Contract Journal articles from June 2008

Contract Journal archives from June 2008

Minister defends industry diploma.(01 News)
June 11, 2008... Schools minister Jim Knight has defended the Construction and Built Environment Diploma against contractors' claims that it is too academic, does not link to apprenticeships, and is being shunned by employers. Speaking to CJ this week,...

06 Plant.(Construction Industry training board)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... CITB slated for concentrating on fundraising not standards Training provider Mick Norton has blasted CITB Construction Skills for the high cost of instructors for the new Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) and for not accepting...

EIC resubmits letter after incorrect claim.(06 Plant)
June 11, 2008... Figures were not an attempt to exaggerate emissions threat. colin.sowman@rbi.co.uk the Environmental Industry Commission (EIC), which represents diesel particulate filter manufacturers, has resubmitted its letter to the minister of...

Fleet managers snub electronic stability systems.(06 Plant)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Managers of road-going fleets under value electronic stability systems (known as ESP), according to Bosch. Last year a DfT study concluded vehicles equipped with electronic stability control are 25% less likely to be involved in a fatal...

Smith Newton goes electric.(06 Plant)(Westminster TranServ)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... An electric-powered road-going tipper truck has gone into service with Westminster TranServ, the Balfour Beatty/Mouchel Group joint venture. At 7.5t, the Smith Newton is the largest electric truck of its kind. It has four sodium nickel...

127 big chiefs control 90% of hire market.(06 Plant)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The big plant hire companies now control all but 10% of the market, according to a study by Plimsoll Publishing. The survey found that the 127 largest players control 90% of the market - up from 86% two years ago - leaving more than 1,300...

Sokkia robot cuts Howard survey times.(06 Plant)
June 11, 2008... Howard Civil Engineering has cut survey times by up to 25% using a Sokkia SRX robotic total station from Groundforce Survey Technology. The Leeds-based contractor made the surveys on a three-year/[pounds sterling]5m project at a residential...

06 Plant.
June 11, 2008... DavyMarkham goes East The 320t cutterhead will work on the Jinping II hydropower station in China. Sheffield heavy engineering company DavyMarkham has manufactured a 320t cutterhead for a 12.4m diameter tunnel boring machine (TBM) and...

Volvo promises massive fuel savings on hybrids.(06 Plant)
June 11, 2008... More hybrids predicted over-capacity potential worry. Volvo hybrid wheel loader will be in series production next year. colin.sowman@rbi.co.uk Fuel savings of up to 50% are being promised by Volvo as it looks towards its second...

Caterpillar 589 gets rebuilt.(06 Plant)(Caterpillar 589 pipelayer )(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Inspected, repaired, rebuilt and ready for action, the Caterpillar 589 pipelayer. German dealer Zeppelin has undertaken a complete rebuild of a Caterpillar 589 pipelayer including upgrading the engine to electronic control. Having...

01 News.(Battersea Crane Disaster Action Group )(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Battersea crane inquest nears decision Families of the two men killed in the Battersea crane crash nearly two years ago could finally be told what caused the disaster this month. Liliana Alexa, secretary of the Battersea Crane Disaster...

Three-year jail sentence for Carillion worker.(01 News)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... A former Carillion employee who bought a cruise, cars and gifts for her children with [pounds sterling]750,000-worth of cash destined for subbies has been jailed for three years. Sarah Prendergast, 34, of Davenport Road, Tettenhall,...

Rail staff put blame on Balfour for service delays in Sussex.(01 News)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Southern Rail workers claim unevenly laid track caused extensive delays in the Barnham area. neil.gerrard@rbi.co.uk Rail staff have blamed a botched track-laying job by Balfour Beatty for a day of severe delays to rail services in...

06 Plant.
June 11, 2008... In brief Liebherr Rental and Kinshofer UK took the opportunity of being neighbours during SED to firm up an order for materials handling and demolition attachments. The order covers heavy-duty demolition and sorting grabs for 14t-40t...

The ForEman.(14 Back Page)
June 11, 2008... Keeps his ear to the ground for the juiciest gossip.Heard any? Email cj.foreman@rbi.co.uk or visit contractjournal.com/foreman The government has a well-established public and private procurement accreditation system in Constructionline. It...

Extreme penalty for late returns.(01 News)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... As if the construction industry didn't already have enough to cope with, now firms face the loss of their gross payment status as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) clamps down. The fact that more than 12,000 contractors have had their gross...

Assessment of damages.(10 Legal)
June 11, 2008... A claim for damages concerning structural cracking to a residential property. Judge Thornton found that the Defendant ought to have determined the nature of the subsoil by having trial pits or holes dug. In a recent decision in the...

Network Rail tracks two for [pounds sterling]600m New Street scheme.(01 News)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Front-runners are emerging for the [pounds sterling]600m revamp of Birmingham's New Street station now Network Rail is understood to be still talking to only two of the original three contenders. Balfour Beatty and Mace have gone head to...

Inspace bags [pounds sterling]60m Rainham housing work.(04 Contracts)
June 11, 2008... Inspace has the key to a [pounds sterling]60m housing revamp deal at Rainham, Essex. The firm, part of the Willmott Dixon stable, is set to regenerate the Mardyke estate after being selected by Old Ford Housing Association as its preferred...

Three chasing [pounds sterling]70m London hotel makeover.(04 Contracts)
June 11, 2008... Three firms are vying to check in for a money-spinning hotel refurb deal in central London. Bovis Lend Lease, John Sisk and north London-based Chorus Group are due to pick up the tender paperwork soon for the [pounds sterling]70m total...

Wates' foot in door on [pounds sterling]100m Berks scheme.(04 Contracts)(Wokingham redevelopment)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Wates wins first two phases of Wokingham redevelopment. brian.warner@rbi.co.uk Wates has scooped the first two phases of a high-profile [pounds sterling]100m redevelopment deal in Berkshire. The firm is now poised to start work in...

Safe as houses.(09 Focus)(Care home contractor Castleoak )(Company overview)
June 11, 2008... Care home contractor Castleoak has netted both safety and charity benefits. James Stagg reports. Castleoak likes to consider itself a caring constructor in every sense. The Cardiff-based care sector specialist not only prides itself on its...

Contract Journal Awards entries break records.(01 News)(Contract Journal Construction Industry Awards )(Awards list)
June 11, 2008... Celebrating outstanding construction business performance. The shortlist is out for this year's Contract Journal Construction Industry Awards - and if your company has made it to the final, many congratulations. These Awards are...

Brum council housing workers face redundancy.(01 News)
June 11, 2008... Workers on Mears' and Inspace Partnerships' housing repairs contract for Birmingham City Council are facing redundancy, prompting threats of strike action. The news comes just months into the new contract. Both contracts were formed after...

New guidance aims to cut costs of procurement.(01 News)
June 11, 2008... New government guidance aimed at cutting procurement costs on complex projects using the Competitive Dialogue Procedure (CDP) was introduced this week. The guidance, published by the Office of Government Commerce and the Treasury, was...

02 Business.
June 11, 2008... Buyers were dipping their toes in the water again this month, although with the exception of two deals, no one was venturing in too deep fearing perhaps that there could be strong currents further ahead with the potential to sweep the foolhardy...

Construction industry gathers to tackle skills shortage.(09 Focus)
June 11, 2008... Skill and teamwork was the order of the day as 46 teams from across the construction industry took part in the seventh construction industry 5s, sponsored by Hays, Skanska and Contract Journal. After a hard fought contest, Holloways Plant and...

01 News.
June 11, 2008... HMRC's tough line with late payers leaves contractors with major cashflow problems. Firms suffer after CIS gross tax status cuts grant.prior@rbi.co.uk Thousands of contractors are facing financial ruin after losing their right to...

T5 hotel backers refute claims of delays to project.(01 News)
June 11, 2008... Backers of a new luxury hotel next to Heathrow's T5 have dismissed fears among the workforce that this month's planned opening could be delayed. M&E workers on the [pounds sterling]180m Sofitel London Heathrow told CJ: "There's a lot of...

How to stay on the right side of the OFT.(01 News)
June 11, 2008... A major procurement seminar in London next month will look at how to avoid falling foul of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The Improving Construction Commissioning event will bring together procurement professionals as the industry...

Financial gloom causes UK bosses to look abroad.(01 News)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Construction bosses are looking to flee the UK downturn and move abroad to more prosperous markets. Former Alfred McAlpine head of civil engineering Steve Smith is the latest to leave after joining Australian giant Leighton Contractors. ...

CSCS scores an ACE with a single card.(01 News)(construction skills certification scheme)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The CSCS skills card has received a major boost with the conclusion of an affiliation agreement with engineering construction's parallel ACE card scheme. It means workers will no longer need to hold separate skills cards to access...

Training levy may be doubled to meet skills shortfall.(01 News)(Engineering Construction Industry Training Board)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Controversial plans to double the statutory training levy are being considered by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) this week. The current on-site levy of 1.5% of payroll or 2.5p per manhour could be raised to...

Balfour buys Barnhart for [pounds sterling]60m.(02 Business)
June 11, 2008... Balfour Beatty has spotted another bargain in the US, spending [pounds sterling]60m to snap up Barnhart, a construction management company based in California. Barnhart is the largest programme management, construction management and...

Dawnus doubles profit as turnover hits [pounds sterling]64m.(02 Business)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Aim is ongoing 20% annual growth and 4% profit margin. john.leitch@rbi.co.uk Dawnus, the Swansea-based contractor, has doubled its profit on the back of a 48% jump in turnover to [pounds sterling]64m. Latest results, covering the...

Spade Oak rolls out 7.9% margin.(02 Business)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Spade Oak, the asphalt surfacing contractor, has unveiled a sparkling profit margin of 7.9% as pre-tax profit lifted to [pounds sterling]2m. The previous year's performance also bubbled over, with profit margin in 2006 at 8.2%, and profit...

Crest Nicholson posts [pounds sterling]70m pre-tax profit.(02 Business)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Margins drop to 10.3% in the wake of Castle Bidco takeover. john.leitch@rbi.co.uk Crest Nicholson, the housebuilder specialising in mixed-use communities, has made a [pounds sterling]70m pre-tax profit. The figure represents a...

Kier housing division boss quits.(02 Business)
June 11, 2008... Kier has lost the head of its housing division. The group announced that Michael O'Farrell has quit the post. He headed up Kier Residential. O'Farrell has also lost his place on Kier's main board. The change takes place "with immediate...

No time to waste.(08 CJ2)
June 11, 2008... UK construction has the potential to dramatically reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill. In an exclusive Contract Journal round table debate with a panel of industry experts, Envirowise and WRAP look at what we can do to halve waste...

Looking ahead.(08 CJ2)
June 11, 2008... What is the future of successful waste management and how can existing examples be adapted and developed by the construction industry? With the introduction of site waste management plans (SWMPs) for every project of over [pounds...

What it's like working at WolseleyLeavers & Joiners60 seconds on site.(Interview)
June 11, 2008... Tim Sawyer, engineer, Ramesys What's the best thing about working as sales director for Wolseley? As sales director, it's exciting to identify and spearhead business opportunities in completely new areas of the company. And the...

Schools and hospitals face panel fire hazard.(01 News)
June 11, 2008... Combustible panels used after 'misinterpretation' of guidance note. roxanne.millar@rbi.co.uk More than 10,000 public buildings - including schools and hospitals - could contain combustible sandwich panels that present a fire hazard....

BREEAM points for energy efficiency.(01 News)
June 11, 2008... Developers will get points for being innovative in an effort to encourage the industry to go further in pursuit of energy-efficient buildings. A revised version of BREEAM to go live in August will contain "innovation credits" providing...

Builders look to VAT cuts with support from Europe.(01 News)
June 11, 2008... Thousands of jobs in jeopardy if VAT is not slashed to 5%. roxanne.millar@rbi.co.uk Small builders are hoping plans to slash VAT on repair and maintenance work will be debated in Parliament after finding support in Europe. The...

Constructing Excellence to wield axe in staff cuts.(01 News)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... 12 of CE's 32 staff are facing either redundancy or transfer. ross.pearman@rbi.co.uk More than a third of jobs are to go at best practice group Constructing Excellence (CE) as it embarks on an "organisational restructure". The...

DfT boss in the running for HA chief exec post.(Highways Agency )(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The race for the new chief executive post at the Highways Agency (HA) has taken an interesting twist after the Department for Transport's (DfT) major projects director Mike Fuhr became a front-runner for the post. CJ understands that Fuhr...

Government urged to promote build-to-let.(British Property Federation )(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The government needs to promote a build-to-let market to encourage developers back into the housing market, according to a report by the British Property Federation (BPF). The Future of Renting report states that a professional rental...

Contractors wary of extra costs of CSCS SmartCard.(01 News)
June 11, 2008... Smartcards planned under the CSCS skills scheme will cost contractors too much to introduce. Construction companies are concerned about the extra burden of costs for the new chipped card and the readers required to use it. "We are...

Timber bucks the trend.(08 CJ2)
June 11, 2008... The latest figures from the UK Timber Frame Association show that the proportion of houses being built from wood continues to increase despite the slowdown in the overall market. Paul Howard investigates. Timber provides the option for code...

Avoiding that shrinking feeling.(09 Focus)
June 11, 2008... This year sees new technical guidance for the timber-frame industry. UK Timber Frame Association chairman Stewart Dalgarno discusses the first initiative - preventing differential movement. Timber as a building material has many benefits....

The great debate.(08 CJ2)
June 11, 2008... Who should drive the goal of halving construction waste to landfill and how can the industry co-ordinate its approach? Our expert panel tackles the key issues. What are the barriers to halving waste to landfill by 2012? Matthew Edis:...

06 Plant.
June 18, 2008... CS - Bardon + pic Road paving specialist Bardon Contracting has purchased five more ABG 6870 wheeled pavers from Volvo. These are the first Volvo branded machines to join Bardon's fleet of eighty pavers and the design of the ABG 6870...

01 News.(Brief article)
June 18, 2008... neil.gerrard@rbi.co.uk Contractors in Taylor Wimpey's supply chain risk having payments withheld by the housebuilder before its half-year results, CJ has learned. Taylor Wimpey is one of several high profile housebuilders whose...

04 Contracts.
June 18, 2008... brian.warner@rbi.co.uk Costain has tied up an estimated [pounds sterling]150m deal to expand the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk. The final run-in for the contract was between Chinese-owned Chinese Harbour and Costain, after a bid from...

04 Contracts.
June 18, 2008... Sources say that the original contractor which worked on the [pounds sterling]80m National Football Centre at Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, is likely to be put through a competitive exercise now that the Football Association (FA) has finally...

04 Contracts.
June 18, 2008... Balfour Beatty is preferred bidder to build the Walworth Upper School as part of a [pounds sterling]23m deal with the London Borough of Southwark. Work on site is due to start in July, with the contract running for 18 months. Local firm RG...

04 Contracts.
June 18, 2008... Three firms are in the hunt for a high-profile scheme worth [pounds sterling]100m-plus in central London. Bovis Lend Lease, Mace and Heery International (Balfour Beatty's construction management division) are chasing the major...

04 Contracts.
June 18, 2008... MERSEY UPBEAT Plans are on course to deliver the [pounds sterling]400m iconic Mersey Gateway Project between Runcorn and Widnes. Construction is expected to start in 2011 on a 1,000m cable stay bridge featuring four spans suported from three...

01 News.(Brief article)
June 18, 2008... The House of Lords echoed contractors concerns this week about the lack of work experience in the Government's new Diplomas. In a debate on the Education and Skills Bill a number of Lords questioned the vocational element of the five new...

01 News.
June 18, 2008... Allowing students to pass the Construction Diploma without on-site work experience is "ludicrous", a leading recruitment specialist warned this week. Richard Lawrance, md of Resourcing Solutions, weighed in to the debate surrounding the...

01 News.(Brief article)
June 18, 2008... Three businessmen have been jailed for their part in a price-fixing ring in the first ever convictions for a cartel offence since criminal prosecution powers were given to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) under the Enterprise Act. The news...

02 Business.(Brief article)
June 18, 2008... May Gurney has acquired ECT Recycling in a [pounds sterling]3m deal. The acquisition complements May Gurney's existing waste business and extends the company's long-term relationships to a wider portfolio of local authorities. In...

02 Business.
June 18, 2008... More than 75m Barratt shares changed hands yesterday - seven times more than the daily average - as the housebuilder's share price dived once again. At one point yesterday Barratt shares were trading 42% down on the previous day. And this...

02 Business.(Brief article)
June 18, 2008... Barratt's plight is so sever that it is expected by City analysts to have to resort to a debt-for-equity swap. A rights issued had been mooted earlier as an escape route, but the never-ending collapse in Barratt's share price has block off...

02 Business.
June 18, 2008... Carillion's shares have been quoted over the years since its de-merger from Tarmac in the Stock Exchange's construction section. All that is about to change when Carillion is re-classified under Business Support Services. The switch will...

02 Business.
June 18, 2008... Friday the 13th and somebody had a slice of good luck. Guess who? It was the UK's beleaguered housebuilders. Shares in housebuilders generally lifted by 10% on Friday. That was their second-biggest leap in more than a year. ...

02 Business.(Brief article)
June 18, 2008... If you were fleet-footed you could have made a massive 60% return on your capital within the space of just 10 minutes last week. To have put yourself in the right position you would have needed to have bought 10p shares in Marwyn Materials,...

02 Business.(Brief article)
June 18, 2008... Taylor Woodrow Construction has cut its top management team back from six to four. The outgoing pair are Douglas Weston and Gerald Slack. The remaining foursome who hold the reins are: acents Tim Peach - managing director ...

02 Business.
June 18, 2008... Tulloch Homes made a pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]11m in 2007 from a turnover of [pounds sterling]94m. The result represents a profit margin of 11.7% In the previous year the figures were complicated by the effect of a sales...

02 Business.
June 18, 2008... Barratt has responding to the continuing surge of market speculation which it calls "misleading and inaccurate" by stating that as of today there is no change from the management statement it issued a month ago, back on 11 May. The gist of...

01 News.
June 18, 2008... A property group lobbying the government to green existing buildings is itself operating out of an energy-inefficient base. British Property Federation (BPF) chief executive Liz Peace has attacked the group's Victoria headquarters for being...

01 News.(Brief article)
June 18, 2008... Housing starts in 2008 will fall to their lowest level since 1945 and will not recover for two years, the industry's latest forecast reveals. Around 127,000 new homes will be built in 2008, a fall of 27% from 2007 levels with output to...

01 News.
June 18, 2008... The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has dismissed claims a major downsize to the London 2012 Olympic handball court will not cause delays. On the same day pre-qualification documents for the project were due, Olympic organisers were given...

01 News.
June 18, 2008... Office new build and refurbishment projects could grind to a halt in 2010 when London rentals hit rock bottom, experts predict. Jonathan Walker, project boss at Great Portland Estates, said data showed rents for prime London city space...

01 News.(Brief article)
June 25, 2008... In brief Balfour Beatty owned Mansell is to deliver a new entrance for the Derriford Hospital in Plymouth in a deal worth around [pounds sterling]10m. The Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust scheme is aimed at improving access and will also...

06 Plant.(Van Dalen Metals Recycling and Trading)(Brief article)
June 25, 2008... UP FOR A SCRAP The UK division of the Dutch-owned Van Dalen Metals Recycling and Trading has purchased three new materials handlers from Terex for its expanding metals processing and shipping operations. All three are German-built Terex TM350s...

A game of two halves.(08 CJ2)(Stanley Park Regeneration)
June 25, 2008... An extensive regeneration programme is underway in Stanley Park, the green space that separates Liverpool's two premiership sides. To enhance the sense of public ownership, contractor DCT is inviting locals to witness the painstaking...

06 Plant.
June 25, 2008... spared the ribs Dump truck specialist Bell says all its new UK machines will be fitted with new ribless bins by the end of the year. The B25D, B30D and B35D have already had the upgrade and the B40D has just started getting the new bins, while...

60 seconds on site.(13 People)(Interview)(Brief article)
June 25, 2008... Stuart Foster, project manager, Rok What site are you working on at the moment? Ladysmith Shopping Centre in Ashton Under Lyne, Manchester. What is the best building site you have ever worked on and why? Atherleigh Business...

Changing rooms.(08 CJ2)
June 25, 2008... Refurbishment projects typically have to far exceed the performance of the original. But what kind of improvements can be achieved? The BRE plans to find out as it renovates its Victorian stable block and publish the results. Paul Howard...

Eight vie for [pounds sterling]1bn Scottish health scheme.(01 News)
June 25, 2008... Eight contractors including Balfour Beatty, HBG, Interserve and Laing O'Rourke are on the shortlist for the [pounds sterling]1bn Scottish equivalent of ProCure21. The other four contenders are Morgan Ashurst Carillion Morrison Construction...

Credit crunch raises interest in BSF work.(01 News)(Building Schools for the Future)(Brief article)
June 25, 2008... Housebuilding downturn forces firms to explore new options. carol.millett@rbi.co.uk The credit crunch is driving up competition for a slice of the government's [pounds sterling]45bn Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, with...

O'Rourke in line for [pounds sterling]300m ProCure21 deal.(01 News)(Royal Sussex Hospital scheme)(Brief article)
June 25, 2008... Laing O'Rourke is in pole position for what could be the largest ever ProCure21 scheme, after winning the contract for the [pounds sterling]300m Royal Sussex Hospital scheme's Outline Business Case (OBC). The firm won the contract last...

Bobcat adds S330 to skid steer range.(06 Plant)(Brief article)
June 25, 2008... Bobcat has extended its skid steer range with the new S330 model - its highest performing machine. The 4.2t unit gets a transversely mounted 62.5kW/four cylinder Kubota liquid-cooled diesel engine and has a 1,542kg rated capacity. Its...