Scientists have a new understanding of why synthetic 2-D materials often perform orders of magnitude worse than predicted. They searched for ways to improve these materials’ performance in future electronics, photonics, and memory storage applications.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180228160428.htm
Property group Charles Street Buildings has employed Morgan Sindall to deliver a landmark £47m hotel and office scheme in the Waterside area of Leicester.
Plans for the 4.5 acre site, which is located off Vaughan Way, include building a 6-storey and a 10-storey hotel, 35,000 sq ft of offices, and a new public realm called Great Central Square.
Works will be carried out alongside the regeneration of the former Leicester Central train station and creation of a new car park for the hotels and office, which CSB will undertake itself.
Alongside the mixed-use scheme, Morgan Sindall is also carrying out a £3m programme of highway improvements to Vaughan Way and Grand Central Station Street.
Leicester City Council has commissioned infrastructure upgrades as part of its wider Connecting Leicester programme, which aims to improve links between key city areas.
Proposed hotel and office space for the Great Central Station site
Work on the mixed-use development begin later this month with completion expected by autumn the following year.
Sean Bowles, managing director of Morgan Sindall in the Midlands, said: “Leicester is riding a wave of optimism and prosperity, on the back of a resurgent tourist industry.
“This landmark scheme and the programme of important infrastructure upgrades will breathe new life into the Great Central station area and substantially improve the accommodation offer for visitors to the city.”
When it comes to soft, assistive devices the wearer and the robot need to be in sync. But every human moves a bit differently and tailoring the robot’s parameters for an individual user is a time-consuming and inefficient process. Now, researchers have developed an efficient machine learning algorithm that can quickly tailor personalized control strategies for soft, wearable exosuits.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180228144451.htm
In an effort to minimize injury and let carpenters focus on design and other bigger-picture tasks, a team has created AutoSaw, a system that lets you customize different items that can then be constructed with the help of robots.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180228131135.htm
A research team developed a new hybrid energy storage device that can be charged in less than half a minute. It employs aqueous electrolytes instead of flammable organic solvents, so it is both environmentally friendly and safe. It also facilitates a boosting charge with high energy density, which makes it suitable for portable electronic devices.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180228112428.htm
Tarmac has taken on 45 former Carillion highways staff previouly working on joint venture highways projects.
These include Doncaster’s Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route Scheme, A50 Growth Corridor around Utoxeter and the Eastern Highways Alliance.
These ongoing schemes are being delivered by Tarmac and its supply chain partners.
Martin Riley, senior vice president at Tarmac, said: “We have been able to offer these talented individuals job security and look forward to helping them develop their careers with Tarmac.
“As a former apprentice myself, it’s particularly pleasing to be able to welcome some apprentices, especially as our 2018 apprenticeship scheme is about to be launched.
“These new colleagues will help us provide reassurance to customers and the public that important infrastructure projects will continue to be delivered on schedule.”
Tarmac is also encouraging former Carillion employees who have been made redundant to monitor its website for new job vacancies and make contact if they have relevant skills, particularly in quantity surveying and project management.
Urban&Civic, in partnership with the Wellcome Trust, has been picked as master developer for Basingstoke’s 3,500 home Manydown scheme that could lead eventually to up 10,000 homes being built.
Nearly 800 ares of land is allocated for residential development by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council.
In addition to the new homes, the masterplan envisages local businesses, retail and community facilities, two new primary schools, land for a secondary school as well as a 250-acre new country park.
The appointment follows the Government pledging this month £10m for infrastructure covering main site entrance junctions onto the A339 and B3400, as part of larger package of enabling infrastructure work by 2020/1.
The expectation is that Urban&Civic, with Wellcome, will commit to drawdown the land, in partnership with the councils, conditional upon outline planning being obtained.
Cabinet member for Manydown at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Cllr John Izett said:”Urban&Civic’s record of working with and listening to local communities and bringing forward early delivery of infrastructure and amenities is especially commendable.
“We look forward to building a strong and productive relationship with our new partner. The two councils will remain actively involved, working with Urban&Civic and the Wellcome Trust in years to come.”
Chief Executive of Urban&Civic, Nigel Hugill, said: “Our selection against really tough competition demonstrates the increasing scalability of the master developer approach in meeting housing numbers on strategic projects across South East England. Wellcome is a wonderful addition to our list of allies.”
from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/02/28/developer-picked-for-10000-home-basingstoke-scheme/
Around four in 10 Carillion staff laid-off following the group’s collapse are facing hardship because of delays receiving vital information from the liquidator they need to file redundancy claims.
The plight of many former staff was uncovered in a poll of over 600 Carillion staff by an online support group.
It found that around half have been made redundant, with around 40% of those laid-off still not in receipt of the special reference codes needed for claims.
Former staff complain that they are being treated shabbily and are angry that a Government seems oblivious to their problems. At the end of last week the Government issued a statement claiming staff laid off before 15 February had received the information they needed.
This said: “By 23 February, all individuals with a leave date up to 15 February 2018 have been sent all the information they need in order to apply.
“Going forward, all individuals will be sent information about how to apply within 7 days of their leaving date.”
But many former employees maintain they are still waiting for their reference codes from assistant liquidator PwC.
Some are speculating that staff that originally came from McAlpine and Mowlem seem to be at the back of the waiting list.
One told the Enquirer: “I was made redundant on the 5th Feb and still have not received the information from PWC to allow me to claim statutory redundancy.
“When I rang PWC, I was told I would have to wait, and that PWC did not want to send the letters out to everybody so that the claims process was not swamped.
“This is a disgrace, people have been made redundant and have mortgages and bills to pay.”
He claimed: “PWC are deliberately holding up the process allowing staff to make a redundancy claim, and there is nothing we can do about it.”
Another said: “I’ve spoken to quite a few people who came in via McAlpine and Mowlem and they don’t seem to have a code. Others who were directly employed by Carillion, like me have received a code.”
Insolvency Services spokesman said: “Employees are being provided with the information they need to apply for redundancy payments within seven days of their leaving date.
“To date we have received more than 1,300 redundancy claims and paid over 1,000 of these. We are processing these claims well within our 14 day payment target.”
Taylor Wimpey has reported a record low rate for accidents on its sites.
Its Annual Injury Incidence Rate (AIIR) for reportable injuries per 100,000 employees and contractors was 152 in 2017 compared to 211 last time.
The firm’s AIIR for major injuries per 100,000 employees and contractors was steady at 54 from 53.
Taylor Wimpey directly employs 5,000 people across the UK and has more than 13,000 other operatives on its sites.
Taylor Wimpey said: “Our AIIR remains well below both the HBF Home Builder Average and Health and Safety Executive Construction Industry Average.”
The figures were contained in the house builder’s annual results to December 31 2017 which showed pre-tax profits up to £812m from £733.4m on revenue up to £3,965m from £3,676m.
Housing completions were up 4.6% to 14,842 while the company paid £451m in dividends to shareholders during the year.
Building materials distribution giant SIG has sold its modular offsite construction business for a £1 to regeneration specialist Urban Splash Modular.
Manchester-based Urban Splash originally made its name by acquiring unwanted Victorian mills and transforming them into apartments and offices for the creative industries.
It is now focused on modular housing and launched its offsite concept House last year.
The sale of the loss-making SIG Building Systems forms part of the new management team’s strategy to focus on core business.
After closing its bathroom pod Metechno operation last May, panelised room-in-roof manufacturer RoofSpace is now the only remaining offsite construction business at the group.
Building Systems reported sales of £9.2m in 2016 but suffered a £5.7m loss. Assets worth £4.5m will be transferred in the sale.
SIG expects book an exceptional charge in 2017 of nearly £8m relating to the divestment.
In addition to the sale of Building Systems, SIG sold GRM this month, a small manufacturer of phenolic pipe insulation serving industrial and HVAC markets, to a subsidiary of Kingspan Group plc for an undisclosed sum.
Researchers have developed an imaging technique that uses a tiny, super sharp needle to nudge a single nanoparticle into different orientations and capture 2-D images to help reconstruct a 3-D picture. The method demonstrates imaging of individual nanoparticles at different orientations while in a laser-induced excited state.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180227115536.htm
New research will dramatically improve how scientists ‘see inside’ molecular structures in solution, allowing for much more precise ways to image data in various fields, from astronomy to drug discovery.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180227115539.htm
Developer Crest Nicholson and Waverley Borough Council have said that work on the £115m Brightwells regeneration of Farnham town centre will start this summer.
Chris Tinker, board director at Crest Nicholson, said the firm had now cemented its agreement with Waverley Borough Council and could now breaking ground on the significant development.
The project involves building a £40m retail and leisure hub, anchored by Marks and Spencer and Reel Cinemas, together with 239 apartments clustered around a new town square.
The grade II listed Brightwells House will be retained, refurbished and extended.
Waverley council hopes this will revitalise a much-underutilised part of the historic town of Farnham.
The development includes 72 shared ownership affordable homes which will help meet a broader housing need and support first-time buyers in the local community.
Detailed planning permission is now in place, enabling work to start in earnest in the summer.
The centre, which includes new basement and deck parking for shoppers and residents, is expected to open in late 2021.
The first residential dwellings will be occupied in early 2020 and the development will be completed in total by the spring of 2022.
London City Airport has signed off an £85m contract with BAM Nuttall to build a vast piled concrete deck over a section of the Royal Docks to enable its airport expansion.
The 7.5 hectare concrete deck over the King George V dock will be supported by over 1,000 piles each extending 10m into the dock bed and 10m up to just above the water line.
The final agreed price is ahead of the £50m early estimate for the project, which is an important first stage of construction, as part of the £480m City Airport Development Programme.
The deck will support new infrastructure including aircraft stands, a parallel taxiway and a world-class passenger terminal extension.
Works on site will take place while the airport remains operational, and commence in Spring 2018, once the unexploded ordnance survey is complete, which recently yielded the discovery of a 500kg Second World War device that was safely disposed of by the Royal Navy.
Completion of the deck is expected in early 2020.
In 2008 London City Airport also applied a similar piling and decking technique on a £47m extension in order to build four new aircraft stands above the waters of King George V Dock.
Construction of the earlier and smaller scale Eastern Apron at London City Airport
Peter Adams, Chief Development Officer at London City Airport, said: “BAM has proven expertise and experience in these techniques and we are really pleased they are on board to deliver this project alongside the overall delivery partner, Bechtel.”
Martin Bellamy, BAM Nuttall executive director said: “This scheme will play a significant part in the overall Airport Development Programme and will support the planned infrastructure such as the aircraft stands and new world class passenger terminal extension.”
Additional work includes the partial demolition of the King George V Dock wall to enable tying in of the new deck, construction of a partly submerged service trough and drainage channels, and approximately 50 land based piles adjacent to the airport entrance.
JP Concrete is doing its bit for keeping roads open during the current cold snap with a major upgrade and expansion of the retaining walls for the Scorrier Salt Barn in Redruth, Cornwall.
Over 7,000 tonnes of grit are stored at the depot which is the largest in the county.
JP Concrete worked closely with the South West’s main highways, engineering and construction specialist, Cormac to provide a complete one-stop precast service solution.
Work included management of the existing 108m(failing) concrete perimeter and 39m of dividing T-walls that had to be removed and crushed.
Damaged over the years by vehicle impact that had caused cracks to appear, the very aggressive salt and brine environment had resulted in severe corrosion and structural uncertainty.
JP Concrete supplied and installed bolt-down precast retaining wall units as well as sealing the floor precast unit joints and vertical joints between units.
David Vincent, Area Highway Manager for Cormac Solutions, said: “We needed a company who could provide a complete solution to speedily supply, transport and install new concrete panels, as well as remove and dispose of the old material.
“We made JP Concrete aware of the critical timeframe for a major delivery of salt, and true to their word, they pulled everything out of the bag.
“This has been an outstanding collaborative effort. We had to clear space for the work by reducing salt levels, leaving only a tight window of less than two weeks for JP Concrete to get in and carry out their work.
“We worked closely together on having the old material removed, crushed and recycled, which completed an excellent job all round”.
Carillion’s last finance director Emma Mercer blew the whistle on accounting regularities as early as May 2017, almost three months before the full scale of group’s problems were made public.
The Work and Pension Committee investigating Carillion’s collpase have release minutes from boardroom meetings that show Mercer was raising concerns about accounting just six weeks into taking the job finance director of Construction Services in the UK.
Minutes of a May 9 board meeting record Mercer as having told Adam Green, managing director, that there were issues with which she was “uncomfortable”.
Minutes from another meeting on May 15 recorded her as having told a subcommittee that there was “sloppy accounting”.
MPs said her revelations threw up serious questions, not least for Carillion’s auditors, KPMG.
Rt Hon Frank Field MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, said:”Emma Mercer took just six weeks to spot and pull the thread that began the entire company unravelling.
“That the next chief financial officer had to go through whistle blowing procedures to get her concerns about accounting irregularities taken seriously by the Carillion board is extraordinary.
“So too is that the board’s response was to reject an independent review and get KPMG, their pet rubber-stampers, to mark their own homework.
While our witnesses have been reticent in oral testimony, these minutes begin to reveal the true picture of a company falling apart at the seams in full view of the board and their auditors.”
Rachel Reeves, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee, said: “Carillion directors say they couldn’t foresee what investors and company staff could – that spiralling debt problems and failing contracts were destined to sink the company.
“These board minutes point to a very different scenario – Emma Mercer was sounding the alarm but none of the Carillion directors were willing to wake up and listen”.
The latest reveallations from the joint committee investigation follow criticism yesterday that after a decade at the helm of Carillion’s finances, Richard Adam sold his entire existing shareholding the day the 2016 accounts were published, and the rest the moment they vested, netting himself another £ ¾ million from shares that are now, of course, worthless.
The timeline below shows the series of events from Emma Mercer’s return from Canada to the “enhanced contract review” conducted by KPMG. This led to the £845m contract provision announced on 10 July 2017, which was a significant factor for the Company’s eventual collapse in January 2018.
Research finds new promise for biofuels produced from switchgrass, a non-edible native grass that grows in many parts of North America.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180226181548.htm
Scientists find the metal in supposedly ‘metal-free’ graphene catalysts for oxygen reduction reactions that turn chemical energy into electrical energy. The discovery could allow for better tuning of two-dimensional materials for fuel cells and other applications.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180226165149.htm
The Mayor of London has stepped in to use his planning powers on a major five-tower block homes plan in Brentford.
Sadiq Khan decided to intervene after Hounslow Council refused permission to build 427 homes on the Citroen Site on Capital Interchange Way.
Housing association L&Q’s plans include 40% affordable homes, together with a nursery, and retail and office space
Hounslow Council decided to refuse permission on the underutilised site earlier this month over concerns the development would negatively impact on local heritage sites including Kew Gardens.
Tallest tower of five-block scheme will rise to 18 floors
Khan, said: “I have been clear that I will use the full range of my planning powers to help get London building the new and genuinely affordable housing we so desperately need.
“This rejected application in Brentford already delivers a good number of affordable homes, but by taking it over, it gives me the opportunity to work with the housing association, L&Q, to increase the levels even further.
“I will, of course, weigh up concerns raised about the impact on nearby heritage sites with the pressing need for more new and affordable homes in London.”
The Mayor will consider the application at a representation hearing at City Hall later in the year.
It is the fifth time the Mayor has used the full range of his planning powers to take over applications to boost affordable housing.
His decisions to take over applications have already resulted in 572 more affordable homes for Londoners.
Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to print circuits on flexible, stretchable substrates using silver nanowires. The advance makes it possible to integrate the material into a wide array of electronic devices.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180226122525.htm
Researchers have developed a method that will help natural gas experts better understand shale samples and eventually help them decide whether to invest time and resources to extract gas from the formation the samples came from.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180226131428.htm
Derby City Council has appointed Wates Construction and consultant Pick Everard to deliver the £5m phase one of a three-year transformation of Derby Market Hall.
Wates will repair the roof replacing damaged glazed panelling, copper roof and stonework.
This will involve erecting an extensive, bespoke scaffolding structure to enable building surveys to take place that will inform the extent of the work required.
Originally built in 1864, the Market Hall is one of the city’s most culturally important buildings. Structural deterioration has occasionally forced the market’s temporary closure.
Preliminary work has already commenced including identifying comprehensive measures to allow the traders to operate as normal throughout the works, such as the installation of a temporary roof.
Pick Everard is providing project management, quantity surveying, building surveying and principal design services, including the scaffolding works to carry out surveys to determine the level of refurbishment works required.
John Carlin, Business Unit Director, Wates Construction Midlands, said: “Throughout the project, we are committed to it being business as usual for traders and shoppers, and to ensure that none of the building’s historic charm is lost as part of the transformation process.
Throughout the project Wates will engage a local supply chain and provide training and employment opportunities for the people of Derby, ensuring it leaves behind a skills and economic boost for the city.
Cllr Martin Rawson, Deputy Leader, Derby City Council, said: “The appointment of these contractors is the start of a three-year project to transform the building and its offer to attract a wider cross section of people and drive a stronger footfall in the city centre.
“The Labour administration has secured in the region of £5m for the works on the roof.”
Carillion staff blasted the liquidators again today after finding out late about the latest round of job losses.
The Official Receiver confirmed another round of 230 redundancies today taking the total to nearly 1,400.
But Carillion construction staff said they were among the last to hear from the Official Receiver and its special managers at PwC.
One angry staffer told the Enquirer: “Today was a perfect example of how we are treated.
“The Official Receiver posted the announcement on its website this morning but the staff weren’t told directly until nearly an hour later.
“The lack of information we receive is ridiculous. The whole process is a total shambles – which is sadly fitting when you look at the Carillion story.
A spokesperson for the Official Receiver said: “Work is continuing to find new suppliers to take on Carillion’s public and private sector contracts with ongoing employment now secured for a further 456 employees.
“Over 8,000 of Carillion’s workforce have now been placed into secure jobs. I am continuing to facilitate the transfer of employees on exisiting or similar terms wherever possible.
“Unfortuantely as the liquidation proceeds some roles supporting contracts that have transferred are no longer required.
“As a result 230 employees have been declared redundant and will leave the business later this week.
“Those who have lost their jobs will be able to find support through Jobcentre Plus’ RapidResponse Service and are also entitled to make a claim for statutory redundancy payments.
“Discussions with potential purchasers continue and I expect that the number of jobs safeguarded through the liquidation will continue to rise.
“I am continuing to engage with staff, elected employee representatives and unions to keep them informed as these arrangements are confirmed.”
In total, to date 8,066 jobs have been saved and 1,371 jobs have been made redundant through the liquidation.
Brighton and Hove Council has sold its derelict Preston Barrack site to developer U+I clearing the way to deliver one of Brighton’s biggest ever mixed-use regeneration projects.
U+I has simultaneously exchanged contracts to partner with Scape Student Living to deliver 534 student beds.
This forms part of a £300m regeneration plan for the derelict barracks, drawn up by architects Hassells, Studio Egret West, TP Bennett and Stride Treglown, and will also include a new home for the university’s Business School.
Architect’s model of the Preston Barracks site proposals
U+I, working in partnership with the University of Brighton, ultimately plans to deliver a mix of 370 new homes and nearly 1,400 purpose-built student bedrooms.
U+I will also deliver a 50,000 sq ft hub for start-up businesses and entrepreneurs.
Richard Upton, Deputy Chief Executive of U+I, said: “This project will breathe new life into a corner of Brighton that has lain derelict for decades.
“Working in partnership with Brighton and Hove City Council, we are on site delivering one of the most significant regeneration projects in the history of the city.”
Ground engineering specialist Keller has warned 2018 will be a tough year for the firm in the UK after seeing a marked slowdown in project tender opportunities.
Reporting strong worldwide group profit growth for 2017 and revenue topping £2bn for the first time, Keller said the UK had a solid year in 2017, working on a wide variety of commercial and infrastructure projects.
Alain Michaelis, Chief Executive, said this year looked set to see a hiatus in activity before HS2 offered the opportunity to recharge the UK order book
“We have seen a notable slowdown in orders in recent months and expect 2018 to be a challenging year.
“However, the major infrastructure projects coming up in the UK, most notably HS2, should mean that the market for geotechnical work picks up noticeably in 2019 and 2020.”
The world’s largest geotechnical contractor saw revenue from operations around the world revenue rise 10% to just below £2.1bn. Underlying profit before tax rose 16% to £99m, with staff numbers world-wide at over 10,000.
The main driver of profit growth came from the Europe, Middle East & Africa where underlying operating profit jumped 74% to £53m from revenue on revenue up a quarter at £737m.
This significantly higher result was largely the result of two large projects completing, the Caspian project and Zayed City in Abu Dhabi.
Between them, these projects accounted for around £100m of revenue and £30m of operating profit.
Keller announced it was changing the leadership of its Asia Pacific region after suffering a second year of losses in the region due to two contracts in Australia.
Peter Wyton has just joined the business from AECOM and will take over from Mark Kliner as president of APAC with effect from 1 April 2018.
In North America, which accounts for around half the group’s revenue, revenue edged up by 2% to £967m, with underlying operating profit down 14% at £79m, although operating margin remained above 8%.
Researchers developed a soft robot inspired by snakeskin that crawls without any rigid components. The soft robotic scales are made using kirigami – an ancient Japanese paper craft that relies on cuts, rather than origami folds, to change the properties of a material. As the robot stretches, the flat kirigami surface is transformed into a 3-D-textured surface, which grips the ground just like snakeskin.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180221152300.htm
A basic building block of modern technology, inductors are everywhere: cellphones, laptops, radios, televisions, cars. And surprisingly, they are essentially the same today as in 1831, when they were first created by English scientist Michael Faraday. Now, a team has taken a materials-based approach to reinventing this fundamental component of modern electronics.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180221180357.htm
The world of health care is changing rapidly and there is increased interest in the role that light and lighting can play in improving health outcomes for patients and providing healthy work environments for staff, according to many researchers.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180223092139.htm
Inspired by the human eye, researchers have developed an adaptive metalens that is essentially a flat, electronically controlled artificial eye. The adaptive metalens simultaneously controls for three of the major contributors to blurry images: focus, astigmatism, and image shift.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180223151903.htm
A new study shows a way to dial down the urban heat island effects that can pump up city temperatures, through different city planning based on classical physics formulas.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180223122345.htm
Creating the perfect wearable device to monitor muscle movement, heart rate and other tiny bio-signals without breaking the bank has inspired scientists to look for a simpler and more affordable tool. Now, researchers have developed a practical way to monitor and interpret human motion, in what may be the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to wearable technology.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180222145029.htm
Using advanced computational methods, materials scientists have discovered new materials that could bring widespread commercial use of solid oxide fuel cells closer to reality.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180222133355.htm
Steel is used to build cars, wind turbines and bridges and there are currently about 5000 different types of steel available on the market. But how can steel producers guarantee that a particular steel will always exhibit the same high quality? Up until now experienced experts analysed material samples under the microscope and carefully compared the results against reference images. But classifying materials in this way is not free from errors.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180221122933.htm
The chief executive of one of London’s biggest developers has tweeted he would not trust contractor Sir Robert McAlpine to “deliver a pizza” after falling out with the firm on the Centre Point Tower project.
The Twitter blast from Almacantar chief Mike Hussey follows a court victory by the developer over the contractor following a row over pre-construction service agreement fees after McAlpine decided not to proceed to main contract.
Hussey also warned the industry: “Dinosaurs take note: You don’t get paid if you don’t turn up; You don’t get paid if you don’t perform.”
The developer and contractor became pitched against each other following a bust-up over delivering the project as a design and build job.
McAlpine was working on the £100m-plus project under a pre-construction service agreement for 20 months. But by June 2014 ahead of moving to the next main contract stage, McAlpine said it would not sign a more risky design and build contract and proposed a construction management route.
Almacantar rejected the offer and three months later appointed Multiplex as the main contractor for the job.
The two then became embroiled in a dispute about whether the contract terms allowed a final part of McAlpine’s fee to be released under the PCSA agreement.
Initially an adjudicator ruled in McAlpine’s favour, but the High Court has overturned this and backed Almacantar, ordering McAlpine to repay the £1.1m including interest awarded in the adjudication.
Three top directors at house builder Persimmon have agreed to bonus scheme changes that will see long term payout slashed by more than £50m.
The top executives attracted fierce criticism from share holders and politician for over high payouts under the company’s long-term incentive bonus plan.
This morning the firm announced that changes to the bonus system would see chief executive Jeff Fairburn give back around £25m of his potential £99m bonus, waiving the second instalment of his bonus
He has also delayed the time he can claim the bonus to 2021.
His boardroom colleagues chief financial officer Mike Killoran has agreed a similar move which will see hime hand back £24m of his £78m payout.
Group managing director Dave Jenkinson will give back £2.5m of £40m under a different arrangement.
Under the new plan all three will also have their future payouts capped at £29 per share.
Two board directors resigned last year after they felt they should have included a cap on the bonus scheme.
A board statement said: “The board believes that the LTIP put in place in 2012 has been a significant factor in the Company’s outstanding performance.
“In particular, it has contributed to industry-leading levels of margin, return on assets and cash generation.
“Nonetheless, it is clear that the absence of a cap, in recognition of which the chairman and former remuneration committee chair offered their resignations from the board on 14 December 2017, has given rise to the potential for pay-outs which, when triggered in full, will be significantly larger and paid earlier than might reasonably have been expected at the time the scheme was originally put to shareholders.”
HS2 has signed up Lendlease as its development partner to draw up plans for a vast mixed-use regeneration project around Euston Station in London.
There is a potential to deliver 22 hectares of development space over and around the station site as well as improving accessibility and creating new public and green spaces.
By taking a coordinated approach with station owners Network Rail and pooling publically-owned land across the site up to 4.8m sq ft of new development could be delivered.
Lendlease beat rivals Westfield Europe, Argent-led Euston Regeneration Partnership, Canary Wharf Group and Landsec to become Euston Station master development partner in a deal believed to be worth up to £40m.
The firm worked with a broad consultant team including Prior and Partners, Grimshaw, Arup, BIG, AHMM, Haworth Tomkins, Asif Khan and AECOM.
The appointment means Arup and Grimshaw will now work on both the surrounding station development and new HS2 station itself after being picked for the HS2 project last month.
The main construction phase is due to begin in 2019 and five bidders have been shortlisted for the station.
Dan Labbad, Lendlease chief executive officer of International Operations, said: “We are proud and excited to be selected as preferred bidder to deliver the Euston OSD in partnership with HS2, Network Rail, London Borough of Camden, GLA and wider stakeholders.
“We believe this is a fantastic project in a key area of London which will provide opportunity for all and act as a catalyst for wider UK growth.
The project will include a new interchange with the London Underground, combining Euston and Euston Square for the first time and including provision for a future connection to a potential Crossrail 2.
Willmott Dixon will start main construction work in June on the £49m transformation of Bristol’s famous Colston Hall.
The Grade II listed building opened as a concert venue in 1867 and has hosted acts like The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Elton John.
Willmott Dixon oversaw the first £20m phase of Colston Hall’s renewal in 2009 building a new foyer space.
The rest of the building has not been refurbished for 60 years.
Now Willmott Dixon will update the remainder of Colston Hall in one of the biggest schemes to be procured under the Southern Construction Framework.
Work includes remodelling the Main Hall to increase standing capacity by 15 per cent, transforming The Lantern facility area within the Hall into a versatile performance venue and opening up the extensive cellars for the first time in 150 years – creating a new performance space and education suite.
The new Hall will reopen to the public in 2020.
During this period, Colston Hall will continue a live performance programme using the foyer building which will remain open throughout the work, and other venues and spaces across the city.
John Boughton, deputy managing director at Willmott Dixon and based in the company’s Bristol office, said: “We were incredibly proud to have constructed Colston Hall’s new Foyer nearly ten years ago so are excited to be back delivering this amazing transformation that will make it one of the UK’s best venues for entertainment.
“With our strong Bristol presence, we’ll use local companies whenever possible to grow opportunities for employment, and our site team are looking forward to being able to watch the exciting acts that will be attracted to the transformed Colston Hall.”
The detailed plans for the transformation have been created by architects Levitt Bernstein.
Now I’m a big football fan but come late Saturday afternoon the Premier League will miss out in the Betting Spy household to the Six Nations.
Watford against Everton or Scotland versus England in the Calcutta Cup isn’t the toughest of calls to make.
My mouth was open as wide as the Scotland defence last year at Twickenham when England ran riot in a 61-21 victory.
Scotland were talked up ahead of this year’s tournament after encouraging perfomances against New Zealand and Australia.
But they have veered between mediocre and shambolic so far so and I like the look of England at -7 on the handicap at even money.
Now even money is only for the big hitters so let’s have a little go on the handicaps in the other games to make up a treble.
Wales have been unlucky so far and look a decent punt at +8 against an Ireland side which has been far from convincing.
On Friday night perennial punting nightmare France host Italy.
The home side are stripped of eight players after an “altercation” in an Edinburgh bar following their narrow defeat to Scotland two weeks ago.
The locals must have had a few pints of brave juice to start winding up the French pack but it has certainly done the Italians a favour.
Both teams have lost both games so far but the Italians have scored five tries in the tournament and look too big on the handicap at +18.
The handicap treble pays 7/1 which will hopefully cap a great weekend of rugby.
Talking of hats, I take mine off to the eternal optimists travelling to Liverpool on Saturday to support West Ham.
One league win in 54 years is bad enough.
Now it turns out that David Moyes has never managed a winning side at Anfield.
You can get 12/1 on an Irons win to put a dent in those grim statistics.
But I think I’ll stick to the oval ball game for the weekend.
Betting Spy has joined forces with Paddy Power to offer all readers a £20 risk-free bet when they open an account. Just click on the link below to visit construction’s favourite bookmaker for full terms and conditions and discover how to set-up an online, telephone or mobile account
Running total of all bets to a £10 stake for 2017/18 season: £+140.00
The wetting and adhesion characteristics of solid surfaces critically depend on their fine structures. However, until now, our understanding of exactly how the sliding behavior of liquid droplets depends on surface microstructures has been limited. Now, physicists have conducted experimental and theoretical studies on the friction of liquid droplets on micro-structured surfaces.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180222145059.htm
A team of researchers has generated 3-D images from 129 individual molecules of flexible DNA origami particles. Their work provides the first experimental verification of the theoretical model of DNA origami.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180222125739.htm
Chemists have developed a new catalytic method for symmetry breaking. The method can help synthesize important building blocks for bioactive compounds such as anticancer drugs.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180222125745.htm
The CVU joint venture of Colas, VolkerHighways and AECOM is understood to be pulling out of the London Highways Alliance Contract (LoHAC) road maintenance framework.
CVU was one of four winners of the eight-year framework in 2013.
It is used by local authorities across the capital in association with Transport for London with an estimated total workload of £2.6bn.
CVU secured the central region with other areas going to Conway/AECOM, Ringway Jacobs and Kier.
The Enquirer understands that CVU bosses broke their decision to TfL in a meeting earlier this week.
News that CVU is quitting three years early comes as the Mayor of London and TfL confirmed that cuts in government funding would mean a hiatus on non essential road repairs.
The mayor’s office said: “All non-essential road improvements have been paused for two years unless suitable funding can be found.
“So while TfL will ensure roads are kept safe, this lack of proactive work could lead to an increase in disruption on the roads with increased closures and speed, size and weight restrictions.”
CVU has been contacted for a comment.
Watchdog MPs probing into the collapse of Carillion have revealed remedial work to cracked beams at the Royal Liverpool Hospital still needs to be completed.
A bombshell letter from the Hospital Company (Liverpool) was published as MPs grilled the pension regulator and Carillion auditors about the events leading to the group’s collapse.
It discloses that Carillion knew about major structural defects on the new PFI hospital as far back as November 2016, nine months before the July £845m writedown.
During questioning works and pension committee MPs revealed they had been contacted by a whistleblower with evidence that invoices were being bunched and delayed for payment until after annual reporting deadlines.
MPs also noted that the Guardian newspaper had published claims from a former director that Carillion was in serious financial difficulty by the middle of 2016, but major problems were not being disclosed.
During sometimes blistering questioning, KMPG auditor Peter Meehan repeatedly confirmed the auditors had no knowledge of the full extent of Carillion problems at the time the 2016 account were signed off in February 2017, four months before the writedown.
KPMG also audited The Hospital Company accounts.
The head of the pension regulator also admitted it needed to be “clearer and quicker and tougher” when dealing with firms failing to plug pension funding gaps.
In the letter from the hospital he reveals that work needs to be completed on two of the eight beams found to need strengthening.
All work on the hospital is now on hold, following Carillion’s collapse.
The letter from the director of the hospital company says the costs of the defects are currently being borne by the beam designers while liability is established.
Carillion group firm TPS Consult has overall responsibility for the structural design of the works.
The letter adds that design and installation of the relevant floor plates and integral beams was subcontracted to Heyrod Construction, which in turn subcontracted aspects of the structural design work to Freyssinet.
Frank Field MP, Chair of the Commons Work and Pensions Committee, said: “These famous beams are becoming an ever more perfect parable for the whole company.
“The cracks were visible long before the directors or auditors admit, and while they were dutifully added to the litany of factors and organisations to blame for Carillion’s spectacular demise – anyone and anything but the people running it – they were only ever holding up one part of one of Carillion’s thousands of projects.”
