Contract Journal articles from September 2003

Contract Journal archives from September 2003

Deals done.(Kier)(Ammann Equipment)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Hire One and Ammann South Wales-based Hire One has bought 32 Yanmar mini excavators from Ammann Equipment, worth more than [pounds sterling]300,000. The order includes BO8, B15 and B25 models, and was supplied through R&N Services of Chepstow....

In brief.(MGF Trench)(Macklin Ground Engineering)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... JCB orders Perkins JCB has signed a five-year agreement with Perkins for the supply of 400C Series Stage 2, 2.2-litre and below compact engines and 4-litre engines. Perkins will deliver about 6,500 of its 400 Series units to JCB this year. ...

The modular messiah.
September 10, 2003... As director and general manager of Yorkon, it is no surprise to find Keith Blanshard keen to preach about the benefits of offsite construction. The trouble is, he tells Will Mann, most of the building industry is still unconverted. Like...

Timber time.
September 10, 2003... Despite the damage caused by the 1983 World in Action programme resulting in timber frame's share of the housing market dropping from 28% to 6%, the UK timber frame industry is fighting back. Anne McDonald explains why the sector's market share...

NFB calls for probe into illegal workers racket.(National Federation of Builders)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... The National Federation of Builders (NFB) has called on the Home Office to investigate the use of illegal workers on construction sites. The call follows a report by the London Evening Standard last week that exposed dozens of companies hiring...

Matching quality.
September 10, 2003... An increasing number of construction processes are likely to move into a factory-style production-line environment. But the offsite industry must be prepared to embrace the kind of quality assurance that is normal in the rest of...

Back bites.(Berkeley)
September 10, 2003... Crumbs How did Berkeley manage to push a controversial extra [pounds sterling]1.2m back-payment into the pocket of chief executive Tony Pidgley and survive the wrath of shareholders? Why wasn't a screaming mob howling down the proposal at the...

CRH stays stable in UK market.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... CRH, the Irish-based materials group, made an operating profit of [pounds sterling]21m in the UK in the first half of 2003, exactly the same as in the comparable period last year. UK turnover was slightly ahead at [pounds sterling]238m ([pounds...

Costain on track for [pounds sterling]920m turnover.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Rapid recovery runs ahead of chief executive's target as latest six month results produce a pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]6.1m on [pounds sterling]300m workload. Costain has dragged itself out of the danger zone and is roaring...

Bell B50D ADT prepares for mid-2004 launch.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... 50t ADT to carry extra 8t of payload. Production models of Bell Equipment's 50t ADT will be available in May or June next year. The company already has a verbal agreement for an order of six units. Bell UK director George Wilson expects...

Docwra turnover up 14%.(Clancy Docwra)
September 10, 2003... Multi-utility provision pays off at Clancy Docwra as clients opt for one-stop shop. The newly emerged market for multi-utility provision has given utility contracting specialist Clancy Docwra a useful boost to its turnover, up 14% in the...

Pettifer merges contracting.(Pettifer Group)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... The Pettifer Group has merged its two contracting businesses, Pettifer Construction and PCM Projects. Group chairman Brian Pettifer said: "The merger will enable the contracting arm to achieve a [pounds sterling]100m turnover by 2006. We intend...

Takeuchi's TB23R shows at Saltex.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... The first zero tailswing excavator has been added to Takeuchi's range in the form of the TB23R prototype on display at Saltex. At 1.4m, the machine has a wide track for its 2.1t operating weight and features an offset kingpost offering...

Lavendon looks to power access to boost profit.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Lavendon Group, Nationwide Access' parent company, has posted a pre-tax loss (on ordinary activities) of [pounds sterling]752,000 for the first six months, compared with a [pounds sterling]631,000 profit last year. While turnover was up by 5%...

HSS offers one-stop international service.(One Call International launched)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Europe, Middle East and the US franchisees offer help abroad. HSS is expanding its overseas offering with the launch of One Call International. The service is primarily aimed at UK contractors working abroad and comes in response to...

A concrete choice.
September 10, 2003... Can concrete compete with other systems in the expanding offsite market? The precast panel system that CV Buchan is supplying to Skanska for the Home Office's Immigration Removal Centre near Heathrow suggests that it can, writes Will Mann....

Training levy under fire.(Engineering Construction Industry Training Board survey on customer satisfaction and training)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... ECITB survey reports mixed messages as employers slate grant-claiming procedures. A customer satisfaction survey carried out by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) has shown "categorically" that very few employers...

Offsite market set to grow 10% each year.(offsite construction )(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... The market for offsite construction has grown from [pounds sterling]800m to [pounds sterling]879m in the past 12 months, according to new research from the Building Services Research and Information Association. And it predicts that this rate...

Cowboys are 'on the run' in Scotland.(Scotland's Construction Licensing Executive cracking down on cowboy contractors)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Scotland is now well on the way towards driving cowboy contractors out of town, according to Scottish Building chief executive Sid Patten. The building employer's chief was speaking as the first batch of 35 companies received "licensed...

John Jones wins Irish work.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... John Jones, part of the Vinci group, has taken a [pounds sterling]7.5m earthworks contract in the Republic of Ireland. The deal involves bulk earthworks on 13km of the N4/N6 Kinnegad to Kilcock motorway. Jones will be working for the Eurolink...

Contractors condemned for offsite ignorance.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Yorkon slams contractors for lack of understanding of offsite systems. The UK's leading manufacturer of modular buildings has hit out at main contractors' lack of understanding about the capabilities of offsite construction systems. Keith...

Thyssen (Great Britain) sold to Meade Corporation.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... The German mining and tunnelling group Thyssen Schachtbau has sold its [pounds sterling]60m-a-year turnover UK construction business to the Meade Corporation. There will be no job losses. Keith Jessup, who continues as managing director of...

Structural changes boost Mowlem's margin to 1.6%.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... The benefits of Mowlem's structural changes "are already apparent" said chief executive Sir John Gains as he announced the group's latest interim results. They show margins running to 1.6%, ahead of the 1.4% figure that Mowlem achieved in the...

Five battle for Highways Agency maintenance job.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... The Highways Agency (HA) is understood to be putting five firms under the microscope for a money-spinning maintenance deal in Yorkshire. Sources say that the quintet has made it through the quality assessments to the next stage of the delayed...

Mtech launches offsite training.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Offsite construction consultancy Mtech Group has launched what it claims is the industry's first training programme dedicated to offsite building methods. The programme has been developed by one of the group's divisions, Mtech Training, and...

BRE to revise ventilation regs.(Building Research Establishment )(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... A team from the Building Research Establishment (BRE) is working on plans to revise Part F of the Building Regulations, which covers ventilation. BRE is providing technical and administrative support to the Office of the Deputy Prime...

Register for the 100% Detail exhibition.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
September 10, 2003... 100% Detail, the exhibition for building materials, products and solutions, is drawing closer. The show takes place at Earls Court in London on 25-27 September alongside its sister event 100% Design. Exhibitors include ACO, Baxi Clean Air,...

Landscape products sales buoy Marshalls' turnover.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Marshalls has enjoyed a welcome boost in the sale of landscape products. Chairman Christopher Burnett said: "There has been an increase in repair and maintenance work undertaken by local authorities. The new build programme funded by increased...

Lurgi to start incinerator job.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... German firm Lurgi is gearing up to start work on a giant [pounds sterling]100m waste incinerator project in Kent. Under a turnkey deal, Lurgi will carry out both the process engineering and the construction. Work on the Allington Quarry site is...

Concrete Centre makes debut.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... A new organisation, The Concrete Centre, has been launched to provide a focal point for the [pounds sterling]5bn concrete industry. Faced with increased compet-ition from structural materials, such as steel and wood, sales of cement and...

English Partnerships promotes [pounds sterling]50m village development.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Plans for a new community project in Telford, Shropshire, will be unveiled to potential developers today. The mixed-use scheme, to be known as Lightmoor Village and valued at [pounds sterling]50m-plus, is being promoted by joint venture...

Amec consortium pulls out of [pounds sterling]150m Chelsea Barracks.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... The Amec/Berkeley Homes consortium has withdrawn from the bidding for the heavily delayed [pounds sterling]150m Ministry of Defence Chelsea Barracks PPP, leaving the Regalian Properties/Bovis Lend Lease consortium as the only contender. Norman...

ABI links safety with employers' liability.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has launched an initiative that aims to recognise good health and safety practice by construction firms in a bid to alleviate the employers' liability (EL) insurance crisis. The project involves trade...

Rail contractors in panic over NMP.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Network Rail says regional implementation teams will be in place to provide information. Rail contractors have voiced their concerns over a lack of information from Network Rail on its New Maintenance Programme (NMP). The initiative, which...

HBF warns planning changes likely to fail.(House Builders Federation )(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Changes to the planning system announced by the government last week are likely to fail in their objectives, the House Builders Federation (HBF) has warned. The announcement reduces the time for planning appeals from six months to three months;...

RMC posts flat performance as it restructures UK regions.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... RMC, the world's biggest producer of ready-mixed concrete, is to restructure its UK business: five regions will replace the current 21 operating companies. Latest financial results (six months to 30 June) show that RMC's performance in the UK...

In brief.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... David McLean Deeside wins [pounds sterling]15.5m contract David McLean's Deeside office has won a [pounds sterling]15.5m contract from Domain Melbourne Street to design and build 700 units of key worker accommodation in Newcastle. Work will...

Mowlem's Bath Spa [pounds sterling]4m over budget.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Mowlem's [pounds sterling]22m Bath Spa project for Bath & North East Somerset Council is still no nearer to completion and is [pounds sterling]4m-and-rising over budget. The latest report by the council's executive board reveals contract costs...

Oystertec woos plumbers with joining system.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Oystertec, the plumbing group that claims a revolutionary low-skill method of joining pipes, has sent starter kits to 20,000 plumbers together with incentives for them to visit their builders' merchant and buy further items. Since its launch on...

Amey and Bear get better in Scotland.
September 10, 2003... Both companies are improving, but 'could do better', says Performance Audit Group. Scotland's trunk road maintenance contractors Amey Highways and Bear Scotland are improving but could do better, according to the Performance Audit Group's...

Innumerate, illiterate and costing you [pounds sterling]1bn.
September 10, 2003... Up to 90% of students on some vocational construction courses have a substandard grasp of maths and English. A large part of the [pounds sterling]1bn lost every year as a result of mistakes in the construction industry is down to workers'...

In brief.
September 10, 2003... Adonis to build [pounds sterling]10m car showrooms Adonis Construction has won contracts worth [pounds sterling]10m to build car dealerships in Cardiff (VW), Nottingham (Reg Vardy), Tamworth (Aucott), Abingdon (Hartwells), Shrewsbury (J&P...

Manslaughter charge for Poole construction boss.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... A construction boss from Poole, Dorset appeared at the Old Bailey on Monday this week charged with the manslaughter of one of his staff. Terrence Astin was remanded on unconditional bail until 24 November when he will also face two charges...

Presenting Paul O'Grady at CJ Awards 2003.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Paul O'Grady has promised to leave behind Lily Savage - his acid-tongued, peroxide "blonde bombsite" from Berkenhead alter ego - when he presents the Contract Journal Awards. "She's on holiday in Barbados," he said. Now starring in the BBC's...

Bovis Homes sees profit up.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Bovis Homes produced an improved profit in the first half of the year, despite a drop in turnover. Pre-tax profit increased from [pounds sterling]41.5m to [pounds sterling]46m, but turnover slipped to [pounds sterling]190.6m from [pounds...

Count the cost - if you can.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Here's a worry. As many as nine out of ten construction students have such a poor grasp of English and maths that they will potentially disrupt the efficiency of the construction sites they end up working on. The revelation comes from teachers...

In brief.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... A303 inquiry date set A public inquiry into the [pounds sterling]192m dualling of the A303 at Stonehenge will start on 17 February 2004. If the plans are accepted, the Balfour Beatty/Costain jv with Halcrow-Gifford could start work in 2005....

Six Scottish waste and water projects get the go-ahead.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Six Scottish waste and water treatment contracts worth a total of [pounds sterling]30m are to get the go-ahead next month following a "hothouse" process, which has seen Scottish Water Solutions (SWS) and its framework contractors working...

NHS review to delay West Midlands PFI hospitals.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Privately financed hospital schemes in Birmingham and the Black Country are facing substantial delays following the local strategic health authority's (SHA) decision to review the region's NHS services. Hospitals plunged into limbo by the...

BAA draws up T5 M&E deal.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... BAA and its M&E contractors have drawn up a draft supplementary project agreement (SPA) for T5 for discussion with trade union Amicus. In July the union threatened to turn the T5 site into "a battleground" if BAA failed to adopt the Major...

Relationship partnering pays off.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Costain has a taken a very prudent line on calculating the value of its forward orderbook at [pounds sterling]800m as the group is near-certain to sign up to a further [pounds sterling]300m-worth of contracts. In three of its key markets -...

Final certificates.
September 17, 2003... Final certificates have been a feature of most building and engineering contracts for at least a century and a substantial case law has developed primarily concerned with the nature and extent of their evidential effect. The intention of such...

60-second interview.(Brief Article)(Interview)
September 17, 2003... 1. What is your greatest work achievement? We were part of a partnership project that helped train individuals who had been out of work for long periods, helping them back into work. Achieving Investors in People status earlier this year was...

Deals done.(briefs)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... A McAlpine and Merc Alfred McAlpine has added 81 Mercedes-Benz tippers to its fleet. The order consists of 51 Atego 2628B 6x4 tippers and 30 8x4 Actros 3235Ks. A-Plant and GenSet A-Plant has ordered [pounds sterling]1.3m worth of...

In brief.(multiple briefs)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Vp buys Indepth Hire Equipment rental company Vp has bought Staffordshire's Indepth Hire for [pounds sterling]450,000. Indepth is engaged in the hire, servicing and calibration of cleanwater management equipment and will be integrated into Vp's...

ECI route is 'enormously better'.(early contractor involvement )(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... The early contractor involvement (ECI) format for future road projects let by the Highways Agency is "enormously better" than earlier procurement routes, said chief executive John McDonough. In the roads sector, Carillion is putting the focus...

Council slams Amey Highways budget cuts move.(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Amey Highways' handling of its Scottish roads maintenance contract has come under the spotlight again this week after it was revealed that a second council has been told that its budget will be cut for the coming year, writes Ross Pearman....

Terex and Bomag agree tests.(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... HAUC extends ability test deadline for single-drum rollers. Two of the three single-drum roller manufacturers, Terex Benford and Bomag, have agreed a programme and signed a contract with the Transport Research Laboratory to test their...

Rotos versus cranes.(Greenwood Hire places order for Rotos)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Slewing telehandlers being pushed as an alternative to cranes. Scarborough-based Greenwood Hire is actively promoting Merlo's Roto slewing telehandlers as an alternative to cranes in certain lighter operations. The company has placed an...

Business as usual at WSP.(profits recorded in first half of 2003)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Consultancy group WSP is back to "business as usual" as a [pounds sterling]150m turnover in the first half of 2003 produced a healthy pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]3.5m. The group's transportation and infrastructure businesses are reported...

Tata hits UK dealers.(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Rover's parent company Phoenix is importing the Tata range of pick-ups into the UK and distributing the Indian-built vehicles nationwide through a network of 50 dealers. There are four versions of the TL pick-up with single and double cabs...

AL12 platform.(SEV's 12m truck-mounted access platforms )(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... SEV's 12m truck-mounted access platforms have started rolling off the production line in Gateshead. The AL12 has a 12.3m working height with a 4.8m outreach and has been specifically designed for mounting on 3.5t chassis. The AL12 has a 215kg...

Ennstone chief: 'freeze the levy'.
September 17, 2003... Aggregates Levy fails to dampen Ennstone's interim profit as turnover pushes ahead thanks to a buoyant performance in Scotland. The Aggregates Levy should be left unchanged for a couple of years, said Ennstone chairman and chief executive...

Bear heads for [pounds sterling]2m loss on Scots roads.(Babtie, Ennstone and Ringway consortium)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Radical shake-up fails to turn Scottish maintenance contracts into profit for Bear. Further losses of [pounds sterling]2m are expected this year on the two Scottish maintenance contracts run by the Babtie, Ennstone and Ringway (Bear)...

Sims puts Cat M322Cs to work.(Sims Metal)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... The UK's first two Cat M322C material handling wheeled excavators, featuring the new Cat 3056E electronically controlled engine, have been delivered to ferrous and non-ferrous metals recycler Sims Metal. The units have been purchased from UK...

Taking off in Madrid.
September 17, 2003... The hot dry summer weather has helped to make up lost time on the dramatic new Richard Rogers Partnership airport project in Madrid after a particularly wet winter brought delays. Words and pictures by Adrian Greeman. Hopes for good...

HBG embraces ERP.(Letter to the Editor)
September 17, 2003... Sir, There were several errors in your article on ERP, Brickbats for ERP (CJ 28 August) concerning HBG Construction. I would like to point out that the SAP system has been successfully implemented at HBG Construction, contrary to your report,...

Super Vogele.(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Vogele's 17t Super 1603-1 paver has made its UK debut following orders by Leiths (Scotland), Lagan Asphalt, White Mountain (Surfacing), FM Conway, Colas and E&JW Glendinning. The machine has an electrically-heated screed as standard (2.5m to...

Strategic Forum on target.(Letter to the Editor)
September 17, 2003... Sir, I was disappointed with the news item on the Strategic Forum "losing momentum" (CJ 3 September). First, it is necessary to get some facts right. Neither the Construction Confederation nor the National Specialist Contractors' Council have...

Carillion succeeds in winning more work at higher margins.(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Selective PFI involvement brings in [pounds sterling]930m turnover, [pounds sterling]7.7m profit and 5% margins. Carillion is winning a higher proportion of its workload at margins of about 5%. Chief executive John McDonough said that the...

Miller output to rise with new regions.(housing construction)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Miller plans to expand its housebuilding divisions from seven to nine, a move that will take the group's annual output beyond 5,000 units. The housebuilder, the eleventh-largest in the UK in volume terms, is on track to build 2,750 properties...

Quality wins road for Mowlem.(Mowlem wins contract for Welsh border)
September 17, 2003... Mowlem wins five-way battle for [pounds sterling]28m Welsh border contract on quality:price ratio. Mowlem has emerged triumphant from a five-way battle for a [pounds sterling]28m junction improvements scheme near the Welsh border. The...

Galliford back on track after [pounds sterling]3.8m spend.(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... The restructuring needed to get Galliford Try's construction division back on the rails has cost the group [pounds sterling]3.8m. Andy Sturgess was brought in as the new managing director in January. Asked to itemise the [pounds sterling]3.8m...

Portuguese dominate Home Office contract.(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Some 70% of the 200 operatives working on Bouygues' contract for the flagship Home Office development at Marsham Street in London are migrant Portuguese brought in by an agency, according to George Brumwell, general secretary of UCATT. Brumwell...

Results up at North Midland.(North Midland Construction)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... North Midland Construction has posted interim results (six months to 30 June) that show turnover higher at [pounds sterling]40m ([pounds sterling]34m) and pre-tax profit ahead at [pounds sterling]1.3m ([pounds sterling]1.2m). Nomenca, the...

back bites.
September 17, 2003... Duty over fun Demand for tickets to Contract Journal's impending industry awards night on 2 October at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane is so high that organisers have taken construction minister Nigel Griffiths' response to his invite as...

BNP targets construction.(British National Party targets construction sites)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Construction sites could soon become hotbeds of racist abuse and violence due to an increased number of British National Party (BNP) members joining unions. In one discussion group at the TUC's Brighton conference last week, union officials...

Thin-joint walling reduces deadlines.
September 17, 2003... Tarmac's Durox System uses 80% less mortar, resulting in less wastage, with a high-quality accurate finish. Housebuilder Bellway East Mid-lands said it is beating construction deadlines by up to a third by using Tarmac Topblock's thin-joint...

Darling tackles mis-spendings.(Transport secretary Alistair Darling)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Transport secretary Alistair Darling has pledged to tackle mis-spending by local authorities, writes Ross Pearman. During an evidence session on the Department for Transport's (DfT) annual report into the 10-Year Transport Plan last week,...

Contractors reconsider [pounds sterling]7m radioactive MoD job.(Ministry of Defence)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Contractors are having second thoughts about pitching for a specialist nuclear project at Faslane, Scotland. The scheme, valued at [pounds sterling]7m-plus, is to construct a radioactive processing plant for the Ministry of Defence (MoD). CJ...

OSEM to stop inferior scaffolding.(Original Scaffolding Equipment Manufacturers )(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Five of the UK's leading manufacturers and suppliers of scaffolding equipment have joined forces to address what they perceive to be one of the most important threats to safety in their industry. Under the banner of OSEM - Original Scaffolding...

More 'judicial schizophrenia' over holiday pay.(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Conflicting rulings in England and Scotland over whether rolled-up holiday pay is lawful have produced "judicial schizophrenia", according to Andrew Hogarth, QC. Hogarth will be representing UCATT in an appeal to the English Court of Appeal...

Product guide.(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Lone worker system A self-contained lone worker protection system has been added to the SBES LifeSaver system. The user wears a transmitter with a tilt sensor that activates the alarm if he falls further than 451/4 for longer than 25 seconds....

In brief.(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Countryside is partner for [pounds sterling]450m regeneration Countryside Properties has been named preferred housing partner for the [pounds sterling]450m regeneration of Grahame Park Estate in Colindale, north-west London. Subject to planning...