Uk construction excellence issue 4

ISSUE 4 2015

6 News 26 NEC3 contracts a ‘bedrock of success’ on Europe’s largest construction project 30 Proper disposal of synthetic turf advised as industry reaches recycling breakthrough 34 Introducing the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 40 Patent Protection for Innovative Products 44 NHBC Building Control – celebrating 30 years and looking ahead to the new building regulations 48 The Annual Investment Allowance and what it means for your business 52 Construction output growth accelerates to a seven month high 56 Exclusive Interview: Digital Construction Week 66 BIM News 68 Exclusive Interview: BIM4 Housing 72 Exclusive Interview: BIM4 Water 76 An SME’s Reflection of BIM in Practice 78 Intelligent transport system set to transform England’s motorways 82 Scotland Build 2015 84 Women in the Construction Industry Head of Operations Gareth Trevor-Jones

Sales Administrator Alecia Rowe

Publications Editor Victoria Lee

Approvals Beka Patterson

Publications Officer Robert Atherton Matthew Brown

Credit Control Carol Ryan

General Manager Ian Parker E: ian.parker@ukconstructionmedia.co.uk Display Advertising Sales T: 01257 231900 E: admin@ukconstructionmedia.co.uk www.ukconstructionmedia.co.uk

Designer James Ormerod

ISSN 1461-1279

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UK Construction Media, Stirling House, Ackhurst Business Park, Chorley, PR7 1NY T: 01257 231900 E: admin@ukconstructionmedia.co.uk www.ukconstructionmedia.co.uk © Copyright Pro-Mark. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or transmitted in any form without the prior permission of Pro-Mark. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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ESTIMATING & VALUATION SOFTWARE Beard is a multi-award-winning construction company which designs, builds, restores and refurbishes buildings throughout the South of England. With offices in Swindon, Oxford and Guildford, it works for all types of organisations on projects up to £10 million.

What makes the company really stand out is its commitment to making every project a prompt and faultless delivery.

Nigel Rowe is the managing estimator of Beard in Oxford. He started his career there 30 years ago as a trainee estimator. Today he manages an eight-strong team, pricing projects from listed refurbishments to new builds.

Beard had been using specialised estimating software for 10 years, and in 2014, after hearing about ConQuest from various sources in the industry, it decided it was time to have a look at the ConQuest Q Series. Within a short period of time, they decided that the system that had suited them for the past number of years had been left behind by ConQuest. Beard wanted to work with a company and a product which provided a high level of stability, exceptional support, more features and a strong development plan for the future.

ConQuest was installed across all Beard offices.

A few months later, ConQuest had the chance to speak to Beard and Nigel about their experience of changing a major piece of software, the thinking behind it, the process and the results.

Nigel tells us how he felt and the reason for the move: “It is a massive step for any business to even think about changing a major piece of software, let alone to actually implement it. It is not done lightly. The more we dealt with ConQuest, the more our confidence grew. We believe that ConQuest shares Beard’s ethos and that the two companies are a very good match, the type of people we both employ, the fact that we can have sensible discussions and that ConQuest is willing to listen to our issues.”

The support and development team at ConQuest is three times the size of the ‘sales’ team. This says a lot about the way they do business. The ethos is about keeping the product at the top of its game and looking after the estimators that use it. There are a number of key functions within the suite of ConQuest modules that really separate it from other systems. If you are pricing traditionally and building up your own rates, the ConQuest Library Pack is one of them. Containing around 10 million item descriptions, rates, constants and outputs it is truly unique and offers unparalleled time saving and consistency. Another significant part

of the system is the Cloud based enquiry system. Imagine cutting the time it takes you to get your enquiries out by up to 70% and your sub-contractors being happier with what they receive!

The team at Beard recognised how clever the system was: “One of the biggest reasons for moving to ConQuest was that the On Line Enquiry system was more advanced than any other in the market.”

In 2010 ConQuest released a complete re-write of their product; Version 7 was the market leader and hugely popular but it was a text-based product. ConQuest knew that as technology grew and more sophisticated methods of measuring and estimating arose, it would be no good to try and make an old system handle them. This is why you can now view CAD and PDF drawings within ConQuest, you can browse the internet, open pictures and even send emails without leaving ConQuest. The Company consistently hear how reliable the software is and this is in part down to the modernisation of it. This is something that Nigel and the team realised very quickly.

Part of the process of implementing ConQuest into any company is product training. ConQuest have their own training centre in Lancashire; every attendee is given a computer for practical exercises while the rest of the day is presented on a 3m by 3m screen. The Company find that by taking people out of their daily work cycle and having their undivided attention, lots of ground can be covered and get customers competently using ConQuest quickly.

Everyone at Beard came to ConQuest for training and the feedback was brilliant: “The training was really good and the implementation went smoothly. ConQuest was on our computers ahead of the training which was important as this gave everyone the chance to preview the online tutorials which gave them a good idea of what to expect on the course.

“The course was bespoke to Beard’s needs in the fact that a lot of our guys were used to using an estimating system, so, we cut down on the training time, it was very well thought out. It was intensive and very relevant. It was clear that our trainer, Steve, had extensive experience as an estimator and knew what he was talking about.

“There haven’t been many issues with people not picking it up. In our bi-monthly estimating meetings, we actively review ConQuest and share learning.

Whilst migrating over to ConQuest, we retained the old system for six months but only as a reference point for current projects. The general consensus was that it was immediately better.”

It is clear that Beard is impressed with the switch-over, the roll-out and the training, ConQuest is in turn pleased to have another happy customer.

Moving on from the actual changeover, Nigel was asked about the day-to-day estimating features and processes compared to what they were previously doing: “The library is very comprehensive with extensive search functions and there is a general sensibility about it. ”Previously we were collating information, zipping it up and sending emails. Because of the tracking ability within the On Line system, which enables you to see what is going on at any time, it is such a massive improvement and has significantly reduced administration time.”

Can Nigel sum up ConQuest in a sentence?

“ConQuest is the complete estimating package, managing every aspect of the preconstruction process.”

Beard have won a number of projects in the short time they have had ConQuest. A notable and interesting one is The New Library at Queen’s College in Oxford.

A challenging £6.6 million project creating a new basement adjacent to the existing Grade I listed building.

01204 669689 sales@conquest.ltd.uk

THE ESTIMATING SOFTWARE PEOPLE

“The planned leisure facility will bring a space for community and wellbeing to Royal Wharf”

Ballymore & Oxley’s development to include 20,000sq ft leisure facility Plans for the 20,000sq ft leisure facility at Royal Wharf, the residential centrepiece of the Royal Docks, have been released. Alongside the David Morley designed state-ofthe-art gym and pool facilities, the development will boast 45% outdoor space, including a 2.4 acre park and 500m of riverfront walkways, encouraging a sense of wellbeing and healthy living in its residents.

The delivery of the sizable new leisure complex is central to Ballymore and Oxley’s vision of creating a vibrant community at Royal Wharf. This new facility is expected to become a social hub for the neighbourhood with two studios which will be used for group exercise, a 25m swimming pool plus a communal cafe and rest area. It has been designed

by David Morley Architects, who are renowned for their projects for sport and wellbeing, including the outdoor pool at the Hurlingham Club, world-class training facilities at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre, and the Water Polo Arena built for the London 2012 Olympics.

The design philosophy combines technical excellence with creative settings which promote an active lifestyle. The double height pool hall will provide an inspiring place to swim but also allows views between the surrounding leisure facilities giving a sense of ‘open plan sport’. Contact with nature is also an important theme, achieved through the use of natural materials, daylight and making the most of connections between inside and outside.

In addition to the leisure facility, Royal Wharf will also include ample outdoor space offering residents further opportunities for wellbeing and healthy living. Quick workouts in the gym and aqua aerobics in the pool will run alongside al fresco yoga and pilates in the development’s green spaces that surround the leisure hub. The development

includes garden squares, pocket parks, and two new parks, one of which will be 2.4 acres, plus residents will also benefit from the proximity of two sizable existing parks - Thames Barrier Park to the east and Lyle Park to the west.

Oxley Chief Executive, Ching Chiat Kwong, said: “The planned leisure facility will bring a space for community and wellbeing to Royal Wharf, encouraging an active lifestyle among its residents. We are excited that David Morley, one of the UK’s leading architects for sporting facilities, is working with us to bring this vision to life.”

David Morley commented: “Royal Wharf combines many of London’s traditional qualities with exceptional opportunities for a healthy and active lifestyle. The leisure facility provides a distinctive focal point for sport, relaxation and contact with the surrounding parks and river.”

Royal Wharf by Ballymore and Oxley launched in March 2014. Phase II following in October of the same year, with the third phase due to launch in autumn 2015. The development will offer a new neighbourhood of 3,385 riverside properties, complete with a high street of shops, bars and restaurants, garden squares, parks, community infrastructure and 500m of river frontage.

ISG awarded £7.5M Royal Mint Visitor Centre scheme

ISG has been awarded a £7.5M project to construct a visitor centre at The Royal Mint in Llantrisant, which will showcase coin minting operations to the public for the first time in the Organisation’s 1,000 year history.

The scheme combines construction of the visitor centre, just outside the perimeter of The Royal Mint’s secure boundary, along with a dedicated car park on nearby land owned by The Royal Mint. ISG will also construct a footbridge over a river to link the car park to the new tourist attraction.

The single-storey, steel frame building will feature a striking burnished stainless steel cladding system to its facade.

The cladding solution has been designed in a hexagonal configuration and in multiple shades to create a colour change effect that varies with natural light conditions and evokes the iconic design of the 50 pence piece.

Targeting a BREEAM 'Very Good' environmental performance rating, the building includes a large interactive exhibition space, along with a visitor cafe, including full catering kitchen, and classroom space for visiting school parties.

Jon James, ISG’s Western Regional Director, commented: “The Royal Mint is the UK’s oldest manufacturer and currently produces currency for around 60 countries. The visitor centre will provide an opportunity for visitors to see a coin minting operation of world renown.

“The project is not only prestigious, it is also a complex scheme spread across two sites with both environmental and aesthetic considerations, further strengthening ISG’s strong presence in Wales and our track record for delivering iconic buildings.”

Anne Jessop, The Royal Mint’s Director of Commemorative Coin, said: “We will be watching with excitement over the next few months as the work from ISG helps our new Visitor Centre take shape. We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to a unique behind the scenes experience, showcasing over 1,000 years of coin-making history, and the craftsmanship and innovation for which The Royal Mint is known worldwide.”

The City of London Building of the Year 2015 winner announced The Leadenhall Building, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners and developed by British Land and Oxford Properties, is the winner of the inaugural City of London Building of the Year award.

The winner was selected from some 15 city buildings whittled down to a shortlist of four, including new construction, extensions and refurbishments. The three buildings to join the Leadenhall building on the shortlist were St Bartholomew’s Hospital by HOK, 8–10 Moorgate by Allies and Morrison and 6 Bevis Marks by Fletcher Priest.

The shortlist and winner were assessed by a jury chaired by Paul Finch, Programme Director of the World Architecture Festival. The criteria was to seek out the buildings that support the ambitions of the City of London in delivering a world-class working environment, by evaluating both the quality of the architectural design and the impact the building has had on the city street scene.

Organised by the Worshipful Company of Chartered

Architects (WCCA), the City of London Building of the Year, allows members of the public to nominate a building of their choice and aims to recognise the extraordinary examples of contemporary architecture across the London cityscape.

Master Elect of the WCCA Peter Murray commented: “The City of London is home to some very fine examples of contemporary architecture. We are keen to support good design and to encourage City businesses to do so in the future.”

The City of London Building of the Year Award Supporters’ Group includes Axa Real Estate, British Land, Brookfield, Cushman and Wakefield, Knight Frank, Land Securities, WRBC Development and Wordsearch.

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LANDMARK AWARDS WIN FOR ACRYPOL PRODUCTS LTD Acrypol Products Ltd – the UK’s leading manufacturer of waterproof solutions and coatings – has been named ‘Best for Structural Waterproof Coatings in the UK’ at the Build Construction & Engineering Awards 2015. The prestigious accolade – the most recent milestone for the Warrington-based company – acknowledges the efforts and expertise of Acrypol’s dedicated workforce and the unparalleled specification of its products.

For Acrypol, consistency is the key. The Company is steadfast in its commitment to providing high specification products that fully meet the needs of its wide-ranging client base. It is this guiding principle that has allowed Acrypol to cement its position as a tried and tested market leader.

While Acrypol + – renowned industry-wide for the quality of it’s repair properties – has, over the course of the past 29 years, become synonymous with flat roof repairs, the full applications of the product extend a lot further. Acrypol + is a comprehensive waterproof system – a long-term solution that offers unparalleled flexibility, durability and ease of use. Now regarded as an industry benchmark by clients and competitors alike, Acrypol + remains the cornerstone of an innovative range of waterproofing products including: • Acrypol scrim: The perfect accompaniment to Acrypol +, Acrypol scrim is ideal for remedying cracks and cavities over 10mm long or for specific areas such as metal gutter joints.

• System 10: A cold applied, built up system for whole roof and gutter application, System 10 has a ten year product guarantee, Acrypol‘s System 15 boasts the same considerable performance with a 15 year guarantee. (Guarantees subject to site surveys).

• Metal Kote: The foremost treatment for ‘box profile sheets’ and all types of metal roofing, Metal Kote is unique in that it is a ‘one coat’ application and can be used for ‘cut edge erosion’ repairs.

• Nulife: Able to reinvigorate careworn roof tiles via a simple brush application, Nulife can reinstate the character of a roof and substantially improve its appearance.

• Quartzdeck: A slip resistant walkway coating, essential for use on balconies, multi-occupancy walkways and terraces where slippery concrete poses a substantial health and safety risk.

Through the Company’s specialist Contact Service Division, Acrypol is also able to provide complete site survey, specification and quotation services for the supply and application of its products. Here Acrypol’s quality workmanship and site experience comes to the fore. All work is carried out to the highest standard and covered by a five, ten or fifteen year Service Warranty – depending on the specification.

Not content to rest on its laurels however, Acrypol will continue to innovate and provide clients with best possible protection against water damage.

For more information about the Company or its product range, please call 01925 213 655 or visit www.acrypolproducts.co.uk

ADVANCED ROOF WATERPROOFING SOLUTIONS FROM ACRYPOL

SYSTEM 15

All weather application system Full site survey and specification provided Reinforced seamless membrane Custom developed acrylic resin Excellent flexibility

Unaffected by temperature change Outstanding adhesion

Damp weather application

Maximum solar reflectivity

Instant waterproofing for total roof areas and and emergency repairs Ready to use out of tin All weather application Single coat treatment Fibre reinforcement Instant protection Choice of colours Excellent adhesion Acrypol Products Ltd 4 Asher Court • Lyncastle Way • Barleycastle Lane • Appleton • Warrington WA4 4ST

Tel: 01925 213655 • Fax: 01925 213656 Email: info@acrypolproducts.co.uk • www.acrypolproducts.co.uk

“The completion of construction at Canary Wharf station is a significant moment for Crossrail”

Canary Wharf station reaches completion

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Canary Wharf Group plc has completed construction of the Crossrail Canary Wharf station and handed over the ticket hall and platform levels to Crossrail Limited.

Crossrail will now start the complicated process of fitting out the station with all the systems needed to operate passenger services including communications equipment, signalling, tunnel ventilation, platform screen doors and overhead line equipment.

When TfL-run Crossrail opens in 2018, journey times to many destinations across London will be reduced. From Canary Wharf, it will take just six minutes to travel to Liverpool Street, eight minutes to Farringdon and 39 minutes to Heathrow.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “This spectacular new station is being delivered ahead of schedule and is a pivotal moment in our Crossrail journey, as we can now prepare for the next major stage of work ahead of the launch of services in 2018. This vital new railway is already proving a huge success for the UK economy and when complete it will boost London’s rail capacity by 10%, providing an enormous benefit to passengers travelling across the capital and beyond.”

Rail Minister Claire Perry said: “The completion of construction at Canary Wharf station is a significant moment for Crossrail, as we move to the next phase of work on this transformational project. The station is an

impressive, world class building that will serve millions of customers in this important business district, as well as bringing better and faster journeys across London and beyond from 2018, boosting jobs and economic growth.”

Sir George Iacobescu CBE, Chairman and CEO of Canary Wharf Group, said: “The Canary Wharf Crossrail station is a key element in the Canary Wharf Group’s vision to almost double the working population at Canary Wharf over the next ten years, while contributing to a robust public transport network. The station, which we’ve handed over four months ahead of programme, combines a vibrant mixed use public space for people to shop, eat and relax and it will serve hundreds of thousands of workers and visitors in the years to come.”

Simon Wright, Crossrail Programme Director, said: “This is an exciting milestone for the Crossrail project as construction of the first Crossrail station completes and is handed over for railway systems fit-out. Crossrail will dramatically increase the capacity and resilience of transport services to and from Canary Wharf and the surrounding area, helping underpin further development and investment in this key business district.”

Construction of Canary Wharf station box was undertaken by Canary Wharf Contractors Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canary Wharf Group plc. The Group contributed £150M towards the costs of the new Crossrail station and delivered the station box for a fixed price of £500M.

Situated in the North Dock of West India Quay, Canary Wharf is one of the largest Crossrail stations. The station, retail and park areas are six-storeys high and at 256m long the development is slightly longer than the height of One Canada Square. The station development will provide a new link between Canary Wharf and Poplar, currently separated by the North Dock, and includes links to the Canary Wharf Estate, via Adams Place and the Jubilee line and DLR stations.

Canary Wharf is the most progressed of Crossrail’s ten new stations. Eight 30m long escalators, nine 11m long escalators, six lifts, flooring, wall cladding and space for station services are all in place in the ticket hall level.

Over six and a half years the construction team has driven almost 1,000 piles and pumped nearly 100 million litres of dock water. Approximately 300,000 tonnes of material was excavated from beneath the dock bed and almost 375,000 tonnes of concrete poured.

Crossrail will increase London’s rail-based transport network capacity by 10% and cut journey times across the city, bringing an extra 1.5 million people within 45 minutes of central London.

Canary Wharf Group has also delivered Crossrail Place, a four-storey retail development above the ticket hall and platform levels, which was opened on 1 May and includes more than 100,000sq ft of retail space. The whole development is topped by a roof garden which incorporates a community performance space and restaurant which is semi-covered by a striking Foster + Partners designed timber lattice roof.

Work began on the new station in May 2009 by creating a 250m x 30m watertight dam in the waters of North Dock using an innovative ‘silent’ piling method. The station box was then built ‘top down,’ 28m below the water surface to create the ticket hall and platform levels.

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Who is the Principal Contractor after Handover?

It is relatively common that a facility is handed over to the client operations before all snagging on a construction project, or even the main construction scope, has been completed, resulting in the client’s management systems taking precedence over the principal contractor’s.

As the client is now ‘in control’ of the facility, can the principal contractor, appointed under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM2015) remain as the principal contractor? Historically the construction project has been deemed to be completed at handover, even though is wasn’t, and the client’s management systems were operated as for any work undertaken within the facility.

CDM2015 defines the principal contractor as follows: “principal contractor” means the contractor appointed under regulation 5(1)(b) to perform specified duties in regulations 12 to 14; The duties referred to that a principal contractor must perform are: Reg.5(1) Where there more than one contractor will be working on a project at any time, the client must appoint in writing a contractor as principal contractor.

Reg.12 Before setting up a construction site, the principal contractor must draw up a construction phase plan.

The construction phase plan must set out the health and safety arrangements and site rules taking account activities taking place on the construction site and, where applicable, must include specific measures concerning work which falls within one or more of the categories set out in Schedule 3.

Throughout the project the principal contractor must ensure that the construction phase plan is appropriately reviewed, updated and revised from time to time so that it

Reg.13

continues to be sufficient to ensure that construction work is carried out, so far as is reasonably practicable, without risks to health or safety.

During the project, the principal contractor must provide the principal designer with any information in the principal contractor’s possession relevant to the health and safety file, for inclusion in the health and safety file.

The principal contractor must plan, manage and monitor the construction phase and coordinate matters relating to health and safety during the construction phase to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, construction work is carried out without risks to health or safety.

The principal contractor must take into account the general principles of prevention.

The principal contractor must organise cooperation between contractors (including successive contractors on the same construction site) and coordinate implementation by the contractors of applicable legal requirements for health and safety.

The principal contractor must ensure that employers and self-employed persons apply the general principles of prevention in a consistent manner, and comply with the provisions of Part 4 and the construction phase plan.

The principal contractor must also ensure that a suitable site induction is provided, steps are taken to prevent access by unauthorised persons to the construction site; and that facilities that comply with the requirements of Schedule 2 are provided throughout the construction phase.

CDM2015 requires a Construction Phase Plan for all construction work and a principal contractor appointed to manage the health and safety of the project if more than one contractor is involved in the project.

As snagging will almost inevitably involve more than one contractor

and the snagging is still part of the original project, the full requirements of CDM2015 still apply.

It is difficult to envisage the original principal contractor being able to manage the health and safety of the snagging work when the client’s management systems take precedence and the likely event of the original principal contractor not being present at the facility when all of the snagging work takes place.

It should also be appreciated that at the latter stages of most, if not all, construction projects is when the greatest risks for accidents occur. This is due to a number of factors, as follows: • The client’s pressure to get the project finished • The construction personnel’s desire to get onto the next project • The fact that snagging is re-work that is costing the contractor money • The relatively small nature of snagging tasks and the resultant lack of planning • The potential interfaces with other contractors’ and client’s personnel

The most relevant issue to be considered for who should be the principal contractor during snagging after handover is who is in control?

The client will certainly have to some extent control of the work areas, which even as far back as the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 places legal obligations on the client, particularly as require by the following Sections: 2. General duties of employers to their employees.

3. General duties of employers and self-employed to persons other than their-employees.

4. General duties of persons concerned with premises to persons other than their employees.

Section 4 of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, states: (1) This section has effect for imposing on persons duties in relation to those who(a) are not their employees ; but (b) use non-domestic premises made available to them as a place of work or as a place where they may use plant or substances provided for their use there, and applies to premises so made available and other non-domestic premises used in connection with them.

(2) It shall be the duty of each person who has, to any extent, control of premises to which this section applies or of the means of access thereto or egress therefrom or of any plant or substance in such premises to take such measures as it is reasonable for a person in his position to take to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the premises, all means of access thereto or egress therefrom available for use by persons using the premises, and any plant or substance in the premises or, as the case may be, provided for use there, is or are safe and without risks to health.

The management of health and safety post-handover, with construction snagging still taking place, is complex, with not sufficient consideration given to this phase of a project.

It is likely that the most effective, and possibly legal, option is for the client to appoint themselves as principal contractor for any work undertaken after handover, but there are other options, dependent on the facility layout, timescales and the extent and complexity of the snagging work.

This subject is further discussed in the Callsafe Services Limited October 2015 ebook.

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“We were immediately impressed with the imagination and innovation of the Bond Bryan design proposal”

Green light for Nottingham’s new Technology Entrepreneurship Centre Bond Bryan’s latest project at the University of Nottingham has now received planning permission, which means work on-site is expected to start in November.

After completion, which is envisaged for summer 2016, the Technology Entrepreneurship Centre will house key local businesses as well as national enterprises, such as Big Data & Digital, Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace and Energy. Companies based in the new centre will be able to take advantage of the University’s leading centres of excellence in these areas and the ready supply of high quality postgraduate students.

Matt Hutton, Lead Designer and Associate Director at Bond Bryan Architects said: “Our brief was to create a building that encourages and supports innovative forms of collaborative working and learning. We envisaged that this would increasingly require more adaptive and flexible spaces that offer a range of potential working, meeting and learning environments ranging from structured group discussions and facilitated presentation areas, through to more informal self-study areas. A key element of the building proposal has therefore been to develop a concept that offers the ability to create a diverse mix of spaces, from large open plan areas to more cellular offices and specialist practical zones.”

Bond Bryan’s solution has been to create a simple, relatively deep plan building form that makes maximum use of the limited available area on the site in order to control the overall height of the building and create efficient floor

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plates. An atrium heart space is cut into this simple form, not only enabling daylight to penetrate the floor plates, but crucially allowing views across the building, visually linking the activities on the different floors and creating a range of spaces; from contained single storey spaces for smaller scale and cellular activities, through to double and even triple height open plan spaces where necessary.

Externally the design seeks to create a distinctive and exciting building typology delivered within an economic solution. It reflects the historical significance of the site whilst simultaneously replicating the modern contemporary surrounding buildings, providing a high quality statement building for the University.

On working with Bond Bryan, Robert Scott, Operations Director at the University of Nottingham Innovation Park commented: “We were immediately impressed with the imagination and innovation of the Bond Bryan design proposal, as it has a real wow factor. It is great to find a very professional design team, who were able to interpret our requirements and changes as the design evolved.

The University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir David Greenaway, said: “This is outstanding news for the University.

The new Technology Entrepreneurship Centre will provide space for start-ups and early stage businesses. Entrepreneurs will be able to access expertise from across the University, which will help them develop innovative new products and services and give them a crucial competitive edge.”

Work begins on Financial Conduct Authority HQ at Stratford’s The International Quarter Construction has officially started on the new headquarters of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is relocating from its current premises at Canary Wharf to The International Quarter - the £2.3Bn development in Stratford, which, at a total of four million square feet, is set to become the capital’s fourth business district.

remaining office space is continuing to fill up fast. The construction alone will provide 1,200 new jobs and over time, The International Quarter will create more than 25,000 jobs, becoming a major new employment hub in East London. We look forward to continuing to work with Lendlease to make this happen.”

Lendlease and LCR, the joint venture partners delivering The International Quarter, held a ground breaking ceremony for the FCA’s new 425,000sq ft headquarters, which sits at the gateway to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The building has been designed by world class architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, with the interior design being undertaken by Pringle Brandon Perkins+Will, a practice renowned for their design expertise in delivering excellent workplaces.

Neale Coleman, Chair / David Goldstone, Chief Executive, London Legacy Development Corporation said: “What better way to measure the success of the London 2012 Games than to see even more land being used to create jobs and boost the economy of east London. Few of us dared dream that we would have progressed so far and so quickly with the legacy promises we made. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is thriving and the thousands of jobs coming to The International Quarter show just how much confidence developers have in one of the prime commercial and residential development areas in London. We look forward to welcoming the Financial Conduct Authority to Stratford.”

Like all the buildings at The International Quarter, the FCA headquarters has been designed with staff health and wellbeing at its core. Features including open atria, extensive natural daylight, internal connecting staircases and a large roof terrace, will allow employees to be more flexible and healthy in the way they choose to work. This new generation of agile offices will be home to 3,500 FCA staff from mid-2018.

An estimated 1,200 construction jobs will be created on site at The International Quarter by spring 2016 and Lendlease has recently partnered with Newham Council, Newham Workplace and Building Crafts College to deliver a ten week training programme to upskill unemployed Newham residents in construction – ensuring as many roles are awarded to local people as possible.

The joint venture partners behind the project, Lendlease and LCR, obtained detailed planning permission for the new building in March 2015, which is located on Plot S5 at The International Quarter next to Building S6. Also under construction, this will be a major base for Transport for London; 3,000 staff will be working here from autumn 2017.

Lendlease and LCR are in discussions with a number of major corporate tenants about moving to The International Quarter.

The ground breaking ceremony was attended by John Griffith-Jones (Chairman, FCA), David Joy (Chief Executive, LCR), Neale Coleman (Chair, London Legacy Development Corporation), Sir Robin Wales (Mayor of Newham), and Ian Crockford, (Project Director, The International Quarter, Lendlease).

David Joy, Chief Executive at LCR, said: “Today demonstrates that we are making real progress on The International Quarter, one of the largest and most significant mixed-use developments in the UK. Construction is now in full swing on new headquarters - of worldclass design - for two major commercial tenants and the

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REDUCING COSTS, ENHANCING SECURITY A NEW APPROACH TO PROTECTING THE UK’S CONSTRUCTION SITES When it comes to security, there are few types of site as dynamic and varied as construction sites. From acquisition to fit-out and completion, every stage of their lifecycle will involve a new approach to security to accommodate each site’s unique requirements. Flexibility is therefore of paramount importance, for sites of any size.

Naturally, this represents a wide variety of challenges for the security companies tasked with protecting the UK’s construction sites. Environmental factors need to be given serious consideration, as well as human issues such as theft of plant and vandalism. Any loss or damage is certain to hold back a project’s completion, or worse, result in death or injury for which the site owner will be liable.

Consider these statistics: • The UK construction industry typically loses over £1 million per week to theft and vandalism • Individual thefts typically cost around £50,000 in materials, plant and damage

• 1 in 5 construction sites will experience some form of vandalism each week • The cost of delays to projects for materials, re-instalment, extended labour costs, and contract damages clauses regularly extends to six-figure sums Bearing these figures in mind, 24-hour security is absolutely essential for construction sites throughout every stage of their lifecycle.They must be kept secure at all times. Unfortunately, cost is often a prohibitive factor in this regard. Put simply, most project budgets will not extend to having a full-time security presence on-site at all times, especially if the site is going to be undeveloped for an extended period of time.

This is one of the reasons G4S – the world’s leading provider of integrated security solutions – has formed a partnership with VPS – who are responsible for protecting, managing and monitoring Europe's property and construction sites. Our security experts are now working closely with our clients, and VPS, to provide tailored security solutions for a wide variety of

Using technology in this way is not about providing a substitute for the skills of a trained, experienced security officer. It’s about enhancing their abilities through the intelligent application of these new tools.

clients all over the UK and Ireland – solutions that not only provide the standard of security they expect, but also suit their available budgets.

Technology has proved invaluable in this regard, especially in recent years when we have enjoyed a period of rapid growth throughout the whole security industry. New developments in security technology have dramatically enhanced the capabilities of security officers, allowing smaller teams of officers to effectively secure sites of all sizes. For example, the use of VPS’ JCB Smart Tower® CCTV systems provides an economical monitoring solution that frees security officers of the need to provide a 24/7 on-site presence, while still enabling them to monitor and respond quickly to any threat.

delivering considerable cost savings – the best of both worlds.

Furthermore, modern security technology’s versatility means security can easily evolve in parallel with the site as it moves through the different stages of its lifecycle, without incurring any unexpected costs.

These developments have major implications for the construction industry. If current trends persist, the need to sacrifice quality of security for the sake of budget constraints will soon be a thing of the past.

Using technology in this way is not about providing a substitute for the skills of a trained, experienced security officer. It’s about enhancing their abilities through the intelligent application of these new tools. This way, smaller teams are able to effectively monitor sites of all sizes, providing a higher standard of security while still

Tel: 0208 722 2000 www.g4s.com www.vpspecialists.co.uk

New London Architecture select ten winning ideas to help solve the housing crisis

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The ideas will be presented to the Greater London Authority who will study their feasibility as options for the future of the London housing market. 100 of the entries to the competition are now on display in the New Ideas for Housing exhibition at the NLA Gallery in central London.

With over 200 submissions from over 20 countries, the ten finalists present a wide array of thought provoking ideas that could change the way we live. Baca Architects has proposed using the untapped resource of the capital’s canal network as the solution and want to transform ‘generation rent’ into ‘generation float’. The practice calculates that some 7,500 new homes could be quickly created in a mere six to 12 months and would provide young Londoners with a realistic option for getting a foot on the property ladder.

WSP | Parson Brinckerhoff has looked into a very different type of underused resource – the rooftops of the capital’s public buildings. By delivering housing on top of existing public buildings such as hospitals, schools and libraries the research suggests that a total of 630,000 new homes could be delivered – far outnumbering the current need for 440,000 additional units.

Though many of the submitters looked to the future, David Knoll looked to the past for his submission. Investing in London’s Future from its Past draws on the well-known leasehold system. It proposes separating the cost of housing from the cost of land in order to make it more affordable to build and buy new homes.

Pitman Tozer, LB Enfield and Naked House have combined to put the power back in the hands of the homeowner. By delivering stripped back, shell-like structures they would be able to deliver cost effective housing efficiently, and would enable homeowners to customise and adapt the layout of their houses in order to fit their needs. Renowned architectural practice dRMM also used the concept of a shell and core structure, encouraging self-building among homeowners.

In this case construction costs would be reduced by 40% as internal fit-outs would no longer be needed.

The suburbs provided the inspiration for many of the submissions and Supurbia by HTA Design demonstrates how the outer London regions can be better adapted. The scheme proposes redeveloping local high streets to create an improved community focal point whilst homeowners would be allowed to release equity in their land for the development of new housing stock.

The Active Transport Accessibility Level believe the answer for solving the housing crisis lies in the transport network and making a number of areas in outer London more accessible, whilst Patrick J.A Massey CZWG believe the answer lies in improving and filling in the gaps that already exist in our streets.

These ten concepts along with the other 90 schemes that were shortlisted as part of the competition, will form the core of the New Ideas for Housing exhibition, supported by a showcase of the most innovative housing schemes already underway, and a new video display on the NLA’s interactive model of London.

“We asked for innovative and ambitious ideas, and we were certainly not disappointed”

New London Architecture, the capital’s built environment think-tank, has revealed the ten ideas that have been selected from an international ideas competition to help solve the London housing shortage. From living in shared homes to living on the water, building on top of public buildings and creating a megacity in the suburbs, the ten ideas provide a radical rethinking of current housing delivery models.

Richard Blakeway, Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property said: “We asked for innovative and ambitious ideas, and we were certainly not disappointed. The range and sheer number of well-considered and imaginative entries was truly impressive. Some ideas were eye-catchingly radical – such as a floating neighbourhood transforming sites on the Thames. Others were simple yet brilliant – such as redefining the index of public transport accessibility (PTAL). Without a doubt, the entries showcase some exciting ways to challenge the traditional approach to house building and we look forward to pursuing the ideas set out by winning entries in discussions here at City Hall.”

Peter Murray, Chairman, NLA said “The way we are delivery new homes today just isn’t working. London is only able to build half the number it needs each year. This competition shows how a bit of creativity, entrepreneurship and new thinking can help to fill that gap.”

A New House of London, a shipping container house by Carl Turner Architects, Arup and The Building Centre, will also be on display in Store Street South Crescent alongside the exhibition.

Intimate Infrastructures by Natasha Reid Design provides an exploration into the east London area of Poplar.

The scheme aims to combine existing buildings and infrastructure with new structures and public realm to create thriving dense areas of shared space and properties.

One of the most dramatic proposals that would enable the capital to deliver the vast amount of homes needed is the idea of a MegaCity by GL Hearn. The plan looks to maximise the potential of land supply across ‘Edge Land’ – between the inner London Green Belt to the M25.

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Taking your business to a better place H3 Partners is a leading provider of Business Change Programmes using Organisational Change Management frameworks to help transform businesses from within.

In the first of a series of discussions, UK Construction Journal speaks with Rod Horrocks, Director of H3 Partners, about the processes involved.

Could you tell us a bit about your company and what it does?

H3 has always focused on change management. We provide a range of services that cover the change management aspect of any business. This might include identifying stakeholders and deciding what communication needs they have and what media works best, running workshops on the forthcoming changes – whether process, organisational or business role changes – or conducting communication sessions where people can ask questions and receive an honest and confidential answer.

We also conduct training exercises and assessments, during which we monitor what the change is going to do to the business and whether the business has achieved that change and the associated benefits. Associated with that, we model the business processes to help people to understand how the change works in an end-to-end sense.

At what point did you realise there was a market for helping with performance management and how did you look to get involved?

Businesses are always trying to improve their performance and a key element of this process will be to agree what the key improvements should be and what measures will drive these. From our perspective, it is important that you can measure what you are trying to change. While the cost side of the equation is very easy to see, we want people to understand that they ought to also measure what the benefit is going to be. This is not always easy to identify however, which is where performance measurement comes in. People do not measure these things very well – they have tended to rely on accountancy practice, meaning that the performance measurement data is tends to be late, can have been manipulated and is focused on a single number.

For me this is about getting business leaders to actually understand where performance is poor, where performance is good, and what changes can be made to improve the business.

Where does the construction industry fit in and what issues do you commonly encounter?

The construction industry is not too different. Most businesses have difficulty putting in identifying the correct measures against business processes and key performance indicator targets. The additional problem with construction is that the working environment is not ideal for implementing measurement systems. Construction can be subject to significant changes that are not foreseen at the planning stage when you schedule the dates and estimate how much concrete is needed or how long it will take to dig a hole.

When you arrive on site or start the project can you be sure that the planning is correct and the dates set can be targets.

What can a construction companies expect when working with H3 Partners?

The first is that we demonstrate an understanding of the business and can empathise in how difficult the process of setting KPI’s is and how even harder it can be to make it work properly. We bring an enlightened view on what the business is trying to measure and what we use the results for. If you do not measure a process you cannot manage it and therefore if you are not going to measure it then forget trying the manage it. We encourage clients to use the measurement not to beat-up on the site manager or sub-contractor but to find out what is happening in the process and how to improve it; involving them in the discussion. Performance measurement is not well understood particularly when you think about setting targets and what the impact is of both under and over performing.

We are not talking about single measures as the process cannot be black or white. Our work with clients starts with an education and awareness on both the structure and management of measures and enables managers to design and implement them for themselves. Not forgetting that the implementation of the process will be enacted by humans and poor measurement can have a very negative affect on performance.

To read the interview in full, please visit UK Construction Online www.ukconstructionmedia.co.uk For more information about how H3 Partners can improve your business please visit www.h3partners.co.uk or download H3 Partners’ Performance Measurement e-Book, available at www.h3partners.co.uk/files/2014/06/H3-Partnersebook1.pdf

caroline@h3partners.co.uk

www.h3partners.co.uk

“We aim to make a real difference to our student residents’ lives”

GSA Group awarded planning permission for state-of-the-art student accommodation in Dublin

Global Student Accommodation (GSA) Group has received detailed planning permission for its first student accommodation development in Dublin’s South Inner City.

The submitted plans for the site, in Mill Street, Newmarket, Dublin 8, will see the area transformed into a 400-bed student development also featuring shops, a restaurant and commercial space for occupation by local businesses.

The site will be developed in a partnership between GSA Group, which has recently opened its Dublin base on Leeson Street and The Creedon Group, the property investment and management group. GSA will fund and develop the student accommodation and once completed it will operate it under the brand name Uninest.

GSA estimates that some 150 new jobs will be created during the construction and refurbishment phase and will place the main construction contract with locally based main contractors. GSA is also planning for a further 15 full time positions once the student property opens in September 2017.

On completion, the scheme will be known as Uninest

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Mill Street and will deliver an extensive new public realm and landscaping to Mill Street and Warrenmount Lane.

In addition, the refurbishment of a dilapidated historic townhouse at No 10 Mill Street will be refurbished to provide a centrepiece for Mill Street. The reinstatement of No 10 will be hugely beneficial to the area, due to its historical significance. It was built in 1720’s as the Earl of Meath’s townhouse and remains one of the oldest buildings in Dublin.

Archaeological work has already started on the site and a number of historic tanning pits have been discovered.

GSA has committed to retain artefacts, offer them to local museums and display others in publicly accessible areas once the project has been completed.

The approved plans for Mill Street, which rises from fourto seven-storeys and will contain a range of study bedrooms and student community spaces, were passed by An Bord Pleanala.

The Mill Street site forms part of GSA’s plan for continued growth of its global purpose-built and managed student

accommodation portfolio, concentrating on major international student destinations.

Aaron Bailey, Development and project manager for GSA Dublin said: “We’re delighted to have received planning permission for our inaugural development, which we intend to act as beacon of regeneration and development in the Newmarket area. We aim to make a real difference to our student residents’ lives providing a great student living experience which helps students study, live well and get the most from their time at university.

“We see a clear demand for our type of accommodation in Dublin and we are encouraged by the initiatives of both central Government and Dublin City Council in promoting Dublin as an international student city. We will invest some €250M in the city in the next five years, so gaining planning approval for Uninest Mill Street represents a real milestone and more importantly an exciting new choice for students as well as local businesses and the surrounding community.”

Dublin’s nine higher education institutions and a further 100,000 students coming to the city to study English language courses each year. Both central government and Dublin City policies strongly support the promotion of Dublin as an international student city and the provision of good quality purpose-built student accommodation is seen as a key element in meeting this objective.

Purpose built student accommodation is regarded as an asset class in its own right, particularly in the USA and UK where they are relatively mature markets. The development of student accommodation in Ireland, apart from direct development by colleges, has traditionally been driven by tax incentives and in most cases involved the breakup of the development into individual unit sales to private owners.

Uninest Mill Street is different and involves the long-term retention of the entire asset by GSA Group and will be one of the first large scale developments of its type in the city.

This development also will provide a further step in the rejuvenation of Newmarket as well as the greater Liberties area.

Dublin is a booming centre for higher education. There are currently some 80,000 full time students studying in

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Preparing construction businesses for workplace pensions and auto-enrolment As business HR issues go, workplace pensions and auto-enrolment are currently right at the top of the list.

With new laws coming in, it’s an unavoidable issue for any company with employees. Yet with so much involved both with setting up a pension scheme and ensuring that it runs smoothly, it’s not an issue to be addressed lightly.

This is why, at HR4UK, we’ve developed a complete package of pension and auto-enrolment services to support construction businesses, whatever the size of their team.

HR4UK is delighted to be working with UKCG to make these services available to its members.

Addressing the pensions issue Our support ranges from writing an auto-enrolment plan for businesses to setting up a shell National Savings Employment Trust (NEST) Pension Scheme from scratch. We can also administer the NEST Pension Scheme for companies once they reach their Staging Date to help ensure that they comply with their duties and obligations under the new workplace pension and auto-enrolment legislation. This includes automatically enrolling employees who are eligible jobholders and managing opt-ins and opt-outs. Our system keeps a record of all communications as required by law, to comply with employers’ new duties and obligations under the Workplace Pensions Regulations.

Complete support for construction businesses We help take the complexity out of pensions and auto-enrolment by: • Acting as a second contact with the Pensions Regulation body. This means that you won’t miss any deadlines as we’ll be there to prompt you and support you through the whole process.

• Issuing all the statutory notices to all your employees.

• Keeping a record of all the statutory notices as required by law and updating your contracts of employment and employee handbooks as required by these changes.

• Administering your NEST pension scheme once you have reached your staging date, if we manage your payroll.

• Issuing the declaration to the Pensions Regulator for you.

The above services and more are now available to UKCG members.

To find out more, please visit www.hr4uk.com or contact us on 01455 444222 or email: info@hr4uk.com.

HR4UK:

All your pensions and auto-enrolment questions answered in one “How do I set up my company pension scheme to cover different types of employees and contracts?”

“Where do I start with auto-enrolment?”

“How will I know if my new pension scheme meets all the latest employment law requirements?”

Not sure where to start with pensions and auto-enrolment?

At HR4UK, we’re working with UKCG to make straightforward, high quality pensions and auto-enrolment set-up and management available to employers in the construction sector.

Call 01455 630700 or Email info@hr4uk.com to find out more

www.neccontract.com

NEC3 contracts a ‘bedrock of success’ on Europe’s largest construction project - Crossrail With an estimated total cost of £14.5Bn and a peak workforce of 14,000 people, the historic Crossrail project is not only firmly established as Europe’s largest construction project, but also as the biggest ever to be procured using NEC3 suite of contracts.

The new 118km high frequency, high capacity railway for London and the South East is, of course, a flagship of the Government’s ‘Achieving excellence in construction’ principles. Therefore, it was imperative that Crossrail’s approach to procurement and the massive number of associated contracts involved on the nine year-long scheme was as fair and robust as possible.

Now in its seventh year, more than 10,000 people are working simultaneously across over 40 construction sites.

Given the sheer scale of contracts procured, a full range of NEC3 contracts has been the bedrock of this world class and technically complex scheme.

The use of NEC3, specifically designed to stimulate good

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management of the relationship between parties to a contract, was a major element in enabling this ongoing success.

To date, Crossrail has awarded direct tier 1 contracts with a value of more than £7.5Bn, which in turn are contributing to the creation of at least 75,000 business opportunities covering the project’s direct contractors and their supply chains.

These figures include NEC3 Professional Service Contracts (PSC), tunnelling contracts under the NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract option C (target contract with activity schedule) and major framework contracts.

The first Crossrail services through central London will start in late 2018. As the scheme comes towards its later stages, Steve Rowsell, Crossrail’s former Head of Procurement and now Chairman of the NEC Users’ Group, discusses the importance of NEC’s versatility across a wide variety of commercial situations, works and locations, as well as its straightforward language and structure. }

He comments: “Crossrail’s approach to procurement is aligned with the UK government’s achieving excellence in construction principles, including a fair allocation of risk and reward, early involvement of the supply chain, minimising of interface risks, incentivising performance and selection of suppliers on the basis of best value.

“The NEC3 Suite was the ideal choice for us because it supports the desired culture and way of working, provides robust contract management processes, achieves a fair and sensible allocation of risk and can be used for all project requirements to give consistency in approach.”

Again, consistency across the board is a key consideration in a project of this scale, and the significant benefits associated with using an integrated suite of contracts have not gone unnoticed, and the importance of having a common language and common terms across such a sizable and critical programme has been paramount.

The use of standard and easy to understand contracts is at the heart of the scheme, allowing the project team to concentrate on literally breaking new ground.

The pioneering technical challenges on the scheme have included, for example, eight giant tunnel boring machines that burrowed and weaved their way between existing underground lines, sewers, utilities and building foundations at depths of up to 40 metres, to create the 42km of tunnels required to deliver the new railway.

Over the coming few years, new specialist teams will work with a new set of machines to lay 42km of tracks.

Railway infrastructure such as platform screen doors, ventilation fans, cables, walkways, power, signalling and communication systems will be designed and installed. At the same time, 30 station improvements, 12 above-station developments, and urban realm improvements across the entire route will be delivered.

David Morrice, Delivery Contracts Director at Crossrail adds: “We’ve invested a significant amount of time and money in training and education with regard to NEC3, which has facilitated a good understanding of cost allocations and contract administration at all levels of the supply chain.”

“Time assessment is a hugely important driving factor for us, given the damages associated with getting behind schedule.

“The prospective approach of the NEC3 works well from a commercial perspective, as it allows us to identify and agree upon critical activities and delays as we continue to move forward.”

For further information about the NEC suite of contracts visit www.neccontract.com.

Rekha Thawrani, General Manager for NEC, believes the contract suite’s stimulation of good project management has been a key component in this world-class project’s success so far.

Thawrani comments: “Crossrail is among the most significant infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the UK and it’s been fantastic to see the successful implementation of NEC3 on this scale.

“The Crossrail team has taken meticulous care with the setting up and administration of a huge volume of contracts, and is setting a fantastic example to the wider industry.

Adopting the contracts in their purest form has delivered significant benefits in terms of keeping to the construction programme and minimising disputes.”

Three years of tunnelling came to an end in May 2015, and the focus of the construction programme is now shifting towards the major task of fitting out the empty tunnels, stations, shafts and portals with the infrastructure, power and technology required to create a fully operational railway.

27

Keep

Trenchless Technology

GUARANTEEING EFFICIENT AND SUCCESSFUL REPAIR OR INSTALLATION ABOUT THE COMPANY Since its formation, Keep Trenchless Technology has been providing a range of trenchless technology services to water and waste industries as well as corporate customers.

Working throughout the UK, the Company specialises in UV cured pipe installation, CCTV surveys, lateral cutting, and mechanical cutting for concrete/grout/roots and other difficult obstruction removal including intruding connections.

UV cured liners have been installed nationally for the sewerage industry, and the success of this is clear by looking at the list of clients that encompasses Northumbrian Water, Yorkshire Water, Thames Water, Severn Trent, Guernsey Water, Scottish Water and many more.

Northumbrian Water has been a valued customer during this time, and in the last five years, has seen more than 10km of liner installed each year.

BENEFITS OF UV CURED LINERS Trenchless technology offers important benefits for companies and utilities providers and with more than 20 years of experience, the team at Keep Trenchless Technology is ideally placed to help organisations reap the rewards of such advantages.

The conventional way of repairing pipes can be disruptive and time consuming, all of which holds up production.

The Company’s experience is crucial because its trenchless technology can be used to counter these issues by repairing pipes at the same time as guaranteeing the minimum amount of disruption. The technology also helps to eliminate any halts in production.

There is also a real commitment to provide customers with the best possible service and the team of specialists have years of experience. In addition, the fleet of vans have the capacity to monitor and record pipe repair at every step of the way.

Aligned to this are the UV cured liners that are manufactured to the most stringent standards by Berolina that can cure the lining at speeds of up to one metre each minute.

Because these are manufactured by Berolina, materials made by a fibreglass that is corrosion-resistant is used; this unique wall structure is decisive for the outstanding quality and versatile application of the Berolina liner.

With five layers of resin-saturated fibreglass complexes and/or polyester webs, the liners are stretchable, and can be optimally adjusted to circular or oval profiles in diameters of 150mm to 1500mm, which can also be used with cross-section or profile passages without any problems.

The energy flux is optimised because of the continuous fibre orientation in the perimeter direction.

The best mechanical values are produced in this Keep Trenchless Technology product because of the fibreglass reinforcement, meaning no more than slight wall thicknesses are necessary and therefore, cross-section leakage is reduced to a minimum after pipe sanitation.

The advantage of the UV cured lining provided is it allows liner replacement to be expected before curing.

The curing process is recorded at every stage and reports are instantly generated. Just as important is the fact that only one site visit is necessary, which again minimises disruption.

KOMATSU PIPELINE REHABILITATION As well as the work carried out for the many water organisations, the Company also has a number of commercial clients who have benefited from trenchless projects.

One such development was undertaken in County Durham where work was carried out on pipeline rehabilitation for Komatsu.

Keep Trenchless Technology was called upon for the project in Birtley because the sewer system there for Komatsu’s

Keep Trenchless Technology Ltd Unit 9a Stratford Road, Pattinson South Industrial Estate, Washington, Tyne & Wear NE38 8QP

European manufacturing plant for the production of crawler hydraulic excavators showed the pitch fibre pipe network needed to be replaced.

undergone and passed stringent tests to ensure the pipe is at its tightest level so it won’t leak, while making sure infiltration is prevented.

The Company undertook a CCTV survey on behalf of Komatsu and the results showed that the pitch fibre pipes, first installed in the 1960s, were deformed, had holes in the pipe wall and in one place, was closed with hardly any room to manoeuvre through it.

Work on the pipeline rehabilitation took just seven days, with 18 individual lining set ups having to be achieved in that time while also working around other contractors.

Finding a solution to this damage was made more difficult because of the limited access in terms of timescale and space in order to place equipment, owing to Komatsu’s production schedules.

Options considered included cutting the pipeline open to carry out the repair work, but this was rejected because it would have slowed down the production schedule due to the failed pipe being located in the centre of the main production area.

Excavation would have been required, which would have made the project duration longer, and with three major surrounding walls around the designated work area, any traditional method of work was fraught with danger.

Therefore, it was decided the best way to rehabilitate the pipe was to undertake re-rounding work followed by insertion of a structural lining.

Traditional work would have taken 18 weeks to complete, whereas trenchless technology could ensure the project was completed within a week.

Accordingly, the UV cured options were investigated and the Berolina liner system was chosen.

This is where the fibre fabrics overlapping are effective. They are staggered, which means the Berolina liner can be installed in one piece even where there is a crossover, and with no hindrance on elasticity, it easily adjusts to local conditions.

The UV cure resin is injected into the liners at the factory so that when they arrive on site, they are ready for installation.

As a proven product of Keep Trenchless Technology, the Berolina liner has undergone a significant amount of testing to ensure it is fit for purpose. This WRc-approved system has also

Telephone 0191 415 3372 Email info@keep-ltd.com

During one of these set ups, the extent of the problem Komatsu had been facing became clear because a huge section of pipe was almost completely closed up.

The tight timescale on the project meant the Company’s only option was to attempt installation even though this made a successful outcome uncertain.

But the expertise meant that the deformed section of pipe was reached, though a hole was then found in the host pipe.

In response, Keep Trenchless Technology managed to pass a line through the defect and a pre-liner was pulled into place over the hole before it was lined with the intended reinforced liner.

Lining was successful on this set-up, as well as the other 17 that had to be undertaken.

Paul Collins is the Building Maintenance Manager at Komatsu and he praised the ‘groundbreaking technology’ and the advantages is has brought.

He said: “We selected Keep Trenchless Technology Ltd to carry out this repair due to the location of the drain and the amazing groundbreaking technology offered. The professional approach was second to none and a full survey and repair method was fully communicated.

“What could have been very disruptive to our production turned out to be a quick and simple repair with zero effect to our busy production schedule.

“Since the repair, we have used the liner method many times to maintain and repair our waste framework. The advantages of using such a repair are numerous; the fact there is very little disruption to the repair vicinity and no environmental impacts compared to other repair methods are just a few.”

www.keep-ltd.com

www.re-match.dk

Proper disposal of synthetic turf advised as industry reaches recycling breakthrough Synthetic turf has become the surface of choice for more sports and community facilities than ever before. But with popularity now skyrocketing, the Sports and Play Construction Association (SAPCA) is urging sports facility owners and operators to familiarise themselves with the regulations surrounding the proper disposal of worn synthetic turf.

Widely regarded as a flexible, low maintenance alternative to natural grass; synthetic turf has in recent years found wider commercial and residential applications. While this

30

versatility is to be applauded, owners must remain aware of the viable lifespan of their turf systems and the most sustainable methods of disposal.

Typically, ten years of prolonged use will weather even the most durable of artificial surfaces. As the use of synthetic turf increases however, so too does the need to replace existing turf systems.

Research indicates that an approximate one million square feet of synthetic turf will have to be replaced each year

in the UK by 2017 – an astounding amount which places immense strain on the individuals, organisations and infrastructure responsible for its disposal.

Traditionally, weathered surfaces have been deposited in landfill sites across the country or incinerated. A raft of environmental, regulatory and financial constraints have rendered these methods unsustainable however.

Other initiatives have involved the resale of artificial turf to cemeteries, golf courses and equestrian centres but, while commendable, such uses can only account for a small proportion of worn turf.

A sustainable long-term solution is therefore essential. To this end, the SAPCA has been working with manufactures and industry experts to investigate ways in which the various components of synthetic turf can be separated and recycled.

With sustainable and responsible procedure in mind, the newly established Recycling Working Group has released a SAPCA guidance note to address issues of waste, its definition and the legal obligations associated. Clients and contractors working with synthetic turf are encouraged to familiarise themselves with these key fundamentals. ´ Separation Technology The answer may be close at hand however. Worn artificial turf is typically composed of three separate components. A synthetic carpet – manufactured from a pile yarn, backing cloth and a latex or polyurethane coating – a sand or sand and granulated tyre composite infill, and a shockpad.

Though the shockpad itself is designed to outlast a single carpet, this too has a lifespan and will need to be replaced over time.

Here, the efforts of such organisations as Re-Match have proven invaluable. Re-Match, a Denmark-based innovator, has pioneered new technology to separate artificial turf into its raw components by way of a mechanical process.

Materials are passed through a tiered separation system, during which a combination of air and sieving is applied to produce clean components that are ready for immediate reuse in the manufacture of new surfaces. This advanced separation technology is highly efficient and comprehensively tested to ensure the cleanliness of the material recycled.

Currently, an astounding 99.9% of all turf material is recyclable, meaning that owners and operators the worldover can now dispose of their aged surfaces in a responsible and environmentally friendly way.

Construction of Re-Match’s initial state-of-the-art separation facility in Denmark – the first in the world – completed in autumn 2014. From here, Re-Match is able to service local authorities, sports providers and stadia across Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Additional separation facilities are planned further afield in Europe and the US. Re-Match’s intervention is timely. According to the Company, 20 million square feet of synthetic turf will be removed worldwide in 2015. With an unprecedented number of artificial surfaces nearing the end of their shelf life, this figure is set to increase. The burden to dispose of artificial turf in an efficient and environmentally responsible way now rests firmly with the owners and operators themselves.

For more information about Re-Match, the services provided or their pioneering technology, please visit the Company’s website.

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DISPOSAL OF USED ARTIFICIAL TURF MATS Does anyone care?

OWNERS OF TURF MATS MUST ORGANIZE LEGAL DISPOSAL OR RECYCLING OF WORN-OUT MATS – OR GO TO JAIL!

According to industry observers, it seems that many owners of worn-out artificial turf systems (municipalities or sporting clubs) are disposing of used turf mats with little or no knowledge on handling such waste. Thereby they may (involuntary) expose themselves to harsh legal action - maybe even a prison term.

Fortunately, state-of-the-art technology today allows for full end-of-life sustainable recycling of artificial turf mats at a competitive price compared to older disposal methods. Even so, observers are reporting that a considerable number of used artificial turf rolls are illegally disposed of in unconventional and sometimes creative ways such as a dump in the middle of a forest or at a private property. Currently, a court case on illegal dumping of construction and demolition waste is underway in Denmark. The incumbents may face a prison term of up to six years and heavy fines. Also in this industry, legislation was in place for many years, but never upheld…until now.

THE TURF-FIELD OWNER - BENEFITS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

As a municipality or private club, you do have lot of benefits, if you invest in an artificial turf system for your local sport arena. However, as an owner of an artificial turf arena, you also take on the responsibility to safely disposing of the used turf by the end-of-life-cycle of the mats, as it is then a waste item.

Seen from the viewpoint of the EU Commission and many local governments, disposing of turf mats and related materials in landfill or incineration facilities was the technology of yesterday. New legislation and a regulatory framework on a Circular Economy are underway with the overall goal of dramatically increasing the percentage of waste recycled.

WORN-OUT ARTIFICIAL TURF MATS ARE INDEED “WASTE”

Within the EU, used artificial turf mats are “construction and demolition waste” and must be disposed of correctly. Ignorance or looking the other way is not a small misdemeanor. The turf system, including the so-called “infill” material, can be recycled back into the basic components such as silica sand, rubber and plastics. However, the used mats still contain impurities from daily wear and tear – including liquid and fixed external substances, broken fibers, glass etc. Such impurities can contaminate the environment and endanger the users.

Therefore, used turf mats and infill materials are unfit for any immediate secondary purpose.

Traditionally, some used mats have ended up at training courts, gardens, golf courses etc., but left untreated. The used mats are not an asset for anyone - you are merely passing on a waste problem to someone else. Some recycling companies will offer to remove the infill materials on site or even to re-use old, untreated infill materials, in new turf installations. For safety reasons, and in order not to compromise the quality of the new pitch or contravene maintenance and warranties, it is clear that such solutions should be avoided. However, if the impurities are removed, then the recycled, sorted and cleaned components may subsequently be utilized for the production of new turf mats and infill materials – or of other products and in other industries.

SO WHAT EXACTLY IS “SUSTAINABLE RECYCLING” – AND WHAT IS IT NOT

Until recently, it was legally accepted and common practice to dispose of artificial turf and similar components by using registered landfill or thermal incineration. However, a number of specific drivers have pointed legislators in the direction of circular economy.

Thus, a new EU legal framework is underway denouncing all other disposing methods, but recycling.

Importantly, recyclers are most often able to give you a better/cheaper offer than landfilling – but as a customer, you need to watch out for imposters. You will find companies operating in the market who have no access to recycling technology and have no legal permits for removal, transport and handling of your turf mat waste. In worst-case scenario, your mats could end up in an illegal dump – at your costs.

Therefore, it is recommended that you take the time to obtain and check proper documentation from the companies, which you have shortlisted for your disposal assignment - especially on transparency, accountability and traceability.

TURF RECYCLING IS ON TOP OF THE AGENDA AT EUROPEAN SYNTHETIC TURF ORGANIZATION – (ESTO)

GUIDELINES FROM SAPCA

A brand-new Re-Match patented cradle-to-cradle turf recycling facility with state-of-the-art technology is currently under construction in Denmark. The 8,000 m2 processing plant, which will be ready in November 2015, will have an annual capacity of 150+ full size pitches. The turf mats are processed indoor using, closed-loop, single workflow technology, which will secure an environmentally safe working environment and an almost 100% recycling rate. The plant will not generate any bi-product waste in addition to the impurities from the turf mats.

Re-Match are planning to erect 10 additional recycling plants across the EU/USA during the coming 5 years – the next two facilities will be built in the UK and Germany respectively.

Many local associations are well aware of the waste issue, and they are working hard to inform their members accordingly. Most recently, SAPCA in the UK (The Sport and Play Construction Association) have issued member guidelines on handling and disposal of old synthetic turf mats. The guidelines summarize the legal responsibilities of the owners of worn-out turf as follows: • To correctly classify their waste • The waste is collected by a registered carrier with permits to transport waste, • The waste is delivered to a business that has the permits to treat the waste • Take all such measures as are reasonable in the circumstances and apply the waste hierarchy The above requirements are in the UK known as the “Duty of Care” and are enforced by the Waste Regulation 2011 (England + Wales), as amended.

Link to the recent announcement here: www.sapca.org.uk/quick-links/synthetic-grass-pitches

Each year in the EMEA alone 65 million m2 of artificial turf mats will be installed, while 30 million m2 reaches end-of-life status and becomes waste. Having recognized the magnitude of the need for recycling of used turf mats in the years to come, ESTO have placed this issue on top of their agenda. A possible pre-payment (deposit) scheme might be a way forward, for the benefit and protection of all stakeholders.

AN EXAMPLE OF SUSTAINABLE RECYCLING

THE PRE-CONDITIONS ARE IN PLACE

The EU and national governments have set the scene for a circular economy. The supporting legal framework is underway and best of all, the technology of the future is now there for the industry to use. Turf owners may also obtain information and support to their decision making process from industry associations and from certified producers, sellers and recycling companies. If they do, chances are excellent that we shall not see any court cases in the turf industry.

Re-Match provides sports arenas and stadiums the opportunity to dispose of their used artificial turf without effecting the environment. Re-Match will pick up your old artificial turf for less than what you would pay in disposal fee at the landfill. This means you will be able to dispose of your old turf in an environmental friendly way and save money at the same time.

Please contact Re-Match at: Email: info@Re-match.dk or phone: +45 77 34 67 34 www.re-match.dk

www.hse.gov.uk

Introducing the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) On April 2, HSE published the new CDM 2015 Regulations and the accompanying L series guide. The guide explains what the law is seeking to achieve and what the regulations mean in practice for the various dutyholders, across all construction projects. This guide is supported by a series of industry guidance booklets, one for each dutyholder and one for workers. Written by industry groups representing the breadth of construction professionals, and hosted by CITB (Construction Industry Training Board), their focus is to provide practical advice on implementing the new legal requirements on smaller construction projects.

Both the L Series and industry guides can be freely downloaded from HSE and CITB websites. ´ Simplified The regulations provide a much more linear structure that represents the process of delivering a construction project from concept, through design and build to handover and future use of a structure. This approach provides greater clarity on the importance and influence that each dutyholder has on the way that construction hazard and risks are identified, reduced, controlled and managed, throughout a project.

A single set of requirements, applicable to all projects irrespective of size and duration. Unlike with CDM 2007 there is only one trigger point for additional action in the new regulations concerning only the client. ´ Commercial Clients Recognising the importance and influence a client has over the way a project is procured and delivered and the standards to which these are done, the regulations strengthen and broaden their responsibilities. The regulations encourage clients to actively lead construction projects, whilst recognising that their experience and abilities will be diverse.

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The client is now responsible for making the arrangements by which the project will be managed and ensuring that those arrangements are maintained and reviewed throughout the life of the project.

Where there is or is likely to be more than one contractor working on a project, the client must appoint both a Principal Designer (PD) and a Principal Contractor (PC) at the earliest opportunity and before construction starts.

The client is also responsible for taking ‘reasonable steps’ to ensure both the PD and PC comply with their duties, for providing pre construction information (PCI), ensuring the construction phase plan and health and safety file are produced and for ensuring the health and safety file is handed over to any new owner of the structure. ´ Domestic Clients Although the exemption for domestic clients has been removed, the only responsibility placed upon them is to appoint the PC and PD, where there is more than one contractor. However, if this (as will be common practice) does not happen, the regulations automatically transfer the client duties to the contractor or principal contractor of a project. In recognising that some domestic clients may have already established a relationship with their designer before they go ahead with construction, the regulations allow the designer to take on the client duties where there is a written agreement between the client and designer to do so. ´ Principal Designer This new role brings the function of planning, managing, monitoring and co-ordinating the design stage of the project, directly into the project team and under the control of a designer.

The PD will support the client in bringing together and providing the Pre Construction Information (PCI) and act

as the conduit for disseminating that information to the various dutyholders who will need it at the right time. This will be an ongoing responsibility throughout the life of the project.

The PD is responsible for ensuring the designers working on the project discharge the duties placed upon them as designers throughout their appointment. The role of the PD mirrors that of PC in the construction phase. This role is not limited to the design stage before construction starts.

The PD will work together with the PC throughout the life of their appointment to ensure the health and safety implications of design aspects and later changes are properly considered, support the PC in drawing up the construction phase plan as well as developing the health and safety file and providing it to the client at the end of the project.

The regulations do recognise that in some projects the PD may not be contracted throughout the whole life of the project – especially when the design stage is complete and the construction phase is well advanced. If, in this situation the PD is released from the project, then the responsibility for completing the health safety file and handing it to the client at the end of the project passes to the PC.

´ Notification The notification threshold for projects has changed. A project becomes notifiable where it lasts longer than 30 days AND has more than 20 workers, working simultaneously at any one point OR exceeds 500 person days.

Increasing the notification threshold will reduce the number of projects required to be notified significantly, and thus reduce the burden on business.

Notification is a stand-alone requirement and does not give rise to any additional duties.

WHAT’S NEW • Simplified structure to the regulations • Clients responsibilities strengthened and broadened • Removal of exemption for domestic clients • A new role of Principal Designer to co-ordinate the design stage • Removal of the role of CDM-C • Removal of notification as a trigger point for additional duties • Notification threshold includes worker numbers • Appointments threshold being where more than one contractor on a project • Removal of ‘competence’ requirement and replaced with ‘skills, knowledge, experience and training’ and ‘organisational capability’ • All construction projects require a construction phase plan (CPP)

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FRAMING

METSEC BRINGS BIM TO LIFE ON AWARD-WINNING BRISTOL DEVELOPMENT In January 2014, Metsec was contracted by Skanska to provide steel framing for the 66 Queen Square development in Bristol.

The project has since received widespread recognition from the industry, and was presented with the BIM Project Application Award at the British Construction Industry Awards 2014, demonstrating the effectiveness of the collaborative approach adopted by Skanska and Metsec throughout the building process.

As market-leaders in the provision of lightframe steel solutions, designed to the very latest specification requirements, Metsec was able to utilise its advanced BIM capability for the innovative office building in Bristol City Centre, providing structural framing designed through a transparent, model-based process and ensuring cohesive collaboration throughout the entire supply chain.

The 5,667m² development provides airy, lightflooded open, plan office space, incorporating the historic Queen Anne House, a Grade II listed Georgian terrace. Delivered under the Workplaces

by Skanska banner, the development sees the smart combination of heritage architecture and innovative new build techniques to create a prestigious commercial space, and the first venture of its kind in the UK for Skanska.

The development is designed to meet BREEAM ‘Excellent’ level as well as EPC A to minimise the building’s environmental impact and thus satisfy the energy efficiency demands of the modern office building. At the same time, the contractor has adopted design and construction methods to suit the historic setting, complimenting the unique architecture of the Georgian townhouses surrounding the 18th century Queen Square gardens.

At the core of this ambitious project was a combination of technical excellence and tight-knit supply chain collaboration. This was necessary to realise an outstanding building design that delivers on aspects of sustainability, building performance and aesthetic appeal, as well as project lead time.

Derren Masters, Design Director at Skanska, commented: “The fusion of new and old on this site was an incredibly tough challenge. We were aiming to be sympathetic to the design of the listed building existing onsite but we also needed to find a reliable way to connect the new office building to Queen Anne House, without damaging its basic structure.”

When it came to designing a framing solution that would smoothly integrate with Queen Anne House, Skanska contacted Metsec, ensuring that the structural design process was completely BIM compatible from start to finish.

Derren Masters continued: “The fact that Metsec had extensive experience of working with BIM and could support our work with a BIM-compliant model for the steel framing system allowed us to consider the framing elements from a very early stage”

66 Queen Square, Bristol

Metsec created a BIM model that contained all the required elements for its SFS infill walling solution: stud, track, deflection heads and compound members, as well as fixing accessories. From this data-rich file, Metsec produced the drawings and material schedules that would inform Skanska’s structural design plans.

“Metsec supplemented our expertise by supplying a Revit model that smoothly plugged into our master model and whose level of detail really helped us to see where the SFS was going to touch the reinforced concrete frame adjacent to the listed building. This gave us an in-depth understanding of the interface and quantity risks involved and helped our team to optimise the structural design. In that respect, Metsec’s design service was invaluable to the project.”

Roy Burns, Managing Director of Metsec’s Purlin and Framing Division, agrees: “From a technical viewpoint, it was important to be able to feed our designs into the contractor model, as it illustrated exactly how our framing system was going to sit within the wider structural solution.”

“To support the early design stages, we fully detailed the cold rolled steel elements in a 3D environment and shared our design information with Skanska’s

construction team and BIM coordinator, Daniel Reucroft.

The high level of design information exchanged was crucial to ensure that the contractor received the best performing framing solution for this project.”

Daniel Reucroft, BIM Coordinator, commented: “Metsec’s early design input meant that we were able to eliminate any potential errors that we may not have been able to spot in 2D drawings, which directly translated into cost savings. They made it easy by providing compatible Revit files. Then we simply coordinated their model into the construction model and with the help of the BIM 360 FIELD application, all construction information was taken out of the office and onto iPads onsite. This really brought BIM to life at 66 Queen Square.”

To find out more about Metsec’s BIM capabilities and the 66 Queen Square development, or to watch our full video case study, please visit www.metsec.com or follow us via @MetsecUK

www.citb.co.uk

´ Removal of ‘competence’

´ The Construction Phase Plan

‘Competence’, is a term that has no minimum standard of compliance, is widely misunderstood, and unhelpfully applied to both individuals and organisations - giving rise to unintended bureaucracy, without necessarily improving the development of a competent workforce in all sectors of construction.

All construction projects will now require a construction phase plan (CPP) – irrespective of size and duration. The purpose of this provision is to focus those undertaking even the smallest of projects (including domestic work) on the planning of the project and ensure associated risk is considered and controlled.

To address some of these issues and to make the delivery of a competent workforce clearer for dutyholders, the new regulations have disentangled ‘competence’ into its component parts of ‘skills, knowledge, training and experience (SKTE)’, and where it refers to an organisation, ‘organisational capability’.

The plan should be proportionate to the scale of the job and the health and safety risks involved. Plans involving smaller, less risky jobs should be short and simple and should require no further consideration than is already required for well-managed activities.

The new regulations focus attention on the work that individuals and organisations are appointed to undertake and require that those appointed have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to deliver that work effectively and safely – each and every day.

To help small construction businesses complete these plans without additional burden, HSE has produced a simple template. The template CPP is available from the HSE website and includes the necessary information to allow businesses to plan their work and consider risks quickly and efficiently.

It’s therefore incumbent upon anybody appointing a contractor or designer (including PD and PC) to ensure they have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience, before they are appointed.

Additionally HSE and CITB have developed a smartphone app, freely available to download form the CITB website, which allows the construction phase plan to be completed within a few minutes without any paper form filling. This app is designed for small businesses undertaking routine construction projects. Once the relevant construction activities are input – the app identifies the common health and safety risks automatically, and the control measures that should be followed. The plan is automatically generated and can be saved or emailed to others such as clients and other contractors.

The regulations also provide flexibility for those employing and appointing site workers, by requiring that those employed or appointed either have or are obtaining the necessary SKTE for the task in hand. By requiring contractors to provide adequate supervision for all workers under their control, the regulations allow workers to develop site skills without being put at risk or putting themselves and others at risk.

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´ HSE encourages all small building firms to adopt this approach.

Does maintenance work need a Construction Phase Plan The definition of construction work has not changed and dutyholders still need to make a sensible judgement as to whether CDM 2015 applies to activities such as maintenance.

For example, where the activities involve general maintenance of fixed plant involving mechanical adjustments, replacing parts or lubrication it continues to be unlikely to be construction work and CDM 2015 will not apply.

However, where the task in hand looks like building work, requires construction skills and uses construction materials, CDM 2015 is likely to apply. In this case, the job will need planning. A practical and proportionate construction phase plan, which highlights the real risks of the work, should be prepared and kept up-to-date. ´ What should designers and contractors be saying to clients (domestic, inexperienced or otherwise) A designer can take many guises from an architect, technician or technologist through to the specific designer disciplines of structural, civil, electrical and the like. Moreover, any other discipline (including contractors) preparing or modifying a design, or arranging or instructing another under their control to do so, is a designer. Irrespective of the role, the duties on the designer remain the same. Primarily, their first obligation will be to ensure before they start any design work that the client is aware of their obligations under CDM. Designers’ responsibilities differ little in this respect from that conferred on them by CDM 2007. A designer should have sufficient knowledge of the client’s obligations in order to be able to assess their knowledge and advise them of their role.

Advising the client of their obligations is a routine matter that will be part of any early discussions about the project.

The regulations do not specify any one method by which designers will discharge this responsibility and indeed it will be on a case by case basis.

TOP TIPS 1 Read the industry guides – they are a great help 2 Download the CITB smartphone CPP app and use it.

3 Make sure work is planned in a sensible and proportionate way 4 Concentrate on the real risks involved with construction work 5 Be aware of your possible role as a client in domestic projects 6 Use the HSE CDM 2015 website – it has all the information you need for free 7 Remember – HSE does not expect contractors to be health and safety officers – they want you to work safely.

8 Contractors and designers need to communicate and help each other in delivering a successful project

Many designers have in the past, used a standard letter format to the client and this may well continue to be a sensible approach. In the smallest of commercial projects, this may prove a useful method, but it may be that verbal advice and assurance is enough. It is often helpful for a designer to have some mechanism to record that they have discussed and advised the client on this issue – but any such mechanism should minimise bureaucracy for bureaucracy’s sake. ´ Messages for contractors and domestic clients Most importantly, the regulations do not seek to make the lives of contractors more difficult. By passing the client responsibilities to the Principal Contractor or contractor in control of the project or the designer if the domestic client so wishes, the current position for domestic projects changes little.

The new regulations intend to support small business in improving health and safety standards on sites where incident rates are high. It is not the intention to increase bureaucracy or cost – quite the opposite. By providing clear guidance through the industry guides for principal contractors and contractors and supporting that guidance with the template CPP and smartphone app, HSE believes that small construction projects can be delivered to a higher standard of health and safety and thus cost effectiveness with minimal extra work on the part of business.

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Patent Protection for Innovative Products www.appleyardlees.com

P a u l M i s s e l b ro o k , p a r tn e r at l e a d i n g I P f i r m , A p p l eya rd Le e s g i ve s a n ove r v i ew of th e i m p o r t a n c e of p ate nt s i n th e c o n s tr u c ti o n i n d u s tr y.

The construction industry is one of the leading sectors when it comes to creating innovative new products. But how can you ensure that competitors don’t take your idea and pass it off as their own? Protecting your intellectual property is vital and the benefits for companies are vast.

To put it into perspective, here is an example where Appleyard Lees assist a manufacturer keen to maximise their investment in the development of a cladding panel.

The improved cladding panel included changes to the geometrical shape of the product, which allows the cladding to be installed easier and more efficiently. As the improved geometrical shape could be easily copied, the client was vulnerable to competitors copying the improvement.

A patent was filed, prosecuted and granted giving the manufacture the right to prevent competitors from selling or marketing infringing panels. The manufacturer can now actively seek to enforce those rights to restrict entry of similar products to the market.

The story started in the summer of 2010, when the UK Manufacturer was looking to protect a new and innovative cladding panel. Cladding panels were known in the construction industry, but were complicated and utilised clips or restraint brackets. During product development, a new innovative cladding panel was designed that could be installed without the use of the clips or brackets. The improved design involved changes to the geometrical shape of the panels to allow interlocking. Consequently, as soon as the product was released, competitors would be able to see and understand the improvement, following which there would be few technical difficulties in implementing the improvements themselves.

Whilst a design registration can protect the shape of the product, because in this case the shape led to an improved technical effect, a patent application gave the best possible protection to the client. Once granted, a patent registration would prevent competitors from copying the way the improved cladding panel works irrespective of the other design features.

The UK patent office then conducted a search and examination of the new application. It is their job to prevent applications covering known products or obvious developments of existing products from being granted.

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The patent office used patents published before the application was filed to argue that the protection being sought by the new application covered too much. In consultation with the client and using their expertise and knowledge of the cladding industry, counter arguments and amendments to change the scope of protection were filed.

Although grant of the patent signals the end of the patent application process, one way the patent investment can be recovered is to use the patent to prevent competitors from copying the improvements and forcing them to compete using the old technology. Often this can be achieved by reminding the competitor that patent infringement risks court injunctions against them, delivery up or destruction of infringing stock, and damages or an account of the infringer’s profits in selling the infringing products.

However, it may come to the point where court proceedings are necessary. In any event, the patent registration will continue to cause the competitor uncertainty allowing the new and innovative cladding longer in the spotlight.

In this case an easy to implement change in design of the construction product was protected from being copied through the patent process allowing the manufacturer to prevent me-to products from entering the market.

For more information on patents, design or brand protection, please contact Paul Misselbrook.

Visit www.appleyardlees.com for further details.

Providing marine expertise and innovation to solve the most challenging marine construction projects.

The picture above—Wood wharf cofferdam fully designed and built by CMP, Canary Wharf London 2015.

We provide two core capabilities – Marine Civil Engineering services and steel foundation construction. Underpinning our capabilities is 25 years of experience in managing and delivering complex projects. We can deliver projects through the full procurement cycle from project concept through construction to completion and handover. Whilst primarily based in the UK we have also successfully delivered projects in Europe and Africa. We specialise in the following key skills:

Telephone 01425 489600

or visit our website at

www.cmp.uk.com

You know when you’re feeling really good about what you’re doing in a given moment? When you’re feeling so productive and fulfilled that it feels effortless. Even enjoying it so much that you’d probably do it for free if you didn’t have to pay the bills!

You may even be expert at doing things that others find hard to do – yet for you they just come naturally. And you do those things well, really well!

This means your Talents are being fully used and you’re in flow: the Path of Least Resistance.

When you know how to be more in flow, you can lead others to do the same. And when teams, departments and whole organizations are in flow, they too become more effortless, productive and fulfilled; performing in a way and to a standard that sets new personal, team and organisational bests.

Just imagine the impact on your business if team members too could increase the time they were in flow from 10% to 50%. How much more productive and profitable could you and your team be and how much more fun work would be?

LEADERSHIP EXECUTIVE COACHING Introduction Leaders, executives and professionals in the Construction Industry provide guidance to the individuals and teams they work with and deliver results for the organisation. There is an expectation that they are in all round good shape. That is what gives them their credibility.

Leadership Executive Coaching This intensive 90 day programme takes you on a journey through all aspects of Wealth and Wellbeing. It gives you the strongest possible foundation from which to expand your career by magnifying both your leadership ability and your personal success.

Coaching Pathway Like the roads on a map, you don’t need to know all the roads.

You just need to know the best ones to get you from A to B. In the same way, you don’t need to know all the steps. You just need to know the right steps to take, the right time to take them – and then take them!

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Each session builds on the last to give you Mastery in each section. And we hit the ground running!

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ONLINE EDUCATION PLATFORM

Who You Are We are all unique, with different strengths and weaknesses, different winning and losing formulas. We each have a natural path to success and when we follow this path we find our flow.

Leadership Executive Coaching gives you access to an extraordinary online Education Platform which covers all aspects of Wealth and Wellbeing through a series of guided Missions.

Your FIRST ASSESSMENT identifies which of four Geniuses you are – Creator, People, Timing or Detail – and which one of eight profiles you are. The report also tells you which other profiles you have most access to and which ones would complement you in your Leadership team. When you follow your Genius and your Personal Profile, you follow your path of least resistance to move effortlessly up to the next level.

Where You Are Now Wealth This has nothing to do with how much money you have or earn.

We all know people with little money who seem to manage perfectly well, and we also know people who earn a good salary yet are always in debt. The same applies to business owners and budget holders. The fact is that we are all at one of nine levels* on the Wealth Spectrum and this has an influence on the steps you take as you manage your financial responsibilities.

For example, a contractor just keeping their head above water would have a different next step to an entrepreneur running a successful business. The leader of a high performing team will have a different next step to the Chief Executive of a major organisation. In this SECOND ASSESSMENT, you’ll find out exactly which level* you are at and discover the steps to take that are right for you - right now.

Wellbeing Whether you are looking for greater success in your role at work, better use of your talents and time in your business or more fulfilment, more happiness and less stress in your personal life; the key lies in your level of flow. When you are in flow, previously insurmountable problems become insignificant and melt away as you solve challenges and see opportunities at a different level.

The same sense of flow that we feel when we are moving with effortless ease in existing areas of mastery can be experienced by us also in our job, our business and our life. That’s why – especially as a Leader - when you are out of flow, focusing on flow comes first. The THIRD ASSESSMENT measures your current level of flow.

Where You Are Going No matter how good the map, if you don’t know where you’re going no one can give you directions and no-one can follow your lead. When you draw up a clear Future Vision, you can set a flight path with milestones to reach.

As you follow your flow, you can make adjustments as your momentum and clarity grows - and even change your destination.

Your FOURTH ASSESSMENT is a pre-flight checklist to see which runway you are on and how ready you are for flight. The actions to complete this level get you ready for take-off. From there, the world’s your oyster.

These include: • Wealth Dynamics • Talent Dynamics • Millionaire Master Plan*

• Genius Guide to Health • Passion Test • Genius Guide to Success

*Each of the nine levels has a separate Mission to help you move up to the next level.

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Leadership Executive Coaching can be taken 1-on-1 or in a Mastermind Group of like-minded individuals. The programme includes: Executive 1-on-1: 6 hours private coaching per month (i.e. 3 + 2 + 1) plus full support Group Mastermind: 1½ - 2 hour Group Mastermind session • Mid-month personal progress call • Tasking, guidance and support through Missions • Active support on all areas covered • Lifetime access to the online education platform This is an empowering and extremely enjoyable programme designed to help you achieve success at every level. The programme is delivered online via Skype or another link-up tool.

Your Coach Leadership Executive Coaching is delivered personally by Caroline Day. Caroline is a Director of Wellbeing Dynamics, Wealth and Talent Dynamics Master, Trainer of NLP, Performance Consultant and Product Developer within the international Entrepreneurs Institute.

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For an initial conversation to see if this programme is right for you and to make sure we are right for each other - click start and we will arrange a time to talk.

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Caroline D’ay e: caroline.day@wellbeingdynamics.com t: 020 8213 5898 • w: www.wellbeingdynamics.com

Spotlight on NHBC Building Control – celebrating 30 years and looking ahead to the new building regulations www.nhbc.co.uk/Builders/ Productsandservices/Buildingcontrol

N H B C h a s g row n to b e c o m e t h e l a rg e s t s i n g l e B u i l d i n g C o n t ro l B o d y i n t h e U K a n d t h i s ye a r c e l e b r a te s i t s 3 0 t h a n n i ve r s a r y. D i a n e M a r s h a l l , t h e o rg a n i s a t i o n ’s H e a d o f Te c h n i c a l S e r v i c e s , l o o k s b a c k ove r t h e l a s t 3 0 ye a r s a n d a h e a d to h ow t h e c h a n g e s i m p l e m e n te d by t h e H o u s i n g St a n d a rd R ev i ew, w h i c h c a m e i n to e f f e c t o n O c to b e r 1 s t , w i l l i m p a c t t h e h o u s e b u i l d i n g i n d u s t r y.

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In 1985, NHBC launched its Building Control service as the UK was on its way to producing record housing levels by the end of the decade. From the very beginning, the service has helped to raise standards of new homes via comprehensive design checks and site inspections and now carries out upwards of 400,000 inspections each year for building control. It has also helped NHBC’s builder customers to build quality homes that comply with the Building Regulations across England and Wales for the hundreds of thousands of new home owners over the last three decades.

Rewind to the mid-80s when NHBC launched its building control in England and Wales, the service was limited to three story houses. However, there have been several significant changes during this time, as the service has developed to cater for a wider range of properties – from single plots, to large scale mixed-use developments, London skyscrapers, landmark commercial projects and even the conversion of the Grade II listed Roald Dahl Museum.

1985 also saw the introduction of NHBC’s innovative Type Approval system. As the name suggests, Type Approvals are a useful tool if builders propose to build standard

house types and details. Type Approvals of a repeat design, can helpfully speed up subsequent sites as it will always be accepted by NHBC throughout England and Wales.

Recent changes to the Type Approval system now also allow specific Type Approvals for house types used exclusively in England or Wales.

Additionally, Building Regulations have evolved over the years from prescriptive requirements to a more open system of functional requirements which give the designer greater choices. Early involvement of NHBC Building Control in a project therefore allows designers to consult building control professionals on their innovative solutions and ensure that they meet the requirements early on. Another major change was the increase in popularity of timber frame construction in the late 1980s, which has further evolved to a rise in the use of prefabrications and MMCs. As a result, keeping our technical staff up-to-date with regulations if of key importance; the last 30 years has seen an ever increasing rate of change as well as some of the approved documents becoming specialist in nature, such as Approved Document B – fire Safety and L – Conservation of Fuel and Power. ´ New century, new developments In 2000, NHBC became the first Building Control body to invest heavily in a state of the art IT system, which made the business paperless and transformed the way the organisation interacted with customers.

New initiatives have continued over the years, with the launch of NHBC’s customer portal to make submission of information even faster, while this year has seen the introduction of a new TechZone, an online technical resource which includes Building Control Plus; a fully interactive platform which includes all Building Regulations and supplementary resources in one place.

Looking ahead, the industry is now in the process of embracing the challenges set by the Housing Standards Review. Earlier this year in March, shortly before the dissolution of Parliament, the then coalition government issued the final results of its wide ranging review of the many statutory and non-statutory standards that house builders were being asked to design and build to. Running to just over 4,000 pages of legislation, regulation and guidance, the comprehensive package completely changes the basis for building regulations that have been in place as far back as the 1667 London Building Act, i.e. to set the minimum standards for all new buildings.

The review, which was commenced in 2013, was launched as a ‘tidying up’ exercise to deal with ‘complex, overlapping or contradictory housing standards’, replacing over 100 different policies and standards into a single set of national standards, most of which are published in the Building Regulations.

imposed on their development and it is then the job of the BCB to enforce these as if they were the minimum standard for that development in the usual way.

Guidance for local authorities on how to apply the optional higher standards has been issued to all LPA’s.

So, what are the key areas covered by the new regulations?

•

Water Minimum water efficiency standards were introduced into Building Regulations in 2010 and currently require that new homes are designed so that calculated water use is not more than 125 litres/person/day. This minimum standard is to be retained with an optional more conservative standard available locally ‘where there is a clear local need’. The new optional local standard of 110 litres/person/day was introduced on October 1st.

• Access The new 2015 regulations substantially change Approved Document M to allow for new optional access requirements to be available locally. Existing standards are to be consolidated with Lifetime Home Standard being replaced by ‘Category 2 – Accessible and Adaptable Housing’ and Wheelchair Housing Standards to be replaced by ‘Category 3 – Wheelchair User Dwellings in Part M (Access to and use of buildings)’.

• Security A new mandatory security requirement (Part Q) has been introduced for all new dwellings. The new standard intends to introduce a level of consistency across different areas and consolidate around cost effective measures to reduce the incidence of burglary.

• Space** As well as the introduction of a minimum gross internal floor area and built-in storage area dependent on number of bedrooms, the standard will insist that at least one bedroom in a two-bedroom home is a double (or twin) room. Minimum room sizes also apply as well as a minimum floor to ceiling height of 2.3m for at least 75% of the gross internal area.

The new nationally described space standard has not been incorporated into Building Regulations. Instead the standard may be imposed by local planning authorities as a planning condition.

The final results of the review sees the introduction of Optional regulations in Part M – Access and also Part G – Water as well as a new mandatory regulation for all new housing Part Q – Security as well as a National Space Standard which has not been placed in the building regulations.

´ The future

´ How will it work?

Looking ahead, this landmark year provides an opportunity to think about ways in which NHBC Building Control can further support its builder customers. Needless to say NHBC Building Control will continue to innovate and support builders, and homeowners, by providing a rigorous, independent third party check on the design and construction of the UK’s new homes.

The system has been implemented since October 1st. From that date, Local Planning Authorities’ (LPA) can impose optional higher standards on space, water and access to residential developments in their area provided that they have set policies in their local plan. The ability to impose these standards is dependent on the LPA demonstrating a local need and also the viability of developments if the new higher standard was required.

The developer must then inform their selected building control body (BCB) if an “Optional” requirement has been

Having spent the last six months digesting the new regulations and understanding the complexities of what lies ahead, we hope that the industry will adopt the changes relatively seamlessly, but we are here to help builders adapt.

For further information please visit www.nhbc.co.uk/ Builders/Productsandservices/Buildingcontrol ** The Nationally Described Space Standard remains outside of the Building Regulations and where applicable will be enforced by LPA’s.

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By Jake Mason, CEO Evolve

What type of new riverside development do we need in London?

Wharves around London could be opened up for development, creating space for 25,000 homes on prime riverside sites. Currently a number of wharves are protected under planning laws which prevent them from being converted for other uses.

But this could soon change if the mayor of London is given power over the land, which amounts to more than 200 hectares, under Chancellor George Osborne’s productivity plan, which was launched in July. The full proposals will be set out in his Autumn Statement.

Will this help turn the tide on London’s housing crisis?

Freeing up these prime sites represents a great opportunity for the city to build more housing.

But depressingly we know what we are likely to get: overpriced and homogenised temples to privilege for wealthy investors which contribute nothing to our sense of place or history. We would urge any developers who may become involved with these projects in the future, to have a long hard think about what London needs and wants.

What London certainly does not need is another collection of gleaming metal and glass buildings.

These identikit edifices are popping up all over the city, as it competes in a race to look more like Dubai and less like London. It also does not need more expensive flats for wealthy investors. Our broken city needs homes for key workers, middle income workers and for social housing, as well as for the emerging build to rent market.

What developers should also be mindful of is the history associated with these wharves. The wharves were once the centre of London’s trade before the arrival of the Docks. Each wharf served a different trade, for example the New Fresh Wharf handled fish in medieval times and Nicholson’s Wharf handled produce from the Mediterranean during the 19th century.

We should try to reference the area’s history in any future development, both in the architecture and branding of new areas. When they are considering how to design and brand their new developments, they would do well to take inspiration from wharves, which are teeming with history.

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Convoys Wharf in Deptford has just been granted outline planning permission for more than 3,500 homes. It will also include shops, restaurants and a community hub, plus a primary school. The 40-acre site was once home to a royal dockyard founded in 1514 by Henry VIII. It is also the site of the historic Sayes Court Garden, created by 17th century diarist John Evelyn and the boatyard where the 17th century Lenox warship was built.

Just think of what you could do with the branding and design of buildings on a site with such a well of inspiration to draw from. Perhaps you could even recreate some of the precious heritage assets which had been lost over the years?

Wharves around London will have a similarly exciting story to tell. It is therefore important that developers take this into account and draw on the story of London for their inspiration. These developments should aim to attract independent stores so they do not look like the same homogenised High Street which is repeated across London.

In my view they should make an effort to blend in with what is good about London and respect an area’s quirks, not transform it in a never ending race to reach the luxury end of the market.

JAKE MASON

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Designed to encourage investment by providing a permanent generous incentive to invest.

The Annual Investment Allowance and what it means for your business

In 2008, the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) was introduced to help small businesses increase productivity and scale with large investments by allowing them a 100% tax allowance on qualifying capital expenditure such as equipment and machinery in the year of purchase.

Initially, AIA provided 100% allowance on the first £50,000 investment of qualifying purchases. The maximum allowance was then increased to £100,000 from 1 April 2010 and then reduced down to £25,000 with effect from 1 April 2012. The Chancellor announced in his Autumn Statement on 5 December 2012 a temporarily increase to £250,000 for a two-year period from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2014.

In the budget statement in March 2014, the AIA limit was temporarily increased further from £250,000 to £500,000 per annum, with effect from April 2014. The limit was due to revert to £25,000 with effect from 1 January 2016 but the recent emergency budget saw Chancellor George Osborne increase the permanent level of AIA from £25,000 to £200,000 for all qualifying investment in plant or machinery made on or after 1 January 2016.

Whilst a reduction from the temporary figure of £500,000, the increased new permanent AIA is designed to encourage investment by providing a permanent generous incentive

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to invest in plant and machinery and give certainty to businesses planning to invest. The initiative is also expected to help suppliers and manufacturers by increasing their order books.

The level of reassurance provided by this measure should see those business owners who have been holding off making purchases of plant and machinery because of economic uncertainty, be able to proceed and invest with a significantly reduced level of financial exposure.

AIA is available to any business paying corporation tax or income tax, with the only exceptions being a mixed partnership and trusts.

Most assets purchased by a business qualify for the AIA and include office furniture and equipment; vans, lorries and equipment, building fixtures, e.g. shop fittings, kitchen or bathroom fittings; business machines, e.g. printing press, lathes, tooling machines; tractors, combine harvesters and other agricultural machinery, gaming machines, amusement rides; computer hardware and qualifying software; computerised/computer aided machinery including robotic machines; wind turbines and fibre optic cabling; and driving school cars (adapted with dual control mechanisms).

Items of that don’t qualify are land, buildings or cars; expenditure incurred in the accounting period when trade ceased permanently; existing plant and machinery; plant and machinery that was gifted.

Further exemptions are plant and machinery used by a person for leasing under a long funding lease and subsequently brought into use by that person for the purpose of a qualifying activity; and a change in the nature/ conduct of the trade carried out by a person other than the person incurring the capital expenditure and the AA is the main or one of the main benefits of making the change.

The Annual Investment Allowance is also relevant to those companies leasing equipment. The AIA can be claimed where a hire purchase (HP) agreement is in place with intent of ownership. The full amount does not have to be paid in full for the plant or machinery to qualify for the allowance. The AIA is given as though an outright cash payment was made and ownership is deemed form the beginning, even though the rental payments are made over the HP term agreement.

Tax relief is also available on interest charged to the profit and loss account.

Assets that are purchased under lease agreements where

the lessor has the right to claim capital allowances are not eligible for the Annual Investment Allowance. If a lease is treated as a long funding lease, the lessee will usually be entitled to claim capital allowances and it is advisable that any person in this situation seek advice from their tax advisor to check their AIA entitlement.

Another thing to consider is that investment in certain green technologies is eligible for enhanced capital allowances (ECA). There is no maximum limit for ECA and it is a 100% first year allowance (FYA) available for the cost of the purchase in the chargeable period in which it incurred. The FYA is not subject to time apportionment if the chargeable period is less than a year.

In terms of claiming AIA, the allowance can only be claimed in the period the item was purchased. This is defined as when a contract is signed, if the payment is due within less than four months and when payment is due, if it’s due more than four months later. Also, if you sell an item after previously claiming AIA on it, you may need to pay tax.

Before the AIA limit falls to ÂŁ250,000 on 1 January 2016, it may be prudent of those businesses looking to invest in the near future to investigate the possibility of investing before this date while the higher temporary limit is in place.

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£500,000 Annual Investment Allowance ends 31st December 2015 JCB FINANCE WARNS THAT A £500,000 TAX SAVING OPPORTUNITY IS DRAWING TO A CLOSE The March 2015 Budget confirmed what had already been announced in last year’s Budget - a temporary increase in the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) from £250,000 to £500,000 with it scheduled to revert back to £25,000 on 1st January 2016. However the Chancellor did say: “I am clear from my conversations with business groups that a reduction to £25,000 would not be remotely acceptable – and so it will be set at a much more generous rate.” This sounds encouraging but it relies on the Conservatives getting back into power and he didn’t say what he would change the AIA amount to! It could be interpreted from his comments that the AIA may still drop but nobody knows when or by how much. Clarity should be forthcoming at the next Autumn Statement in December or following an emergency budget when a new government is formed. Anyone contemplating buying or financing on Hire Purchase replacement plant or machinery should do it this year whilst the rules are still clear.

The enhanced AIA of £500,000 is available for capital expenditure on plant, machinery and commercial vehicles (not cars) purchased from April 2014 until 31st December 2015. This an important tax incentive which accelerates the tax relief so that 100% of eligible expenditure can be offset against taxable profits in the first year instead of taking up to 12 years to reclaim 90% of the original cost using the normal 18% annual writing down allowance. In effect for every £1 spent the Government will give you £1 back in the form of relief against your taxable

profits. The net benefit will depend on the rate of income tax or corporation tax that your business pays - which could be between 20% and 45%. It is the equivalent of a subsidy to encourage businesses to invest in plant and machinery.

Capital expenditure via a Hire Purchase (HP) agreement is also eligible for exactly the same AIA, just as if you had paid cash, but you will also gain a terrific cash flow advantage. Potentially your business could gain up to £500,000 in tax relief after only having paid the deposit and the interest charged is also 100% tax deductible. All businesses can claim the AIA – the only exceptions are Mixed Partnerships or Trusts (i.e. those in which a company is a member). If you have not already planned how to maximise the benefit speak to your accountant or finance director now. If your Financial Year end is March or your Tax Year End is April then your £500,000 AIA has already dropped to £375,000.

TIMING IS CRITICAL Proper advice is needed because different financial years that straddle either the tax year or calendar year end may result in complicated calculations that could result in a lesser AIA being granted in that financial year. The chart below illustrates the maximum amounts available by showing four different financial year end companies and how vital it is to spend the right amount within the right

periods in order to maximise the tax benefits. For financial years ending in 2015 the maximum AIA actually available may be lower than the amounts indicated in the chart, depending on the timing of the expenditure. Given the lead times for some machinery, from order to delivery, this also needs to be carefully factored in to your buying plans. Get the timing and /or the amounts wrong and your business could either miss out on available tax relief or worst still, end up paying far more tax then is required.

Other factors being equal, if your business is contemplating purchasing eligible plant or commercial vehicles in the near future, there are some strong tax-based and cash flow arguments to carefully plan these purchases before the end of your financial year and

certainly before 1st January 2016, so that you can maximise on the available AIA before it changes to an amount as yet unknown.

JCB Finance Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. JCB Finance provides asset finance for UK agricultural businesses for both JCB and non-competitive machinery, including vehicles and cars but it is not a tax or financial advisor - always seek advice from your accountant or finance director, because every business’ circumstances are different.

Businesses should not make investment decisions purely on a tax basis.

WWW.JCB-FINANCE.COM

“September data suggests that the UK construction sector is still experiencing its most intense cycle of job hiring for at least 15 years”

Construction output growth accelerates to a seven month high in September September data pointed to a further rebound in output growth across the UK construction sector, supported by faster rates of expansion in all three categories of activity monitored by the survey. Greater workloads and positive sentiment regarding the business outlook contributed to a sharp increase in staffing levels during September. However, new business growth continued to ease from June’s recent peak, with the latest upturn in new work the weakest for five months. Meanwhile, construction companies indicated the least marked lengthening of suppliers’ delivery times since November 2010, which provided further evidence that supply chain pressures have subsided in recent months.

At 59.9 in September, up from 57.3 in August, the headline seasonally adjusted Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) signalled a sharp and accelerated expansion of overall business activity. Moreover, the latest reading was well above the long run survey average (54.7) and pointed to the fastest increase in output levels since February.

House building remained the best performing broad category of construction activity in September. The latest expansion of residential building was the strongest for 12 months, which some survey respondents attributed to the launch of development projects that had been delayed earlier in 2015. Commercial construction activity also rose sharply in September, with the pace of growth accelerating to a seven month high. Meanwhile, civil engineering activity increased for the fifth consecutive month and the rate of expansion picked up to its fastest since February.

Volumes of new work rose at a robust pace in September.

However, the latest increase was the slowest for five months and much weaker than the post-crisis peaks recorded in 2013 and 2014. Construction companies nonetheless remain highly upbeat about their prospects for output growth over the next 12 months. Reflecting this,

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more than half of the survey panel (52%) forecast an upturn in business activity, while only 6% anticipate a reduction.

Employment growth was sustained across the construction sector for the twenty eighth month running in September.

Moreover, the pace of staff hiring remained strong, and accelerated to its fastest since June. At the same time, construction firms signalled another increase in sub-contractor usage during September. Sub-contractor charges continued to rise sharply, although the rate of inflation has eased slightly from the survey record highs recorded earlier in 2015.

Meanwhile, the latest survey highlighted the least marked deterioration in supplier performance for almost five years, which some firms linked to greater stocks at vendors. September data also pointed to softer cost pressures, with the rate of input price inflation easing to a five month low.

Tim Moore, Senior Economist at Markit and author of

the Markit/CIPS Construction PMI, said: “Construction firms enjoyed a strong finish to the third quarter of 2015, as a sustained rebound in new development projects continued to have an impact on the ground. Moreover, September data suggests that the UK construction sector is still experiencing its most intense cycle of job hiring for at least 15 years, and consequently skill shortages remain a dominant concern across the industry.

“Residential building saw the most decisive momentum shift in September, hitting a one year high in the process, while commercial development also picked up speed as rising business investment and improving UK economic conditions acted to bolster demand.

A growth spurt for civil engineering activity completed the hat-trick of positive news for the main construction sub-sectors in September, helped by robust pipelines of infrastructure work.

Commenting on the report, David Noble, Group Chief Executive Officer at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, said: “The building blocks were firmly in place this month as the sector reported more work, rising staff levels, and strong optimism for the future.

“Though the overall growth rate of new business was showing signs of slowing down, all three sectors offered positive news with residential housing the strongest performer.

“Issues around skills shortages continued to be a drag on the sector with the resultant demand for higher salaries from the smaller pool of skilled staff. Companies reported higher staffing levels but it was a continuing challenge to find specialist skills as they struggled to rely less on sub-contractors to fill the gaps.

“Lower fuel and raw material costs helped margins even in a landscape of strong competition. Levels of output were robust and increased at the fastest pace for over six months.”

“While the latest survey provides positive news on construction output, jobs and supply chains, there was a warning light flashing in terms of total new orders.

Construction companies have recorded a steady slowdown in new business growth from June’s post-election peak and the latest upturn was the second slowest since mid-2013.”

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www.digitalconstructionweek.com

Exclusive Interview: Digital Construction Week Held 20 – 22 October, Digital Construction Week is the event series for the entire built environment supply chain from design, construction and engineering to management and operation.

With digital technology revolutionising the architecture, engineering, construction and operation (AECO) world as we know it, Digital Construction Week will focus on the realities of digital innovation, technologies, and processes for businesses today and implications for the built environment of tomorrow.

In an exclusive interview, Oliver Hughes – Director of Digital Construction Week – discusses the exhibition’s origins, his aspirations for the event and the series’ eclectic schedule. ´ Tell us a little about Digital Construction Week and its origins.

It’s quite an ambitious project. The idea is to explore digital technologies and processes across the board in architecture, engineering and construction – from design all the way through to operation. It stems from the BIM conversation in so much as BIM’s done incredible things with the government mandate bringing about huge industry change and really bringing digital to the forefront of our industry.

But for me BIM has become a word for a lot of different technologies, so you have things like 3D printing, laser scanning, UAVs, advanced manufacturing, new methods of construction all falling in to the same conversation. There’s a lot more to it than just BIM as a process.

What we want to do is explore what digital means in the broadest sense. Everything from using a system like box to store and manage files and data at a granular level, or a health and safety app that can save you hours at a time on every form you fill out, all the way up to using sensors and data monitoring on huge projects like Crossrail.

We want to explore a lot more and to do that we built into doing a whole week’s worth of activity because it becomes really challenging to cover something so broad, especially when talking about something that has such a huge impact on the entire industry. To do that in one day is impossible so we’ve built out this idea of a festival of everything digital in AECO. We’ve got multiple events running throughout the week.

We’re kicking off working with Autodesk, running their leadership conference. It will have an international flavour, exporting UK expertise overseas and attracting an international delegation.

We’ve got the Westminster Reception on the Tuesday, which is about the government’s BIM mandate and the Level 2 deadline in 2016.

On the Wednesday and Thursday, there’ll be a huge expo with everything from BIM software to 3D printing, UAVs, laser scanning, and robotics. We’ve got a robotics company doing a live build, a digital lounge tech gallery, free-to-attend seminars and much more. We wanted to get away from the normal exhibition and create a Consumer Electronics Show or Wired magazine type of feel – something for the industry that people will get excited about seeing, something new and different.

That’s the kind of exhibition for two days, free-to-attend and we’re expecting 3,000 ­4,000 people in that time. There are loads of free-to-attend seminars as well as exciting exhibitors.

We also have a paid­for conference which I’m incredibly excited about. Hopefully it will really break the mould.

We’ve tried to follow the idea of having inspirational talks rather than having case study after case study. The TED style was a real inspiration. We’ve got a lot of non­industry speakers who are real pioneers; Skylar Tibbits from MiT, Julie Alexander from Siemens, David McCandless, Richard Peters from Decoded. We’ve also got a host of leading industry figures who can help take vision through to reality.

The programme is designed as an ‘evolution’ conference.

It’s all well and good saying we should be more innovative or adopt all these different technologies, but how do we do that practically, what are the barriers and what are the real opportunities?

And the aim then is to have all our different supporters, sponsors, partners to host their own fringe events on different topics and areas; Breakfast briefings, seminars and networking events.

We are looking to build a festival of activity to bring the whole industry together. All this digital and technological innovation is going on and we just want to give a platform to help bring everyone together. We talk a lot of collaboration, so rather than focusing on engineers, contractors etc, in silos we want to bring everyone together, and that’s our aim no matter what level you’re at or what your profession.

There are three days of core events that we’re curating and then mini events throughout the week, designed to be more laid back. }

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´ How did Digital Construction Week come about?

Where did the idea come from?

´ In terms of the fringe events, how is it decided who is there in terms of exhibitors?

I think really just from different conversations ultimately.

There’s pockets of excellence all over the place, the BIM conversation I think has helped show that. You pick up magazine like Wired or read about some of the projects getting funding and there’s stories about some of the amazing things going on in our industry and it’s really exciting.

It’s absolutely open to everybody who is involved with the week or supporting, whether they are non-financial industry partners or exhibitors or sponsors, or just somebody with a real interest and wants to support it as an agenda.

The early discussions we had, we said that there are so many great conversations going on the industry and we’d like to give a platform for that more than anything. An open source platform if you like.

The industry really feels like it’s at a turning point and the conversations I’ve had with our Steering Group and sponsors felt like this was an opportunity to showcase that. I’m not an architect or an engineer but the industry is exciting to me and the digital side of things is different from the image from outside of industry. That’s kind of what interests me. There’s all this talk of growth, innovation, changing the image of our industry, skills, diversity, collaboration. Digital to me holds the key to unlocking many of these challenges.

The idea really developed through conversations with industry and, having spent ten years in and around the industry, I’m excited to see where we go from here.

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We didn’t want to compete as such, but instead decided to create a platform to bring the whole industry together and shout about it. So there’s not a fee that gets you involved in it. Its people who want to educate and inform, network and collaborate.

Our role really comes down to a bit of curating in so much as we don’t want competing events on at the same time on the same day. It’s something that we really want to grow next year. I love the idea of businesses hosting Google Friday type of events in house during the week, exploring their own challenges and then bringing that to share at the show.

We are open to anybody keen to support us and get involved in this big idea of driving change, digital adoption and collaboration. We want to remain as independent as possible. ´ How do you choose speakers and seminars?

For the conference, we’ve taken a predominantly single stream route with a few breakouts. What we’ve tried to do is create an evolution conference in so much we want it to be relevant whether you’re an architect, engineer, contractor, client, SME or whoever, so there are key themes built around what we mean by digital and digital construction.

The conference will cover adopting the digital mind-set, what it means as far as changing the face of the industry, what skills are needed, getting construction on the agenda in education, and demystify some of the bigger topics like big data, IoT, wearables, new methods of construction.

We have put together key themes around hot topics in the industry, working with our Steering Group who have been fantastic in their support.

They have helped us with this programme, so it’s much more curated by us, but with a lot of industry guidance.

Ultimately what we want is to help educate, and it’s about asking the right questions, adopting an outcome based approach, and helping explore the business practicalities of these different things. We want people to go away inspired but also with some real practical learning.

For speakers we’ve really tried to get some different voices, look to other industries, and find new perspectives.

The seminar programme on the show floor is built around a lot of the same themes but perhaps a bit more focus on specific projects, technologies, and processes. We’re also working with the BIM Regions, Task Group, and BIM4’s on the BIM4 Communities Village which will feature a host of different presentation to help people understand what BIM means to them.

We’ve worked very hard on the conference programme and it is thought through to focus on educational outcomes. ´ What message are you trying to convey and what do you feel it offers that is different to what is already available?

Ultimately we’re the only show in the UK focusing solely on the scope of digital technologies and processes in the AECO industry. I think the big thing is it’s talking about collaboration and innovation and you can only get that if you bring everybody together, and it’s around providing learning across the board, understanding how all these different elements work together.

We will without a doubt talk about technology but we want to discuss the process around adopting it, making it work in a project team and across a business. This isn’t just a show for Google types it’s about the entire industry at every level.

The scope of what we’re doing is different. It’s pretty ambitious but we want to become more than just a trade event, we want to help drive real change and bring digital to the forefront of our industry.

We are trying to think outside the box to show the whole breadth of what the industry is.

So Digital Construction Week is trying to show evolution in the industry and give a platform to show all the great stuff going on, with exciting things for people to see and interact with along the way. }

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´

Some exhibitions perhaps don’t cater for the likes of SMEs and where they are on their technological journey. Is this one of the areas that Digital Construction Week excels in?

This is 100% accurate and the SME side was a real big drive for us early on so within the seminar programme there is a dedicated sessions for SME’s. The idea is you could come for half a day to the seminar programme, look around the exhibition, have time for a meeting in town and head home, all for the price of a train ticket.

There is no barrier to entry which I think has been a real challenge in the past, given some conferences cost a lot of money along with hotel prices. It’s just impractical.

The SME side of things is as important as anything in the discussion about collaboration so we’d like to show that.

BIM’s a great example where I think it’s quite a challenge for SME’s. There’s so much to get your head around, where do you begin? We wanted to break this down, because ultimately it’s about efficiencies, what SME wouldn’t want to be more efficient?

The thought tends to be BIM isn’t for some SMEs because it’s costly or they’re only one part of the process. We’re working with BIM4SME and the Regional BIM Regions to help our visitors understands what it actually means to them.

But it’s about stripping away the hype and getting to basics.

The message we’re trying to get across is that it isn’t about huge investment, but rather is about becoming more digitally aware, and ultimately, about efficiency.

We’ve also done things like make the two-day conference modular, so if you want you can just buy a one day ticket.

We have worked hard to strip away issues people might have with getting along and attending as well. The conference will open from 10am on the Wednesday so people from different parts of the country can get down in time. We’ve tried to be really conscientious about keeping the week open for the whole of the industry.

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´ Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

There’s so much going on. Ultimately for us, this is the first event that will become annual and we’ll be looking to run and partner a number of events next year as well.

We’d like it to be something that can drive the industry forward, charting the change of the industry because for me, it’s really exciting. There are lots of conversations around virtual reality, IoT, Big Data, robotics, UAVs etc. They will become common place and we need to figure out how we will make that a reality by making them work for us.

We’re working closely with BIM Task Group, the Cabinet Office is supporting us too. We’ve really worked close with industry bodies and ultimately the message was to move away from being another BIM event or conference and hopefully that will be achieved.

We’d love feedback from people as well about what they’d like to see in digital construction. Digital is the lifeblood of the event and it feeds into so many different things. We’re really excited to see how this changes over the years and how needs change, so we’ll constantly evolve.

It’s very exciting. Our Steering Group of 15-20 people have been massively supportive and we have a fantastic line up of names that have really helped to shape the event as something hopefully coming from the industry and not just from us.

Digital technologies and processes have been used in construction for years. There are so many great examples, we just want to give a platform for that and be a part of helping to keep driving the industry forward.

And most of all please register and come see us at the show!

For more information about event series please visit the Digital Construction Week website: www.digitalconstructionweek.com/

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“Using the BIM technology platform has enabled the team to work more efficiently, improving project delivery.”

North Wales firms adopt BIM Level 2 standard for Holyhead school project Partners involved in the construction of a new primary school in Holyhead are taking an innovative approach to planning the project, ultimately reducing waste and inefficiency.

Civil and structural engineering consultant Caulmert is working with contractor Wynne Construction to Design and Build the new £9M Holyhead Primary School.

The project includes a new two-storey development and the refurbishment of the existing listed Cybi building.

The school is one of the first in North Wales to adopt Building Information Modeling (BIM) to the full Level 2 standard, which allows designers and constructors to work collaboratively to streamline and accurately model a construction project before work starts on site.

The government requires all publically funded construction projects to be undertaken using Level 2 criteria by 2016, in an effort to reduce waste and inefficiencies.

The BIM concept has been around since the 1970s, but it wasn’t until the recommendations of the UK Governments Construction Task Force in 2011 that it started to become a mainstream part of construction sector projects.

Caulmert Director Allan Smith said: “As a business, we took the decision a few years ago to embrace BIM and develop our in-house design processes to achieve the Level 2 standards.

“These techniques have now become second nature within Caulmert, allowing us to achieve more efficiencies to assist clients in achieving their aspirations.

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“Our significant up-front investment into the software, hardware and staff training allows us to work with Wynne Construction and the other design team members, to comply with the Welsh Government’s policy of requiring all publically funded projects to be BIM Level 2 standard by 2016.”

Chris Wynne, Managing Director of Wynne Construction, said: "I am delighted we are working with our partner Caulmert to deliver a full BIM Level 2 school for Anglesey County Council through a shared common data environment.

“Using the BIM technology platform has enabled the team to work more efficiently, improving project delivery.

“The BIM process will ensure a fully co-ordinated solution is delivered, providing a cost-effective solution for the client.

Wynne Construction has fully embraced this process and through this new facility will deliver the first full BIM Level 2 schools project in North Wales."

Gareth Thomas, Architectural Services Manager for Anglesey County Council, said: “The New Holyhead Primary School Project will be the first BIM project for the Authority and has been a new learning experience to deliver an excellent collaborative working opportunity and project delivery solution on the first of many 21st Century Schools Projects.”

Holyhead primary school is one of a number of educational projects Caulmert is working on in North Wales. Caulmert is also applying its broad base of expertise in engineering, environmental and planning services to a range of renewables, infrastructure and commercial developments.

“BIM makes the planning and building process easier and more efficient, giving better results in design, coordination and finish.”

Durkan in pole position with new round of BIM social housing projects Community construction specialist Durkan is aiming to place itself in pole position in the social housing sector through a series of BIM projects across London and South East.

BIM – Building Information Modelling – has been widely accepted for large scale public and infrastructure projects; however the housing sector is being further encouraged by the government for all public projects to use this model by 2016. Investment in BIM by affordable housing providers has also been much slower.

The BIM process, in conjunction with sophisticated software enables 3D modelling and a far greater range of information to be gathered and more easily accessed for costing, planning, construction and post-build maintenance, for example – which is particularly useful for tenant services.

Durkan is showing investment in BIM pays off at projects such as Hiltons Wharf, Deptford, where construction is nearing completion on 85 new one-, two- and threebedroom apartments overlooking Deptford Creek, of which 20% will be affordable homes.

The more coordinated approach possible through BIM’s 3D modelling capacity was central to resolving the challenge of how to tie in the foundations of the eight-story apartment building with the retaining wall of the riverbank.

When the development is finished later this year, a digital archive of data will be handed over to Durkan Estates, in place of a mountain of paper files, to equip the maintenance teams with a full list of fixtures and fittings, for example, as

well as clear, easily accessible designs.

Durkan’s BIM strategy is continuing at 100 Putney Common, a collection of 24 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments on the edge of Putney Lower Common on the former Putney Hospital site, scheduled to launch in September 2015.

The £60M Britannia Music development in Ilford will also rely on BIM to help deliver 330 new homes, plus retail, office and live/work units contained in a landmark tower for the town centre.

Gary Barton, Technical Manager at Durkan said: "The social housing sector has been slow to embrace BIM because, understandably, they first want to see the benefits from investing time and money. These are becoming increasingly clear now as the wider construction industry showcases the fantastic results BIM achieves.

“BIM makes the planning and building process easier and more efficient, giving better results in design, coordination and finish. Importantly for social housing providers it also simplifies the subsequent handover to maintenance teams – which can be crucial for tenants’ satisfaction and delivering a high quality, efficient service.”

Gary added: “It’s important to be among the first wave of housing projects being built using BIM so that we’re ahead of the game – leading not following. If the Government Agencies follow the demand for BIM on new developments, for instance, we’ll be in pole position.”

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“If you look at the carrot and the stick, I think the construction industry generally works better with the stick than it does the carrot.”

Exclusive Interview: BIM4 Housing Since its inception in 2014, BIM4 Housing has been tasked with educating the housing sector on the benefits of building information modelling (BIM).

In an exclusive interview, Andrew Carpenter – Chief Executive of the Structural Timber Association and Chairman of BIM4 Housing – discusses the fundamentals of the Organisation and the difficulties surrounding BIM adoption in the housing sector. ´ What would you identify as being the core aims and objectives of BIM4 Housing?

BIM is widely seen as a tool or vehicle that will deliver efficiencies throughout the industry. But while most parts of Government have to be BIM Level 2 compliant before next spring, the same does not apply to housing as the Homes and Communities Agency has decided not to mandate BIM for social use.

The housing sector is significantly – perhaps three to four years – behind the curve in terms of its BIM adoption.

BIM4 Housing was set up nearly two years ago to identify the gaps in knowledge and fill those gaps, to communicate the business benefit of BIM more widely and encourage its uptake, to establish best practice, and to act as a focus for BIM within the housing sector – to give those interested a platform to learn and share knowledge. ´ Why is the housing sector so far behind in terms of BIM adoption?

If you look at the carrot and the stick, I think the construction industry generally works better with the stick than it does the carrot. We’re not great innovators and we’re not great at spending money on R&D unless we have to.

I think the reason why BIM is being picked up in other areas of the construction industry is because it’s been mandated

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by the Government. Having said that, I was involved in the Egan and Latham agendas in the late nineties – I still am – and I vividly remember there being a House of Commons review ten years on, during which Sir John Egan gave the construction industry six out of ten for what it had achieved but the housing sector zero. We haven’t adopted the collaborative working or the integrated supply chain.

You only have to look at what’s happened with the sustainability agenda. Zero carbon was dropped in the recent budget statement because the housebuilders influenced the Chancellor to drop it. We’ve been moving towards a more sustainable construction industry and all of a sudden we’re cut off at the knees. ´ Unfortunately, the housing sector doesn’t have a very good reputation when it comes to adopting things like this. How did you come to be involved in BIM4 Housing?

I asked the question too many times! I’m Chief Executive of the Structural Timber Association (STA) and my belief is that BIM is a vehicle that will enable off-site construction to be more readily accepted.

BIM requires a collaborative culture and an integrated supply chain involved at the earliest possible stage, both of which are key elements in off-site construction. I’ve been driving BIM because it will, I believe, help my members and the entire off-site sector.

I attended a meeting with the Cabinet Office three years ago and while there were all these ‘BIM4’ groups there was nothing for housing. I asked the question and was told that there was one on the horizon. I then held my own BIM event for the Structural Timber Association and invited David Philp along to speak. I again asked “When is BIM4 Housing going to be set up?” The answer was almost “Whenever you want to set it up.”

I asked the question too many times and ended up with the responsibility! I’m no technical expert in BIM however. To be very honest, I’m not really interested in the data side of BIM. What I’m interested in is what it can do for us as a sector, for customers, suppliers and end users. Can it makes us a more effective as an industry? I think the answer is yes, it can. ´ How is BIM adoption in the house building sector progressing? What is BIM4 Housing doing to encourage implementation?

We’ve got a number of organisations – well over a hundred – now interested in what we’re doing. These range from private house builders and housing associations to architects, engineers and contractors. It also includes organisations like the Homes and Communities Agency, the National Housing Federation and the National House Building Council (NHBC). We’ve got a very interesting mix of people.

The House Building Federation has decided for the moment to go it alone which I feel personally is a bit of a shame.

They don’t feel ready yet to open up and involve the rest of the supply chain but I’m hopefully that they will come on board in due course.

We decided that the first thing that we needed to do was to get out there and tell people in the housing sector about BIM. We ran 12 conferences across the UK from October last year to June 2015. Between 500 and 600 delegates came to listen to what we were talking about. In that respect, it was a good start. I was also invited to speak briefly at the NHBC Building for Tomorrow conference – eight events with another 600 to 700 delegates.

What we are doing at the moment is preparing a ‘How To’ guide to allow people who have never used BIM to consider it for the first time. As an example, I recently held a STA conference in Bristol and the last speaker was one of my BIM4 Housing colleagues. He asked a room full of 60

people “How many are using BIM?” Only two people put their hands up. That gives you a reflection of the scale of what we’re dealing with. ´ You mentioned BIM4 Housing’s series of introductory BIM workshops. In retrospect, how do you feel the conferences went?

I think it went really well indeed. We have evaluation forms for each event and the feedback we received was phenomenal. What we haven’t done yet is measure whether that interest has actually resulted in people introducing BIM. Our problem is one of resource if I’m honest. When I was told to chair this group, I was told that there was no money in the same breath. I’m also Chief Executive of Constructing Excellence South West however and so I actually use their resources to run BIM4 Housing, while the membership fee keeps that resource available. ´ What challenges is the house building sector having to contend with in terms of BIM adoption?

For me the biggest challenge is the change in culture needed to adopt BIM. You cannot do it business as usual. You must have a mind-set whereby you are prepared to procure your supply chain early so that they can be involved in the design. This is where the value of BIM is really derived.

What you can’t do is take an ordinary project and then turn it to BIM. It’s got to be right up front.

One of the biggest business benefits of BIM is what it does for facilities management (FM). You can imagine a housing association being really keen because they run projects over the course of however many decades. The irony is that the housing associations are telling me that they’re FM people are not interested in what BIM offers. They’re quite happy to go round with a clipboard and a pen. That’s the change in culture that I’m talking about. Until we can overcome that culture change we’re not going to see BIM undertaken because people won’t understand the benefit of it. They need to do things differently and if they’re not prepared to do that nothing can change.

I’ve been involved in the construction improvement agenda since the Egan Report in 1998. We’ve been trying to introduce culture change since then and it is difficult.

People don’t like change and that’s particularly true of the construction industry. To say “You have to do something differently” is a real problem for most people to get their heads round. But there is hope and I think the digital age that we’re entering is going to help. There’s a whole group of young people coming through that are part of what I call ‘Digital Britain’. There are kids that are on Minecraft now.

Well, BIM is Minecraft but actually doing it for a living – building buildings and getting paid for it. Ultimately, I think there will be a time when people think “Why wouldn’t you do it this way?”

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BIM and the future of architectural design

By Richard Bishop, Category Marketing Manager for Roof at Wienerberger 2016 is fast approaching and the year of mandated BIM is soon to begin, however the world of BIM is still in flux, the market certainly is not in sync and the messaging surrounding the purpose of BIM seems lost, even at this late stage.

Granted, with what seems like graceful execution, the classification system has been published, which is a major hurdle removed for the collaboration element of BIM, but the main message of reduced waste is still not reaching into the daily practice in the real world market.

The government target of reducing wastage by 20% by streamlining processes, flows and activities, whilst also embedding a culture of accuracy within everything we do as an industry, amounts to nothing more than a massive cultural change. If the industry was a company we would have created champions and ambassadors to help spread the message and remove the blockages we faced to ensure the goal was achieved, but this is not a company, it’s an industry, and a very slow to change one at that. It’s made up of many different stakeholders, all wanting to do the very best they can whilst managing costs, training and service levels.

Richard commented: “I have recently met with an architect who disclosed, proudly, that they used BIM, but that they used CAD for the robust details. Surely the conflict in this statement is evident enough, but when pressed; the architect confessed that it was what his people were most comfortable and familiar with. Surely this allowance goes against the very nature of saving time, minimising wastage of duplicating work. I am sure this is not an isolated case.”

“The other area for concern surrounds the roles of BIM. Many practices direct individuals to their BIM manager, and extoll the virtues that they manage BIM for the firm, but the roles of BIM, as outlined in PAS:1192, are not for one person to manage. That’s like asking a criminal to police himself, many of us get very close to our work and struggle to see the imperfections in what we have created, or consider the perspective from a different angle, its for this reason that you cannot check and submit your own work. Attention to detail and the hunt for accuracy is not a simple matter of running a sense check over the design, the devil as always is in the detail.”

The management of the information helped within the CDE (Common Data Environment) is becoming the point of greatest evolution, with models and technology being driven at different rates we are seeing evolution of what is expected, from one single federated model to the acceptance that file sizes and technology for sharing is not yet capable of managing such a mammoth task, and the market is moving towards multiple federated models broken into relevant and pre defined sections. But this process in itself creates greater complications for the EIR. The need to define exactly how to break the project down into stages for all parties to follow and agree is another level where without collaboration further mistakes can occur.

The process of BIM not only helps to eliminate mistakes, but if not used correctly bring s greater risks where the myth of savings and reduced wastage are easily ignored in favour of older methods and duplication. The industry as a whole has a long way to move, and a very short time to do it in.

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www.bimtaskgroup.org/bim4water

Exclusive Interview: BIM4 Water Open to all organisations involved in the management and delivery of water and wastewater assets, BIM4 Water aims to assist the UK water sector in its adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM).

Jon de Souza, Business Improvement Manager at Galliford Try and immediate past Chairman of BIM4 Water, spoke with UK Construction Excellence about the creation and remit of the Organisation and the integral role that education and standardisation has to play in the successful adoption of BIM. ´ Could you first of all provide our readers with an introduction to BIM4 Water? What would you describe as being the aims and objectives of the Organisation?

BIM4 Water is the water sector’s response to the growing push for BIM across the wider built environment sector which has been given greater impetus by the Government’s BIM mandate. The Government's BIM strategy has been a mixture of push and pull. On the push side, the BIM Task Group has launched a number of BIM4 groups looking at various different sectors across the UK Construction market.

BIM4 Water is one such group. Each of these organisations exists to assist its own part of the market in its BIM adoption

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and, essentially, this is our mission – to support those organisations in the water sector with an interest in BIM. In terms of how we achieve this, five key priorities were decided upon by our membership and we have activity relating to each of these.

The first is a need to gather evidence from the water sector and elsewhere on the value of BIM. We’re doing this through two main strands of work. Firstly, by using retrospective case studies to highlight warts and all stories from a number of sectors. We’re not just interested in good news stories as we recognise that there is a huge amount of learning to be had from projects that perhaps don’t go quite as well as intended.

We have also launched a programme of live demonstration projects. We’ve had a number of projects using aspects of BIM brought to us by our members. Those members are quite open to other organisations observing their progress through the design and construction process and into asset operation, to give an understanding of the impact that BIM has had on the success of the capital delivery and asset management.

The second area that we are looking at, which is interrelated as we need the evidence from real projects, is developing a

business case for BIM in the water sector. We’re hoping that we can produce a proper cost benefit for BIM, taking into account all of the relevant investment requirements and benefits.

Out third key work area is around the production of guidance. Our first output was our recently completed FAQ which is now available on the BIM4 Water website.

One of the areas that has seen the most activity is standard libraries. Most manufacturing organisations in the water sector want a consistent approach to the data demands that are placed on them through project lifecycles. One of the worst things we could do as an industry is have as many different approaches to data as there are clients or contractors, and so the Standard Libraries Task Group is trying to produce a standard for what data is asked for from product manufacturers at different points of the capital delivery process. It’s also looking at intelligent P&IDs and other areas around standard data.

The fifth area, which we’re starting to work on now, is around Common Data Environments for the water sector and how they relate to the BIM standards such as PAS1192. ´ What is your own professional experience?

How did you become involved with BIM4 Water?

I’ve been with Galliford Try for about three years. Prior to this I worked for Constructing Excellence – an industry improvement organisation which was involved in the development of the initial Government BIM strategy.

Having moved to Galliford Try’s water division, I was surprised to see that there was very little talk about BIM in the water sector.

With support from David Philp on behalf of the BIM Task Group, a small number of us were able to put together a BIM4 Water group and I was delighted to be asked to chair the group on inception. The water sector has generally been quite forward thinking in adopting collaborative and integrated working practices and, with BIM being an enabler of better collaborative working, it seemed likely that water clients would understand the value of BIM. ´ What advantages can BIM offer the water sector, specifically in its delivery of AMP6?

The key benefit of BIM will come through the whole life value that it can help deliver. The expectation is that the use of a BIM process will enable optimum decisions to be taken at all stages in the delivery and management of a built asset with the greatest gains, including financial savings, coming in asset management thank to clients having access to the right asset data.

There will also be huge benefits from BIM in capital delivery, including using BIM as a way of engaging with

the water company staff responsible for the operation and maintenance of an asset. The facilitation of a collaborative approach is central to the benefit of BIM. The use of BIM will not only improve the predictability of outcomes – in terms of cost, time and quality of the asset – but also support better health and safety and environmental performance.

Within our sector though there seems to be a view from some quarters that needs to be addressed that BIM is more related to capital delivery than asset management. And there are some technical challenges. For instance, I know that a lot of water companies have invested quite heavily in recent years in their asset management systems and in some cases there is a lack of understanding regarding how the data from a BIM process can be fed into those asset management systems as seamlessly as possible. ´ You’ve mention some of the difficulties facing the water sector with regard to BIM adoption. Are there any other significant challenges that BIM4 Water is working to overcome?

The lack of Employer’s Information Requirements from clients has been a challenge. Quite a few clients have looked at early BIM pilot projects but certainly been rare that the client has come forward at the outset of the project with a set of defined Employers’ Information Requirements stating what data they want at each stage of the project. It’s been left to the supply side to second guess what will be required.

This isn’t necessarily a criticism of clients because BIM is new to our sector and I think the best way that we can solve an issue such as this is to work together as an industry. I would like to think that this is certainly something that BIM4 Water can play a role in because again, coming back to my point about standardisation, it would be nice if the requirements from different clients were broadly aligned.

There is also still a huge amount of education to do all the way through the supply chain. I think we’re still coming up against a lack of understanding of BIM in the market and real evidence of BIMwash. For example, at BIM conferences I often hear people say that they’re doing Level 3 BIM, but that can’t be the case as that hasn’t been properly defined as yet. All misinformation such as that does is undermine the confidence that both supply and demand side organisations have in what BIM can do. This BIMwash can also be a real issue in procurement.

Within BIM4 Water we have representation from almost all of the water and wastewater companies. We’re trying to get the message out, through our own networks and by working with organisations such as British Water and the Water industry Forum, regarding not only the benefits of BIM but also the reality of where we are as a sector and the journey that we need to go on collectively to deliver those benefits.

For more information about BIM4 Water please visit: www. bimtaskgroup.org/bim4water

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An SME’s Reflection of BIM in Practice

Peter Hodges MCIOB, Director of Niven Architects and BIM Strategy Ltd, has spent much of his career directing major Design and Build projects across the country. A former Design and Build Director at Shepherd, Peter joined Niven Architects in 2014 with the aim of delivering the Practice’s expanding project portfolio efficiently.

In an exclusive opinion piece, Peter considers building information modelling from the SME perspective and advises small and medium enterprises on the business benefit of BIM adoption.

The arrival of Building Information Modelling or ‘BIM’ within the construction sector is set to impact every part of our industry from initial design concept through to every component included within a building project.

There have been numerous initiatives over many decades striving to bring together our industry contributors in a common environment with common objectives. Sadly, the encumbrance of protracted procurement routes has often prevented their success.

However, having taken the bold move some 4 yrs ago to invest significantly in BIM technology and experienced its application on live projects, it is possible to see a credible way for SMEs to utilise BIM for both their business’s benefit as well as to compete with more well resourced and much larger contractors. The implementation of BIM across the industry, if done strategically, can harness the expertise of all those parties with a valuable contribution to make, at the right time. Whilst the industry has still to resolve procurement barriers, the momentum and very clear benefits being demonstrated from a BIM orientated approach are driving us into a new and exciting era.

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However, as an SME operating at the forefront of this brave new world of BIM, there have been many frustrations.

Generally, these have come from the apathy of other consultants and clients who have not yet embraced the process and seen the benefits. Often, there still remains a mistaken belief that working in a BIM environment adds cost to a project. Whilst, inevitably, there is the initial investment in appropriate software and training this, in effect, is no more than any other upgrade in the design and construction environment. Being realistic, technologies advance and we all must maintain a business strategy to keep pace with this evolution if we wish our businesses to survive and grow. History has proven this need: those who ignore advances in technology will be left behind making it more difficult to catch up later.

Our positive experience at BIM Strategy Ltd has demonstrated that, rather than there being additional cost, there are in fact significant savings available. Citing one small but meaningful example we reduced design time for incorporating a major change in employer’s requirements from two weeks to three days. The federated 3D model allowed all disciplines to verify and re-cost the change seamlessly. If the EIR (Employer’s Information Requirements) and BIM Execution Plan (BEP) are properly implemented at the outset along with a full team of consultants and supply chain specialists in place, many errors and iterations are eliminated. The application of ‘clash’ detection, energy performance software and cost analysis enables the design development to reach construction status in a much shorter period than otherwise expected.

Our industry is therefore in a transitional phase whilst everyone ‘tools up’ for the future. We have achieved our readiness by following a strategy of: •

• •

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•

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Knowledge transfer partnerships with global pioneering BIM specialists at Teesside University.

Investment in BIM related design and analysis software.

Specific training and certification of a staff member to lead BIM within the Practice.

A rigorous programme of in-house training and live application of BIM protocols by our BIM manager.

Application of a BIM approach to all new projects irrespective of client requirements.

Selection of BIM orientated consultant partners to ensure a holistic approach.

Promotion of partnerships with main contractors to harness supply chain expertise during concept and development stages.

Development of a BIM guidance document to assist understanding and enable implementation.

for reviewing the model by “walking through” and examining each space. The modelling makes this process easier and much quicker.

Our use of BIM on recent projects is transforming the design development process. Much of the BIM approach can be defined as a modern method of project management, using more effective tools that lead to greater efficiency and accuracy.

Applied correctly, BIM methods provide all of the necessary outputs to enable the effective delivery of any project.

We are now moving the Level 2 boundaries of BIM by incorporating each building component into the holistic models. Each component, if modelled to be compatible with the developing building federated model, can be tagged and incorporated into the overall design at the click of a ‘mouse’.

Forward thinking manufacturers are now progressively having their products modelled in readiness, and placing them into national product libraries. We are providing a ‘component content creation’ service to these manufacturers enabling them to have their products readily available for incorporation by architects.

Once incorporated and tagged into a federated building model the product data and maintenance details are embedded for reference by those administering the maintenance regime for the lifecycle of the building.

Despite the slow adoption of BIM by many clients, our experience to date has clearly demonstrated how transformational its implementation will be to the construction and building maintenance sectors. Working in a BIM environment encourages collaborative working and also reduces confrontation and waste when analysing time and resources. Ultimately, BIM will enable closeknit project teams, including the building contractor, to deliver projects of increasing scale and value with greater effectiveness and efficiency.

The government are expecting all publically funded projects to apply BIM Level 2 protocols from 2016. We would like to see more clients following this initiative so that the current momentum can be increased rapidly.

We would urge all fellow consultants, contractors and client advisors to embrace BIM in order to release the enormous potential it holds for projects of all sizes. It is not just the domain of major schemes delivered by large organisations.

New staff joining our team are faced with an installed BIM environment which is not just 3D design but a whole new approach to the creation of better buildings. BIM has to be considered as a complete building lifecycle exercise.

However, it must be clearly understood that there is still an absolute need for designers to check outputs from the various BIM processes at each stage. There is no substitute

The award winning design for Build New York 2015.

BIM Strategy’s Technical Manager, Marc Warren, led the ‘BIM Strategy ALLSTARS’ team to win the award for ‘Best Multi-disciplinary BIM & use of Interoperability’.

The team consisted of staff from: • BIM Strategy Ltd • Niven Architects • JH Partners • Billinghurst George & Partners • Henry Riley LLP • TGP Landscapes • Skanska • Teesside University

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www.highways.gov.uk

Intelligent transport system set to transform England’s motorways A new high-tech intelligent transport system will transform traffic management on England’s motorways and major A roads.

Austria-based firm Kapsch TrafficCom AG have been awarded a £30M contract by Highways England and will install the system at its regional control centre in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The system will then be rolled out to the rest of the country.

The high-tech transport system will help improve safety and provide faster responses to real time events. It will also integrate a wide range of functions and manage the existing large quantity of different roadside devices.

The system is designed to be future proof and built with the capability to incorporate future technology.

Kapsch will be responsible for the delivery, installation and testing at the control centre, with the existing technical infrastructure used to control and manage traffic being integrated.

Mag. Georg Kapsch, CEO at Kapsch TrafficCom commented: “Future traffic management is all about integration.

“Whether aligning traffic management across borders, different technological solutions or different transportation areas like highways and cities – road users will ultimately experience more safety, more efficiency, and more convenience along their whole route.”

CGI, an independent information technology and business process services firm, has been selected as the main partner in this project. CGI will be responsible for the design, build, testing and implementation of the interface software that will allow Highways England to reuse existing interfaces and devices in combination with the DYNAC software.

Neil Widdop, Services Procurement Team Leader at Highways England, said: “The new system will allow us to improve our operational efficiencies through use of a modern, national, integrated system.

“As we improve our operational efficiency, we can expect road users to benefit from quicker responses to incidents leading to improved safety and greater convenience for drivers.”

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´ Electric Highways

Such investment is indicative of Highways England’s broader aspirations for road infrastructure nationwide.

Innovative new technologies are being scrutinised with a view to increasing efficiencies, advancing health and safety, and improving the driver experience.

Previously, Highways England announced a series of offroad trials to examine the technological requirements of electric and hybrid vehicles.

The trials – the first of their kind – will test how this technology could work safely and effectively on the England’s motorways and major A roads, allowing drivers of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) to travel long distances without needing to stop and charge the car’s battery.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “The potential to recharge low emission vehicles on the move offers exciting possibilities. The government is already committing £500M over the next five years to keep Britain at the forefront of this technology, which will help boost jobs and growth in the sector. As this study shows, we continue to explore options on how to improve journeys and make low-emission vehicles accessible to families and businesses.”

Expected to last an approximate 18 months, the trials will involve fitting vehicles with wireless technology and testing the equipment – installed underneath the road – to replicate motorway conditions.

Further details will be made available once a successful contractor has been appointed.

www.atlastm.co.uk

sales@atlastm.co.uk

01942 608 861

www.architab.co.uk

Standing alone to make Timberframe CAD Software that's easy As offsite construction becomes more prominent in the building industry archiTAB Solutions director Peter Elsigood explains why his company are investing in further development of their easy-to-use Timberframe CAD software, frameIT.

All construction and property development companies, regardless of their size, are now striving more than ever for production and energy efficiency in all of the projects they undertake. The use of Timberframe panels supports this ethos in several ways. Yet the CAD software available discriminates against the smaller companies, not only in affordability, but in functionality. Small firms haven't got the time or resources to sit at their desks all week long designing panel layouts. In fact the design part of the process should be the shortest, allowing the user to be onsite or moving on to the next project.

With frameIT, archiTAB Solutions have put together a standalone Timberframe CAD package that is easy to understand and simple to operate.

What do we mean by standalone and how does this differ to other systems? Well, standalone means that frameIT is our own software. We develop, we sell, we train, we support.

Other Timberframe CAD programmes can be an add-on (bolt-on) to other CAD systems such as AutoCAD. archiTAB Solutions released the first version of the Timberframe programme as an add-on to the architectural CAD software, archiTAB. archiTAB Timberframe offers a complete package for design, planning and production.

It became apparent that the intuitive nature of the programme was attractive to those who had little or no CAD experience. This is clearly the case with small companies, not through inability, but due to the time available to them for design work. Many take the step of outsourcing their Timberframe panel designs, leading to delays in production that come when alterations are required.

The idea of frameIT was conceived when a small development company suggested that a complete drawing package was not necessary. Planning and working drawings have already been completed by the time the majority of Timberframe manufacturers get involved in the project. frameIT allows Timberframe panel designs to be drawn from scratch or by importing a drawing in DWG\DXF format.

Therefore, although standalone, frameIT will still enable you to interact with other CAD programmes. So whether a drawing comes from an architect or structural engineer, the requirements of the project can be conveyed easily. This provides the user with flexibility and control over their design work. No delays, no outside errors, no time wasted. ´ Project Defaults A Timber Settings menu allows the user to prepare the overall standards for the project.

• Maximum & minimum Panel lengths • Corner & Wall Joint types • Preferred Timber Sizes.

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Walls - Once the project settings have been confirmed walls are drawn in plan, displaying the locations for panel breaks based on the maximum sizes set (E.g. 2400mm, 3600mm).

The Stud centres for the walls are selected and a Vertical Load Point is set (multiples can be selected if required) for the centres to work from.

Openings - Doors, Windows and Openings are easily inserted in to the panels.

Spandrel Panels - Whether you call them Spandrels, Gables or Splays...set the angle, overhangs, Maximum panel height and width. The Splay is then drawn on top of the main wall panel below.

Once the plan drawing is complete one simple click produces all of the panel drawings along with soleplate and headrail layouts. Make alterations to panel details to suit with additional timbers and then add the cutting list to each panel.

Within minutes a full Timberframe design with panels and cuttings lists has been produced for manufacture. ´ So what's new?

Automatic Panel\Plan updates - To date any alterations made to the panel drawings do not update on the plan view of the project. In the new version of frameIT changes made to the panel are automatically updated on the plan drawing.

For example, a couple of studs may be required to add stability to a feature. These additional studs will now appear back in the plan view automatically.

Full Length Spandrel Panels - So far Spandrel panels have only been produced as an addition to the main wall panels below. This meant that doors, windows and openings could not be inserted in to the angles panel. In the new release the Gable End panels can now be produced as full length panels, from floor to ridge. Standard doors and windows can now be added along with Feature openings that follow the angle of the roof line.

Defined Vertical Load Points & Panel Breaks - Load points are crucial to the stability of the Timberframe structure. frameIT still allows multiple load points, but you can now set a load point to angled walls. Although producing panels at set sizes is ideal, the demand for large openings (bifolding doors, etc) means that Timberframe Manufacture has to offer the same flexibility as traditional build.

Predetermined panel joints can now be moved to suit the openings within a wall.

With these new features frameIT can be used on projects of all sizes, whether it is a small extension, Garden Room or full development.

As well as making the software flexible, archiTAB Solutions also offer flexible payment plans with rental starting from as little as £50 per month.

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www.scotlandbuildexpo.com

Scotland Build 2015 Scotland Build 2015 is the leading new construction exhibition to focus on the building and construction boom across the country.

The Scottish construction industry is growing at its strongest rate in over five years. Construction contracts in Scotland in the past 12 months have outperformed most other parts of the UK as the economy returns to pre­2008 levels and the Scottish government makes significant infrastructure investment. There is currently close to £40Bn worth of contracts to be awarded in Scotland in the coming few years.

Housing construction is on the rise across Scotland; in addition to many private initiatives the Scottish government is building nearly five times as many council houses as the rest of the UK. Furthermore, as part of the government’s Infrastructure Investment Plan, substantial capital has been set out to invest in numerous large­scale construction projects linked to transport, housing, healthcare and education.

From council houses to private developments, transport projects to healthcare construction, new colleges to prisons ­ the number of infrastructure and construction projects across Scotland is vast and continually increasing.

The event will take place at the SECC, Glasgow, on the 25th & 26th November and will host more than 125 exhibitors, showcasing the latest products, services and projects across the whole of Scotland.

These will include a wide range of suppliers and contractors featuring the latest innovations and hi­tech solutions to drive the industry’s growth. The exhibition will include leading names from across the industry, comprising Celotex­ Saint Gobain, Interserve, Balfour Beatty, Kingspan and Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Brookfield Multiplex among many others.

The two day conference will host over 50 top level speakers, with headline talks by William McBride from Construction Scotland Innovation Centre on the innovation and future of the Scottish construction industry, and by Rufus Logan from BRE, continuing the theme of innovation with his case study presentation on the afternoon of day one. The conference will also examine topics such as narrowing down the skills shortage, how to enter the construction industry, building to enable Scotland’s renewable energy ambitions, as well as highlighting some of the leading public and private sector construction projects within Scotland.

Gordon Reid and Philip McDowell from Kier will discuss the Ayr Academy and Marr College projects, David Loudon from the NHS will examine the Glasgow University Hospital extension, and Michelle Rennie from Transport Scotland will be giving an update on Scotland’s four major transport projects.

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The show will also feature a VIP area with six exclusive ‘Meet the Buyer’ sessions, and dedicated networking opportunities with government and local authority figureheads. Key decision makers from Scotland’s main contractors, architects, engineers and developers will all be in attendance.

Each session will kick off with a ten minute keynote presentation from a leading industry body, followed by a panel of construction experts, discussing the investment opportunities and forecasts across each sector and provide a unique platform for extensive networking and business exchange for all parties involved. All registered VIP attendees will be provided a full complimentary lunch and drinks to follow each panel discussion.

Scotland Build also provides 22 hours of free CPD accredited training workshops from the likes of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), CITB, NBS and more leading industry experts and consultants.

The event is supported by both the Glasgow City Council and the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce among many other leading industry associations.

Duncan Booker, Sustainable Glasgow Programme Manager for Glasgow City Council comments: “Glasgow is looking forward to welcoming Scotland Build for the first time at the SECC in November. We’ve emerged from some really challenging times and there is now growing confidence across the whole construction sector. So it’s all the more important that we have a place like Scotland Build where everyone involved in the built environment can come together, learn from one another and look forward to a profitable future!”

Scotland Build is lined up to be the most important meeting of construction industry figureheads, presenting countless opportunities for networking and business development.

The conference sessions, training workshops and exhibition are completely free to attend, so sign up today at www. scotlandbuildexpo.com to ensure that you don’t miss out!

The Construction Industry Charity

“It is refreshing to see such a positive rise in the number of females adopting careers in these areas”

Women in the Construction Industry

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It is the 21st century and women’s right are bigger and more prominent than ever, meaning you would expect an even gender distribution in all industries. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily true- particularly in the case of manual trades.

Within the construction industry, women only represent a meagre 12% of workers, with the number of women working as roofers, bricklayers and glaziers so low that it is unmeasurable. As well as the percentage of females in the industry being at a low, their pay is also less, at 12% fewer than their male counterparts, even those who do the exact same role.

As of December 2012, the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) has represented over 84,377 workers in the construction and allied trades, and as part of this, conducted a Union Modernisation Fund project “Building a Stronger Union.” Within this, they surveyed women construction workers to find out more about the challenges they face and to raise awareness of the issues amongst its male membership. The survey found that over half of the women were treated worse at work simply because of their gender, with the top three issues being a lack of promotion prospect, lower pay and feeling generally isolated from their male colleagues. Forty percent of those questioned identified bullying and harassment by managers as a problem, with 30% too afraid to complain about poor treatment.

As well as the above issues, a quarter complained of having to share toilet facilities with men and 15% of being unable to find properly fitting protective equipment.

However, there is beginning to be a shift in direction for women within the sector, with a number of programmes and organisations in place to try and increase the awareness of available positions. Companies such as this are “Class of Your Own” which is a programme to raise awareness of how young people can learn about and become involved in construction careers. The Construction Youth Trust is another initiative set up to help young people and particularly women in the construction industry. The charities vision is “of a construction industry which inspires and enables young people to overcome barriers and build better futures.”

A recent campaign set forth by the department for work and pensions was all about reiterating the importance of breaking down the gender barrier in male-dominated careers. The hashtag #notjustforboys went viral on social media sites with many companies professing their support.

Nickie Brooks, MD for Alternative Route said “What with being in what can be perceived as a male-dominated industry myself, it is refreshing to see such a positive rise in the number of females adopting careers in these areas.”

Callsafe Services Ltd

Call: 01889 577701

CALLSAFE SERVICES LIMITED Q.

Are you sure that you understand the duties and requirements of Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and other health and safety requirements?

Q.

Do your policies and procedures reflect the current legislation and practices?

Q.

Are your employees competent to perform their duties?

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Do you select competent organisations to work with you?

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Do you manage your organisation and projects without copious amounts of paper?

If the answer to any of the above questions is no, you need to consider training and advice to achieve legal compliance and develop best practices.

Contact the experts David Carr PgD, FIIRSM, DipSM, RFaPS, Managing Director Callsafe Services Limited. Yardley House, 11 Horsefair, Rugeley, Staffordshire. WS15 2EJ Email: enquiries@callsafe-services.co.uk Web: www.callsafe-services.co.uk