UK Construction Journal V18N02

V18 N02

Pumping Concrete Why new operators are training on Schwing - page 4

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COMMENTS 22 Interview with Robert Hopkin of the Rail Alliance 24 NHBC 25 Sheridan Gold LLP 30 Protecting your Assets 34 Tackling infection control through ‘fabric first’ 36 Interview with Mike Petter of CCS 40 Federation of Master Builders’ Awards 2015 59 Thomas Eggar LLP

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Training Tomorrow’s Pump Operators on Schwing The National Construction College in Ilford is training the concrete pump operators of tomorrow. UK Construction Journal finds out why they’re so happy to be using Schwing equipment.

Experienced concrete pump operators are not the easiest of people to find. Concrete pumping is a specialist field and there is only a small pool of skilled people to draw upon when you need someone who can reliably run your pumping operation.

already have one pump but it is good to train candidates on a variety of machinery so we approached Schwing Stetter UK to see if we could lease one over a period of time. We were delighted when they offered to supply us with an SP500 pump for the course.”

Thanks to London and the South East’s current construction boom, the demand for experienced pump operators in the area has been growing faster than the supply. One major consumer of concrete products and services, Crossrail, recognised this trend early, and started taking steps to solve the problem.

Even before Schwing Stetter came into being when Schwing GmbH took over Stetter GmbH in 1982, Schwing had been building hydraulic concrete pumps for decades. In fact it was Friedrich Wilhelm Schwing’s company which created the very first hydraulically powered, twin cylinder concrete pump back in 1957.

Schwing Concrete Pumps

1982 was also the year that Schwing filed their US patent for the ‘Rock Valve’. The construction industry, always looking to pump concrete further and higher, required pumps that could handle the pressures necessary to reach these goals. These pressures were becoming too high for the flat gate valves to handle. The engineering had reached its limit.

Ro ck

Va lve

The Rock Valve which has been called ‘revolutionary’, opened up the field for much higher pressures to be achieved. Its simple genius is that the high pressure in the system helps to seal the valve rather than work against it like in the old flat gate valve system. In addition, the wide mouth of the rock valve helps to keep the mechanism stable, allowing far higher pressures to be reached safely than could be reached before. It also helps reduce wear, meaning less down time and lower maintenance costs.

In March 2012, the National Construction College (the training division of CITB) set up a course at the Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy (TUCA) campus in Ilford, East London, to teach concrete pump operating and provide a CPCS (Construction Plant Competence Scheme) qualification.

“For students you really need reliable equipment because as they’re learning, you don’t want unplanned things going wrong which will confuse people.”

Steve Howard, who runs the course, had worked in the construction industry for 25 years before joining the college in 2006, where he has been an instructor for nine years. As well as establishing the course, Steve was part of the committee which devised the CPCS concrete pumping qualification. Steve told UK Construction Journal that he relished the challenge of setting up this new qualification and course. He went on to say: “For really effective training we needed a good concrete pump as we are teaching hands-on skills, not just theory. We

Also keeping wear to a minimum is the open circuit hydraulic system used by Schwing. This means that the only time there is pressure in the system is when it is actually pumping. The hydraulic switching, which does not rely on electronic sensors, means that another thing which could go wrong is removed from the system entirely.

This is the sort of thinking that has contributed to Schwing Stetter’s reputation for reliability and equipment that will keep going for decades, with preventative maintenance and genuine Schwing parts. Those parts are on hand at Schwing Stetter’s extensive warehouse in Perivale, West London.

Whatever is needed, the necessary parts can usually be dispatched almost immediately.

Running a training course within a set schedule means that the equipment needs to do its job when it is required, every time. This is why Steve and his team at National Construction College are so pleased to be using Schwing Stetter equipment. That same level of reliability is just as important out on site too.

The Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy

The pump operator course lasts for three days and is aimed at people with some prior knowledge of the industry and concrete pumping already. It covers theory, a large amount of practical work on the pump, and testing. Successful applicants receive a CPCS (Construction Plant Competence Scheme) qualification which is recognised by the HSE.

Terry Morgan is both the Chairman of Crossrail and the chairman of the TUCA industry advisory panel. He is quoted as saying, “This unique academy exists to train the next generation of tunnellers as well as those in the workforce, for the challenges ahead.”

The Future The TUCA runs several courses specific to tunnelling and underground construction and have their own self built ‘tunnel’ for training purposes which incorporates, amongst other things, a smoke machine and firecrackers to simulate real emergency situations.

With Crossrail 2 and HS2 in the pipeline, it is likely that the need for good pump operators will be around for a while. With the National Construction College pump operators’ course and CPCS qualification, one thing is certain: There will be many more pump operators around and most of them will be very comfortable using Schwing equipment.

For more information about Schwing Concrete pumping equipment, please contact Schwing Stetter at pump.info@schwing-stetter.co.uk or telephone Alwyne Atkinson on 07884 494 183.

The TUCA also houses a concrete testing and development laboratory, managed by BBMV where samples are sent to ensure that the concrete being applied in the new tunnels is up to standard. So the TUCA really is the ideal place to be teaching concrete pump operation.

The Pump Operator’s Course The practical training is done outside in all weather conditions – just like real construction. The students set up a pipeline and pump real concrete from a mixer truck through it. The course covers all aspects of running the pump and the pumping process, including detecting and dealing with blockages and flushing the pipe out at the end.

One of the instructors who teaches the course said, “For students you really need reliable equipment because as they’re learning, you don’t want unplanned things going wrong which will confuse people. The Schwing concrete pump is exactly what we wanted for this course and the students enjoy training on it.”

When Melvyn Parr, Tunnelling Product Manager was asked what he thought of the Schwing pump he exclaimed, “It’s a great piece of kit!”, and then added, “When we train operators we need to ensure they train on the most up to date kit that they will be using on site. This pump ticks all the boxes.”

t: +44 (0) 20 8997 1515 e: product.info@schwing-stetter.co.uk w: www.schwing-stetter.co.uk

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UKC NEWS

Skanska secures major pre-let deal in Bristol Skanska’s project development team, under the Workplaces by Skanska banner, has pre-let 52,000sq ft of office space at 66 Queen Square, Bristol, to KPMG on a 15 year lease.

Alex Jordan, Skanska’s Leasing Director, said: “We are delighted that KPMG will be the main tenant for our first UK commercial development project in Bristol.

As developers working with our own construction team, we have been able to adapt the design of the building to fit with the needs of our tenant, while securing the longest lease in the city in recent years.”

The professional services firm has taken the first, second and third floors and part of the ground floor at Skanska’s 61,000sq ft Grade A office building.

Situated in one of Bristol’s prime business locations, 66 Queen Square will complete in the summer. The Grade A office space integrates a Grade II listed Georgian terrace within the new building, combining historic elegance with modern, efficient office accommodation and fantastic views over the square.

Phil Cotton, Bristol Office Senior Partner and South Regional Chairman at KPMG, says: “This significant investment underscores our commitment to Bristol and the importance of the city to our business.

We have achieved continued success and growth in our marketplace, adding £17M to our income over the last two years, and I am pleased to be able to plough these profits back into the business and invest

in new flagship premises in Bristol.

“Our new office in Queen Square will provide our colleagues and clients with top quality office space equipped with the latest technology and located in the heart of the city.”

The building incorporates sustainable features for long-term energy efficiency, including photovoltaic panels, a highperformance building fabric, LED lighting and water-saving fittings to meet BREEAM Excellent and an EPC ‘A’ rating.

There is just 9,000sq ft now available to let, comprising 3,000sq ft on both the ground and fourth floors, in addition to a self-contained 3,000sq ft unit fronting Queen Square.

Sika makes light work of Jodrell Bank Observatory repairs At Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire – the world renowned centre for radio astronomy – Sika has demonstrated its ability to deliver high performance concrete repair and protection solutions with a comprehensive range of the Company’s products helping to repair a concrete frame supporting their Mark II telescope.

When cracking and spalling was discovered in the telescope’s concrete base, the University of Manchester required a specification to restore the concrete profile and provide future protection. Appointed to complete the refurbishment, contractor Grade 2 utilised a range of high performance systems from Sika as part of a complete package solution.

Supporting the 25 by 38m diameter telescope dish, the concrete frame stands 25m high and was constructed fifty years ago. To make primary repairs, Grade 2 utilised cherry pickers to apply the two-component Sika Monotop system – comprising a bonding primer and reinforcement coating followed by a concrete repair and reprofiling mortar.

Steve Parry, Operations Manager at Grade 2 explains: “On a site which was very difficult to access due to the shape of structure we also couldn’t use a fixed scaffold as the telescope

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had to freely rotate any time of day or night.

“The versatility of the cherry pickers allowed us to complete the high quality application of Sika products and bring this famous structure back to its best.”

Sika‘s concrete repair and protection solutions are designed to rehabilitate and restore concrete surfaces back to their original quality.

Concrete repair mortars, anti-corrosion coatings, corrosion inhibitors, reinforcement corrosion protectors and the full Galvashield

range of embedded galvanic anodes make up the extensive range that Sika offers.

With the concrete structure fully repaired and protected, the Mark II Telescope is once again supported and protected by a structure that is built to last. The complete repair and protection solution from Grade 2 and Sika will ensure that this important telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory is less susceptible to the Great British weather and the effects of the local environment.

Work begins on £25M quay extension at Port of Tyne The Port of Tyne has appointed the main contractor for the £25M extension of Riverside Quay, the Port’s multifunctional deep-sea facility at South Shields.

The main contract for over 300m of quay work includes a 125m quay extension, an upgrade of 118m of existing quay and 90m of quay wall renewal at the former McNulty site. The £18.6M contract was won by Tyneside-based Southbay Civil Engineering Ltd. This development is required to support the growth in cargo volumes being handled by the Port, including the relatively new wood pellet imports used by power stations as they convert from coal to renewable fuels.

Andrew Moffat, Port of Tyne Chief Executive Officer, said: “On the back of growth in volumes over the past few years we are investing in new infrastructure to make sure the Port is able to meet the needs of both our existing and our future customers. This is the biggest single investment we have made since we built Europe’s first purpose-built wood pellet facilities back in 2010 and it will significantly increase the Port’s capacity to handle increased volumes of cargoes. Extending the length of the quay will increase the berthing capacity by almost 20% enabling up to four large cargo ships to berth simultaneously.”

Enabling work began in June last year with nearly £3M invested in underwater preparatory works and internal roads built within the Port to reduce construction traffic outside and minimise disruption for nearby businesses and residents.

Paul Stephenson, Managing Director of Southbay Civil Engineering Ltd, said: “We are pleased to have won this major contract on our doorstep and delighted that our specialist civil engineering skills are put to good use with our experienced local staff and labour. It is fantastic to be part of this project to bring the Port of Tyne the vital flexibility it needs to continue to win business, supporting jobs and the North East economy.”

Planning approved for one of the UK’s largest zero carbon developments Cambridge City Council and Hill, the top 20 housebuilder, have gained planning permission for a £60M zero carbon joint venture development in Cambridge. The 208 dwellings represent the next phase of Great Kneighton in the Cambridge Southern Fringe and will be one of the largest zero carbon developments in the country.

Hill was selected as the preferred joint venture partner by Cambridge City Council after a competitive tender process in December 2012. Virido comprises 104 affordable properties, owned and managed

by Cambridge City Council, and 104 private properties sold through Hill. The property sizes range from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom houses and each property will be built to Level 5 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Kevin Price, Executive Councillor for Housing, said, “I am delighted that this project has passed the key milestone of planning approval. The Council has always intended to demonstrate that we can lead quality new build housing projects that set standards in terms of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. I congratulate Hill and their design team in rising to this challenge and I look forward to the completion of the new housing that will benefit people from all walks of life.”

Externally, the homes have been designed to provide a suitable thermal mass to even out extremes of temperature with mechanical ventilation heat recovery systems (MVHRs) for night purging of warm air. The building materials are sustainably sourced and will take into account their longterm maintenance and appearance.

Additional design features such as solar shading, deep window reveals, higher performance glass and interstitial blinds will ensure that living rooms do not exceed 28°C and bedrooms do not exceed 26°C for more than 1% of the occupied hours. Internally there are water efficient appliances and fixtures, ‘technical rooms’ to accommodate all the necessary equipment, triple-glazed windows and extensive insulation.

The landscape design features extensive areas of green spaces, green roofs, ponds and trees. There will also be a development-wide rainwater harvesting system for all dwellings. Great Kneighton lies approximately three miles to the south of Cambridge City Centre and will deliver 2,300 new homes between Trumpington and Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

Construction of Virido is to commence in 2015.

ISG is preferred contractor on £41M York stadium scheme ISG has been confirmed as the preferred construction partner as part of the successful consortium bid led by GLL for the circa £41M York Community Stadium and Leisure Complex scheme.

The project comprises a new home stadium for York’s professional football and rugby teams, as well as including leisure, retail, office and community facilities.

The new mixed-use stadium development is set to become a leading leisure destination for the north of England. In addition to creating a new 8,000 all-seater stadium with high quality hospitality and conferencing facilities, ISG will also deliver a new 25m six lane swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness and active play facilities, as well as a community hub, providing health and wellbeing services for local residents and visitors.

A new high specification linked leisure facility will replace the outdated Waterworld and Courtney’s Gym buildings, providing a main pool, with separate teaching and fun pools with fun water features for children. A multi-use sports hall for netball, basketball and badminton will have viewing

for up to 250 spectators. The scheme also includes a 100 station gym with dance and spinning studios and an extreme adventure sports zone. ISG will also deliver three external floodlit 3G sports pitches, provide significant car parking provision and extend the Monks Cross Park & Ride facility.

To the rear and separate from the South Stand, ISG will build a series of new retail units and a first floor cinema complex. The project is expected to commence on site in summer 2015, with completion scheduled for autumn 2016.

Danny Murray, ISG’s Northern Regional Managing Director, commented: “Our involvement in the York Community Stadium project extends back to 2012 and we have worked closely with GLL and our consortium partners to bring the vision for this keynote regional leisure scheme to reality. ISG has exceptionally strong leisure sector credentials, delivering iconic sporting venues like the Olympic Velodrome and the National Football Development Centre in Newport, and we are looking forward to working with our consortium partners to create superb new facilities for York.”

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UKC NEWS

New designs show how Gatwick will be the world’s most efficient two runway airport New images and an animation produced

by Sir Terry Farrell show that an expanded Gatwick would be the world’s most efficient two runway airport - flexible and responsive to meet the changing needs of passengers and airlines.

The airport will operate to reflect changing trends in passenger travel and the plans demonstrate how queues will be eliminated, passenger transit through the airport will be sped up, and aircraft turn around will match the quickest in the world.

The design has been revealed as momentum continues to build behind Gatwick’s case for a second runway.

New advertisements highlight that Gatwick’s plan is comparatively simple and low risk and can be delivered in

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just ten years, by 2025. In comparison, the obstacles facing Heathrow cast doubt on whether a third runway there could realistically ever be built.

The Gatwick Connect service is already in operation and allows passengers to travel on a combination of independently operated flights and transfer through Gatwick without having to transport their bags through the airport or check-in twice.

The service is a response to the increasing number of passengers who are bypassing traditional ways of flying by booking connecting flights themselves - often to save money. This is in contrast to the airline booking the connecting flight for them, either with the same airline or with one of their airline partners.

Increasingly passengers are exploiting the range of new flight options available and are ‘self connecting’ between a mix of low cost short and medium haul, charter and long haul flights depending on their budget and needs. Unlike Heathrow, Gatwick Airport caters for all these types of flight and not just full service legacy carriers.

Gatwick Airport CEO Stewart Wingate said: “An expanded Gatwick can be delivered quickly and at no additional cost to the taxpayer so the UK can reap the economic benefits of expansion sooner. The way we travel is changing fast and we have to change with it - only Gatwick can cater for all passengers, travelling to any destination, with any airline type, now and into the future.”

Hydro-generator goes live at Carillion development in Durham City, feeding green power Crossrail creates 400th apprenticeship to the national grid Hydro-electricity is being generated in the heart of Durham City after Freeman’s Reach became the UK’s first city centre development to incorporate a fullyoperational hydro-power generator.

The innovative scheme has been developed by a consortium led by Carillion.

Following the completion of a detailed commissioning process, the water turbine is now harvesting energy from the River Wear, which is driving the 100kw generator.

Power generated at Freeman’s Reach is fed directly into the National Grid and distributed throughout its network. The turbine and generator will be operated and maintained by Durham County Council.

Utilising the power of the river, the generator is able to produce electricity that is the equivalent of 75% of the total energy requirement of the development.

The power generation is made possible by a 13m long, 20 tonne Archimedean screw, which is driven by the flow of the River Wear.

A variable speed drive controls the system according to the available river flow. Its regular operating speed is 18rpm, generating 60kw of power, with a maximum operating speed of 24rpm, which creates an output of 99kw.

The hydro-turbine has been designed to generate renewable energy 24 hours a day, which will also enable Freeman’s Reach to be awarded an ‘A’ Rated Energy Performance Certificate and BREEAM Excellent status.

The new hydro-turbine is set to become a visitor attraction in its own right, as is an Energy Centre at Freeman’s Reach. They will be joined by a public art installation charting the history of energy generation on the site that will be installed on completion of Phase II of the development.

Neil McMillan, Carillion Development Director at Freeman’s Reach said: “We are immensely proud our development in Durham City is making a sustainable contribution to the UK’s electricity requirements.

“The green credentials of Freeman’s Reach make it a stand out development in the North East and demonstrates how a collaborative approach between developers and stakeholders can deliver a unique solution that benefits the area, its ecology and the environment.”

Crossrail has created its 400th apprenticeship; the milestone was celebrated by Patrick McLoughlin, Secretary of State for Transport, when he visited the Bond Street Crossrail site.

Patrick McLoughlin, Secretary of State for Transport said: “Crossrail is the biggest construction project in Europe and shows UK engineering at its best. I am delighted it has created so many opportunities for young people in civil engineering and construction.

“This Government is investing significant amounts in the country’s infrastructure.

As we start work on other major projects like HS2 and the Thames Tideway, apprenticeship programmes that ensure young people have the right skills to build our long-term economic future are vital.”

Terry Morgan, Crossrail Chairman said: “In 2009 Crossrail made a commitment to reinvigorate the UK’s tunnelling and construction skills base with new talent. I’m delighted that we have achieved this major milestone but we will not stop there, and will continue to create new apprenticeships as the project evolves. As a former apprentice I have seen first hand how beneficial apprenticeships are for both individuals and

employers. Crossrail’s approach to skills training is a model that can be adopted across the industry to help deliver the UK infrastructure projects of the future.”

Crossrail committed to delivering at least 400 apprenticeships over the lifetime of the project. Around two in five (44%) Crossrail apprenticeships have been filled by people that were previously not in work; a figure that’s double the UK average. They have been trained in a range of professions from construction to accountancy, quantity surveying to business administration.

More than 10,000 people are working directly on Crossrail. Over the course of the project, it is estimated that Crossrail and its supply chain will support the equivalent of 55,000 full time jobs across the country. A total of 84,300 jobs were supported last year across the UK, through TfL’s investment programme and Crossrail.

When Crossrail opens it will increase London’s rail-based transport network capacity by 10%, supporting regeneration and cutting journey times across the city.

TfL will start running Crossrail services through central London in 2018, the route will be fully integrated with the TfL network with stations staffed at all times.

Colmore Tang Construction start work on £30M redevelopment of old curtain factory Colmore Tang Construction (CTC) has started work on the redevelopment of an existing curtain factory in Birmingham City Centre, formerly known as the Harrison Drape building.

Work on the £30M redevelopment will see part of the existing factory demolished, converted and extended while a further three buildings will be constructed to provide a total of 313 apartments.

The site had been the home of curtain track maker Harrison Drape since the 19th century, but was brought by developer Seven Capital in 2012.

CTC were awarded the construction contract on the prestigious £30M development in 2014 following a four-way tender process.

Construction Director of CTC Andy Conroy said: “We are really excited to be starting work on the Harrison Drape project, a key milestone in the regeneration of the Digbeth area.

“The old curtain factory has a great legacy with the local community and we wanted to make sure we maintained as much of the original features as

possible to preserve its heritage.

“As a result we are retaining the facade of the building, which will be converted into 118 apartments, a combination of studio and one and two beds. The remaining 195 apartments will be split across the three new blocks we are building” The Birmingham based firm have created 200 construction jobs and employed over 30 sub-contractors to work on the project, which is expected to be completed by December 2016.

The development will also benefit from its close proximity to Bullring, Moor Street Station and the planned High Speed 2 terminal in Curzon Street.

Wouter Schuitemaker, Investment Director at Business Birmingham, the city’s inward investment programme, said: “From the iCentrum building at Innovation Birmingham Campus to the multi-million pound centre of excellence at Birmingham City University, more people and businesses are being attracted to the local area – and Harrison Drape will help to meet the growing demand for accommodation in the increasingly popular Digbeth district.”

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Why SIZE does Matter The OnGarde CCTV tower has been designed as a highly visible deterrent against construction site theft and vandalism.

You just can’t miss the imposing 3 metre high tamper proof housing and the 6 metre high 360° PTZ camera with powerful LED spot lights and a live audio system. Enough to put off most would be criminals to think again & go elsewhere.

Our crime free record in 2014 speaks for itself! Proving that preventing crime is better than recording it!

Not only is it BIG it’s also INTELLIGENT The OnGarde CCTV Tower uses advanced military software called Video Content Analytics that can be used to highlight an alarm area & then produces a video within seconds so that the event can be viewed and then verified within 30 seconds resulting in NO FALSE ALARMS. If it is a true alarm situation a live audio warning will then be sent & the appropriate action will be taken by our monitoring centre.

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It’s also EASY to Install The OnGarde CCTV Tower can be delivered, installed, connected to our monitoring centre via 3G or 4G & operational within 1 hour.

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UKC NEWS

Balfour Beatty awarded £32M Liverpool ‘Baltic Triangle’ residential and commercial scheme Balfour Beatty’s UK construction business has been awarded the £32M contract to build Baltic Triangle – a three tower residential development in Liverpool city centre for developer Neptune Investments.

The two year project will see Balfour Beatty delivering 324 new apartments across three separate towers, which will be thirteen-, ten- and eight-storeys in height respectively.

The project will also involve the creation of commercial space, a gym and concierge,

and underground car parking for 358 cars.

Balfour Beatty will continue construction on a building previously begun by another developer, strengthening the existing basement and helping to reduce delivery time and costs by using pre-cast wall panels.

Balfour Beatty will recruit apprentices to the project and utilise its established links with Liverpool John Moores University to provide opportunities for students.

Jon Adams, Balfour Beatty Managing

Director for Northern Major Projects, said: “Balfour Beatty has extensive experience in delivering high end residential schemes and of working in Liverpool, where we have recently delivered the Liverpool One and Aloft Hotel developments.

“We have a fifteen year relationship with Neptune Investments and we look forward to working with them to deliver this exciting new £32M development in the heart of the Liverpool docklands.”

Injured marines given chance of a new career with Midas Midas Construction has been transforming lives and helping injured marines readjust to civilian life by providing work placements on building sites in Devon and Cornwall.

Midas, one of the largest independent construction companies in the South West, has been working with The C Group – a Royal Marines charity inspiring businesses to support marines during their transition to civilian life, often when their military career had to end prematurely as the result of an injury.

As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting The C Group’s work, Midas organised a long-term training placement at the site of the £5M new Genesis building being created for the Millfields Trust in Plymouth.

Injured marine Gavin Bolger was given vocational training during his work placement with the aim of both helping him readjust to civilian life, and opening up future career opportunities as a building site manager.

Tim Beattie, Senior Project Manager at Midas Construction, said: “Gavin was serving in Afghanistan in 2011 when he and several others were hit by an IED when on patrol, and he was left injured.

“Afterwards his life changed dramatically,

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and he found himself having to look for work in the civilian sector at the age of 28, not knowing if he was going to be discharged or not, and having lost a lot of confidence.

“Midas had already worked with The C Group to successfully support another injured Royal Marine through a similar process so we linked up with the charity once again, making a long term commitment to helping Gavin learn a new trade on the job, which offered the chance to give him a brand new career.”

Gavin Bolger said: “I went from being a fully trained Royal Marine at the top of my game to, as I saw it, being at the bottom of the pile; physical and mental

injuries can leave you judging yourself harshly, and I was in a pretty bad place before I went to work at Midas.

“I’m extraordinarily grateful to Midas for understanding my situation and for the work placement opportunity, which has given me the chance to retrain as a construction site manager. It has also helped me regain confidence and lifted me out of my comfort zone.”

As well as providing Gavin’s placement at the Millfields development, Midas has supported The C Group recently by running workshops and organising further vocational training opportunities on other building sites across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.

Regional Flood and Coastal Committee support flood alleviation Over £20M of public investment has been pledged to reduce flood risk across the English Severn and Wye catchment over the next six years.

Members of the Environment Agency’s English Severn and Wye Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC) have pledged approximately £6M towards flood alleviation works across the catchment.

The local levy funds pledged by the RFCC members will support national Grant in Aid (GiA) funds that were announced by the Government in December 2014. This local investment has helped provisionally secure a further £15M of national funding.

This will allow schemes to progress across the English Severn and Wye catchment, including: • A £1.2M flood alleviation scheme in Much Wenlock which will involve creating flood storage to reduce the risk of flooding to 142 properties.

• The £3M Badsey Brook Flood Alleviation Scheme will reduce the risk of flooding to approximately 290 properties along Badsey and Bunches Brook in Broadway, Childswickham and Murcot.

• The £1.6M surface water flood alleviation scheme to reduce flood risk to up to 159 properties in Whaddon, Cheltenham.

• The £300,000 Bedworth Flood Alleviation scheme, which reduces the risk of flooding to 40 properties in the Delamere Road area of Bedworth.

The investment will also fund a range of other flood alleviation schemes, such as upstream storage areas, improving existing and constructing new defences, tackling surface water flooding, and providing individual property level protection. There are also projects within the six year plan to work with communities who are at risk from rapid responding rivers, as well as undertaking schemes involving natural solutions to slow down the amount of flow entering the rivers.

The benefits of this investment will reduce flood risk to over 2,900 residential properties and will prevent over £150M in damages to businesses, infrastructure and properties over the lifetime of the defences.

English Severn and Wye Regional Flood and Coastal Committee Chair Anne Wheeler said: “The local levy funds help to finance schemes which protect smaller communities that would not otherwise be eligible for full funding, as well as enabling GiA to be spent more widely across the Severn and Wye catchment. We are grateful for the commitment of all our lead local flood authority partners, which helps ensure that residents at threat from flooding will now benefit from increased protection.”

Sea Containers House unveils £160M project refurbishment Turner & Townsend is proud to see the successful completion of the £160M refurbishment of Sea Containers House, one of the most prominent landmarks on the South Bank of the River Thames, on which the consultancy delivered full cost management services.

Turner & Townsend ensured successful project delivery and maximise return. By adopting a cost focused design process and implementing a robust commercial approach, the building was successfully fully let prior to practical completion and the final account was achieved nine months prior to completion.

The new state-of-the-art office block development, rated BREEAM ‘Very Good,’ includes a cathedral reception space, ground floor cafe area and roof terraces at the upper levels of the building. Within the former car park of the building, a new nine-storey 90,000sq ft office has been constructed, providing a total space of 440,000sq ft grade A office accommodation,

including the refurbished space.

In addition to the office space, a 359-bed Five star hotel has been opened by the Morgan Hotel Group, who will run the hotel as part of their Mondrian brand – the first outside of the United States. The hotel comprises of a spa and rooftop bar with terrace space on the river elevation of the building. The new development, designed with the aim of revitalising and opening up public areas around the building, will see a new route created between the River Walkway and Upper Ground on the west side of Sea Containers House.

Jon White, UK Managing Director commented: “We are delighted to see the completion of this iconic landmark building, reinforcing our major refurbishment capability in central London.

“The project is a result of our desire to properly understand our client’s needs and implement robust cost management procedures to ensure that the client’s delivery requirements were met.”

Kier chosen for £1Bn Thames Water infrastructure alliance contract Kier, in a joint venture with Clancy Docwra, has been named preferred bidder for Thames Water’s major new £1Bn alliance. The alliance, which has chosen two joint venture teams, will begin in April 2015 and will run for up to 15 years with an estimated value to the joint venture, KCD (Kier Clancy Docwra), of £500M over the next five years.

The contract includes the option to extend the arrangements to the AMP7 and AMP8 business plans, while KCD may also be required to deliver elements of the current AMP5 programme. The second joint venture team chosen was Agility (J Murphy & Sons and Morrison Utility Services).

The scope of the alliance includes the full range of services, including clean water network repair, rehabilitation and maintenance and leak detection, along with constructing new water mains. It will also consist of managing the logistics and scheduling of programmes, as well as developing customer and stakeholder services.

The KCD bid focused on leveraging the two teams’ combined expertise, having already worked together on substantial Anglian Water contracts, including the new planned programme for AMP6. The bid also demonstrated the ability to offer a breadth of services and best practice, alignment to strategic aims and having multi-disciplinary design and delivery capability, which were all key requirements for Thames Water.

John Wilkinson, Kier Services Executive Director, commented: “We are delighted to have been chosen by Thames Water for their new alliance. It’s an excellent opportunity for Kier to leverage a wide range of skills and the strong track record that we have built up in the sector.

“The alliance should provide an innovative and forward thinking way to deliver comprehensive asset management services; enabling Thames Water to maximise the performance of their network, so we are very much looking forward to starting work with them.”

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UKC PROFILE

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)

Michelle Perry

Tim Dwyer

CIBSE is the prime source of expertise in the building services industry, giving advice to its 21,000 members.

UK Construction Media spoke to Professor Tim Dwyer, Teaching Fellow at UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering and member of CIBSE BIM Steering Group, and Michelle Perry, Key Account Manager for TROX UK Ltd, member of CIBSE BIM Steering Group and Vice Chair of the Product Data Templates Breakout Group.

They shared their thoughts on the work CIBSE is undertaking to raise BIM awareness and the importance of Product Data Templates (PDTs) for the industry.

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) is a membership-based organisation whose history reaches back over 115 years. In its current form, CIBSE has existed since 1976 and has more than 21,000 members comprising of not only traditional building services engineers, but also specialists from a range of associated disciplines such as lighting or facilities management.

Members belong to a global network of professional support and expertise, with a full programme of meetings and events each year offering hundreds of opportunities for members to meet and learn from colleagues and experts to explore new ideas. A further 20,000 non-members are also involved in CIBSE’s specialist interest groups.

The Institution represents key aspects of the supply chain whose input and engagement will be vital if BIM is to live up to its potential to transform the construction industry. A key priority has also been to collaborate with other bodies, the Government, other institutions and trade associations.

The collaboration is crucial because so many different companies in different sectors need the information.

Tim explained:“Building services is very much a multi-disciplinary activity that relies on being inter-disciplinary so there’s a need for the management of information.”

CIBSE BIM Steering Group Informally, CIBSE has been involved in BIM for many years through the discipline of information, which is core to all its

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activities. This was formalised by the formation of the BIM Steering Group four years ago. In that time the Group has produced a number of important outputs – notably the BIMTalk website and PDTs, an important tool to streamline the input of data into BIM models.

The Group meets once a month and consists of members such as consultants, commissioning/FM companies, manufacturers and main contractors so that the level of information is spread across a variety of sectors. The Group has subcommittees that meet on an informal basis, with break-out groups also sitting in to review various issues such as current industry standards. Tim said it was important that the mix of people involved in this group was varied and eclectic enough to represent the whole industry.

He said: “It truly is a cross-industry group of people on the BIM Group, moving through the ideas that will help solve future problems of information management, as well as meeting the needs of the Government and various standards. The Group has acted as a great catalyst for action within CIBSE.” The Group has run annual surveys to canvass the opinion of members in order to give an idea of what the industry wants from BIM and where it is going.

The results of the latest survey, which was conducted last year, showed that BIM in the building services sector is moving forward faster than others as reported in specific sector surveys. Those who took the survey felt that information they have been given has continued to improve when compared to previous years.

These are particularly encouraging results given that of those that responded, approximately 75% have been involved in BIM projects.

Distributed through CIBSE Journal and Twitter, the two groups who responded in the greatest numbers to the CIBSE BIM Survey were consultants and manufacturers, and it is the latter group that is looking to the Institution for help.

Michelle explained the reason for this is the fact that they are “always at the bottom of the trail.”

She said: “Clients, projects and the Government drive things from

the top through main contractors and consultants, who have to gear themselves up a lot sooner.

“Manufacturers are holding back because they won’t get paid for doing this, so they wait to see which way the industry is going, instead of implementing things and having to change them later.

Obviously with the recession and the way industry has been for a while, money and resources have been tight so it’s about getting our message to the manufacturers and removing the fear factor.”

Two key initiatives which the Group is taking to strip away this fear factor are the development of PDTs and the creation of www.BIMTalk.co.uk - a non-partisan, impartial website that allows people to find out about BIM. BIMTalk.co.uk Created three years ago, this popular website is widely used in the industry and boasts a full glossary, allowing people to find out what all terms used actually mean.

The glossary is an invaluable tool as understanding the BIM language can be a minefield, this website is key in making sure that CIBSE members, as well as other users from the building industry are upto-date with the latest BIM development.

All the results from the CIBSE BIM Group’s annual surveys are published on the website, which also includes other useful information such as website links, case study examples, as well as sections about BIM standards and processes.

More importantly, the CIBSE BIM Group created BIMTalk because there was a need for a site with the sole purpose of enriching the knowledge of its members.

Tim explained: “The reason we created BIMTalk.co.uk is that there many of BIM pages on the web, however, the information is often partial, which is frustrating.

“We are dedicated to keeping this website up to date, allowing visitors to read about the current state of the developments.

“We will also continually update links to other sites, directing them towards other useful information. If we find case studies that would help people to move through the jungle of BIM, we will upload them, saving people the hassle

of trawling through journal sites. We believe it’s an important resource and have had a great feedback so far.”

Product Data Templates (PDTs) Along with the BIMTalk website, PDTs form a major part of CIBSE activity around BIM. It is a result of the industry wanting to move BIM forward and provide quality product information into the chain from the beginning of a project.

Initially a CIBSE BIM Object Library was discussed, however PDTs as an open standard were seen as critical to help manufacturers.

Formats such as COBie digital information, as well as German formats were investigated to make sure that the best suggestions could be distilled into a format that could answer productspecific questions required by COBie. PDTs are adopted as a standard product questionnaire that manufacturers have to complete for each of their products once, serving the requirements of all people involved, products and services.

Michelle explained the benefits of the PDTs, saying that as well as ensuring manufacturers only have to input data once, inputting into Excel spreadsheets allows for “consistent transfer of information.”

She said: “We’re promoting PDTs as one common format for all stakeholders meaning they don’t have to keep producing the information in different formats for different companies or project teams, or to suit different software platforms.

“The Excel format is readily usable and

adaptable into every type of software.

“The software industry needs to adapt to the construction industry requirements - and not vice versa regarding interoperability of models and data, including the capability to deal with large amounts of data without making the model unusable.”

The definition of the individual PDTs only require updating if there is an attribute that needs adding to this generic product template; this is controlled to ensure that PDTs remain a universal standard.

Once the PDTs are completed, a Product Data Sheet (PDS), which is essentially the answer to the questionnaire, can be produced. The PDTs allow manufacturers to introduce their products to BIM, providing lifelong access to information.

This gives a digital description of everybody’s product, and as a project evolves, it allows for the PDS to be developed in order to add more information to get to the project specific stages.

As a result, the project and industry don’t have to tie themselves to a specific manufacturer from the beginning of the process, and instead can compare several manufacturers’ products at various stages throughout the process. This allows the project to flow and evolve naturally.

The PDT/PDS provides a mechanism for describing a manufacturer’s product in one place on a spreadsheet, with links that will take the prospective user to the manufacturer’s website.

Currently, this information is available in many different sources and formats, which need to be deciphered before you can compare

between different manufacturers’ data for similar products. Now, it will be readily available in a simplified format so a user can compare different types of a similar product effortlessly as they are in the same format and data is presented consistently.

This is much more convenient than having to look at several different forms of data.

Michelle explains how this encourages people to work in the same format: “It is vital to be able to compare data and PDTs/PDSs are a great aid for that. It will simplify the different ways that information is currently presented in manufacturers’ literature and consultants’ schedules.

“For some reason every company presents the data in a slightly different way, yet exactly the same information is presented – the PDTs make the process more efficient.”

PDTs also show their value by ensuring that accurate information is available throughout the lifecycle of the building. In addition, the smoother transfer of information will not only benefit facility management, but will also encourage the design team to consider facilities management requirements much earlier in the design process.

The PDTs can answer all requirements about standards and what the industry wants to achieve. The fact that the information has to be produced only once rather than for every aspect of a project, is a major benefit to everyone.

Tim said that the need to meet the Government’s Level 2 BIM standard was also a driver behind the PDTs, which addressed “a gap in BIM provision.” continued on page 18

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He said: “It was really a case of seeing where there’s a real gap in the BIM provision and that’s what created the impetus and project for the PDTs.” CIBSE is working closely with trade associations creating a route in for manufacturers, whose input into the initiatives such as PDTs is absolutely crucial for them being successful.

Fundamentally, the PDTs are a way of the industry shaping what it needs according to its own requirements, rather than other sectors or software providers dictating these.

Future challenges BIM is an emerging technology that is not going to stop at Level 2 - the 2016 requirement. Software and demand will develop, and BIM is critical to the future profitability of companies all over the country, which will be enabled through good quality information, readily generated.

The PDTs are designed to enable information to be shared quickly and readily, benefiting the likes of manufacturers in the process.

But despite the positives, Tim and

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Michelle appreciate that more can be done to improve the process.

Collaboration is crucial, because BIM has to work across the whole supply chain and lifecycle of a building.

Therefore it is vital for everybody across a project, from architects and engineers to operators, to be communicating and feeding in the information.

At CIBSE’s annual conference in November, RIBA President, Stephen Hodder, used collaboration within BIM as his key theme and said the institutions needed to embrace this approach and find out what members need in order to feed this information downwards and show where the industry and BIM are going.

It is a view that Tim echoed, saying: “We need people to be more open - it has been a real challenge in some parts of the world to get the information shared because people have concerns about their intellectual property.”

Another reoccurring theme is the pace at which software is developing and the way it can and possibly should be used to bring about savings.

The latter point is not an easy one to find a solution for, as many companies use different software for each stage of a project.

For example, an architect will produce a model of a building for a project, but when the model goes to the engineers, information will be re-inputted and another model created. This process can happen many times throughout the project, which increases the chances of mistakes being made.

BIM should eventually tie this together,

however there is a need for collaboration and for software houses to provide a solution where data is interchangeable between models, especially when using different software packages.

Michelle said:“Going forward, that’s where the biggest financial savings will be in the industry. If we can have a model that is adopted by the entire team from inception, right through the full life of the project without having to re-draw at every step, it will make the process a lot smoother instead of starting from scratch each time. That will save a lot of time and a lot of money.”

Finding software that can handle this much information being put into one model is another hurdle. As it stands, the level of detail required by each discipline cannot be put into one model without it ‘falling over’.

Tim and Michelle have both spoken to various software houses and feel this is caused not only by a lack of money to invest as the industry has been hit hard by the downturn in economy, but also by the companies possibly getting too comfortable as they have dominated the market for many years.

It is a challenge to keep moving forward and pushing the attitudes, without doubt.

But CIBSE is committed to raise awareness of these issues with the likes of BIMTalk, its surveys, and PDTs. Going forward, it will undoubtedly lead to more knowledge for the betterment of the building services.

CIBSE would welcome input from those who would like to either create or test PDTs – visit www.cibse.org/bim to find out more.

Discover more about our range of prestressed and precast concrete products

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Just Painters Ltd ...It’s all in our name

Just Painters Ltd is a specialist Employment Business providing skilled, experienced and qualified decorators After many years of being in the trade as a qualified decorator, foreman and site manager, a director of Just Painters Ltd found many drawbacks in using recruitment agencies. He realised that supplied painters mostly had little or no experience or qualifications which were neither cost nor time effective. Finding that there was a high demand for quality tradesmen within construction sector and a lack of care for the type of labour agencies provided - Just Painters Ltd was born.

We specialise in Painting and Decorating Industry only and are proud members of The Painting & Decorating Association. We are partnered with the largest companies and painting contractors nationwide. Just Painters Ltd works very closely with one of the leading UK training providers to verify the level of competence and skills of our painters and to provide them with additional training and development.

Just Painters Ltd are your business partner, we are not just a labour supplier, we know the painting industry inside out, we are qualified decorators ourselves with up to date training and knowledge of new technology.

We currently have eight divisions, this enables us to send you a decorator that specialises in the area that you require them for, which means that the painter will be more productive and the contract is carried out more effectively meeting your deadlines.

How Just Painters Ltd can work with you?

Just Painters Ltd Unit G, The Courtyard Business Centre, 27 Norfolk Street, Peterborough, PE1 2NP

Tel: 01733 615395 Email: info@justpaintersltd.co.uk www.justpaintersltd.co.uk

AUTO-ENROLMENT don’t leave it too late!

Workplace pension law has changed and every UK employer, from the largest to the smallest, will need to automatically enrol their employees into a workplace pension plan. With larger companies having already completed the process, the spotlight is now on small employers – some 1.25 million in the UK –to ensure they comply with their new workplace pensions over the coming months. The Pensions Regulator has a range of powers to tackle non-compliance including serving employers with penalties and its guidance to companies with right down to just one employee is very clear: “Act now. It’s the law.”

At Elect we recognise the extra challenge that SMEs face in making sure they’re compliant with the new legislation.

“The new rules are complex and companies who don’t have in-house pensions specialists will find them onerous and time consuming to deal with. But the important thing is to make a start!” Donna Biggs, UK Head of Elect explained.

“Auto-enrolment will impact your business in a number of ways - some more obvious than others - and employers need to allow time to fully understand what’s involved in meeting the requirements; whether that’s investing time and resource to make an existing pension scheme compliant, or setting up a new one from scratch. You’ll need to pull in a support team including payroll, providers, HR, IT and assess the eligibility of your whole workforce and the data systems you have in place. There are many moving parts.

“And of course, the most important factor in all of this is employees. It is your duty as an employer to ensure your employees are fully aware of when and how they will be impacted – bearing in mind that some members of your workforce may have very little or no understanding of pensions. Communications must be direct, clear and comprehensive – and also timely to ensure that employees can take action.”

Our specialist Elect team is working with smaller employers across all industries to help them prepare for and implement all of the stages of auto-enrolment. We also offer an Elect pension solution, designed to be fully compliant with the new rules and, like all our products, was built to meet the specific needs of smaller employers with streamlined administration processes, highly

competitive charges, and dedicated support from our team. Contact our team or visit our website to find out more about the Elect service and access a wide range of auto-enrolment materials.

www.electemployeebenefits.co.uk Call us at 0800 0232 785 Mercer Marsh Benefits is a service provided by Mercer Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales No. 984275. Registered Office: 1 Tower Place West, Tower Place, London, EC3R 5BU. Marsh Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales No. 1507274. Registered Office: 1 Tower Place West, Tower Place, London EC3R 5BU. Copyright 2014 Mercer LLC. All rights reserved.

UKC INTERVIEW

Interview with Robert Hopkin of the Rail Alliance

UK Construction Media talks to Robert Hopkin of the Rail Alliance about his journey into rail and his role as a board member to the RISQS scheme.

Could you give us an introduction about yourself and your own career?

After initially training as an engineering apprentice in the gas turbine, diesel engine and pump sectors – I then trained to become a maths, science and PE teacher and did that for five years but then – disappointed with prospects in the teaching profession – I joined the Air Force in 1988, somewhat late in life at a youthful 29 years old.

However I had great fun and professionally it was a most rewarding career switch.

I retired from the RAF in 2009 as a Wing Commander and I was looking for something different to do again and thought there was lots of opportunity in the rail industry, as well as public funding. I really wanted a challenge.

My colleague and Chief Executive of the Rail Alliance, who I’d known for 20 years, invited me along to help him to develop the Rail Alliance from a successful startup into what we have today – the largest networking organisation for the Rail SME supply base. We were right at the start of many things – not least the National Skills Academy for Rail Engineering (NSARE) and I was one of a team of three who prepared the (successful as it turned out) Expression of Interest for that organisation.

What I’ve done is pick up the aspects that an SME would be expected to comply with and RISQS is one of those. It has morphed from Achilles running it into the industry running the scheme with Achilles operating as the service provider.

Additionally, just like in military service you wouldn’t ask someone to do something you weren’t prepared to do yourself (although that doesn’t always work … my attempts at welding are still the butt (pun intended) of many jokes).

I helped take the Rail Alliance through the Link Up Engage accreditation process on the basis that if rail SMEs have to go through Link Up, then I should have experienced the same pains and gains – especially if I was to represent their interests on the RIOSQS Board.

Another British Standard that came out in late 2010 was BS 11000 – the world’s first national standard for Collaborative Business Relationships. So I got trained up in that standard as a facilitator and with a great deal of additional assistance from the Institute for Collaborative Working I developed and ran courses on collaborative business relationships for SMEs so people have understanding about BS 11000.

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This is typical of our proactive stance and approach – we’ve always tried to make the Rail Alliance as helpful as possible to our SME client base; in a way, we never stand still, not least because complacency (along with cash flow!) is the death knell of the SME. Our strapline is innovate, collaborate, network and thrive and that’s what we’re all about. We help companies innovate, while collaborating where possible.

Anything that helps put the message of the Rail Alliance and its client base across the Internet is fantastic for us as the world is embracing digital presence and webbased portals have to be the future.

What is the great strength of RISQS? The scheme has brought leadership and an agenda to the supplier qualification scheme. Achilles still have an important role but they are a service provider and with any service provider, what you need is to be on top of management issues.

At RISQS, you get straightforward leadership with Richard Sharp and Don Clarke. They don’t take leadership lightly.

They are good, solid, capable people and the RISQS Board is full of people like that who all want to do better for the rail SME supply base as well as the more traditional Tier 1 customer bases and the OEMs, principal contractors and the like across this marvellous industry of ours, taking in overground and underground systems as well as light rail in metropolitan areas.

What is your role as a Board member at RISQS? Along with other representatives from the likes of RICA and the Rail Plant Association (RPA), CICA, we are all on the Board as representing the associations’ memberships. We’re not voted on but we’re basically acting as free consultants (there’s a thing!) to make sure that any change or development of RISQS scheme is not punitive or disadvantageous to any of our varied members. If you add them all up, there must be close to 2,000 members represented on the RISQS Board by the various people from the associations; that said, there are nearly 4,000 people registered on Achilles Engage so, perhaps we all have unfinished business!

What sets RISQS apart from other qualification schemes?

We’re driving down costs wherever we can. The rail industry is mandated to deliver

21.9% of efficiency over the five-year period according to the Government, so anything that can offer the industry options of how to do things differently (ie faster, cheaper, better) is useful. What we’re trying to do is encourage the buyers higher up the tiers, such as Network Rail, Carillion, Costain to name but a few, to look at their supply chain and seek out different ways of doing the same things to get more value to the country.

For the rail services to improve, they need to look for something else. And you’re now seeing the likes of OEMs and Tier 1 companies coming out showing interest in the Whole Life Cost debate. Even if it’s going to cost more to buy a widget in the first place, but it can be proved to provide overall savings after say ten years of operation, a conversation will be had.

That’s something we need to capture more of, in terms of the Whole Life Costs argument.

My suggestion on the Whole Life Cost debate is how could RISQS make that information more available to the buying community – it’s not an easy question, nothing worth doing in life rarely is easy and I’m not even saying it’s ‘doable’ but it is an example of the way we have to think!

Robert Hopkin

The other thing I’m interested in is how people get obsessed by the number of suppliers that are RISQS-qualified through Achilles. We get excited when we hear it can take less than two days after a company’s questionnaire is completed for it to be published.

But I want to know how many more buyers have been recruited, how many more searches they are doing and, if there are buyers out there who haven’t made searches in, say, the last three or six months, what are we doing about it?

It’s a departure from the norm that I’d like to see – more focus on both ends of the buying continuum. For a sale to take place, you need a buyer, supplier and commodity.

I would contend there are loads of good SMEs out there, more often than not trading in the automotive, aerospace, marine, advanced manufacturing and construction sectors that need to be given a chance to have their voice heard. So, I think topics such as the Whole Life Costs argument or entertaining expertise and innovation from another sector should be a big part in supplying to the railway sector and hopefully RISQS can further develop to be able to deliver more solutions to existing railway sector supply issues from other sectors.

The news by Achilles that they will be publishing Network Rail’s tender alerts to the RISQS community is a good move but they shouldn’t stop there and should be asking for all principal contractors to do likewise.

easily have been a lot of grey men in grey suits, but we’re far from it. We’re vibrant, keen to argue and it’s a forum where argument is even entertained if it is going to make things better.

You can learn so much from other sectors, and it could be said that the railway has been slow to embrace expertise of other sectors.

Having a greater breadth of knowledge and opinion can only be a good thing to help us achieve what the Rail Delivery Group has mandated as part of the McNulty Review, which showed the UK railway can be up to 30% more expensive than that in mainland Europe – now I know that there are several who will challenge these figures – but the facts are that we have to drive down costs and eradicate waste whilst maintaining or improving performance, reliability, resilience and safety.

The breadth of opinion and expertise from those who make up the RISQS Board also affects the service provided by Achilles and the direction they will take in improving the system. If, for example, your service provider gets blinkered advice from those who don’t have experience of thinking outside the box, you’ll end up with the Henry Ford thing of “if you always ask for what you have always asked for, then you will always get what you’ve always got” and I think this is where RISQS is becoming closer to the customer and supply bases it represents and this is why I believe RISQS must look at the buyer community as much as the supplier community.

How important is the collaboration on the RISQS Board to the scheme?

I think it’s vital and we’re very fortunate to have the representation on the RISQS Board that we have. I think it could

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

My wish for RISQS would be that more of the buying community were to take more of an interest in RISQS, though I naturally

exclude all those members of the buying community on the RISQS Board at the moment who are doing a sterling job.

But I think there is some way to go so that people know and can source what RISQS can offer. We need to be able to produce that information in an easily digestible format and maybe there’s work for us to do there because these people are very busy.

From the supplier’s perspective, the issue of volume is important. For example, if you are a company that produces a geotextile membrane that goes under the ballast on the railway; if they wanted to move into the rail sector, were prepared to spend money to get in the rail sector, there is nowhere they can find out the volume of sale.

This is where Achilles might, for instance, be able to provide volume data of sales that have taken place through their portal year-on-year. Is there a better way where a potential new entrant to the sector who might have an innovative solution to a burning issue, would know whether it was worth their while supplying to the industry?

My very last point is about the new Train Operating Companies franchises having a 1% innovation target, so 1% of the budget is withheld and then FutureRailway make sure the money has been spent in an innovative fashion.

As a consequence, there will be more train operating companies looking for innovative ways of solving challenges.

For those who contend that 1% is ‘hardly anything’, once you look at running costs, salary costs and commercial rents, track access charges, lease costs for the rolling stock, there will not be much budgetary headroom left and, then, that 1% becomes an extremely significant figure!

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UKC COMMENT

New NHBC registration benefits revealed With NHBC’s annual registration statistics showing a 9% increase in 2014 over the previous year and demand for new homes growing steadily, the industry is facing up to a new set of challenges to build upon this buoyancy, which came on top of the significant sector growth in 2013.

Builders and developers who are registered with NHBC have always benefited from being able to use the NHBC brand in promoting their businesses, to offer Buildmark new home warranty and insurance to their customers, and have access to the technical expertise and advice that NHBC offer in new house building.

Following the findings of the NHBC Foundation research into issues impacting small builders NHBC is now launching a wide range of new benefits to its registered builder and developer customers which support their businesses. Smaller companies often do not have the scale to gain significant discounts on trade materials or business insurances, or the contacts to get deals on land sourcing, surveying and valuation services that are essential to building new homes.

From April 2015 NHBC registered builders and developers will be able to access a new set of free or discounted services that will support their business whether or not they are currently building new homes, enabling smaller building companies to operate at lower costs and with increased professional support.

For example, NHBC has teamed up with TradePoint for registered builders

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to receive special discounts on building materials. With 360 trade counters across the UK open seven days a week and for longer working hours than most merchants, their stores are more accessible for the builder customer.

NHBC’s support to builders extends to the technical and health & safety helplines which are available for registered builders to call for a range of advice on house building.

NHBC already offers a number of land-related services including market reports, site evaluation reports and land quality endorsement.

To add further value to registered builders NHBC has now agreed a new partnership with Countrywide Properties to provide free access to a dedicated regional land manager for land sourcing.

Countrywide’s nationally based land division source quality on and off-market sites throughout the UK, using their local area knowledge and experience of the local planning system to identify the unidentified.

From single plots to strategic land, residential to retirement, the Countrywide land & planning team will listen to a developer’s land requirements, provide input and guidance on planning matters and can provide early notifications when suitable land opportunities become available.

Also available is a free pre-site valuation advice service, designed to suit smaller developers who can access Pre-site mortgage related valuation advice from a RICS qualified surveyor and

direct contact with a qualified, RICS registered valuer through Countrywide Surveying Services, one of the largest new build valuers in the UK. Also new as a benefit this year is a 10% discount on asset protection insurance with DUAL Asset Underwriting Ltd on residential and commercial legal indemnity and title insurance products.

The new partnership means that builders will have access to a 10% discount on an extensive range of ‘Specific Risk’ and ‘All Risks’ legal indemnity policies that can help manage issues identified during land acquisition and site development such as; ••easement/servitude ••restrictive covenants/title conditions ••breaches of planning ••mines and minerals ••boundary issues To assist in selling homes, builders and developers also now have access to the NHBC Home User Guide which is available free for every new plot registered, discounted home exchange solutions services via the Countrywide Home Exchange Exclusive service and can promote properties on the Propertywide portal.

For more information on becoming an NHBC registered builder or any of the benefits, both new and existing, please visit www.nhbc.co.uk/register or call 0844 633 1000 and ask for ‘register’.

COMMENT UKC

Payment notices and successive adjudications

By Peter Sheridan, Partner, Sheridan Gold LLP Payment notices have increased practical importance since the amendments to the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (the HGCR Act) brought in by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (the LDEDC Act).

The scheme of the legislation, taking interim payment under a building contract as an example, is that there has to be a notice from either employer or contractor of the sum it considers due.

Often in standard forms provision is made for both contractor’s application and employer’s own valuation (or that of its contract administrator).

The employer has a further opportunity within time limits to put in a pay less notice, which seems to allow another opportunity for the employer to put in its own valuation and also allows the employer to notify that it will pay less than the valuation by reason of claims it has against the contractor, for example for liquidated damages. The sum due as an interim payment to the contractor is normally the sum that results from the employer’s payment notice and pay less notice, if any. But if the employer fails to issue either a valid payment notice or a valid pay less notice, the contractor is entitled to be paid the sum for which it applied.

If the contract provides only for payment notice from the employer, not the contractor, but the employer fails to give the notice, the contractor may then give its own notice of the sum it considers due, which will then become the sum payable, in the absence of a valid pay less notice.

It is vital for all parties to know exactly when they should issue these notices and what content is required. For contractors and sub-contractors, it is essential to have a firm grasp of when their notices are due.

If in receipt of a payment notice or pay less notice, the content of which is not accepted, it may be necessary to consider adjudication. For contractors dealing with sub-contractors and for employers and their professional team, it is necessary to know exactly when payment notices and pay less

notices must be sent, and exactly what the content must be for them to be valid.

If in addition to the position on notices, there is adjudication, the following issue may arise. A contractor succeeds in a first adjudication against an employer with the case that it is entitled to a sum for which it has applied for payment, in the absence of a valid payment notice and pay less notice from the employer. The result in the adjudication is thus decided simply on the procedural rules as to notices; the “true” valuation, in accordance with the contractual valuation rules, is not decided.

Is it then open to the employer in a second adjudication to have decided the correct underlying valuation and, if so, what is the net effect of the two decisions?

In the recent case ISG Construction Ltd v Seevic College (2014), Edwards-Stuart J decided that, where the contract is the JCT Design & Build standard form, and the amount of interim payment is fixed by the contractor’s application, the employer having failed to issue a payment notice or pay less notice, the amount applied for is deemed also to be the correct valuation and is also deemed to be agreed. It is not permissible to have a second adjudication, on the “true” valuation, as that is already decided in the first adjudication. While it is a decision on the JCT Design & Build form, the case may be of general application because of the similarity between the contractual scheme of that contract and the statutory rules outlined above.

What are the remaining options for the paying party in this situation? The ISG case seems to preclude a second adjudication on the “true” valuation of the interim payment that was the subject of the first adjudication. But it does not seem to preclude the matter being revisited when the next interim payment falls due. The paying party may then, therefore, be able to correct any inaccurate valuation that results from the decision in the first adjudication, provided, of course, its notices are valid this time. It also does not preclude the matter being corrected at the time of final payment, again provided the paying

party serves valid and timely notices. In addition, an employer may start its own adjudication to pursue any cross-claims it may have, for example for defects or liquidated damages. In each case, though, the employer is obliged to comply with the first adjudication in the meantime.

It may be that ISG is not correctly decided and that it should be open to a party who has lost a first adjudication purely on the issue of notices to have the “true” valuation of that payment decided in a second adjudication, which would then “trump” the first. The issue may be revisited by the Court of Appeal in due course.

For more information, contact Peter Sheridan Partner at Sheridan Gold LLP T: 01737 735088 E: psheridan@sheridangold.co.uk www.sheridangold.co.uk

Peter Sheridan

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Divide and Conquer or Collaborative Problem-Solving?

Effective Mediation Techniques Many Mediators, including myself, will think about splitting principals away from their advisors, including lawyers, in mediations that look like they will become problematic to solve. I always warn parties in the opening session that I may do this, but it never ceases to amaze me how blood pressures rise as soon as I suggest that the time has come to match up experts, lawyers and the decision makers themselves.

So why would a Mediator want to think about splitting parties up from their advisors? Whilst a cynical perspective might be that a Mediator has decided that he has concerns that the decision maker is not getting good advice or that one or more of the advisors have forgotten their role and have “entered the arena” to become part of the problem, the real reason for “matching” party attendees is often down to a more subtle consideration of the dispute and what needs to happen in order to get the parties to eventually move into problem-solving mode, to explore options, negotiate and, fingers crossed, close out an agreement.

As an example, let us assume that you as the Mediator suspect that a breakdown in a personal relationship and the subsequent developed lack of trust are the real root causes of the dispute. A principal is unlikely to be comfortable discussing such issues in front of his or her lawyer and/or experts and it might be a good tactic for the Mediator to meet the principals together, away from the main group. In session, you might wish to explore the history of the dispute and invite both principals to tell you when the dispute arose, why it arose and, with the benefit of hindsight, how it might have been avoided.

If your assessment of the situation is correct and it really is a breakdown in a personal arrangement that is the root cause of the problem, you should expect to hear very different stories from the principals and the mediation will then probably take a very different route from the one you expected. As an idea, you might want to think about inviting the principals to suspend their discussions on the historical dispute and to invite them to discuss how they would do things differently going forward in a continuing relationship.

Mediator’s armoury. Just remember to advise the parties at the outset that you might do this and think carefully about what you are attempting to achieve in the process.

Peter Vinden is a practising adjudicator, arbitrator, expert and mediator. He is Managing Director of The Vinden Partnership and can be contacted by email at pvinden@vinden.co.uk. For similar articles please visit www.vinden.co.uk

This approach “parks up” the historical dispute for an hour or so and, if the principals can agree a way to work more effectively going forward, then both parties will become highly motivated in the negotiation stage of the mediation to settle the dispute you are concerned with because you have 'managed' the parties into subordinating the historical dispute behind the benefits to be had from an ongoing future trading relationship.

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Splitting and matching mediation participants can be a helpful tool in a

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UKC COMMENT

Protecting your Assets

Design Implications for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation Background At the time of writing the threat level in the UK designated by Her Majesty’s Government stands at ‘Severe’ meaning an attack is ‘highly likely’. However the threat of terrorism in the UK has a long history than those most commonly reported on the evening news over the past ten years. In October 2010 the Government published a new national security strategy which identified terrorism as a high risk to the country and committed to countering that threat.

This article concentrates on the danger posed by a vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) and the hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) available to counter that threat. The most recently recorded of these attacks was at Glasgow airport in June 2007. This assault highlighted the vulnerability of public buildings. Until this attack it was largely assumed that terrorists would target government facilities and in the most part these were already

protected. Following the Glasgow incident the Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) re-evaluated the threat to crowded spaces such as sports stadiums, transport hubs, public buildings, libraries, museums and shopping centres and issued guidance to this effect.

The key drivers such as the protection of life and property are readily understood however there are also less tangible aspects such as perception, credibility and corporate responsibility that require consideration. Insurance premiums could also be affected by the implementation or omission of HVM’s.

Design Considerations A multitude of design considerations affect the implementation of HVM schemes which can be broken down into three main headings.

1. Threat assessment.

2. Statutory considerations.

3. Location specific issues.

1. Threat Assessment In simple terms, what is the risk?

The police have a network of Counter Terrorism Security Advisors (CTSA’s), who are specially trained and can be consulted about the most appropriate measures to secure a site. There are also specialist security consultants that bring expertise to the field. Both these groups can assist the client in establishing a risk profile for the asset and identifying potential weaknesses of the site. Each property owner will view the risk differently and, as there is no legal requirement to implement measures at a site, they must make their own assessment on what is appropriate. This is the first step and will depend on their attitude to the risk.

The building or site is easily identified as a potential target as are the typical threat vehicles and possible approach routes. However, the client’s perception of the risk is, perhaps, less tangible and requires careful consideration.

Barricades don’t need to look like barricades Emirates Stadium uses concrete lettering as HVM

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The client may wish to protect certain operational assets, such as control rooms or be sensitive to adverse publicity.

At this initial stage it may be possible to discount certain risks by implementing operational changes or simply accepting that the risk exists and cannot be adequately mitigated against (eg: a car park linked to a building).

Having established the size of the threat vehicle and approach routes the security consultant takes over. It is critical to the specification of equipment that a vehicle dynamic assessment (VDA) is undertaken to establish the level of protection required at the point of impact.

This forms the basis for the choice of the HVM. Ideally this process should be carried out early in the design process when the HVM can form part of the base build construction and is therefore easier to implement. A retro-fit exercise for an existing building is likely to prove challenging given the constraints of architectural features and structure.

2. Statutory Considerations As with most works within the built environment the works are governed by statutory regulations, in broad terms these are as follows: 1. Planning 2. Building Regulations 3. British Standards or PAS 68/69 4. Statutory Undertakers 1. Planning The installation of measures at the boundary of the site is often subject to the planning permission. This can often be sensitive in city centre locations and in particular conservation areas or where Listed Buildings are affected. Ideally HVM should be positioned away from the structure in order to create what is termed ‘stand-off’. However this zone will be limited by the extent of the site. In certain circumstances it may be possible to arrange a Section 278 Agreement with the local authority to position equipment

outside the demise line, in which case early engagement with the relevant authority is recommended to understand any overriding concerns. The involvement of the local CTSA may assist in these discussions to facilitate implementation.

2. Building Regulations Building Regulations is required where the installation of HVM affects structure. However, this is very rarely contentious given the requirements to protect the property. Nevertheless as the potential targets in the façade are generally the entrance or exit points, accessibility and means of escape are essential aspects of the design and are governed by Building Regulations.

3. British Standards The equipment approved by the CPNI is tested to certain standards to provide the requisite level of security. Moreover the installation has to be carried out in a continued on page 32 The Arsenal Cannons can withstand a seven tonne lorry

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certain way (ie: as tested) to ensure the measures will live up to expectations.

Various consultancies offer this engineering level of expertise and monitor the installation to ensure compliance.

4. Statutory Undertakers As with all excavations the usual issues relating to underground services (mains water, gas, electric and telecoms) are all potential risks to a successful installation. Each of the authorities can be approached for drawings indicating the position of their equipment however it is recommended that the building owner undertake their own ground radar surveys and trial holes to accurately establish the position of services as these will impact on the final layout of equipment.

Other interests in neighbouring land such as Network Rail or the National River Authority may also impact on implementation should be identified early in the process.

Similarly, the treatment of any excavated material which may be contaminated needs to be dealt with appropriately.

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Location Specific Each installation will have its own unique design considerations which cannot all be reviewed within the scope of this article. Each building will have various constraints and requirements that need to be agreed with the various stakeholders in the scheme. The range of issues that will be considered range from specific ground conditions or service requirements, aesthetics, costs and operational issues such as maintenance and cleaning, to how the measures will actually be installed.

When considered at feasibility stage of a development there are relatively few physical barriers to the installation of HVM’s. The structural design can accommodate their inclusion and combined with creative design such as the use of street furniture, the orientation of entrances and natural features to create stand-off or reduce vehicle speeds, the protection can be achieved as part of the overall design. Nevertheless for this to happen early consideration is required in the design process, as the risks need

to be understood to avoid potentially extensive changes later on in the build.

In a retrofit scenario the phrase ‘you don’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs’ is particularly true for HVM install.

The excavations required for certain retractable products can be up to two metres in depth. The less intrusive, fixed bollards require foundations of circa 300400mm and will require working space to install. Generally, HVM measures are implemented at the entrance points of an asset and as such, access needs to be maintained during construction. Phasing the installation or out of hours working operations need to be considered and have their own cost implications. The work face is also exposed to staff and customers and therefore health and safety is a concern during the build itself.

For a new development, the design considerations of structure, services provision and links to building management systems can be accommodated relatively easily providing the employer is clear on the desired result.

The situation is rather more complicated where a retro-fit solution is contemplated.

As built information provides a starting point however, this is sometimes lacking or may not be accurate. Similarly statutory services drawings (where available) tend to be indicative at best.

It is highly recommended that ground radar surveys and intrusive investigations are undertaken to inform the design process and establish the setting out.

However, it should be recognised that surveys and intrusive work do not provide a 100% certainty. Therefore balance needs to be reached between employer and contractor for the risk of ground conditions that can be assessed.

Operational considerations such as access, provision for maintenance or commercial activities and even future proofing the installation having due regard to likely vehicle sizes and their tracking requirements all need to be factored into the installation and these extend beyond the immediate vicinity of the measures themselves (eg: turning

circles for articulated vehicles).

Aesthetics are always an emotive issue.

By their very nature, the design of HVMs is bulky. Bollards can be sleeved but their size and diameter is likely to be determined by the VDA ratings. Bespoke solutions have been incorporated within the street furniture (eg: ‘Arsenal FC’ signage at the Emirates Stadium) and existing architectural features (The Houses of Parliament, Westminster).

The costs of the actual product are the immediate issue for clients however ongoing maintenance contracts for automated equipment post installation need to be built into the FM and maintenance budgets, particularly where interface is required with other access systems such as intercom or roller shutter doors.

One of the first questions raised by CTSA’s when assessing the threat to an asset is “what hostile vehicles mitigation measures are in place?”

For a new development early consideration of the requirements for HVM is paramount to ensure the requisite level of protection is incorporated in the base-build. Creative design at this stage can often reduce vehicle speeds and hence the size of the equipment required, or design out the risk completely. For existing assets compromises often have to be made in order to provide the necessary level of protection, whilst retaining the functionality of the asset during and after the construction phase.

Conclusion In an increasingly uncertain world, hostile vehicle mitigation will be a very real consideration for new development and existing buildings.

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UKC COMMENT

Tackling infection control through ‘Fabric First’ Early and close collaboration between designers, architects, engineers, facilities managers, IPC teams and healthcare staff can help reduce hospital infections through the careful specification of internal surface materials. Health Building Note 00-09: Infection control in the built environment, recommends measures should be ‘designed in’ at the outset of planning and design. Kate Waterston, UK Sales Manager of Construction Specialties, examines the issues that need to be considered when specifying and selecting from the wide range of products available.

Around 300,000 patients each year acquire infections as a result of visiting healthcare facilities in England, costing the NHS up to £1bn a year, as well as putting extra pressure on healthcare resources and risking patient safety and comfort.

For any healthcare provider, be it private or public, patient safety is the cornerstone of care, which means preventing these kinds of infections is a priority. Along with ever-more stringent regulations aimed at preventing infection control, the

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challenge is compounded by constraints on budgets and a lack of staff resources, particularly in the public sector.

While it is important to educate staff, patients and visitors on the importance of maintaining a high level of hygiene, through hand cleansing and waste disposal, a critical element in infection prevention and control (IPC) is the specification and selection of the most appropriate materials for walls, ceilings, floors and doors, particularly where there is the possibility of contamination with blood or body fluid.

There are a multitude of products available but fundamentally the issues will be the same: does the surface material help prevent infection; is it easy to install, maintain and clean; and, with image becoming increasingly important (for influencing stakeholders and public opinion, as well as reducing patient anxiety), does it fit with the interior design?

The first lines of defence in infection control are thresholds. Health Building Note 00-10 Part A: Flooring recommends that entrance matting suitable for pedestrian and trolley/

wheelchair users should be provided at all entrances, to reduce dirt being trafficked into buildings. Furthermore, BS 7953:1999 Entrance flooring systems. Selection, installation and maintenance, recommends 2.1m of entrance matting in the direction of traffic but most experts agree that 6m is the optimum “walk-off length”, to allow effective dirt and moisture removal.

Specification should be based on the effectiveness in trapping dirt, as this will not only help with infection control but will also save on internal cleaning and maintenance costs. Of course, the matting itself must be easy to clean and an appropriate cleaning and maintenance programme should be put in place to ensure its effectiveness over a long period.

Further inside the building, specifying resilient and hygienic wall, floor and ceiling finishes is essential. Health Building Note 00-10 Part B: Walls and ceilings, specifies the performance requirements and the types of finishes for different areas.

In sensitive areas, such as operating theatres, high-performance coatings

offering increased chemical resistance are needed to cope with intensive cleaning. Some also include bactericides and fungicides in every layer (primer, middle coat and top coat), so even the most rigorous cleaning regimes do not diminish the coating’s ability to inhibit microbial growth.

Where durability is of particular concern, it is worth considering an impact-resistant wall sheet or panel protection system, which also supports IPC and is easy to clean. Both panels and sheet products can be used on flat surfaces, come in a wide range of colours and can be affixed to a diverse range of substrates.

Doors and door frames are clearly some of the most vulnerable items in a healthcare facility and damaged doorsets not only compromise hygiene and interior aesthetics but also fire safety. The same impactresistant sheet materials used for wall protection can also be fitted to doors to create full or half height protection, kick

plates and push plates, maintaining doors’ integrity and increasing their working life.

Wall coatings and sheet protection systems offer a high degree of flexibility to allow designers to brighten up rooms and corridors. Wall coatings can be matched to a number of different colour standards including NCS, RAL and BS, while wall sheet protection systems also come in a wide range of colours and finishes. Some wall panel systems allow high-quality images or artwork to be embedded, creating bespoke floor to ceiling designs in high-traffic areas, removing the worry of damage and without compromising on infection control.

It is clear that whatever systems are chosen for IPC, careful selection at the design stage is critical, involving all stakeholders, including the design and construction teams, healthcare estate managers, staff and patients, to ensure that an environment is created that is not only durable, clean and healthy

but that also minimises maintenance and whole-life costs, while helping to improve patient care and recovery. choice of inserts, Pedisystems matting offers systems up to 44mm deep, that can take up to 500kg per wheel rolling load and have up to 85% absorption area, and includes Helix PVC tiles and Tetras carpet tiles for clean-off areas. The range includes recessed or surface-mounted options; a wide range of tread types, colours and finishes; the ability to include a logo; and all are easy to clean and replace. for reliable performance of fire rated doors (30 and 60 minute resistance).

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UKC INTERVIEW

Interview with Mike Petter of CCS Could you tell us a little about yourself and your own career?

I’m a Chartered Civil Engineer and was with Geoffrey Osborne Ltd for a number of years after graduation. I was Director of Civil Engineering when I left in 1996 and joined Alfred McAlpine Plc for four years, running their civil engineering operations in the south east.

This led me back to Geoffrey Osborne until 2001 as a Group Board Director, but I then branched out on my own as a technical consultant and assisted with culture change amongst a number of construction clients including McAlpine and various group subsidiary businesses.

This is still my main core business, but from 2008 I joined the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) as a Monitor. I’m also a non-Executive Director of a National Health Foundation Trust in the south, a Group Board non-Executive for the Guinness Partnership Housing Association and business advisor to a start-up organisation in Chichester.

Construction is my background and the work I do with the NHS and the Housing Association overlap; I also do a lot of work with them around their management and asset portfolio.

How did you become a Monitor at CCS? The Scheme regularly runs adverts for Monitors and I responded to one of those.

We have a model of a Monitor we’re looking for - somebody who has served time in the industry, relatively senior and experienced.

I applied in 2008 and was asked to join.

Monitors are self employed within the Scheme and we have some who do half a day, to a day a month, whereas others do something approaching a full time role.

I’m in the 6-8 days a month bracket. I look after the Portsmouth-Southampton area and the governance structure we have includes Monitor Directors. So when you’ve served as a Monitor, you can then become involved in other areas such as recruitment and training of new Monitors to allow you to move up.

Therefore in 2012 I was invited to join the Board as a Monitor Director. We have five of these positions on a fixed term appointment of three years.

One of the Monitor Directors is then chosen to be Vice Chairman which leads to becoming Chairman a year later, so I served as Vice Chairman from 2013-2014 and then took on the role of Chairman. It is a two-year term but can be extended through reappointment.

What do you feel you have added to CCS? What are you most proud of?

My major contribution was at the beginning of 2014 when I was heavily involved in looking at the strategy for CCS over the next three-five years.

We’d reached the end of the recession and I wanted us to think about the purpose of the Scheme and what it

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should be doing in five years’ time.

Should it continue monitoring sites or is there something else we could do?

The key output is, instead of just being a Scheme that goes out, monitors sites and gives a score - which has a lot of validity - we want to be able to provide advice and guidance as to what best practice looks like, and support and help site teams in improving.

So there was this new string to our bow I wanted to bring in, a focus on advice and guidance and starting with finding the mechanism to capture best practice and share it.

That’s probably my biggest contribution and will be when moving forward, to make sure our newly launched Best Practice Hub settles in which will lead to setting up an advice, guidance and consultancytype style to the way we work.

So instead of coming in and telling people how well they’ve done, we’ll tell them how well they could do and give them guidance, so they can strive for even higher levels of consideration.

Do you find that companies need a bit of guidance on how to get the best rating?

We were going to sites that were really well-performing, giving them a good score, but they then wanted to know what to do to become excellent or exceptional sites.

We used to be there to just observe on what had been done, whereas now, if people ask what ‘excellent’ looks like, we’ll be able to give guidance to site managers on what we’ve seen on similar projects.

They also want to go to a simple, single location like the Best Practice Hub and see what their peers are doing in a similar situation. That was the message we were hearing from the industry, which is why we’re making it even easier for any construction professional to read about the latest best practice and even share their own to benefit others.

Do you think this sets CCS apart?

Yes. There aren’t a lot of schemes similar.

CCS is owned by the industry, not-forprofit and borne out of the industry wanting to improve its own image, so we don’t improve the image of the industry, the industry improves its own image.

What we do is give them an independent view as to whether or not they’re achieving it, so in that respect, we’re not the same as other schemes. I think one of the key differentiators is that our Monitors are not only there to assess, but to support and offer guidance. We are here to help the industry improve itself.

You have just launched the Best Practice Hub. Can you give some information about how this came about?

We have over 140 Monitors at the moment who average around 15,000 visits a year on construction sites, so we were

seeing an awful lot of good practice!

We were then writing reports about them, which went back to the sites, but so much of it was not being shared which meant others couldn’t benefit.

At the Scheme, we always look for ways to improve, and it was clear this was an area that needed some focus.

We felt there was an absolute need to set up a repository of best practice which led to the creation of the Hub, which is a dynamic database that’s constantly being updated with the latest initiatives seen by Monitors.

It is free and accessible to anyone, including site teams, clients, professionals and the public, although it’s predominantly targeted to those involved in construction.

People can filter the available information to effectively describe a project similar to their own by project type, size, duration etc. This means the search results are all relevant so users are not faced with a long list of irrelevant information.

Going forward, we’ll continue to update the Hub with examples seen by our Monitors. We also hope to eventually expand and learn from other sectors, not only in the UK, but also with examples throughout the rest of Europe.

Our aim is that this will be the go-to place for anyone in the industry who wants to read about the latest best practice, and through the sharing of information, every site in the UK will be able to raise their considerate standards which in turn will improve the image of our industry.

Are you looking at the Best Practice Hub being something for advice and guidance too?

Definitely, it will become the centre of everything we do. One of the new considerations coming into our Monitors’ Checklist at the moment is about mental health issues in the construction industry.

Occupational health has been looked at by the industry and we’ve got better at providing general health information, however we are still very poor at mental health information and awareness.

Through the Best Practice Hub, we can address the issue of mental health much more effectively by highlighting the help and support available.

The Hub will become the essence of the Scheme and when sites ask us how they can become ‘excellent’, we’ll be able to point them in the direction of the Hub to see examples of other brilliant work to use as a marker.

In terms of planning and launching schemes at CCS, how far back does the planning go?

The Best Practice Hub is a good example. Our first discussions took place in January/February 2014.

After the initiative was agreed at a Board meeting, we tasked our administration office with setting up a team to deal with

capturing the best practice we already had on record from years of monitoring and setting up a group to deal with IT solutions.

With any initiative we run, a launch date must be decided. Our Scheme year runs from January to January and generally, most initiatives will be launched to suit this calendar.

With this in mind, it gave us a target of Christmas 2014/January 2015 for the launch date.

With the Best Practice Hub, it was hugely important to develop it with the industry in mind. We have a group of 57 Associate Members ranging from the likes of Balfour Beatty to Spencer Metcalfe who have close relationships with the Scheme, so we used them as a soundboard to ensure the Hub would be completely user friendly.

The Best Practice Hub took us 11 months to create from concept to launch.

The time frame of planning and launching a new initiative can however differ depending on the scope of the work.

When we launched the revised Code of Considerate Practice and Monitors’ Checklist in 2013, it actually took two years in the planning to ensure it was right. This was because it was such a fundamental change to the way we looked at things.

It was a thorough process from concept to launch which involved us running a series of pilots and trials, gaining valuable feedback from the industry throughout.

The Scheme will soon be launching a new concept called Ultra Sites. That took less time to develop and has so far only been launched as a pilot and a trial before we look to offer it industry-wide.

We have a continued dialogue with the industry, especially with our Associate Members, and their feedback is very much valued when we are looking at developing new initiatives to ensure they will be of benefit to the industry.

Do you have anything in place about health and safety at the minute?

Our Code of Considerate Practice has five sections, which includes ‘Secure everyone’s Safety’. It has no more importance than the sections of ‘Care about Appearance’, ‘Respect the Community’, ‘Protect the Environment’ and ‘Value their Workforce’.

The statutory requirement of what companies have to do under health and safety legislation is the minimum we would expect in order to comply with our Code. What we look for is how registered sites, companies and suppliers go above and beyond the minimum requirement.

In the safety arena, we’re looking to identify what safety systems are in place to protect both the workforce and the public and how attitudes and behaviours are embedded within the workforce to enhance safety performance.

We are quite stringent with our expectations. If a business chooses to do what they have to legally do, they will comply with the Scheme, but won’t receive the higher scores. Our Monitors are looking to see sites that go above and beyond safety legislation, to witness initiatives or activities that secure everyone’s safety

– and these are the examples of best practice that can be found on the Hub. Every year, we review the Monitors’ Checklist to ensure it remains current and continues to challenge registered sites, companies and suppliers. This year, additions to the Checklist include fatigue.

For this, we ask how it is being checked. For example, are journey times, working hours and the effects of shift work considered?

We have also started to look at stress and occupational health and we use very open questions to ask sites, companies and suppliers what they are doing to improve and promote occupational health awareness on the site.

Would you like to see companies having to put more of an effort in to improve safety?

We issue a report and score to all of our registered sites, companies and suppliers against our Code according to the discussion had between the Monitor and the site or company manager during their visit. If a site is compliant with our Checklist, a number of basic requirements have to have been addressed - Have they got a safety policy?

Is there training? Are the workforce signing in and out? Are walkways protected?

Are toolbox talks taking place? Is the site or project secure? Is there hoarding or fencing? If the basic requirement is being met, they’ll score five out of ten which demonstrates compliance with the Code.

If sites go above and beyond these requirements, the score they receive will increase accordingly. We have score descriptors which help define how the Monitor has judged the site’s considerate performance; five is compliant, six is good, seven is very good, eight is excellent and nine is exceptional.

Our definition of exceptional is that the site is at the forefront of industry best practice, so if Monitors witness initiatives that have been put in place on-site which are excellent and exceptional, they’ll receive high scores.

Ultimately, if they are performing well in health and safety, they’re generally also doing just as well in all the other areas and those are the sites, companies and suppliers who will receive our National Awards, as well as winning repeat business with clients.

We’re seeing that clients like Crossrail, Network Rail and Heathrow Airport are building in minimum scores into their pre-tender qualifications that have to be met and demonstrated.

It means that those doing the bare minimum won’t receive the high scores or may lose repeat business. And that’s the virtuous link - sites are registering with us not because they have to, but because they want to for all the right reasons and are engaging their supply chain to do so as well.

next generation to understand the industry.

The image of the industry is important because if it has the right image, it will encourage people to have a career in it.

Before Christmas I spoke to Constructing Excellence and asked why can’t construction be like the RAF? You see an advert for the RAF and it’s a single RAF where you can be a cook, mechanic or fighter pilot and people see this as a worthwhile career.

We are currently unable to sell the construction industry as a whole in the same light and part of what we need to do is get the right message to the next generation. This is particularly important when it comes to young females, as we are very poor at trade level at attracting women into our industry.

That for me is the next big target. I want us to develop as a Scheme a number of modules that the education establishments can use so when people get to the end of college or university, they understand why health and safety is important, why environment is important, why the appearance and professionalism of a site is important, and why community engagement is important.

We’ll be working on that through 2015 and I’ve already started some early conversations with people who might be able to develop accredited courses for us.

We may be able to get an NVQ module based around what we do. If we can get there, that will be a huge success for me.

The problem is construction is seen as something to do when all else fails and until we can change that image, until people start wanting to get into it because it’s worthwhile and they know about the opportunities available to them, we will always be at that place in society.

Mike Petter

Do you have any other ambitions for your time at CCS? For me it comes back to education and training. One of the things we will look at this year with a view to next year is to develop training modules that can be used in university, college and hopefully in the school curriculum. It will start to get the

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UKC PROFILE

The Environment Agency

Reducing the threats of flooding and coastal change As has been seen in recent years, serious flooding can happen at any time and can have a devastating effect on individuals, communities and property. In England, more than five million properties are at risk of flooding – that’s nearly one in six.

There are also more than 200 homes at risk of complete loss to coastal erosion in the next 20 years, with a potential for 2,000 more properties to be at risk over this period.

The Environment Agency was established in 1996 to protect and improve the environment with the focus to create better places for people and wildlife and support sustainable development. It is responsible within England for managing the risk of flooding from surface water, groundwater and watercourses and helping communities recovery efforts.

The Environment Agency has recently announced a six-year £2.3Bn flood defence programme to better protect homes, businesses and farmland in England from the risk of flooding.

This first ever long-term investment programme will protect over 300,000 properties; reduce flood risk by 5% and save the economy £2.7Bn by 2021.

The lifetime benefits are expected to be even higher at over £30Bn. With 1,400 projects to be undertaken within the programme, and the potential for new schemes to be added as the programme progresses, local authorities will be able to plan ahead and reassure communities that the threat of flood risk is being addressed in their area.

Environment Agency Chairman, Sir Philip Dilley, said: “Our priority is to do as much as we can with every pound of funding from Government and local partners, we now expect to provide better flood protection to an additional 300,000 properties in England by the end of the decade.

“With one in six homes in England at risk of flooding, and recognising the risk of flooding can never be eliminated, we would also encourage people to take their own steps to prepare for flooding, for example by signing up to the Environment Agency’s free flood warning service.”

As part of this huge investment, homes in

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the Thames Valley will benefit from new flood defences at a cost of close to £300M. The new flood defence scheme in Oxford is worth over £100M and will provide protection to over 3,000 homes.

Government funding has also been allocated to the Lower Thames scheme, which will offer better protection to around 15,000 homes. The Thames Estuary programme will reduce the risk to 8,219 properties.

The Oxford Western Conveyance Flood Channel will offer protection to 1,200 properties and the Lower Mole Flood Alleviation scheme will reduce the risk to 3,064 properties in Surrey.

Another multi-million pound Environment Agency flood alleviation scheme recently completed is the construction of new flood defences for homes and businesses in Morpeth, Northumberland against the threat of flooding from the River Wansbeck.

Since the beginning of 2013, contractors working on behalf of the Environment Agency and Northumberland Council have been constructing new defences in the town and providing improvements to the ones already in place. This has included work at High Stanners to construct a new floodwall and embankment along the riverside area to tie in with Oldgate Bridge at one end and Skinnery Bridge at the other.

Until the £27M flood alleviation scheme commenced, the residents of High Stanners had no form of protection against the devastating impact of flooding. The new floodwall and three new flood gates that make up the flood defence is complete and water tight, and reduces the risk of flooding to homes and businesses at the highest risk in the lowest lying area of the town.

Flood protection for the whole of Morpeth will be further improved when the upstream floodwater storage is completed in early 2015.

The upstream dam on the Mitford Estate, which is in its final stages of completion, will operate by storing up 1.4M cubic metres of water when river levels on the Wansbeck are high and creating a flooding risk.

A further £20M of investment has also been pledged to reduce flood risks across the English Severn and Wye catchment over the next six years. Members of the Environment Agency’s English Severn

and Wye Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC) pledged approximately £6M over the next six years towards flood alleviation works across the catchment.

The Levy funds pledged by the RFCC members will support national Grant in Aid funds that were announced by the Government in December 2014.

This local investment has helped to provisionally secure a potential £15M funding over the next six years.

Schemes along this catchment will include a £1.2M flood alleviation scheme in Much Wenlock, which will see the creation of flood storage to protect 142 properties against the risk of flooding.

A £3M investment will be made in the Badsey Brook Flood Alleviation Scheme, which will reduce the risk of flooding to around 290 properties along the Badsey and Bunches Brook in Broadway, Childswickham and Murcot.

A further 159 properties in Whaddon, Cheltenham will see their risk of flooding from surface water reduced by the £1.6M scheme. £300,000 will also be invested to reduce the risk of flooding to 40 properties in Bedworth.

Other flood defences will be funded by this investment such as upstream storage areas, improving existing defences and constructing new ones, tackling the threat of surface water flooding and supplying individual property level protection.

Over the next six years, the benefits of this investment will include the reduction of flood risk to over 2,900 residential properties and it is hoped will prevent over £150M in damages to businesses, infrastructure and properties over the lifetime of the defences.

English Severn and Wye Regional Flood and Coastal Committee Chair Anne Wheeler said: “The local levy funds help to finance schemes which protect smaller communities that would not otherwise be eligible for full funding, as well as enabling Grant in Aid to be spent more widely across the Severn and Wye catchment We are grateful for the commitment of all our lead local flood authority partners, which helps ensure that residents at threat from flooding will now benefit from increased protection.”

info@gravitasint.com

UKC AWARDS

Federation of Master Builders’ Awards 2015 The national winners for the Master Builder of the Year Awards 2015 were announced on Wednesday 18th February at a high profile ceremony in Westminster.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “The Master Builder of the Year Awards give clients the opportunity to celebrate a job well done and to say thank you to their builder. For the construction industry, it is an opportunity to celebrate all that is good about SME builders and their importance to the recovering UK economy. Time and time again we have been impressed with just how far these builders will go to ensure their client is happy. It is this dedication that we want to celebrate.

Our finalists should feel justly proud of their achievement in winning their regional award and we wish them every success in the national competition.”

“Congratulations to all the winners!”

The awards represent a unique nationwide search by the FMB to find the best builders in the UK. Nominations must come from a satisfied client, and builders are judged on their technical ability together with their customer service skills and attention to detail, along with the project’s end result.

The 2015 ceremony saw Bicester building firm Sporn Construction named overall Master Builder of the Year. The team at Sporn Construction was named ‘Master Builder of the Year’ after winning the national category prize for Large Renovation Project of the Year for their work on a stunning Victorian villa in Oxford.

Family firm Sporn gutted and reconfigured the stunning house, transforming dark, confined spaces into bright

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airy rooms where original details are complemented by contemporary fittings, décor and furniture.

The star feature of the house is a long low kitchen basement extension with floor to ceiling glazing and roofed in zinc and natural sedum.

During deliberations the industry leading judges commented on how ‘incredibly challenging’ the project was due to onsite restrictions such as blending the new detail with the old.

It was also noted that all complications were overcome, well managed and the quality of the finish is ‘exceptional’.

UK Construction spoke with the Federation about the awards, its history and winners’ prestige…

Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to the Master Builder of the Year Awards?

The Master Builder of the Year Awards is a nationwide search by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) to find the best builders in Britain. The FMB, founded in 1941, is the largest trade organisation representing small and medium-sized (SME) builders across the UK. The Master Builder of the Year Awards gives the industry an opportunity to celebrate the exceptional work that FMB members carry out on a day-to-day basis. The 2015 awards is the 12th time the FMB has run this hugely successful event, designed to display the quality and wide variety of projects produced by its members.

Celebrating the future generations of builders in the UK is the Apprentice of the Year category where the winner will receive a prize of £1,000 cash.

How are nominees chosen?

The FMB Master Builder of the Year Awards are unique, as every entrant must be nominated by a satisfied client. Entry is open to any FMB member with the Apprentice of the Year category open to any talented apprentice in the UK. A vast quantity of nominations flooded into the FMB since the opening date in spring 2014.

Winners are chosen from 11 separate regions across the UK including: Yorkshire and Trent, Eastern Counties, London, Midlands, North West, Northern Counties, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Southern Counties and Wales.

This provides the possibility for 99 individual regional award winners.

How might an award or nomination benefit a contractor?

Claiming the title as Master Builder of the Year, or winning a national category, is a considerable achievement for a member of the Federation of Master Builders. The awards give clients the opportunity to thank their builder in a special way and being nominated for the awards gives members the recognition they deserve. Lifting the title is also a badge of honour, one that can pave the way for continued success in the building trade.

What is on the agenda for this year’s award ceremony – guest speakers etc?

Adding to the hype surrounding the 2015 Master Builder of the Year Awards is the inclusion of Charlie Luxton, architectural designer and TV personality recently seen in More4’s Building the continued on page 42

Sam Whiting of 3W Developments celebrates when hearing the announcement that they had won the Federation of Master Builders’ overall Master Builder of the Year at the 2013 awards night.

Swan Homes was established in 2009 and has successfully delivered a range of projects around the country.

From one off bespoke properties to small housing

developments,

our

team’s

attention to detail and devotion to clients’ requirements are central to the success of the build and sales process. The personal service that our team is able to offer whilst still

delivering

quality

properties

EXQUISITE & ELEGANT LUXURY HOMES Nominated for ‘New Home of the Year’.

Peterkin Homes pride ourselves on the quality of the homes that we produce whether they be one-off builds for individual clients, steading conversions, extensions or small scale developments.

is

something that Swan Homes is proud to promote.

Nominated for New Home of the Year 17 Regent Street, Nottingham, NG1 5BS

Tel: 0115 9473 724 email: info@swan-homes.com www.swan-homes.com

Mid Fiddes, Fordoun, Laurencekirk,AB30 1LL

Tel: 01561 320263 Email: info@peterkinhomes.co.uk www.peterkinhomes.co.uk

THE COMPLETE BUILDING SERVICE

Nominated for New Home of the Year & Small Renovation Project of the Year.

Winners of the Federation of Master Builders Commercial Building Project of the Year Southern Counties.

Unit 19, BROAD FARM, NORTH STREET, HELLINGLY BN27 4DU

TEL: 01323 440003 FAX: 01323 845144 Email: jhbuilders@btconnect.com www.jhbuilders.co.uk

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Dream. Charlie will be presenting the national awards with help from other special guests. Runner-up of BBC One’s The Great British Bake off, Richard Burr, an FMB member, will also be presenting the award for Kitchen of the Year. Brandon Lewis MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, will be making a speech and also presenting the national award for New Home of the Year.

Is the construction industry doing enough to recognise the efforts of SME builders?

The Federation of Master Builders’ awards are one of only a few of its kind, where the sole focus is on the amazing efforts of SME building firms.

The Master Builder of the Year Awards does a great job of identifying these smaller scale projects where too many others focus on the large and multibillion pound projects. The 2015 award winners are prime examples of small local builders producing excellent projects. It also shows the lengths these builders are going to in order to build a relationship with their clients, something that helps guarantee a great final result.

2015 Finalists & Winners

The regional winners and finalists for the 2015 Master Builder of the Year Awards awards are: Overall Winner, Master Builder of the Year: Sporn Construction New Home of the Year Winner: Carrock Design & Build Nominees: Carrock Design & Build - Northern Counties Concept2 Group - Southern Counties Forthill Builders (Willox) - Northern Ireland Homecraft Developments - Midlands Kingsley Building & Groundworks Ltd - Eastern Counties N London Construction - London Peterkin Homes Ltd - Scotland Shean & Hare Construction Ltd - South West Swan Homes (East Midlands) Limited - Yorkshire & Trent V B S Construction Ltd - North West Kitchen of the Year Winner: Project One Nominees: Care Building Services - Southern Counties Craftsmans Projects - North West Forthill Builders (Willox) - Northern Ireland McKnights & Sons Builders Northern Counties New Leaf Property Development and Maintenance - South West Northmead Developments Ltd - Yorkshire & Trent Plenta Effect - London Project One - Wales Turner Construction (Mids) Ltd - Midlands

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Bathroom of the Year Winner: Project One Nominees: Bridgehurst Builders - Southern Counties Doozer Constructions Limited - Midlands Eclipse Property Solutions - London Gillespie Developments - Northern Counties Moffitt & Robinson (Anderson) Northern Ireland Northcott Building Contractors South West Project One - Wales Reywood Construction - Scotland

Energy Efficiency Project of the Year Winner: Rockingham Construction Ltd Nominees: Architecturall Ltd - Southern Counties J D Joinery & Building Services Ltd - Northern Counties Moffitt & Robinson Construction Northern Ireland N London Construction - London Reywood Construction - Scotland Rockingham Construction Limited - Midlands Terry Harris & Sons - South West

Small Renovation Project of the Year Winner: Tricklebank Ltd Nominees: Bridgehurst Builders - Southern Counties Carrock Design & Build - Northern Counties Distinction Property Services - South West Kingsley Building & Groundworks Ltd - Eastern Counties Martin & Son Builders - Scotland MG Developments - Northern Ireland Northmead Developments Ltd - Yorkshire & Trent Plenta Effect - London Project One - Wales Tobandy Ltd - Midlands Tricklebank Ltd - North West

Heavenly Builder Winner: Hende Building Services Nominees: Biocraft Ltd - Southern Counties Bruce Berry General Builder Eastern Counties Christopher Hunter Building & Roofing - Midlands Cragg Builders - Yorkshire & Trent Donald Capewell Builders - South West Hende Building Services Ltd - North West Hennessey Construction Ltd - Wales James Regan Construction Ltd - London Nickell & Richmond - Northern Ireland Radford Construction Services Ltd - Northern Counties Reywood Construction - Scotland

Large Renovation Project of the Year Winner: Sporn Construction Nominees: Alskea Contracts - Northern Ireland Clive Welton & Partners Ltd - Eastern Counties Gillespie Developments - Northern Counties Haydn Davey Building and Maintenance - Wales Llama Developments - North West Mack Construction - Yorkshire & Trent P C Builders Ltd - South West Reywood Construction - Scotland Spectus Construction Ltd - Midlands Sporn Construction - Southern Counties William J Lewis Construction - London

Apprentice of the Year Winner: Steven Davey Stonewood Builders Ltd Nominees: Steven Davey (Stonewood Builders Ltd) - South West Aaron Hughes (English Construction) - Midlands Zak Lafford (Stuart Barr CDR Ltd) - Southern Counties Martin Mclaughlin - Northern Ireland Ryan Naylor (Brentwood Lofts Ltd) - Eastern Counties Christopher Smith (Irvine Contractors Ltd) - Scotland Luke Wild (Alfred Bagnalls Ltd) - Yorkshire & Trent

Commercial Project of the Year Winner: R&M Williams Nominees: A&B Joinery - Northern Counties Alan Staley Building Contractors Ltd Yorkshire & Trent Createability Ltd South West Barn Conversions. Listed Building Repairs. Extensions. Loft Conversions.

JH Builders New Build. House Maintenance. Free Estimates. Building Advice.

Southern Counties References Available. Local Labour and Suppliers.

Lowry Bros Ltd Nominated for Bathroom of the Year & Small Renovation Project of the Year Northern Ireland Modplan - Eastern Counties R&M Williams Ltd - Wales Simmons Bogden Farmhouse, Staplehurst Road, Marden, Kent TN12 9BT Construction Tel: 01622 832400 North West Spectus Mobile: 07879 453618 Email: bridgehurst@aol.com www.bridgehurst-builders.co.uk Construction Ltd - Midlands

Bridgehurst Builders

www.rics.org/uk/training-events/conferences-seminars/rics-infrastructure-conference/london/

UKC LEISURE

West Warwickshire Sports Club

Centre for Sporting Excellence West Warwickshire Sports Club (WWSC) is the athletic hub of Solihull. To date the Club has performed well due to its premier location, surroundings and excellent facilities. However, in an increasingly competitive market the decision was taken to not only rejuvenate the existing spaces, but to enhance the building to create further flexibility and truly rationalise the available space.

AJG Property Services Limited were appointed to project manage the new development, whilst Peter Hunt Architects created the design. The result is a twostorey extension to the rear of the existing building totalling 416sq m, along with the refurbishment of a further 313sq m to enhance the bar, function rooms and kitchen facilities. A new gym facility has also been created at ground floor level with multi-purpose rooms which can be utilised both for gym classes, as well as functions or meetings.

The extension has been carefully designed to blend seamlessly into the existing building. Facing brickwork has been selected to match the original and the roof pitch creates a non-existent join.

WWSC and their appointed professional team have considered and implemented,

where appropriate, best practice sustainable solutions including design, construction materials and techniques and in operation control. These sustainable features are intended to reduce environmental impact and thus help future generations to meet their own needs. The design is cohesive and incorporates systems and materials that are compatible with each other rather than adopting an array of sustainable products.

The building design has incorporated fundamental principles to achieve a low in use energy building, namely the maximisation of natural daylight and natural ventilation. By utilising fundamental design principles the in use energy of the building can be greatly reduced and any technology driven primary or renewable energy solutions are therefore also reduced.

Natural ventilation and daylight is promoted and provided by opening windows in appropriate occupied spaces. The design minimised the need for mechanical ventilation - although where utilised heat recovery has been provided - and artificial lighting.

Minimising in use energy not only depends on passive design and renewable sources, but also requires high levels of insulation to minimise heat loss during the cooler times

of the year and exacting construction to minimise air infiltration. The designs pay particular attention to detail the interface between materials and junctions and the selection of insulation materials.

Electrical current using equipment such as ventilation fans, heating pumps and lighting were selected based on energy consumption ratings. Energy will be metered for heating and cooling, specialist equipment, lighting and small power so as to provide the users with direct feed-back of consumption and where the energy is being used. The intention is to empower the users, enabling them to understand and manage the building better, resulting in greater energy savings.

Consideration has also been given to in use night-time light pollution, water course pollution and noise attenuation and the design was developed accordingly.

The internal and external lighting design minimises any light pollution and spill to adjacent land and roadways by careful selection and positioning and operation control of the luminaires.

The Main Contractor on this ÂŁ800,000 project was Hardyman Group. Work commenced in February 2014 and completed on schedule in October 2014.

Be it a new bar design or a complete interior, Altis Bars work with client or client consultants to produce ambience and atmosphere to create bars and venues that maximise profits and encourage returning clients. Good visual design needs to be coupled with technical knowledge to deliver the client service expected by your discerning customers. As Bar Designers and Bar Manufacturers, Altis Bars aim to deliver these aspects in-house.

Altis Bars work directly with architects, designers, main contractors and private clients to produce on-time, on-budget Bar Design, Retail and Hotel Interior Design Solutions. Our highly qualified and motivated team of designers and production personnel are skilled in working with a multitude of finishes and materials to enhance any bar, hospitality or leisure environments.

Unit D7, Moorbridge Road Industrial Estate, Bingham, Nottingham NG13 8GG Telephone: 01949 838700 Fax: 01949 838888 Email: sales@altis-projects.co.uk

www.altis-projects.co.uk www.altis-bars.co.uk

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Altis Bars modular bar has been devised to be a complete system. At the heart of the bar design is the stainless steel carcass, refined to meet the stringent public health regulations and to become an integral part of the finishes, supporting bar tops and front panels. The stainless steel carcass gives maximum flexibility enabling glasses and equipment such as glass washers, ice makers, coolers to be located efficiently.

Access to the services void is made easy by the use of removable front panels, of which all bars are manufactured with this as a standard feature. Once the panels are removed, the exposed services are revealed outside of the operational aspect of the bar, enabling maintenance and installation of more services to be undertaken without any interruption to the operational side of the bar. Other bar systems are also available.

Altis Bars have applied the successful principles of their modular bar design to mobile bars.

HOUSING UKC

Greenwich Peninsula On the waterfront

Working in partnership with the Mayor of London and the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Knight Dragon is creating an exciting new district for London – Greenwich Peninsula. This significant residential, business and leisure hub will consist of 10,000 new homes, including approximately 3,270 affordable homes for rent or part-rent, alongside 600 student beds and 3.5 million square feet of commercial floor space. The 10,000 residential units are to be divided between 51 separate developments and will provide homes for an approximate 23,000 residents.

Knight Dragon, an investment vehicle owned by Dr Henry Cheng Kar-Shun, previously held a 60% interest in Greenwich Peninsula Regeneration Limited (GPRL) – the joint venture holding company.

In 2013 the developer acquired the remaining 40% stake from Quintain PLC, further consolidating its commitment to redeveloping the 147 acre site. GPRL now has development rights to an approximate 14 million square foot residential-led mixed-use scheme, including 18.6 acres of land already owned by the Group.

Greenwich Peninsula forms an integral part of the Mayor of London’s ambition to release surplus public land in an effort to boost construction jobs, drive investment and deliver additional housing so desperately needed in our nation’s capital. Almost 90% of the 670 hectares of public land taken on by the Mayor in 2012 is now in the development pipeline.

No stranger to innovation, the district currently houses the O2 Arena and the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s state-of-the-

art Digital Enterprise Greenwich Centre. needs of the region. Plans for the With excellent public transport connections tunnel are currently being refined – including the Jubilee line, North following an extensive public Greenwich Pier, and the Emirates Airline consultation phase in autumn 2014. cable car connecting Greenwich Peninsula Of Greenwich Peninsular the Mayor to London’s Royal Docks – exciting new of London, Boris Johnson, said: “As developments at Silvertown Quays and London’s population continues to grow Royal Albert Dock are readily commutable. we are doing everything possible to Construction of the southern quarter of unlock development and double house the site, dubbed Peninsula Riverside, is building. These new homes on Greenwich well underway, with 704 new homes Peninsula are testament to the enormous expected by the end of 2015. In early construction now transforming the capital 2014 planning permission was secured and creating the homes Londoners so for a further 882 homes now on-site, desperately need. Large scale schemes while a mixed-use development to like this would not be possible without the north east of the peninsula – to world class supporting infrastructure, and provide 1,000 new homes together the proposed Silvertown Tunnel will be with public squares, retail provision and essential not just for east London, but for a riverside walkway – is planned. the capital as a whole and its continued A new road link beneath the River success as the motor of the UK economy.”

Thames, named the Silvertown Tunnel, GB Building solutions is currently working continued on page 46 has also been proposed. With the capital’s population forecast to grow to ten million people by 2030 – and with much of this growth due to take place in east London – demand We are delighted to be associated GB Building Solutions Ltd for crossing the River Thames is Richmond House, 107 Bowesfield Lane, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland TS18 3HF set to increase.

Tel: 01642 617517 Fax: 01642 617534 The Silvertown Tunnel is therefore Dowding House, Wellington Road, Cressex Business Park, High Wycombe HP12 3PS Tel: 01494 472323 Fax: 01494 530002 something of an anticipatory 6070 Knights Court, Birmingham Business Park, Solihull B37 7BF Tel: 0121 7701699 Fax: 0121 7882198 measure, designed to meet the future e-mail: info@ljjcontractors.co.uk www.ljjcontractors.com infrastructure

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alongside Knight Dragon to deliver a key milestone in the regeneration of Greenwich Peninsula. Plot M0117 will accommodate a nine-storey apartment building comprising 161 units for private, shared ownership and social housing.

This high specification development has been sensitively designed by the awardwinning Jestico + Whiles to reduce energy demand. The thermal performance of the building has been a key concern with strong focus placed on the optimisation of the glazed façade, the canny use of balconies for shading, and the improved thermal performance of the building’s outer leaf. Such considerations are indicative of a wider design approach. Though immense in size, Greenwich Peninsula has employed responsible construction methods throughout. Sustainable principles and initiatives have been integrated at the earliest possible point to ensure functional, high performance buildings that work with the occupant rather than against.

Speaking at the building’s ‘topping out’ ceremony held in August 2014, Richard Margree, Chief Executive of Knight Dragon, said: “This ceremony marks a very exciting phase of the development on the South of the Peninsular Riverside, and moves us

46

one step closer to seeing residents living on this iconic new development next year.

Greenwich Peninsula represents a unique opportunity to reinvigorate the area, and Knight Dragon remains fully committed to delivering this landmark scheme, creating thousands of new jobs, enviable new homes and a thriving community where people will want to live.”

In an effort to encourage innovation in the construction industry, GB Building Solutions also invited industry experts to the site. Martin Smout, Executive Chairman of GB Group, said: “We think it’s important to share our experiences and examples of best practice and to help develop the innovative thinking that will ultimately deliver a sustainable and prosperous future for the UK’s built environment.” Construction at the M0117 site is due for completion in spring 2015.

Monumental in scope, Greenwich Peninsula is one of the most important residential-led developments in the UK today. In 2014 more than 1,300 new homes, including 457 for low cost rent and 229 shared ownership for first time buyers, were under construction on the Peninsula. That year alone, more affordable homes were being built than in any other

since 1980. With population levels set to swell, such investment is absolutely essential. Yet the regeneration is also of great benefit to the UK construction industry, providing hundreds of additional jobs and ensuring work throughout the supply chain for years to come.

For more information about Greenwich Peninsula please visit: www.greenwichpeninsula.co.uk

Established in 2004, PIB Contractors (PIB) is a leading provider of fit-out, refurbishment and new build projects nationwide. Operating across the UK, Europe and, most recently, the Middle East, PIB collaborate with main contractors and developers alike – delivering cost-effective strategic solutions to ensure an unparalleled finish. The Company specialises in a range of construction services including high quality internal wall, ceiling and floor systems, drylining, plastering, envelope construction and external renders.

While residential and commercial works account for much of the Company’s impressive portfolio, PIB is able to apply its expertise to a wide variety of sectors, having previously delivered a number of high specification schemes in the leisure, health and education industries. Theirs is a truly multidisciplinary approach – one in which a culture of problem solving is fostered, through the combination of specialist knowledge and on-site experience, to guarantee client satisfaction.

This core ethos has positioned PIB as a well-respected industry player. Indeed, the Company has established longstanding and mutually beneficial relationships with many of the UK’s most celebrated main contractors.

Their recent work with GB Building Solutions – the award-winning nationwide construction company – is of particular note. The two companies are currently working in conjunction to deliver a nine-storey, 161-bed apartment building for private, shared ownership and social housing use. The multi-million pound scheme forms an integral part of the Greenwich Peninsula regeneration – a sizable redevelopment of the region with the potential to provide the City of London with an approximate 10,000 new homes alongside additional retail and leisure accommodation.

Large scale projects often prove a daunting prospect for the supply chain as the resources and manpower necessary are unavailable to many small and medium-sized enterprises. PIB has a ‘main contractor mentality' however – a unique perspective that has enabled the Company to embark on a raft of distinguished projects such as the regeneration of Greenwich Peninsula and the London 2012 Athletes Village.

PIB pride themselves on diligence and transparency through an early engagement process in which all contract details are rigorously fine-tuned to meet the needs of the end user. This bespoke approach ensures the best possible outcome and is representative of the Contractor’s dedication to best practice. A considerate contractor with the ability and means to match, PIB Contractors is sure to have a long and lucrative future ahead.

WWW.PIBCONTRACTORS.CO.UK

UKC COMMERCIAL

Nova, Victoria

A new and vibrant destination for London June 2013 saw Main Contractor, Mace, begin work at Nova, Victoria: one of the capital’s most significant developments in decades.

Balfour Beatty and Cementation Skanska were appointed by Mace to carry out the ground engineering elements of this massive development for Land Securities.

Piling began in August 2013 at the huge site, and works have proven to be complex due to the proximity of the secant wall adjacent to the Victoria Station upgrade works and future Crossrail 2 tunnel.

Mace was appointed as Main Contractor to deliver the 727,000sq ft first phase of the Nova scheme which is transforming Victoria, central London. Formerly known as Victoria Circle, Nova Victoria is an architecturally stimulating development that provides a new and vibrant destination for London – an aspirational place to work, live, eat, drink, shop and enjoy.

Nova is the defining moment in Land Securities’ £2.2Bn reinvention of Victoria; a game changing 897,000sq ft scheme delivering 603,000sq ft of world class grade A offices, 193,000sq ft of contemporary high quality apartments, 85,000sq ft of exciting, high profile retail, cafés and restaurants and 16,000sq ft of community space.

More than just a development, the comprehensive transformation of

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this 5.5acre island site will deliver the new seven-day destination that will encourage the 115M people who use Victoria Station each year to engage with this part of the West End. Along with the five landmark buildings, NOVA, Victoria delivers a significant new public and cultural space, with evolving public art and outdoor dining, linking Victoria Station to Buckingham Palace and St James Park.

Nova’s bold, contemporary look is the result of a collaboration between several notable architecture practices. PLP Architecture has designed the masterplan and is architect for the three commercial buildings. Benson & Forsyth are delivering the statement residential fronting Buckingham Palace Road with Flanagan Lawrence, while Lynch Architects are responsible for the signature mixed use civic building fronting Victoria Street.

The first phase of the project comprises 727,000 sq ft, made up of 480,000sq ft offices, 80,000sq ft retail and 170 apartments across three buildings within a new pedestrianised, landscaped pubic quarter. Completion is due spring/summer 2016.

The second and third phases cannot start until London Underground Limited complete works on the Victoria

Station Upgrade, this is expected to happen in the third quarter of 2016.

The project is being developed by the Victoria Circle Limited Partnership, a 50:50 Joint Venture between Land Securities and CPPIB. Land Securities is the Development Manager for the project and responsible for leading the retail and office space as well as selling the private apartments.

Land Securities Head of London Development, Colette O’Shea said: “Nova is great news for London and Victoria.

Nothing of this scale and potential has been delivered in this part of the West End before. We are delighted to be continuing our investment in Victoria with a scheme which we believe will become the destination for all looking to find the best that London has to offer in the heart of SW1.”

CPPIB’s Managing Director and Head of Real Estate Investments – Europe, Wenzel Hoberg said: “Nova, Victoria represents a transformative and exciting development in an iconic area of London’s West End and will deliver significant economic benefits to the local and wider community throughout its development. Nova, Victoria supports CPPIB’s real estate strategy to own and develop properties in key markets for the long term and we look forward to its completion.”

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UKC PROFILE

Carvers

Rising from the ashes with a brand new warehouse facility Based in Wolverhampton, Carvers was established in 1896 in Willenhall by Harry Carver.

Trading as a successful builders’ merchant, Carvers operate from two ten-acre sites. The one on Littles Lane has the Company’s full stock range and is conveniently situated next to Wolverhampton’s ring road, while the Neachells Lane site is a specialist timber production unit and not open to the public.

The site at Littles Lane has recently undergone work as the original building was the victim of a fire, which destroyed the whole structure of what was a very high specification development.

Following the fire, Henry Carver, who is the fifth generation of the Carver family to run the Company, vowed to ‘regroup and rebuild’ the family business, and worked around the clock along with his executives around the clock to help the Company recover from the devastating fire in February 2012.

The fire resulted in 90% of stock being destroyed and 80% of trade lost, and it took approximately 90 firefighters to extinguish the inferno. Immediately afterwards, Henry transferred operations to the timber engineering premises in Neachells Lane.

Two months after the fire, a temporary trade counter opened at the site and other temporary buildings were put in place to replace the warehouse, offices and shop lost in the blaze and 85% of sales were recovered.

Plans for the new 6,000sq m warehouses showed that the Company wanted to create a builders’ village.

Henry Carver said the majority of the expense of rebuilding the Head Quarters would be covered by insurers, though he also put in more of the Company’s money to improve Carvers’ offering to customers.

Carvers is bouncing back in fine style with a new drive-through warehouse

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for all products that builders go to the likes of Wickes and B&Q for.

When in those places, people have to use trolleys and push them around in a selfselection. These are awkward and the not all large products can be kept easily inside, such as plain timbers, mouldings, the MDF boards, sheet materials, ply woods, chipboards, hardboards, all the plasterboard range, all the bagged plasters, all cements and the insulation slabs.

The drive-through warehouse means that the customers can drive right up to what they need, put them in their vehicle and drive off. It will speed up the efficiency of collection for the builder, which will in turn save them money, and result in the creation of an efficient level that wasn’t evident before and with most other merchants in the country.

The previous building was very well built but such a disaster has allowed Carvers to look at ways to change. With that in mind, the Company has looked at the logistics and efficiency of the whole operation, which has resulted in the new development having a different shape to the old, and less steel, as the previous building had four times the amount of any modern building.

A huge amount of demolition was required before the new building could be constructed. It comprises a steel frame structure with steel sheets on the side and wooden slats on the wooden side, and its location has been moved slightly in relation to the original structure.

The single-storey structure will be eight metres high with all the racks designed so that pallets can be placed up to seven metres high. The new building isn’t joined in the middle because it makes work considerably cheaper while also meaning air extraction is not required.

The Main Contractor was Niken Construction Ltd – a well-established Walsall-based contractor carrying out

all aspects of construction work.

Designs were provided by PJ Barnett Associates. The Practice has a great deal of experience having celebrated 40 years in business.

Because of the need for the new warehouse for Carvers, it was always going to be a challenge. Putting together everybody’s ideas and coming up with a practical solution is an example of this.

Care has had to be taken to work out the distances that cars and forklifts need, the length of this for the products that will be stocked, and the height of it. This is a very practical logistical process.

In the end, for every single product, Carvers will put in a specifically worked out area down to the pack to give space for as big an amount of stock possible. It has to be this specific otherwise it would cause major logistical problems in the future so Carvers has planned for every rack and every product on every rack.

The grand opening of the new warehouse was on 8th November 2014, featuring a red-carpet and family fun activities, as well as VAT-free specials on purchases.

At the opening, Henry Carver said they were all on a high: “We are back in business. We are all very happy and very relieved.”

Set up as a ‘builders village’, there are several franchises operating inside the main building including Dixon Paints, Tile Choice, Chandlers Roofing Supplies, and Rayton Electrical.

There is a cafe just inside the main entrance, the bathroom showroom area is ‘bigger and better than before’, and a specialist cookers centre houses experts in all things kitchen-related.

This will ensure the Company continues to be successful, since it has been from 1896 when Harry Carver set up the firm, with the help of his brother Horace, and the backing from their father,

John, premises were rented from the railway at the Dale in Willenhall, which is now known as Bilston Street.

By 1964 the turnover had reached £500,000 per annum and John and Roy Carver started Oils Ltd, which specialised in the distribution of oil to domestic and commercial customers.

Originally Carvers Oils was based at the Stafford Street premises but in the late 1960s, new premises were acquired on a trading estate in Willenhall and the Company was relocated to the Long Acres Estate.

In the early 1970s, Carvers was requested to move once more for the expansion of the Wolverhampton Polytechnic, which is now Wolverhampton University, and new premises were acquired at Littles Lane in Wolverhampton.

Initially, five acres were bought and over the years Carvers has bought further land as it has become available.

Growth continued in the 1970s with the creation of Carvers Gases and in the 1980s, more personal changes took place with Roy’s son Henry and John’s son David both joining the Company. The turnover in 1985 was approaching £2.2M. In 1983, Roy Carver was approached by the Man Power Services Commission with a view to setting up an employee based Youth Training Scheme. This soon established itself as a very successful scheme, training staff not only for Carvers but also for some 450 local companies, which has supplied 60 trainees each year.

Three years later, Carvers entered the timber business by acquiring the stock, staff and machinery of the Maiden Timber Branch in Featherstone and moving them onto the Littles Lane site.

The success of this venture meant that not long after entering the timber market that investment in a tanalising plant and vac-vac timber treatment plant was required for the preservation of timber. In 1992 Hickson Plc approached Carvers to enter a joint venture to operate the timber treatment plants.

Despite the harsh economy of the time, Carvers had grown to £7.6M turnover – boosted by setting up the CashBuild Sales department specialising in serving jobbing builders. The timber division has continued to grow and accounts for almost 40% of the Company’s turnover, of particular importance to its growth has been the establishment of its importing facilities with a dedicated dock at Keadby, near Scunthorpe and a dedicated dock in Riga in Latvia.

In 1998 Carvers established a hire centre facility for customers at Littles Lane and this together with associated power tools sales has been another successful diversification within the building industry.

Six years later, the Company established Engineered Timber Solutions Ltd with Phil Sankey as a 50/50 joint venture to design, manufacture and sell timber roof trusses.

Based in Roddington, the business has developed steadily and is well respected for its technical ability and short lead times.

Much of the business now comes from customers placing repeat orders.

This is the ultimate accolade for a company specialising in technical design and production one-offs.

In 2008, with sales up to £34M and more than 220 sales staff.

Today, Carvers in common with most builders merchants, have to deal with the severe recession that has affected the building industry.

However, the Company’s strong financial position enables them to continue to invest in business. In late 2008, Timber Kit Solutions was established – a

specialist timber frame manufacturing business in which Carvers has a 50% share with three other shareholders who all have extensive technical knowledge of timber frame construction.

Despite the difficult trading circumstances, Carvers continues to look for opportunities to develop in the wider building supplies industry.

Mr Dinham, who started out at Carvers as a trainee, left to work elsewhere, then returned nine years ago, said it was exciting to have the new Carvers up and running.

The past two years had been ‘hard work’, he said: “When we had the fire it was a disaster to be fair. We didn’t know what the future held. In the evening, while we could still see the smoulder, we had a meeting - the board of directors - and decided we were going to carry on.

“When they say ‘phoenix’, that’s a true saying - we had no idea what was going to happen. Where devastation comes from, opportunity arises for us. We have taken advantage of that opportunity.

This is for the future, this keeps up going hopefully for another 118 years.”

Ariel Plastics’ wide range of roofing sheets including Vistalux pvc, Corotherm polycarbonate and Coroline bitumen, as well as flat glazing, is available from stock from Carvers.

Ariel Plastics Ltd Speedwell Ind. Estate, Staveley, Derbyshire S43 3JP

Tel: 01246 281111 Email: info@arielplastics.com Web: www.arielplastics.com

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UKC PROFILE

Bardsley Construction Ltd

Celebrating 50 years in construction

Beacon Centre

With 50 years heritage, Bardsley has a solid foundation upon which a dynamic, innovative and creative multi disciplinary business has been built.

With a turnover of £50M+ the Company has grown from humble beginnings to be the byword in delivery and customer satisfaction.

This success has been secured through the Company’s commitment to partnership and collaborative working with public and private sector client groups, including local authorities, education bodies, and housing associations. Numerous Design and Build contracts have been undertaken with these types of clients, together with traditional contracts and partnering arrangements.

Bardsley has a diverse workload which includes the construction of residential properties, supported living and care provision, education buildings, leisure and sporting facilities, commercial offices, industrial and retail premises.

The Company also has a wealth of experience in refurbishment and conversion projects including work on behalf of local authorities to housing stock, schools and other civic and municipal buildings.

The Company was set up in 1964

by Roland Bardsley, a joiner at Manchester City Council, who was made redundant and decided to embark on a company of his own.

With a Head Office in Manchester and a regional office in Leeds, Bardsley is very regionally focused and likes to operate with its own staff and trades-people within each area. The Company was established with a set of customer-focused values and an honest remit of doing the best job they could for customers, and these values still hold true today. Even through the recession, Bardsley has held on to these traditions in doing a good job for a Client, treating them with respect whilst remaining competitive.

This has resulted in many repeat

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customers and a well earned reputation as a trusted and valued contractor.

Bardsley is also immensely proud of its many apprentice initiatives. A continuous rolling recruitment plan sees apprentices paired with mentors to encourage growth and trained to a NVQ Level 3 standard. Elsewhere, the Company has taken part in the Get Britain Working Initative, through which 14 full-time positions have been filled.

Bardsley’s current portfolio consists of a raft of high profile projects, with over 80% of the Company’s workload being with repeat clients and their involvement in a number of partnering agreements with housing association consortia and education providers.

In June 2014 Bardsley began construction of The Edge, an X1 Developments project to provide 231 purpose-built studio apartments in Liverpool City Centre.

Due for completion in time for the 2015 student intake, The Edge is intended to bolster Liverpool’s beleaguered student accommodation provision while providing undergraduates with first class living facilities Contemporary in style, The Edge is a striking five- to seven-storey concrete and timber frame structure clad in facing brickwork, metal cladding with uPVC windows, and aluminium curtain walling. The £7.88M development will include ensuite bathrooms, shared communal kitchens, a resident’s gym and office support facilities.

The Edge is one of several X1 contract wins for Bardsley. Indeed, the Contractor previously completed a 160bed student accommodation block at Arndale House in Liverpool and a £3.45M 109 unit block at Chapel Street, Salford, while a £6.7M refurbishment of Salford Town Hall is ongoing.

In November 2014, Bardsley secured a fifth key contract with X1 Developments – The Exchange on Trafford Road, Salford Quays.

To be built on the site of a disused car park, the £13.6M scheme will see the provision of 140 one- and two-bed apartments alongside office space, a resident’s gym and basement car park. The 11-storey Exchange will be composed of a reinforced concrete frame with metal cladding, Trespa boarding and render. Overall completion of the scheme is expected in April 2016.

A similar partnership has been established with the Salford based social housing provider City West Housing Trust, with whom Bardsley has worked on a number of significant projects, most recently the third phase of the Amblecote development.

The £3.4M Phase Three works will see the construction of 34 new build two-storey houses, including 16 two-bed four person units and 18 three-bed five person homes.

Built to achieve a Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 rating, Amblecote will also include numerous sewer and statutory service disconnections and diversions, together with a new access road, hard and soft landscaping and new incoming service and drainage connections. Previous phases have also been undertaken by Bardsley, alongside several separate City West Housing Trust developments in the Salford region. This most recent phase is due for completion in June 2015.

Elsewhere, Bardsley is working with The Abbeyfield Society – a St Albans-based charity specialising in the provision of housing, support and care for those at different stages of later life. This sizeable £10.4M development consists of 47 self-contained apartments and 30 dementia flats alongside a day centre for community use. An assortment of high specification care facilities will also be provided to ensure a comfortable living environment for all occupants.

The 7,800sq m structure spans seven separate storeys and incorporates a number of concrete retaining walls to accommodate the sloping site.

Dorset Court

Aesthetically, the outer leaf of the building is stone and render with aluminium and composite windows and curtain walling.

The 87 week scheme was competitively tendered under a traditional single stage procurement process and in competition with a number of national contractors.

The New Year promises a number of similar high profile projects for

the Company. Bardsley was recently named preferred contractor for a West Yorkshire Archive Service scheme in Wakefield and will be begin delivery of Halifax Academy in January 2015.

With a rich and storied heritage 50 years strong, Bardsley Construction has gone from strength to strength, developing from a single joiner to a leading North

West contractor with a programme of sustainable growth and a number of substantial projects planned for 2015, year 51 looks to be another successful year.

For more information please visit: www.bardsley.co.uk

HARWOOD ROOFING Ltd YORKSHIRE

• Slating and Tiling Contractors • Built up Felt Roofing Contractors • Lead Working Specalist • Local Authority Approved

Approved contractor for Rubberbond single ply which carries a 20 year insurance backed guarantee.

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T: 01924 443345 F: 01924 443348 Email: harwoodroofingld@btconnect.com www.harwoodroofing.co.uk 53

UKC COMMUNITY

McAvoy Group delivers £1.5M school to deadline

Off-site construction specialists McAvoy Group used modern methods of construction to build a new £1.5M school for Southend YMCA Community School in Essex.

The new school premises opened last year boosting the school’s capacity for pupils from 31 to 50.

Southend YMCA Community School, which is an alternative provision free school for young people aged 14 to 19, was conceived by Southend YMCA, a local charity with 18 years experience in delivering quality services to young people who do not attend mainstream schools.

The bright, modern new school, which McAvoy completed to a tight deadline, now has a host of specialist teaching amenities which are fit for the 21st century.

The McAvoy Group were appointed to build the new school at the East Street address. They also supplied three temporary modular buildings to provide accommodation for the pupils prior to and during the construction period.

The new permanent school building has a single-storey modern steel frame construction which involved the conversion, extension and refurbishment of a former Ticket House.

The high specification school now has airy classrooms, a double-height hall, with specialist amenities including learning resource and small group areas to help the pupils maximise their potential. There is also staff and administration accommodation, kitchen and dining and toilet facilities.

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The project at the 303sq metre Ticket young people at risk of exclusion from House, which dates back to 1911, school, thereby fulfilling a recognised involved the removal of old staircases need for specialist provision in the area. which were replaced with modern Orla Corr, whose family founded the fittings and the installation of a lift. business more than 40 years ago, is the Walls were also removed as part of the Group’s Business Development Director refurbishment to make way for toilet and she’s a passionate evangelist for offfacilities and upgraded M&E services. site build as the preferred choice within Finally, a single-storey extension was also the education, health and leisure sectors. added to create spacious and functional Orla says: “Our strong track record premises for the pupils and staff. delivering top quality schools throughout Other impressive design features include a the UK is proof that off-site construction lower roof-glazed corridor which provides is now a viable alternative to traditional a seamless link between the old and building techniques. Our Think Smart newer elements of the school building and Build Smart approach enables us to a double height hallway which creates a consistently deliver quality, technically bright contemporary feel to the school. innovative and highly specialised facilities Outside, a security fence was removed as demanded by the education sector to create an open public area, while in the UK on time and on budget.” the school’s main entrance now has a glazed canopy.

The school ethos is to provide a holistic education where their pupils can acquire the knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications to successfully make the transition into adulthood. The Industrial Kitchen, Bar and Restaurant Equipment goal of the new and Design From CaterSure school is to provide Unit 19, Glenfield Park, Philips Road, Blackburn BB1 5PF an opportunity to create a valuable Tel: +44 (0)1254 266 040 or email us at web@catersure.co.uk educational www.catersure.co.uk resource for

CIVIL UKC

Allerton Waste Park Improving recycling targets for Yorkshire February 2015 saw VINCI Environment UK begin work on the Allerton Park Waste Recovery near Knaresborough, West Yorkshire.

VINCI Environment, a subsidiary of VINCI Construction UK and VINCI Environment, won the AmeyCaspa contract to build the energy-fromwaste-unit in January and work has progressed apace, with the facility expected to be fully operational in 2018.

The design-build contract covers the energy-from-waste-unit and related buildings. Taylor Woodrow, the civil engineering division of VINCI Construction UK, will handle overall site development and civil engineering for the buildings, with VINCI Environment responsible for designing and commissioning the processes.

Creation of the site has been progressed due to the need for different waste processing in the area. Currently, York and North Yorkshire’s households produce around 470,000 tonnes of rubbish each year and just over half of it ends up in landfill.

Planning consent was secured for Allerton Waste Recovery Park in February 2013, and since then designs have been developed, contractors brought on board and financial support raised, with the European Investment Bank agreeing to provide £150M for the facility.

“The European Investment Bank is committed to supporting investment in waste processing that reduces carbon emissions, uses waste to generate green electricity and lowers long-term costs for households. We are pleased to support

construction of the new Allerton Waste Recovery Park that will use innovative technologies to reduce the cost of waste management for local authorities, increase recycling and recover energy from waste. This new project represents the first joint investment between the European Investment Bank, and the UK Green Investment Bank, and we look forward to building in this in the years to come.” said Jonathan Taylor, European Investment Bank Vice President.

The new facility is located adjacent the existing landfill, and will include a mechanical pre-treatment facility to treat organic waste and generate around 6GWh per year of renewable energy, and an energy-from-waste plant to produce steam to generate 203GWh per year of electricity, enough to supply the equivalent of over 40,000 homes.

The locally set objective is to reduce the volume of waste going to landfill by 90%, and Allerton Park will treat some 50% of household waste generated by 2020.

VINCI Environment UK optimised the design of the plant to improve energy resources and reduce operating costs in order to achieve higher energy-fromwaste objectives.

The flue gas treatment processes will be optimised to reduce the reagent consumption and residue production while maintaining a high performance level.

Buildings to be constructed include the mechanical treatment facility, which will extract recyclable materials left in household waste; an anaerobic digester to generate energy form food and other biodegradable waste; and the recovery facility to create valuable energy form waste which cannot be used any other way.

Even the residue from this process will be sued to create construction materials.

Allerton Waste Recovery Park will also include a visitor centre, where local people will be able to view the operation and learn more about reducing, reusing and recycling their waste. School groups will be encouraged to use the centre, which will be available to local community groups to use.

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UKC PROFILE

Property Care Association

Promoting skills and good practice Japanese knotweed causes huge problems for the UK property market as it puts down deep roots, affecting the foundations of buildings and invading drains.

But the Property Care Association (PCA) insists there’s a straightforward approach to tackling the problem and in the film, available to view at http://bit.ly/1cUWSie, it dispels some of the myths surrounding what has become a major issue.

Steve Hodgson, Chief Executive of the PCA, said: “Japanese knotweed has been in the news a lot recently as it has caused big problems within the UK property sector.

“It’s a very fast growing and very vigorous plant that has even caused problems to buyers trying to obtain mortgages - and people seem to be running scared.

“But the problem can be dealt with just like so many other household problems and there is a recognised framework to tackle it.

“People affected by the plant just need to make sure they get the right people doing the right diagnostic investigation and producing the right specifications for treatment.”

The film reveals how the PCA can help consumers to reach professional treatment companies - offering assurance, standardisation and certainty in tackling the problem.

The PCA has worked with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and The Building Societies Association - together with Japanese knotweed control companies to develop the Invasive Weed Control Group.

The trade body, noted for its technical expertise, has also developed a code of practice and an industry-recognised training programme for its professional members and those interested in the biology and control of the plant.

Mr Hodgson adds: “The control of Japanese knotweed has attracted a string of rogue traders claiming they’re able to eradicate problems in a short space of time and for very little money.

“But the PCA’s Invasive Weed Group has been created to uphold standards and make sure clients get the correct outcomes.

“Members have been audited and meet the necessary standards to gain admission to the Association.”

The PCA is an established

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organisation that has built a strong reputation over decades by promoting good practice. It represents building preservation specialists who help consumers deal with a range of building defects.

The Association is also a member of Trustmark, the Governmentbacked scheme which aims to help consumers find reliable and trustworthy tradesmen when making improvements or repairs to their homes.

Late 2014 saw the PCA attend Flood Expo where they highlighted how their new Flood Protection Group enables specialists operating in the sector to align themselves with a recognised trade body and reinforce their professional approach within the industry. This new initiative delivers assurance and certainty to those looking to protect themselves from the worst effects of future floods.

The new Flood Protection Group has been developed by the PCA to give consumers confidence in finding contractors, assessors and products that are right for the job.

Stephen Hodgson says the new group will remove the uncertainty in the UK in finding solutions to protect homes from flooding. He said: “Until now homeowners and professionals have had no obvious way of finding products and contractors that really understand what they are doing. The PCA is bringing the same level of operational and technical rigour for which we are renowned, to this increasingly important specialism.”

The Flood Protection Group will become a reference point for legislators, community groups, insurers and importantly, homeowners who want to understand what can be done to effectively protect their property from the effects of flooding.

The initiative will link consumers to reliable, competent and trustworthy flood protection specialists. The Association will inspect and verify the skills, knowledge, operational capabilities of contractors and ensure products are dependable and reliable.

This level of rigour will not only apply to providers of work aimed at keeping the water out, known as, flood resistance, it will also be applied to those who undertake work that make buildings resilient, by taking steps that will reduce the impact of water that has entered the building.

Ultimately, this new group will drive standards and create consumer confidence to meet the needs of the nation.

The end result will see a defined route in the UK to access a professional group of experts with specialist focused skills, able to design and deliver comprehensive, holistically designed, flood protection solutions that work.

Acclaimed flood campaigner Mary Dhonau OBE is working with the PCA to build and support the Flood Protection Group. Mary has been instrumental in bringing together the PCA and members of the Flood Protection Association (FPA) to form a strong and technically capable group, that can bring real value to the consumer. Mary is a tireless campaigner on flood-related issues, receiving her OBE in 2009 for this work.

She has first-hand experience of the upheaval flooding causes following a catalogue of flood damage to her own home in Worcester. As both a victim of flooding and the former Chairman of both the National Flood Forum and the FPA she understands the challenges and importance of providing reliable, dependable flood resilience and resistant solutions.

Mary said: “Being flooded is an appalling experience, but often the reality is that for those victims of flooding, the repair stage can be even worse than being flooded. Sadly, the issue is all too often compounded by shabby workmanship and a fear that another flood event could happen at any time in the future.

“The Flood Protection Group within the PCA, will make it easier for those who want to protect their homes from flood water. We want to see the problems of flooding dramatically reduced throughout the UK, and the creation of this new group means we now have a national platform to promote best practice, high standards and most importantly, peace of mind to those who have or could be affected by flooding.”

When choosing a member of the PCA, people can be certain that they have undergone rigorous, ongoing checks to achieve and retain membership.

The PCA is noted for its training and technical expertise, with an industryrecognised training programme and a renowned technical panel able to share best practice and guidance with members.”

It is also a scheme operator of Trustmark, the Government-backed scheme which aims to help consumers find reliable and trustworthy tradesmen when making improvements or repairs to their homes.

LEADING THE WAY IN JAPANESE KNOTWEED ERADICATION

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COMMENT UKC

The CDM Regulations are changing‌ On 6 April this year the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDMR) come in to force and you need to be prepared for the changes that they bring.

The overall aim of the regulations remains the same, the design and construction of safe projects delivered safely. However, there are some changes in approach.

There will be a six-month transitional period for projects that are already running on 6 April, but these regulations will completely replace the 2007 Regulations. You need to be familiarising yourself with them now to be ready to implement them.

The focus of this note is the disappearance of the role of CDM coordinator and an overview of what the various CDMR roles will now be. When reading, bear in mind that the CDMR will apply to all construction projects including small and domestic projects.

The main roles will be those of client, principal designer and either sole or principal contractor.

The client has an on-going duty to ensure that the project is managed such that it is carried out without risks to health or safety (subject to reasonable practicability). Part of this is appointing the right people and ensuring that CDMR duty holders are competent and capable of carrying out their roles.

The principal designer is responsible for ensuring compliance with CDMR in the pre-construction stage and for ensuring that a project when designed can be built and used safely.

If no principal designer is appointed then the client must fill the void.

The health and safety file must be started and maintained by the principal

designer. If the principal designer is not appointed for the construction stage of the works it must pass the file over to the principal contractor, who must then keep it up to date and hand over the completed file to the client when works conclude. If no principal designer is appointed the initial responsibility for the file will lie with the client.

The sole or principal contractor’s main duty is to build the project as far as possible without risk to health and safety.

However, the CDMR also require that no works start unless the contractor is satisfied that the client is aware of their duties under the CDMR and that no construction work, even setting up site, can begin until a construction phase plan has been prepared.

If there is no principal designer or none is appointed for the construction stage then clients will undoubtedly expect the principal contractor to assume the principal designer’s CDMR duties (and liabilities) including responsibility for the health and safety file. Contractors will therefore need to consider on a case by case basis the potential CDMR compliance risks associated with becoming involved in an on-going project where no principal designer has been appointed or where the principal designer will drop out before construction begins.

In this brief note I have only touched on a part of what is changing but hopefully I have included enough to show you that the changes are redistributing liability and risk and so to send you off to search out more detail.

Sarah E Philips

Sarah E Phillips, Solicitor, Thomas Eggar LLP.

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UKC CIVIL

Tinsley Bridge Group commits future to Sheffield The privately owned Tinsley Bridge Group was established in the 1850s as a vehicle suspension spring maker and more recently completed a management buy out from British Steel Corporation in 1987.

The Group occupies a six hectare site in Sheffield with 20,000sq m of factory space.

The sheer scale and diversity of equipment, allied to an innovative philosophy, research laboratory and a design led culture, puts the Tinsley Bridge Group at the forefront of large scale engineering.

In order to ensure their leading status, and committing its future to Sheffield, Tinsley Bridge Group embarked upon a three stage plan to radically improve the manufacturing facilities and offices at Shepcote Lane. The investment is a vote of confidence in Tinsley Bridge’s strategy of growth based on innovation, research and technical excellence.

The existing facility was built in 1959 and has become old and outdated, with rising maintenance costs. The new proposals involve creating two new buildings of some 5,000sq ft each and demolishing the

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on stream and we need to plan ahead. existing buildings. This will create modern “What makes it even more exciting is premises which will provide a 21st century that our plans are part of a renaissance manufacturing environment for the Group. for manufacturing across the UK The first phase of the project, a brand new and particularly here in Sheffield.

Head Quarters building, was completed People are beginning to realise that in January this year. Construction was manufacturing has a real future.” undertaken by Main Contractor, Roe Developments, with designs provided by SMP Architects Ltd. The new building was made possible by funding and support from the LEP, the Regional Pyrmont Finishes Ltd are pleased to have supported Growth Fund, and Roe Developments Ltd with the plastering, drylining Creative Sheffield. and drywall partitions on this project Managing Director, Mark Webber, said: “This really is the start of a new era Richardson Street, Derby, DE22 3GR for us. We have Telephone: 01332 293684 Email: info@pyrmont.co.uk some exciting www.pyrmont.co.uk new contracts and products coming

PROFILE UKC

RIA Technical Director, Francis How, on the challenges facing RISQS Francis How is the Technical Director of the Railway Industry Association and a member of the RISQS Board.

Francis How told UK Construction Media about the challenges facing RISQS and how he would like to see the scheme enhanced even further: At RISQS, we are proud of how we have taken the former qualification scheme that was known as Link-Up and improved the governance so it is now run by the industry, for the industry.

We are under no illusions that more needs to be done though to make this scheme one that is universally used across the industry as a qualification scheme for suppliers.

I am a Board member at RISQS as a representative of the Railway Industry Association (RIA). In addition, I sit on the Strategy Group which focuses on the long-term ambitions and targets of RISQS. It is something I feel strongly about and there are many challenges that we face.

There are many companies that make use of RISQS as buyers, such as Network Rail and some train operators but we’d like to see this volume increase, which is no small challenge.

Another objective is to help the industry understand the benefits of reducing the number of repetitive audits by clients that suppliers have to undergo.

Both RISQS and the Rail Industry Suppliers Approval Scheme (RISAS) include audits as part of the supplier assurance arrangements, which can reduce the amount of repetitive audits.

Our challenge is to make sure that the industry realise there are benefits

to doing this and what they are.

Speaking of RISQS and RISAS, this year we will look at possibly integrating the schemes or at the very least, aligning them more closely than they currently are.

Although the schemes don’t have identical purposes, the reason for this alignment or integration is simple: both schemes work within supplier assurance and managing them together would benefit the industry as a whole.

I firmly believe that RISQS is the best industry standard for suppliers within the industry but I feel that RISQS has a role to play in other areas too.

One of these is to stimulate a greater emphasis on continuous improvement in the supply chain.

Traditionally, the UK rail industry has focused on standards and compliance and can be characterised by “transactional” relationships between clients and suppliers.

By this I mean working relationships are carried out as intended through contractual requirements but generally, this can result in neglecting long-term relationships.

It doesn’t apply to everyone of course, and there are examples of strong, longlasting relationships but I want to see more cases where the relationship between clients and suppliers is enduring.

For many years, RIA has operated its “Value Improvement Programme” (VIP) that promotes strong collaboration between clients and suppliers and this is being revised and then relaunched.

Despite this, I believe more can be done

and RIA is working with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) to consider how continuous improvement can be embedded strongly in the rolling stock maintenance and overhaul market. This could then be extended to other parts of the rail industry.

I believe that RISQS offers what no other scheme can, and yet I still want to enhance our offering even further. Therefore, I want RISQS to be more transparent because it will reduce barriers to entry for new suppliers, meaning the companies that have the correct qualifications, expertise and approach to safety will find it easier to obtain supplier qualification.

Finally, I feel it would be greatly beneficial to re-appraise how RISQS can bring greater benefit for suppliers. In the past, RISQS has focused on purchasing and client organisations and although suppliers have used the scheme, it has been seen as necessary by these companies because of their desire to do business with Network Rail.

What I would particularly like to see is the nature of RISQS change over time so that suppliers no longer see the scheme as a burden and instead view it as something that can provide them a range of benefits.

For example, if RISQS was able to provide feedback to suppliers and enable them to benchmark themselves against companies operating in the same part of the rail market, it would see RISQS become a valuable tool for them, and not just the buyers.

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UKC PROFILE

CLiP IT Solutions

Carl Purbrick of CLiP IT Solutions spoke to UK Construction Media about the importance of accountancy and job costing software.

CLiP IT Solutions was formed 13 years ago because there was a belief that there was a gap in the market to create an accounts and job costing software package to help the industry’s smaller to mid-range companies.

Although we wanted to produce software to meet the needs of these companies, it was important to the directors to also provide customer support unrivalled anywhere else. Therefore, customers could trust that the support line was always available, and any queries would be answered quickly and efficiently.

Now that companies are getting busier, the likes of job costing has become even more important because it is crucial to making sure that projects are managed properly and ultimately, make profit.

The way in which it’s useful is that rather than people within a project having to wait to know what is being spent on a job, the integrated accounts and job costing system means information only needs to be entered once, updating everything in the process. Extra spreadsheets are not required.

In the old days, people would have to wait for information to be collated and entered before knowing the cost of each part of a job. With this system, that is no longer an issue because everything is up to date and relevant.

This is also beneficial because it allows issues to be spotted early and where necessary, customers can be charged for work earlier than what was once possible.

Things like retentions can be claimed when due, invoices and applications produced quickly and accurately, which all helps the contract manager to stay on top of the project.

The benefits to the systems provided by CLiP IT Solutions are obvious but we still find a general reluctance within the industry to embrace this type of technology.

Reasons for this are varied and encompass the cost of the software, the re-training of staff but what I’ve found is that many of these small and mid-range companies

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simply aren’t aware of what we do and what we can offer the industry.

Part of this comes from the fact our services aren’t aimed at the larger companies and we’re under no illusions how difficult it is to change this awareness issue but it is a challenge we are very much looking forward to.

One of the ways we have tried to address this is by offering free software to our customers’ accountants so they can reload the data of their own clients.

This is beneficial to all because when an accountant is aware of Construction Industry Accounts (CIA), they often recommend us to their other construction clients, so we are getting our name out into the public domain in that way.

What we have found is that when clients have used and benefited from our software, it is something they wish they knew about previously because of how it helps them.

CIA software is a brilliant tool for the industry because only one entry is needed to update everything necessary.

So for example, if a customer was to enter a purchase invoice, this and the accounts and VAT are updated, but the invoice is also allocated to any of the jobs involved.

Each job is set up when a contract is won, which can be broken down into any number of subdivisions, build phases, labour, materials. After this, the user can decide the level of detail needed in accordance with their requirements.

The job costing part of CIA is the biggest reason people choose CLiP IT Solutions, as it is more important to the majority of customers. This is the key to many companies making or losing money.

Customers need to see information that is right up to date with one click of a button, in order to see how a contract is progressing.

But alongside the likes of our job costing software, we believe our other systems are invaluable to the industry. We have retentions diaries that allow customers to know how much retention is outstanding and when it’s due to be released.

There have been many occasions when myself or somebody else at the company has demonstrated this software to a customer and their records of which retentions are due are filed away without any organisation whatsoever.

This is extremely time consuming but with our retentions diaries, this problem can be removed, as the diary automatically updates when certificate of payments are recorded and invoices paid.

We are confident that our software represents the direction that the construction industry is going in.

Therefore, CLiP IT Solutions is well placed to help construction companies and software to become more productive.

Refurbishments, Extensions & Loft Conversions Specialists

Regional Winner for Large Renovation Project of the Year, Master Builder of the Year Awards 2015

Tel: 0208 803 9744 Mobile: 07861 243029 Email: info@wjlc.co.uk www.wjlc.co.uk

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