Contract Journal articles from March 2003

Contract Journal archives from March 2003

Row over TfL's [pounds sterling]18m Coulsdon bypass.(few contractors return tenders for London bypass, according to Transport for London)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Only five of the six shortlisted contractors have returned tenders for the pound sterling18m Coulsdon bypass in south London, according to client Transport for London (TfL). Confusingly, all six firms pitching for the scheme insist they have...

Cool tools.(construction equipment products and usage)
March 5, 2003... Whether it's an attachment, a hydraulic excavator or a crusher, there is no shortage of new kit on the market. Geraldine Faulkner takes a look at what is grabbing demolition contractors' attention. With business booming in certain sectors...

Exploding myths.(Controlled Demolition Group demolition services)
March 5, 2003... Contrary to popular misconceptions, Controlled Demolition Group is not just about blowing up buildings. In fact the contractor is using traditional dismantling methods at a nuclear power station where a turbine hall is being decommissioned....

Wilkommen Pet!(more UK construction companies employing overseas workers)
March 5, 2003... With the increasing shortage of skilled workers in demolition, more companies are employing foreign workers. How is the industry coping with the influx of new recruits whose mother tongue is not English? Paul Howard reports. Auf...

Demolition derby.(UK demolition firms enjoying more business recently)
March 5, 2003... Thanks to a rise in new construction, big increases in public sector spending and a sharp rise in scrap metal prices, large demolition firms are enjoying a surge of business. John d'Arcy reports. There's no doubt about it. The science of...

A big black hole.(UK tax policy by Gordon Brown affecting the demolition industry)
March 5, 2003... The EU Landfill Directive and a likely three-fold increase in the Landfill Tax have left demolition contractors staring at an enormous black hole on their balance sheets. Will Mann reports on how the industry is dealing with the implications....

Four bad contracts take their toll at Galliford Try.(Galliford Try Ltd. suffers from financial losses)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Galliford Try made an operating loss of pound sterling2m in its construction division because of four building contracts secured purely on price and which called for expertise that Galliford did not have, said chairman George Calverley last...

Wilson Bowden breaks 20% margin barrier.(company financial report)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Wilson Bowden's margins hit 20% for the first time, an achievement that the rest of the housebuilding sector will have great difficulty in matching. The group's latest annual results (12 months to 31 December), released last week, show...

Making the grade.(Institute of Demolition Engineers names David Keane new president)
March 5, 2003... The Institute of Demolition Engineers, formed to assemble various disciplines within the demolition sector, has a new president who is throwing down the gauntlet to the industry. John d'Arcy talks to David Keane to find out more. "Have you...

CPCS: 'take us or leave us'.(Construction Plant Competence Scheme committee's opinions)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... n New scheme's management committee urges industry to be pro-active in its move towards competency. "If you don't like us, replace us." This was the message from the new committee of the Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) launched...

Vermeer launches grinders.(horizontal grinders)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Vermeer has launched a range of tracked and trailer-mounted horizontal grinders. There are four models, which it claims are ideal for land-clearance and municipal waste operations. There are two engine outputs - 391kW (525hp) and 272kW...

Welfare unit supplied by William Search.(to Lancashire County Engineering)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Leeds-based plant hirer William Search has supplied the first of its specialist self-contained welfare units to Lancashire County Engineering. The unit is completely self-contained with its own water supply, effluent storage and generator....

In brief.(UK construction industry news)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Komatsu for Short Bros Short Brothers has taken delivery of three high-lift Komatsu WA500-5 wheeled loaders for its coal handling operations in Lincolnshire. The 28t machines use their 4.63m load-over height to load coal wagons. ...

Wilson Connolly fights back.(management of Wilson Connolly's new CEO Graeme McCallum)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... n New chief executive optimistic as three-year plan shows operating margin improving. Wilson Connolly is fighting a battle against time. Despite making a speedy financial recovery, the group is still seen as being vulnerable to the next...

Standards miss the mark.(construction materials sector does not meet EU's common standards target)
March 5, 2003... n Construction materials sector fails to meet EU's target figure for common standards. The construction materials industry has been criticised over a lack of progress in achieving harmonised European product standards. Fourteen years...

Subbies 'bash' Kier.(subcontractors offer opinions about Kier construction company)
March 5, 2003... n Subcontractors give firm constructive criticism to help it improve its supply chain. Kier needs to be more honest, stand up to pushy clients and upgrade its IT services, according to its subcontractors. Speaking during roundtable...

K guard's safer edge protection.(K Guard Ltd. launches protection system)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Newly established K guard has launched an edge protection system that complies with a new European safety standard which comes into force in the spring. K guard sales director Stephen Langston told CJ: "The current climate in the...

Brickie crisis makes Wilcon turn to wood.(Wilson Connolly using timber frame to build houses)
March 5, 2003... n Housebuilder reverts to timber frame techniques as bricklayer skills shortage hits Kent. A "desperate shortage" of bricklayers in the South East has forced housebuilder Wilson Connolly to turn back to timber frame construction, despite...

Concrete design codes task group comes into force.(Taylor Woodrow holds meeting with national representatives)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... A task group, formed to draw up new design codes for concrete, had its second meeting last week with representatives from Denmark, the US, Japan, Norway and the UK. Phil Bamforth, principal consultant at Taylor Woodrow and a member of the...

Ballast wins [pounds sterling]10m Army project.(wins contract with RAF Athan)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Ballast has been awarded an Army relocation deal in south Wales. Ballast's pound sterling10m triumph is at RAF Athan and the new build aspects of the deal include company offices, stores and mess. The 18-month deal will be followed by a...

Dan the man.(Dan Doyle, National Federation of Demolition Contractors president-elect, offers views on current issues )
March 5, 2003... President-elect of the National Federation of Demolition Contractors Dan Doyle gives his view on the key issues preoccupying the federation, from the Landfill Tax and the CIS Tax Scheme to the effect of imminent conflict with Iraq. What is...

Product guide.(new products from Fosroc and Rollalong)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Two Fosroc sealants Fosroc has launched two sealants: Nitoseal MS600 for sealing movement joints in buildings and civil engineering structures, and Nitoseal MS50 for brickwork, blockwork and perimeter sealing around doors and windows. ...

Kajima wins school PFI.(PFI scheme for school construction)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... n Firm bags London school and Coventry Council begins to assemble a PFI school shortlist. Japanese firm Kajima is set to register what will be its fourth PFI education sector victory since entering the arena two years ago, while in...

Bovis and R McAlpine face further delays on [pounds sterling]170m Leeds PFI hospital.(Bovis Lend Lease and Summit Healthcare, hospital for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... The two groups left on the priority list for a pound sterling170m private finance hospital scheme in Leeds must sweat it out until the end of April before a winner emerges. The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was this week due to choose...

Specialists name Gibbs to take Huxtable's place.(Adrian Gibbs named non-executive director for CCS Services)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Adrian Gibbs has been appointed as a non-executive director of CCS Services, the administrative arm of the Aldershot-based Confederation of Construction Specialists. The move follows the sudden death a year ago of John Huxtable, chief...

OGC's claims described as 'absolute bollocks'.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Industry associations are dismayed by the OGC's claim that "little evidence" has been supplied proving bad practice across central government. Peter Gershon, the OGC's chief executive, revealed statistics showing that 100% of government...

Macob set to capitalise on Welsh boost.(Macob Construction names Nigel Barnes managing director)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Macob Construction has made management changes to capitalise on an increasing workload in south Wales. Nigel Barnes has been appointed managing director, while Cathy Bousie has been promoted to the position of commercial director. "The...

The 'intelligent' Prison Service.
March 5, 2003... n Multi-million frameworks aim to move the Prison Service away from 'reactive' construction. Contractors are being asked to lock themselves into multi-million pound frameworks for the Prison Service as it moves itself away from a...

Amec/A McAlpine's low bid sees off M60 rivals.(Amec joint venture with Alfred McAlpine)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... A joint venture between Amec and Alfred McAlpine has undercut its rivals by "tens of millions of pounds" to clinch a major motorway widening job on the outskirts of Manchester, according to industry insiders. Well placed sources say the...

back bites.
March 5, 2003... Bang to rights Figures released recently show that prisoner numbers in England and Wales are the highest in Western Europe. This is plainly good news for contractors such as Skanska and Interserve, who are building PFI prisons with...

CJsaysa.
March 5, 2003... CJ understands that the Revenue is disappointed with the paucity of formal responses to its CIS reform proposals. But what does the taxman expect? There is a tremendous amount of scepticism in construction that the Revenue is interested in...

CIS reform plans flawed.
March 5, 2003... n Contractors claim proposed changes are 'not workable' and urge the Revenue not to rush the redesign. Inland Revenue proposals for reforming the CIS tax scheme contain major faults and serious compliance cost implications, according a...

Two fight for [pounds sterling]20m Welsh road.(Alfred McAlpine and Jones Brothers competing in contract battle)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Local firm Jones Brothers and Alfred McAlpine are slugging it out in the battle for a pound sterling20m road deal in north Wales. Insiders say only the two firms are left in the chase for the Welsh Assembly's widening of the A494/A550...

Insurance to rise by another 100%.(liability costs in the construction industry)
March 5, 2003... n But the government is not keen to step in and provide cover for firms under threat. Insurance liability costs in the construction industry are likely to more than double again this year, according to Liberal Democrat peer Lord Ezra. This...

TGWU wants tighter reins.(on main contractors and a stronger lead to be taken by the public sector)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... The TGWU wants tighter reins on main contractors and a stronger lead to be taken by the public sector, writes Ross Pearman. The TGWU's national secretary Bob Blackman states that the Revenue cannot rely on the integrity of contractors to...

Newcastle Council invites bids for [pounds sterling]40m highways job.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Newcastle City Council is inviting contractors to pitch for a five- to seven-year highways partnering deal worth pound sterling40m a year. The council is looking for one or more partners to assist its in-house team. The work includes...

Accidental death verdict in Polish builder case.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... A jury returned a verdict of accidental death in the case of a Polish builder who fell 2m to his death despite the circumstances remaining a mystery. Health and safety inspectors were unable to carry out a proper investigation at the site...

Amey shocks the City.(revelation that it will unveil a further 115m pounds of exceptional charges )(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Amey has shocked the City with the revelation that it will unveil a further pound sterling115m of exceptional charges when it posts its financial results for 2002 later this month. Asset write-downs account for pound sterling105m of the...

Accidental verdict for roof fall victim.(Mark Anthony Bird of Ardmore Construction dies)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... A construction worker who fell through a roof light and crashed through a suspended ceiling into a Land of Leather showroom died as a result of an accident, a jury has ruled. Mark Anthony Bird, 32, of Cleethorpes was re-laying the roof of...

Tax expert outlines potential problems.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... The Inland Revenue's CIS reform proposals have a fundamental flaw that could reproduce the problems of the old 714 system. Kathryn Hiddleston, a partner at Grant Thornton, said: "The abandonment of cards and certificates must increase the...

Norfolk Council seeks partners.(Norfolk County Council seeking contractor and consultancy partner)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Norfolk County Council is seeking to partner with a consultancy and a contractor to manage and implement all its civil engineering work worth up to pound sterling400m over 10 years. The council wants to set up a partnering arrangement based...

Airports boom on the horizon.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... No matter which plans go ahead, a huge civils bonanza is in the pipeline following transport secretary Alistair Darling's announcement last week of proposals for the aviation industry. The Future Development of Air Transport in the UK: A...

Citex Project Services bought by management.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Citex Project Services has been bought by a combination of its management and David Bucknall, former chief executive. It now trades as Bucknall Austin, with Ann Bentley continuing as managing director. Citex went into administration...

BCSA says: 'follow us on retentions'.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... The British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) wants to see its best practice policy of no cash retentions in steel construction contracts extended throughout the whole industry. Speaking at the BCSA's National Dinner at the Savoy...

Equion to win [pounds sterling]180m hospital PFI.(revamp two Tyneside hospitals)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... An Equion/Laing O'Rourke team is set to claim preferred bidder status ahead of rival group Amec/Atkins for the pound sterling180m prize to revamp two Tyneside hospitals. The scheme for Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust includes major...

A Concrete Show off at SED.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... A host of new products will be launched at this year's Concrete Show at SED, which runs from 29 April to 1 May. Controls Testing Equipment will be showing the new AUTOMAX 2000kN automatic cube-crushing machine, while Somero Enterprises will...

In brief.(construction industry briefs)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Three vie for pound sterling20m mixed development Alfred McAlpine, Balfour Beatty and Norwest Holst are pricing a variety of infrastructure works for the pound sterling20m Dartford Park mixed development in Kent. Clients Prologis and...

In brief.(construction industry contracts)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Kendall Cross wins pound sterling14m Wimpey deal Kendall Cross has beaten Gleeson to be Wimpey City Project's preferred contractor for the pound sterling14m construction of 159 homes on the former Garden Festival site at Gateshead. ...

DfES to boost school funds to [pounds sterling]5bn a year.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... The government plans to spend pound sterling5.1bn on schools renewal, maintenance and repair programmes in 2005/06. The funding boost is a key element in the government's school rebuilding and renewal strategy to ensure all secondary...

Atkins confident over its London Underground bid.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... WS Atkins, the support services group spending pound sterling600,000 a month on its bid for two sections of the London Underground PPP, says it will have an income stream "from day one" when the Tube project reaches financial close - now...

NAOslams HA's performance.(National Audit Office's criticisms of the Highways Agency)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Overspending, poor budget estimation and no controls to stop the over-pricing of maintenance work are the National Audit Office's (NAO) main criticisms of the Highways Agency. Although the Maintaining England's Motorways and Trunk Roads...

BCSA welcomes WTC report.(British Constructional Steelwork Association )(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... The British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) has welcomed the findings of the city of New York report on the World Trade Centre, particularly as it gave credit to the Building Research Establishment's Cardington fire tests. "The...

Editor's comment.(government clients recieve appraisal of construction procurement performance )(Brief Article)(Editorial)
March 5, 2003... Mouse bites cat, cat bites dog The 360[degrees] appraisal is a modern assessment process used to improve managerial effectiveness, whereby people are given feedback by their subordinates. It can be a particularly uncomfortable experience...

Hull building collapse case is adjourned.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... The case involving Murli Thadani, the director of Marketing Exchange for Africa, which was involved in the Hull building collapse in 2000 where three people died, has been adjourned. Thadani appeared at Hull Crown Court last month for a...

In brief.(Building and Allied Trades Joint Industrial Council has set new hourly rates; Kajima Europe wins 55m pounds private finance deal )(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Kajima wins HSE HQ Kajima Europe has seen off Interserve to win the pound sterling55m private finance deal to construct a new 30,000m2 headquarters for the Health & Safety Executive in Bootle, Merseyside, as tipped by CJ (8 January). ...

Kier's verdict slams government clients.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... n Colin Busby ranks government departments and Defence Estates comes bottom of the league table. Defence Estates should be "relegated out of the construction league" for its inability to partner with the private sector, according to Kier...

Work; Winners.(construction contracts in the UK)
March 5, 2003... Who's winning the work? Work Winners is your at-a-glance digest of the latest contract awards around the UK. LONDON & SOUTH EAST Kidlington mixed-use Work: Offices/warehouse Location: Kidlington, Oxfordshire Value:...

Adjudicators' errors.
March 5, 2003... Adjudication conducted under the provisions of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 is sometimes fast and furious. Very complex disputes require to be decided within a period of 28 days. It is not surprising that errors...

In brief.(briefs in construction industry)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2003... Pochin pegs back profit Pochin, the Cheshire-based construction and development group, had its pre-tax profit pegged back at an unchanged figure of pound sterling1.3m, despite turnover doubling to pound sterling34m (pound sterling17m) in...

Compliance with aggies tax is right.(Letter to the Editor)
March 12, 2003... Sir, I welcome your editorial (CJ 26 February) supporting the introduction of a certification of levy compliance in Northern Ireland - you applaud joined-up thinking and call for fairness in applying the Levy. No one would disagree,...

back bites.
March 12, 2003... Gatecrasher The BBC is allegedly in trouble after one of its lorries caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage to one of England's best known landmarks. A scaffolding truck brought down ancient masonry as cameramen prepared for last...

Taywood rejig pays off as margins clear 3%.(Taylor Woodrow)
March 12, 2003... Taylor Woodrow has pushed the operating margin in its construction division passed 3% for the first time. "That's a top quartile performance," said chief executive Iain Napier, "and shows we now have a good construction business." After a...

Ghosts of the Tories.
March 12, 2003... Sir, George Henderson junior phoned me (his dad) from London about your "Champagne George" article (CJ 12 February). The piece has apparently been widely read by old friends and colleagues with some amusement and in these trying times we...

Lavendon investment 'error'.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... Lavendon Group, parent company of powered access rental specialist Nationwide, has admitted that it may have made a mistake in the timing and scale of its investment in Germany. "The results of the past few years suggest the timing and, to...

Support wanted.(Industry Overview)
March 12, 2003... A year is a long time in the City. Twelve months ago, the support services sector was seen as the promised land for construction companies. Seduced by its high margins and the extra credibility it offered their PFI bids, many had bought into...

Balfour: [pounds sterling]1.2bn bonanza.(Balfour Beatty)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... n Metronet's London Underground PPP wins set to make Balfour the UK's biggest PFI player in terms of investor and contractor. Balfour Beatty will enjoy a pound sterling1.2bn boost to its workload during the next seven years because Metronet...

Premiums: but at what price to businesses?
March 12, 2003... Sir, I read the letter from Francis Maguire of Maguire Brothers with some sympathy (CJ, 26 February). My firm is a scaffolding contractor trading in Lancashire. Like everyone else, we were warned that we could expect insurance premiums...

Work; Winners.
March 12, 2003... Who's winning the work? Work Winners is your at-a-glance digest of the latest contract awards around the UK. LONDON & SOUTH EAST Waltham Abbey housing Work: Houses/flats Location: Waltham Abbey, Essex Value: pound...

Hydrema to launch ADT.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... Intermat will see another new entry into the coveted three-axle, 22t ADT market with the launch of the 922C from Hydrema. According to the company, the new machine breaks with traditional design principles for this class of ADT. "We started...

Brandon Hire profit falls 11%.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... Full-year results at Brandon Hire show turnover up 10% to pound sterling32.9m despite profit falling by the same margin to pound sterling3m. The increased turnover was accounted for by acquisitions (14 branches) while smaller margins at these...

In brief.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... Hydrex buys Lindsay Bristol-based plant hirer Hydrex has bought Lindsay Plant. The deal includes Lindsay's depots in Kilmarnock and Edinburgh along with a fleet of about 200 machines. Hydrex now has 10 depots. Versatile takes on Alpha...

Industry told to stop resisting change.(Durapipe UK)(Industry Overview)
March 12, 2003... n Pipe manufacturer's new technology could save time and costs but faces challenge to convert specifiers. Resistance to change is preventing the construction industry from enjoying the benefits of new technology, according to plastic...

CBP to roll out its 'lean' initiative.(Construction Best Practice)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... Construction Best Practice (CBP) is looking to roll out its Construction Lean Improvement Programme (CLIP) to the whole industry after successful trials over the past 12 months. Results back from the CLIP programme, which started in January...

Big business for IT systems.(Letter to the Editor)
March 12, 2003... Sir, As the leading IT solutions provider to the UK construction industry, with more than 35,000 construction professionals using our products and services on a daily basis, we were interested to read your article 'Coins wins more clients'...

Telecoms pays off for Amec.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... n Amec is optimistic as diversification into telecoms pays dividends with pound sterling1bn-worth of forward work, leaving the company 'tidy'. Amec's decision to establish a presence in the telecoms sector has paid off handsomely. From a...

Three bid for [pounds sterling]20m school PFI.(Jarvis, Kajima and Northwin)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... n Jarvis, Kajima and Northwin join the race for deal in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Three firms are on the register for a pound sterling20m-plus private finance schools deal in Northern Ireland. The project, in Bangor, has attracted...

Revised pay offer 'not enough' says UCATT.(union negotiations)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... Building and civil engineering employers have put forward an improved pay offer that would give site operatives a total increase of 14.4% in basic rates over three years. Trade union leaders have indicated that this is not acceptable. ...

Rail business improves profit but civil engineering hits the buffers.(Balfour)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... Balfour has four business streams. The two most profitable ones are investments and developments (operating profit of pound sterling49m) and building/building management (pound sterling46m). The biggest improvement in performance came from...

EC standards delay.(European Commission thermal insulation standards)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... The construction products industry is mired in confusion after the European Commission granted Germany an extension to meet the deadline for harmonised product standards for thermal insulation. Just days before the 1 March launch date of...

5% VATrate hopes rise.(Value-added tax)
March 12, 2003... n Isle of Man VAT reduction experiment has been deemed a success, yielding a 36% increase in tax revenue. With the Budget statement now just a month away, hopes are rising among builders that they are making real progress towards persuading...

Spie Batignolle in jeopardy as turnover generates just [pounds sterling]1.3m profit.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... Despite Sir Peter Mason claiming that the shape of Amec is now "tidy", there is every sign that its French subsidiary Spie Batignolle will be jettisoned as an annual turnover of pound sterling500m has generated an operating profit of just pound...

Product guide.(building materials from Artex, Hanson Packed Products, and Eternit)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... BluClad from Eternit Following the sale of Cape Calsil to the Etex Group, Cape's BluClad substrate board is available through the cladding division of Eternit Building Materials. The board is supplied 10mm thick. Hanson dry mix ...

Delayed immigration office to finally start.(for Turner and Townsend)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... A delayed pound sterling55m office project in south London is finally expected to get off the starting blocks "within the next two months". Last summer, about 40 contractors sent in prequalification bids for the scheme to revamp government...

Corus goes bomb-proof in these troubled times.(Corus introduces Surefast modular construction system)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2003... Corus has launched a fast-track modular construction system for high-security buildings called Surefast. Manufactured in response to increasing terrorism and security concerns, Corus said explosion-resistant buildings can now be built in a...