Contract Journal articles from December 2006

Contract Journal archives from December 2006

13 People.(occupational safety and health laws)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... How long have you been involved with the health and safety side of the business? I was a safety professional in the steel industry for eight years prior to joining the Cuddy Group in January 2004. What is the most difficult aspect of...

06 Plant.(Major Contractors Group recognises for red Construction Plant Competence Scheme cards)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... The Major Contractors Group (MCG) is adamant that from 1 January its members will not allow individuals who do not hold a valid recognised card to operate machinery on site, despite the fact that thousands of cards will expire at the end of...

06 Plant.(Hewden Crane reorganisation plans)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Plant hire giant Hewden has refused to comment on rumours that it is for sale. Brian Sherlock, managing director of the Finning subsidiary, said: "Finning is committed to its UK operation but is always reviewing its resources. This is...

06 Plant.(Powered Access Interest Group)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... The number of people killed by falling from certain types of lifts will be discussed at an emergency meeting of the Powered Access Interest Group (PAIG) later this month. According to the PAIG, there are still too many fatal falls from...

06 Plant.(EHC UK)(Chris Lancaster)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Particulate filter manufacturer EHC said fitting one of its systems to older trucks will allow it to operate in Transport for London's proposed Low Emission Zone (LEZ) without having to pay the [pounds sterling]200/day charge. EHC UK sales...

06 Plant.(The Equipment Register)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... It is business as usual for TER (The Equipment Register) despite not being awarded the data handling contract for the plant registration scheme. "The plant registration scheme was an opportunity that came along rather than something we...

A clear winner.(architectural design and energy efficiency)
December 6, 2006... The pressures of climate change and energy legislation are driving innovation in the glazed cladding market. Helen McCormick speaks to contractors, manufacturers and other cladding industry experts about the enduring popularity of glass. ...

06 Plant.
December 6, 2006... Mazda has replaced its B2500 pick-up with the BT50. Sharing its architecture with Ford's Ranger, the BT50 offers more power, greater economy and lower fuel consumption than the B2500. The BT50 comes as a single or double cab in both 4x2 and...

New report adds fuel to the concrete vs steel price war.(05 Products and Materials)(Survey)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... The ongoing price war between concrete and steel took a fresh turn last week when a new report showing that concrete could be 5% cheaper than steel frames was immediately trashed by the steel lobby as unrealistic. Even on frame costs...

05 Products and Materials.(building an eco home)(Prestoplan and Persimmon)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... LOFTY AMBITIONS: Work is underway to build the Irlam eco-home in Manchester, a joint venture by Prestoplan and Persimmon. The innovative timber frames can reduce the build time by up to a third compared to the block and brick method. The...

New standards for reinforced fill.(05 Products and Materials)
December 6, 2006... New standards for the construction of reinforced fill have been published by the British Standards Institution as BS EN 14475: 2006. They cover engineered fill that are reinforced by adding horizontal or sub-horizontal reinforcement between...

Steel workers facing compulsory training.(05 Products and Materials)
December 6, 2006... Firms have seven months to certify teams working on transportation steelwork. Compulsory training for corrosion protection teams working on transportation steelwork was unexpectedly introduced last week with the announcement that firms...

ODA sets standards for Olympics work.(Olympic Delivery Authority )(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Procedures set out to ensure high standards of work and safety on 2012 contracts. Successful bidders for Olympics contracts will face challenging operating procedures for what are otherwise expected to be very lucrative contracts. The...

01 News.
December 6, 2006... Construction industry representatives have welcomed the focus a key report looking at modernising the UK transport network has given to planning and a strategic framework for delivery. The Eddington Report, led by former British Airways...

06 Plant.(Wirtgen Group acquired with Kleemann)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Wirtgen Group has bought crushing and screening manufacturer Kleemann, as it turns its attention to the minerals market. The firm is planning a new production plant in Germany for further development of the product range, while Kleemann UK...

06 Plant.(Facelift contract with Haulotte)(Greenmech supplies A-Plant)(Utranazz)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Access hire firm Facelift has placed its second [pounds sterling]1m order for 46 machines from French supplier Haulotte. The order comprises various 8m-25m scissor lifts and self-propelled booms, including rough-terrain machines. Greenmech...

06 Plant.
December 6, 2006... SCRAPPING: Birmingham-based scrap metals recycler HW Taroni Metals uses its 23t Doosan Daewoo Solar 225LC-V tracked-excavator to take care of the shell of a car. HW Taroni will use the machine to handle 500t of ferrous and non-ferrous metals a...

06 Plant.(Robert Taylor accused for demolishing house)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Robert Taylor, the man who virtually demolished a house in Essex with a Daewoo excavator, has been sentenced to six years in jail at Chelmsford Crown Court. Taylor, from Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, caused more than [pounds sterling]300,000-worth of...

06 Plant.
December 6, 2006... Chartered building firm RW Armstrong is saving [pounds sterling]60,000 a year after investing in GPRS tracking technology for its fleet of 16 Ford Transit LCVs and two ancillary vehicles. Managing director Nigel Armstrong said the Quartix...

06 Plant.
December 6, 2006... STATESIDE:Valla Cranes UK supplied two 20E cranes to Smithfield Construction for use in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago-based firm used the crane to install cladding and glazing panels on a skyscraper - taking half the time it usually took.

NFB blasts government for housing micro-management.(01 News)
December 6, 2006... The National Federation of Builders' (NFB) House Builders Association has slammed the government's Planning Policy Statement for Housing (PPS3), calling it "extraordinarily dirigiste". Roger Humber, an analyst at the association, said PPS3,...

14 Back Page.(BAE SYSTEMS PLC and Bovis Homes Inc. plans to build new homes)
December 6, 2006... This is the most complicated job we have ever done. Lording it What's worse than a nimbyist? How about a nimbyist who was a building contractor in a former life? BAE Systems and Bovis Homes had plans to build new 2,000 homes...

04 Contracts.(Robert McAlpine and Laing O'Rourke PLC investing in commercial real estate)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Sir Robert McAlpine has edged out its only remaining rival, Laing O'Rourke, to bag a [pounds sterling]200m mixed-development deal aimed at breathing new life into the eastern quarter of Bury, Lancashire. Bovis Lend Lease pulled out of...

04 Contracts.(Geoffrey Osborne Ltd. has bagged Construction contracts)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Geoffrey Osborne has raced past five challengers and is well on the way to clinching a troubled [pounds sterling]26m deal for a new bypass in Wiltshire. Sources say that the firm has bagged the first part of the two-stage Early Contractor...

01 News.
December 6, 2006... Carillion has scooped a [pounds sterling]360m support services deal with insurer Norwich Union. The key feature of the new contract will be the construction of six regional customer centres dealing with the management of claims. The...

04 Contracts.(Willmott Dixon Holdings Ltd. signed a deal to renovate famous race courses)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Willmott Dixon has scooped a [pounds sterling]27.6m deal to revamp one of the world's most famous racecourses. The firm has galloped ahead of several runners (including Laing O'Rourke, which recently won a [pounds sterling]200m contract to...

04 Contracts.(PPP schools contracts with construction industry)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Two firms have gone head to head in the contest to chalk up a re-jigged PPP schools deal for West Lothian Council. Robertson and a Hochtief/Dawn Construction joint venture have locked horns for the scheme, worth around [pounds sterling]50m,...

R McAlpine JV in hotseat for [pounds sterling]25m Redcar hospital deal.(01 News)(Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Sources say that the client is now only talking to a Sir Robert McAlpine/Ryhurst pairing for a [pounds sterling]25m PFI deal to build a 32-bed community hospital at Redcar, Teesside, after a best and final offer shoot-out. This looks like...

14 Back Page.(Department for Transport's transportation planning)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... After the DfT dumped its 10-year transport plan, many in the industry wondered what was going to happen in terms of planning and strategy. Why Eddington must drive forward For the general public, last week's Eddington Report had only...

01 News.(Margaret Hodge speaks on economic aspect of construction industry)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Construction minister Margaret Hodge has told the construction industry that it needs to integrate some of its many organisations if it is to be able to think in an integrated way. Speaking to the National Specialist Contractors' Council,...

Backdated pay ruling faces 18-month delay.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... A final legal ruling on the extent to which holiday pay claims can be backdated is now not expected for another 18 months or so. The House of Lords had been due to decide in October whether holiday pay claims can be made only for the...

02 Business.(Accord plans to increase the turnover)(Financial report)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Accord's pre-tax profit should rise this year to a figure close to [pounds sterling]8m, said chief executive Philip Fellowes-Prynne. "We should achieve that through bringing out costs, through better procurement and from new contracts," he...

Nuttall and HBG post 3.5% margin.(01 News)(Edmund Nuttall Ltd. and HBG Construction)(Financial report)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... HBG UK and Nuttall have notched an average operating margin of 3.5% during the past nine months, according to financial figures released by their parent, Dutch construction giant Royal Bam. The operations in Ireland, where Bam trades as...

01 News.(T. Clarke PLC magnified the stresses caused by the increase in the price of copper)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... The disjointed methods of buying copper in the various regions of T Clarke, the electrical specialist contractor, has magnified the stresses caused by the run-away increase in the price of copper. The impact of copper price rises on Clarke...

01 News.(Rok property solutions plc)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Rok's long-term objective is to increase the number of its branches to 100 and to see staff numbers quadruple to 10,000. On top of all that growth, chief executive Garvis Snook sees a 5% net margin as achievable. Rok has already made rapid...

02 Business.(Renew)(British Nuclear Fuels PLC)
December 6, 2006... Renew is well on its way to recovery following what has been a difficult period, said chief executive Brian May as he unveiled a pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]4.6m, well ahead of the previous year's figure of [pounds sterling]1.2m. ...

02 Business.(James Latham PLC posted income earnings for 2006)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Timber importer and distributor James Latham posted a 5.3% boost in pre-tax profit to [pounds sterling]2.9m in the six months to 30 September. Turnover improved 3.5% to [pounds sterling]49m, while operating profit jumped by 40.2% to...

01 News.(Jack Lemley has departure from UK Olympic Delivery Authority)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Site contamination issues not to blame for Lemley departure Higgins denied that the departure of former Olympic Delivery Authority chairman Jack Lemley had been triggered by concerns over site contamination. "He was at the...

01 News.
December 6, 2006... The Highways Agency (HA) has once again urged highways contractors to help get a greater grip on cost estimating, cost challenging and cost control when delivering schemes in its Targeted Programme of Improvements (TPI). Addressing the...

01 News.(Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd.)(John Armitt)(rail network)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... The industry needs to overcome several of its "negative tendencies" to reduce future costs on the rail network, according to Network Rail (NR) chief executive John Armitt. Speaking at Civils 2006, Armitt said these include a "desire by...

01 News.(Balfour Beatty Construction Inc. delays the work of Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Balfour Beatty has been called in for what the company described as "robust and direct" discussions with Network Rail (NR) after over-running engineering works last week caused the biggest single delay this year - 8,000 delay minutes for works...

01 News.(regulations for railroad design)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... There have been just 399 petitions lodged so far against London's [pounds sterling]10bn Crossrail project - remarkably fewer than the 1,000 lodged against the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL). Speaking at Civils 2006, Clinton Leeks OBE,...

01 News.(Olympic Delivery Authority )(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Bids invited for 2012 power contract The Olympic Delivery Authority has called on the industry to plug into a mammoth multi-million pound combined energy and utility DBFO contract for the Olympic park site. The exact value and duration...

01 News.(MetroNet Internet Services)(Tube Lines Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Issues over heritage and changes to the scope of stations on the 30-year Tube PPP are partly to blame for the problems being encountered by infracos Tube Lines and Metronet on the station improvement elements of the contract. Speaking at...

01 News.(Thames Gateway London Partnership)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Companies looking to invest in providing accommodation as part of the Thames Gateway development will need to stop being obsessed about fire regulations and start creating flexible design solutions and more attractive places to live if they...

01 News.(construction industry plans to invest in infrastructure forum)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... The industry is to draw up its own 25-year plan for UK infrastructure to help influence the government's spending plans in future years. Announcing the plans at the launch of Constructing Excellence's (CE) new Infrastructure Forum last...

01 News.
December 6, 2006... REFORMED CHARACTER: Allenbuild is nearing completion of a major restoration contract of part of the Reform Club in London's Pall Mall. The contractor is due to complete the works on the Grade I-listed building by spring next year.

01 News.(Husqvarna AB marketing its construction products)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... COME TOGETHER: Husqvarna Construction Products, part of the Husqvarna Group, has chosen to assemble its brands under a single joint brand called Husqvarna. Existing brands - Dimas, Partner and Target - will be phased out at the beginning of...

08 Features.(office buildings)
December 6, 2006... One Coleman Street in the City of London is an un-usual building in several regards. The 17,000m2, nine-storey office building, built on an island site close to where Moorgate meets London Wall, is ovoid in shape with views out on all sides....

08 Features.(architectural design trends)
December 6, 2006... Historically, flat roofs have been associated with the modernist architecture that sprung up in the post-war years, often poorly designed, poorly specified, and delivering an equally poor performance. That image, largely unfair, has not...

06 Plant.(SED 2007 national event for constrution)
December 6, 2006... New exhibitors at SED 2007 SED, the national event for construction, is now into its 41st year - and it continues to grow, attracting new products and new exhibitors with each show. TPS Fronius is an SED virgin and will be showing...

GE adopts Kosran security system.
December 13, 2006... Following an 18-month trial, plant hirer GE Equipment Services has decided to specify Kosran's immobilisation system on its excavators, rollers, dumpers and telehandlers. The hirer, which spends around ?30m-a-year on new equipment, has found...

Registration scheme cops police support.
December 13, 2006... Assistant Chief Constable David Ainsworth from the Kent Police, the ACOP member responsible for vehicle crime, will be the key speaker at the launch of the plant registration scheme. The event will take place at the Construction Industry Theft...

Terberg seals UK distribution deal with Elgin.(Terberg Matec UK Ltd)(Elgin)(Brief article)
December 13, 2006... Terberg Matec has been appointed as UK distributor for America's biggest road sweeper manufacturer Elgin. The company will be Elgin's sole chassis-fitting partner for the UK and will also handle service and parts distribution. Elgin's...

New offerings from Barford.(machinery information)(Brief article)
December 13, 2006... Site dumper manufacturer Barford is set to launch a 1.2t hi-lift machine and introduce a cab for its 9t and 10t machines. Barford's managing director Niall Wordsworth said he was unimpressed with the previous 1t machine and dropped it because...

'LEPs are here to stay'.(Local Education Partnerships program by Partnerships for Schools )
December 13, 2006... Tim Byles, the new chief executive of Partnerships for Schools (PfS), has only been in the job for four weeks, but already has a clear message to deliver."The message I want to get over is that the original timetable for Building Schools for...

Reclassification cuts waste stream.
December 13, 2006... The industry may have cut its waste stream by up to 60% at a stroke following a European Parliament sub-group decision on reclassifying spoil.At the end of November, an amendment to the Waste Framework Directive was passed "excluding...

Laing forced to clear site rubbish.
December 13, 2006... Laing Homes has been forced by Redditch Council to clean up rubbish in Pitcheroak Woods after complaints from residents.The council received a number of complaints from residents about cement bags, bottles and planks of wood found in the...

Rate hike may force exodus of subbies.(standard rate of deduction for subcontractors)
December 13, 2006... Business adviser Grant Thornton has warned a hike in the construction industry standard rate of deduction (CIS) for subcontractors could exacerbate the skills shortage, forcing some self-employed workers to leave the industry altogether. The...

UCATT welcomes crackdown on MSCs.(Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians, managed service companies )
December 13, 2006... UCATT has welcomed proposals in the Pre-Budget Report to crackdown on managed service companies (MSCs), which are used to avoid paying employed levels of tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs).Under the proposals, the government would...

Talking tough.(Constructing Excellence's management as an independent organization)
December 13, 2006... Margaret Hodge probably wasn't all that popular at Constructing Excellence's (CE) offices last week. The Construction Minister complained that she had "never met so many presidents" before starting her current role (CJ, 06/12). In so doing,...

English Partnerships to offer brownfield advice.
December 13, 2006... English Partnerships (EP) has today launched a set of new policy proposals and a practical toolkit aimed at reviving the fortunes of deprived urban areas.The Brownfield Guide, pitched at private developers and local authorities, offers advice...

Mastenbroek claims trenching first.(Brief article)
December 13, 2006... UK trencher manufacturer Mastenbroek has introduced what it claims is a new concept in trenching machines, breaking the relationship between the size of a trench and the weight of the machine required to create it.The HRT series (Hard Rock...

Firm fined ?15,000 for worker death.
December 13, 2006... The Health & Safety Executive has warned the construction industry of the dangers of working at height after an employer was fined ?15,000, following the death of a worker.Christopher Lucas from Bennetts End, Hemel Hempstead, pleaded guilty to...

Balfour Beatty lands ?115m Scottish PPP.(Private Patients Plan Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 13, 2006... Balfour Beatty has made the cut for a ?115m PPP hospital deal in Scotland.The firm has beaten off Amec, its only remaining rival, and emerged as preferred bidder for the Fife Health Board's General Hospitals and Maternity Services...

Short-term decline ahead?(construction industry forecasts)
December 13, 2006... New construction orders were worth ?11.6bn in value in the three months to October, according to the latest data from the Department of Trade & Industry.That represents a solid 5% improvement compared with the same period a year ago, but a...

Amey consortium in pole position for NI roads deal.
December 13, 2006... The race for the biggest-ever roads deal in Northern Ireland is finally drawing to a close, with CJ now able to reveal the identity of the group heading the pack. Sources say that after a best and final offer (BAFO) shoot-out between two...

Alfred McAlpine bags a plethora of contracts.
December 13, 2006... A ?44m deal to design and build a new holiday village in south Wales is the top deal in a string of contracts Alfred McAlpine has clinched. The Bluestone village in Pembrokeshire, due for completion in May 2008, is the first of a new generation...

New Battersea Power Station owner may review Bovis role.
December 13, 2006... Doubts are hanging over Bovis Lend Lease's role at Battersea Power Station in London now that the ownership of the site has changed hands.Parkview, the site's former owner, appointed Bovis to oversee works at Battersea, but sources say "it is...

Four firms to share ?1bn roads bonanza.
December 13, 2006... In the run-up to Christmas, four firms have nabbed two major road maintenance deals potentially totalling more than ?1bn. Three firms will share in a likely ?1bn-worth of work in London, while the fourth outfit will rake in a possible ?168m in...

HBG set to pip Bovis for ?80m Merseyside job.(Brief article)
December 13, 2006... A favourite is emerging for a mixed development on Merseyside, weighing in at between ?75m and ?80m.An insider close to the deal, being promoted jointly by Neptune Developments and Countryside Properties, said: "Early indications are that the...

Trio to split mixed work in Salford.(construction contract)(Brief article)
December 13, 2006... Salford City Council has lined up three firms to carry out work on packages of work worth between ?5m and ?30m.Under a four-year framework deal, Seddon, Cruden and Laing O'Rourke will tackle new build and refurb jobs on council-owned property...

Winners selected for East Thames Housing projects.
December 13, 2006... The East Thames Housing Association has lined up a total of 11 firms to tackle a four-year programme of new build and Decent Homes refurbishment work.East Thames plans to build 500 new homes a year in east London and Essex over the next four...

Charles Church ups claim against Stent.
December 13, 2006... The legal case between housebuilder Charles Church and two of its subcontractors took a new twist last week when a judge allowed the firm to amend its claim against Stent Foundations. Charles Church originally made a claim totalling more than...

Mears turns around its fortunes on Sheffield Decent Homes work.(Mears Group )(Brief article)
December 13, 2006... Mears Group is back on track on the ?669m Sheffield Decent Homes programme, with an even greater workload for 2007 than in the previous year.The contractor had been facing a cut in workload next year after problems with ill-fitting windows and...

Slack firms told to up ante on training.
December 13, 2006... Publication of the final report of the Leitch Review of Skills "means that the clock is ticking for the one in three employers who fail to train", according to Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC."Those employers are now on notice to...

Government set to rethink training levy.(statutory construction training levy )(Brief article)
December 13, 2006... The government has signalled that it is ready to rethink the way industry support for the statutory construction training levy is measured. It is also set to drop the requirement that the levy be subject to annual rubber stamping by Parliament....

Amec chief to unveil new strategic plan.
December 13, 2006... Amec is expected to write off another ?120m and shed some of its executive team when new chief executive Samir Brikho unveils his strategic review. An Amec spokesman said he had no comment to make, other than that Brikho's review would be...

Asphalt firms in line for ?210m NW work bounty.
December 13, 2006... Asphalt suppliers and layers are being invited to tap into a ?210m, four-year framework to either supply, or supply and lay services to all 46 local authorities in the North West.The framework, which is being drawn up and funded by the North...

Surrey questions partnering route.(Surrey County Council's highway maintenanace contract with Ringway Group and Carillion)
December 13, 2006... ross.pearman@rbi.co.ukSurrey County Council (SCC) is looking to switch its ?200m, 10-year, partnering highways maintenance contract to a traditional arrangement with its contractors Ringway and Carillion.Its decision comes after a surveillance...

TfL looks to Europe for bid interest.(Transport for London )
December 13, 2006... Transport for London (TfL) is embarking on a European tour to pitch its major infrastructure projects to overseas contractors because it can't generate enough bidding interest from UK contractors.TfL director of London Rail Development, Peter...

UKCSA urges caution when buying cast stone.(UK Cast Stone Association )
December 13, 2006... Contractors need to implement caution when purchasing cast stone from British manufacturers as most operate without adequate quality assurance or testing regimes, and may not be working to proper standards.That is the latest message to come...

Insurers facing up to contractor shortage.
December 13, 2006... There are rising concerns over the supply of contractors available to carry out works for insurers. This is due to issues over payment and the availability of work as insurers now favour national rather than regional firms.The problem is...