the like. To make this system clearer it would be preferable to make the sewerage undertaker responsible for all pipes, or for the SUDS Advisory Board (SAB) to have a duty to adopt the whole system from source to outfall. There needs to be a requirement, as in the July 2011 regulations for sewer adoption, for all private SUDS systems to be transferred to the SAB’s who will have the resources and skills to maintain them.

The transitional arrangements should allow for a period of training and understanding before there is a need to commence work in the ground but it is hoped that this will all be in place by October 2013.

All developers and contractors should be promoting the introduction of a register for drainage operatives and encouraging their operatives to be fully skilled in the necessary competencies to ensure a trouble free and cost effective process. q

Two examples of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) – images courtesty of the British Geological Survey

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Evolution in the air With the way we watch TV and video content spreading across more than just roof aerials and satellite dishes, the Confederation of Aerial Industries’ senior executive, TIM JENKS, takes a look at where the aerial industry finds itself in 2012 and beyond. n Since the then incumbent Secretary of State, Tessa Jowell announced a Digital SwitchOver (DSO) timetable way back in 2006, the aerial and satellite industry has enjoyed somewhat of a bonanza. The cramming in of more TV services into an already overcrowded frequency spectrum meant that many of those wanting to embrace the new technology needed the necessary aerial to capture the new signals. Couple that with the number of blocks of flats feeling a little disenfranchised by it all and we had a blossoming upgrade market yielding millions of pounds of new TV signal reception and distribution systems.

They think it’s all over…

2012 sees the conclusion of DSO – with Northern Ireland again helping write our history books by being the last TV region to say goodbye forever to the old TV broadcast using analogue technology. The press have had a hard time trying to find some prize horror stories about it all. The whole thing has gone down remarkably well with the public and technically there have been few issues. Areas where large urban landscapes boasted vast numbers of folk living in flats where there was a threat of blank screens brought out little or no aggravation. The broadcaster funded body elected to lead us through the malarkey, Digital UK (DUK), look like completing the job £50m under budget. To sum up, providing the London Region does not yield any gremlins, the whole thing has gone rather swimmingly.

Where next?

The Confederation of Aerial Industries (CAI) has enjoyed an everincreasing profile over a 32-year history. The launch of Channel 5 in the mid-1990’s, the birth of satellite TV in the ‘noughties’ and then DSO from 2006 now leaves us looking at what comes next. Traditionally we were known as ‘the trade association for the aerial and satellite industries’. We broadened it a little during switchover becoming the only ‘representative trade body for signal reception and distribution’. We now plan another reinvention by becoming the ‘trade body for content delivery’.

The reason for this is simple. The game is changing dramatically once more. Many of us at some point in the day watch video clips or log onto

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video content on our PCs or mobile devices. Whether it is for work purposes or merely a bit of TV news or tittle tattle, downloading moving pictures is big business. With the explosion of social networking, the YouTube phenomenon and now iplayers from our major broadcasters, broadband is promising to be the new ‘antenna’ for how we watch video images. It was Jerry Seinfeld, the US comic actor, who said ‘men don’t care what’s on TV – only what else is on’. Today the choice is beyond outrageous. Couple that with the way most of us time-delay our viewing by recording content at the simple press of a handset button and we have a nation that is able to choose when it watches a programme rather than when a broadcaster schedules it. Gone are the messy video tape recorders that needed a tutorial on how to programme them to record.

However, it now all goes beyond the pure entertainment level. Our broadband capability is showing signs of being the centre of how we organise our lives. Our mobile phones seek out networks and methods of communicating in more than a couple of ways. Some people will watch a TV programme, or at least bits of one, on a mobile device. Some are even re-configuring the lighting and temperature settings at home via their mobile phone devices.

The TV aerial installer was always going to have a smaller aerial and dish replacement market to fall back on once an over-inflated digital switchover market for antennas died back. This in itself will generate a

trade-up to extra points in other rooms that now may have to incorporate broadband access. So the new era is a whole range of devices that all need connecting together. Some via cables, others wireless. The consumer either has to learn how to do all this themselves or make a call to someone who can.

This is the brave new world of content delivery and custom home installation. The days of driving out in a van with ladders to simply lash an aerial to a chimney and drop a feeder cable in through a hole in the window frame to a TV set are few indeed. Most new home builds, whether single dwelling or multi-dwelling, have a complex network of coaxial and stranded cables connecting most of the rooms to a central point where some form of distribution unit can deliver content and control.

The Big Sell-off One aim of the TV digital switchover was to free up TV spectrum that for many years was occupied by frequency hungry TV channels. Digital TV is much more efficient than the old analogue. The new broadcast technology enables one UHF TV channel, like BBC2, to be replaced by six or seven additional TV channels along with data services. This saves space and gives more choice.

After switchover that same channel can now carry BBC1, 2, 3, Alba, 4, BBC News, CBBC, BBC Parliament plus a whole host of radio services and data. The cleared space that can be made available as a result of all this channel consolidation is marked as 600MHz and 800MHz. The channels above 60 have excellent scientific properties when used in urban landscapes, hence its past use for TV broadcasting. It will also be good for use by mobile phone technologies and these frequencies are being released right across Europe within a harmonisation project that means there should be cost benefits and compatibility with regard to equipment distribution.

The Big Retune – again The only problem with re-allocating TV channels is the public having to retune digital receivers and whilst many later model TV’s cope on their own the majority need a manual retune, which can lead to all sorts of ‘finger trouble’ on the part of the average TV viewer. OFCOM have calculated that around 7m homes may have to take part in another re-shuffle during 2013.

Once the new services are up and running there could be around 2m homes vulnerable to interference on their TV kit. Most of these could be using communal or shared aerial systems. To cope with all the potential hassle in restoring TV reception if interference is identified, the government has earmarked around £180m for remedial works such as filter provision or actually switching viewers to another platform of viewing.

Local TV

The simplified diagram above shows how the 21 to 69 TV band spread was utilised in the old days with one analogue TV channel per frequency space – i.e. depending on locality, channel 26 may have carried analogue BBC2 and channel 23 ITV. Radar technology has changed dramatically and is no longer using channel 36. The incumbents of channel 69 are labelled PMSE or ‘Programme Making and Special Events’, of most concern here is the entertainment industry and its use of this channel for radio microphones. They will need to be re-located.

Two chunks of the spectrum become available, as indicated by the second diagram. Vacant space available at the top end of the old TV band is to be auctioned off to the highest bidder – more than likely a mobile communications operator who will utilise the space to bring us more intelligent communications known collectively as ‘Long Term Evolution’ or LTE. There is also mid-band space. Potential users here could be regional or local TV, PMSE or even some more High Definition (HD) TV. The scope of a channel for PMSE could work for one-off broadcast applications.

An old subject close to the heart of government that could enjoy renewed publicity is that of local television. No prizes for guessing why, once local and national election times arrive. OFCOM have identified about 60 locations where spare frequency space dotted up and down the TV band could be made available for local TV broadcasting. There was also consideration for a bit of the 600MHz part of the band to be given over to local TV but OFCOM have decided that the 600MHz auction plans should be shelved for now until the future of the top end of the band is sealed. q

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CONSTRUCTION IT – A CASE STUDY

Pollard integrates key business processes with Summit n Founded in 1860, Henry W Pollard & Sons Ltd is a well established regional contractor with a turnover of £20m. The company operates throughout SW England from a base in Bridgwater, Somerset and undertakes work in a variety of markets for community, public and private sector clients, primarily within a value band of £0.5m - £7.5m.

Key to the company’s success has been a philosophy of continuous improvement, adopting industry initiatives, whilst maintaining traditional values. This has been reflected recently by a series of industry accreditations and awards, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, RoSPA Gold Award and winner of the prestigious ‘Project of the Year’ at the South West Built Environment Awards 2011.

The company’s existing financial processes were supported by separate procedures and disparate systems that did not communicate in any way.

Having identified the large degree of manual intervention, which was open to error and extra administration overheads, the main focus was to review alternative options that could offer an integrated solution.

Mandy Drewitt, Pollard’s Financial Director, carried out a comprehensive review of the existing accounts software (Foundation from Integrity Software), which was used as a standalone system for accounts and job costing. Purchase ordering, plant management, applications & sales invoices were handled manually in Word and Excel resulting in duplicate data entry and miscalculations. She concluded that the current software could no longer support the business requirements moving forward and decided to evaluate the alternatives.

“Interrogation of data such as contract costs was difficult, only accessible through a Microsoft Access database which filtered cost information then exported to a separate Excel spreadsheet. This was not ideal as not only was it time consuming, we were still restricted on the information we could view. Raising sales invoices was also labour intensive and involved an administrator creating invoices in a Word document, passing this to another person in accounts who checked the document before rekeying them onto the system.

This procedure was open to calculation errors and mistyping which didn’t look very professional for a company of our size and required extra administration overhead.

“It was felt that our existing application was no longer being developed or enhanced and therefore we had to source a new application that would serve the business for many years to come.”

Pollard initially started evaluating the market for a replacement system in August 2009, with the initial evaluation carried out on the internet and through discussions with potential vendors. Two companies were identified who had matched the

One of Pollard’s recent projects – Sidcot School Creative and Performing Arts Centre requirements, Sage and RedSky IT. “We were familiar with Sage because of the name and felt comfortable that we should explore this further as an option. RedSky IT was also suggested by a colleague who had previously worked for another construction company using a RedSky system. Not only was our objective to select a suitable product, we had to be confident that the company had a track record in offering construction accounting solutions. We felt both systems had equally good points, however it was apparent that the RedSky IT system processes and procedures flowed seamlessly and felt more joined up as a system. They were also able to reference companies we knew of which gave us the reassurance that they were well established in our market sector”.

In December 2009 Pollard selected RedSky IT as their solution partner. Implementation commenced February 2010 with Purchase Ledger & Payroll going live in April 2010 followed by Contract Sales in June 2010 and Subcontractors in August 2010.

Mandy Drewitt continued: “It was vital for us to have the Contract Costs and Nominal Ledger structure established before live processing commenced on any of the other ledgers. We were able to easily import the cost and nominal ledger codes and account detail which was a huge benefit, as it reduced the manual effort of data entry. The versatility of the Payroll module enabled retrospective costing of entries, whereas previously the detail couldn’t be entered comprehensively which was unworkable and involved a lot of manual journal entries.”

Pollard achieved their overall aim to be live for the start of October 2010 in all the key areas that were dictated by the end of their existing support contract. RedSky IT was able to commit and deliver to this timescale.

“We felt the delivery process was extremely consistent. We had one consultant as our point of contact during the implementation process

who was extremely knowledgeable and always available to contact if we had any queries. The service we get from the support desk is superior to that which we received from our previous provider, they are able to quickly help and react should we need their assistance. We are now clearer and more confident with the information the system is giving us.”

The main areas of improvement are: • The ability to view a Purchase Ledger invoice • via a contract cost enquiry using OLE • Time saving from Payroll processing due to • flexible costing structure • Reduction in administration through Sales • Invoice generation versus previous manual • process • Accruals generated following delivery note • input versus previous manual process.

Mandy Drewitt concluded: “Overall the Summit system has delivered a significant time saving solution with improved quality of information all round. We realise Summit can offer a lot more and our next stage will be to streamline the plant processing, approvals, and build knowledge on the various reporting methods.” q

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Air Spectrum re-engineer their awardwinning range n Following Air Spectrum Environmental Ltd’s recent analysis of their range of odour suppression chemicals, the industry experts have re-engineered their market-leading range to ensure clients are receiving the optimum product to meet their requirements.

This has led to the Midlands based company rationalising their Odr range. Four strengths (Odr 1 – 4) will be available with either a natural fragrance or one of a range of 10 signature scents, including green grass, bubble gum and pine. Two industrial strengths are also available with natural fragrance only (Odr 5 and Odr 6).

Air Spectrum’s four different core blends target a wide ranging variety of odours, with Odr 1 being a neutraliser for use where light or intermittent odour is a problem in workplaces, such as composting facilities or landfill sites.

Odr 2 is aimed at heavier odour problems, such as waste-transfer stations.

If there is a constant stream of odour causing discomfort to employees and neighbours, Air Spectrum recommend Odr 3, whereas Odr 4 can be used to combat high levels of odour on an intermittent or constant basis, such as in food processing and manufacturing facilities.

The move is particularly relevant given the on-going drought conditions that are gripping much of the country as businesses that rely on being able to successfully neutralise the odours they produce can now do so in the most waterefficient way possible. On the 16th April, with water levels at their lowest point since 1976, official drought conditions were declared in another 17 counties.

Following two dry winters which the UK’s Environment Agency says “left rivers and ground waters depleted”, the areas affected now include much of the Midlands and the South West. Counties affected in the Midlands include, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, West Midlands, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. And in the South West, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucester, Hampshire and Wiltshire are all affected.

Air Spectrum’s re-engineered four-strong Odr range still has the capability to neutralise a vast variety of odours, while they also ensure the best chemical compositions to meet their customers’ requirements.

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Mark Thomas, general manager of the Worcester-based company, commented: “Air Spectrum’s Odr range of odour neutralisers is specifically designed to negate the threat of these issues, by controlling odour in any environment. Its primary function is to neutralise odour before it leaves the site boundary or processing outlet.

“Operators using Odr protect their neighbours from exposure to annoying smells, eliminating the possibility of complaint or investigation and ensuring compliance with air pollution regulations.

“Odr is a best-selling range of organic, non-toxic, foodgrade odour neutralisers using bio-degradable essential oils collected from sustainable resources. Some Odr types are fragranced but, unlike masking chemicals that can cause greater environmental problems than they resolve, Odr neutralises malodour by removing it from the air.”

Odr combats odour in five different ways – pairing: oxidisation, adsorption, absorption and combination. These work as follows: Pairing: Odr contains substances which will chemically pair with odorous compounds,

changing the properties of the odour molecule, rendering it odourless.

Oxidisation: Odour molecules can be oxidised to produce an odourless solution. A combination of oxygen, Odr and hydrogen ions generates a safe reaction, resulting in odour neutralisation.

Adsorption: Certain odorous molecules will attach themselves to Odr neutraliser, generating a minute energy charge that partly neutralises their odour and adsorbs them into a larger odourless compound.

Absorption: Certain odour compounds dissolve into Odr neutraliser, losing their odour in the process.

Combination: Odr odour neutraliser combines with certain odorous molecules, changing their structure to generate new molecules that are environmentally friendly and completely odourless. q • For further information call 01905 362100 or visit www.airspectrum.com. The new line-up of Odr is available now and will be accompanied by an all-new technical brochure from May which can be obtained by emailing Hayley.Jordan@airspectrum.com.

Online Blue Book provides a one-stop health and safety shop for the construction professional In this first in a series of reports on titles from Construction Industry Publications, CHRIS STOKES takes a virtual tour of the Construction Health and Safety Manual. n A new online resource for the construction industry gives managers access to a comprehensive manual of health and safety answers.

The Construction Health and Safety Manual, or Blue Book, from Construction Industry Books (www.cip-books.com) has been designed to be navigated easily and quickly, to provide information on a wealth of subjects as and when they are needed. Being online, it’s also available where you are – on site or in the office.

The main menu comprises a list of 47 topics plus an introduction, each topic enabling a further drop-down menu to be viewed, with sometimes yet a further menu. The topics range from Health and Safety Management to Working on the Railways. Issues such as Drugs and Alcohol, Confined Spaces and Occupational Health are covered in depth, with the appropriate reference to Acts of Parliament and other publications.

Philip White, head of construction at the HSE is quoted in the publicity material. He said: “The Health and Safety Executive is committed to supporting the work of the construction industry in improving the availability and accessibility of health and safety information for all working in the industry. We recognise the contribution of the Construction Health and Safety Manual to this important aim.”

The Blue Book really does cover a wealth of topics – and in some depth. For example, the chapter on Emergency Planning contains a further menu on a Disaster and Emergency Plan which itself contains advice and information on contacting the families of victims.

On Explosives the manual has this to say in its introduction: “…it is anticipated that the information will enable sub contractors’ method statements and risk assessments to be assessed. Further guidance on the use of explosives is given in BS 5607:1998 Code of Practice for safe use of explosives in the construction industry, Section 8A of this manual entitled Demolition and section 15 entitled Quarries associated with construction operations. Advice on the explosives used in cartridge operated fixing tools is given in BS 4078 Part 1 (also see the Portable Tools section). The legal framework underpinning this section is The Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations 2005 and The Control of Explosives Regulations 1991.”

The manual has been written by a panel of 14 leading health and safety professionals working in the construction industry and is also available in hardcopy and as a single user CD-ROM. As an online resource it is intended to allow for regular updating as and when legislation or advice changes. In addition, pages can be downloaded or printed and there is even a space for commenting on the issues covered.

Single-user licences for the manual cost £315 per annum and multi-user licences are available online. There is also a free 30-day trial, which can be accessed from the Construction National website, at www.constructionnational.co.uk or from the book’s own website, www.cip-bluebook.com. The full list of CIP titles can be found and purchased at www.cip-books.com. q

n Construction Industry Publications (CIP) publishes a range

of construction, health and safety and environmental titles.

It was formerly owned by the Construction Confederation, but following the demise of that body is now is now in private ownership.

As well as its own publications, including the recently published Construction Environmental Manual, CIP supplies a range of contracts from JCT and NEC, a range of ICE titles and a comprehensive range of price books and other publications for construction companies, sub-contractors, architects, surveyors, civil engineers and health and safety professionals.

All can be purchased from the CIP website at www.cipbooks.com, or ordered by phone on 0870 078 4400. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Cuts to signage lighting not the answer to energy saving, says industry body O These days local authority budgets are under pressure as never before, and in some cases the pressure to reduce carbon footprint and cut back on energy use has provided a convenient ‘cover’ to reduce spending on what could otherwise be regarded as essential safety measures on the highways. Thus, in a number of local authority areas street lighting is being turned off in some rural areas after midnight. Although the measure can reduce light pollution and certainly reduces energy use, the underlying rationale is to save money.

Another area where savings are being made that could undermine safety is in lit signage on the roads, according to the industry body, the Association for Road Traffic Safety and Management (ARTSM). According to the ARTSM, such savings may in fact be wasting resources and compromising safety. Lit signage is one small element of road safety management, but it is vital and should not be disregarded, says the association.

Ken Simmons, director of Simmonsigns, said in an article published by the ARTSM: “One example is an increasing trend for street lighting departments to shelve responsibility for lit bollard maintenance, under the guise of cost reduction, in order to meet their ever-more stringent budgets.

Removing bollard bases and fitting reflective bollards often attracts cable termination costs, negates a valuable asset and compromises future lit developments. The arguably increased costs are reassigned to traffic departments within the same authority, who then bear the cost of installing, maintaining and cleaning less robust equipment without reference to historic performance/cost data. But these costs are ultimately paid from the same purse.”

Ken continues: “Forty-two per cent of road deaths occur in darkness.

A lit bollard is clearly visible from all sides, is extremely durable and is known to be passively safe. Instead of illuminating signs, however, some authorities are introducing non-illuminated or poorly illuminated signs and bollards to traffic island refuges.”

The article is pointedly illustrated by a picture of one such island where the bollards had not been cleaned for four weeks. Over that period traffic film had obscured the reflective surface, making the bollards invisible. The ARTSM further estimates that the energy cost of a lit bollard is around £12 a year, or just 23p a week.

Ken Simmons concluded that, if £5.86m, around 1% of the £50bn or so raised annually by car users, were spent on energy costs to illuminate road signage to optimum safety levels, it would not only provide a safer road system, but would help reduce the cost to the NHS of accidents and fatalities.

Phil Crickmay, ARTSM general secretary, added: “Signage provides the most important visual clues drivers have to alert them to hazards and to give them directions to their destination. Analysis of available data shows that good signing practice reduces accidents and can save lives and resources. Compared with other highways activities, traffic signing products are relatively inexpensive, making them a cost effective way of enhancing road safety.” R • The Association for Road Traffic Safety and Maintenance (ARTSM) was founded in 1933 and includes in its membership ‘companies and central, regional or local government departments which are manufacturers or suppliers of fixed message and variable message signs, portable traffic signals, or systems, and products or components for the detection, measurement, guidance or control of road traffic’. It also has an associate membership comprising consultants in the field of transportation. For more information visit www.artsm.org.uk.

Photo courtesy of www.freeimages.co.uk

Sun and wind light the way O Changes to the way traffic signs are lit and powered add weight to the ARTSM’s argument, writes CHRIS STOKES. Small wind turbines have powered signs in remote parts of Scotland for many years, while advances in solar pv generators and energy efficiency in lighting have made self-powered signs more widespread.

LED lighting is available for very little energy input and in fact the National Trust is embarking on a programme to retrofit its museum displays with such lights.

According to the Energy Development Co-operative: “Solar sign lighting offers the convenience of minimal civil works, avoiding the need to lay long cables at huge expense from the nearest mains connection point. Solar or wind powered signs are also redeployable, or in some cases even designed to be mobile, such as solar powered traffic lights.” R

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ARP comes to the streets of Britain O Street lighting is a facet of highway electricals that is currently under scrutiny by environmentalists, local authority accountants, road safety campaigners and the industry itself. For many years it was a given that lighting in our streets deterred criminality and anti-social behaviour and helped reduce accidents, keeping roads safe. Indeed, the police Secured by Design initiative was behind the publication of a document, Lighting Against Crime, which was a guide to external lighting as a crime deterrent.

In the past decade, the environmental issues of light pollution and carbon use have focused attention on the design of lighting schemes. That same police document addresses the issue, while pointing out that, under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, it is an offence to create light pollution. More recently the imperative to cut public funds has encouraged new ways of providing lighting, to keep down carbon emissions

Safety Solutions for the workplace O Chilton Safety Solutions are a health and safety consultancy based in N.Yorks with various clients ranging from construction and engineering firms to processing plants. They are also health and safety advisors for street lighting organisation Acorn Lighting based in the North of England.

The company has assisted many clients with the CHAS and ROSPA accreditations as well as working alongside small to medium sized organisations to develop and manage health and safety management systems.

Chilton Safety Solutions became an approved trainer for the Highways Electrical Sector Academy (HESA) in 2008 and have delivered training to many clients in this time including AMEY / EON and SERCO throughout the UK. They specialise in the H/S foundation units, Work at Height, Traffic Management Awareness and G39. The company pride themselves in doing their very best to meet their customers’ requirements – whatever they are and wherever they may be.

• More details of the specific courses can be found on the HESA website or by contacting Kevin Chilton directly at Chilton Safety Solutions, 23 Castlegate, Malton, N.Yorks YO17 7DP. Tel: 01653 681869 or 07960 472733(mob). E-mail: kevin@ chiltonsafetysolutions.com or visit www.chiltonsafetysolutions.com.

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Picture credit www.freeimages.co.uk

“Put that light out!”

and costs while providing the lighting necessary to keep our streets and estates safe.

A more drastic approach has been adopted by some local authorities: turning off street lights after midnight in some areas. One is East Sussex, where a number of towns will either have their lights dimmed or turned off following a pilot in Heathfield and Uckford. The council says of the pilot: “The changes seem to have been well received by residents and businesses in the area, and local police have had no increase in incidents reported to them.”

Concerns have been expressed in North Somerset, however, where a fatal accident occurred in Clevedon, in an area where the lights are turned off after midnight. Local residents raised a petition to have the lights turned back on. R

Highway luminaries meet in Leeds O Last year the two main trade associations in the field of highway electricals – ASLEC representing installers and HEMSA the manufacturers – amalgamated to form the Highway Electrical Association, HEA. That association now represents the great bulk of firms operating in the area.

The association sponsors Highway Electrical News, the industry’s news magazine, which is published by Highlec Publishing Ltd. On 22 May the publication held a ‘HEN on the Road’ event in Leeds at which a number of important issues and innovations in the highway electrical industry were discussed. The event, at the city’s Metropole Hotel, was described by one exhibitor as a “successful day”.

Prominent among the issues debated was that of LED luminaires for highways applications, including a presentation on specifying products by the technical and design director of Philips Lighting, leaders in the field of LED technology.

Also at the event there was a presentation by Mick Twist, HSE manager at HEA member company ETDE Infrastructure Ltd, entitled Temporary Traffic Management for Work on Traffic Islands – what’s safe and what’s not. The lecture acted as the launch of the latest guidance document from HEA on the subject, which is now just one of the health and safety guidance documents available to members from the association’s website at www.highwayelectrical.org.uk. R

New PPE clothing officially launched O Construction workers could be kept safer while they work thanks to the global launch in March of a new product that brings protective clothing into the 21st century.

Fhoss Technology® Ltd, based in Somerset, unveiled a new illuminated clothing system that helps equipment operators see other workers in poorly lit conditions and in the dark.

Andy Kimitri, Executive Chairman of Fhoss Technology®, who invented the product, said: “The launch of our revolutionary new protective clothing system, which allows workers to be seen if there is no other light around and also ensures they can see where they are walking to, was held at Spa Valley Railway in Royal Tunbridge Wells and was a great success.

“We had more than 100 decision makers and health and safety experts from lots of different industries, including construction companies, in attendance to see the product in action.

“This is the next generation of personal protective equipment (PPE) and several steps on from the high visibility jackets, trousers and vests that workers currently wear which have been around for more than 50 years and have hardly changed. This isn’t just reflective clothing, it is one step ahead, or even a giant leap forward.

“We have produced a light emitting reflective tape, designed for use in professional environments where wearing a high visibility garment, such as a vest, is often mandatory due to ever growing health and safety regulations.”

Traditional high visibility reflective tapes work on the principle that they actively collect light and then reflect it back towards the light source.

Andy added: “Fhoss Technology® has combined the traditional reflective tape with an electroluminescent core that sits behind the semitransparent tape and actively emits light. Therefore when light is not available the tape emits light as if it were reflecting it.”

In order for the tape to work it needs to be powered by a specially developed, mini rechargeable powercell, which is designed to allow 12 hours of constant usage and can be located discreetly in a small pocket on the garment.

There is also a revolutionary anti-entanglement system used on the products.

Pictured, from left to right, are Nick Allen, Managing Director of Fhoss Technology®, Peter Martineau, Non Executive Director, Andy Kimitri, Executive Chairman and Kevin Smith, International Business Development Director, displaying the new product at the launch event at Spa Valley Railway in Royal Tunbridge Wells

Andy continued: “We have developed a new protective clothing system that allows workers to remove their safety vests when tangled or trapped in machinery, meaning they have a better chance of avoiding injury.

“We have moved the standard antientanglement system found on other products from the shoulder to the front of the chest. This design protected feature reduces pressure on the shoulders where load carrying systems or heavy objects frequently cause injury or discomfort when carried.”

The Fhoss Technology® product has been carefully manufactured and is approved and certified to the internationally recognised EN471 standard by independent test agencies. It is robust and designed for use by professionals in the work place.

“Fhoss Technology® is committed to adding additional safety products into a variety of market sectors to help improve safety through visibility and technology” added Andy.

“Always at the forefront of our field, our business ethos is to design a new range of products that will help improve safety.”

For people who missed the launch event in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Andy and his team are now working on a series of regional events during the spring and summer.

If anyone would like to attend one of these showcases they will be able to apply for a free place on the Fhoss Technology® website. R • For more information about Fhoss Technology® please visit www.fhoss.com or call 0845 519 2725.

Nearly one in five construction sites fail safety checks O According to a report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), nearly one in five construction sites failed safety checks during a national initiative to improve construction site safety. HSE inspectors visited a total 3,237 sites and saw 4,080 contractors, but 581 sites were found to have practices that put workers at risk with a total of 870 enforcement notices issued and in 603 instances work had to stop immediately.

Commenting, Philip White, Chief Inspector of Construction at the HSE, said: “It is encouraging that inspectors found a slight improvement in standards and small construction firms are taking safety seriously when carrying out refurbishment work.

“But this is just a snapshot, and the number of notices served for unsafe

work at height is still unacceptable, particularly when the safety measures are well-known and straightforward to implement.

“Too many contractors continue to put their own or other people’s lives at risk and we will not hesitate to take action where standards are not met.”

Pat Perry, Executive Chairman of leading health and safety experts, Perry Scott Nash, added: “It’s great that the HSE conduct these nationwide drives with the aim of reducing the risk of death, injury and ill health and although the figures are a slight improvement on previous years, it’s a stark reminder for the need for contractors to keep health and safety at the forefront of their minds”. R www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Find the training you need at

www.lantra-awards.co.uk n Learners and land-based professionals across the UK can now benefit from visiting www.lantra-awards.co.uk, which has been re-launched with a new look and feel, offering the qualifications and training solutions that the UK’s learners are looking for.

Lantra Awards, one of the UK’s leading Awarding Organisations, develops national qualifications and training courses offered through a national network of approved training centres. Redesigned to give comprehensive information on Lantra Awards qualifications, www.lantra-awards.co.uk features a sophisticated yet user-friendly design that makes it easy to navigate. With an enhanced search facility, the website uses smart keywords and filters to narrow results so learners can be confident they will quickly find the training they need.

It isn’t just learners who will benefit from the new website. Existing Lantra Awards training centres will also notice the immense improvements with new sections dedicated just to them, filled with helpful tools and functions. The new website will help providers attract more learners than ever. In addition, providers will have access to a dedicated, password protected area on the website with a new registration system and up-to-date course information.

The website was designed following research last year, aimed at understanding what customers wanted from the website. Initial customer feedback on the new website has been very positive, with users citing how fresh and clean the new site looks, while complementing the quick and accurate search functions.

This is one of the many steps that Lantra is taking this year to offer more solutions to the land-based and environmental professionals, ensuring that

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businesses and their employees have the skills needed to support the UK during the next generation. q • Find out more about Lantra Awards’ new website by visiting www.lantraawards.co.uk.

PASMA puts towers in the spotlight n The unassuming mobile access tower is about to receive the recognition it deserves. A familiar sight in a fast growing array of industry sectors - from construction, cleaning and sign erecting to roofing and repairs - this increasingly popular piece of work at height equipment is winning loyal admirers for its flexibility, safety and ease of use.

Taking as its theme ‘promoting good practice with towers’, PASMA Tower Week, organised by the Prefabricated Access Suppliers’ and Manufacturers’ Association, will celebrate this success, promote safety and best practice and, at the same time, gather invaluable information to help inform its future development and continuing safe use on site.

Despite a steady decline, falls from height remain the most common kind of workplace fatality. In 2010/11 a total of 38 workers died and 4,327 employees suffered a major injury as a result of a fall from height in the workplace, with a further 10,232 employees suffering an over three day injury.

The Yorkshire-based event is being organised by PASMA in collaboration with its local members - manufacturers, hirer/dealers and training centres.

Some operate nationwide and others on a more local basis. Many are household names in the access marketplace.

Supported by Working Well Together, the industry-wide construction health and safety campaign, PASMA Tower Week has also been welcomed

by HSE and local authorities in the region.

It will be launched at The Royal Armouries in Leeds on 11 June 2012 and be followed by a week long series of tower-related activities and events at different venues throughout the region. These include demonstrations, workshops, competitions and site surveys. Visit http://towerweek.pasma. org.uk for more details.

The launch event will include presentations by PASMA, HSE and other industry representatives. A wide range of different towers will be on display, and the event will host the launch of the much anticipated PASMA mobile app.

Complete with its own logo, website and resource pack, the inaugural PASMA Tower Week has five principal objectives: - To promote the safe and proper use of towers in the workplace; - To demonstrate the all-round versatility of towers; - To provide a snapshot of tower use on a practical, day-to-day basis; - To promote tower training and competency.

Last but not least, it will raise awareness and understanding of the role of PASMA in developing UK and European standards and tower guidance. It will also focus attention on PASMA as a training provider. The Association successfully trains more than 50,000 delegates each year.

Comments campaign co-ordinator, Jill Couttie: “PASMA Tower Week aims to showcase the many benefits of mobile towers as they increasingly become the method of choice for fast, safe and convenient access.” q

Operators need

training, familiarisation and management n Powered access equipment, i.e. mobile elevating work platforms (MEWP’s) and mast climbing work platforms (MCWP’s), offers a safe and effective way to work at height.

However, operators need to be properly trained and familiarised before using the equipment.

The work on site also needs to be properly managed.

Training is a structured process to provide people with the adequate and necessary knowledge and skills to use work equipment properly. A trained platform operator knows how to perform a pre-start inspection before each use.

He knows that he must perform a site inspection to check the ground conditions for items like drop-offs, holes and debris in the area he will be working. He knows how to use outriggers, stabilisers or spreader pads correctly. A trained platform operator checks blind spots while operating the machine. He wears a full body harness with a short restraint lanyard attached to a suitable anchor point when working on boom type platforms. These are some of the vital things covered in training that help platform operators work safely and effectively.

Familiarisation follows on from basic training.

It is about making people aware of machinespecific features on a piece of equipment that they may be using for the first time. Whereas training provides general principles on how to use platforms safely and correctly, familiarisation focuses on the specific machine and, for example, how the emergency descent function works on that machine. A machine-specific familiarisation should cover the manufacturer’s instructions and warnings, the features of the specific model, control functions, safety devices and emergency lowering procedures.

Look for the PAL Card, proof that the holder has been trained to operate platforms safely and effectively. Check the validity of PAL Cards online at www.ipaf.org

Trained operators need both machine-specific familiarisation and proper management on site Familiarisation is important because operators are usually trained on a certain machine, but may find themselves using a variety of machines on the job. An arrow pointing forward might mean one thing on one machine and a different thing on another. The emergency lowering system might be located in a different part of the machine. If operators were trained in the category static boom on a vehiclemounted platform, would they be equally adept at operating a trailer-mounted platform in the same category? This is where familiarisation comes in. Operators who intend to use any machine with characteristics (weight, height, width, length or complexity) that differ significantly to the training they have undergone should receive a familiarisation to cover the differences.

The not-for-profit International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) provides operator and management courses through its worldwide network of approved training centres. The IPAF MEWP operator course is certified by TUV as conforming to the international standard ISO 18878. Training is done in different equipment categories, ranging from scissor lifts (3a) and boom-type platforms (3b), to vehicle-mounted platforms (1b) and low-level access machines known as push around verticals (PAV). The

operator course covers both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, including a theory test and a practical assessment that candidates must pass in order to obtain a PAL (Powered Access Licence) Card as proof of training.

There is also a demonstrator course which, as the name indicates, trains demonstrators to familiarise operators with their responsibilities and to demonstrate pre-operational and safe operating procedures as well as the limitations of the equipment.

Site and safety managers can take the MEWP’s for Managers course, which instructs them on what is required to prepare for and safely co-ordinate various types of MEWP’s on site. This course is not about operating equipment. It is targeted at managers responsible for planning or overseeing the use of MEWP’s in many sectors including construction, facilities management, retail, airports, leisure parks, industrial cleaning and tree surgery.

The course provides candidates with the basic information every manager should know about planning, selecting and preparing for the use of MEWP’s on site, from paperwork to logistics. This includes regulations, recognition and avoidance of hazards, risk assessment, and looking at the various types of MEWP’s available and what they are best suited for. q

IPAF, Moss End Business Village, Crooklands, Cumbria LA7 7NU, UK

Tel : 015395 66700 Fax : 015395 66084 Email: info@ipaf.org Website: www.ipaf.org Also in Chile, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland and the USA.

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Welcome to Hewden Training We offer a comprehensive range of training courses, covering an increasing range of topics across our hire range, including powered access, crane operation, plant operation and health and safety courses ranging from general site safety to specific industry courses.

All our training courses are accredited, certified and recognised by leading bodies, including IPAF, PASMA and CPCS, ensuring your staff are assessed to the relevant industry standards.

The range of topics covered by our experts and carefully selected training partners is growing constantly, so if you need the best training for powered access, crane operation, plant operation or general site performance, talk to Hewden about our latest courses or check online at www.hewden.co.uk/catalogue/training.

Training is available at Hewden locations UK wide or can be custom delivered on your sites. Course costs vary, so please call our training team on 0161 772 2444 for a quote.

New for Summer 2012 Hewden now have a brand new Training Management System which allows customers to register online with us and by doing so can sign up to the benefits of full visibility of all available courses and training programmes, browsing tools and an excellent online booking facility.

We make training easy for our customers, with all course information available online - you will know exactly what you are getting from our Training Services including reports, certificate viewing and evaluation monitoring.

With the ability to track your employees’ training data, compare job roles and training specifications, Hewden Training will take all the work out of managing training and accreditation, operating as an extra function of your business to provide the best in Health and Safety and Industry accredited courses.

IPAF Training International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) accredited training promotes the safe use of powered access worldwide. IPAF training is recognised throughout the world as a desired qualification.

Qualifications gained last for five years.

1 Day Course Aim

To provide delegates with the essential knowledge and skills required for the safe and efficient operation of MEWPs.

Cranes Training CPCS Slinger Signaller 2-4 Day Course Aim

To provide delegates with the training and knowledge to enable them to carry out slinging and signalling duties in the movement of loads with lifting equipment.

CPCS Crane Lift Supervisor 2-4 Day Course Aim

To provide delegates with the training and knowledge to enable them to understand a crane supervisors’ role and responsibilities.

Crane Appreciation

CPCS Appointed Person (AP) 2-4 Day Course Aim

To provide delegates with the training and knowledge to enable them to understand the appointed persons role and responsibilities. To comply with the lifting and slinging equipment regulations and meet the code of practice laid down by the British Standards for the safe use of cranes.

CPCS Mobile Crane 5-10 Day Course Aim

To provide delegates with the appropriate theory and practical training and assessment to confirm their understanding of safe and correct operation of mobile truck mounted cranes in the movement of loads with lifting equipment.

PASMA Training PASMA is the lead trade association in Europe for the mobile access tower industry. Representing the interests of manufacturers, suppliers, specifiers and users, it provides and oversees the industry standard training scheme and is a major publisher of safety related knowledge, information and guidance.

Qualifications gained last for five years.

1 Day Course Aim

To gain an understanding of current relevant legislation and to be able to dismantle, erect and inspect mobile access towers safely, as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Health & Safety Training Various Health & Safety courses are available - please ask one of our team for more information on the following: • NPORS • Emergency First Aid at Work • First Aid at Work • Fire Marshal • Manual Handling • Risk Assessment • Safe Use of Abrasive Wheels • NEBOSH Certificate • SMSTS / SSSTS • IOSH - Working / Managing Safely • SPA Safety Passport Training

Bespoke Training Programmes Bespoke Training packages are available, where we will take your requirements and the content you need to be included, and create a tailor made course for your teams. These could include Plant Appreciation, Health and Safety Awareness, Management Techniques, Train the Trainer and company Induction Training.

All training that your employees successfully complete will be awarded a card and certificate to recognise that they have passed the training and are able to perform certain duties. These can be Hewden recognised or accredited by a relevant awarding body.

Please contact our friendly and professional team for any further information on 0161 772 2444 or check online at www.hewden.co.uk/ catalogue/training.

1-2 Day Course Aim

Crane Appreciation is a 1 or 2 day course tailored to familiarise a range of delegates with Crane legislation, basic strength & stability information of different types of cranes.

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Is your lock vulnerable

to attack?

n The Door and Hardware Federation (DHF), which represents the UK's leading lock manufacturers, has launched a new website (http://ts007.dhfonline.org.uk) that tells householders what they must do to ensure their external doors are secure.

The website recommends they should call in locksmiths, installers or security professionals for advice if they feel their doors, cylinders or handles do not meet the latest security standards.

The DHF has acted following recent TV and radio publicity about criminals using lock attack methods they have obtained from the internet to break into insecure homes.

In one TV programme it was revealed that more than a quarter of all burglaries in West Yorkshire are being committed by criminals using the latest attack techniques. It showed how euro cylinders in external doors can be forced in under a minute.

The new website gives information on the new TS 007 ‘Kitemark three-star’ cylinder and handle standard and the ‘Sold Secure Diamond’ standard for cylinders, and describes how consumers can tell if their cylinders and handles meet those standards. It also advises householders to check if their external doors meet the PAS 24 standard if those doors have been replaced or upgraded since 2006.

The website provides links to lock manufacturers who make compliant products and there is a link to the Master Locksmiths Association website to enable the site visitor to locate a local locksmith.

DHF general manager Michael Skelding explained: “This new website has been designed to give the consumer clear and simple advice on what they should do to protect their homes and so we expect locksmiths and security professionals to receive many inquiries from householders wanting their security to be checked.”

The website can also be accessed from the main DHF website, at www.dhfonline.org.uk. q

SIA Approved Contractor scores show continued improvement n Members of the Security Industry Authority’s Approved Contractor Scheme are continuing to raise their standards.

According to the SIA’s latest figures for 2011-2012, there has been an average improvement of 11 points across all Approved Contractors.

Every year Approved Contractors, except for those on certain ‘Passport’ schemes, must assess their performance against 89 individual indicators of achievement. At assessment, an independent assessor verifies these scores.

Andrew Shephard, assistant director of the Approved Contractor Scheme at the SIA, commented: “We now demand more from Approved Contractors.”

Some examples of how the Regulator has raised the bar include requirements to: • record and verify all income streams • consider more factors when arranging • insurance • ensure all work permits and visa • conditions are complied with • maintain appropriate contact with the • police Shephard continued: “SIA Approved Contractors are able to demonstrate to potential clients of security services that they are meeting the necessary requirements and that standards are increasing.”

At the end of April, the total number of SIA Approved Contractors was 730, while around 130,000 licensed operatives work for SIA Approved Contractors. q

Address construction site security early on, advises BSIA n Earlier this year the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) launched a new guide for the construction sector intended to give site managers an understanding of the techniques needed to secure these vulnerable sites. This included a basic introduction to risk management and an overview of the practical solutions available.

Chris Lawrence, Chairman of BSIA’s Security Consultancies section, said: “Security breaches or poorly implemented security measures can have a number of negative effects on construction sites, including financial losses, unplanned downtime, as well as health and safety issues caused by unauthorised tampering with equipment or procedures. Site security is therefore crucial to the successful and on

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time completion of a project, so its needs should be addressed at the earliest stages of a project, for example by implementing measures such as temporary CCTV or physical security from its inception.

“Construction sites are particularly difficult to secure due to a number of factors. They are often left unattended overnight, and this, combined with a transient population of contractors, suppliers and builders and the presence of valuable equipment and materials make them particularly vulnerable, putting additional onus on the already demanding role of a site manager. With this in mind, and drawing from the extensive expertise of BSIA Security Consultancies, we have produced this comprehensive guide, providing invaluable advice on what to consider to

produce effective and integrated security strategies that will counter the threat of theft, vandalism, deliberate damage and terrorism.”

“Construction site managers should refer to the BSIA guide for advice and guidance on risk mitigation, as well as more information on the types of security measures available and how these work in practice. They may also wish to enlist the help of a professional security consultant to assist with the development of a security strategy.”

Construction site security – a guide can be downloaded from the BSIA’s publications website, by searching for form 123. q • For more information on the BSIA’s Security Consultancies section, visit www. bsia.co.uk/security-consultancies.

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Marley Eternit Profile 6 ‘Tots’ the bill on Isle of Rum Amiri’s Kevin Lendon (3rd left) with Chichester running family Greg, Oliver and Maddie Smith, and (top) Dr Mike Lauder, University of Chichester’s Head of Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences.

Amiri on start line for Chichester Uni Olympic standard athletics track n Fibre cement Profile 6 from Marley Eternit has been specified for the new waiting room at the ferry terminal on the Isle of Rum. The architects specified Profile 6 because of its durability, which means it will be able to withstand the severe weather conditions experienced in this part of the Inner Hebrides.

Profile 6 was used for the mono pitch roof of the new Welcome Building at the ferry terminal in Kinloch, which was commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

Exposed to Atlantic gales on the west coast of Scotland, combined with severe winter temperatures, meant that it was essential that the roof covering was strong and durable. Other important factors were aesthetics and the sustainability because the entire island is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation.

After evaluating a range of alternatives architect Jon Gay specified Profile 6 in Laurel Green to harmonise with the surrounding scenery. It also complemented the other materials used on the building, including Scottish larch doors and sandstone walls.

He explained: “My client and I liked the aesthetics of Profile 6 and felt it was appropriate to the rugged, natural setting. When this was combined with its excellent weather performance, cost effectiveness, and the fact that it has a very low embodied energy it proved to be the ideal solution.”

He added: “As well as the high quality of the material, I was impressed by Marley Eternit’s customer service, which included a very short lead time for the contractor and detailed technical advice where required.”

Profile 6 is fixed directly to the timber roof purlins using stainless steel top fix fasteners. Matching coloured fibre cement Laurel Green external bargeboards were used along the roof verges and ridge.

Marley Eternit fibre cement profiled sheeting contains no metallic components and has a 50-year life expectancy. It is low maintenance, meaning that once installed, clients have the peace of mind that the material will perform consistently over the long term.

Marley Eternit is the only UK-based manufacturer of fibre cement sheeting, providing customers with a reduced carbon footprint compared to overseas manufactured products. q • For further information on Marley Eternit’s range of products and services visit www.marleyeternit.co.uk/cladding or call 01283 722588.

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n Fareham based Amiri Construction are under starters orders as they begin two sports facility projects at the University Of Chichester.

The contracts, totalling £1.47 million, are to provide a sports dome with 3 netball and 4 tennis courts, an outdoor netball court and new cricket nets with an existing road widened on the south side of the campus. This will be completed by August. On the north side, and with a planned completion in June, a new Olympic standard 8 lane athletics track with jump pits and tracks is underway.

At the turf cutting ceremony for the athletics track, officials from the University were joined by athletes from the Chichester Runners and Athletics Club who could use the facilities.

Amiri Director Kevin Lendon said that the company was delighted to start the projects: “We are on track with much of the ground works and have had no hurdles to jump so far. We are racing towards an on-time, on budget completion this summer.” q

UK Concrete Show advances to NEC n The concrete industry is set to be united all under one roof when The UK Concrete Show takes place at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) on the 27th and 28th February 2013.

Being Europe’s biggest and best concrete show, over 3,500 visitors are set to attend the event, with consulting engineers, utility companies and architecture and design services suppliers among key elements of the audience.

The event, organised by Marwood Events, formerly took place at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena but will relocate to the NEC in 2013, joining a number of other events to make the same move.

Steven Callaghan, Event Director, said: “We chose to make the move to the NEC to provide the opportunity for the show to both grow and mature.

This show is an important element of the concrete industry and we want to reinforce this by showing that we are always evolving as an exhibition.”

As well as the occupying 8,000 sq m in Hall 17, an outside exhibition area will also be used to showcase both large precast concrete elements and certain specialist vehicles. A comprehensive seminar programme is also set to run alongside the event that will include, for the first time, a dedicated CPD presentation theatre as well as two further theatres featuring other current issues within the trade such as Sustainability and Emissions.

David Gallagher, Account Manager for New Business at the NEC said: “We are very pleased to be holding The UK Concrete Show for the first time. At the NEC we can support the show’s growth plans, and by making this move to an international venue, Marwood Events is reinforcing the shows status as the leading exhibition for the concrete industry.” q

3D concrete printing promises new

artistic freedom for architects n A revolutionary technique being developed by scientists at Loughborough University could free architects from the restraints of current construction methods.

Architects are creating stunning buildings with intricate geometric forms, but many never progress beyond the designer’s screen because their complexity makes them too costly to construct.

A team, led by Dr Richard Buswell and Professor Simon Austin from the University’s School of Civil and Building Engineering, has made dramatic progress with additive manufacturing technologies, where models created on-screen can be formed into threedimensional components at full scale.

Conventionally, concrete is poured into temporary formwork – an efficient method of moulding if the shapes are straight, simple and the variations minimised. Introduce curves and complexity, and the expense rapidly increases.

In the Freeform Construction project, a special type of concrete is deposited very precisely under computer control, layer by layer, from a 3D computer-aided-design (CAD) model.

Using this technology, very complex sections of

buildings can be created without the high cost penalties associated with traditional methods.

Speaking about the project Dr Richard Buswell said: “Using Freeform every section of a building could be unique if necessary – produced by calling up a new design on-screen and setting the process to work. Components could be created with ready-made internal voids and ducts for services, and with shapes that made the most of their insulating properties.

Because each piece would be tailor-made, there would be virtually no waste. The possibilities

are endless – it is a very exciting project.”

This pioneering work has been made possible by funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) with significant input from industry.

The research team has now obtained technology-transfer funding from the EPSRC to commercialise the process, collaborating with Foster + Partners, Buro Happold and Hyundai Engineering & Construction. Their expertise and advice is essential to the team’s understanding of the needs of industry, the potential of their ideas and the creation of an innovation path.

The Freeform work has generated interest worldwide and already led to exhibitions in Barcelona, New York and London.

Colin McKinnon, Innovation Director at Buro Happold, said: “Through our involvement in the project we will help the research team assess the design, manufacturing and commercial potential of this innovative technology.”

Xavier De Kestelier, Associate Partner, at architects Foster + Partners added: “This project gives us tremendous opportunities to see what construction technology will be like in the next five or 10 years.” q www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Biggest roofing awards announce winners n The Roofing Awards are now into their seventh year and with each year that passes the numbers for both attendance and entries grow. This year was no exception. On the 18th May in Birmingham, the roofing industry came together to celebrate the very best from across the roofing spectrum, the event was hosted by popular TV presenter Matt Allwright.

New £15 million Telford construction project takes shape

Winners of the 2012 Roofing Awards are: Pitched Roofing Roof Slating – Richard Soan Roofing Services, Folkington Manor Roof Tiling – Forster Roofing Services Ltd working with Sandtoft, Cricket Pavilion and Shelter Flat Roofing Single Ply – Owlsworth Roofing Ltd working with Sika Sarnafil, Hoopers Yard Reinforced Bituminous Membrane (RBM) – M & J Flat Roofing Ltd working with IKO plc, D.S. Smith Packaging, Yorkshire Liquid Applied Roofing – Stirling Lloyd Construction Ltd, New Olympic Stadium Industrial Roofing & Cladding Roof Sheeting – Lakesmere Ltd, Belvedere Riverside Resource Recovery Facility Vertical Cladding – KGM Roofing, Siemens, Lincoln Sustainable Roofs Green Roofs – Prater Limited, Peacehaven Water Treatment Works Solar – KGM Roofing, Arnold Lodge Shingles & Shakes – Kingsley Roofing working with John Brash, The Orchard Specialist Roofing Heritage Roofing – Fulwood Roofing Services (Northern) Ltd working with Worthingtons Roofcrafts of Bolton, Crewe Municipal Building Fully Supported Metal Roofing – Full Metal Jacket Ltd, Lizard Lifeboat Station

Individual awards: As always, the Roofing Awards also look to put the spotlight on those individuals and organisations that go above and beyond the call of duty. This year the NFRC Health & Safety Champion 2011 went to Andrew Desmonde, trainee supervisor for Longworth Building Services Limited. He does more than just his job but sets to lead by example. His commitment and resolve led him, even during his training to become a site supervisor, to make sites safer not only for himself and his co-workers but other trades too, daring to stand out from the crowd when others were unable or willing to do so.

Exceptional Contribution to Training, in partnership with CITB-ConstructionSkills, went to Briggs Amasco Limited. Training is an everyday part of this organisation’s ethos but they have gone further and built a dedicated training room for not only themselves but other trade associations and organisations to use to train other contractors extending the benefit of training to all in the roofing sector.

Also being presented with an accolade was the best of the best from the NFRC Safety in Roofing Awards – those who scored highest within their roofing discipline. The winners were Northstone (NI) Ltd for slating and tiling, Martin-Brooks (Roofing Specialists) Ltd for flat roofing and Swift Roofing Services Ltd for industrial roofing and cladding. A high number of gold, silver and bronze awards were presented to members at the regional annual general meetings earlier on this year.

The Lead Contractors Association presented the Murdoch Award and Murdoch Sponsor’s Award for the best leadwork. This year the Murdoch Award was won by NDM Metal Roofing & Cladding for their work on Regent Palace Hotel in London. The sponsor’s award was won by A P Chant Building Services for their project Palladian Country House.

The Awards of course could not have happened without increasing and continued support from all the partners, hosts and sponsors. In particular to SIG Roofing and Roofline who are fundamental to the existence and development of the awards. q

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n Excellent progress is being made in building the new Morrisons supermarket in Telford, say contractors Clegg Construction.

Clegg Construction began work on the £15 million project, which also includes retail units with apartments above, in January. Further work on the site includes 16 mews houses and two blocks of Extra Care apartments.

Simon Blackburn, managing director at Clegg Construction, said: “We’re delighted with how the project is progressing. The building is now taking shape for all to see.

“This is a contract we’re really pleased to be working on as it is such a major development for the town. Clegg Construction has an excellent track record of delivering large-scale projects of the very highest calibre and this scheme will be no different.

“Despite the undoubtedly difficult times, we have secured a number of contracts and have been working on numerous projects across the midlands, which is excellent news for the company.”

Clegg Construction is completing the project for its client Henry Davison Developments Limited. This is a company for which Clegg Construction has successfully completed previous development schemes. Clegg Construction was awarded the contract following a competitive tender process.

The project is being delivered to meet the demands of BREEAM’s (Building Research Established Environmental Method) very good rating. This ensures the project achieves high standards of environmental performance and sustainability.

The work is being completed at Lawley Square, Lawley Village in Telford. The main project is on schedule and is to be completed in January 2013 with the Extra Care accommodation due for completion in December 2013. q

Picture courtesy of London 2012

STYROFOAM to share in the glory of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games O With less than 100 days to go before this summer’s London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Dow Building Solutions team can tell family and friends that their STYROFOAM products will have a part to play.

Thousands of STYROFOAM-A insulation boards made at Dow’s manufacturing site in King’s Lynn have been installed on several structures within the London 2012 Olympic Park, which will be seen by billions of people around the globe, as well as the neighbouring Westfield Stratford City shopping centre.

The insulation is designed to help make the buildings on the Olympic Park more energy efficient and the roofs more durable, which will be particularly important as they transform from temporary to permanent use.

Structures insulated with STYROFOAM materials include the Olympic Stadium, the International Media Centre, the Copper Box (Handball Arena) and more than half of the roofs on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Village.

“It was a case of pulling out all the stops to make sure enough STYROFOAM would be available at the right time and in the right place – no mean feat when you are dealing with such a large, busy and very security conscious construction site,” said Jayne Law MBE, Sales and Marketing Manager for Dow Building Solutions in the UK and Ireland.

“Now the hard work is over it will be great for our employees to sit back and watch the Opening Ceremony knowing that they had a part to play in bringing the Games to fruition,” she continued. “In fact, we’re confident in the ability of our products to put in just as strong a performance as the athletes, and not only for this year’s Olympic Games, but beyond!”

The Olympic and Paralympic Village will be transformed into a residential community following London 2012, ensuring a lasting legacy for STYROFOAM. The Olympic Stadium, International Media Centre and Copper Box have also been designed as permanent structures. R • For further information visit www.styrofoam.co.uk.

FM Conway continues its makeover of Shepherds Bush Common O As the Olympic games approach, FM Conway is working hard to transform Shepherds Bush Common in London.

The FM Conway Civil Engineering team is undertaking the £2 million improvement works, which started in February and include the installation of new kerbs, paths and combined footways and cycleways as well as improved lighting, park furniture and CCTV. Combined footways and cycleways will be either replaced or relayed to provide a better route for cyclists and pedestrians. Pathways will be widened and a tree-lined avenue with additional plants and shrubs will be added to provide the community with an attractive walking route around the green. As well as a

new drainage system, new kerbs will also be installed to improve access.

FM Conway will install 18,000m2 of new carbon capture turf and 2,000m2 of new fibre reinforced turf as part of the improvements to the Common. During the project the company will also deliver two new state-of the-art playgrounds for children. One will cater for young children, with the other providing a play area for older children and teenagers. In addition, FM Conway will also be refurbishing and restoring the existing war memorial on the Common.

Joe Jarvis, Project Manager from FM Conway’s Civil Engineering team, said: “These improvement works really put FM Conway

FM Conway conduct repaving of the footways at Shepherds Bush Common under the spotlight. Shepherds Bush has recently been named as one of London’s twelve hot areas for this year so it is fantastic to be involved in the works.” In keeping with FM Conway’s unique approach to sustainability, 2,350m3 of arisings will be recycled back at the Conway recycling facility in Dartford with approximately 1,000m3 of Conway recycled type 1 aggregate used in the project. R www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Colourful statement made in Doncaster’s Civic and Cultural Quarter O A random, abstract pattern of terracotta glazed tiles in regal colours are providing a colourful finishing touch to the external appearance of the new civic offices in Waterdale, Doncaster Nearly 3,200 tiles, using 12 different colours, are being carefully installed on the façade of the new council chamber to create the focal point of the new building. Different types of blues mixed with some purples and the odd random colour will give the building its unique identity and make a bold statement at the main entrance overlooking Sir Nigel Gresley Square.

The baguettes are square terracotta tubes 50mm x 50mm in cross section, 1.4m long and spaced 50mm apart. Their name comes from their resemblance to the classic French bread stick.

Terracotta is a building material with a distinguished history and its longevity and sustainability make it an ideal choice for the building. The tile baguettes are manufactured from natural robust materials, are low maintenance and extremely weatherproof.

Mayor of Doncaster, Peter Davies, said: “The coloured tile baguettes are bringing the building to life and putting a sparkle into the Civic and Cultural Quarter. The new civic offices, the new performance venue and the soon to be

opened new square are transforming Waterdale. Doncaster has an exciting future.”

The Civic and Cultural Quarter (CCQ) is being delivered by Doncaster Council and its development partner Muse Developments. Cartwright Pickard Architects designed the building which is being built by main contractor Wates Construction.

Michael Broadhead, projects director, Yorkshire for Muse Developments, commented: “Muse has developed striking and sustainable civic offices for Doncaster’s new Civic and Cultural Quarter. The pragmatic design has allowed these civic offices to be constructed for excellent value compared to other recently completed civic offices across the UK.” David Price, Business Unit Director for Wates Construction, Yorkshire, commented: “The delivery of the new Civic Offices in Doncaster continues to be very rewarding for Wates and the installation of the striking fascia marks a significant step forward for the project. Work is progressing very well as we move towards the building’s completion in September this year.”

The CCQ project is being part funded by the European Union, as part of the European Regional Development Fund’s support for the region’s economic development. R

Roof-Pro goes for gold at leisure centre O Roof-Pro has designed and manufactured the support system for the roof-mounted building services at a new leisure centre which will host training events for this year’s London Olympics.

The £23m Becontree Heath Leisure Centre has been built to provide world class sport and leisure facilities including 25m and 13m swimming pools, a 95-station fitness suite and three workout studios, for local residents in Dagenham, East London.

When the state-of-the-art facility required a free-standing support system for its complex array of roof-top building services equipment, the design team at S&P Architects turned to Roof-Pro for a flexible and efficient solution.

Roof-Pro’s design specialists put together a bespoke roof-top support system to support the building’s new air handling units (AHU’s), condensers and dry air cooler. Crucially, RoofPro’s support systems are non-penetrative and avoid Part L and cold bridging issues as well as any difficult roof detailing. The supports allow all building services to be installed quickly and simply, while also providing building clearance and allowing future access for maintenance

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and renewal to the roof’s waterproofing membrane.

The support system also included high level ductwork and cable tray supports, designed for installation on the leisure centre’s singleply membrane roof, which has a 1:60 slope, rigid insulation and a lightweight metal deck. The latter required Roof-Pro’s design team to position the support bases to target above the building’s internal roof beams at 3m centres. The design team worked closely with the project’s structural engineer Furness Partnership of London and mechanical contractor Imtech Aqua, to provide detailed load management calculations to ensure the support system was appropriate for the building’s structure and roof build-up.

Darren Bird at S&P Architects commented: “We’ve specified Roof-Pro on a number of occasions in the last 10 years. We recommend their systems over the alternative approach

of using concrete plinths because they offer flexibility and avoid unnecessary penetration of the roof’s single ply membrane. The flexibility also extends to the duct routes which will eventually be chosen for the building services.”

“Crucially, using Roof-Pro freed up the design and build stages, as only minor co-ordination work was required in the early stages. It meant progress on the main building could proceed without delay and has resulted in a bespoke system designed specifically with the building’s lightweight metal deck and roof beam positions in mind.” R

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