Contract Journal articles from May 2007

Contract Journal archives from May 2007

06 Plant.(Iveco introduces new revised Tractors)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Iveco HAS unveiled its revised Trakker range with styling similar to that on the latest Stralis. The line-up consists of AD day and AT low-roof sleeper cabs, with rigids in 4x2, 4x4, 6x4, 6x6, 8x4 and 8x8 versions. Tractor configurations...

02 Business.(rise in share of Interserve International (Freight) PLC)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... City watch Source: Thomson DataStream 2007 weekly share price performance Transactions in own company during April 2007 Interserve's future is set to be rosy if the actions of four of its directors can be taken as a reliable...

Cases clarify Duty of Care.(06 Plant)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Two recent court cases helped clarify where Duty of Care begins and ends under the Working Time Regulations, according to the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA). CPA lawyer David Smith highlighted the case of an agricultural firm...

06 Plant.(dialogue )(Interview)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Ingersoll Rand's (IR) road development was profitable and a market leader. Why sell it? Ingersoll Rand's direction is away from high capital expenditure machinery such as that produced by the Road Development business. These machines are...

06 Plant.(British Fluid Power Association starts hose assembly technology training course)(details about Tsurumi Pumps dewatering pumps)(Isuzu Motors Ltd. inroduces Denver Max LE pick up)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Tsurumi Pumps' KTVE dewatering pumps incorporate a sensor that automatically stops the pump when the water levels drops and restarts it if the level rises again. This cuts carbon emissions by up to 70% and reduces wear rates, said the firm. ...

06 Plant.
May 16, 2007... DIGGING UP ORDERS Mainland Plant Hire has purchased 40 machines from Volvo, including some of the first C series excavators in the UK. The order covers six C series excavators (five 21t tracked and a 14t wheeled), along with 10 B series...

Hitachi buys HM Plant.(06 Plant)(Hitachi Construction Machinery (America) Corp.)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Hitachi Construction Machinery has bought its UK importer HM Plant for [pounds sterling]20m. The manufacturer already owned 30% of the dealership and had been in negotiations with the distributor for some time regarding taking a controlling...

CESAR mark fitted to first unit Revisions for Trakker rangeThe inside line on...Ingersoll Rand's sale of its Road Development Division.(06 Plant)
May 16, 2007... A Terex 3t dumper is the first of 1,000 machines for A-Plant to be registered and fitted with tracking system. Plant & Site Equipment Plant & Site Equipment colin.sowman@rbi.co.uk THE CESAR (Construction Equipment Security And...

04 Contracts.(Alun Griffiths Contractors starts work on St Ann Way bridge)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... IMPROVING THE FLOW Alun Griffiths Contractors has begun work on the [pounds sterling]6m St Ann Way bridge link in Gloucester. The bridge will span the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and is aimed at improving the city's transportation system as...

Legal row may scupper CSCS smartcard launch.(01 News)
May 16, 2007... IT dispute over management rights of competency smartcard scheme could delay introduction 'by years'. neil.gerrard@rbi.co.uk A legal wrangle threatens to derail the introduction of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS)...

BAD WEEKGOOD WEEK.(01 News)(briefs)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Militant NIMBYists: Police are still looking for vandals who tried to halt the development of a wind farm by felling an 85m-tall anemometer, used to evaluate wind strength. The incident at a farm in Norfolk caused [pounds sterling]100,000-worth...

SEC chief expects DTI to address payment issue.(01 News)
May 16, 2007... Specialist Engineering Contractors (SEC) Group chief executive Rudi Klein is confident the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will address industry concerns over withholding payments as part of its review of the Construction Act. His...

Cement shortage not over yet.(01 News)
May 16, 2007... CONCRETE PRODUCTS association British Precast has warned the industry that the threat of cement shortages still looms. The federation's president David Sarti warned that small firms risk temporary halts to production if the shortages...

01 News.(pre-fabricated panel )(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... LEARNING CURVE Workers lower a pre-fabricated panel made from recycled timber into place for the Re-Thinking 'School of the Future', to be unveiled at BRE's Offsite 2007 exhibition. Working with NG Bailey and Max Fordham, the school is the...

News round-upa[euro]*a[euro]*.(01 News)(briefs)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Gordon Brown hit the headlines last weekend as he outlined his plans for five 'eco-towns' that would create up to 100,000 new homes powered by solar panels and wind turbines. The towns will be concentrated around the South East in an attempt to...

14 Back Page.
May 16, 2007... That we need to take far-reaching action to become sustainable is no longer the debate in construction. What bothers me is the mind-set that accepts there will be a premium for 'going green'. Why? This position doesn't stack-up, from either a...

Your last chance to enter.(07 Analysis)
May 16, 2007... There's only one week to go before entries for this year's Contract Journal Construction Industry Awards close. Emma Penny looks at what you need to do to win! You've got to be in it to win it - and with just over a week to go before...

New orders revival underway?Allan WilenEconomics director, Construction Products Association.(03 Benchmark)(Justin Stanton analyses the latest Department of Trade & Industry statistical data. )
May 16, 2007... After a slow start to the year, the first quarter enjoyed an improvement in the level of new orders. Justin Stanton analyses the latest DTI data. New construction orders in the first quarter were worth nearly [pounds sterling]12.7bn in...

Bluestone in line for Berks college project.(04 Contracts)
May 16, 2007... The word on the street is that Bluestone is heading for a [pounds sterling]24m education-sector victory in Berkshire. The talk is that the contractor is out in front in the race to redevelop Bracknell and Wokingham College. But an insider...

Three left in [pounds sterling]100m regen.(04 Contracts )(Barratt Homes, Crest Nicholson, Bellway City Solutions and Metropolitan Housing contracts )(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Only three groups from an original field of six contenders are now left in the tussle for a [pounds sterling]100m regeneration scheme in Ilford, east London. Redbridge Council, advised by Drivers Jonas, has pared the list down to Barratt...

Fitzpatrick to rebuild campus in Portsmouth.(04 Contracts )(Highbury College includes facilities)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... ACCORDING TO sources, Fitzpatrick looks to have done its homework on a [pounds sterling]20m education-sector deal on the south coast. Insiders said that the contractor is emerging as the favourite to undertake the redevelopment of Highbury...

Two share [pounds sterling]25m housing work.(04 Contracts)
May 16, 2007... Two outfits will share [pounds sterling]25m-worth of housing work for Middlesbrough-based Erimus Housing. Keepmoat and Dunelm Property Services will tackle the design and build of around 300 homes in Middlesbrough, Stockton on-Tees and the...

Hochtief ties up Scots ports deal.(04 Contracts)(Scotland ports)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Re-advertised Cairnryan port scheme worth [pounds sterling]35m-plus. brian.warner@rbi.co.uk Sources say that Hochtief's ship has come in for a ports deal in Scotland worth at least [pounds sterling]35m. The firm is set to sail...

Three prepare bids for office in Manchester.(04 Contracts)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Three firms are working up bids for a [pounds sterling]25m commercial-sector deal in the heart of Manchester. The line-up for developer Bruntwood's design and build scheme is Galliford Try, Laing O'Rourke and Sir Robert McAlpine. The...

JLP takes [pounds sterling]15m housing deal.(04 Contracts)
May 16, 2007... The John Laing Partnership has the key to a [pounds sterling]15.6m deal involving the construction of new homes in south London. The project is for AmicusHorizon, one of the largest housing associations operating across London and the South...

HBG submits winning bid for [pounds sterling]60m college scheme.(04 Contracts)(HBG Construction and Walsall College of Arts and Technology contracts)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Walsall deal involves building a new campus so Tesco can take over the old one. brian.warner@rbi.co.uk HBG LOOKS to have sharpened its pricing pencil to a fine point on a [pounds sterling]60m further education bidding exercise in the...

Warings to redevelop Bournemouth centre.(04 Contracts)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Warings is set to take centre stage for a [pounds sterling]25m deal focusing on a performance arts centre in Bournemouth, but the future of the deal hangs in the balance now that the Tories have seized control of the borough council. ...

Regions set up one-stop-shops for contractors.(01 News)
May 16, 2007... A network of business portals across England providing a one-stop-shop for contractors seeking local authority work is being set up by the nine Regional Centres of Excellence (RCoE). The portals are part of a drive triggered by the...

01 News.
May 16, 2007... Modernisation costs lead to in-house team overseeing all construction management. Tube Lines switches to own team for upgrades carol.millett@rbi.co.uk Tube lines is bringing construction management in-house on its [pounds...

01 News.(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... The construction industry has one asset that it really sweats - and one which it would be absolutely crippled without. The asset in question? Its people. The ability to get on with things, to meet deadlines day-in, day-out, to cope with...

Kit stolen to order in plant scam.(01 News)
May 16, 2007... Plant hire companies have been warned about the dangers of a new theft threat after three firms fell victim to a [pounds sterling]1m international fraud. It is believed they lost at least 30 pieces of kit in total, which were stolen to order....

Workers vote against scrapping tea break.(01 News)
May 16, 2007... Engineering construction workers have voted by an overwhelming majority to reject the terms of a new national agreement that includes a provision allowing the scrapping of the morning tea break. The result of the consultative union ballot...

One-off costs pull Babcock profit down to [pounds sterling]5.2m.(01 News)(Babcock International Group PLC has made an operating profit)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Babcock International's rail division has made an operating profit of [pounds sterling]9.3m on a turnover of [pounds sterling]230m. Commenting on the latest financial results (12 months to 31 March 2007), Babcock chief executive Peter...

Three players profit from good conditions.(02 Business)(Balfour Beatty PLC)(Carillion PLC)(Costain Group PLC)
May 16, 2007... Balfour Beatty, Carillion and Costain have all enjoyed a very successful year so far. john.leitch@rbi.co.uk Trading conditions are good, according to three of construction's biggest hitters - Balfour Beatty, Carillion and Costain. ...

01 News.
May 16, 2007... SWING LOW Galliford Try is constructing new educational facilities for the Leigh Technology Academy in Kent. The [pounds sterling]29m building, due for completion in December, includes seven multi-storey blocks that will house double-sized...

R McAlpine doubles latest profit to [pounds sterling]53m.(01 News)
May 16, 2007... Margin hits 4% as group lifts turnover to [pounds sterling]1.3bn, with construction contributing [pounds sterling]950m. john.leitch@rbi.co.uk Sir Robert McAlpine has doubled its pre-tax profit to [pounds sterling]53m - representing a...

Oakdene Homes set to continue growth.(02 Business)
May 16, 2007... Oakdene Homes has unveiled a pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]8m on a turnover of [pounds sterling]46m in 2006. Staff numbers doubled during the period. Oakdene, a rapidly-expanding housebuilder and property development group in the...

The inside line on...Pre-graded roofing battens.(05 Products and Materials)
May 16, 2007... Contract Journal talks to Mike Hartley, chairman at John Brash, about a process to pre-grade timber battens. Is the failure of timber battens a problem for the industry? Not exactly. However, it is never perfect making the final grading...

Unexpected ground conditionsCollateral warranties.(10 Legal)
May 16, 2007... If a project does not "come out of the ground" on time, the consequences in terms of delay and disruption can be disastrous. It is therefore surprising that many construction contracts do not expressly allocate the risk of unexpected ground...

Contract interpretation.(10 Legal)
May 16, 2007... The Melville Dundas -v- Wimpey case shows the tension between contractual and statutory requirements. The House of Lords has issued a judgement in the first case to come before it in relation to the Housing Grants, Construction and...

Construction bosses confident revenue will rise.(01 News)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Six out of 10 construction and engineering chief executives are very confident revenue will grow over the next 12 months, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' 10th Annual Global CEO survey. The study painted a positive picture for long-term...

DCT thrives on strong delivery.(08 Features)(dialogue with Peter Greenhalgh)(Interview)
May 16, 2007... Peter Greenhalgh, managing director of Oldham-based DCT Civil Engineering, tells James Atkinson how a strong company ethos has enabled a small regional firm to win framework contracts. The challenge for both DCT and Dew is to get more work...

'Dithering' hampers Construction Act review.(01 News)(Construction Act 1998)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... The Construction Act review has hit further delays, and changes are unlikely to become law until next year, according to shadow construction minister Mark Prisk. The revelation of further hold-ups was made at the Confederation of...

John Sisk & Son wins CCS award.(01 News)(Confederation of Construction Specialists)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Negotiating lower damages and providing flexible subcontract terms saw John Sisk & Son scoop the Main Contractor of the Year Award from the membership of the Confederation of Construction Specialists. After receiving the award and pipping...

CDM co-ordinator will guide client on CDM regs.(11 Letters)(Letter to the editor)
May 16, 2007... Having fulfilled the role of principal contractor, health and safety adviser, planning supervisor and person responsible for advising clients with no previous knowledge of the construction industry, I feel compelled to respond to the letter...

Fewer trainees leads to [pounds sterling]5,000 loss for CCS.(01 News)(CCS Services Ltd financial report)(Confederation of Construction Specialists )(Financial report)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... A fall in training numbers contributed to CCS Services Ltd, the commercial arm of the Confederation of Construction Specialists (CCS), reporting a loss in pre-tax profit last year. Figures for the year ended 31 December 2006, released...

Health and safety needs to be computerised.(11 Letters)
May 16, 2007... Geoffrey Podger, chief executive of the Health & Safety Executive, recently warned of increased health and safety inspection campaigns for 2007/08 to counter the estimated 10% to 15% rise in the rate of fatal accidents. This makes it all...

Tories threaten demolition.(01 News)
May 16, 2007... Conservative replacement for building regs say housing that fails to meet efficiency targets may be torn down. ross.pearman@rbi.co.uk New-build housing estates could be torn down if housebuilders fail to meet agreed efficiency targets...

Melville/Wimpey decision is 'worrying'.(11 Letters)(Letter to the editor)
May 16, 2007... In the 2 May issue CJ reported on The House of Lords decision on the dispute between Melville Dundas and George Wimpey where Melville was a design/build contractor and Wimpey was the employer. It concerned the lack of a Withholding Notice, as...

British Precast's greener quest.(01 News)
May 16, 2007... British Precast is looking to set up a certification scheme for the cement sector, similar to that used by the Forest Stewardship Council on timber. British Precast chief executive Martin Clarke told CJ that the plan, currently being...

No Tory minister for construction.(01 News)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... The industry wouldn't get a minister with exclusive responsibility for construction under a Conservative government, shadow construction minister Mark Prisk told delegates at the Confederation of Construction Specialists' annual conference last...

01 News.
May 16, 2007... Constructing Excellence will endorse firms using KPIs and is putting data online. Suppliers may have to adopt KPIs to win work ross.pearman@rbi.co.uk Products and materials suppliers could be required to adopt industry Key...

Project banks on public sector deals from 2008.(01 News)
May 16, 2007... Government to adopt several new best practice measures after fair payment study. ross.pearman@rbi.co.uk Government departments must use project bank accounts where possible from next January following a landmark decision in Whitehall....

Rising to the biomass challenge.(08 Features)
May 16, 2007... Alfred McAlpine entered unchartered waters when taking part in the construction of the UK's largest biomass power station. Andy Moore discovers how the contractor rose to some key engineering challenges. This contract was a baptism of fire...

Contractors urged to employ the homeless.(01 News)
May 16, 2007... ConstructionSkills chief says firms must widen their search to plug skills gaps. tom.bill@rbi.co.uk Contractors must make a greater effort to employ homeless people, according to ConstructionSkills chairman Sir Michael Latham. ...

Lafarge plans September move.(01 News)(Lafarge Cement UK)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Lafarge Cement will move into its new [pounds sterling]22m Oxfordshire headquarters in September. The three-storey L-shaped building, which will be known as Portland House, will be a showcase for the creative use of concrete and cement. ...

01 News.(CFR Group fined)
May 16, 2007... Cheltenham-based construction firm CFR Group has been fined [pounds sterling]100,000 and ordered to pay [pounds sterling]33,000 in costs at the Central Criminal Court after one of its workers was electrocuted. Interserve and Al Darwish...

01 News.(Lincoln Cathedral modification contracts for UCS Civils )(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... Looking to the heavens for inspiration Rand Group subsidiary UCS Civils needed this 53m boom for a complex job at Lincoln Cathedral. It is replacing a toilet block in the courtyard - only a [pounds sterling]60,000 job, but one made harder by...

01 News.(modernization of Oxford Circus Tube station)(Brief article)
May 16, 2007... CIRCUS ACT Metronet workers put the finishing touches to a major phase of the [pounds sterling]55m modernisation programme at London's Oxford Circus Tube station. It has now completed the upgrade of the station's Central Line platforms -...