Contract Journal articles from June 2007

Contract Journal archives from June 2007

High and mighty.(09 Focus)(construction equipment industry trade show)
June 6, 2007... Increased speed and safety were big business with the cranes and access exhibitors at this year's SED. Will Mann reports. There was something very striking about the skyline at SED 2007: a complete absence of traditional 'flat top' tower...

The inside line on...Lightweight aggregates.(05 Products and Materials)
June 6, 2007... Contract Journal talks to Gareth Moores, managing director of Hargreaves Building Products, about the acquisition of Lytag. What is Lytag? Lytag is a lightweight aggregate producer bought by Hargreaves last December. It manages and...

14 Back Page.
June 6, 2007... I must say right from the start that the BPF and the commercial property sector fully support the drive to reduce energy consumption from all buildings, by building them to have a low-energy shell and core, and then managing them efficiently in...

Analysts play down threat of bid-rigging investigation.(01 News)
June 6, 2007... City analysts have predicted that construction will weather the growing storm created by an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) investigation into bid rigging, despite several announcements from contractors on the issue, and the prospect of many more...

Turnover hits [pounds sterling]1bn at BSS.(02 Business)(BSS Group PLC)(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... BSS Group has seen profit jump over 28% to [pounds sterling]47.3m in its preliminary results for the year ended March 2007. Turnover rose more than 17% to [pounds sterling]1bn over the same period. The company, a specialist distributor of...

01 News.(Mukesh Ambani is building new home)(Ma Yanjun's solar powered water heater )(construction industry output in united kingdom)(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... Indian builders: India's richest man Mukesh Ambani, worth [pounds sterling]14bn, is building a new home for himself in Mumbai at a cost of [pounds sterling]500m. The 173m-high, 27-storey building will have a greater floor area than the Palace...

Morgan Sindall acquires Amec regen division.(01 News)(Amec Developments Ltd.)(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... The sale of Amec's Built Environment businesses has begun with Morgan Sindall acquiring Amec Developments Ltd (ADL), the firm's mixed-use urban regeneration business, and some contracts from Amec's Design and Project Services (DPS) division for...

More firms sign up for 2012 Construction Commitments.(01 News)
June 6, 2007... The number of signatories to the 2012 Construction Commitments has more than doubled in the six months since the Construction Industry Council (CIC) criticised contractors for registering interest in Olympic work without committing to the code...

Norwest Holst fined [pounds sterling]4,000 for being noisy.(01 News)(Highbury Magistrates Court)(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... Norwest Holst has been fined nearly [pounds sterling]4,000 at Highbury Magistrates Court for being too noisy and disturbing residents outside of working hours on nine separate occasions. The contractor was doing work to repair the Seven...

01 News.(briefs)(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... The Times reported that mayor of London Ken Livingstone and Hillingdon Council have given the go-ahead for the [pounds sterling]1.5bn 'environmentally friendly' redevelopment of Heathrow airport. The Sunday Times reported that Cynthia...

Local or national: the South West challenge is the same.(08 CJ2)
June 6, 2007... Depending which end of the supply chain you're in, the South West represents rich pickings or tough competition, but the challenges facing all contractors are the same. Kathy Watson reports. We concentrate on using local people because they...

Output up 7% in Q1Allan WilenEconomics director, Construction Products Association.(03 Benchmark)(residential construction forecasted)(Statistical data)
June 6, 2007... Construction output continues to grow in the first quarter of 2007, boosted by the rise in public housing. Ross Pearman analyses the latest DTI data. Market Data: Quarterly Output NEXT week Monthly new orders will be published in...

Harbour deal for Dean & Dyball.(01 News)(Brixham harbour to be revamped)(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... Dean & Dyball has fished out a [pounds sterling]16.6m deal to revamp Brixham harbour in Devon. The firm has surfaced as preferred contractor for a scheme that will see a fish market and office buildings constructed on the quayside over the...

Balfour secures [pounds sterling]140m BSF scheme in north London.(04 Contracts)(Balfour Beatty PLC)(Building Schools for the Future )(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... Balfour Beatty has beaten off two rivals to register victory on a [pounds sterling]140m Building Schools for the Future (BSF) deal in north London. Transform Schools, the contractor's education PPP concession arm, has emerged as preferred...

Four eye [pounds sterling]1.5bn E London port.(01 News)
June 6, 2007... Four contractors have moved a step closer to a [pounds sterling]1.5bn scheme in east London now that the government has finally rubber-stamped proposals for a new container port at Shellhaven, Thurrock. Nuttall, Costain, Laing O'Rourke and...

Shortlists out for BSF schemes worth [pounds sterling]963m.(04 Contracts)
June 6, 2007... Nottingham council deal is worth [pounds sterling]143m Birmingham council's may total [pounds sterling]820m. brian.warner@rbi.co.uk Seven groups have moved to the top of the class for Building Schools for the Future (BSF) work in the...

Four to contest [pounds sterling]15m E Anglia roads project.(04 Contracts)
June 6, 2007... Four firms have just picked up the tender paperwork for a [pounds sterling]15m roads deal in East Anglia which first came up for grabs almost a year ago. Suffolk County Council's B1115 Stowmarket Relief Road has attracted Birse, Jackson...

Norwest Holst wins [pounds sterling]34m Welsh hospital.(04 Contracts)
June 6, 2007... Norwest Holst has made the cut for a [pounds sterling]34m community hospital in south Wales after seeing off its only remaining rival, Sir Robert McAlpine. The Mountain Ash hospital scheme in the Cynon Valley features a 140-bed...

Reverse e-auction cost-cut claim.(01 News)
June 6, 2007... A [pounds sterling]1bn commodities framework, using the controversial method of reverse e-auctions, claims to have slashed the cost of materials for public sector housing schemes by nearly a third. However, manufacturers warned that the...

Water turns blue at Carillion PFI school.(01 News)
June 6, 2007... Carillion is having to provide drinking water to pupils and staff at one of its privately-financed [pounds sterling]135m Exeter schools schemes after the school's water turned blue. Carillion, which built and manages the PFI scheme having...

01 News.(tax scheme for construction industry)(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... Nothing in life is more certain than death and taxes. And the construction industry certainly has its fair share of the latter. Hot on the heels of the new Construction Industry Scheme, which aims to retrieve an additional [pounds...

Yet another crane collapse.(01 News)
June 6, 2007... A tower crane collapses at a Haymills site in Croydon during a climbing operation, drawing comparisons with the fatal Canary Wharf accident. colin.sowman@rbi.co.uk The safety of tower cranes is in the spotlight again after a collapse...

Taking the helm at Capita Symonds.(16 Profile)(Jonathan Goring speaks about his vision for the company)(Interview)
June 6, 2007... In April, Jonathan Goring took over as managing director of Capita Symonds, one of the UK's largest construction consultancy firms. He talks to James Atkinson about his vision for the company. How would you describe your new role as MD of...

...yet training board still in deficit.(01 News)(construction industry)(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... The Northern Ireland Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) saw a deficit last year of [pounds sterling]358,169. This was met from reserves and nearly halved the previous year's deficit of [pounds sterling]630,721. The Northern...

'Exceptional year' for HWA's profit.(01 News)(Holloway White Allom)(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... Holloway White Allom (HWA), the Mayfair specialist refurbishment contractor, made a pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]4.6m last year, comfortably higher than the [pounds sterling]3.5m figure in the previous year. Turnover (12 months to 31...

A firm success.(08 CJ2)(construction equipment industry's trade show )
June 6, 2007... Exhibitors in the Concrete Zone declared this year's exhibition to be the best SED ever. James Stagg reports. As the sun shone down on SED 2007, exhibitors in the Concrete Zone certainly made hay. The avenues were filled with visitors and...

Hanson to impose 40% limit on GGBS content.(05 Products and Materials)(ground granulated blast furnace slag)(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... Hanson is set to write to its ready-mix customers asking that concrete is not specified with a GGBS (ground granulated blast furnace slag) content of more than 40%. When cement shortages began to bite, the company started receiving...

Corus announces [pounds sterling]20/t price increase from July.(05 Products and Materials)
June 6, 2007... Contractors criticise hike in the cost of reversing mill plate and structural sections. james.stagg@rbi.co.uk Corus has disappointed steelwork contractors expecting a freeze on prices by announcing that it is to add [pounds...

Green homes top agenda at Offsite2007.(08 CJ2)
June 6, 2007... The emphasis of previous Offsite's has changed from speed and cost of construction to carbon footprints. James Stagg reports. It doesn't matter how well you design the fabric of the house, you'll need to use renewable energy to achieve a...

Termination of contract.(10 Legal)
June 6, 2007... It is imperative to follow the correct procedure when terminating a contract due to a breach by the other party. The termination of a contract is a serious step and one that must be taken only after careful consideration and proper advice....

Record turnover of [pounds sterling]410m for May Gurney.(02 Business)(Financial report)
June 6, 2007... In first year listed on AIM exchange group reports orderbook exceeding [pounds sterling]1bn. john.leitch@rbi.co.uk May Gurney's annual turnover has broken through the [pounds sterling]400m barrier for the first time having risen...

Haymills opts not to chase Olympic glory.(01 News)(Haymills Construction Ltd.)
June 6, 2007... It will focus instead on long-term partnering and improving skills and product resources. ross.pearman@rbi.co.uk Haymills has firmly set out its alternative-Olympic stall by unveiling a shrewd winning strategy for the capital while...

Workers facing tax hike on mileage allowance.(01 News)
June 6, 2007... Proposed AMAPs changes could see personal taxation increase by as much as [pounds sterling]1,000. ross.pearman@rbi.co.uk Construction workers could find themselves paying thousands of pounds in extra tax following an announcement by HM...

Leicestershire hospital PFI falls under the axe.(01 News)
June 6, 2007... [pounds sterling]66m Leicestershire and Rutland batched project is the latest PFI scheme to be scrapped. carol.millett@rbi.co.uk Further evidence that cash-strapped health trusts are turning their backs on the Private Finance...

01 News.
June 6, 2007... Flexi-time The first commercial application of the new unreinforced, pre-cast concrete FlexiArch has been used in Monoghan, Northern Ireland. The FlexiArch, developed by Queens University Belfast and Macrete, was constructed to cross a water...

Listen and learn.(09 Focus)(features of SED 2007)
June 6, 2007... For the first time in its history, SED featured an extensive seminars programme this year. Colin Sowman rounds up what was on offer for attendees. Anew feature at SED 2007 was a seminar programme that covered topics ranging from health and...

Site Clearance cleans up.(09 Focus)
June 6, 2007... Neil Gerrard reports on the major launches at this year's Site Clearance Zone, where once again green legislation was high on the agenda. The emphasis at this year's Site Clearance Zone was on mobile and flexible ways in which to meet...

01 News.
June 6, 2007... Don't look back in anger You'll no doubt remember the fur-ore surrounding the now infamous Youtube videos uncovered by CJ in February. You'd have thought it would stop construction workers doing something similar. Well, not so for someone...

Taywood lodges claim for collapse of scaffolding.(01 News)
June 6, 2007... Taylor Woodrow has lodged a [pounds sterling]580,000 claim in the High Court against Walsall-based RMD Kwikform following a scaffolding collapse at an office block in Cardiff. The incident, which was caused by wind, happened on 13 December...

06 Plant.(Brief article)
June 27, 2007... Cat separates communication and computing on GPS system Caterpillar has improved both the hardware and architecture of its GPS Product Link system, which gathers and transmits data from a machine's on-board systems to its network operations...

06 Plant.(Interview)(Brief article)
June 27, 2007... CJ talks to Archie Norman, the new chairman of HSS, about the recent takeover. The inside line on... HSS takeover Why did you want to buy HSS? Aurigo likes people-leveraged businesses with motivated staff. HSS is a good...

GMB ballots JCB workers over monthly wage switch.(01 News)
June 27, 2007... The GMB union is balloting 1,200 weekly-paid JCB workers over strike action at the firm's plans to move all workers to monthly pay. The firm employs more than 4,000 people at its Staffordshire headquarters in Rocester and 18 months ago it...

CNN stops site theft with Camwatch CCTV towers.(06 Plant)
June 27, 2007... Security towers detect, record and transmit instant images of an intruder on site. colin.sowman@rbi.co.uk Within 36 hours of hearing about Camwatch's rapid deployment CCTV towers, CNN Build had two units installed on its site, a theft...

Bovis takes the triple crown.(15 CJ50)(Bovis Lend Lease Proprietary Ltd.)
June 27, 2007... Total construction orders dropped back a little in May to [pounds sterling]2.6bn, but new orders remained healthy with the private commercial sector proving to be the main engine for growth once again, backed by a welcome increase in...

Industry clashes over new payment proposals.(01 News)
June 27, 2007... SEC and CC at loggerheads over payment practice changes in Construction Act review. neil.gerrard@rbi.co.uk A war of words has erupted between construction industry bodies in the wake of the government's proposed changes to payment...

Social housing has green advantage.(01 News)
June 27, 2007... The social housing sector is a long way ahead of volume housebuilders when it comes to building environmentally sustainable homes, according to outgoing group director of Harvest Housing Group, Kim Penfold. Speaking at the Chartered...

UK construction boom to continue.(01 News)(Brief article)
June 27, 2007... The UK construction boom is set to gather pace, according to two industry studies published this week. In its summer forecast looking at the next three years, the Construction Products Association predicted UK growth of 3.1% this year,...

Housing Corporation forecasts social housing boom.(01 News)
June 27, 2007... Housing Corporation chief executive Jon Rouse predicted an abundance of social housing refurbishment work in the future, in his swansong speech for the government agency. Rouse, who stepped down last week, told the Chartered Institute of...

Shuffling the cards at CSCS.(08 CJ2)(dialogue with Ross Pearman of construction skills certificate scheme)(Interview)
June 27, 2007... A year into the post as chief executive of CSCS, Ross Pearman talks to Brian Adams about progress towards getting a fully qualified workforce. How have you found your time since joining as chief executive a year ago? It has been...

01 News.
June 27, 2007... LOOKING GOOD Pictured is the [pounds sterling]4.9m Newport City Footbridge, which won an award at the 2007 Structural Steel Design Awards last week. Lead designer and structural engineer on the project was Atkins. Alfred McAlpine acted as the...

01 News.
June 27, 2007... Ashley House, which specialises in the design and construction of doctors' surgeries and medical centres, has published its first financial figures since floating on AIM in January. They show a pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]2.7m on a...

Four in frame for [pounds sterling]200m SE London waste plant.(04 Contracts)(Brief article)
June 27, 2007... UK's biggest ever waste-to-energy plant will be built in London Borough of Bexley. brian.warner@rbi.co.uk Four contractors are fighting to get to the top of the heap for the UK's biggest-ever waste incinerator deal, which includes the...

04 Contracts.
June 27, 2007... Bluestone is to build two primary care centres in Yorkshire in an [pounds sterling]8.8m deal for healthcare developer Barnsley Community Solutions. Under the NHS LIFT scheme, the Cudworth centre will include four GP practices, a community...

Galliford wins [pounds sterling]50m Northants water scheme.(04 Contracts)(Galliford Try Ltd.)(Anglian Water PLC)(Brief article)
June 27, 2007... Galliford Try has tapped into Anglian Water's biggest single deal in its current programme. In tandem with process engineer Imtech Process, the firm has surfaced as preferred bidder for the [pounds sterling]50m extension of the Wing water...

Gloucester deal split three ways.(01 News)(Gloucester City Homes)(Brief article)
June 27, 2007... Three firms have clinched a housing revamp deal in Gloucester, worth up to [pounds sterling]47m. Bullock, Lovell and Wates will deliver the upgrade scheme for the city council's arm's-length management organisation, Gloucester City Homes....

Apollo and Denne scoop housing deals.(01 News)
June 27, 2007... Two contractors have won a housing deal in London and the Home Counties worth up to [pounds sterling]80m. Kent-based Denne Maintenance has scooped Moat Housing Association's repairs and maintenance partnering project, which is potentially...

Shepherd heads race for N Yorks school job.(04 Contracts)(Shepherd Construction (United Kingdom))(North Yorkshire)(Brief article)
June 27, 2007... One firm looks to be in a class of its own in the chase to redevelop one of the worst schools in North Yorkshire. Sources say that Shepherd has emerged as odds-on favourite to clinch the Richmond School deal, valued at around [pounds...

Metronet overspend on Tube may run to [pounds sterling]2bn.(01 News)
June 27, 2007... Insiders claim overruns on London Underground PPP deals have more than doubled. carol.millett@rbi.co.uk Metronet Rail's cost overruns on its two privately financed Tube contracts have rocketed to nearly [pounds sterling]2bn, CJ can...

Justice ministry springs [pounds sterling]1bn PFI prison surprise.(01 News)
June 27, 2007... PFI industry welcomes announcement of seven privately financed prison contracts - the first on offer since 2000. carol.millett@rbi.co.uk A [pounds sterling]1bn tranche of privately financed (PFI) prisons is about to be released by the...

Is our skyline safe?(08 CJ2)
June 27, 2007... Emma Judge, partner of the construction team at legal consultants Pannone, outlines the legal requirements surrounding cranes. In light of the recent spate of accidents, the construction industry must urgently recognise the need for further...

When is a dispute not a dispute?(10 Legal)
June 27, 2007... It's a simple question, but the answer could mean the difference between winning and losing. For the purpose of being able to adjudicate in accordance with the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act (1996) ('the Act'): when is a...

Housebuilders hail OFT probe into sector.(01 News)(neil.gerrard@rbi.co.uk)(Office of Fair Trading)
June 27, 2007... Home Builders Federation chief confident that sector will get a 'clean bill of health'. neil.gerrard@rbi.co.uk Housebuilders have welcomed an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) probe into the UK's [pounds sterling]20bn-a-year housebuilding...

Sparks' pay ballot set to cause chaos.(01 News)(Brief article)
June 27, 2007... The result of a national consultative ballot on pay in the electrical contracting industry next week looks set to spark turmoil in the sector. Site electricians may exploit a booming workload and skill shortages to put pressure on...

TUC wants more research into migrants' effect on wages.(01 News)
June 27, 2007... More research is needed into the impact of migrant labour on levels of construction pay, according to the TUC. A new TUC report, The economics of migration, concluded that the influx of migrant workers has not depressed jobs or wages across...

Laing O'Rourke enters top 10 of biggest private firms.(01 News)(Brief article)(Company rankings)
June 27, 2007... Laing O'Rourke has risen to seventh place in the Sunday Times' list of Britain's 100 biggest private companies. Based in Dartford, Kent, it has 22,000 employees and an annual turnover of [pounds sterling]2.2bn. The company's main...

Keller trades strongly in first half of 2007.(01 News)(Keller Group Ltd.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 27, 2007... Keller, the international ground engineering group, reported excellent trading in the opening months of 2007. As a result, Keller's interim results, covering the six months to 30 June, will be "ahead of last year's very strong first-half", it...

NFB records its best-ever set of results.(01 News)(National Federation of Builders)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 27, 2007... The National Federation of Builders (NFB) has reported its "strongest set of financial results to date". Income of [pounds sterling]3.5m has generated a record surplus of [pounds sterling]300,000, which will be re-invested in the NFB. Net...

What next for crane safety?(08 CJ2)
June 27, 2007... The collapse of a tower crane in Croydon earlier this month during a botched climbing operation raises further questions about tower crane safety. Phil Bishop reports. Accidents involving tower cranes seem to have become an all too common...

11 Letters.(Letter to the editor)
June 27, 2007... Don't forget about continuity plans I'd like to expand on your article about disaster recovery (CJ 23 May). The construction industry has a much longer supply chain than many others, from the production of the raw materials required to...

11 Letters.(Letter to the editor)
June 27, 2007... More wildlife advice please Returning to work from holidays is always a downer, especially having to catch up with industry developments through all the trade magazines that pile up in the overspill from my in-tray. But Helen McCormick's...

Are self-erectors safer?(08 CJ2)
June 27, 2007... Are self-erecting tower cranes the solution to safety fears? Phil Bishop reports. Not all tower cranes are difficult to erect. Some are able to erect themselves. Sort of. Self-erecting tower cranes arrive on site as a single unit,...

05 Products and Materials.
June 27, 2007... Cemex predicts 20% volume rise Cement volumes from Cemex's UK operations are expected to increase by 20% during the second quarter compared with the same period last year. The aggregates giant is now operating at full capacity...

05 Products and Materials.(Brief article)
June 27, 2007... What was the project? Main contractor Kier North West had a problem with deliveries to the site of a new Waitrose store in Cheadle, Manchester. Being in the centre of town, the site is short of space and the original design left no room...

05 Products and Materials.
June 27, 2007... Wolseley picks SOL to build sustainability showhouse SOL Construction, a Midlands-based subsidiary of Rok, has been appointed by Wolseley to construct its Sustainable Building Centre (SBC). The SBC is being built at Wolseley's...

05 Products and Materials.(Marley Eternit introduced smog-reducing roof tiles )(Brief article)
June 27, 2007... Marley Eternit launches smog-reducing roof tiles A pollution-busting roof tile coating has been introduced that is designed to reduce the amount of smog in the atmosphere. Marley Eternit's EcoLogic coating contains a catalyst that is...

05 Products and Materials.
June 27, 2007... Non-domestic buildings to get zero-carbon goals UK Green Building Council aims to deliver a realistic timetable to the government. james.stagg@rbi.co.uk Now the path towards zero-carbon housing has been laid down with the Code for...

No smoking means no smoking.(10 Legal)
June 27, 2007... Are you ready for the smoking ban that starts this weekend? CJ clears the fog. From 6am on 1 July 2007, all public places in England - including most workplaces - will become smoke-free. This date was announced at the beginning of December...

14 Back Page.
June 27, 2007... So the Mayor of London wants clean air - strangely enough, so does the freight industry. The main source of pollution from road transport comes from burning fuel and that is literally the industry's profit going up in smoke - hence it is...

01 News.(briefs)(Ashley House)(rennovation of several stadia)(critisim for failing of small business)(doing away with the fixed retirement age)(Brief article)
June 27, 2007... a*The Guardian covered a story on how Poland intends to cope with the fact that most of its construction workers are working on projects in the UK, as it gears up to deliver and renovate several stadia in time for the 2012 European...

Contractors may reject ID card health scheme.(01 News)
June 27, 2007... Contractors are likely to reject the proposed Constructing Better Health (CBH) occupational scheme being forced on them, according to the organisers of the Health ID Card occupational health scheme. Robert Carlin, business management...

14 Back Page.(Richardson Projects Ltd.)
June 27, 2007... Scanmoor bowls a googly Don't believe everything you read on the internet. A quick Google search this week threw up a result that caused me to crack a wry smile. Pondering the fallout from Scanmoor's plunge into administration, I...

01 News.(cancer support services Taylor Woodrow)(Brief article)
June 27, 2007... tug of love Encouragement from Mariella Frostrup was not enough to help Taylor Woodrow to victory in the Macmillan Cancer Support annual Tug of War last week - although the charity event raised [pounds sterling]130,000. Taywood managing...