Contract Journal articles from October 2006

Contract Journal archives from October 2006

Taxing times.
October 4, 2006... The New Construction Industry Scheme (CIS), effective from April 2007, brings with it the potential for identity fraud, leaving contractors exposed to possible lengthy tax investigations. In the event that negligence can be established by HM...

Falcon Hire helps HSE in crane death review.
October 4, 2006... Further details are emerging about the crane collapse at Barratt Homes? Viridian site in Battersea, south London, last week that killed two people. Falcon Crane Hire of Thetford, Norfolk, supplied and erected the crane, manufactured by...

HSE crackdown across Chester.(Health and Safety Executive )(Brief article)
October 4, 2006... Work was halted on three building sites in Chester after Health & Safety Executive (HSE) officials found major problems. They also issued 12 enforcement notices during their week-long blitz of the city. Among the major faults found were...

Kier probes use of illegal timber on Parliament work.
October 4, 2006... Kier has launched an investigation after its subcontractor Wallis was caught using illegally logged timber on its refurbishment contract on the Houses of Parliament. A Greenpeace investigation uncovered more than two tonnes of bitangor...

CC clarifies new laws on age discrimination.
October 4, 2006... The Construction Confederation (CC) is so concerned with the impact of the new age discrimination legislation, which came into force on Sunday, that it has sent out a 12-page booklet explaining the new powers to all its members. Under the...

SE housing work split 13 ways.
October 4, 2006... Contract news bw-homo Thirteen contractors are set to share in ?44m- worth of new build housing work in the Ssouth of England. Social housing landlord Home Group has lined up Willmott Dixon, Durkan, Higgins, Galliford Try,...

Notts council picks trio for ?120m partnership.
October 4, 2006... bw-knotts Nottinghamshire County Council has joined forces with three East Midlands construction companies in a deal designed to save the cost and time involved in repeat bidding for individual projects. The three outfits earmarked to...

Carillion wins Cornwall college work.(Brief article)
October 4, 2006... bw-penryn Carillion has edged ahead of rivals Interserve and Midas to graduate onto a ?20m college scheme in Cornwall. The design and construct job, for the county council, involves predominantly new-build work on the 8.2 ha Penryn...

Merseyside housing scheme up for grabs.
October 4, 2006... bw-sefted Contractors are battling forto cross the Welcome mat and get among housing upgrade work on Merseyside, valued at almost ?110m. The scheme is being rolled out by One Vision Housing, a registered social housing landlord...

Amec bags Suffolk College job.(Brief article)
October 4, 2006... bw-suffolkcated Amec has registered a ?60m education-sector hit in Suffolk. The firm will redevelop Suffolk College under a two-stage tender process, with work on site due to start in January, for delivery within 18 months. ...

Withdrawal of claims in adjudication.
October 4, 2006... It will generally be agreed that if a responding party in an adjudication refuses to participate in the process or fails to submit a response, the adjudicator will be obliged to continue to publish his decision, if necessary based on his review...

David Boyden on?
October 4, 2006... Dunelm Castle Homes Dunelm Castle Homes, part of Esh Group, has announced the promotion of George Brooks to the position of commercial director. Dunelm has also appointed a new construction director, Malcolm Stewart, who joins the company from...

ProCure21 may get extension.(Brief article)
October 4, 2006... The Department of Health? ProCure21 framework may be extended for up to another five years. ProCure21 chief Rob Smith will go to health secretary Patricia Hewitt early next year with proposals for the programme to be extended. He will base...

Labour executive denies call to jail directors over safety.
October 4, 2006... Construction unions delivered a blow to official government policy last week when Labour Party conference delegates voted overwhelmingly to imprison negligent directors over site deaths. But the motion later failed. They initially voted in...

Jarvis hopes to survive as an independent.(Brief article)
October 4, 2006... Jarvis is keen to survive rather than be snapped up by a predator, but the group? latest strategic review has been interpreted as a signal that bids would be welcome. After a huge slump in share price, Jarvis? market value stands at just...

AWG set to list Morrison businesses separately.(Brief article)
October 4, 2006... AWG? two remaining Morrison businesses are in line for a separate listing on the Stock Exchange next year now they are back on an even financial keel. AWG bought Morrison for ?260m in 2000 only to discover that its due diligence process...

Pochin profit up despite poor results in construction.(Brief article)
October 4, 2006... Pochin has announced a record profit of more than ?9m, despite woeful performances in its two construction divisions. Annual turnover (12 months to 31 May) jumped ahead to ?120m (?90m), which produced a 50% rise in pre-tax profit over the...

Mayor slams capital planning.(Brief article)
October 4, 2006... London mayor Ken Livingstone has attacked the planning system and defended his housing policy. Speaking at the British Property Federation? Labour conference fringe meeting last week, the mayor said London? housing problems were more to do...

HA admits to barrier problems on M6 Toll.(Highways Agency )
October 4, 2006... The Highways Agency (HA) has finally admitted that crash barriers used on the M6 Toll Road are ?not ideal? ? 12 months after CJ first highlighted the problem. However, it appears to be in no rush to repair the problem, stating that the...

Scotland needs extra ?2bn to improve roads.
October 4, 2006... Scotland? transport infrastructure has come in for criticism from the government? spending watchdog after it revealed that nearly ?2bn in investment is needed for the region? roads and trunk roads to bring them up to the required standard. ...

HA names support contractors.
October 4, 2006... The Highways Agency has awarded contracts to provide technical and specialist support for its in-house project leaders. The successful framework firms are: Advance; AEA Technology; ARK e-management; Chris Blandford Associates; Buro Happold;...

Products sales picking up.(Brief article)
October 4, 2006... Construction product sales have strengthened in the past three months and have exceeded manufacturers? expectations, according to latest figures from the Construction Products Association. The association? Activity Barometer Survey, which...

HMRC ?untouchable? over any CIS errors.(HM Revenue & Customs)
October 4, 2006... Contractors will be denied redress from HM Revenue & Customs? mistakes under the new CIS scheme following a High Court judgment that makes the government ?untouchable?. In last week? case of Neil Martin Ltd -vs- Inland Revenue (IR), Judge...

Be inspired.
October 4, 2006... With the new university term starting across the country, at least 200 students on construction-related courses can be assured that when they graduate they will probably not be in as much debt as their peers. These 200 are the Inspire scholars,...

Summer stall for orders.
October 11, 2006... New construction orders were worth ?12.8bn in the three months to August, according to the latest data from the Department of Trade & Industry. That represents an increase of just 1% on the total for the previous three months and a healthier...

Contract Journal Construction Awards 2006 winners revealed.
October 11, 2006... The Kier group of companies scooped an impressive three trophies at last week? 11th Contract Journal Construction Awards. Kier Group Construction Division won Major Contractor of the Year; Kier Building Maintenance took the Diversity Award;...

Energy price hikes to hit construction.
October 11, 2006... Spiralling energy prices are set to add ?2.4bn to the cost of construction in the UK over the next two years, threatening the progress of the government? schools and hospitals building programme, the Construction Products Association warned...

CPA publishes shoring and piling manual.
October 11, 2006... The Construction Plant-hire Association? (CPA) Shoring Technology Interest Group has published Safety in Shoring ? the proprietary Shoring and Piling Equipment Manual. Sections of the 64-page book cover shoring design considerations,...

CPA appeals to councils as filter rules progress.
October 11, 2006... The London Code of Practice, which will require plant on some construction sites in Greater London to be fitted with diesel particulates filters (DPF), is to be published next month. Under the Code, most plant with engines above 37kW will...

Deutz extends life of lube oil.
October 11, 2006... Deutz has developed a lube oil analysis system that it claims will extend standard oil change intervals by up to 100% (maximum 1,000hrs). The new service range will consist of a diagnostic system called Deutz Oil Diagnosis (DOD) and new...

Finning boss retires.(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... Finning International has announced that its UK managing director Nick Lloyd is retiring after 38 years with the company. He will be replaced by Andy Fraser, group vice-president of Finning Canada. Lloyd, who will retire on 31...

New Grove crane saves space.
October 11, 2006... Manitowoc Crane Group has launched a crane that it claims will use a new concept in lifting engineering. The Grove GTK1100 uses a wheeled mobile carrier with a vertical telescopic boom mast and a luffing telescopic boom at its top. ...

Case rebuilds UK network.(Saville Tractors)(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... Case has appointed a dealer to replace the Airdrie branch of the beleaguered Saville Tractors, which went into administration following the death of Andy Ross, founding director of its parent company Thornycroft (1862). The manufacturer is...

Chepstow opts for 70t Volvo.
October 11, 2006... Chepstow Plant has taken delivery of the first 70t Volvo EC700BLC to go to work in the UK, as part of an order for seven Volvo machines. The firm also ordered five A40D articulated haulers and a Volvo EC460B excavator, rigged for mass...

Tenders to be vetted to improve efficiency.(Office of Government Commerce)
October 11, 2006... Local authority tenders are being monitored by a newly launched government initiative known as OJEU Watch, in a bid to make council procurement more efficient. Under the initiative, which was launched last month, all local authority...

Politicians back industry on its green performance.
October 11, 2006... The construction industry? role in delivering environmental performance has received belated backing from both main political parties. In a fringe meeting at the Conservative party conference, Mark Prisk, the shadow minister for small...

Corus steels itself for crash barrier dispute.
October 11, 2006... Corus has waded back into the row over the most appropriate motorway crash barriers with the launch of a new steel product. The development of the Protect 365 steel barrier follows the decision by the Highways Agency (HA) to allow only...

ASI demos road resurfacing for TfL.(Transport for London )(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... Infrared road repair specialist ASI held a demonstration on the Old Kent Road last week to persuade Transport for London (TfL) of the merits of its Rhinopatch system as TfL considers introducing the system across the capital. Among others...

Tarmac urges recruitment drive.
October 11, 2006... Materials giant Tarmac has warned of the ?huge potential impact? of failing to recruit enough people into the sector. Speaking at the launch of a campaign to persuade people there? more to construction than the skilled trades, Lesz...

Whitfield thrown out of federation.
October 11, 2006... The Federation of Master Builders has expelled Whitfield Construction (Staffs) Ltd for bringing the organisation into disrepute. The decision was taken by the north-west regional complaints committee, who found that Whitfield was providing...

A McAlpine rakes in ?120m-worth of work.
October 11, 2006... bw-alfie Alfred McAlpine has clinched a raft of contracts totalling ?120m-plus. The jewel in the crown is a ?40m deal to deliver utility services to the Edinburgh tram network. Utility diversion work is due to kick off next spring....

Four set sail with ?20m Southampton office bids.
October 11, 2006... bw-cruising Four outfits are vying to sail away with a ?20m deal for cruise shipping company Carnival, which owns famous lines such as Cunard and P&O. Bowmer & Kirkland, Warings, Wates and HBG are all on the passenger list for the...

Balfour jv leads in East London deal.
October 11, 2006... bw-extend Sources claim that thesay that at this stage of the game, a joint venture between Balfour Beatty and Carillion is pulling away from its remaining rival, Laing O?Rourke/Amey/Vinci, as the journey to a ?450m rail deal in London...

Wrekin wins fight for ?8m RAF scheme.(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... bw-hushhush Wrekin has risen to the challenge with a price of ?7.97m to snatch from five rivals the enabling works for Project Phoenix at RAF Menwith Hill, near Harrogate. The job will clear the way for the replacement of the top...

Four vie for ?15m Leeds uni project.(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... Contract newsbw-leedz Four outfits are chasing a ?15m deal for the University of Leeds. Allenbuild, HBG, Miller and Balfour Beatty have worked up stage one design and build tender proposals for a student services building. The...

Two Stratford DLR deals move on to next phase.
October 11, 2006... bw-lightenup Two major projects totalling up to ?150m on London? Docklanmds Light Railway (DLR) system have taken a big shunt forward. Both deals centre on Stratford International station. Five contractors are set to pick up the tender...

EP progresses on Milton Keynes and Wallingford hospital work.
October 11, 2006... bw-milton Six developers are vying for a flagship redevelopment deal in central Milton Keynes. Regeneration agency the Milton Keynes Partnerships, a sub-division of English Partnerships (EP), has lined up Bouwfonds, Crest Nicholson, Lend Lease,...

Brighton sewage work down to the final two.(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... bw-wasted Southern Water now has only has two teams to choose from for a ?200m deal to build a massive sewage treatment plant near Brighton. Sources say that Skanska, a third outfit selected to price the deal, has pulled out of the...

Driver killed by Bardon lorry.(Bardon Aggregates )(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... A digger driver working on the extension of the Masterfoods headquarters in Leicestershire was killed last week when a Bardon Aggregates lorry overturned on him. Richard Kenny of Earl Shilton in Leicestershire, aged 48, was operating the...

NFDC launches guide on high-reach rig use.(National Federation of Demolition Contractors)(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... The National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC) has launched guidance notes on the use of high-reach demolition rigs, in a move to promote best practice. Launched at its convention in Barcelona last weekend, the guide is intended...

Social engineering.
October 11, 2006... John Hindle is back in his element. Having begun his career in civil engineering, the United House director? latest project, the company? most challenging engineering undertaking to date, is allowing him to get his hands dirty again. ...

Confusion over safety resolution.(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... An error in transcription led to some confusion over last week? report on the Labour Party conference. A resolution on safety moved by the TGWU and UCATT was carried overwhelmingly on a show of hands by conference delegates. This called...

Tower Hill statue to mark builders? role.
October 11, 2006... A 9ft bronze statue of a building worker is being unveiled today (11 October) at Tower Hill in London by Alan Ritchie, UCATT general secretary, and Ken Livingstone, mayor of London. The statue marks building workers? contribution to the...

Holiday pay scheme boosts B&CE profit.(B&CE benefits company )(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... The B&CE benefits company last year saw an 11% increase in total receipts for its holiday pay, EasyBuild pension, and accident and death cover schemes. Income rose from ?357m to ?396m for the year ended 31 March, according to the company?...

Heating operatives to vote on new pay deal.(Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association)(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... Operatives in the heating and ventilating sector are set to vote on a new three-year pay settlement said to be worth about 11% overall. It will give an average increase of 3.7% per year. The employers? offer is being recommended for...

Campaign urges government to commit to coal amid job losses.
October 11, 2006... Opencast coal operatives have launched a fresh campaign urging the government to commit to coal as part of its energy strategy. The move comes in the face of a loss of more than a fifth of all domestic opencast jobs. ?Coal is providing 33%...

Length-of-service salary increases get thumbs-up.
October 11, 2006... Despite at least one national press report to the contrary, the consensus of legal opinion is that pay increases linked to length of service remain perfectly legal in the wake of a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice. The...

Imtech to spend ?100m on bid to join top three.(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... Dutch group Imtech has a ?100m war chest for further acquisitions in the UK. The plan is to either strengthen its M&E presence through one national player or a series of regional operators. Imtech? policy is to become a top three player in...

Laing O?Rourke betters profit by ?10m.(Laing O'Rourke PLC)
October 11, 2006... Laing O?Rourke? pre-tax profit has jumped to ?34m, a rise of ?10m over the figure achieved in the previous year. Latest annual results (12 months to 31 March) show turn-over well ahead at ?2.3bn (previous year: ?1.9bn). Ray O?Rourke,...

Osborne sells CWO to mbo.(Cathedral Works Organisation)(management buy-out)(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... Osborne has sold its stone-masonry subsidiary, which employs 81 people, to a management buy-out team. Cathedral Works Organisation (CWO) has a turnover of ?5m a year and is based in Chichester. Leading the eight-man mbo team were...

Metronet consortium profit down to ?29m.
October 11, 2006... Metronet, the consortium that holds two of the three 30-year PPP contracts for the ?15bn upgrade of the ageing London Underground, has made a pre-tax profit of ?29m ? well down on last year? figure of ?47m. The group operates through two...

Waterman profit rises to ?4.2m.(sales and earnings of the company)(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... Waterman, the consultancy group, has reported a pre-tax profit of ?4.2m (?3.8m). Managing director Bob Campbell said he was ?delighted? with the performance. Latest annual results (12 months to 30 June) show turn-over higher at ?83m...

Taking an interest.
October 11, 2006... Not so very many years ago, in the early 1980s, the courts of England tended to behave as if interest did not exist and would not contemplate awarding interest as a part of the general damages suffered by a claimant as a consequence of a breach...

Group voices fears on 2012 retentions.(Specialist Engineering Contractors Group)(Brief article)
October 11, 2006... The Specialist Engineering Contractors (SEC) Group has added nine new clients to its retention-free list but is still campaigning to get the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) on board. ?We have written to the ODA to strongly argue that there...

The Inspace age.
October 11, 2006... Colin Enticknap has had a busy 18 months. He floated Inspace out of Willmott Dixon in May 2005, returned to the mothership a year later to acquire its new build social housing business and affordable homebuilder Widacre Homes for ?64.5m, and is...

The big beast stirs.
October 11, 2006... Britain? biggest housebuilder is finally climbing aboard the sustainability bandwagon. But is Persimmon really going green ? or it just playing the chameleon? Paul Howard finds out. If the construction industry in general is perceived to be...

Apply now for 3 Peaks Challenge.(COINS 3 Peaks Challenge 2007)
October 18, 2006... The construction industry has made a fantastic initial response to Contract Journal? call to take part in the COINS 3 Peaks Challenge 2007 with applications already in for half the available team places after just three weeks. For those...

September?s fall.(Company rankings)
October 18, 2006... Balfour Beatty spent its second month at the top of the CJ50 table in September, with by far the biggest total of the month: its forward orders reached nearly ?369m. It was otherwise a fairly quiet month, with the overall total down more...

Nissan?s new Cabstar makes size and safety its priority.
October 18, 2006... Nissan? new Cabstar boasts an even bigger cab for European users, plus improved safety and new engines. The three-across forward-control cab is 15cm wider inside than its predecessor and a more vertical A pillar keeps the roof away from the...

Rush to register bad for the environment.
October 18, 2006... A massive jump in truck registrations in September has strengthened calls by manufacturers for the government to reintroduce the Reduced Pollution Certificates (RPC). September? truck registrations leaped 35% to 8,540 units as fleet owners...

Buried treasure.
October 18, 2006... The ?83m Leigh Sports Village is the most significant investment in public sports, recreation and education facilities in the Wigan and Leigh Borough for many years. Despite the site? considerable size ? some 220ha ? the development team was...

Paradise regained.
October 18, 2006... The Paradise Project is one of the most visible regeneration schemes underway in Liverpool at the moment as it gears up to become European City of Culture in 2008. The huge site will eventually boast 40 new buildings, some of which will be city...

Heavy rock.
October 18, 2006... Constructing a new landfill cell, even one that is directly adjacent to an existing operating landfill site, should be a relatively uncomplicated business: excavate, install whatever drainage channels are required, line with engineered clay and...

Keeping track of change.
October 18, 2006... It has been a big year for mid-weight tracked excavators, with new and upgraded products being launched by a number of manufacturers. The main reason for this high level of activity is legislation, as all manufacturers will have to ensure that...

Corus adds to range of sections.(Brief article)
October 18, 2006... Corus has launched a range of structural sections and renamed some of its old favourites in line with the new Construction Products Directive. Universal beams UB and universal columns UC will be renamed UKB and UKC and will come under...

Green Building Council plots sustainable future.
October 18, 2006... Twenty founding members attended the inaugural meeting of the Green Building Council last week at Stanhope? offices. Their mission is to dramatically improve the sustainability of the built environment. At the same time, they will benefit...

ICE urges the government to raise spending.(Institution of Civil Engineers )(Brief article)
October 18, 2006... The government? management of the water and wastewater infrastructure is worsening, with more spending needed on mains replacement, better management of resources, more planning and more public education needed, according to the Institution of...

Mayor launches plans to take the heat off London.(Brief article)
October 18, 2006... Buildings need to be designed to stay cool and the materials used for making roads, roofing and pavements should reflect and not absorb heat, according to a report just released on protecting London. The urban heat island phenomenon was...

R McAlpine wins Olympic stadium.
October 18, 2006... A high tech design of collapsible roofs and movable structures may have been the clincher for Team McAlpine? winning bid for the Olympic stadium. The consortium comprises Sir Robert McAlpine as construction contractor, HOK Sport as...

Grindex launches new pump range with stainless steel.
October 18, 2006... Pump manufacturer Grindex has launched the Inox range of pumps, comprising three drainage and three sludge pumps made from stainless steel. The new pumps have been designed with corrosive applications with pH values of 2-10 in mind, such...

SGB provides WAHR experts for assembly.(Work at Height Regulations )(Brief article)
October 18, 2006... SGB has launched a service for companies that lack the expertise or confidence to set up equipment in accordance with the Work at Height Regulations (WAHR). The Taskmaster service will guarantee a team of fully-trained staff who can...

Toyota rolls out updated Hiace van.
October 18, 2006... Toyota? re-engineered Hiace van offers more power and torque, as well as reduced fuel consumption and emissions. The entry-level machine uses a 2.5l D-4D 95 common-rail diesel engine, producing 8% more power (at 70kW) and with torque up 20%...

Dutch double in Cat challenge.(Caterpillar Operator Challenge )(Brief article)
October 18, 2006... Dutchman Peter van Schaik has won the ninth annual Caterpillar Operator Challenge ? his second consecutive victory and the fifth for his country. Top UK operator Donald Doherty, of Dumbarton-based Doherty & Lafferty, reached eighth place...

Migrant workers face higher safety risks.
October 18, 2006... ?I saw one person, a labourer, being fired. He broke the rules. He was working on a window and was leaning too far out. He was warned, but he continued to do it. Probably I think he didn? understand English.? These words, from an interview with...