Man found dead on Canary Wharf construction site

Construction workers discovered the body of a man on their site as they returned to work on Tuesday morning.

The body was discovered in the bottom of a deep trench at the site in Canary Wharf.

Police are investigating the incident but it is understood the victim was not a construction worker and the body lay undiscovered for a few days over the Christmas and New Year break.

Developer Canary Wharf Group said: “There has been a fatality at one of our construction sites, all our construction workers are safe and we are supporting the investigation being led by the emergency services.”

Canary Wharf Contractors are main contractor at the One Bank Street site which will be home to a 28-storey commercial scheme.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/01/02/man-found-dead-on-canary-wharf-construction-site/

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Co-op plans £160m store building spree

Retailer Co-op has confirmed plans to open 100 new food stores across the UK this year.

Co-op chiefs said the business will invest over £160m in new stores and major refurbishments for a further 150 of its outlets.

More than 20 new stores are set to open in London and up to 18 stores are planned for Scotland.

Other new stores are lined up for Blackpool, Bristol, Chesterfield, Crewe, Leicester, Manchester, Nottingham, Plymouth, Southampton and York.

Stuart Hookins, Co-op’s Director of Portfolio and Development, said: “The Co-op’s extensive acquisitions and refit programme is a fundamental part of our food strategy.

“Moving forward with a clear purpose and momentum, our expansion plans for 2018 will mean that the Co-op is on track to have opened at least 100 new stores in each of three consecutive years.

“We are always looking for new locations to get closer to where our Members and customers live and work and to meet their shopping needs conveniently.”

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/01/02/co-op-plans-160m-store-building-spree/

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New Everton stadium cost soars above £300m

Everton have conformed the original £300m budget for its new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock has escalated significantly.

The club is set to submit a planning application this year with construction completed ready for the start of the 2022/23 season.

Specialist stadium architect Meis has presented the Club with outline concept designs and the Everton chiefs have been working with cost consultants on the budget.

Chief executive Robert Elstone said: “That funding target has escalated significantly and has occupied much of our efforts of the past 12 months.

“The premium for the waterfront site, an ambitious capacity that we will test with more rigour, a design we can all be proud of and the simple but painful impact of inflation, have all contributed to an increased overall cost and a funding target which continues to grow.

“Once these funding arrangements are secure, we will be able to move forward with more conviction and optimism.

“Our new home will kick-start the regeneration of North Liverpool and we are proud to be the catalyst for significant numbers of new homes, jobs and infrastructure.

“The prize for the Club and the City is substantial.

“Bramley Moore Dock will bring £1bn of private sector investment into the City and introduce our world-famous waterfront to billions of Premier League fans every weekend.

“Again, following the sign-off of funding, the priority for the year ahead is to deliver the planning permission required to allow us to begin construction.”

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/01/02/new-everton-stadium-cost-soars-above-300m/

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Call-up for £7.3bn private finance road tunnels plan

Highways England is calling up industry finance and construction experts to kick-start plans to privately finance its two biggest planned road tunnel schemes.

The first of several industry consultation days will be held in March to float a new model of public and private financing of the A303 Stonehenge tunnel and the Lower Thames Crossing project.

These projects are two of the largest in Highways England’s Road Investment Programme and are being advanced as ideal candidates for design, build, finance and maintenance contracts.

The £1.3bn A303 project includes a new twin-bore road tunnel under the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, as well as a bypass for Winterbourne Stoke and the improvement of junctions with intersecting roads.

It is currently anticipated that this project will primarily comprise a privately financed design, build, finance and maintain contract, and some associated enabling works.

The £6bn LTC project comprises two bored tunnels beneath the River Thames  between Tilbury and Gravesend with interconnecting link roads to the M25, A13, and A2.

This project could be split into a publicly financed tunnel design and build contract and a privately financed design, build, finance and maintain contract covering the associated link roads, with enabling works.

Further information is available by emailing Lesley Cole at Highways England, with firms registering an interest in attending the day by 26 January.

• For more information on the Lower Thames Crossing project, click here.
• For information on the A303 Stonehenge project click here.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/01/01/call-up-for-7-3bn-private-finance-road-tunnels-plan/

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VolkerFitzpatrick-Kier JV wins £119m Luton airport rail link

London Luton Airport has picked a VolkerFitzpatrick-Kier team to deliver the main civils package for its planned new light railway system.

The 2.1km-long guided mass rapid transit passenger system will run between two purpose-built stations, heading out from Stirling Place, close to Luton Airport Parkway station, to the airport terminal.

The joint venture secured the project with a £119m bid to build viaducts, embankments, cut and cover works and station platforms.

New viaduct for mass passenger transport system

Some of the works will be within the airside sections of the airport.

Austrian specialist Doppelmayr Cable Car will deliver rolling stock, operation and maintenance under a £55m contract.

The scheme forms part of an ambitious £1.5bn inward investment programme revealed by the council, which outlines a 20-year plan for major transformation of the town.

The transit system is due to open in 2021.

An artist’s impression of new Luton Parkway station

The link to be funded by the council, which owns the airport, would reduce journey time to London to just 30 minutes.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/01/01/volker-kier-jv-wins-119m-luton-airport-rail-link/

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Bidders day for £7bn rail multi-discipline framework

Network Rail is preparing to invite bids with a briefing day this month for its southern multi-discipline frameworks across Anglia, South East and Wessex routes.

The total value of work carried out under the arrangement will be worth anywhere between £2bn and £7bn, depending on regulator spending settlements.

It will cover control period six (CP6) from April 2019 to 2024, with the option to extend for three years into CP7, subject to funding approval.

Under the previous set up covering four regions, VolkerFitzpatrick bagged the Anglia region and Costain took Kent, with BAM Nuttall securing Sussex and Geoffrey Osborne winning Wessex regional works.

Network Rail is now running the SMD Framework as three lots, one for each of Anglia, Southeast and Wessex routes and again will select a single firm for each area.

Works include enhancements and renewals, building and  civils, electrification, power, signalling, telecommunications and track works.

To set out the scope and requirements of these frameworks, Network Rail intends to host a market briefing event at the at the Oval Cricket Ground in London on Monday 29 January.

To register for the event email your name, organisation and contact number to IPSframework by 22 January.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/01/01/bidders-day-for-7bn-rail-multi-discipline-framework/

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Single metalens focuses all colors of the rainbow in one point

Metalenses – flat surfaces that use nanostructures to focus light – promise to revolutionize optics by replacing the bulky, curved lenses currently used in optical devices with a simple, flat surface. But, these metalenses have remained limited in the spectrum of light they can focus well. Now a team of researchers has developed the first single lens that can focus the entire visible spectrum of light – including white light – in the same spot and in high resolution.

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180101144747.htm

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