Six firms fight for £1bn North West Construction Hub places

North West Construction Hub is planning to retender its £1bn high-value project framework in September.

Presently six firms are on the panel for projects worth more than £9m across the north west.

The present preferred line-up consists of BAM, Galliford Try, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Morgan Sindall and Wates.

Now the procurement group, first formed by Manchester City Council, is throwing the prized framework open to the market again and inviting any interested firm to a market engagement day where plans to renew and improve the framework will be openly discussed.

The soft market testing day will take place on 11 July in the Central Library in Manchester.

For further information email North West Hub

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2017/06/28/six-firms-to-fight-for-1bn-north-west-construction-hub-place/

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University’s start to strip cladding from student halls

Many of Britain’s University’s are now being hit by concerns about the fire safety of cladding.

Several universities have found aluminium cladding modules of the kind used at Grenfell on their high-rise student accommodation blocks.

Edinburgh Napier University was so alarmed at the discovery at its student residence, Bainfield Halls, that it has ordered it to be stripped and replaced.

While a survey found that non-combustible insulation had been fitted behind the panels and wall cavities were properly fire-stopped and sprinklers fitted to buildings, the University has still decided to replace the aluminium cladding over the summer.

Elsewhere Newcastle University has discovered that the Shield Building, due to open later this year, has been fitted with Reynobond Polyethylen core cladding.

It has also been confirmed that the privately-run St James’ Point building is fitted with this cladding but insisted the Taylor Maxwell built accommodation was built to the highest fire safety standards with sprinklers, a firefighting lift and alarms.

Nottingham Trent University has also confirmed three of the seven blocks at its Byron House student complex built by Vinci were clad using Reynobond

Further south, Bournemouth University has confirmed that a similar type of cladding has been found on one of its student accommodation.

The 16-storey building was developed by Watkin Jones for Bournemouth and the Kaplan International College, and currently houses nearly 400 students.

It has been reported that the building was previously reviewed for safety in January 2016 following panels falling off the exterior of the complex; however no fire-safety warnings were reported.

In Essex, a student accommodation complex, which houses both students from South Essex College and the University of Essex is currently under review. The accommodation currently houses 561 students, with shared kitchen facilities.

Danielle Cullen, Managing Director at StudentTenant.com, said: “It’s saddening to hear that newly developed buildings, and buildings which have been recently reviewed by professionals, are using the exact same cladding as Grenfell Tower.

“How have the architects, builders, and providers of the cladding missed how potentially dangerous it is until now? Why has it taken an awful tragedy to highlight how unsafe this is?”

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2017/06/28/universitys-start-to-strip-cladding-from-student-halls/

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Cash blow for £425m Circuit of Wales plan

The £425m Circuit of Wales Project has been dealt a massive blow after it was refused public sector guarantees by the Welsh Government.

Ministers refused pleas for a £210m guarantee leaving backers of the project reeling.

Circuit of Wales chiefs were hoping to start construction within weeks but have now been forced to reconsider their plans.

In a statement they said: “Along with my team and commercial partners, I am hugely disappointed and saddened that the Welsh Government has failed to support The Circuit of Wales, what would be a game changing development for Wales and in particular the people of Blaenau Gwent.

“We strongly disagree with the decision and the rationale behind it.

“We have always believed passionately, and continue to do so, in this project’s ability to transform and provide opportunities and hope to one of the poorest parts of the UK, not just Wales.

“The project is totally defined, finance is in place, and construction and hiring could start immediately.

“My team and I will now analyse the Welsh Government’s reasons not to support the development and are actively seeking additional clarification from them.

“We will then very shortly issue a detailed response before deciding on our next course of action.”

The Welsh Government was not keen on having debts associated with the projects on its books and feared the cost of underwriting it would hamper funding plans for other projects.

Spanish contractor FCC and local civils specialist Alun Griffiths were originally lined up for the job but Alun Griffiths passed on its headline role to Irish contractor Roadbridge.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2017/06/28/cash-blow-for-425m-circuit-of-wales-plan/

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Chemists turn metal catalysis on its head for a sustainable future

A research team used high-valent transition metal catalysts for an unconventional hydrogenation of carboxylic acid groups, common to biomass feedstocks. The high-valent catalysts showed good selectivity under mild conditions.

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170627134340.htm

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Accelerating the quest for quicker, longer-lasting electronics

In the world of electronics, where the quest is always for smaller and faster units with infinite battery life, topological insulators (TI) have tantalizing potential. Scientists report they have created a TI film just 25 atoms thick that adheres to an insulating magnetic film, creating a ‘heterostructure.’

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170623155508.htm

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PM calls for major national cladding investigation

Theresa May has called for a separate major national investigation into cladding failures after results showed 95 buildings have now failed fire safety tests.

During the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, The Prime Minister told ministers: “There will need to be a major national investigation into what’s gone wrong, when cladding that’s failing the tests has been fitted on buildings in this country over a number of decades.”

The probe could be a second phase of the public inquiry into the west London fire.

Today the Government revealed  the total number of towers fitted with unsafe cladding had risen to 95 towers in 32 local authority areas in England. So far all of the samples submitted have failed fire safety tests.

The Government is now moving the scope of testing to schools, hospitals and other public buildings which may be at risk.

Today an expert panel was set up to look at any immediate action that is required so the public can be confident everything possible is being done to make all public and private buildings safe as quickly as possible.

The Panel will be made up of a range of building and fire safety experts, and will be chaired by Sir Ken Knight, former London Fire Commissioner and former Government Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser.

Government expert panel

Sir Ken Knight, former London Fire Commissioner (chair); Dr Peter Bonfield, Chief Executive of the Building Research Establishment, Roy Wilsher, Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council; Amanda Clack, EY partner and President of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

The panel have a wealth of experience in fire and building safety, including testing processes. They will also draw in wider technical expertise as necessary to inform their advice to the Communities Secretary.

It is intended that a first meeting of the Panel will take place this week.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2017/06/27/pm-calls-for-major-national-cladding-investigation/

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New class of 'soft' semiconductors could transform HD displays

New research could help usher in a new generation of high-definition displays, optoelectronic devices, photodetectors, and more. They have shown that a class of “soft” semiconductors can be used to emit multiple, bright colors from a single nanowire at resolutions as small as 500 nanometers. The work could challenge quantum dot displays that rely upon traditional semiconductor nanocrystals to emit light.

from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170626181043.htm

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