UK Construction Excellence Issue 1 2014

ISSUE 1 2014

THE BEST IN BRITISH BUILDING

Schwing manufactures a complete range of truck and trailer-mounted units to provide a model for every application. From Schwing’s management to our nationwide network of dealers, no other group embodies as much concrete pumping experience. From one pump customers to the largest fleets in the world, Schwing truly brings Solutions, Value and Success to the industry

SCHWING CONCRETE PUMPING AND PLACING EQUIPMENT

Schwing Stetter (UK) Ltd Unit 11 Perivale Park, Horsenden Lane South, Perivale, Greenford, UB6 7RL Tel: 020 8997 1515 Fax 020 8998 3517 E-mail: info@schwing-stetter.co.uk www.schwing-stetter.co.uk

Welcome to the first edition of UK Construction Excellence. Our new publication is the flagship magazine from the UK Construction Media portfolio and builds on over twenty years of publishing experience dedicated to the national construction and infrastructure markets.

We will be publishing our Excellence magazine on a quarterly basis and aim to bring the very best of British Building to the industry’s leaders, opinion formers and decision makers. We will feature the most prestigious construction projects, the latest legislation, research and developments in the sector.

Supplementing the magazine will be our weekly newsletters and web portal - UK Construction Online - featuring daily updates of the very latest news and views from our industry. The portfolio is complemented by our Journal and our Building Scotland and Construction Ireland titles, giving greater insight to local and regional developments.

All together the UK Construction Media portfolio brings an unrivalled coverage of our national construction market.

The launch of our Excellence magazine coincides with a buoyant time for the construction industry. Comparing the first quarter of 2014 with the same period last year we see an increase of 5.4% (£1.5 billion) in building output, of which £1 billion is attributable to new commissions. Not only this, but forward forecasts of gross domestic output are being consistently revised upwards to reflect the optimistic outlook for our sector as a key driver for the economy at large.

Fundamental to this resurgence has been the private housing market, which rose by 23% on the year. Output is still below its pre-downturn peak, but growth has picked up significantly throughout 2013 and this trend has continued through the first quarter of this year. Whilst new borrowing rules for mortgage applicants may attempt to temper the flow of new buyers, this will at worst bring demand in line with supply.

Outside of housing, core infrastructure projects are playing an important role in the recovery. Crossrail is Europe’s largest construction project and currently sees over 10,000 people working at more than 40 construction sites. Over 44 million working hours have already been completed and some £14.8 billion will be spent to deliver the project in late 2018.

Managing Editor Gareth Trevor-Jones

Studio Manager Séamus Norton

Editor Victoria Lee

Designer Richard Gill

Staff Writer John Train

Proof Reader Matthew Brown

Editorial Robert Atherton

Data Administrator Ryan Irwin

Web Editor Raimy Greenland

Approvals Sarah Smith

Copy Jody Ramsey

Credit Control Carol Ryan

Whilst new work is of great importance, repair and maintenance also has a significant role to play. Spend levels have picked up across the board as the industry looks to recover the condition of assets potentially neglected through more difficult times. By way of illustration, Heathrow Airport Ltd is currently undertaking a £1.5 billion investment package, whilst three estate maintenance contracts, with a combined value of £1.1 billion, have recently been awarded by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

This healthy combination of new work and repair and maintenance contracts, combined with encouraging numbers from the Office for National Statistics, points to a period of growth within the construction sector.

But, as a commentator who has witnessed the ups and downs of the sector over many years, a word of caution amongst all this optimism.

The cyclical nature of our economy dictates that the compensating factors of growth will at some point cause a negative over reaction in the construction market. Whilst we are first out of recession, we are also first in and as a result we are all open to the immediate impacts of any downturn.

The very best construction companies prosper in the bad times as well as the good. They use the latest sector knowledge and insight to make informed decisions, to judge the best time to develop and the best time to consolidate. UK Construction Media will be there to help you make the very most of our market - bringing you the knowledge that assists these informed decisions.

This new UK Construction Excellence title caters for the best and is at the pinnacle of our magazine portfolio - thank you for reading and supporting our publication. We look forward to working with you going forward and to featuring the very best in British Building.

Gareth Trevor-Jones Managing Editor

General Manager Ian Parker E: ian.parker@ukconstructionmedia.co.uk Display Advertising Sales T: 0161 638 8779 E: sales@ukconstructionmedia.co.uk

ISSN 1461-1279

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UK Construction Media, Lowry House, 17 Marble Street, Manchester, M2 3AW T: 0161 638 8775 E: enquiries@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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6 News

London Heathrow Airport announces improved expansion plan, Crossrail reveals stunning redesign of Ealing Broadway station and National Rail appoints track delivery partners for £800 million 2014-2019 investment programme.

12 Annual Investment Allowance

16 Constructing the workforce

The construction industry started to recover in 2010 and after a small short term dip during 2013 is now starting to show strong growth across the UK, with some regions demonstrating rapid increases in activity. This, set against a demographic of an ageing workforce and a reluctance by people to take a job in the construction sector, has resulted in an ever growing skills shortage.

20 Cody Park – Ark Data Centres

April 2014 saw the completion of Ark Data Centres’ latest facility at Cody Park, A101, which was finished on schedule and marks the next step forward in their plans to lead the market by example.

32 Smarter printing for construction 35 Assuring site security through the use of technology

36 Secured by Design

Owned by the Association of Chief Police Officers, Secured by Design blends criminology, design against crime and security technology into a police standard that has been proven to reduce burglary by more than 75% and car crime and criminal damage by more than 25%.

41 HSE Construction Division Plan 42 Pioneers in timber house construction

45 Humber Gateway Offshore Wind Farm

A clean and efficient means of energy generation, E.ON’s £736 million Humber Gateway Offshore Wind Farm will soon generate enough energy to power up to 170,000 homes – more than one and a half times the number of homes in Hull.

49 Swansea University 50 Passive fire protection

52 AMP6

With the Asset Management Programme 6 (AMP6) starting in the next 18 months, many UK water companies are moving ahead with their plans to improve water infrastructure nationwide.

57 Pressure vessels for energy storage 59 Providing quality in fire safety 61 A winning team for integrated electronic solutions 4

62 Constructing for the future

Expanded Heathrow critical to UK economy Network Rail announces track delivery partners for 2014-19 investment programme Network Rail has announced the preferred bidders for the delivery of its circa £800 million conventional track renewals and enhancements programme for the 201419 funding period, as well as a change to the way the company’s growing ‘high output’ track programme will be delivered.

Britain’s railways are busier than ever. Not only are there more trains than ever before, they are also heavier and faster – meaning more frequent maintenance and renewals are needed to keep the tracks in the right condition.

Over the current funding period Network Rail will renew more than 7,000km of track – enough to stretch from London to Mumbai – as part of a £25 billion investment programme to build a bigger, better railway for Britain.

Network Rail’s track strategy is split into three specific work streams; plain line (conventional); switches and crossings; and plain line (high output). Following a competitive procurement process, three bidders – Babcock, Carillion and Colas – have been successful in winning work across seven geographic lots to deliver conventional plain line track works worth around £375 million in total over the five-year period.

Switches and crossings (S&C) renewals will be delivered using an ‘alliance’ approach, combining the skills of designer, installer and Network Rail. Tenderers bid as preformed alliances with two – Amey Sersa and Colas URS – each winning work on one of two larger alliance areas worth up to £400 million over the next ten years.

Network Rail has also announced it will not be re-tendering the contract for the delivery of its national high output track renewals programme. Instead it will be taking direct control by insourcing its principal contractor team when the existing contract expires in March 2015.

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Heathrow has announced an improved plan to expand the UK’s hub airport that will create more than 100,000 new UK jobs and at least £100 billion of UK economic benefits by connecting all of the UK to global growth.

The figures are part of Heathrow’s revised expansion plans submitted to the Airports Commission. The submission follows discussions with local residents and businesses, the public, passengers, airlines and elected representatives across the UK’s nations and regions.

Key elements of Heathrow’s proposals include: • More than 100,000 new jobs created. This includes 50,000 new jobs in the local Heathrow area, plus a further 20,000+ across London and another 50,000+ across the UK. • At least £100 billion of UK economic benefits, better than any other airport expansion option.

• 40 new direct, daily routes to fast growing economies such as San José, Wuhan and Kolkata.

• Doubling cargo capacity to improve UK export competitiveness. 65% of the UK’s £400 billion freight exports already travel via Heathrow.

• New rail access to Wales and the West through the Western mainline, the South and South West through Southern Rail Access, and the North through HS2. Total rail capacity will treble from 5,000 to 15,000 seats per hour.

• A Taskforce for Regional Connectivity will be established to develop proposals for how regional air links to Heathrow can be improved. Additional capacity will provide space for flights to cities such as Inverness, Liverpool and Newquay.

• Investment in airport infrastructure will create jobs across the UK while a new runway is being built.

In response to local views, Heathrow has also developed a significantly different expansion proposition to 2007, and an improvement on the initial proposal in July 2013: • By 2030, at least a 30% reduction in the number of people in Heathrow’s noise footprint to deliver the lowest noise levels since the 1970s.

• Located farther south, the updated runway proposal affects 200 fewer homes, preserves historical buildings in Harmondsworth and maintains the existing M25/M4 junction.

• New section of M25 to be tunnelled and upgraded along side the existing section, increasing capacity and reducing congestion without disrupting road users.

• 12,000 fewer people will be affected by significant noise by moving the proposed runway farther south.

• A total compensation fund of over £550 million allocated for noise insulation and property compensation.

This is more generous than previously proposed for a third runway and proposals for most other infrastructure projects.

• Improvements in schools, publicly accessible green space and flood protection for local communities.

John Holland-Kaye, Development Director and Chief Executive Designate of Heathrow said: “Our plans are deliverable. Heathrow offers the fastest, most cost effective and practical route to connect the whole of the UK to growth and we have proven our ability to deliver a world class hub that will make Britain proud. Building on Heathrow’s existing strength will connect the whole of the UK to growth, keep Britain as an ambitious global nation and help the UK win the global race.”

Construction starts on Mersey Gateway project The Merseylink Consortium is starting work by building access roads across the sensitive salt marsh environments on both sides of the river.

They are doing this so construction teams can reach and work in the estuary to build the new six-lane toll bridge over the River Mersey between Widnes and Runcorn.

Halton Borough Council Leader Rob Polhill joined the Merseylink Consortium team on Wigg Island in Runcorn for a ground breaking ceremony to mark the start of the work.

Work will continue through to an anticipated bridge opening date of autumn 2017.

Hugh O’Connor, General Manager for Merseylink Consortium, said: “Merseylink has spent the past three years working on the plans for this project and today is a hugely significant day for us. Our focus now is on delivering the bridge and associated road infrastructure. We will be working with all of the interested parties to keep them informed of our proposed works.”

This is the first of a series of construction and other contracts that Merseylink will be appointing in the coming weeks.

The next few months will also see work starting on: • Setting up the accommodation compounds on both sides of the river • Final demolition work around Ditton, Astmoor, Catalyst Trade Park, Victoria Road and Hutchinson Street • Construction of three pylon cofferdams in the River Mersey from floating barges • A temporary trestle bridge built from each side of the river to take vehicles to the pylons • Upgrading the road network in Runcorn starting at the Bridgewater Interchange and M56 roundabout

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Improved Ealing Broadway station designs revealed Redesigned proposals for improvements to Ealing Broadway station have been revealed by Crossrail.

understand the need to provide local people with a much better station building than they have at the moment.

Since submitting proposals at the end of last year, Crossrail has been working closely with Ealing Council, local developers and nearby landowners to broaden the scheme and revise the plans for the station. There has also been close consultation with the local MP and community groups, allowing them the opportunity to comment on the designs.

“By working with the council, community groups, developers and nearby landowners we have improved our proposals and broadened the scheme. Our plans are for a station that will be brighter, more spacious, easier to get around and more visually prominent.”

The new proposals for the station, designed by Bennetts Associates Architects, include the addition of a long, curved canopy running the length of the forecourt that reflects the prominence and importance of the station building.

Crossrail’s plans allow for the current dated facade to be replaced with a new glass structure and a new entrance twice the size of the existing one, which will allow much more natural light into the building.

The revised designs will be open to community consultation before Ealing Council takes its decision on planning.

Matthew White, Crossrail Surface Director, said: “Ealing Broadway will be a key stop on the Crossrail route and we

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Crossrail will provide a step change in public transport for people in Ealing – better stations, new and longer trains, faster journeys. Residents will be able to catch up to ten Crossrail services an hour right through the centre of the capital, making it quicker and easier to get to a range of destinations across London and the South East. The station will also be an interchange with the District and Central lines on the Underground as well as National Rail services.

By improving transport links, Crossrail is already unlocking development opportunities in west London, encouraging investment and supporting local jobs and businesses. Almost half of planning applications (44%) within a kilometre of the five stations in the London Borough of Ealing cited the new railway as a justification for the development proceeding.

This equates to an estimated 260,000sq m of residential, commercial and retail space.

Interserve selected to build £13.5 million Business School for the University of Wolverhampton Interserve, the international support services and construction group, has won a contract to build a new £13.5 million Business School for the University of Wolverhampton, in partnership with project managers and cost consultants Gardiner & Theobald and the structural and M&E consultants Arup.

The new facility, due to open in August 2015, is designed by architects Sheppard Robson and will serve as a gateway to the University’s Molineux Campus. The linear, six-storey building will be embedded on one side into a seven metre high embankment. With approximately 6,000sq m of gross internal area, the building will house teaching facilities for the Business School, including undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education, plus offices, meeting rooms and a cafe. Break-out spaces will be connected vertically via staircases and a series of atria to provide a high degree of transparency and visual connection across the different floors. The break-out spaces will be provided with ‘smart’ furniture for laptop and tablet use.

Interserve’s Regional Director, Simon Butler, said: “We are delighted to have secured another significant project within the higher education sector, an area where we already have a formidable track record. We are looking

forward to re-establishing our relationship with the University of Wolverhampton where we were previously involved on the School of Health and Wellbeing project.

The new Business School demonstrates the university’s commitment in providing the best facilities for students and the private sector.”

Image courtesy of Sheppard Robson

Dr Anthea Gregory, Head of the University of Wolverhampton’s Business School and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, said: “After many months of planning it is wonderful news that work on the new building is imminent. It has been a competitive process and we were very impressed with the bid that Interserve put together and are looking forward to working with them on this project.

“This will cement the Business School’s reputation in the region and nationally, not just with students but with the business community. It is also great news for Wolverhampton and shows confidence in the local economy and the City.”

Work is due to start on site in early June 2014 and is to be completed late August 2015. The design team on the project is: Architect: Sheppard Robson; Project Manager & QS: Gardiner & Theobald LLP; Structural, M&E & Acoustic Engineers: Arup.

ISG secures £70 million office fit out wins ISG’s UK Fit Out and Engineering Services business has secured six major office fit out projects with a combined value of circa £70 million.

The largest project is a 140,000sq ft fit out of the new UK headquarters for legal firm, CMS Cameron McKenna, at Cannon Place in the City of London. The company is also pleased to have secured an 80,000sq ft project in the iconic “Walkie-Talkie” building at 20 Fenchurch Street, London, to fit out five floors for an international insurance and reinsurance underwriting group.

David Lawther, ISG Chief Executive, said: “We continue to see sustained growth within the London office fit out market, where we are the clear market leader, and are now experiencing early signs of improvement across the rest of the UK as positive sentiment ripples out from the capital.”

In addition, two of the contracts have been won outside central London, with ISG securing a 63,000sq ft office fit out scheme for a global professional services firm in St Peter’s Square, Manchester, and a 135,000sq ft office scheme at the Bedfont Lakes business park in Middlesex for BP.

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Annual Investment Allowance doubles to ÂŁ500,000 in tax relief

J C B F i n a n c e ex p l a i n s s o m e u n ex p e c te d c h a n g e s i n th e B u d g e t th at re p re s e nt a ÂŁ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 t a x s av i n g o p p o r t u n it y fo r U K b u si n e s s e s co nte m p l ati n g p u rc h a si n g p l a nt a n d m a c h i n e r y.

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This an important tax incentive which accelerates the tax relief so that 100% may be available in the first year, instead of claiming the usual annual 18% on a reducing balance. For many businesses emerging from the recession in the last six months or so, for the first time in a long time, respectable profits may have to be declared. The AIA presents an ideal opportunity to shelter those profits whilst reinvesting up to £500,000 in plant, machinery, commercial vehicles and even fixtures such as a generator (new or used). Depending on the business’ rate of tax it is an open invitation to secure the equivalent of a 20% to 45% subsidy. Better still – if you acquire the plant via a hire purchase agreement the acquisition, for tax purposes, is treated as if cash had been paid and the interest charged is also 100% tax deductible.

Confusion!

Unfortunately it seems that some financial advisors have been slow in coming to terms with the AIA, particularly because this represents the 5th change since its introduction in 2008! The changes introduced in January 2013 made life particularly complicated because the changes happened midway through a tax year. In addition there seems to be some confusion in the Plant Hire sector with many Plant Hire businesses being advised that they are not eligible for the AIA. The seeds of this confusion may have been sown in April 2008 when First Year Allowances (FYA) were replaced by the AIA. Before 2008 many accountants had been caught out by HMRC disallowing FYA claims made on behalf of Plant Hirers because the business was supplying non-operated plant (plant supplied with an operator could claim the full FYA). This ruling was not carried over to the AIA so all businesses, including Plant Hire businesses, can claim the AIA – the only exceptions are Mixed Partnerships or Trusts (i.e. those in which a company is a member).

What savings can be made?

Imagine the following scenario: in 2015 a Limited Company is rapidly approaching the end of its tax year and the accountant fears that a big tax bill is looming. Even after claiming all available business expenses, a profit of £500,000 remains, which would attract the 21% corporation tax rate and a tax bill of £105,000. The company’s financial year ends on the 31st March.

JCB Finance Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. JCB Finance 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 - there should be a compelling business case for the investment.

In a surprise move the Chancellor announced in his March 2014 Budget a temporary increase in the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) from £250,000 to £500,000 with it reverting back to £25,000 on 1st January 2016.

The accountant explains that, if the business uses hire purchase to invest £500,000 in replacement plant which is delivered and available for use within the business by 31st March 2015, then the full £500,000 AIA will apply. Paying a 10% deposit (£50,000) and borrowing £450,000 over three years on hire purchase equates to a £200,000 outlay in the first 12 months, followed by £150,000 in each of the subsequent years (net of interest charges).

Over half of the £200,000 expenditure in the first year has effectively been paid by HM Revenue & Customs. Not only that, but the company has managed its cash flow in an exemplary fashion – claiming the maximum £500,000 AIA but with an outlay of only £50,000 (the deposit) in the same tax year. Typically most hire purchase agreements are paid monthly in arrears so the first monthly payment would fall due at the end of April, which is in the new tax year.

Interestingly, the actual interest element charged is itself 100% tax deductible. Paying £500,000 in cash on day one would only net the same AIA tax benefit.

However, be warned because the above scenario is relatively simple to interpret. Different financial years that straddle the tax year and particularly when the temporary AIA enhancement ends on 31st December 2015 will result in very complicated calculations that will result in a lesser AIA being granted in that financial year.

The chart below illustrates this 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.

£500,000 Annual Investment Allowance

FINANCE

Amounts and dates for expenditure in order to maximise the potential tax benefit according to a business’ financial year end £250,000

£500,000

(Jan-March 2014)

£375,000

(Apr 2014-March 2015)

(Apr-Dec 2015)

£312,500

£500,000

(Jan-June 2014)

£250,000

(July 2014-June 2015)

(July-Dec 2015)

£375,000

£500,000

(Jan-Sept 2014)

£125,000

(Oct 2014-Sept 2015)

(Oct-Dec 2015)

£437,500

£500,000

Dec 2015

Nov 2015

May 2015

April 2015

March 2015

Feb 2015

Jan 2015

Dec 2014

Nov 2014

Oct 2014

Sept 2014

(Jan-Dec 2015)

Aug 2014

July 2014

June 2014

May 2014

April 2014

March 2014

Feb 2014

Jan 2014

(Jan-Dec 2014)

Oct 2015

31st December

Sept 2015

30th September

July 2015

30th June

June 2015

31st March

Aug 2015

Financial Year End

Other factors being equal, if your business is contemplating purchasing plant in the near future, there are some strong tax-based and cash flow arguments to carefully plan plant purchases before the end of your financial year and certainly before 1st January 2016, so that you can maximise on the available £500,000 tax relief.

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London Gatwick “road and rail ready” for second runway by 2021 Unveiling Gatwick Airport’s transformational public transport improvements, Hugh Sumner – the mastermind behind London 2012’s transport infrastructure – said Gatwick will be “road and rail ready” for a second runway by 2021, with no additional cost to the taxpayer.

Gatwick is already the UK’s best connected airport by rail, but by 2020 it will connect directly to 175 mainline stations and 1,000 with a single change. This will make it quicker and easier for people to get to the airport, including those living further afield in towns north and west of London.

Transport improvements include: • A train to central London every 2.5 minutes by 2019 • Rail capacity doubled by 2020, and nearly trebled by 2035 • New Gatwick Express trains in service by 2016 • Quicker journey times to the West End and City, than from Heathrow • 15 million people brought within 60 minutes of Gatwick – more than any UK airport * 1,000 rail stations within one change, including links to all UK main rail lines, Crossrail and HS2. * Planned upgrades to M25 and M23, including smart motorway system

A second runway at Gatwick would also generate 22,000 jobs in the local area and the improved public transport links would open these opportunities up to over one million living within 25 miles of Gatwick who live in the 20% most deprived communities in England.

A doubling of rail capacity by 2020 means 10,000 additional seats to the capital every hour, transforming rail services for both air passengers and local commuters. Other planned infrastructure improvements – such as Brighton Mainline re-signalling and junction replacements – will nearly treble capacity by 2035.

In the coming months, Gatwick will also announce detailed plans for Gatwick Gateway – which will be one of the world’s most efficient airport transport hubs, getting passengers from platform to all terminals in just two minutes. The Government has already committed £50 million to help build a new station at Gatwick.

Not only do the public transport improvements place no additional burden on the taxpayer, Gatwick customers would actually help to make them viable by generating £3 billion in rail ticket sales each year, and by helping to fill trains in both directions off peak and in the opposite direction to commuters in peak periods.

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15

Constructing the workforce

T h e co n s tr u c ti o n i n d u s tr y s t a r te d to re cove r i n 2 01 0 a n d af te r a s m a l l s h o r t te r m d i p d u r i n g 2 01 3 is n ow s t a r ti n g to s h ow s tro n g g row th a c ros s th e U K , with s o m e re g i o n s d e m o n s tr ati n g r a p i d i n c re a s e s i n a c ti v it y.

T h is , s e t a g a i n s t a d e m o g r a p h i c of a n a g e i n g wo r k fo rc e a n d a re l u c t a n c e by p e o p l e to t a ke a j o b i n th e co n s tr u c ti o n s e c to r, h a s re s u lte d i n a n eve r g rowi n g s k i l l s s h o r t a g e .

The Royal Institute of Charted Surveyors (RICS) estimates that the present up-turn means around 64,000 jobs will be created in the next year in construction/contracting with more being created in the construction services and products suppliers.

The skills gap that is being created is particularly significant for civil engineering supervision and trades (steelfixing, plant operations, construction operations, concreting/ formwork and assembly) and technician levels as well as in some key craft skills in building.

Graham Hasting-Evans, Managing Director of NOCN sets out: • Construction industry’s importance to the UK economy (see below) • Demand in construction • Skills challenge • Way forward Construction industry importance to the UK economy Government statistics show that construction is one of the largest sectors of the UK economy. It contributes almost £90 billion to the UK economy (or 6.7%) in value added, comprises over 280,000 businesses covering some 2.93 million jobs, which is equivalent to about 10% of total UK employment (see table below):

Table: UK Construction Industry: Value and No. of Jobs Sub-sector

GVA

Jobs

Description

Contracting

£63 billion

2,030,000

Construction of buildings Civil engineering Specialised construction activities

Services

£14 billion

580,000

Architectural & QS Wholesale of wood, construction & materials Wholesale of hardware, plumbing & heating Renting & leasing of construction equipment

Products

£13 billion

310,000

Manufacture of construction products & materials

Source UK Construction: An economic analysis of the sector, BIS, July 2013

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UK construction employees represent around 10% of the European construction workforce. The industry remains one of the largest in Europe.

However, the UK construction industry is more fragmented than its major European competitors and it is this structural difference which contributes to the challenges faced in closing the skills gaps.

It is not just the importance in the home market; the industry is a significant exporter. The UK construction industry has extensive experience overseas, going back over a century, as well as a high reputation. Construction contracting has experienced steady international growth and has a healthy trade surplus, as does construction service.

There are a large number of SMEs the industry. These SMEs can lack the necessary knowledge or management skills to successfully exploit overseas markets.

Demand in construction After a small dip in demand in 2013, the market is now showing good growth in civil engineering, commercial and housing (see chart below). This is now resulting in critical skill shortages.

Construction Sectors

Markit/CIPS UK Construction PMI, Activity Index (50 = no change)

There is a good recovery and growth in civil engineering and infrastructure – bridges, roads and motorways, rail and utilities (including energy and water).

The recovery in commercial projects such as office building, industrial construction and retail is strong.

Private housing strong growth in the second half of 2013 with quarter on quarter growth reported as 3.5% (ONS).

Social housing is also rising by around 11% in the last year, with stimulus coming from the Government’s Affordable Homes Guarantee.

Education appears to be recovering from a sharp fall in 2012 when The Building Schools for the Future Programme ended.

Health, community and public buildings construction are all in decline. Construction appears to have levelled off in hotel and leisure.

Source: Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) 2014

Growth is strong in 2014, with current trends in certain regions being particularly robust, such as the East Midlands, Northern Ireland, North West, Scotland, South West, Wales and Yorkshire & Humber. The position appears disappointing in East of England, London, North East and West Midlands.

The global green and sustainable building industry is forecast to grow at an annual rate of 22.8% between 2012 and 2017 (UKCES).

There are still opportunities for growth overseas.

With overall high growth comes the demand for skills.

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Building has a record of a structured apprenticeship model, with perhaps historically less focus on management development. However, in the past civil engineering has had considerable focus on professional and technical status and less use of apprenticeships for the key trades.

When we look at qualifications, the proportion of employees in construction contracting with a degree or equivalent qualifications (Level 4) almost doubled over the last decade, from around 12% in 2001 to about 22% in 2012.

At the same time, the construction contracting industry has a higher proportion of employees with Level 3 qualifications than any other UK sector.

But this success, in the professional and technical levels, does not extend to the trade areas. There has been a substantial fall in apprenticeship completions in construction related industries in the last three years while completions in other sectors have continued to grow.

Retal & Commercial Enterprise

60,000

Health, Public Services & Care

40,000

Engineering & Manufacturing Technologies

20,000

Construction, Planning & Built Environment 20 10 /1 1 20 11 /1 2

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In considering skills development it is important to understand that the approach needed should reflect the two major types of construction – building and civil engineering. The traditions for training and apprenticeships vary considerably between these two sectors.

Business, Admin & Law

80,000

03 /0

The RICS has recently reported that 41% of respondents to their recent survey have highlighted skills shortages as an issue.

Figure: UK Apprenticeship completions by major sector subject area

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Over 50% of employers report skills shortages in skilled trades, particularly in civil engineering and professional occupations. Occupations commonly quoted as experiencing shortages are civil engineering supervision and trades (steelfixing, plant operations, construction operations, concreting/formwork and assembly), technician levels too in some key craft skills in building.

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Despite high mobility of construction workers, there continues to be some acute skills shortages in the UK construction sector. The Government reports that one fifth of all vacancies in the wider construction sector are persistent and hard to fill because employers cannot recruit staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience.

Employers in the wider construction sector (principally building) are more likely than average to offer formal apprenticeships: 17% compared to the sector average of 13%. However, at the same time, economic conditions have led to a substantial fall in apprenticeship completions in construction related industries: from about 22,000 in 2008/09 to about 16,000 in 2011/12 (see Figure below). This is at a time when apprenticeship completions in other major areas continued to grow.

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Global and domestic opportunities in construction mean that a skilled and flexible workforce will be vital to the UK construction sector’s future performance and competitiveness.

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Skills challenge

Source: BIS

As has been mentioned above, apprenticeship numbers in civil engineering have traditionally been low.

A lower proportion of firms in construction provide training and have established training plans than in other sectors on average. In 2013 only about 27% of businesses in wider construction said they had a training plan and 19% had a training budget.

Training among the high numbers of self-employed construction workers is low. The self-employed are half as likely to participate in training as employees in the sector.

Management skills are vital to the performance of the construction sector. Analysis carried out by EC Harris for BIS (2013) into the structure and performance of construction supply chains has demonstrated the central role of a capable and effective management workforce on the outcome of projects. The research concluded that the management capability of project teams is an important enabler of successful project outcomes, and that continuing investment in the development of the skills is necessary to assure continuing improvement in industry performance.

Evidence indicates that parts of the construction sector have an image problem that may deter people from entering the industry. Survey data from CITB/Pye Tait indicates that the overall appeal of the construction industry as a career option for young people is low (scoring an average of 4.2 out of 10 among 14 to 19 year olds) and only slightly higher among careers advisers (5.6 out of 10). Parents score the industry higher, but still at a relatively low level (6.2 out of 10). The survey also found that construction has difficulty appealing to women.

This ‘image’ has a detrimental impact for encouraging people to enter the industry and skills development.

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The way forward Commitment Commitment is needed from Government, local agencies (e.g. LEPs), employers and those involved in training, such as training providers and awarding/assessing organisations to address the worrying skills gap.

Training capacity Clearly training capacity needs to be in place. In this respect more will need to be done to encourage skilled and experienced construction personnel to become trainers, assessors as well as workplace mentors and trainers.

Success will be achieved by constructive contribution for all parties.

There is considerable training capacity in existence, but in some areas there are clear gaps, particularly in civil engineering.

Employer led qualifications Qualifications must be employer led. They also need to be designed as a set of discrete and recognisable ‘blocks’ of learning which can be useful for new entrants to the industry as a ‘full’ apprenticeship, but can also be deployed to up-skill and update the existing workforce.

Optional ‘blocks’ of learning are required to allow people to develop specialisms, where this is appropriate.

There needs to be a complete set of traineeships, apprenticeships and high apprenticeships for all the agreed construction qualifications, including all those in civil engineering. These need to be based upon clear pathways which provide progression opportunities for employees to develop.

There also needs to be a complete set of technician, supervision and management qualifications that ensure that investment is also made in this critical area.

Workforce development At any given point at least 85% of the potential workforce is either already in employment or registered as unemployed and looking for work. It is essential for employers to be able to develop these and up-skill them, not necessarily with ‘full’ qualifications but with progressive ‘modular’ pathways of training and certification.

It is essential that we continue to invest in the workforce and adult training, not simply put all our effort into young people 14-19 years.

Initiatives such as those on T5, Olympics, Crossrail and Nuclear Power Programme will help, as will the proposed Rail College coming out of the HS2 Programme.

Each of these initiatives will contribute to some degree, although for civil engineering, due to the relatively high cost of training, we cannot rely on this programme for specific outputs. A strategic approach needs to be taken by industry to establish a network of recognised and respected training providers that can deliver the various traineeships, apprenticeships and higher apprenticeship that are needed.

Certain training providers (colleges, academies, employers training operations, etc.) could also provide a centre for excellence in a ‘specialism’ e.g. nuclear, rail, structures, transport and water, etc..

Raising the profile of the industry The industry and the careers services need to do more to counter the negative image of the industry. There are great opportunities in construction with rewarding and fulfilling careers. More people need to know that construction is a good career option for them.

Each one of the above is sufficient in their own right. We need to make progress in all areas if we are to finally deal with the never-ending saga of skills shortages.

Graham Hasting-Evans, MSc. MICE, C Eng, MiMgt, FIBC Managing Director, NOCN awarding and assessment organisation

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Cody Park

A r k D at a C e ntre s April 2014 saw the completion of Ark Data Centres’ latest facility at Cody Park, A101, which was finished on schedule and marks the next step forward in their plans to lead the market by example.

The first module, a two-storey facility consisting of two separate and secure data rooms each supporting 750kW of IT load was completed in August 2013 ahead of programme and has been operational since September 2013. A101 is set in its own compound within a secure campus adjacent to Cody Technology Park, which is home to Data Centre A9, another Ark facility that has been operational since December 2011.

Cody Park, a secure 36 acre campus, is one of Ark’s high integrity data centre campuses and was conceived and designed to complement the local environment and is ideally located for data centre occupiers seeking secure, low carbon data centre facilities within replication distance to London.

As part of the planning consent for A101, Ark has met stringent noise conditions to ensure there is no operational noise impact on the nearest receptors.

A101 comprises of a state-of-the-art data centre with six data rooms providing space for up to 1,092 cabinets at an average of 4.2kW per cabinet, over 42 discrete aisles, resulting in a final facility IT load of 4.5MW. The ancillary area includes goods lifts, stairs, a loading bay, build rooms, technical support offices, a building control centre, security office, kitchen and rest rooms.

It follows the same model as P1, which was built at Spring Park; both are stand-alone modular facilities, not housed within another building.

This modular approach ticks all the boxes from a planning point of view – from visual impact to energy efficiency and the standard footprint simplifies planning approvals and civil construction.

Each module construction occurs in phases and does not affect the existing modules in any way. Aligned to Ark’s sustainable principles, the facilities at Cody Park will receive a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating.

The final day of integrated systems testing on Module 1 took place on 12th July, three days ahead of schedule and in the presence of BCS CEEDA accreditors. In what is a rare occasion in the industry, a customer was also present for this event.

Following the successfully completed IST, a two-week period of training and familiarisation took place for the operations live service team prior to customer handover.

This handover was undertaken as contracted in September 2013.

Read more on page 23

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“We assisted with the pre-handover and fit out of cabinets and structured cabling for two customers, in two separate data rooms, to ensure their occupation goes smoothly and they achieve their go live dates.

“For the last two weeks, these installations have been running concurrently with the on-site operations team training plan.”

Fenton Bard, of SOURCE, one of A101’s initial occupants, added: “This latest addition to the SOURCE portfolio with Business Impact Level 3 (BIL3) status allows us to satisfy public sector and high security enterprise data centre requirements within just 24 hours of order.

“Ready connected, SOURCE delivers high speed tier one internet and point-to-point network services just a cross-connect away. We are really delighted to be working in true partnership with Ark and look forward to expanding through this and the Spring Park campus in the near future.”

Ark’s Design & Build Director, Pip Squire, said: “The BCS CEEDA official expressed amazement that we would carry out such an important test in front of a customer – as this is something that seldom happens in the industry.

“But this is what we do at Ark. We are open and transparent in our approach to delivery. We have confidence in our products, our systems and our delivery team, which we will continue to demonstrate at every stage of our partnerships.

This is just business as usual.”

Huw Owen, CEO of Ark, said: “This is another step forward for Ark’s plan to take the company to the next level and achieve our aggressive expansion plans. The team has put in a sterling effort and should be very happy with the result.”

A101 is designed to Tier III high-availability standards with very low additional energy used in the cooling and power systems, resulting in an annualised PUE of less than 1.25 within an IL3 security environment.

Site enabling works for A101 Cody Park began in December 2012 and eight weeks later, at the end of February 2013, the deployment of the data rooms commenced.

Despite the challenging weather conditions throughout the cold, wet winter and spring, Ark delivered module one

“We are very agile, flexible and understand the needs of our customers.

Ark provided access to customers for installation of cabinets in advance of the handover. Kevin Bone, Director of Business Programme & Client Change at Ark, said in August: “We are very agile, flexible and understand the needs of our customers.

Read more on page 25

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capability that underpins modern economy and public services.

Established in 2005, Ark is rapidly expanding to serve the needs of organisations that require nothing short of operational excellence.

A101 is an evolution of the ‘volumetric’ data centre Ark deployed at Spring Park during 2012. With the volumetric solution, the entire data centre module is constructed offsite and then transported as a series of units for assembly on-site.

Ark’s experienced team understand the IT service and business critical requirements of customers and work in partnership with them to deliver the data centre solutions they need on a non-transactional basis.

As well as Cody Park, Ark has another dedicated data centre campus location in the South of England at Spring Park, Corsham. Like Cody Park, Spring Park also houses high integrity, high security data centres offering an agile approach to organisations who appreciate the need for security, flexibility and sustainability.

With an aggressive expansion programme in place, Ark will continue to deliver sustainable, secure and flexible data centre solutions.

Every Ark data centre is secure to the minimum of BIL3.

However, customers can increase security as required at data centre, data room, suite or aisle level as part of the company-wide zero tolerance approach to anything that puts a customer’s business at risk.

The company’s culture is to be 100% committed to its customers. Ark is continuously and responsibly delivering tomorrow’s data centre needs today, enabling the digital

The steel required to transport these rigid boxes was more than that needed for the construction and operation of the data centre altogether. This led to the development of a ‘ flat pack’ or ‘armature’ solution that has been implemented as a method of standardising the complex elements of the BladeRoom into a more cost effective solution by reducing the amount of structure within the modules while maintaining the functional performance of the facility with no compromise on the operation of the data centre.

Having undertaken site preparation including groundworks, foundations, the concrete structural slabs and the provision of site utilities, the assembly saw the delivery of four air optimiser units to the site, complete with roof sections.

These were then craned into position before external cladding to the north gable end wall was delivered to the site and installed.

We have confidence in our products, our systems and our delivery team, which we will continue to demonstrate at every stage of our partnerships.

This is just business as usual.”

of data centre A101 in just 18 weeks from release of the concrete slab, on programme and to budget.

This allowed the commencement of the ancillary block and energy centre steel frame to begin, which is a traditional steel frame building with insulated cladding.

Read more on page 27

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Norland on board at Ark Data Centres

Norland supports some of the world’s leading enterprise data centres and critical facilities.

We provide Ark with mechanical and electrical maintenance, process and documentation support in compliance with BS 25999, ISO 27001 and ISO 14001, as well as technical and general cleaning, waste management and pest control.

Our extensive understanding of data centres and white space management

Norland Managed Services Ltd City Bridge House 57 Southwark Street London SE1 1RU t: 020 7871 9100 e: info@norlandmanagedservices.co.uk w: www.norlandmanagedservices.co.uk /NorlandMS

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means we are experts in preserving the integrity and service availability of our customers.

Exceptional Service, Exceptional People

Pip Squire, Design & Build Director for Ark, said: “We are rapidly expanding our data centre estate to meet the growing demand for high integrity data centres.

External cladding continued to the data room sections as the units were assembled and plant decks for modules one and two were delivered to site and craned into position.

Module two’s energy centre slab was released ready for mechanical and electrical deployment from 19th August 2013.

After this, the internal fit out began, and internal bay-tobay junction trims were installed throughout to prevent cold bridging. Fire, power and data services were fitted before external services such as water, drainage and power were connected.

In keeping with Ark’s sustainable principles and procurement programme, local suppliers and contractors have been utilised to reduce the carbon footprint and to contribute towards a BREEAM certification of ‘Excellent’.

Ark’s approach to health and safety also requires that each project is part of the Considerate Constructors Scheme.

At all stages, strict quality assurance procedures were followed and detailed installation guides produced for each element.

Spring Park has also made rapid progress at its dedicated data centre site in Wiltshire. The second phase of data centre SQ17 was completed in January 2014 after commencing in April 2013.

“Module one of SQ17, one of our first facilities, has been operational since 2010, and two years on the shell will be ready for a further four modules and administration block.”

Once complete, SQ17 will comprise six 2MVA modules, all supporting four BIL4 (or up to BIL6 if required) data suites which can each hold up to 60 cabinets with average power 2.7kW. SQ17 is located in its own secure compound within the external, secure boundary of Spring Park in Corsham,

“This is another step forward for Ark’s plan to take the Company to the next level and achieve our aggressive expansion plans.

Data rooms comprising of 16 prefabricated units, fitted with all services installed at the factory, were then delivered to the site and 16 additional units were delivered as skeleton units only. They were craned into position and fitted to precast bolts within the structural slab and the first floor of modules one and two were sealed and constructed section by section.

Read more on page 29

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of our work is via existing clients or referrals Does that mean we’re resting on our laurels?

No; quite the opposite, in fact. We enjoy what we do and are always looking for new challenges. It was our founding philosophy in 2004: to attain the highest standards in building engineering services – and exceed them. Since that time, we’ve developed business relationships based on trust and integrity with a prestigious, blue-chip client base. These have given us an excellent reputation in the marketplace.

It’s our mission to achieve ever-higher standards for both new and existing customers in every business sector: from mission-critical IT installations to commercial, financial, retail, leisure and premium residential.

As a leading provider of mechanical and electrical maintenance solutions, we’ll support your business from day one. Whether the requirement is for a resident site-based team or mobile service with call-out times to meet required SLA’s, we can accommodate all your post installation maintenance needs.

Moreover, JCA provides a range of professional support services including facilities management systems, reporting, regulatory compliance, CDM-C and HSQE consultancy.

To find out how JCA could benefit your business, call us anytime to discuss your requirements on 01438 847020 or email us at info@jcagroup.co.uk

www.jcagroup.co.uk

The campus is also home to Data Centre P1, module one of which has been operational since November 2011. Modules two and three were installed in April 2014 and the facility boasts a tested and proven low PUE of 1.25.

When compared against a traditional data centre running at 2.5, Ark’s solution can save occupiers £1.1 million per megawatt of IT and 6,000 tonnes of carbon per year, for every year of the contract.

As well as being highly energy efficient, Ark continues to roll out its landscape and environmental management plan to increase biodiversity at both Spring Park and Cody Park.

Stephen Hall, Executive Sales & Marketing Director, said: “We have an aggressive growth strategy and have seen our sales pipeline expand exponentially since our recapitalisation last July.

“The continued development on both campuses to meet customer demand is a true reflection of Ark’s commitment to deliver data centres that enable the digital capability underpinning our modern economy and public services.”

Ark’s world-class team of industry professionals understand the complexities of delivering and operating business critical infrastructure deployed to meet each occupier’s individual requirements, and this is apparent with the A101 and A9 data centres.

The quality of work has been recognised. Ark was a finalist in the Uptime Institute Green Enterprise IT Awards 2012 in the category of Modula Data Centre Product Deployment, and also at the Datacenter Dynamics EMEA Awards 2012 in the innovation in the Mega Data Center category.

Spring Park and Cody Park data centre campus locations house a variety of Ark’s high integrity data centres, offering a flexible approach to organisations who appreciate the need for secure, available and sustainable data processing, storage and communications solutions.

Both sites are also aligned with the UK Government’s policy of reducing the environmental impact of ICT by ensuring improvements in energy efficiency.

Together, Ark and its industry partners continue to be instrumental in the enhancement of industry standards and are associated with many thought-leading and best practice collaborations in the public and private sector including the Intellect Data Centre Council and the Data Centre Alliance, resulting in full compliance with the EU Code of Conduct.

We are rapidly expanding our data centre estate to meet the growing demand for high integrity data centres.

Wiltshire; a site previously owned and still surrounded by the Ministry of Defence, which was selected by Ark for the levels of security it affords and its position relative to an intermodal point on the National Grid.

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CODY PARK – EXCELLENT SECURITY FOR YOUR VALUABLE DATA Control Risks and Ark are your ideal partners to ensure your data stays where it belongs

On the Cody Park project, Ark Data Centres joined forces with Control Risks to ensure that their commitment to customer security is maintained and implemented in line with their strict risk management system.

Control Risks supported by • Providing an assessment of the risk environment • Designing risk-commensurate physical and electronic security solutions • Provisioning technical assurance to ensure compliance with design

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Your assets deserve the best protection Partner up with Control Risks to enhance the resilience of data and business assets. Control Risks offers a wide range of services to protect your most valuable assets: • Assessment of threats • Development of security plans, policies and procedures • Design of security measures

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Managing Risk | Maximising Opportunity

Smarter printing for construction For further information about OKI’s products and services, please visit the OKI website, www.oki.co.uk

B y Ro b B row n , O K I B u si n e s s M a n a g e r fo r M a n a g e d D o c u m e nt S e r v i c e s The construction industry was one of the hardest hit by the economic recession as housing activity slumped and building projects were cancelled to save money. Recent months have seen a strong recovery, but as construction businesses from architects to contractors and design and engineering firms begin to emerge from the downturn, many are uncertain what approach to take to printing.

Construction companies have a consistent requirement for easy and accessible printing that is at the same time both dependable and, in line with the nature of their work, of high graphical quality. Yet, with memories of the slump still fresh, many such firms remain reluctant to make large capital investments in new printing solutions.

The issue is that instead they often just struggle on, wasting money through inefficient processes and diverse and ageing printers.

Many construction companies would benefit from a third approach, which involves buying printing in a completely different way - as a service which grows and develops with their business. Managed print services is often the ideal solution in this kind of scenario.

That is because instead of requiring them to make a large upfront investment in the latest technology, it enables them to buy printers, supplies, maintenance and support in one all-inclusive ongoing contract as operational rather than capital expenditure. And these are exactly the kinds of benefits that OKI is able to deliver to construction sector businesses through its managed print services and associated managed page solutions.

Rob Brown

An OKI managed print services implementation typically begins with audit of existing practices including output volumes and printing types. By gaining a transparent view across the print landscape, a construction sector business can see where budget is spent and where it is potentially being wasted.

The results will be used to design a long-term print solution tailored to the needs of that individual organisation, helping ensure that the right printers are being used for the right job.

This approach also establishes best practices such as setting double-sided and mono printing as default options to save costs and drive energy efficiencies. In addition, it means just one contract for all printing and documents needs, including printers, supplies, technical support and maintenance. This makes it easier to monitor on-going costs, reduce capital investment and control budgets.

For hard-pressed construction businesses that need a more granular level of control, OKI offers a comprehensive

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managed page services approach. This involves OKI working with its customer to establish their print and document requirements; recommend the right printing device and delivering a tailored, all-inclusive printing plan that covers all consumables and servicing, thereby improving productivity in the workplace. The right device together with the right printing plan and the implementation of print policies will ensure the company concerned pays a flat monthly fee for what it prints, so it can control its costs with no hidden surprises.

Of course, in implementing such an approach, it is also vital that vendors provide the right printing solutions that drive real added value for their clients across the construction sector. The new OKI C931 A3 colour printer is one such solution, delivering the outstanding print quality that architects, design companies and other construction sector businesses need to print maps, plans and diagrams while pushing the boundaries of media flexibility.

What makes the C931 such a good choice for design purposes is that it offers best in class, high definition print quality, achieved through OKI’s Multi-Level ProQ technology. This coupled with OKI’s unique single-pass LED technology delivers consistent high quality colour, with no compromise on speed and performance.

What many businesses across the construction sector are looking for today is an approach that enables them to carefully manage and control their spending on printing while at the same time enabling them to unleash their creativity with outstanding print quality and superior media flexibility. And that is exactly what OKI’s services and solutions for the sector enable them to do.

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S i m o n M eye r, C o n s tr u c ti o n M a n a g i n g D i re c to r at H uman Re cognition Syste ms , explores the te chnologies that companies c an put in place to manage construction sites and their workers Biometric technology has been widely adopted by the construction industry and the use of hand, fingerprint and facial readers is now generally regarded as best practice by most Tier 1 contractors. This was demonstrated by the deployment during the Olympic Park’s build phase, in which secure hand and iris recognition was standard for all workers. The seamless integration with industry-recognised smartcards, such as those provided

by CSCS, has further ensured that individuals are who they say they are and have the skills they say they do.

Robust access security is a necessity for all sites, but given the complexity of a site manager’s role this can often be low on the list of priorities. The pressures that managers are under when first setting up a site underscores the need for swift installations, quick lead times and effective solutions when implementing security measures.

Technology should relieve the burden of paperwork on the site manager, leaving them to get on with their key role; as such, technology now responds to the ever complex reporting and policy requirements and challenges traditional methods of procurement. Driven by the corporate agenda, the industry is now moving from the “access control and security” approach to a more sophisticated purchase, one that covers multiple functions including health and safety, IT, facilities and environment.

Moving into the Cloud With construction workforces frequently moving between sites, corporate-level identity and access management is now essential. Cloud-based technology can help to facilitate this, as hosting data securely and centrally off-site reduces the cost of IT overheads and increases flexibility. As

adoption increases within the industry, product providers must confirm measures are in place around the storage of sensitive data and that appropriate data protection and security policies are adhered to.

Mobile technology also has an increased role to play in site security. Mobile enables real-time checks to be performed on worker accreditations without the need to head back to welfare cabins and check photocopied records, with incidents reported immediately using pictorial evidence.

Overcoming barriers to site security through portable solutions From a construction site level perspective, acquiring access security can be a time-consuming process for busy managers, and as such it is vital to find a technology provider that can ease the process. Historically problematic areas regarding security include: lengthy lead times; arranging for cabins or shelters; for turnstiles to be installed; and the inflexibility of relocating the access point as the project moves between different phases.

Portable, access control units housing full height turnstile and biometric scanners address the above issues, designed specifically for construction sites with a fixed perimeter.

Solutions such as MSite Pod save time and ensure that procuring site security is a simple process. All providers should look to shift the acquisition of site access control into the realm of plant hire and endeavour above all to minimise disruption for site managers.

Technology provides real opportunities to free up key personnel to manage the project and not the associated process. However, the challenge comes with how it can be implemented effectively to maximise site performance.

Making the worker the common link Integrating biometrics, the Cloud and mobile into a single system is pivotal to improving site management and achieving security and the worker is central to that success. Effective access control solutions will ensure that all sites have an accredited, trained and legal workforce and therefore guarantee adherence to company safety and security policies.

Such solutions will also promote lean construction by better enabling the planning, management and performance of workers and sub-contractors. Biometric attendance systems enable multiple sites to be centrally managed, in the process helping construction organisations gain a competitive advantage to win contracts through improved subcontractor management, water-tight regulatory compliance, company policy enforcement and best price tenders.

To find out more visit www.hrsid.com/markets/construction or call 0151 254 2888.

Assuring site security through the use of technology

Simon Meyer, Construction Managing Director

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Secured by Design

C re ati n g m i n i m u m s e c u r it y s t a n d a rd s Owned by the Association of Chief Police Officers, Secured

by Design (SBD) blends criminology, design against crime and security technology into a police standard that has been proven to reduce burglary by more than 75% and car crime and criminal damage by more than 25%.

The local Crime Prevention Design Advisor or Architectural Liaison Officer works with the developer and architect from the planning stages to interpret the minimum standards to the development in question. Not all sites need the same level of security so it is not a one size fits all approach.

With independent research constantly reviewing the scheme, SBD keeps up to date with trends in crime and burglary.

The correct shutters, windows, doors and locks can make a difference between someone gaining access to a property.

With 30% of all burglaries still being through the front door, it is evident that there is need to specify products that are Police Preferred Specification and are more resilient.

Established in 1989, SBD is the title for a group of national police projects focusing on the design and security for new and refurbished homes, commercial premises and car parks, as well as the acknowledgement of quality security products and crime prevention projects.

It supports the principles of ‘designing out crime’ through physical security and processes.

Designing out crime deals with concepts of reducing anonymity of the offender, territoriality – the relationship between private space and public space, environmental design and physical security measures.

Offenders feel more vulnerable in private space and adjoining public spaces can feed off this reaction, making it appear that potential crime targets in the public area are under the control of residents.

This empowerment of residents is sometimes called defensible space.

SBD was started against a backdrop of a rising tide of burglary and a lack of consistency in crime prevention advice.

According to the British Crime Survey, burglary peaked in the UK in 1995 at 1,770,000 with people living in rented accommodation two times more likely to become a victim.

The initiative was originally formed by police forces in the South East before its adoption by all the UK police forces by 1992. At the same time, SBD started working with the glass, glazing and hardware industries on product standards that reflected current crime trends.

By combining minimum security standards, building design and layout crime, burglary was reduced.

The company creates national minimum standards for security products and urban design.

Those recommendations seek to be reasonable, realistic and risk commensurate.

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The principles of SBD have been proven by university research over many years that it will reduce crime by 75%, by combining minimum standards of physical security and welltested principles of natural surveillance and defensible space.

SBD is a not-for-profit organisation that is funded via its licensed members scheme. Money is spent on crime prevention research and education.

Member company status is awarded to companies producing security products that pass standards and tests nominated by the police service.

The standards and related tests must demonstrate the product effectiveness in preventing or reducing crime, usually by resistance to physical attack.

Licensed products include bicycle security solutions, anti-theft devices, personal security/lone worker devices, windows, doors and locks, IT/computer security, empty property protection, asset tracking and recovery.

With approximately 450 member companies, they all benefit from the SBD logo, which is trademarked and shows that products have reached a high level of security that meet Police Preferred Specification.

The logo shows that products have been tested and certified to a higher standard and will reduce the opportunity for crime. SBD controls the use of its logo so that only members and those reselling their SBD products can use the logo.

Standards are often complex and for some unique products where standards do not exist, evaluation processes have been developed. The SBD accreditation enables specifiers and the public to have confidence in the effectiveness of the product without having to understand the technical standards.

over 20 years and householders who aren’t offered security recommendations after a burglary are 69% more likely to suffer a repeat incident than those who are offered advice.

This highlights in the clearest possible way just how important SBD is.

A study of Glasgow Housing Association properties claimed that there had been a saving of £18,304 in the research area due to the introduction of SBD in some part, and the installation pays for itself after two years maximum, in terms of saved costs of crime.

Just as the London 2012 Olympics in London benefited from full SBD status, the 2014 Commonwealth Games Village in Glasgow has also been awarded full status.

Many of SBD’s member companies don’t actually sell to the general public. Instead, they re-sell onto installers or retailers, who then sell to the public.

SBD works with a number of organisations on best practise and initiatives that it supports and assists by working on guidance documents and specifications.

Due to the success of events such as the London 2012 Olympics, where SBD provided the benchmark for developing the security principles for buildings, the company is aware that there is a demand for people outside of the UK Police Service to offer all, or part of, SBD.

In order to achieve recognition from SBD, physical security products are required to have passed security testing from an independent testing house, such as the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB).

It is important that all individuals delivering these principles and guidance are registered, experienced and skilled consultants.

As a result, a licensed consultants scheme has been introduced to create a legitimate community of security consultants throughout the UK and centralise a secure way for those in the construction and design industries to search and ensure they only employ the skills of a true SBD licensed consultant.

SBD was a requirement for all legacy buildings for the Olympics and, as a result, the principles of addressing security and testing products and designs prior to the build stage were adopted. It now forms part of the Government’s drive to export excellence in security overseas.

The security of the Secured by Design product is then based on the security level that it has been tested to. The LPCB have security tests for physical security that range from level 1 though to level 8.

The most common security levels required on today’s buildings are SR2 and SR3.

It is important to confirm the security rating for the product that is recognised by SBD to ensure it is the correct security level for your project. Whilst the SBD badge can be displayed on company literature, this does not necessarily mean that all of the company’s products are Secured by Design. Alongside the SBD logo, the logo of the testing house should also be displayed, with the details of the certified security rating.

SBD was also incorporated in the Cardiff City Stadium in 2009, as well as Westfield City Stratford Shopping Centre last year, and has now been adopted in many other countries.

Developments that use SBD products and materials are up to 75% less likely to be burgled and also show a reduction in criminal damage of 25%.

It is cost effective too, as using SBD standards will only set the average household back £170 a year - a small price to pay for security and peace of mind.

The Association of British Insurers has estimated that the introduction of SBD standards across the UK will bring more than £3.2 billion worth of savings to the economy

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CALLSAFE SERVICES LIMITED

OVER 25 YEARS PROVIDING EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT HEALTH AND SAFETY ADVICE AND TRAINING TO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND OTHERS 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

INSTITUTION OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH MANAGING SAFELY IN CONSTRUCTION This is the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Managing Safely course, amended to make the subjects the construction industry, and separately accredited by IOSH. It is highly interactive and is experienced construction health and safety professionals, who also are appointed to projects as CDM coordinator.

Intended for:

Anyone who supervises or manages designers or contractors in the construction and allied industries. Also relevant for client representatives and CDM coordinators.

Course Aims:

To ensure that managers/ supervisors: • Understand their responsibilities for health and safety as an integral part of their construction and other management/supervision roles; • Are able to recognise a sound health and safety management system, including effective construction risk management; • Are able to recognise the key risks in the construction industry and understand the precautions to be taken.

Course Content:

Day 1 • Introduction and Setting Course Objectives • Principles of Good Safety Management • Legal Foundation for Health and Safety • Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide • Safety Management on Construction Projects

Day 2 • Understanding the Legal Framework for Safety and Health at Work • Accident Causation and Accident Prevention • Applying Management Principles to Health and Safety Day 3 Key Legislation, Commonly Occurring Hazards and Their Controls: • The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 • Working time • First aid • Reporting of accidents • Fire • Safety signs and signals • Electricity • Display screen equipment • Manual handling • Chemicals/Hazardous substances • Personal protective equipment • Work equipment and Machinery •

• Effective Communication • Control of Contractors • Training • Course Assessment (A 30 minute test paper, similar in format to mock assessments performed during the course) • Course Discussion and Completion (Including the introduction to the Course Project, which is an inspection and risk assessment performed by the delegates of their workplace. This is performed subsequent to the course and submitted to the course tutor for marking)

Maximum number of course delegates: 16 Public Courses

This course is offered as a public course, for individuals to book and attend.

Course Cost: £800.00 per delegate, plus VAT (Discounts for multiple bookings)

Day 4 Construction Related Legislation, Commonly Occurring Hazards Currently programmed public and Their Controls: courses are: Construction (Design and 23, 24, 25 September and 1 & 2 • • Management) Regulations 2007, October 2014 (Staffordshire) Part 4 In-house Courses • Lifting operations and equipment Noise This course is also offered as • Vibration an in-house course, where an • Lead organisation can book the tutor • Asbestos for the 2 days and the course is • presented within the organisation’s • Pressure systems own premises, This option can • Radiation reduce the course cost and the • Elevated working places travel/accommodation costs where • Safety in earthworks the organisation has a number of • Flammable liquids and gases their staff requiring this training.

• • The construction working environment A lump sum price can be provided for in-house courses.

Day 5 • Human Behaviour in Accident and Ill-Health Prevention

Further details of this, and other, courses can be found at www.callsafe-services.co.uk, or by contacting Gemma Esprey at gemma.esprey@callsafe-services.co.uk or by phone on 01889 577701

Bryland Fire Protection Ltd is one of the leading independent providers of Fire Alarm and Fire Suppression Systems to theUKdataindustry.

Bryland are a very well established firm who have been providing fire systems and services to Industry and Commerce for over 40 years.

We are a BAFE SP203 approved company for the design, installation, commissioning, maintenance and verification of fire alarms and gaseous fire suppression systems.

In recent years, we have specialised in the design, installation and maintenance of fire systems for the data centre industry and have established ourselves as one of the leading providers of systems in the UK.

professionals are on hand to manage projects from concept to handover and then provide ongoing maintenance thereafter.

The full range of fire protection gases and agents are available including Argonite, FM200 and Novec amongst others.

We also specialise in the design and installation of VESDA and other high sensitivity smoke detection systems.

We offer a full design and installation service and provide work to very high standards. Our team of highly trained

Unit 3, Pear Tree Lane, Dudley, West Midlands DY2 0QU Telephone: 01384 573350/573301 Sales Fax: 01384 480944 Accounts: Fax: 01384 573876 Email: sales@brylandfire.co.uk

www: brylandfire.co.uk

Industry growth should not lead to more Health & Safety incidents H S E C o n s tr u c ti o n D i v isi o n P l a n of Wo r k 2 01 4/ 2 01 5 The construction industry remains one of the largest in Great Britain, bring employment to around two million people; it also remains hazardous and a cause for significant concern. The characteristics of the industry and the challenges they create for health and safety are well documented.

Research tells us that with market upturns, particularly in construction, we see increases in fatal and other accidents.

The HSE Construction Division wants to make sure this doesn’t happen and is challenging the construction industry to be aware of the risks and to make sure work pressures do not impact their health and safety record. With the employment of new and less experienced workers in order to meet demand, it is imperative that companies ensure good training and supervision as new recruits build skills.

In 2012/13, 39 construction workers and five members of the public lost their lives, despite a welcome reduction in construction related deaths from the 50 in 2011/12, these figures remain unacceptable. Over the same period, the HSE has estimated that there were over 100 times as many deaths from work related ill health and disease and is determined to reduce these burdens as well as the associated injuries.

Last year, the HSE increased its inspections of small sites; where some 70% of fatal accidents occur; and is pushing to do the same this year, thus increasing safety awareness at small sites and refurbishment projects.

With the home build sector showing signs of improvement, the HSE has determined to inspect larger home building projects and one-off developments to ensure effective management of both health and safety risks on site.

But it is not just ‘on site’ that the HSE is looking to influence standards; they are looking to go ‘beyond the site gate’ and examine how other duty holders such as designers and clients have, and can, influence health and safety standards within construction.

Preventing occupational ill health and diseases, including respiratory risks, hand-arm vibration and occupational cancers across all sectors of the industry is another priority that the HSE Construction Division is determined to tackle.

The Plan of Work 2014/15 sets out the Construction Division’s work for the forthcoming work year. Building on previous work, it continues the HSE’s mission to deliver sustainable and where possible, accelerate long-term improvements in the industry’s health and safety performance.

The plan reaffirms the Construction Division’s commitment to improving health and safety in the construction industry by targeting high risk sectors and activities and its directive

to work with those within the industry to deliver the plan.

There is an understanding that improvements cannot be achieved by the HSE alone, and look to all those in the industry to be part of the solution to bring about change.

Below is a summary of the priorities.

Securing Justice: the HSE will continue to hold to account those who put others at risk, particularly through deliberate flouting of the law; where appropriate this will be prosecuted through the courts. Investigations of serious work related incidents and ill health, and take appropriate enforcement action. Fee for intervention will continue to ensure that people who are not complying with the law and not the taxpayer bear the cost of the time spent putting things right.

Construction Operational Activities: The main operational activities will target: licensed asbestos removal, small sites/projects/refurbishment, home building, major projects/large contractors, and local priorities. Site visits will encompass: work at height, occupational health risks, asbestos risks, provision of welfare facilities, site conditions.

In addition further considerations include: Management of health risks: raising awareness, promoting knowledge and ensuring control of health risks in construction.

Leadership: how effective directors and senior management are at leading health and safety. How work is supervised from the top of the organisation to the workforce.

Worker involvement: encouraging effective worker involvement so that every worker plays an active role.

CDM duty holders: examine the roles of duty holders to determine their influence on the standards found on sites.

Contractor competence: placing particular emphasis on the competence of organisations and individuals.

Temporary works: raising awareness of managing temporary work effectively and ensuring that adequate management arrangements are in place.

In addition to these, HSE will continue to work in partnership with key stakeholders and intermediaries. Key areas of collaboration include: Supporting the Working Well Together (WWT) programme.

The development of a simpler and more easily understood revised regulatory package to replace the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

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Multi-award winning pioneers in timber house construction “A normal house built in England wouldn’t be the same quality.

B a u f r it z

Throughout its history, Baufritz’s mission has remained the same:, to create individual, ecologically friendly homes that are designed around people, their needs and wellbeing.

Baufritz received the Highly Commended Award in the best eco-living category at the London Evening Standard New Homes Awards 2014.

Baufritz is dedicated to giving customers their dream home.

This is done through superior design, sustainable materials free from hazardous substances and the use of renewable sources of energy to create a home individual to each client.

The company’s efficient, affordable and beautiful homes create the perfect living environment.

Oliver Rehm, Managing Director of Baufritz, was presented with the award by Great Britain’s Winter Olympic gold medallist Lizzie Yarnold at a ceremony at London’s Dorchester Hotel in May.

All Baufritz homes are tailor-made to fit the vision of each customer and are eco-friendly, promoting health.

Established in 1896 by Sylvester Fritz, what started out as a carpenter’s shop is now a strong company with 250 members of staff and a renowned reputation across Europe as the premier provider of luxury timber homes.

It remains true to its roots and is still a family-run organisation, headed in its fourth generation by Dagmar Fritz-Kramer, Entrepreneur of the Year 2008, who has introduced a new generation of architecturally modern and individually designed ecological and healthy homes.

Even though the company has expanded and relocated to a 14,000sq m state-of-the-art factory, the headquarters is still in the same beautiful part of South Germany – Erkheim in Bavaria - as it always has been.

Baufritz make the difference by giving customers guaranteed completion dates and fixed prices for all projects, individual designs and finishes and innovative system construction This creates a stress-free, quality monitored construction as part of the complete service, which also sees clients benefit from open and honest advice.

Projects are undertaken from the first planning briefing, right up to the handing over of house keys, and Baufritz is rightly proud of the excellent customer service provided throughout all project phases, including committed after sales advice.

Baufritz’s turnkey service covers all aspects of the house building process, including architectural design, planning, manufacturing and project managed on-site construction carried out by experienced and specialist teams of tradesmen.

The result is an exciting experience for customers building their own home, and ultimately a successful and enjoyable one.

With a quality of service so high, it is no surprise that Baufritz has been recognised within the industry with various awards.

Last month saw Baufritz gain an award for Penny House, a stunning five-bedroom family home in Berkshire.

42

Now in its 23rd year, this awards ceremony sets the gold standard in the property world and celebrates the skills of the new homes industry.

It is an important industry recognition for Baufritz and alongside customer satisfaction, is very rewarding for the company.

The work was done on behalf of Duncan and Christine Penny and is the second award within a year for their new Baufritz home.

Just last year, Baufritz’s exceptional design and construction was recognised with a ‘Best Use of Timber Frame’ Award at the 2013 Build It Awards for this house.

Organised by leading self-build consumer magazine Build It, these are one of the most important awards for the selfbuild and construction industry.

The Build It Awards celebrate all aspects of self-build and renovation and bring together architects, manufacturers and other key industry figures.

Baufritz was shortlisted for two awards: ‘Best Architect’ and ‘Best Use of Timber Frame’, overcoming stiff competition around the UK to win the latter for the beautiful new home in Cookham Dean.

The house exceeds Level 5 of the Code for Sustainable Homes and the German precision of the company’s construction techniques was also a major attraction for Duncan and Christine Perry.

They said: “A normal house built in England wouldn’t be the same quality. Everything works so efficiently, everything is so square and millimetre perfect. We really enjoy living here.”

THINKING ABOUT A NEW HOUSE ?

KEEP CALM BAU F RlTZ BUlLDS WHAT YOU lMAGlNE

WlTH GERMAN P REClSlON AND DlLlGENCE HONEST TO A FAULT.

By your side from the moment you start planning until you move in.

Baufritz experts, architects and tradesmen from Germany come and stay until your dream house has become a reality. From bespoke design according to your wishes through perfectly organised wood construction to completion of the interior.

This is what makes the difference between what is just a beautiful house and what is your happy home. www.baufritz-cs.co.uk ·  01223 235632 UK office: enquiries@baufritz-cs.co.uk

Netherlands: Sif delivers monopiles and transition pieces for Humber Gateway Efficiency, on-time deliveries and first class quality made Sif Group, located in Roermond, the Netherlands, the partner of choice for the E.ON 219 MW Humber Gateway contract, powering up to 170,000 UK homes.

Sif Works for offshore foundations. Delivering a high quality product, on time and within a safety conscious environment, requires more than state-of-the-art facilities. Qualities like these make Sif the leading monopile company in Offshore Wind. And it is therefore that Sif Group was the right partner to supply the majority (57 out of 73) of the foundations for the Humber Gateway offshore wind farm.

“Our 200kt+ annual production capacity, four production lines, unique process know-how in the rolling of heavy steel plate material and bestin-class submerged arc welding techniques have put us in a position in which key players in the industry know exactly what we stand for”, says Michel Kurstjens, CCO, Sif. “Sif group stands for on-time deliveries, first class quality and large-scale projects”.

We have performed as can be expected from a high quality partner: producing 4 to 5 monopiles per week and delivering our products on time.

We are grateful to E.ON to be their partner in the Humber Gateway project. Sif Works is not only our corporate tagline, it is how we do business.”

The Foundations consist of monopiles produced

by Sif Group and transition pieces, which are manufactured by Smulders as a subcontractor for Sif Group.

“The Humber Gateway project is a project in which we are able to integrate everything that we stand for – experience, technology, solid client support and innovation.

To find out more about the value of Sif, our products and services: www.sif-group.com, email sales@sif-group.com or call +31 475 385 777.

Sif Works 7-Cs.nl SIF4011

... for offshore foundations

Sif Group bv

Mijnheerkensweg 33

6041 TA Roermond The Netherlands

T +31 475 385 777

E info@sif-group.com

sif-group.com

Humber Gateway Offshore Wind Farm A cl e a n a n d ef f i ci e nt m e a n s of e n e rg y g e n e r ati o n

Together, the turbines will have an installed capacity of up to 219MW. E.ON and TAG Energy Solutions announced in February that TAG had been awarded the contract to manufacture 16 monopiles and transition pieces for E.ON’s Humber Gateway Offshore Wind Farm.

The contract will see the Teesside based manufacturing firm become the first UK manufacturer to secure a substantial monopile and transition piece project for a wind farm in British Waters.

An additional 60 people are being employed to deliver the contract.

Preparation work for the manufacturing of the 16, 60m long, 650 tonne monopiles and associated transition pieces

began immediately at TAG Energy Solutions’ state-of-theart production facility on the banks of the River Tees.

The first steel arrived on site in March and the contract for the transition piece project will be completed by the end of the year.

E.ON’s £736 million Humber Gateway wind farm, situated close to the mouth of the Humber Estuary, will generate enough energy to power up to 170,000 homes – more than one and a half times the number of homes in Hull.

Edward Davey, UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, said: “Securing investment in clean energy that supports growth and jobs is an absolute priority. I want to congratulate TAG Energy Solutions on becoming the first UK manufacturer to secure a contract of this kind for a wind farm in British Waters. I hope they are the first of many.

“The development of a thriving UK supply chain is vital to support our rapidly-growing offshore wind industry. The Government is working with industry so it can source at least half of the content for offshore wind projects from within Read more on page 47

“I want to congratulate TAG Energy Solutions on becoming the first UK manufacturer to secure a contract of this kind for a wind farm in British Waters.”

Humber Gateway Offshore Wind Farm will be located approximately eight kilometres from Easington, off East Yorkshire’s Holderness Coast and will consist of 73 wind turbines and an offshore substation.

An example of an E.ON wind farm - Source E.ON

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The Humber Gateway Offshore Windfarm provides clean power for nearly 170,000 homes. It also reduces carbon emissions, contributes to the UK’s renewable generation targets and helps meet future energy demand. Ramboll has designed more than half of the world’s offshore wind turbine foundations, including the 73 foundations that support the farm.

MAKING OFFSHORE ENERGY OBTAINABLE (AND ONSHORE LIVING SUSTAINABLE)

Siemens press picture

See how on www.ramboll.co.uk/wind

FOR MORE THAN 45 YEARS, RAMBOLL HAS CONTRIBUTED TO A RESPONSIBLE, EFFICIENT AND STEADY SUPPLY OF ENERGY TO COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD.

Tony Cocker, CEO of E.ON UK, said: “We’re extremely pleased to be able to work with TAG on this very important next step in the construction of our Humber Gateway Offshore Wind Farm and to support local businesses in this way. I welcome TAG on board and hope that this is just the beginning of our organisations working together.”

Alex Dawson, Chief Executive of TAG Energy Solutions, added: “This high profile contract represents a significant achievement in TAG Energy Solutions development and the important role it plays in the manufacturing of components for the offshore renewables sector. We are very pleased to be working with E.ON and this award demonstrates we have the skills, products and capabilities to serve the offshore wind industry.

“We are in the unique position of being the first, fully prepared British manufacturer to provide volume monopiles and transition pieces for UK wind farm developments. E.ON has demonstrated its confidence in TAG Energy Solutions and British manufacturing and we are very proud to be part of one of the country’s flagship wind farm developments.”

During development, two marine export cables will connect the offshore wind farm to a cable landfall site – the point where the generated electricity comes to shore – just south of Easington.

From there, the electricity generated by the wind farm will travel 30km through underground cables to an onshore substation at Saltend, east of Hull. The electricity produced by the offshore wind farm will then be supplied to the National Grid for distribution around the UK.

E.ON has employed best practices, such as carrying out work during normal working hours and working with the drivers of construction vehicles to ensure they are aware of local danger zones on the roads and are driving safely at all times.

Due to the area’s ecological interests, E.ON was asked by the Government’s Marine Management Organisation to work within certain time restrictions, meaning pipes had to be installed to receive export cables at the landfall site from last August.

This involved work on an area of the beach to extend two pre-installed cable ducts further out into the shallow water, as well as some dredging work by a vessel in the shallow water.

In recent years there has been growing awareness of the need to reduce carbon emissions to slow down the pace of climate change resulting from human activity.

The electricity generating industry is one of the sources of carbon emissions, as traditionally fossil fuels have been burned to generate electricity.

“E.ON has demonstrated its confidence in TAG Energy Solutions and British manufacturing and we are very proud to be part of one of the country’s flagship wind farm developments.”

the UK. This will help build the lasting legacy of a strong domestic offshore wind manufacturing capability.”

The contribution of renewable energy is critical to progressing towards lower carbon emissions. E.ON believes that the Humber Gateway project will provide a clean and efficient means of energy generation.

The scheme will also help to tackle climate change and make a significant contribution to the UK’s renewable generation targets.

The wind farm will be complete and generating energy in 2015.

An example of an E.ON wind farm Source E.ON UK

47

As a Swansea based electrical and mechanical services provider, RDM Electrical and Mechanical Services is immensely proud to have been successful in attaining a major component of Swansea University’s flagship £450m Bay Campus development which is currently in progress and due for completion in September 2015.

Our company is delighted to have won a design and build contract to provide electrical and mechanical services to both the accommodation and commercial components of the Swansea Bay Campus development which, o n completion of the first phase scheduled for September 2015, will provide bedroom units for 940 students, together with all the necessary facilities and infrastructure needed to support such a development; the site will eventually incorporate 2500 bedroom units and accompanying services.

RDM is a long-­‐established services provider with its head office based in Swansea. The company operates throughout Wales and the UK and has a large number of repeat clients whilst at the same time is continually growing its customer base on a controlled growth path. Our clients return to us time and again owing to our uncontractual, open and honest approach to the services we provide.

RDM ELECTRICAL & MECHANICAL SERVICES Our company has a proven track-­‐record for providing a quality-­‐performance executed by its highly qualified, well-­‐trained, motivated and committed personnel which continues to be paramount to the company’s sustained growth and success

Electrical • • • • • • • •

Mechanical

In-­‐house design capabilities Electrical installations covering all elements of electrical building services Fire Alarm installation and maintenance to BAFE standards Emergency lighting testing and certification Fixed wiring testing and certification BMS installations and maintenance Energy monitoring, metering and on-­‐going reporting Energy surveys and rectification reporting

• • • • • • • • • •

Int house design capabilities Air conditioning/refrigeration installation and maintenance Metal work fabrication Industrial pipework installations Domestic plumbing installations and maintenance Domestic and commercial gas installations Rainwater harvesting SBEM and EPC energy calculations Solar hot water installations and associated services Air and ground source heat pumps

RDM Electrical & Mechanical Services 6 Cambrian Court, Ferryboat Close, Enterprise Park, Swansea, SA6 8PZ

Tel: 01792 701256 Fax: 01792 781 705 Email: admin@rdmelectrical.com Website: www.rdmelectrical.com

Swansea University

Lo o k i n g fo r wa rd to th e co m p l e ti o n of B ay C a m p u s Swansea University’s 65-acre Bay Campus is being delivered and will provide key areas of strength once completed.

Built on the former BP Transit site in Neath Port Talbot on the eastern approach into Swansea, this scheme has been a long time coming, with a five-year planning period undertaken before work started last year.

It will have the distinction of being one of the few global universities with direct access onto a beach and its own seafront promenade.

Bay Campus will provide academic, student accommodation and research space, the latter being in a series of agreements with national and international companies.

The £450M Bay Campus development is part of a transformational development and expansion programme being undertaken by Swansea University which will help transform Swansea Bay as a City Region.

The programme includes the enhancement and development of the existing Singleton Park Campus as well as Bay Campus.

By September 2015, when the first intake of Bay Campus students arrive, the university will have a clear identity of being one university with two campuses providing an enhanced student experience and world-class teaching facilities.

All of this will contribute to the university’s strategy to become one of the top 30 universities in the UK and top 200 in the world.

As well as four large engineering buildings and one building for management science, there will also be a library, information resources centre and student residences.

There will be 900 new bedrooms in the form of one- and two-bed flats with standard, premium, twin and wheelchair accessible rooms available.

These college-style buildings will be constructed around internal courtyards and will have kitchen and catering facilities.

It will be a cultural arts beacon for the campus with nine teaching spaces varying from 300-seater tiered lecture theatres, to 20-seater seminar rooms and seats totalling 1,300.

The first floor will contain the concert, exhibition and conference facilities with the capacity to host events for up to 800 people, while the café and bar area will be situated on the balcony overlooking Swansea Bay. At the heart of the Bay Campus will be the Bay Library, which is where social learning, research and academic spaces will be to support the work of undergraduate and postgraduate students and staff.

The campus will provide access to a full range of online journals, e-books, datasets and also to the university’s 850,000 print items either locally, for relevant subject areas, or through delivery between the university’s campuses.

In addition to the space already available on the Singleton Campus, the Bay Library will boast space for more than 650 students including over 400 open and social study spaces, postgraduate study and computer rooms, zoned silent study areas for 150 students, a large computing and teaching room, group study rooms, a café, and one-to-one interview rooms.

There will also be a helpdesk covering library, academic support employability and computing, and the library will be located on the beach side of the campus with views over Swansea Bay and the site of special specific interest.

Within the architecture, there will be great emphasis on brick, glass and metal because that is the industrial revolution story in the region.

BP, who previously owned the site, was extremely keen that it should be transferred to create a legacy for the area, and have been helpful in supporting the university.

This has occurred in terms of the site provided and also by supporting the design and masterplanning of the whole development.

Work will be completed at the Bay Campus site in September 2015.

The new student residences at Bay Campus have been designed so that the internal space is modern and the external build stands the test of time, in both design and the elements.

Also at the campus is the iconic Great Hall – the legacy building provided by BP to Swansea University.

Located at the centre of the Bay Campus, it will provide a beautiful space for the university to host music concerts, conferences and hold graduation and other large university events. It will be available for staff, students and the community to enjoy.

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FSi Limited can now offer a range of CE Marked products.

• Pyrocoustic Sealant • HSFM Mortar • Pyrocoustic Trowel Grade Sealant • S-Line Pillows • Flexi-Coat • Pyropro HPE • Stopseal Batts • PS Coating

For further details please contact our office or visit our website.

FSi Limited | Westminster Industrial Estate | Tamworth Road | Measham | | DE12 7DS | UK | www.fsiltd.com | sales@fsiltd.com | +44 (0) 1530 515130

Passive fire protection FS i

In November 2013 Firestopit evolved to FSi Limited. This developed from the ever growing list of products and services FSi can offer the industry.

From consultancy services to in-house testing, FSi can offer a tailor made service which is second to none. The company can aid you throughout the whole design and development of a system, give you the ability to perfect it within its indicative test furnace, and offer the manufacturing facility and technical back up for the product in the future.

the manufacture and delivery schedule. The company also has a number of key distributors throughout the UK to meet specific delivery requirements.

With a large workforce, FSi ensure that it employs skilled and dedicated staff, guaranteeing that the product sent out is always manufactured to a high standard.

The company currently employ five apprentices in the office and factory and a number of staff members have worked their way into senior positions from the factory floor.

Apprentices are a great way for FSi to train individuals for the good of its niche compartmentation industry.

With a greater demand of products and an increase in sales, FSi is looking to increase staff numbers by the end of the year. The company is again investing in new machinery and manufacturing capability and continues to spend considerable sums in research and development projects.

This caused the tag line ‘Develop, Manufacture, Protect’ to be adopted by FSi. It describes the breadth of services on offer to the construction industry, not just in passive fire protection but in compartmentation, protecting against the elements.

FSi is always looking for new ways to increase brand awareness and is exhibiting at the International Firex Show in June. This will give customers, clients, suppliers and even competitors a chance to meet the FSi team and learn more of what can be offered.

The company is not just here to manufacture and supply product, FSi also offer in-house training for both installers and specifiers to advise on correct procedures and installations.

Visit FSi’s stand R800 at Firex on 17th – 19th June 2014.

For more information visit the website www.fsiltd.com, contact the office via email, sales@fsiltd.com or telephone +44 (0) 1530 515130

Established in 2001 by founding owners Carl Atkinson and Paul Paling, FSi is a key manufacturer and developer of a full range of built-in compartmentation systems within the construction industry. The key word here is systems; it is paramount that systems are installed as it is the only way the performance can be properly upheld. All solutions are manufactured under strict ISO9001 factory guidelines with the upmost efficiency.

FSi is proud of the quantity and quality of testing and technical expertise that has been built up through years of experience; from site hand to dealing with large multinational conglomerates, FSi has the staff with the necessary expertise to provide a solution to its clients’ issues.

Products are tested to BS, EN and UL regulations with third party certification allowing FSi to supply systems worldwide. The company is here to make sure the correct solution is specified correctly the first time to ensure budgets, timescales and required specifications are kept to.

FSi was one of the first companies to offer a complete range of CE Marked products to CPR regulation in the industry.

The systems have been perfected over the past 13 years so the range is at the highest level possible, allowing customers to reap the benefits no matter where in the world they are.

Operating from a head office and main manufacturing facility in the Midlands means FSi is ideally located to meet its customers’ national and international needs. The company can deliver stocked items on a next day basis on almost all occasions, and with bespoke products, FSi can offer a lead time and support service throughout the whole order process, ensuring the customer is completely aware of

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AMP6

Yo r k s h i re Wate r re t a i n su cc e s s f u l p a r tn e r s h i ps

This is the next regulatory period in the water industry and many of the big players are pressing ahead with their plans to start up work.

Yorkshire Water has decided to retain its eight current partners and three framework consultants who have been so successful previously.

These currently include: Byzak Entec, Black & Veatch, Mott Macdonald Bentley, Earthtech Morrison (ETM), Morgan Sindall Grontmij (MGJV), Barhale, Morrison Utility Services and Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions. Consultancy providers for Yorkshire Water include Arup, MWH, Turner and Townsend.

As a chosen service partner for the Yorkshire Water AMP6 framework, Morrison will support the delivery of an investment programme, designed to continue to guarantee a resilient and secure supply of safe drinking water to almost five million people and 140,000 businesses across the Yorkshire region.

Morrison will continue to work on Yorkshire Water’s clean water infrastructure assets, carrying out investigation works to design and deliver appropriate totex solutions.

“We would anticipate that the value of work in AMP6, assuming a similar workload to AMP5, could be in the region of £50M to £75M.

With the Asset Management Programme 6 (AMP6) starting in the next 18 months, many UK water companies are moving ahead with their plans.

This contract will operate alongside Morrison Utility Services’ existing water services agreement contract, undertaking repair, maintenance and meeting services on Yorkshire Water’s networks.

The partnership between Morrison Utility Services and Yorkshire Water has seen many projects already undertaken, including essential water quality improvement on Adel Lane in Leeds.

It is part of Yorkshire Water’s capital investment in the pipe network, to maintain high standards of drinking water and prevent discolouration of the water supply.

Work lasted seven weeks and involved excavations along a section of Adel Lane to enable access for the water pipe to be re-lined.

Essential water quality improvement work was also undertaken on King Lane, Alwoodley, which is also part of the capital investment in the pipe network.

Morrison again worked on this, excavating along King Lane in order to enable access for the water pipe to be re-lined.

As with the Adel Lane scheme, a road closure was required on King Lane between the junction with The Avenue and the junction with Alwoodley Lane.

Read more on page 55

53

KEN RODNEY CONSTRUCTION plant hire & construction

CONSTRUCTION

PLANT HIRE

As well as our renowned specialist pipeline services, Ken Rodney Construction is a leading resource for a wide range of civil engineering and groundworks projects.

Backing our construction work is a large pool of specialised equipment which is also available to hire.

We offer complete, turnkey project management, providing a total solution that can include project planning/proposals, labour force and equipment, through to waste disposal and landscape restoration. Or we can supply to component parts of a project, providing specialist expertise and equipment.

We work on jobs of all size, from major infrastructure and utility schemes, through to smaller localised and one-off projects.

Due to the nature of our work, we have rare equipment such as Rock & Clay Trenchers, Skid Steers and Tracked Dumpers, as well as a wide range of excavators, trailers and tipper backs.

A full list of our equipment is available online at our web site, and we can procure and manage complete plant supply for any project requirement.

Ken Rodney Construction Ltd. Chapel Garths Farm, Harrogate Road, Ripon, HG4 3AF T. 01765 600847 M. 07843 631011 W. www.kenrodney.co.uk E. info@kenrodney.co.uk

Due to the success of this partnership, it has been extended into the AMP6 regulatory period.

Charles Morrison, Chief Executive of Morrison Utility Services, said: “We are delighted to have secured this extension to continue our long-term relationship with Yorkshire Water and we look forward to supporting the delivery of engineering services that will result in serviceability improvements in the supply of water to customers.

“We would anticipate that the value of work in AMP6, assuming a similar workload to AMP5, could be in the region of £50M to £75M.

Balfour Beatty has worked with Yorkshire Water through every AMP cycle since 1994 and Chief Executive Andrew McNaughton, said: “We are delighted that our long relationship with Yorkshire Water will continue into the next AMP cycle.

“This is an important time for our clients in the water sector as they face more challenging regulatory requirements and we are committed to supporting their objectives through continued investment in new technology and the delivery of exceptional service.”

Yorkshire Water expects its partners will deliver approximately £1 billion worth of work in the next AMP period, which will run from 2015 until 2020, and will include the future-proofing of the company’s treatment works against extreme weather conditions, help protect the local environment and continue to guarantee a secure supply of drinking water.

“We are delighted that our long relationship with Yorkshire Water will continue into the next AMP cycle.”

A temporary and signed diversion was in place, but vehicular access was maintained for residents and the businesses along the section remained open as usual.

Work on this project is now complete.

“Over recent years we have forged an excellent, collaborative relationship with Yorkshire Water and our focus is to continually drive improvements whilst keeping disruption to customers to a minimum.

“We will also look to continue to identify, invest in and deploy innovative processes and solutions that are safe, cost effective and ensure the customer’s experience remains positive.”

55

4 4 aviation 4x4 Aviation, together with its strategic partners, develop innovative technologies such as its latest energy storage, with the aim of enhancing reliability, accessibility and efficiency of energy, in order for it to become once again affordable and that will lead to a natural reduction in CO2 and sustainable economic growth as a result of its global availability.

10

years Experience

4x4 Aviation, has partnered with a wide variety of Manufacturers, Universities and Institutions around the globe in order to drive forward the Company’s products to facilitate their commercial applications in the near future.

4x4 Aviation Ltd London Ashford Airport, Romney Marsh, Kent, TN29 9QL

Tel: +44 (0) 1233 637 608 www.4x4aviation.com

Pressure vessels for energy storage 4x4 Av i ati o n L i m ite d

Renewable energy is expected to become a viable alternative for the generation of energy within the energy mix.

In order to overcome the reliance on changing weather conditions, energy storages at a grid stage are required so that energy excess can be stored away for when it is needed.

These are both inexpensive and energy efficient, and will allow for renewable energy to become a base-load supplier in the future.

The result will be a reduction of dependence on fossil peaker systems, while also allowing for effective on-demand energy distribution and management.

The use of pressure-vessels is not new, having been used within the industry over decades, but there were limitations due to size, capacity and cost.

However, the e-Storage uses a double walled architectural design to counter this.

Self-consolidating material is used as a filament, to reinforce the vessel, which allows for inexpensive storage of energy, from small to mass capacities as the enhanced durability and modularity is available at a fraction of the cost compared to conventional pressure vessels.

Reinhardt has a different approach to building pressure vessels than is the status quo, which is done in a more scalable, modular and less expensive way.

It becomes possible because of the new principle, conceived by the company, of using double walled architecture rather than the conventional single walled pressure vessels.

Made from innovative composite material, this demonstrates advanced properties to carbon fibre in terms of the durability, heat and acid resistance at lower costs to glass fibre.

Cylinders are made from a basalt composite, making them cheaper and more durable, and the process of manufacturing these cylinders means a process that used to take hours now takes just minutes to complete.

Such a storage plant exists in Germany but is prohibited by a long development type, and geographic availabilities dictate whether technology can be installed.

Compress Air Energy Storage (CAES), which uses salt caverns to store compressed air, is another technology limited by geography. In addition, it is difficult to seal these salt caverns and as storage pressure is limited, storage capacity also suffers the same limitations.

Such geographical limitations make it impossible to create further implementations without large environmental impacts. Norway is a fine example of this. The country has great potential for energy storage capacity but doesn’t want to become a storage hub for Europe and prefers to limit the environmental impact by restricting construction of pumped storage.

The e-Storage system offers higher energy density than salt caverns and can be designed for pressures up to 450, and even 700 bar, which results in much higher energy storage density.

The fact it is a modular and scalable system means it can be implemented and positioned where required, reducing distribution losses in the process.

“There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.”

Since 2011, 4x4 Aviation Limited’s founder Thorsten U. Reinhardt has been developing technologies that can enhance the reliability, accessibility and efficiency of energy through cheap, small to grid-scale energy storage systems.

e-Storage’s manufacturing approach towards pressure vessels allows them to be applied in specialised applications, and another application of the system is the construction of structures such as wind turbine towers.

In order to develop the pressure vessel, the company has partnered with a number of companies to facilitate the necessary training and knowledge transfer for the distribution of this technology.

This will be on a licensing basis, to serve the purpose of an accelerated distribution of the technology and implementation of energy storage around the world. The latest application of the e-Storage can be found in the company’s current development program of a novel Vertical Take Off and Landing Aircraft. The company has found a way the filament can be omitted and uses compensating pressure within the hollow chamber to achieve the equivalent results in order to make the e-Storage viable for aviation applications.

A first for e-Storage technology is that energy can be stored on a mass/grid-scale at economic cost thanks to the efficiency levels of the anticipated conversion system of 85% and the e-Storage capital cost exceeding 75% less of the cost expected for conventional steel vessels.

There are successful grid-scale energy storage technologies currently in operation that come at a low price and high storage capacity.

57

Under the provisions of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, the Duty Holder or Responsible Person for a building is required to make a Fire Risk assessment to clarify the fire precautions necessary to ensure the safety of staff, customers and property.

Providing quality in fire safety BAFE

The company develops schemes in conjunction with the certification bodies, trade associations, end user customers, Chief Fire Officers Association, occasionally with central government and a whole range of stakeholders including public bodies.

These are always based around British and European standards with additional, specific competence requirements.

An example is a scheme for companies who maintain portable fire extinguishers (SP101/ST104). The company will require ISO9001 certification and BAFE ensures that the extinguishers technicians will have initial training and refresher training every three years afterwards, which will be monitored as part of the service.

These types of schemes are developed by BAFE, who work with third party certification bodies that are UKAS accredited and deliver these schemes in the field on behalf of BAFE. In just five years, the membership numbers have swelled from 350 to 1,120. This has been helped in no small part by the introduction of a new management team, following a move to the site of the Fire Service College.

This involved updating all schemes, relationships with certification bodies and sorting the administration system which is now a cloud-based system.

The moment BAFE receives information about a newly registered organisation from one of its certification bodies, the details are entered and instantly shared on the website.

This is a key component for end users who can search the website by company, geographic location and find registered companies in their area.

It will tell them exactly what scheme the company is registered to, for example it could be a fire alarm scheme or emergency lighting scheme, portable fire extinguisher scheme, or a mixture of them.

Small premises could be capable of doing this for themselves but if they look for an outside competence there was an absence of third party certificated schemes.

A body was set up called the Competency Council, which was headed up by a Chief Fire Officer.

This involves the whole of the industry, the insurers and external stakeholders who came up with a series of competencies that a fire risk assessor should be able to have, as well as providing guidance for companies looking for a fire risk assessment provider.

These guidelines can be found on the BAFE website.

A scheme has been set up by BAFE (SP205) for companies who provide fire risk assessments and that is UKAS accredited. This is being delivered by three certification bodies and currently has 25 registered companies, with many more in the pipeline.

BAFE is constantly striving to keep the industry informed about the relevance of this scheme so that those who need a fire risk assessment will find this is a great place to start.

BAFE, Bridges 2, The Fire Service College, London Road, Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire, GL56 0RH Tel: 0844 335 0897 E: info@bafe.org.uk www.bafe.org.uk

Established by the fire protection industry in 1984, BAFE is the independent not-for-profit body that registers companies which have achieved third party certification in various areas of the fire protection industry.

It is accompanied by the fact that the Fire and Rescue Services are now beginning to take serious action against those companies who have a fire incident and are without any fire risk assessment or any evidence of adequate fire protection.

Stephen Adams, Chief Executive of BAFE, told UK Construction Excellence he hopes the convictions will act as a deterrent and make companies take their responsibilities seriously.

“People are being fined, serious action is being taken now and that’s getting up to the Crown Court and the High Court,” he said.

“Hopefully customers are beginning to realise that they do have obligations.”

BAFE is also responsible for ensuring the logo is used correctly so that companies do not claim to be BAFE registered if they are not. Similarly they cannot claim to be registered to a scheme if they are only registered to another one, and BAFE makes sure companies can do what they say they can.

BAFE has been involved in a number of major developments over the years since the Rosepark Care Home fire which resulted in much concern in regards to the quality of fire risk assessment.

The Regulatory Reform Act (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the other national equivalents start from the basis that the property owned will have a full and competent fire risk assessment.

59

www.abus.com info@abus-uk.com

A winning team for integrated electronic solutions A B U S S e c u r it y - C e nte r a n d A B U S U K

scenarios. All ABUS partners receive comprehensive support in marketing, with impressive exhibition stands (IFESEC June 2014), online presence, as well as effective and lasting advertising and public relations campaigns.

The ASC UK Logistics Center in Avonmouth can dispatch products to the UK and Eire within 24 hours.

ASC UK Sales Manager Matthew McCluskey commented: “ABUS Security-Center has gone from strength to strength in the UK. This continued success is a reflection of our dual approach, combining very high quality electronic security products with an exceptional support package”

Award-winning quality The outstanding innovation of ABUS Security-Center products is regularly acknowledged in independent tests by specialist and mainstream media, as well as in international competitions. At the Plus X Awards 2013, ABUS won the prize for “Most Innovative Brand” in the “Electronics and Media Technology” category. The jury declared the new premium wireless system ULTIVEST as the “Best Product of the Year”. Other awards followed: The same system won the “German Design Award 2014”, the “GIT Security AWARD 2014” and the “iF product design award 2014”. Also, in a readers’ survey carried out in 2013 by the trade magazine Protector, the Secvest 2WAY wireless system took first place and was honoured with the “Golden Protector” award.

Close co-operation with ABUS partners ABUS Security-Center and ABUS UK have established close and long-standing relationships with their business partners, both retail suppliers and professional installers, and include ranges of products exactly tailored to their customers’ individual requirements. ABUS provides assistance through a series of services, including training courses at the ABUS Academy on the many different topics related to video surveillance and full telephone support. The experts from the Technical Department assist installers on site with particularly challenging electronic and installation

Focus on good partnership “Today, ABUS Security-Center and ABUS UK are fully owned and operated by the ABUS Group. Their business ethos highlights ethical values focused on co-operation, progressive development and job security, which characterise the company’s relationship with its employees and partners.

Our company’s commitment is an expression of our respect, appreciation and responsibility towards both our employees and partners”, says Benjamin Pflaum, Managing Director of ABUS Security-Center DE. “Our success as an enterprise is thanks to their motivation and expertise”.

From the beginning of 2013 ABUS Security-Center (ASC) started the UK approach with their high-end, professional video surveillance equipment. ABUS Security-Center’s UK Division has a Sales & Technical Service focused on providing service and quality across the country.

“ABUS Security Center has gone from strength to strength in the UK. This continued success is a reflection of our dual approach combining very high quality electronic security products with an exceptional support package”

ABUS Security-Center is a manufacturer of innovative alarm systems, video surveillance systems, door intercom systems and detectors. As a member of the ABUS Group, the company specialises in industry-specific security requirements as well as the needs of private users. Its focus is on developing comprehensive and highly user-friendly products: fusing mechanical components, electronics, alarm systems and video monitoring to produce complete security solutions.

Constructing for the future Union Square, the Cornerstone of Data Management Construction is an ever changing landscape that is heavily governed by risk, regulations, society’s fluctuating needs and delivery to deadline. Being well organised can be the key to meeting those needs, and accessing information when and where you need it has never been so important.

The nature of the Union Square system is firstly that it is designed for construction.

But more than that, it is a core business system that promotes easy collaboration with internal and external partners. It provides the user with a single place to access the company’s systems through a user friendly, secure portal. A unique security model allows users to access key project information and vital business data, enabling the delivery of back office functions and full onsite support and access.

Malcolm Clarke, Managing Director Baxall Construction.

With the mobile offering, we have solutions on the move

Mobile technology offers the ability to have current data in your hands the instant you need it. Union Square bring all the project and contact integration you would have at your desk to your mobile devices, through their workflow toolkit. The result is a highly flexible, mobile and integrated working environment. The very latest mobile application has been developed in conjunction with

Union Square’s contractor community, and allows for inspections, surveys, site observations and snagging to be completed on site using tablet devices without the need for WiFi or 3G connection. Imagine logging a defect and being able to allocate it to a contact on that project to deal with, all whilst onsite! As soon as you come back online (3G/4G or WiFi connection) the defect notification is issued out of the relevant party, and your head office system is instantaneously updated without any manual processing. The nature of using workflow means that the format of any existing data collection template can be configured to suit a business’s preferred way of mobile working.

Union Square acts as an information backbone and hub for controlled information exchange with clients, consultants and the whole supply chain.

The UK Government’s desire to improve sustainability across its asset portfolio and to make better, more informed decisions from design to decommission are at the very heart of change. The routes to project procurement and delivery are changing and for most of us this means one thing: BIM or Building Information Modelling!

Beyond the UK government, other clients are catching on fast to the benefits BIM can deliver. Union Square’s portal solution provides a single place to access all project, client and supply chain information whether in the office, on site or on the move.

The technology’s purpose is to get you, the user, organised and drive more efficient practices into the way you file emails, create documents, review drawings, log RFI’s or raise project risks! It does

this for the digital 2D world and is transitioning with the industry to support more collaborative ‘model’ based working. The system can provide the Common Data Environment through which projects can be delivered and information shared in a controlled and auditable way (including model data, IFC and COBie formats).

Document management, extranet, workflow and mobile underpin this intuitive and extensible technology. As for the future, Union Square is committed to interoperability and sees the introduction of IFC viewing and model interaction along with COBie file management as fundamental.

The Union Square Extranet offers an intuitive, secure, integrated and shared online environment that brings together Document Control, Approvals and Contract Administration to name a few.

It features secure logins for users with highly configurable security, as well as control of who can upload documents and where to. The system also provides control over which documents users have access to, based on location and approval status. Even project setup is made quick and easy through the use of project templates. The Document Approval System is a configurable multi-stage approval route offering online commenting and mark-up, a Project Information Exchange and contract administration processes such as RFIs and Site Instructions.

“With multiple storage locations for documents and emails, the retrieval

of project information was a time-consuming task.”

Melanie Nurse, Chief Technology Officer VolkerWessels.

The combination of a core technology that sits as a cornerstone of data management in a business with integrated mobile capability is an appealing offer to the market. The system is able to deliver a search engine across the data, whilst providing a daily information and working portal for staff, with information accessed instantly!

“It was estimated that processing paper documents was costing the business between £300,000 and £400,000 each year.”

Robert Stearne, Business Improvement Manager Lakesmere.

Union Square, organising construction businesses better

Since 2000, Union Square has supported over 37,000 licensed users in 350 organisations to be more joined up in the way they manage information. Our contractor and sub-contractor clients include many leading tier 1 and tier 2 companies like VolkerWessels, Balfour Beatty and SeverfieldRowen, through to strong SME regional construction brands. All these companies benefit from the efficiencies of working in an integrated system across their work winning, project delivery and business support functions.

For further information about Union Square please visit

www.unionsquaresoftware.com

enquiries@unionsquaresoftware.com

www.unionsquaresoftware.com