Contract Journal articles from July 2004

Contract Journal archives from July 2004

Birse slump leads to 25 redundancies.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Birse Build's Northampton office has closed, forcing 25 staff redundancies. The contractor has now turned its back on the Midlands and the South, citing a lack of contract wins. The workers will be offered jobs elsewhere in Birse. Results for...

British Land joins RQSC.(Register of Qualified Steel Contractors)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Steel contractors may need to be members of the Register of Qualified Steel Contractors (RQSC) scheme to tender for work with British Land. The property developer has joined the scheme administered by the British Constructional Steelwork...

CJ Awards shortlist announced.(Contract Journal)(Public Notice)
July 7, 2004... The shortlist for the Contract Journal Construction Industry Awards 2004 is out. Some 66 entries have made it past preliminary judging and now stand a chance of winning one of the 14 most prestigious awards in the construction industry. A...

Skylite 95 and 5 from Cooch.(Henry Cooch)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Henry Cooch has expanded its range of mobile lighting products with the launch of two new floodlighting towers. The Skylite 95 is a trailer-mounted tower equipped with a 9.5m four-section mast and four 1,000W metal halide or high-pressure...

Hek launches Dual platform.(HEK Manufacturing BV)(transport platforms)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Access specialist Hek has introduced a new transport platform, the Hek GTP Dual T1500. The unit derives from the GTP Dual 1500, but the new version of the platform is turned through 90[degrees] to allow easier loading and unloading of pallets...

GAP looks to new depots for growth.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Investment in plant and depots set to boost turnover to [pounds sterling]100m. Tool and plant hirer GAP is aiming to have a [pounds sterling]100m turnover within the next five years by increasing its national coverage with a further 15...

New Mapaphone pricing scheme.(Mapminder)(mobile tracking service)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Mapaphone, the online mobile tracking service from Mapminder, has launched a new pricing structure and extra tools to help keep track of business fleets and field personnel. The system uses mobile phone tracking technology to locate field staff...

The first 125 years.
July 7, 2004... 1879 Wednesday, 4 June: Contract Journal is born, heralding a revolution in the provision of information to the construction industry. At the same time as Contract Journal takes its first steps on the way to the current landmark issue, another...

Wembley red card to cost Cleveland Bridge [pounds sterling]500k.
July 7, 2004... Contractor baffled by Multiplex's decision amid fears that the project will go [pounds sterling]100m over budget Cleveland Bridge faces a [pounds sterling]500,000 bill to compensate the 250 workers thrown off the [pounds sterling]757m...

Connaught profiles staff to find balanced teams.(Traico)
July 7, 2004... n Consultancy draws up database of qualities to help make contracts successful from employee personality tests. Connaught has adopted dating agency principles to make its partnering contracts even more successful. The contractor has...

Editor's comment.(Contract Journal)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Here's to the next 125 years of CJ Happy birthday Contract Journal! Your favourite construction newspaper is 125 years old. There are plenty of construction companies with longer histories - Sir Robert McAlpine (1869), Costain (1865), Edmund...

Fairbriar six-month profit is 'disappointing'.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Fairbriar, the residential property developer, made a profit of [pounds sterling]440,000 in the six months to 31 March 2004. Chairman Kevin McCabe said: "We regard the results as disappointing, but hopefully we will see performance improve,...

Five in line for Bucks bypass deal.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Five rivals are in the queue for a [pounds sterling]30m to [pounds sterling]35m local authority roads deal in Buckinghamshire. The line-up for the county council's A4146 Stoke Hammond and Linslade Western bypass is Balfour Beatty, Birse,...

Flodef plans large-scale push after BSI approval.(British Standards Institution)
July 7, 2004... Flodef's bespoke flood alleviation system may offer a solution for problem properties. Flood alleviation company Flodef plans to move into large-scale manufacturing after gaining BSI Kitemark accreditation for its product last week. Flodef...

Foreseeability of damages.
July 7, 2004... This year marks 150 years since the most celebrated common law case of all time, the 1854 decision of Hadley v Baxendale. Hadley is the one case that every lawyer practising in common law jurisdictions throughout the world will have read and...

Grants to fund safety reps in smaller firms.(National Federation of Builders)(Federation of Master Builders)(Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians)
July 7, 2004... n Employer and union partnerships to benefit from [pounds sterling]3m government worker safety fund. Two new partnerships between employers and unions providing roving worker safety representatives - or safety advisers - will focus...

Health funders raise [pounds sterling]600,000.(Department for Work and Pensions)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... The B&CE benefits company has put up [pounds sterling]200,000 towards the estimated [pounds sterling]1.3m cost of launching a pilot occupational health scheme for construction. Matching contributions of [pounds sterling]200,000 have also come...

Heywood Williams tackles debt issue.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... PVC windows, doors and conservatories group Heywood Williams has sold a US pipes subsidiary and made senior management redundancies in a bid to reduce debts from a manufacturing consolidation in 2001. The move comes after a [pounds...

Jarvis staff unsure of the future.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Jarvis insiders are just as pessimistic about the group's chances of survival as its subcontractors and suppliers and City analysts. At 2.58pm last Friday the group told the City its debt level had reached a worse-than-expected [pounds...

Landfill Directive to boost recycling equipment sales.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... With a huge reduction in landfill sites after 16 July, recycling may provide a solution. The recycling industry is bracing itself for an upsurge in equipment orders, as more companies plan to use screens and shredders as a direct...

Liverpool transfer delayed.(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... The transfer of Enterprise-Liverpool's [pounds sterling]5m-a-year housing contract for Cobalt Housing Association has been delayed by two weeks due to a breakdown in talks over terms and conditions. Enterprise-Liverpool's joint venture repair...

Metsec designs light gauge steel flooring system.(product development)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Metsec Building Products has developed thin floors from light gauge steel framing. The design can be used to create extra space when converting old buildings into apartments. The flooring can also make sleeping gallery space in buildings with a...

Mowlem pips rivals to Peak District's bypass.(contracts)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Contractor looks set to walk off with high profile, sensitive, [pounds sterling]85m early involvement deal. Mowlem looks to be closing in on an [pounds sterling]85m early contractor involvement deal in the North West. Sources say the...

82 pass NFB partnering audit.(National Federation of Builders)(Construction Accredited Partner Scheme)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... A total of 82 contractors have passed the first stage of the National Federation of Builders' (NFB) Construction Accredited Partner Scheme (CAPS). Large contractors such as Thomas Vale Construction, GJ Seddon and Henry Boot Const-ruction and...

Ireland's road projects 200% over budget.(Road construction)(Economic aspects)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... The cost of a national roadbuilding programme in the Republic of Ireland has overrun by more than 200% in three years, according to an official report. The ambitious programme was originally priced at [pounds sterling]4.7bn by the National...

Jarvis' last call?(Jarvis Accommodation Services)
July 7, 2004... n Suppliers likely to take hard line on payments, as clients prepare contingency plans. Jarvis must move quickly to secure its future, according to City analysts and industry pundits. Later this month the troubled group is due to reveal...

PFI improves schools' performance.(private finance initiative)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Performance results in all PFI primary and secondary schools increased significantly when compared to both the local education authority (LEA) average and the national average, according to a survey by the PPP Forum. The survey, revealed at the...

Gateway review to be extended to smaller local authority projects.(contracts)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... The government's Gateway review programme is to be extended to local authority projects in excess of [pounds sterling]200,000. The move follows the successful pilot of the Gateway review on large-scale local authority projects last year. The...

Rand buys road planing from Associated Asphalt.(Rand Group)(Associated Asphalt)(Mergers, acquisitions and divestments)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Rand Group has bought Associated Asphalt's road planing business for an undisclosed sum. Rand has taken on 32 staff and eight planing machines, based in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. The business will become part of Rand's National Road...

Royal Household paying slower.(The Royal Household )(management)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... The Royal Household was slower to pay contractors for the second year running in the year to March 2004. It said 83% of contractors were paid within 30 days, compared with 87% in 2003. Some 94% were paid within 40 days and 97% within 50 days....

Seventeen to share [pounds sterling]200m Islington deal.(city councils)(contracts)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Seventeen national and regional contractors will share a potential [pounds sterling]200m-worth of housing upgrade work under a partnering deal with the London Borough of Islington in north London. The deals, spanning a number of local housing...

Ten schemes to join next NHS LIFT wave.(Primary Care Trust plans to join NHS)
July 7, 2004... n Primary Care Trusts wanting to join fourth tranche of LIFT schemes should apply by August. The process to select a fourth wave of NHS LIFT schemes began last week with a call for primary care trusts (PCTs) wanting to join the fourth...

Three bid for batched NHS hospital projects.(National Health Service)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Three groups will pick up the tender paperwork in the autumn for the second in the NHS's programme of batched private finance hospital deals. In the waiting room for the latest scheme, worth up to [pounds sterling]122m, are Arden...

New guidance for insurance.(insurance)(guidance)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2004... Guidance published by the Department for Work and Pensions last week will help public sector procurement heads ensure that contractors and subcontractors have complied with Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance (ELCI). The guidance states...

Airport death firms fined [pounds sterling]54,900.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Gareth Pugh Steel Framed Buildings and Primary Design and Build have been fined a total of [pounds sterling]54,900 at Liverpool Crown Court for the death of Ian Cavender at Speke Airport in August 2000. Cavender was killed when a hangar door...

Alltek's spray-on; coating.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Fillers and coatings company Alltek UK has launched a product to compete with traditional gypsum plasters. Alltek is supplying a French-made alternative to gypsum-based plasters, which is applied to walls using a spray. The water-based...

Amec nets Thames meter deal.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Amec has tapped into a Thames Water framework contract, believed to be worth up to [pounds sterling]50m. The performance-related deal, which could run for up to 10 years, is to install new or replacement water meters in London and the Thames...

Ashtead produces a profit but exceptionals take a heavy toll.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Group remains upbeat about future prospects after unveiling 2004 year-end results. Ashtead Group's results for the year ending April 2004 saw it make a return to profit, before exceptionals and tax, at [pounds sterling]7.6m compared to a...

Bradford withdraws from Northern batch.
July 14, 2004... n Trust may use ProCure 21 to deliver scheme, previously part of [pounds sterling]289m batched hospital PFI. The beleaguered Northern batched PFI scheme has been slashed by another [pounds sterling]50m following Bradford Teaching Hospitals...

Best practice jobs deal for [pounds sterling]220m Brighton scheme.
July 14, 2004... n All contractors employed will have to abide by rules set down in Karis/TGWU deal. What is believed to be a unique best practice agreement on construction site training and employment conditions between a private developer and a trade...

Specialist firms and; CC settle Forum fees.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... n Construction Confederation denies any "lack of enthusiasm" for Strategic Forum role. The National Specialist Contractors Council (NSCC) and the Construction Confederation (CC) have finally decided to pay their Strategic Forum membership...

Finning Power Systems rolls out its new range of gensets.
July 14, 2004... Firm targets building contractors and hire companies in bid to raise market share. Finning Power Systems (FPS), a division of the Caterpillar importer Finning UK, is targeting building contractors and hire companies with a new range of...

60% discount on Johnston's water system.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Johnston Sweepers is offering a 60% discount on its water recirculation system until the end of the year. The filtering system is said to eliminate the need for regular water top-ups, giving up to 50% more on-station sweeping time. The system...

Moxy restricts UK sales for higher margin.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... ADT manufacturer Moxy has decided to restrict its sales efforts in the UK because it is able to achieve better margins with the sale of its products in other countries. Although it has sold trucks in the UK this year, the company said prices...

Bobcat's new drop hammer.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Bobcat has launched a drop hammer attachment, which it said offers efficient demolition of concrete surface layers of up to 450mm in thickness. The company claimed the unit exerts lower vibration and noise than standard hydraulic breakers,...

UpRight closes its US factory.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Access equipment manufacturer UpRight International has announced the closure of its production facility in Madera, US. UpRight president John Coughlan said the company will continue to manufacture its products using its worldwide facilities....

JC Payne offers panel changing.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Truck bodybuilder JC Payne is to offer tipper bodies in the 3.5t to 7.5t range with replaceable side panels to enhance vehicle resale value or to fulfil buy-back conditions set by vehicle manufacturers. The firm has designed the bodies with...

Civils rescues Birse's results.
July 14, 2004... n Building division withdraws from South and Midlands regions as turnover plummets, but Birse Civils improves group profitability. Losses in Birse's building business deepened in the year to 30 April 2004, from [pounds sterling]6.4m last...

Investigation underway as wind fells crane in Cardiff.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Police and the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) are investigating the partial collapse of a crane in the Cathays area of Cardiff following high winds last Wednesday. Work on the multi-million pound contract for 20 new flats on Crwys Road was...

Griffiths to go to Treasury as DTI is slashed.
July 14, 2004... n 'Major changes' expected within DTI construction directorate. Swingeing cuts to the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), announced in Monday's Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), are expected to hit the department's construction...

EA tells clients to take lead on waste disposal.(Environment Agency)
July 14, 2004... n Environment Agency also pledges action against contractors and developers who fail to comply with initiative. The Environment Agency (EA) wants clients to take the lead on waste disposal. Currently, the construction and demolition sector...

Four appointed for [pounds sterling]60m Brent housing project.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Four contractors have opened the doors on a [pounds sterling]60m-plus housing upgrade deal in north London. The partnering contract covers the second and third years of a three-year project to revamp 5,500 homes for Brent Housing Partnership,...

GPT runs rule over Bovis.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... General Property Trust (GPT), the Australian real estate giant considering a [pounds sterling]2.6bn takeover bid from Lend Lease, is running its rule over Bovis Lend Lease. In a letter to shareholders, GPT's senior management stated that as...

Green boost for construction.
July 14, 2004... As demand for sustainable products increases, BRE scheme will tackle environmental and climate change issues. The Building Research Estab-lishment (BRE) has launched a [pounds sterling]180,000 project aimed at providing the construction...

HSC attacks EU loophole.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... The Health & Safety Commission (HSC) has backed the industry's concerns over the new EU directive that would allow cowboy contractors to operate outside the law under flags of convenience. Last month contractors and unions complained about the...

IT a high priority for construction firms.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Nearly half of all construction companies are planning to invest in IT. More than 5,000 companies were questioned by the IT Construction Forum on future spending plans and 42% said more cash would be made available in this area of their...

Interior profit hit by litigation.(Interior Services Group)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Interior Services Group (ISG) has warned that the prospects outlined in its latest trading update, issued on 4 June, have been dampened by a [pounds sterling]1.2m provision on a troubled contract. ISG told the Stock Exchange: "A final account...

Jarvis's rivals waiting for fire sale of assets.
July 14, 2004... n Jarvis chief executive plans sell-off of TubeLines share, specialist rail plant, European roads and surplus property. Major construction groups are poised to step forward if Jarvis's banks throw in the towel and break up the troubled...

The wizard of Oz.(Constructing Excellence. )
July 14, 2004... With nearly a year of service under his belt, Constructing Excellence chief executive Dennis Lenard has stirred up a hornet's nest with controversial comments about UK construction being trapped in a 1980s time warp and lacking innovation and...

May Gurney posts [pounds sterling]9m profit.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... May Gurney has reported an "outstanding year" as turnover of [pounds sterling]240m produced a pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]9m. Latest figures (12 months to 31 March 2004) point to an operating margin of 3.4%, up on the figure of 2.7% last...

Mazda B-Series prices cut.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Mazda is offering discounts of up to 14% for a limited period on the revised B-Series pick-up. Face-lifted models will be launched in the UK in September and vehicles registered before 30 September will qualify for discounts ranging from 2.3%...

Mowlem offloads gas assets.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Mowlem Energy has sold its entire portfolio of gas transportation assets to the Gas Transportation Company (GTC) for up to [pounds sterling]1.9m in cash. Mowlem Energy and GTC are among the UK's 13 independent licensed public gas transporters....

Hewlett renews supply deals.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Hewlett Civil Engineering has renewed two supply chain deals with plant and tool hirers. The Leeds-based civils firm has signed Banner Plant for a third term after two successful years of partnering and continues its relationship with GAP for...

Quarter of sites punished by HSE.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... The construction industry appears to be getting safer, according to the latest blitz results from the Health & Safety Executive. Inspectors visited 1,255 sites last month and handed out 240 prohibition notices and 74 improvement notices. Risks...

Steel prices remain competitive.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Steel prices have peaked, according to the British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA), and its members are looking forward to meeting the growing demand for the material. Speaking at the BCSA annual lunch last week, association...

Swedish model has facelift.
July 14, 2004... Volvo's offerings in the wheeled excavator market have not yet gained wide acceptance in the UK. That could be about to change with the arrival of its B series. Colin Sowman pitted an old model against the new one to see what advances have...

TUC claims dismissed.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... The construction products industry remains buoyant, despite calls from the TUC last week for government help for UK manufacturing. The TUC claimed the UK has lost 750,000 manufacturing jobs since 1997, describing the sector as the "weak...

Two workers killed on site in July.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... A 41-year plant fitter died last Thursday at a quarry in Cornwall. Robert Bickley, an employee with Aram Resources, was working at Karnsew Quarry, in Mabe, when he came into contact with the crushing plant's conveyor drive. He sustained severe...

Wates fined [pounds sterling]150k for fatality.(Wates Construction)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... Wates Construction was fined [pounds sterling]150,000 at the Old Bailey last week following a fatality on a construction site in south-east London four years ago. Indergit Singh died while working on a roof refurbishment project at Building...

Workers wait on Wembley decision.(Brief Article)
July 14, 2004... A decision on whether Cleveland Bridge employees will be given new jobs on the [pounds sterling]757m Wembley Stadium project is unlikely to be known until later today (Wednesday) at the earliest. Yesterday, representatives from Amicus, the...

ECITB aiming for 25% more apprentices.(Engineering Construction Industry Training Board)(Brief Article)
July 21, 2004... The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) is aiming to step up its recruitment of apprentices this year by 25%. It is also seeking to upskill a further 2,000 existing operatives with formal qualifications through its...

Ask in best practice hunt.(Ask Developments, contractors on supply chain management)(Brief Article)
July 21, 2004... Ask Developments is looking for two main contractors to bring current best practice thinking on supply chain management to its projects. Ask has an average annual construction spend of [pounds sterling]40m to [pounds sterling]50m. It develops...

B&CE's pension programme.(Brief Article)
July 21, 2004... B&CE Benefit Schemes has launched a nationwide employee presentation programme to inform staff about pension arrangements. B&CE regional executives will visit company offices and construction sites free of charge to explain how the EasyBuild...

More spa woe for Mowlem.(Brief Article)
July 21, 2004... Mowlem has come under fire from Bath & North East Somerset Council for its failure to provide a comprehensive construction programme for its [pounds sterling]36m Bath Spa project. The spa project is already running more than two years late and...

Battle hots up for [pounds sterling]12m MoD hangar projects.(Brief Article)
July 21, 2004... Ten contractors have got their call-up papers for two Ministry of Defence hangar projects worth more than [pounds sterling]12m in total. Amec, Clugston, Costain, Balfour Beatty and Mowlem are battling for a [pounds sterling]7.5m deal at RAF...

Ben Bailey's healthy margin.(Brief Article)
July 21, 2004... Housebuilder Ben Bailey lifted its operating margin to 21.9% last year, well ahead of the 2002 figure of 16.4%. Turnover for 2003 of [pounds sterling]63m generated a pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]9m. The average selling price rose to...

Council 'wobbles' on [pounds sterling]2.2bn highways PFI.
July 21, 2004... n Bidders demand 'serious answers' from Birmingham City Council after shock decision to review PFI scheme. The UK's largest PFI highways contract is on the brink of collapse after the local council decided to take "time out" to review the...

Bluestone project running over.(Brief Article)
July 21, 2004... The construction of the London Centre for Nanotechnology by Bluestone is running six months later than expected and [pounds sterling]2m over budget. The company began construction on the [pounds sterling]10.5m project in February 2003, and was...

Breaking through the accident barrier.(workplace accidents, conference Driving Accidents Down)
July 21, 2004... Has your company hit a brick wall on reducing accidents? The forthcoming joint Contract Journal/Commercial Motor conference is the place to learn how to keep up the momentum and break through your own accident-reduction barrier. Rob Willock...

Brent in move to curb trip hazards.(fibre reinforced paving )(Brief Article)
July 21, 2004... Council specifies Marshalls slabs to reduce compensation claims. The London Borough of Brent may turn to Fibre Reinforced Paving (FRP) to reduce trip hazards after a successful project using the product was completed in Neasden last week....

GSE plant hire expands with Murston purchase.(Brief Article)
July 21, 2004... Construction group GSE has almost doubled its plant hire capacity with the acquisition of Murston Plant. Both companies are based in Ashford, Kent. All affected Murston Plant employees will transfer to GSE, as the company is integrated into a...

OPERC's oil and crane guides.(Off Highway Plane and Equipment Research Centre )(Brief Article)
July 21, 2004... The Off Highway Plane and Equipment Research Centre (OPERC) has introduced two new publications: a guide to understanding oil analysis and a Voluntary Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Cranes in and around Airports. The guide focuses mainly...

VO25 excavator widens Ammann's options.(Brief Article)
July 21, 2004... Ammann will launch the VO25, a 2.6t zero tailswing excavator, next year to plug the gap in its product range. While the new machine will have all the attributes of its 3t unit, its lighter weight will allow it to be towed behind a pick-up or...

GCE adds Bell B30Ds to fleet.(Brief Article)
July 21, 2004... GCE Hire Fleet has purchased its first Bell machines, in the shape of six B30D articulated dump trucks. One of the main reasons for purchase was that the Mercedes engines in the B30Ds are not only certificated to European emission standards,...