Contract Journal articles from March 2002

Contract Journal archives from March 2002

Geoff Brewer examines the validity of disputes and counterclaims made after adjudicators' decisions.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... In a number of cases concerning the enforcement of an adjudicator's decision, the central argument has been whether the party resisting enforcement should be able to justify non-payment by raising separate disputes or counterclaims, which were...

This week's work winners.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Who's winning the work?Contracts Hotline is your at-a-glance digest of the latest contract awards around the UK. Data supplied by ABI Building Data. South East & London Bromley housing Work: Housing Location: Bromley,...

'No hope' for UK construction.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... British construction industry will cease to exist in 10 years, predicts report by Laura Hailstone The UK construction industry as we know it will cease to exist within 10 years and much of its workforce will be out of work. That...

Making the most of it.
March 6, 2002... Bovis Lend Lease was the most prolific contractor in the UK in 2001. And last week, its chief executive officer John Spanswick collected the CJ50 trophy in recognition of that fact. Rob Willock reports. John Spanswick reels off an...

Quietly ringing the changes.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Fitting in with the local environment, physically and socially has been a priority for the new Vodafone headquarters in Newbury, West Berkshire. A teamwork approach for both planning and construction phases is helping to achieve it, writes...

Back bites.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Scary stuff You never know what you're going to find when you survey a building before pricing and commencing a refurb job, but at least there are consultants and engineers to turn to. However, CJ is unaware of any consultants offering...

United changes tack.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Company rethinks operation at Devilla Quarry and buys Volvo excavation kit by Colin Sowman Rethinking operations at United Glass's Devilla Quarry has lead to a Volvo 7t compact excavator, a long reach EC210 and a A35D dumptruck being...

Hilti unveils PS20 unit.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Hilti has introduced a new hand-held detector, the PS20. Using the latest technology, the unit can detect reinforcing bars and copper pipes and will also indicate the presence of live electric cables in a variety of base materials. The...

Western is sole importer.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Bristol-based Western Trailers has become the sole importer for Saris trailers - the first time this range has been available in the UK in its 40-year history. The range covers twin-axle car/plant transport trailers with carrying...

USF Blastrac as easy to use as a mower.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... The new USF Blastrac 1-8DPF is capable of cleaning up to 60m2 per hour using abrasive blasting and is said to be as easy to use as a hover mower. The walk forward machine cleans a track 200mm wide using closed circuit abrasive blasting....

Atlas launches Milwaukee.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Atlas Copco has moved to strengthen its position in the electric power tool market with the launch in the UK of its Milwaukee-branded range. As its name suggests, the range hails from the US where the company said it has an established...

The broadband catch.
March 6, 2002... Lack of coverage makes broadband an unsuitable method for doing business Sir, Regarding your article about broadband internet connection in Contract Journal (13 February), the message that there is fundamentally no catch is highly...

Setting sites on attracting women.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Sir, If the construction industry intends to attract more female workers, the concerns of sexism in above-the-line product advertising is possibly some way short of the concerns facing the industry in trying to attract female workers on to...

Lavendon turnover rises but German slowdown hits profits.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... David Price, chairman of Nationwide's parent company Lavendon, has indicated that future European growth will see the company depart from its policy of organic expansion. "I'm pretty confident that the next stage of European development will...

Plant owners may be free from duty.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Off-road and lift-and-load vehicles may be VED exempt by Paul Howard Owners of certain types of plant and machinery may be able to claim exemption from vehicle excise duty depending on the jobs machines are used for. From 1...

Crane hire salesman jailed for fraud.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... A crane hire salesman has been jailed for eight months and ordered to pay ?14,000 compensation for a series of cash-in-hand jobs while employed by Havant-based Marsh Plant Hire. The deception came to light when an outrigger of a crane he...

Calor to show off LPG generator.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Calor Gas is exhibiting a mobile generator fuelled by liquid petroleum gas (LPG) at Hirex. The unit is said to be 50% quieter than diesel-engined generators and does not produce the same level of pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, as its...

The cost of cutting costs.(Enterprise Resource Planning software)(Industry Overview)
March 6, 2002... Is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software the way forward or a cost construction can ill-afford? John Leitch investigates. Almost 20 years ago, back in the mid-80s, Oliver Whitehead headed up a construction business that was making...

Wimpey pension shortfall.(George Wimpey PLC's financial data, pension funding, home building capacity)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2002... Funding gap leaves Wimpey's ?528m pension fund short of future liabilities by John Leitch Wimpey's UK pension scheme has a funding gap of ?70m, a result of its assets being worth ?528m and its liabilities running to ?598m. However,...

Challenge to improve industry research.(recommendations for improving construction research)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... A new report which lays down major challenges for both the government and industry to improve construction research has been unveiled this week - and received the full backing of the industry. The report Rethinking Construction Innovation...

NEWSBRIEF.(construction industry news)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... CPA proposes spending monitor The government's spending on the built environment will be put under the microscope if a new proposal put forward by the Construction Products Association (CPA) is taken up. The CPA will present a government...

Mowlem leads way for ?12m Monmouthshire road project.(John Mowlem and Company PLC, Wales)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Mowlem is edging into pole position for a ?12m road deal in Monmouthshire. Insiders say that the Welsh Assembly is focusing on the firm as the most likely candidate to tackle the A40/A449 Raglan interchange scheme. Work is expected to...

Morrison's bid secures ?4.7m A1 extension.(Morrison Construction Co.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... The Scottish Executive has gone for a ?4.7m bid from Morrison to extend the A1 around Dunbar. The 2km dualling project, from Bowerhouse to Spott, starts next month and continues for a year. Balfour Beatty, Farrans and Morgan Est were...

CPA criticises DTI for downgrading industry.(Construction Products Association, Department of Trade and Industry)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Question of construction's importance to DTI as grade five minister appointed Exclusive by Tim Wood The Construction Products Association (CPA) has accused the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) of "further downgrading construction"...

Adjudication working in non-payment disputes.(survey of construction disputes )(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... A new survey of construction disputes that have been referred to arbitration shows that more than a third of all cases involve a straightforward issue of alleged non-payment of monies owed. The survey covers a sample of 30 adjudications...

Proposed changes to asbestos regulations.(Asbestos at Work Regulations)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... The Health & Safety Commission has published a consultation document which proposes revisions of the two existing asbestos approved codes of practice (ACOPs). As part of the Asbestos at Work Regulations, the two ACOPs under review are L27...

Two left in running for ?250m PFI deal.(Manchester Joint Hospitals Development contract)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Catalyst and Taywood left on shortlist for Manchester's PFI health schemes by Brian Warner Only two firms are now left in the waiting room for one of the UK's biggest private finance health schemes - the ?250m Joint Hospitals...

Help offered to get CSCS card.(Construction Skills Certification Scheme)(Trade-Check)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Trade-Check aids workers through the whole process of obtaining CSCS card by Laura Hailstone An organisation offering a complete package to get tradesmen through the whole process of obtaining a Construction Skills Certification...

Wilson Bowden still top of league.(housebuilder's financial data)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2002... Housebuilder Wilson Bowden has revealed a staggering 19.6% operating margin, a figure that enables it to hold its place at the top of the sector's performance league. David Wilson, chairman and chief executive, said: "It's all about...

ICE calls for regular safety audits.(Institution of Civil Engineers)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Clients and contractors could face stronger scrutiny into structural safety standards after a demand by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) for regular safety audits on all buildings in built-up areas. The call by the ICE, which could...

Fife calls for contractors' interest in eight new PFI primary schools.(Fife, Scotland)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Fife Council in Scotland has advertised for a design and build contractor to take on eight new primary schools. Procurement is to be run on private finance terms and includes operating the schools for a concession period; the capital cost...

Drake & Scull to spend ?2m on ERP.(enterprise resource planning system from JD Edwards)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2002... Emcor Drake & Scull, the specialist M&E group, has announced that its service to customers will be improved as a result of a ?2m investment in a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. It has chosen JD Edwards, one of the world's top...

Sir Robert McAlpine set for ?250m London win.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Sir Robert McAlpine is set to continue its remarkable run of recent contract wins in London. Now the firm is in spitting distance of clinching the ?250m Spitalfields market deal in the capital, after seeing off challenges from rivals...

Alfred McAlpine snaps up Stiell.(Alfred McAlpine PLC)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2002... Alfred McAlpine has paid ?85m for Stiell, a private company with an ?85m-a-year turnover divided between two business streams: Stiell Facilities and Stiell Networks. Oliver Whitehead, chief executive of McAlpine, said that the move is part...

PPP Forum attacks revised PFI guidance.(Office of Government Commerce, public private project regulations)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... by Carol Millett Government proposals to revise standardised PFI contracts are nothing more than a public sector wish list which will push up PFI bid costs, the PPP Forum warned this week. In a letter to the Office of Government...

ABB fails to profit from PFI.(ABB Power Construction Ltd. private finance initiative)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
March 6, 2002... M&E contractor ABB has not made a "decent profit" on a single PFI project. David Harrison, the company's UK director of business development, told last week's conference, PFI for the Construction Industry: "In PFI, M&E contractors are used...

Engineers take note of WTC tumble.(structural engineers analyze World Trade Towers collapse)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... The events of 11 September have changed the attitudes of structural engineers, according to Lou Gurthet, president of the American Institute of Steel Construction. Speaking at the national dinner of the British Constructional Steelwork...

Firms complacent over safety issues.(British Safety Council survey of construction firms)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2002... British Safety Council director claims 'nothing has changed in last 40 years' by Ross Pearman Construction firms have been blasted for their "sheer complacency" over health and safety, following a recent survey by the British Safety...

BAA to challenge levy in High Court.(British Aggregates Association )(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... The British Aggregates Association (BAA) will challenge the government over the aggregates levy at a hearing in the High Court of Justice on 13 March. "Our members are united and determined to see this through," said BAA director Robert...

PFI process is 'too complex'.(private finance initiative)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Government admits PFI process is flawed but says it is improving by Rob Willock The government agrees with contractors that the PFI bidding process is too time consuming and complex. Peter Ryan, head of private finance policy and...

Aggregate's profit up.(Aggregate Industries)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2002... Aggregate Industries has revealed a pre-tax profit of ?124m, a rise of 14% on the previous year. Peter Tom, chief executive, said the average UK price rise of 5% was "quite good". Aggregate now has a turnover of ?1.3bn, split between the US...

Persimmon proves success following Beazer acquisition.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2002... Housebuilder Persimmon has shown that you can be both big and efficient: while turnover doubled to ?1.4bn, a result of the Beazer acquisition, the group's operating margins have held at over 15%. Persimmon and Wimpey are the two largest UK...

Company fined ?60k after HSE investigation.(Austin Brickwork, Health and Safety Executive)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 6, 2002... A construction firm and one of its directors were fined a total of ?60,000 plus costs last week at Southampton Crown Court. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) brought the prosecution against Austin Brickwork and company director Julian...

A recipe for disaster.(criticism of construction program to be launched by government)(Brief Article)(Column)
March 6, 2002... When Mr Kipling devises the recipe for a new cake, one imagines that there is a degree of trial and error in the process. You'd guess quality control procedures ensure that, if the cake is too moist or too crumbly, the mix is adjusted until it...

[0] NEWSBRIEF.
March 6, 2002... amey's area 10 role confirmed As expected, the Amey Mouchel team has picked up the ?100m deal to be the Highways Agency's term maintenance contractor partner for the new Area 10. The area covers all the motorways in Cheshire, Greater...

VAT row undermines Quality Mark roll-out.(value-added tax on repair, maintenance and improvement work)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... Brian Wilson will approve Quality Mark scheme with no special VAT reductions by Ross Pearman and Glenda Thisdell Construction minister Brian Wilson will approve the national roll-out of the builder's Quality Mark scheme without...

Scottish Water seeks partners for ?1.8bn task.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
March 6, 2002... Scottish Water, which on 1 April will be the sole water authority for Scotland following the merger of the three existing authorities, is already searching for partners to deliver its ?1.8bn, four-year construction programme. The new...

MoD upgrades housing at ?790m cost.(Ministry of Defence)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2002... The Ministry of Defence plans to upgrade personnel family accommodation at a cost of ?790m. An advertisement in the OJEC went out last week. Approximately 40,000 properties spread over 200 sites in England and Wales will be involved in the...

Geoff Brewer of Brewer Consulting considers requests to change an adjudicator's decision.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... The case of Shimizu Europe -v- Automajor recently considered once again the manner in which a party might resist enforcement of an adjudicator's award. The contract between Shimizu and Automajor was in the JCT Standard Form 1998 with...

This week's work winners.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Who's winning the work?Contracts Hotline is your at-a-glance digest of the latest contract awards around the UK. Data supplied by ABI Building Data. South East Surrey school Work: School/housing Location: Chertsey, Surrey...

Swing time on the Ouse.(Selby Bypass).(Column)
March 13, 2002... Work finally began last year on the long-awaited Selby Bypass in North Yorkshire, which will re-route traffic from the town centre via a new 10km single carriageway road across the floodplain of the River Ouse. Laura Hailstone reports. The...

Back with a vengence.(Interview)
March 13, 2002... After the demise of the Construction Industry Board, its chief executive Don Ward left the industry for a well-deserved break. But now he is back and relishing the challenges ahead at the Design Build Foundation. Tim Wood caught up with him to...

Hackney CM (construction manager) plan stalls.(Column)
March 13, 2002... Loss of key personnel casts doubt over the future of 10-year CM housing plan by Will Mann The London Borough of Hackney's plan to appoint a construction manager (CM) for 10 to 15 years, to oversee the regeneration of its housing...

Back bites.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Bob fixes it again Bob the Builder has helped 'fix' a massive rise in profit for the company which owns the children's TV character. Hit Entertainment announced a 400% increase in profit over the six months to the end of January,...

UK and European firms being urged to bid for Irish road work.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... by Anthony Garvey Construction companies from the UK and continental Europe are being "actively encouraged" to bid for major road projects in the Republic of Ireland because of the spiralling cost of local contractors. Inflation in the...

Wide variety on show at Hirex.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... A variety of tools and equipment was unveiled at Hirex, including the relaunch by access manufacturer UpRight of the Zip-UP brand name for its aluminium tower systems. The company also extended its range with a new Span 500 tower module aimed...

Moxy ADTs complete.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Introduction of the Series II MT36 and MT40B completes Moxy's ADT range Moxy has completed the revision of its ADT range with the introduction of Series II versions of its MT36 and MT40B. The ADTs have carrying capacities of 32.7t and...

Finnpave's new electrically heated screed.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Finning UK's Finnpave division has introduced an electrically heated screed for its BB660 and BB670 to help improve health and safety aspects of the paving industry. The unit is powered by a 26kVA generator (with tripswitch protection) and...

WSP enters top league.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... WSP, the management and consulting group, has boosted turnover to ?225m, a rise of 63%. The group now ranks in the top five in Europe and the top 20 worldwide in the consultancy market for the built and natural environment. Latest...

Pension is big success.
March 13, 2002... Sir, I was pleased to read your reporting of the success of B&CE Benefit Scheme's stakeholder pension (CJ 20 February). The Construction Confederation has always supported an industry-wide stakeholder pension scheme and it is...

Balfour tops ?100m.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 13, 2002... Pre-tax profit ploughs ahead thanks to stronger operating margins of 4.5% by John Leitch Balfour Beatty's pre-tax profit has broken through the ?100m barrier for the first time since the former conglomerate become a pure construction...

One M&E training body.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... M&E contractors propose a national skills council to act as a single body by John d'Arcy Mechanical and electrical contractors have put forward formal proposals for setting up a new national skills council to act as a single focal...

Has safety had a bum deal?(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Has the opportunity to set the most suitable common standard of competence for plant operators been missed in the rush towards a single card scheme? Paul Howard investigates. Pick a card, any card - as long as it has the Construction Skills...

Keller: turnover up 35%.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... US was strongest market, says foundation specialist group by John Leitch Keller, a worldwide provider of foundation services, enjoyed a 35% growth in turnover during 2001, with 28% of the group's expansion coming from organic growth....

Large pay rise for engineering staff.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Pay deal hailed as the biggest review of the engineering agreement for 25 years by John d'Arcy Operatives on engineering construction sites are set to endorse a new two-year pay deal which will bring a "substantial" increase in basic...

Form filling a waste of time.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Readers complain of Constructionline prequalification bureaucracy on forms Sir, I read with interest your article regarding Constructionline (CJ 27 February) and agree with the points raised and in particular the comments of Barry...

Marketing is worthwhile.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Sir, As a chartered surveyor and chartered marketer working in the construction industry it was interesting to read the marketing news analysis (CJ 20 February). My experience is that the construction industry is now not as bad at...

BCSA to meet with Railtrack.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... by Justin Stanton The British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) will meet with Railtrack at the end of April to explain the benefits of using the Register of Qualified Steelwork Contractors (RQSC). The Highways Agency made...

Three MAC jobs up for grabs.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... The Highways Agency has advertised three Managing Agent Contractor contracts this week with a combined value of ?105m a year. Area 12, worth ?50m p.a, covers areas within West, North and South Yorkshire and East Riding, Derbyshire and...

Amec remains steady.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Amec has reported a pre-tax profit of ?81m (?82m) with turnover higher at ?3.5bn (?3.2bn). Expansion has resulted in 2,000 more staff being taken on. Announcing the group's results (12 months to December), chief executive Sir Peter Mason...

NHS reveals the first LIFT PPP scheme.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... The first public private partnership contract under the NHS's Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) programme has been advertised in the OJEC. The East London and the City contract (led by Newham Primary Care Trust) will provide a first...

Clarke sees profit rise.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... T Clarke, the electrical contractor, has doubled its pre-tax profit to ?8.4m, representing an increased operating margin of 6.4%. Virtually all the upsurge in turnover, 34% higher at ?132m, came from organic growth, Clarke finding that...

East London Line work faces delay.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Work to go ahead but ?500m extension is likely to over-run on time and cost by Will Mann The ?500m extension to London Underground's (LUL) East London Line is likely to over-run on time and cost following a decision by culture...

Poster highlights cash aid.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Posters advertising the aid and assistance available to construction workers and their families who suffer an accident or ill health are to be distributed to contractors across the country in the next few weeks. Volunteers with...

Budget manoeuvrings in the dark.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... The April budget is just over a month away and, as ever, rumours are rife over the chancellor's intentions. But the rumour that the chancellor is demanding ministers cut their spending plans by 20% so he can pay for the improvements to the NHS...

Three fight for ?30m Private Finance Institute school.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Three consortia have made it onto the final shortlist of a ?30m private finance education scheme for the Borough Council of Calderdale. The line-up comprises: Babcock and Brown/Balfour Beatty; the New Schools consortium of WS Atkins and...

Rumours rife of CJ Pearce management buyout.(Column)
March 13, 2002... by John Leitch A management buy-out of CJ Pearce, the construction business owned by Crest Nicholson, is rumoured - led by managing director Don Ross and commercial director Jim Richie. John Callcutt, chief executive of Crest, said: "I...

Campaign to abolish retentions gains pace.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Specialist contractors' campaign to gain MPs' support for the abolition of retentions in all public sector building work is gaining momentum. "Already 140 MPs have signed up to an early day motion and I am hoping to get this figure up to...

Nuttall's sea job.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Edmund Nuttall has seen off a bid by Amec to win a ?25.7m contract to carry out coastal defence work for Scarborough Borough Council. The work is designed to protect Scarborough Harbour and the Marine Drive areas for at least 50 years from...

CITB logs changing trends online.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... by Ross Pearman An online directory aimed at keeping trainees and companies in touch with changing trends in the industry has been launched by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) today. The site, citb.co.uk/futureskills, is...

NEWSBRIEF.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... ?23m berkshire hospital up for grabs The Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospitals NHS Trust is inviting contractors to bid for a ?23m development at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. The scheme, known as Contract 3 - Consolidation,...

[0] NEWSBRIEF.(UCATT; British Constructional Steelwork Association)(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... call for better health training Aspects of occupational health must be given higher priority in training programmes, according to George Brumwell, general secretary of UCATT. Brumwell has been appointed chairman of a new high-level...

CC calls for changes over PFI refinancing.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... Private sector unhappy with proposed changes in revised draft PFI guidance by Carol Millett Private sector concern at proposed changes to PFI standard contracts continues to grow this week with the Construction Confederation (CC)...

RickWillmott to take over as company chairman.(Brief Article)
March 13, 2002... by Laura Hailstone Rick Willmott will replace Sir Michael Latham when he steps down from his post as chairman at Willmott Dixon after the company's AGM in May. Latham will remain involved in the company as deputy chairman. The...