Sound can be used to print droplets that couldn't be printed before

Researchers have developed a new printing technology that uses sound waves to control the size of liquid droplets independent of fluid viscosity. This approach could greatly broaden the types of liquids, including biopharmaceuticals, that can be printed drop-on-demand. The researchers used sound waves to generate a highly confined force at the tip of the printer nozzle, which pulls the droplet. The higher the amplitude of the sound waves, the smaller the droplet size.

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180831150156.htm

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A new way to remove ice buildup without power or chemicals

Researchers have found a way to prevent icing of powerlines, airplanes, wind turbines, and other surfaces with a special coating and the power of sunlight – no heating or harsh chemicals needed.

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180831150159.htm

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Better silicone adhesion Inspired by beetle feet

A research team has succeeded in boosting the adhesive effect of a silicone material significantly inspired by the structure of beetle feet. In addition, they found out that the adhesiveness of the structured material changes drastically, if it is bent to varying degrees. Their results could be interesting for the development of tiny robots and gripping devices.

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180831110428.htm

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Cannibalistic materials feed on themselves to grow new nanostructures

Scientists have induced a two-dimensional material to cannibalize itself for atomic ‘building blocks’ from which stable structures formed. The findings provide insights that may improve design of 2-D materials for fast-charging energy-storage and electronic devices.

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180831110402.htm

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Crossrail chairman changes trains to HS2

HS2 chairman Sir Terry Morgan has stepped down from his other day job as it was confirmed his former project Crossrail will open nine months late.

Sir Terry has now given up his role as chairman of London City Airport “to focus on HS2.”

He was named chairman of HS2 two months ago.

Morgan said: “It is with some sadness that I step down from the Board at this time to focus on HS2, but I am very confident that the airport will continue to flourish under the Board, shareholders and Leadership Team, fulfilling its huge potential for London and the UK over the coming years.”

Morgan has been chairman of Crossrail since 2009.

Today it was confirmed the project will open at least nine months late.

Last month is was confirmed that the project is £590m over budget.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/31/crossrail-chairman-changes-trains-to-hs2/

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Crossrail chiefs admit job is nine months late

Crossrail bosses have admitted the new line won’t be ready on time and have pushed back the opening date by at least nine months.

The Elizabeth line was due to start taking passengers this December.

But the opening through central London has now been pushed back to “autumn 2019”.

The Enquirer has reported frequently about Crosssrail’s problems during the crucial fit out phase.

Project chiefs repeated the mantra constantly that the job was “on time and on budget”.

It is now £590m over budget and nine months late.

Crossrail said: “Crossrail Limited has been working hard to maintain the programme and sufficient testing time is required to introduce the next phase of the railway – the central section between Paddington and Abbey Wood – in a way that can be guaranteed to be safe and reliable.

“The original programme for testing has been compressed by more time being needed by contractors to complete fit-out activity in the central tunnels and the development of railway systems software.

“Testing has started but further time is required to complete the full range of integrated tests.”

One subcontractor said: “Pardon my French but what a f*****g shock.”

Simon Wright, Crossrail Chief Executive said: “We have made huge progress with the delivery of this incredible project but we need further time to complete the testing of the new railway.

“We are working around the clock with our supply chain and Transport for London to complete and commission the Elizabeth line.”

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/31/crossrail-chiefs-admit-job-is-nine-months-late/

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London mayor allocates £288m to four housing associations

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has confirmed £228m of funding for four housing association to build almost 5,000 additional new affordable homes.

A2Dominion and Catalyst have also been named as new strategic partners with City Hall, meaning they are willing to build at least 60 per cent affordable homes on new developments.

The new partnerships bring City Hall’s strategic partners to nine – Clarion, Hyde, L&Q, Network, Notting Hill Genesis, Optivo, Peabody, A2Dominion and Catalyst.

Four new funding allocations</h3>£114.4m for L&Q to deliver 2,000 new affordable homes.

• £80m for the London BME consortium (led by L&Q) to deliver 1,000 new affordable homes
• £57.2m for Optivo to deliver 1,000 new affordable homes
• £22.3m for Catalyst to deliver 455 new affordable homes

The additional funding allocations are from the £1.67bn secured from Government for London in the Spring Statement, and will go towards his target to start 116,000 affordable homes by March 2022.

All of the 4,705 new affordable homes are due to start before March 2022, with 3,250 based on social rent levels and 1,449 London Living Rent or London Shared Ownership.

A2Dominion now has an overall starts target of 2,184 affordable homes by March 2022. Catalyst now has an overall starts target of 1,671 affordable homes by March 2022.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/31/london-mayor-allocates-288m-to-four-housing-associations/

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Mace wins £200m UCL East campus building

Mace has signed a pre-construction agreement with University College London

Earlier this year, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, set out the £1.1bn vision for East Bank. The scheme, which is receiving £385m from the Mayor and £151m from the Government, will provide skills and jobs for local people, bring more than 10,000 students to the site, and attract thousands of visitors from London and beyond.

UCL is receiving the majority share of the Government’s contribution, having secured £100 million from the Government towards the capital cost of building UCL East.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/31/mace-wins-200m-ucl-east-campus-building/

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Roadworks: Why are we the enemy?

First off I get it – no-one likes being held up by road works.

But why should the construction industry keep having to apologise?

No road upgrade no better road – it’s pretty simple.

If your kid was going to a nicer school you wouldn’t stand outside the gates shouting at the builders to hurry up during construction.

Same with an infrastructure job like sewers or broadband – you don’t get impatient clients trying to mow you down.

The world loses its mind when it gets behind a wheel.

Think for a second and the future might be a nicer place.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/31/roadworks-why-are-we-the-enenmy/

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'Blink' and you won't miss amyloids

Tiny protein structures called amyloids are key to understanding certain devastating age-related diseases, but they are so minuscule they can’t be seen using conventional microscopic methods. A team of engineers has developed a new technique that uses temporary fluorescence, causing the amyloids to flash or ‘blink’, allowing researchers to better spot these problematic proteins.

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180830095355.htm

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New method for hydroboration of alkynes: Radicals induce unusual selectivity

A combination of organoboron and radical chemistry generates unusual trans-selectivity in hydroboration of alkynes. The use of N-heterocyclic carbene boranes is key to the success of this chemical transformation. This study is expected to open the door to the development of new boron-containing materials.

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180830095416.htm

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Friction loss at first contact: The material does not forgive

Wear has major impacts on everything from the bearing of a wind power plant to an artificial hip joint. However, the exact cause of wear is still unclear. Scientists now show that the effect occurs at the first contact and always takes place at the same point of the material.

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180830095406.htm

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Catalyst advance could lead to economical fuel cells

Researchers have developed a new way to make low-cost, single-atom catalysts for fuel cells – an advance that could make important clean energy technology more economically viable.

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180830122209.htm

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Betting Spy: West Ham are pointless but fun to watch

In the words of the much missed George Michael – I’ve got to have faith.

As have all West Ham fans as the Manuel Pellegrini revolution gets off to a pointless but promising start.

Despite three defeats the Irons are playing some decent stuff going forward.

Our movement and interplay is better and we are trying to play football – which is a relief in itself for those of us who sat through the Sam Allardyce era.

Sure the defence is wobbly and central midfield still a worrying wasteland waiting for the right combination to finally stake a claret and blue presence in a league game.

But we are passing and moving and creating chances as Manuel is hopefully working his magic from front to back.

Wolves visit east London on Saturday in what should be another entertaining game.

Now Betting Spy is on an early season streak with another 5/1 winner last week.

But rather than pick a result at Stratford let’s go for goals in what could be a wide open 90 minutes.

You can get 2/1 on over 3.5 goals in the game which looks the way to go this 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 2018/19 season: +£65.00

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/30/betting-spy-west-ham-are-pointless-but-fun-to-watch/

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Engineered sand zaps storm water pollutants

Engineers have created a new way to remove contaminants from storm water, potentially addressing the needs of water-stressed communities that are searching for ways to tap the abundant and yet underused source of fresh drinking water. The mineral-coated sand reacts with and destroys organic pollutants, providing a way to help purify storm water percolating into underground aquifers, creating a safe and local reservoir of drinking water for parched communities.

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180830084812.htm

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Council set to scrap £123m Bristol Arena

Bristol City Council is set to pull the plug on its £123m arena project at a crunch meeting next week.

Buckingham Group signed a pre-construction services deal for the project in April 2017 replacing original contractor who walked away from the project a few months before when it was costed at £90m.

The scheme has been on hold for more than nine months as fears grew over further cost increases.

The council will now consider a report which recommends using the Temple island site for a mixed use scheme rather than an arena.

Alternative plans put forward by Legal & General include a conference centre, luxury hotel, commercial space, retail and residential.

The report also recommends that £53m of public funding earmarked for the arena should be spent on housing and transport infrastructure in the city.

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol said: “We must make a decision which is evidence-based, set against clear criteria, for inclusive economic growth, jobs and homes, and on the best option which delivers for the future of the city centre.

“This cannot be a decision that serves political opportunism.

“These reports are critical to that process and lay out the facts for all to see.

“The process to date has taken us from a completely undeliverable vanity project to having structured, affordable options which all have merits and put less pressure on the public purse.

“I look forward to discussing the issue in coming weeks and realising an economically-viable, inclusive and sustainable vision for Bristol city centre.”

Legal & General has proposed an alternative mixed-use scheme

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/30/council-set-to-scrap-123m-bristol-arena/

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Liverpool drylining firm collpases

Liverpool drylining contractor Cull & Griffith has fallen into administration with the loss of 23 jobs.

Administrators from Begbies Traynor were called in at the historic family-owned specialist contractor which has worked on major property regeneration projects in Liverpool since 1971 has been placed in administration.

Past clients included Laing O’Rourke, Downing Construction and Bramall Construction on jobs like the One Park West flats, Capital Building offices and the refurbishment of the Museum of Liverpool.

Cull and Griffiths was founded by Eric Cull in 1971 and specialised in plastering, drylining and partitioning. Following his death in 2011, his son Eric Cull Jr and William Griffiths took control of the firm. Both have been with the firm more than 50 years.

Paul Stanley, Administrator and North West regional managing partner at Begbies Traynor, said: “Unfortunately, the business was affected by the loss of a couple of key contracts and stiff competition in the marketplace.

“After examining all options, the directors were faced with no choice other than to place the company into administration. We are engaging with creditors and will update interested parties on progress.”

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/30/liverpool-drylining-firm-collpases/

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Builder wanted for £17m retirement village and medical centre

Wrekin Housing Trust is on the hunt for a builder to deliver a new combined retirement living and medical centre project at Whitchurch in North Shropshire.

Supported by Shropshire Council and Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, the £17m design and build project will regenerate and redevelop the Pauls Moss sheltered housing site into a hub of housing, healthcare and community activity,

The Pauls Moss site is currently run down and has a mix of redundant buildings and some dated social housing units.

The Wrekin Housing Trust is proposing to build new specialist accommodation for people over 55 in the form of 68 lifetime apartments and bungalows that all give lifestyle choices for the ageing population in the area.

Work is expected to take around three years and be completed by 2022.

For further project detail email Simon Peplow at Birmingham-based architect Nicol Thomas.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/30/builder-wanted-for-17m-retirement-village-and-medical-centre/

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Dyson to build £120m electric car testing facility

British inventor James Dyson is planning to invest up to £120m in building a new test facility for electric cars in Wiltshire.

It has submitted plans to expand its Hullavington site on former Ministry of Defence land. This would include building 10-miles of off-road track, a high-speed racing circuit and offices for up to 2,000 extra workers.

The expansion is part of a plan to start selling a radical electric car from 2021.

Jim Rowan, chief executive of Dyson, predicted that Hullavington would soon become a world-class vehicle testing campus.

“We are now firmly focused on the next stage of our automotive project strengthening our credentials as a global research and development organisation,” he said.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/30/dyson-to-build-120m-electric-car-testing-facility/

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Careful contract selection paying dividends for Stepnell

Being selective over projects it will work on is paying off for Stepnell.

The Rugby based contractor has posted a robust set of results after expanding operations in Southampton and the West Midlands.

The company is also “cautiously optimistic” about prospects for the coming 12 months.

Managing director Tom Wakeford said: “We also believe we have the right strategies such as careful selection of the right opportunities in place to build on our performance this year.”

Turnover for the year to 31 March 2018 was up 15% from £127.4m to £146.3m generating a pre-tax profit of £2.07m from £787,254 last time.

The company’s current order book stands at £190m.

Wakeford said: “Despite general market uncertainty, Stepnell has had a good year with the business securing more profitable, high quality projects and expanding our geographic reach with the opening of a new office in Southampton and the acquisition of new premises in Bromsgrove strengthening our presence in the West Midlands.

“Business growth has also been driven by the company’s complex project capability and the commitment of our talented staff.”

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/30/careful-contract-selection-paying-dividends-for-stepnell/

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McAlpine to run £39m London Courtauld revamp

Sir Robert McAlpine has been appointed as construction manager to deliver the Courtauld Institute of Art’s £39m revamp of Somerset House in London.

The institute will be closed from September for at least two years during the redevelopment. The project will be delivered in two phases, the first worth £22m and the second worth £17m will be negotiated later.

A key part of the project will be a major redevelopment of The Courtauld’s magnificent buildings in the North Block of Somerset House, built by Sir William Chambers in the 1770s.

The Courtauld is working with Stirling Prize-winning architects Witherford Watson Mann to restore its important Grade One listed building. Access to and experience of The Courtauld will be transformed for students and the public.

Four of the building’s large rooms, which have been subdivided and altered, will be reinstated to their original scale while the Great Room – the oldest surviving space for public exhibitions in London – will be restored.

Extensive refurbishment will see new areas of the Courtauld Institute of Arts opened to the public

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/30/mcalpine-to-run-39m-london-courtauld-revamp/

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Cost of Galliford Try road job soars from £15m to £33m

The cost of a road improvement scheme in Derby being carried out by Galliford Try has more than doubled in just ten months.

Galliford Try started on the A52 Wyvern Transport Improvement Scheme for Derby City Council last October with a construction contract value of £9m on the £15m scheme.

But an update from the council has revealed it is braced for a revised budget of £33m and a delay in the original completion date of February 2019.

Problems with the job were first identified in May leading to a council review of the job.

Carole Mills, Chief Executive of Derby City Council said: “This review has made clear that the difficulties with the project are more complex than originally envisaged and, to move the scheme forward and ensure that works continue in a timely manner, it is necessary to increase the operational approved budget to £33m.

“We are working hard to produce a final scheme cost estimate by late autumn.

“An investigation is being carried out by the Council’s independent audit service. The results of this will be reported to Cabinet once it is complete.

“I want to emphasise how seriously we are taking these failings. The Council is committed to finding out and fully understanding what went wrong and to delivering the scheme.”

The original contract was let under a Labour administration which was replaced in May’s local elections by the Conservatives.

The construction complications are believed to be centred on the Derwent Parade Junction, the realignment of the Wyvern slip road and pedestrian footbridge access.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/30/cost-of-galliford-try-road-job-soars-from-15m-to-33m/

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Grosvenor switch to become new towns developer

Developer Grosvenor plans to triple the size of its strategic land business as it sets its sights on becoming a market leader for delivering largescale communities and new towns.

Recently appointed Grosvenor Developments chief Jorge Mendonça wants the firm to become a master developer assembling landholdings for at least 30,000 homes within the next five years.

The Grosvenor strategic land team aims to assemble complex parcels of brownfield and greenfield land capable of hosting 2,000-5,000+ homes and take them through the planning system, design and build out process.

Mendonça said: “There is growing recognition from government that the master developer role could be the best way to deliver new housing at scale, particularly in areas of acute need.

“However, it is a complex role that requires patient capital. It demands well-funded long term investors, with an ingrained partnership approach and significant placemaking expertise all of which Grosvenor has an exceptional track record in.”

“For us, enhancing the scale and speed of delivery in areas of acute need is not enough – we want to create communities people are proud to live in and benefit from. Both quantity and quality must be weighted equally in all considerations.”

Grosvenor has already built its pipeline of homes from 2,100 in summer 2017 to 9,300 today, with partners including a range of local authorities, corporate and private land owners.

Expansion plan has evolved from Grosvenor’s recent large schemes

• Trumpington Meadows, Cambridgeshire – a partnership with the Universities Superannuation Scheme creating a new community south west of Cambridge with over 1,200 homes of mixed tenure, size and type and with facilities on a site which is 80% open space.
• Barton Park, Oxfordshire – one of the most advanced NHS Healthy New Towns delivering 900 homes of mixed tenure, size and type in partnership with Oxford City Council. Barton Park was selected as one of 10 NHS Healthy New Towns, which promote health and wellbeing through design innovations, from a field of over 110 applicants.

 

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/29/grosvenor-switch-to-become-new-towns-developer/

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Watching two-dimensional materials grow

The production of ultra-thin 2D crystals is difficult. In the past, different techniques have yielded quite diverse results, but the reasons for this could not be accurately explained. Thanks to a new method it is now possible to observe the crystallization process directly under the electron microscope.

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180829114916.htm

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Humanmade mangroves could get to the 'root' of the problem for threats to coastal areas

With threats of sea level rise, storm surge and other natural disasters, researchers are turning to nature to protect humans from nature. Using bioinspired materials that mimic mangrove trees, they are creating mangrove-like structures that can be used for erosion control, coastal protection, and habitat reconstruction. Structures like seawalls are expensive to build, raise environmental concerns, and obstruct the natural landscape. The prototype they have developed is scalable, smaller, simpler to use and cost effective.

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180829115627.htm

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NASC to spread safety message at Manchester seminar

The National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) is hosting a Safety Seminar in Manchester on Thursday 20 September.

The event will bring delegates up to speed with how the confederation is continuing to raise health and safety standards in the scaffolding and access industry.

It is aimed at representatives from companies that regularly utilise the services of scaffolding contractors. This could include main contractors, local authorities, major housebuilders and developers.

Speakers on the day include Des Moore, TRAD Group CEO and NASC President, Robin James, NASC Managing Director, and Wayne Connolly, Managing Director of Connolly Scaffolding and Chair of the NASC Northern and North Wales region.

Moore said: “We’re keen to engage with delegates; letting them know a little bit about what the confederation is doing to further drive safety standards upwards and also learn what challenges they face and what more we can do to help them achieve their objectives.”

The briefing will take place at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate on Thursday 20 September from 9am to noon.

Delegates will receive free copies of the TG20:13 Guide to Good Practice for Tube and Fitting Scaffolding and safety guidance pocket guides.

To register your interest in attending please contact Simon Robinson, NASC Marketing Manager, by email: simon.robinson@nasc.org.uk

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/29/nasc-to-spread-safety-message-at-manchester-seminar/

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Molson supplies new kit for JB Construction 1

Birmingham based JB Construction 1 has recently taken delivery of a host of new excavators; dumpers and rollers as they continue to lay the foundations of new Aldi stores throughout England and Wales.

JB Construction 1 started from humble beginnings – when Jas ‘Billy’ Singh and Kiran Johal first mooted the idea of a construction company back in 2009 from their own front room.

Since then the company has gone from strength to strength currently employing more than 120 staff as one of the regions leading groundworks contractors.

The latest machinery order with distributors and Hyundai dealers Molson Group was for two NCST10 site dumpers, two Hyundai HX145 LCR’s, two Kobelco SK55SRX-6’s and two Kobelco SK85MSR-3’s in addition to two Ammann ARX26 120mm rollers.

Molson Group marketing manager, James Dodkins said: “Billy has been a valued customer of Molson’s for over five-years, it has been great to work with him for so long and to see both businesses grow together during this time.

“I believe we have continued to work so closely together over this time not just because of the good working relationship we have built up, but also because of the level of after sales care provided by the Molson service team.”

Billy Singh said: “I am a true believer that people buy from people.  I have dealt with James and the team at Molson for many years now and I know we have a mutual respect for each other and what we are both trying to achieve.

“As we all know mechanical aspects in any machines are not infallible and will need maintaining or replacement parts – and although we experience very little downtime with our machines – we can guarantee that the guys at Molson will be there in double quick time – which we can’t fault.

“I think you are only as strong as the team around you and I have been lucky in getting some great staff here at JB Construction 1 – but I also  think that our chosen suppliers – Molson are very much part of our extended team.”

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/29/molson-supplies-new-kit-for-jb-construction-1/

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MCS Group wins 11 buildings at Bristol business park

Midlands based contractor MCS Group has been appointed by developer Chancerygate to deliver 11 industrial/warehouse units at Vertex Park in Bristol.

MCS started on site this month to construct the first three separate buildings – amounting to 107,000 sq ft in total.

The new development will provide high quality units within a business park environment and practical completion of the scheme is scheduled for April 2019.

Tim Perkins, group construction director at MCS Group, said: “We’ve delivered similar industrial schemes for Chancerygate in recent years at locations including Bedford and Yate, so it’s great to be back on site, working alongside the development team again at Vertex Park in Bristol.”

He added: “ MCS is constructing several warehouse units at sites across the UK and has recently won contracts in Kettering, Lutterworth and Hatfield.

“This year we expect to deliver around 1m sq ft of industrial space across the UK. We believe the sector provides a major opportunity to establish ourselves as one of the leading contractors.

Matthew Storr, project manager at Chancerygate, said: “We are delighted to be working again with MCS to deliver another high-quality industrial development on a very prominent site close to the centre of Bristol.”

The 4.8-acre site at Vertex Park is located four miles to the South East of Junction 19 of the M4 motorway, seven miles from the M4/M5 motorway interchange and 8.5 miles from Bristol city centre.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/29/mcs-group-wins-11-buildings-at-bristol-business-park/

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Skanska innovation boss to join research body

Skanska’s Director of Innovation, Industrialisation and Business Improvement Sam Stacey is leaving to join a new research body.

Stacey will take up his new role at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) next month

He will be director of UKRI’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund’s Transforming Construction drive.

Stacey has been with Skanska for nearly eight leading innovation initiatives.

The Transforming Construction challenge is a £170m research and innovation investment, matched by £250m from industry, to create new construction processes and techniques.

It is linked to the Construction Sector Deal and includes funding for research, a new construction network and the creation of an active building centre and innovation hub.

Stacey said: “The UK has some of the best engineering, architectural and construction firms in the world, but the sector as a whole lags others such as manufacturing.

“I firmly believe that the Challenge Fund award and the Industrial Strategy sector deal represent an opportunity to take the UK construction industry from one of the world’s best to an absolute world-beater. I am very much looking forward to leading it.”

UKRI Chief Executive, Professor Sir Mark Walport, said: “This challenge provides an opportunity to transform UK construction productivity.

“Sam has an important role in overseeing the funding to develop these new innovative construction materials and techniques.

“His commitment to harnessing new technology and processes, and his experience across academia and business, make him the ideal candidate to drive forward the challenge.”

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/29/skanska-innovation-boss-to-join-research-body/

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Balfour Beatty wins £96m Scottish A9 dualling job

Transport Scotland will award Balfour Beatty the next major section of the £3bn A9 dualling programme between Perth and Inverness.

Balfour Beatty will dual a 9.5km stretch of the A9 between Luncarty and Pass of Birnam.

It will be the second construction contract to be awarded as part of the Scottish Government’s ambitious programme to upgrade 80 miles of single carriageway.

A joint venture of Wills Bros Civil Engineering and John Paul Construction completed the 7.5km section of the A9 between Kincraig and Dalraddy stretch last year.

Balfour Beatty was appointed from a shortlist of four bidders which included Dragados, Wills Bros Civil Engineering and a joint venture between Farrans Construction and Roadbridge.

The contract will formally be awarded in the coming weeks.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson said: “The dualling of the A9 will create hundreds of new jobs throughout the construction phases which will leave a lasting legacy of a highly skilled workforce, bolstering Scotland’s construction industry. The project will also act as a catalyst to attract significant inward investment and stimulate continued growth of our business communities, especially the tourism industry along this key route.

“The Scottish Government is committed to delivering this £3billion infrastructure improvement project to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness by 2025.”

Hector MacAulay, Balfour Beatty Managing Director for Scotland, said as well as construction of 9.5km of new dual-carriageway, the section will involve four new overbridges to maintain local access across the A9, along with the widening of one existing underbridge and the provision of a new side road bridge.

The first section of the A9 Dualling Programme was the £35million Kincraig to Dalraddy project which became fully operational in September 2017, and was constructed by Wills Bros Civil Engineering and John Paul Construction Joint Venture.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/29/balfour-beatty-wins-96m-scottish-a9-dualling-job/

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EcoWorld seals funding for 1,000 London build-to-rent homes

Malaysia-owned developer EcoWorld London has secured financing to build more than 1,000 private rental homes on two London sites.

Heads of agreement for funding have been signed with US real estate firm Investco and a North American Pension Fund. It ranks as one of the most significant build-to-rent deals ever undertaken in the UK.

EcoWorld is developing housing sites in Kew and Barking with a development value of nearly £400m.

The firm was created after Willmott Dixon agreed to sell a 70% stake in its London-based residential development business Be Living to EcoWorld International.

The partnership gave EcoWorld International a presence in 12 sites across the capital with a gross development value of £2.5bn.

These include Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Brent, Bromley, Ealing, Hounslow, Lambeth, Tower Hamlets and Westminster together with one major project outside London, in Woking, Surrey.

The Kew site is located next to the new Brentford Football Club’s 17,250 capacity stadium that is currently under construction while the Barking site is known as Abbey Retail Park, where Bristol based Soilfix is carrying out enabling works.

Planning permission has been secured for both sites and development work has already commenced with construction due to complete in stages from 2020 onwards.

Heng Leong Cheong, Chief Executive Officer of EcoWorld London, said: “This deal highlights the immense opportunities in this emerging sector and represents an important new engine of growth for EcoWorld London and the UK, despite the potential challenges of the current pre-Brexit market.

“Kew and Barking are great locations for  renters in terms of affordability, connectivity and local amenities and we have identified many more of such sites where we can deliver more Build to Rent projects.”

“There is undeniably a significant shortage of quality homes in Greater London, in particular homes catered specifically for the rental demographic. We are committed to investing more resources into this market and create great places for people to live, whether you are an owner-occupier or tenant.

“Our Build to Rent business model allows us to scale up quickly and to work on multiple projects concurrently, which means we can provide a substantial volume and variety of much-needed homes in Greater London sooner.”

 

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from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/29/ecoworld-seals-funding-for-1000-london-build-to-rent-homes/

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Firms teed up for £2bn offsite housing framework

Local authority procurement specialist LHC has launched the bid race for its enlarged second generation offsite housing framework across the UK.

Under the new arrangement, separate panels of firms will be selected to deliver a variety of offsite housing projects across regions in England, Wales and Scotland.

Taken together LHC anticipates to offer potential work pipelines of £2bn as use of offsite construction takes off in the housing and student sectors.

Each new framework will also be split into four workstreams. These include: volumetric systems; panelised systems (open or closed panels); specialist high rise projects systems; and turnkey projects low rise.

LHC said the frameworks were aimed at delivering housing apartments, adaptive pods, student accommodation, care homes, room on the roof, temporary accommodation using offsite systems.

The new four-year set-up replaces a previous single national arrangement secured by seven specialist firms.

This includes many of the big players including: TExtraspace Solutions (UK), Module-AR, MTX Contracts, The McAvoy Group, Portakabin, Western Building Systems and Wernick Buildings.

Over 200 publicly funded organisations throughout the UK presently use LHC frameworks to procure works, goods and services to construct, refurbish and maintain social housing, schools and public buildings.

Firms have until 21 September to express an interest.

 

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from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/29/firms-teed-up-for-2bn-offsite-housing-framework/

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Retention reforms now backed by more than 200 MPs

Political support for the Aldous Bill is soaring with more than 200 MPs now backing demands for better payment protection for subcontractors.

The bill calling for ring-fencing of retentions cash is now supported by 207 MPs – nearly one in three.

A coalition of more than 80 trade bodies is also behind the bill led by the electrical sector’s BESA and ECA.

Alexi Ozioro, BESA Public Affairs & Policy Manager said:  “Carillion put late payments in the public view and we have grown a campaign that 76 Conservatives and MPs from every other party all back.

“We have a great opportunity for industry unity and to finally solve a problem that has plagued the industry, economy and SMEs for far too long.”

ECA Deputy Director of Business Policy & Practice, Rob Driscoll added: “The current cash retentions system is extremely unfair to hard-working small and medium-sized businesses in construction.

“Given this unprecedented level of support for a pragmatic reform and the Sector Deal’s ambition to create sustainable business models, it’s time for Government to back legislative reform.”

Aldous introduced his Bill to put retentions in secure deposit schemes six days before Carillion collapsed.

The second reading is due to take place after the party conference season on October 26.

Aldous said: “I am very encouraged by the support that 200 colleagues across the House have indicated for my Bill and the construction industry; it is an important milestone to have reached.

“There is more work to be done in persuading Government to adopt the bill, but I am confident that vital momentum is being gained, showing the appetite within Parliament for the Aldous Bill to succeed.”

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/08/29/retention-reforms-now-backed-by-more-than-200-mps/

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