A prototype biomimetic tree has been built that generates electricity when wind blows through its artificial leaves. The researchers think such technology may help people charge household appliances without the need for large wind turbines.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170131124330.htm
A new hand-held breath monitor can potentially detect the flu virus.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170131185855.htm
Mechanical engineers have demonstrated a tiny whirlpool that can concentrate nanoparticles using nothing but sound. The innovation could gather proteins and other biological structures from blood or urine samples for future diagnostic devices.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170126113627.htm
Researcher have developed a novel graphene-based infrared (IR) detector demonstrating record high sensitivity for thermal detection. Graphene’s unique attributes pave the way for high-performance IR imaging and spectroscopy.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170131104559.htm
Scientists have successfully developed flexible, high performance and low-power driven terahertz (THz) emitters that could be mass-produced at low cost. This novel invention is a major technological breakthrough and addresses a critical challenge for industrial application of THz technology.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170131093138.htm
Biomedical researchers have engineered the first examples of biomimetic structures composed from a mysterious class of proteins that lack any sort of internal structure. Researchers reveal the ability to control the self-assembly and disassembly of these structures in an organized manner.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170131093131.htm
Spider silk offers new inspiration for developments in artificial muscle technology. The silk of the Ornithoctonus Huwena spider demonstrates impressive weight-lifting abilities with efficient, water-driven actuation.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170131104427.htm
Researchers have developed a method that improves the growth of microalgae, which could have big implications for production of biofuels and other valuable chemicals.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170130224754.htm
Balfour Beatty has got the planning green light to start the first 300 homes of its planned 1,500-home development at London’s Olympic Park.
Two new neighbourhoods known as Eastwick and Sweetwater will be built to the West of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park near the Here East Centre.
Balfour Beatty’s construction arm will deliver all building work, which is expected to generate £400m, while the group’s investment arm injects £35m over eight years, representing 50% of the equity required.
The development will be constructed in phases over eight years creating 50 apprenticeships and sustaining 350 construction jobs at peak.
The transformational project at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London is being delivered in a 50:50 joint venture with Places for People, which will manage sales and letting.
It will create two new neighbourhoods, to be called East Wick and Sweetwater, with up to 1,500 homes including 450 affordable homes, 530 homes for private sale and 500 private rented sector homes.
Outgoing Interserve chief executive Adrian Ringrose will replace James Wates as chairman of The Prince’s Trust Built Environment Leadership Group.
Wates is stepping down in March after three years at the group. Over the last decade the Trust has changed the lives of over 6,000 young people, helping them find work in one of the built environment sectors, particularly in construction and facilities management.
Under Ringrose during the next three years the Trust aims to step up its programme providing training and career opportunities to 10,000 young people in construction.
Ringrose said: “It is a win-win situation for the industry: while we are doing our bit to help young people, we are also addressing a worrying skills shortage which is affecting our businesses.
“My aim, as chairman, will be to encourage companies to invest in Prince’s Trust programmes, offer tangible outcomes, work placements and volunteering opportunities. I hope to see The Trust’s reputation grow as a partner of choice for the industry.”
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff has been appointed consultant by Arena Central Development for the third building at the Birmingham city centre development.
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is providing a range of consultancy services including structural engineering, geo-environmental investigation, demolition, traffic and transportation for the 14-storey 240,782 square feet office development.
Director Malcolm Davidson said: “We are delighted to be working on such a high profile city centre development, and the appointment is testament to our long standing relationship with Miller Developments and our expertise in a range of areas relating to engineering and consultancy, which we have already demonstrated on other local sites including Snow Hill 3 and the Bullring.
“Arena Central will play a big part in bolstering the city’s office market, and offers the prestige required in what is fast becoming recognised as a world-class city.
John Sisk will start construction of the new International Convention Centre Wales in March at the Celtic Manor Resort.
The contractor was confirmed this week as a funding deal for the development was agreed with NatWest for the 50/50 develoment partnership between Welsh Government and Celtic Manor Resort.
A statement from the joint venture said: “A construction contract was also signed with the principal building contractor, John Sisk and Son, who have worked diligently and pro-actively over the past 12 months to ensure construction costs remained within budget.”
The £83.7m scheme will be capable of accommodating up to 5,000 delegates with a total floor space exceeding 26,000 square metres.
It is projected that the new centre will open for business in June 2019.
Stephen Bowcott, Chief Executive of Sisk Group said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been entrusted with one of the most prestigious and important construction projects in Wales and to be using local suppliers and workers.”
Excavation work has already begun on land adjacent to the Resort Hotel and existing Convention Centre at Celtic Manor, clearing the way for the two-year construction project to start in March.
Keepmoat has been picked to deliver a £26m student accommodation scheme for the University of Durham.
Neville’s Cross Student accommodation will be delivered by the firm on behalf of County Properties with funding arranged by Glasgow-based Maven Capital Partners.
The site is based on the edge of the Durham Conservation area and is named after the battle of Neville’s Cross, which took place in the area in 1346.
Keepmoat will build 274 high quality en-suite studio bedrooms across six blocks. The buildings are designed to reach BREEAM Outstanding rating, making it one of the most sustainable student campuses in the UK.
Lee Francis, Area Director for Keepmoat in the North East, said: “We have delivered extensive schemes across the North East, including new build homes, properties for older people and those with care needs; as well as new build and refurbishment work on public buildings.
“We have continued to expand into new markets and are delighted to be working in partnership with County Properties and Maven not only to widen the housing options for students within the region, but also to offer a sustainable product that will benefit the wider the community.
“We will be utilising a number of construction methods, including off-site manufactured bathroom pods, which will minimise disruption locally; and a number of employment and training opportunities will also arise throughout the duration of the build process.”
Guidance to help large contractors report on how quickly they pay their suppliers will be published today.
The move comes as regulations are laid in parliament confirming that from April all large companies will have to publically report twice a year on their payment practices and performance – including the average time taken to pay supplier invoices.
Failure to report will be a criminal offence.
Small Business Minister Margot James said: “It’s completely unacceptable that small and medium-sized businesses are owed £26.3 billion in late payments, which hampers their ability to grow and has no place in an economy that works for all.
“Large businesses have an important role to play and the guidance published today will help them fulfil their responsibilities and improve payment practices across the board.”
The new laws will apply to all firms with a turnover above £36m or employing more than 250 people.
Mike Cherry, National Chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “The new duty to report is the centrepiece of the government’s transparency agenda to combat poor payment practice.
“We welcome this as an important tool to change a UK business culture where it is deemed acceptable to pay small firms late.
“We estimate that if payments were made promptly, 50,000 business deaths could be avoided every year, adding £2.5 billion to the UK economy.”
Researchers have developed a wearable, wireless sensor that can monitor a person’s skin hydration to detect dehydration before it poses a health problem. The device is lightweight, flexible and stretchable and has already been incorporated into prototype devices that can be worn on the wrist or as a chest patch.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170130111030.htm
What has fungi got to do with architecture? Or what if we could digitally change the colors or patterns of our clothes, instead of buying new ones? The ArcInTexETN project has reached its halfway stage and the PhD students are in the midst of processing their research questions.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170130083302.htm
AECOM has secured five design services contracts for Highways England worth more than £25m in fees.
The haul covers maintenance, improvements and upgrades to motorways and major ‘A’ roads across the country.
Among the contracts is a multi-disciplinary design role on three A38 junction improvements around Derby.
It will also design enhancements on the A47 at in East Anglia at A47/A11 Thickthorn junction and several improvements at junctions on the A47/A12 near Great Yarmouth.
AECOM is also design consultant Areas 6 and 8, which cover East Anglia and the East of England through Highways England’s collaborative delivery framework.
This includes more than 50 asset maintenance projects on the M1, A1 and A5 over the next two years.
The final two deals are for upgrading junctions 12-12 of the M62 and M6 junctions 21a – 26 to become smart motorways, working with sub-consultant Mouchel.
Dave Beddell, Highways Director – Europe, AECOM, said: “ With the majority of work delivered from offices local to the project locations, our teams will work collaboratively with Highways England and our supply chain partners to provide long-term benefits for road users across the country.”
Liverpool City Council has awarded Osborne the £18m contract to create a new dual carriageway on a major route into the city centre.
Osborne’s Liverpool based project team will start work in April to widen the A565 (Great Howard Street/Derby Road).
The new 2.7km long stretch in the city’s Atlantic corridor is seen as crucial to a new creative village in the area – called Ten Streets – with the council set to announce a vision for the scheme this week.
The new dual carriageway will also pave the way for a major revamp of the historic Regent Road – aka “the Dock Road” – to make it more pedestrian and bike friendly.
Osborne will carry-out the work in three phases with completion due by Spring 2019.
Councillor Malcom Kennedy, Liverpool’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “I’m delighted a company committed to engaging local Liverpool supply partners has won this contract as we are very keen to ensure Liverpool’s regeneration stimulates the local economy at every level.”
John Dowsett, Managing Director – Infrastructure at Osborne, said: ‘’This award is highly significant in our business strategy as we continue to target opportunities with forward thinking Local Authorities who recognise the importance and value of a collaborative approach with their partners and suppliers.
“This project presents another excellent opportunity to support our public authority customers in the on-going challenge of delivering increasing highway capacity within reducing capital and operational budgets.
“Working with Liverpool City Council further enhances our growing geographical presence and expansion into the North West.’’
Plans have been unveiled for a new £50m retail, office and leisure scheme at South Yorkshire’s largest ever brownfield mixed-use redevelopment.
Developers Dransfield Properties and Harworth Group have teamed up to deliver the 12-acre scheme at Waverley.
The project will include a food store, shops, offices, medical centre, gym and 470-space car park.
The development will formally link the Advanced Manufacturing Park and the residential area with needed retail and leisure facilities.
A planning application is scheduled to be submitted in Spring 2017 and will include a transport hub for Rotherham to improve connectivity to the region as well as a hotel and a new medical centre to serve the growing business and residential area.
This is the latest phase of Waverley’s development. Yorkshire’s leading brownfield development is already home to 600 homes and the AMP which includes world-leading firms including Rolls-Royce and Boeing. The next 15 years will see up to 3,400 further homes built, in addition to a further 1m sq. ft of manufacturing space to further grow the AMP.
Owen Michaelson, Chief Executive of Harworth Group, said “We are delighted to partner with Dransfield for this significant development on our flagship site.
“We expect the local centre to become central to the Waverley community, as it co-joins the AMP and the residential area, offering a range of essential facilities and bringing hundreds of job opportunities to the region.”
Highways England has teamed up with 18 contractors to improve highways in Cumbria and North Lancashire, and the North East of England.
The new-style framework, worth up to £434m, will start in April and covers 10 different specialisms of work split into 15 separate lots.
The framework covers a range of activities that include renewal work to roads and bridges, and improvement schemes on the Highways England road network.
Interserve, Carnell Support Services and Galliford Try feature among the main civils packages.
The framework is part of the Asset Delivery contracts which will see Highways England directly managing both routine maintenance and the delivery of capital renewal and improvement schemes.
This marks a change from previous way of working, bringing the management of key functions in-house and taking greater control of the road network.
The first of these types of contracts began operation in the East Midland’s region in July last year.
The new framework contractors will work alongside Kier Highways which has maintenance responsibility in Area 13 and CH2M Costain joint venture has Area 14. Amey OW has the design service contract in both regions.
David Poole, Executive Director for commercial and procurement at Highways England, said: “These contracts demonstrate our commitment to increasing capability and understanding within Highways England and bringing Highways England closer to our customers.
“Collaboration with our supply chain is key to our new way of working and we are looking forward to establishing a successful, long-term relationship with the appointed contractors.”
Highways England will be working with the successful contractors to ensure that they are mobilised and ready to begin delivering key services from 1 April 2017.
American consulting giant CH2M is reported to approached UK rival Atkins about a possible £3bn-plus merger.
The two consulting engineers have worked together in recent years on major UK infrastructure works, including the London Olympic Games, as delivery partner on HS2 phase one and early design for Crossrail 2.
According to a report in the Times today CH2M is believed to have made a senior level approach at the end of last year to explore whether a tie-up could work. But it is unclear how far talks developed.
CH2M expanded in the UK back in 2011 when its swooped up another engineering consultant Halcrow.
The US firm is the largest of the two businesses employing about 25,000 employees in more than 50 countries, with around £4.3bn revenue. Atkins has more than 18,000 employees helping to generate about £1.9bn in turnover.
Both engineering group’s have a global reach with Atkins keen to expand in Denver-based CH2M’s home US market.
Likewise CH2M could benefit from Atkins’ UK presence as well as gaining access to European markets such as Scandinavia, where Atkins is one of the top engineering and design consultancies.
Both groups would also strengthen their presence in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
“It is our policy not to comment on rumour and speculation,” said an Atkins spokesman.
Laing O’Rourke has confirmed the current scale of its losses on an ill-fated PFI hospital job in Canada.
The figures are contained in the firm’s annual report for the year to March 31 2016 which has now been made public.
And it highlights the huge write-downs on O’Rourke’s joint venture with Spanish contractor Obrascón Huarte Lain on the Montreal project.
The report states: “Profit after tax from joint venture companies fell from a profit of £1.2 million in 2015 to a £86.8 million loss, due entirely to a £93.1 million write-down of a major construction joint venture in Canada.
“The write-down in this contract was due to additional costs due to programme slippage including damages payable after the original substantial completion date was not achieved.
“The client and the joint venture project team have now agreed to target substantial completion in the last quarter of the year ending 31 March 2017.
“Whilst the scale and complexity of this contract means the position is not without risk, management believe project progress together with recent alignment of programme with the
client significantly de-risks the company from further material slippage.”
Further details in the report show O’Rourke racked-up exceptional costs of £43.3m during the year for redesign work on three Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) construction contracts in the UK.
A Liverpool contractor has been fined after pleading guilty to illegally interfering with the public water supply without consent during construction of an apartment block
Carpenter Projects Ltd of London Road had built an apartment complex on Princeton Place in the City.
Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard the firm had illegally interfered with the public water supply without consent from United Utilities.
The water company first received telephone contact from an occupier of one of the flats at Princeton Place reporting a chemical and metallic odour to the water supply.
Specialist water quality sampling was undertaken, which indicated the presence of high concentrations of organic compounds in the water being supplied from the taps within the property
The Cheshire & Merseyside Health Protection Team and United Utilities issued a precautionary “Do Not Drink” advice to the occupants in Block A and B Princeton Place whilst investigations continued.
The court heard thirty-one customers called United Utilities emergency control centre for help between 26 April and 07 May 2016.
Carpenter Projects confirmed the connection was first made on or around July 2014 and that they as the Principal Contractor for the development had instructed subcontractors to attach the pipe to the public water supply.
Counsel for United Utilities, said significant efforts were made to locate the source connection given there had been no formal application.
There was no indication of where or how this had been done, or whether the method of connection was safe or met the relevant UK regulatory requirements for the provision of drinking water to domestic properties.
High-tech specialist equipment called a ‘thumper’ device had to be used to locate underground water pipes by sending a rhythmic pulse and then picking up the noise with ground microphones.
The investigation led engineers to a connection point located on Caryl Street, which was hidden.
Water engineer spent weeks laying new pipework and inspecting alterations of internal pipework to ensure the 100-bed apartment blocks could be supplied with safe clean drinking water.
Carpenter Projects Ltd was ordered to pay a total of £4,770 by a District Judg after the company accepted culpability.
It pleaded guilty to one breach interfering with a water main without consent under section 174(1)(a) of the Water Industry Act 1991.
Wates Construction is set to start the redevelopment of the Royal College of Surgeons’ historic London building in the autumn.
The redevelopment plans will see the grade II listed front of the building retained on Lincoln’s Inn Fields.
The remaining rear building, which was built in the 1950s after catastrophic bomb damage during the during the Second World War, will be demolished and replaced with modern offices and teaching accommodation.
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Construction is programmed to start in early 2018 with the project due to be completed in 2020.
Wates will construct a new two-level basement that is deeper than the existing with a six storey concrete structural frame above.
The building designed by architect Hawkins\Brown will provide a new entrance on Portugal Street and featuring a naturally lit new central stairwell.
The site is currently occupied by the RCS who will decant to the adjacent Nuffield Building for the duration of the building works.
New atrium and staircase to bring light into new building
New Portugal Street entrance leading into the Hunterian Museum
Surgeons have operated on a patient with retinal vein occlusion using a surgical robot. Operated by an eye surgeon, the robot uses a needle of barely 0.03 millimeter to inject a thrombolytic drug into the retinal vein of the patient.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170126142844.htm
Researchers have combined genetic engineering, super-resolution microscopy and biocomputation to allow them to see in 3D the protein machinery inside living cells. The study unveils key functional features of an assembly of proteins that is vital for animals and plants.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170126123131.htm
Surprising direction-dependent effects emerge when light is guided in microscopic structures. This discovery shows promise for both classical and quantum information processing.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170127112948.htm
Engineers have developed a new technique to test for a wide range of micropollutants in lakes, rivers and other potable water sources that vastly outperforms conventional methods. The new technique – using high-resolution mass spectrometry – assessed 18 water samples collected from New York state waterways. A total of 112 so-called micropollutants were found in at least one of the samples.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170123151322.htm
Electrical engineers have created the world’s first structured metamaterial made without metal that can absorb electromagnetic energy. The advance has direct applications in imaging, sensing and lighting.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170127131249.htm
Ribbons and single-atom chains of boron would have unique physical and electronic properties, according to theoretical physicists.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170127113033.htm
Scientists have identified the opportunities they see ahead for scalable membrane materials based on rigid, engineered pore structures. They say the most promising materials are scalable for use in compact modules and take advantage of entropy at the molecular level to moderate the separation selectivity of membranes.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170126082029.htm
Liverpool City Council is set to sell its former administrative headquarters to a Singapore based developer who plan to turn it into a hotel.
The sale of the Municipal Building on Dale Street to Fragrance Group Limited (FGL) is set to be rubber-stamped next month.
The Grade II listed city centre office is expected to be handed over in Spring.
Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, Cabinet member for regeneration, said: “Municipal Building has been a magnificent home for Liverpool City Council since the 1860s but we no longer have the staff numbers to justify retaining it.
“I’m delighted we have a buyer of international repute who is looking to use Liverpool to break into the UK and European hotel market.
“This will have a great impact in terms of generating jobs and bosting out international appeal.
“We will work with FGL to ensure that its future use protects the building’s unique architectural features, as we have done with the neighbouring Municipal Annexe and Royal Insurance Building which have also recently been brought back into use as four star hotels.
“The sale will bring in much needed money which we can reinvest in reducing the costs of our capital infrastructure programme, as well as delivering ongoing savings by lowering our overheads.”
The building is on three floors with an extensive basement, and covers 11,494 square metres.
Council workers are being moved to other existing sites across the city.
Consultants are being called up to bid for the detailed design on a 26 mile stretch of the A96 from east of Huntly to Aberdeen.
The contract, which could be worth up to £50m, is expected to be awarded later this year.
Work covers the eastern section of the Scottish Government’s ambitious programme to dual the A96 from Inverness to Aberdeen by 2030.
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, Keith Brown said: “This major contract marks a further milestone towards the dualling of the A96.
“This contract will provide the successful bidders with steady work for years to come and many more opportunities for small and medium enterprises through subcontracted work, so it will be a boost for the local and national economy.
He added: “At the same time, we are progressing other parts of the A96 dualling programme with draft orders published for the Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) late last year and design work underway for the western section between Hardmuir and Fochabers.
The 100 high pylon for Sunderland’s new £117m bridge is set to be lifted into position in the coming two weeks.
The 1550-tonne A-frame tower will be raised at the site of the city’s new bridge over the River Wear during a carefully orchestrated operation that is likely to take up to 24 hours to complete.
Nothing of this scale has been lifted in this way in the UK since the London Eye was raised in 1999.
The white pylon was transported to the site of the New Wear Crossing from the Port of Sunderland during the early hours of last Thursday.
The New Wear Crossing is being built on behalf of Sunderland City Council by Farrans Construction and Victor Buyck Steel Construction.
During this week, it has been rotated into position and now work is underway to attach the pylon to the foundations that have been built into the riverbed to support it.
Preparation works for the raising operation are taking place this week and early next. The team is preparing to raise the pylon sometime during the next fortnight.
Once raised into position, it will take several weeks for the team to secure the pylon to the foundations, in readiness for the next section of bridge deck to be pulled out across the river.
The bridge is on track to be complete in the spring of 2018.
Skanska is understood to have signed the contract to build the £90m St Giles Circus scheme next to Tin Pan Alley in London.
Consolidated Developments is planning to build a hotel and 800-seat venue and events space building behind London’s world famous music hotspot on Denmark Street, next to Centrepoint.
Designed by architects Orms, the revised scheme includes two new bronze clad buildings on St Giles High Street as well as the refurbishment of two listed buildings on Denmark Place.
The contractor is waiting for final site clearance before starting the project in the next few months.
The larger of the two new buildings includes an urban gallery for exhibitions and an underground 800 capacity music venue.
Richard Metcalfe at Consolidated Developments, said: “St Giles Circus is set to continue as an internationally recognised destination for music commerce, culture, creativity and inspiration, set in the heart of London.
“Having achieved consent, the final piece of the jigsaw is complete and we will continue to deliver a diverse scheme that showcases leading international culture in an iconic setting known for its creativity and flair. This is an exciting time for London and we look forward to the development taking shape.”
Construction of the project is estimated for completion by the end of 2018.
Building services contractor T Clarke is still trying to recover £2.2m swindled out of the firm by an employee.
In a trading update today T Clarke confirmed that it will make a provision of £2.2m in its next results for the fraud.
The company has also spent £400,000 investigating the situation and trying to recover the money.
The fraud involved accounting over several years at its mechanical contracting subsidiary DG Robson Mechanical Services and came to light last October.
The trading statement said: “Results will include exceptional charges and provisions in relation to the internal fraud at our DGR subsidiary.
“These are estimated at £2.2m, including a provision for professional costs of £0.4m directly associated with our efforts to recover the misappropriated funds.
“Profits for the year are expected to be in line with market expectations after reflecting the full impact of the accounting adjustment for the fraud in the period, other than the provision for related professional costs referred to above.
“Legal proceedings to recover the misappropriated funds are ongoing.”
T Clarke said underlying profits will still be “substantially ahead of last year” following a string of major project wins.
Balfour Beatty, Carey and Willmott Dixon will pioneer a ground-breaking programme to tackle mental ill health in construction.
The firms are the first to sign up to the industry’s Mates in Mind programme, which aims to raise awareness about mental health in the industry.
It is estimated that the number of deaths from suicide in the construction industry could be 10 times higher than those from fatal accidents at work.
With one in six people in the workplace experiencing a mental health issue in their lifetime, the Centre for Mental Health estimates that 91 million working days are lost each year, a cost equivalent to employers of £26bn.
Mates in Mind, led by the Health in Construction Leadership Group and supported by the British Safety Council, aims to reach 100,000 employees in the first year, with three quarters of the industry briefing on promoting positive mental health by 2025.
Over 300 construction leaders yesterday committed to tackling the stigma associated with mental health through employer support and sharing of information.
The crusade will be backed with a mental health first aid training programme supported by Mental Health Fist Aid England, Mind, and the Samaritans.
Under the programme, senior managers will receive two-days of training, with construction site supervisors receiving a morning of training in mental health awareness.
Individual workers with a receive 45 minutes on training as part of the Mates in Mind programme being signed up to by contracting bosses.
Major clients Thames Tideway, Heathrow and Land Securities are also backing the programme.
Clive Johnson, one of the founding members and chair of the HCLG and Group Head of Health, Safety and Security at Land Securities, said: “With suicide causing ten times more deaths than accidents on sites, it is imperative that the industry is truly aware of the deeply impactful consequences of unaddressed mental health issues.”
“In raising this issue today with over 300 industry leaders, we have set the foundations to addressing mental health openly, confidently and honestly within the construction industry; not just by ‘starting the conversation’ but by providing delegates with the skills and knowledge to go back into their workplace and address this issue head on.”
Bridges built to meet current Canadian safety codes are being ‘overbuilt’ and may not withstand a major earthquake, says a new report.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170125091707.htm
Low-cost iron hydroxide coatings with unique fin-like shapes can clean heavily contaminated water with a simple dipping procedure.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170126103405.htm
Nearly a century after it was theorized, scientists have succeeded in creating metallic hydrogen. In addition to helping scientists answer fundamental questions about the nature of matter, the material is theorized to have a wide range of applications, including as a room-temperature superconductor.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170126142854.htm
Scientists have discovered that electrons in vanadium dioxide can conduct electricity without conducting heat, an exotic property in an unconventional material. The characteristic could lead to applications in thermoelectrics and window coatings.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170126142816.htm
New single-molecule compounds that are efficient antioxidants in their own right help scientists understand how larger nanoparticles quench damaging reactive oxygen species in the body.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170126113636.htm
Researchers have coated normal fabric with an electroactive material, and in this way given it the ability to actuate in the same way as muscle fibers. The technology opens new opportunities to design ‘textile muscles’ that could, for example, be incorporated into clothes, making it easier for people with disabilities to move.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170125145944.htm
Researchers are involved has developed a bioinspired method that for the first time will allow researchers to spin artificial silk fibers as spiders do and to efficiently produce kilometers of silk.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170124123637.htm
Kier has landed the latest £100m contract on Severn Trent Water’s Birmingham Resilience Project.
The contractor confirmed in a trading update today that it has won “a new 50/50 joint venture infrastructure contract with Severn Trent on the Birmingham Resilience Project worth £100m.”
The project is part of Severn Trent’s AMP6 investment and worth a total of £300m.
Barhale is working on the first main package including a new 25km pipeline which Severn Trent has described as one of “the biggest engineering challenges” it has ever taken on.
Most of Birmingham’s water has flowed down the Elan Valley Aqueduct (EVA) for over a century from reservoirs in the Welsh hills.
The aqueduct needs maintenance to keep it in service, which means draining it for extended periods.
The Birmingham Resilience Project will provide an alternative source of water during those maintenance periods and will be used for up to 50 days every other year.
HS2 has confirmed former CH2M regional managing director Mark Thurston will be the project’s new Chief Executive.
Thurston began his career in the rail industry over 30 years ago as an apprentice with Transport for London, before stints with The Nichols Group and Metronet.
He has been at CH2M since 2008 working on the London 2012 Olympics and Crossrail where he was lead for the Programme Partner joint venture for three years.
He is currently the regional managing director overseeing CH2M’s European operations, which includes those in the UK.
His appointment comes after a five month global search following the departure of Simon Kirby.
The Chairman of HS2, David Higgins, said: “Mark not only knows the UK rail industry from the bottom up, but has worked for organisations operating at the highest level globally.
“His grasp of how to manage the transition from page to reality makes him not only the right person to take over at HS2 as we are on the verge of Royal Assent, but also to see it through the years leading up to the first train being commissioned.
Thurston will start with HS2 in the spring, once he has transitioned his leadership responsibilities at CH2M.
He said: “HS2 is arguably the most important investment in infrastructure in the UK for a generation, which will serve businesses and communities across much of the country.
“I am looking forward to leading the HS2 team and its partners to deliver a railway that will transform connectivity between our major cities and regions.”
Three companies have been fined more than £400,000 in total after a worker fell seven meters through a fragile roof he was replacing.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard how Rafal Myslim was standing on the fragile roof at Dengie Crops Ltd in Asheldem, when the asbestos sheeting gave way and he fell onto a concrete floor, hitting a number of pipes within the building on the way down.
There was no safety netting or other protective equipment to prevent him from falling and he suffered a hematoma on the brain.
An HSE investigation found three companies at fault for the fall.
Dengie Crops Ltd contracted Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd, who are an agricultural machinery supplier, to help the company replace their roof .
Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd did not have the appropriate experience and subcontracted the work to Balsham (Buildings) Ltd who worked out how the roof replacement should take place.
Balsham then subcontracted the actual replacement of the roof to Strong Clad Ltd.
Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd were unable to act effectively in their role as principal contractor because they had no experience of working in construction.
They could not effectively oversee Balsham (Buildings) Ltd plans that had highlighted the risk of a fall. None of the parties involved put in place safety measures for 40% of the roof that did not have netting below.
They relied too heavily on the verbal briefings to workers reminding them of where the netting was rather than putting in place effective safety measures for the whole roof.
Ernest Doe & sons Ltd, of Ulting, Essex, pleaded guilty to breaching CDM Regulations and were fined £360,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,000
Balsham (Buildings) Ltd, of Balsham, Cambridge, pleaded guilty to safety breaches and were fined £45,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,000
Strong Clad Ltd, of Castle Hedingham, Essex also pleaded guilty and were fined £7,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,000.
HSE inspector Adam Hills said: “The dangers of working on fragile roofs are well documented. Every year too many people are killed or seriously injured due to falls from height while carrying out this work.
“Work at height requires adequate planning, organisation and communication between all parties. This incident was entirely preventable and Mr Myslim is lucky to be alive.”
