Articles by Date : May 01 2006 - May 07 2006

Steel and copper price hikes mitigated by T Clarke
The sharp escalation in prices of steel and copper – as well as other construction-related commodities – has not shaken T Clarke, the electrical.... more
(05 May 2006 09:00)

Safety on sight: operator aids
With telehandlers featuring repeatedly in the accident statistics, Colin Sowman, editor of Plant Managers' Journal, tries out a variety of operator.... more
(04 May 2006 12:39)

Editor's comment: CIS - a suitable case for treatment
The lunacy over the construction industry taxation scheme just seems to get worse and worse. Contractors can be forgiven for being thoroughly.... more
(04 May 2006 11:16)

Hollandia misses Wembley steelwork deadline
The deadline promised by Hollandia to complete the majority of the steelwork at the £757m Wembley Stadium project has been missed. more
(04 May 2006 09:00)

Scaffolder wins CIS case and sets precedent
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has lost a landmark case, which criticised the department for having pre-conceived ideas of employment status. more
(04 May 2006 09:00)

BSW Timber launches toughened wood
One of the most innovative products at this year’s Interbuild was toughened, resilient wood from BSW Timber. The company hardens its wood through an.... more
(04 May 2006 08:30)

JCB looks to groundcare for future expansion
JCB is to target the groundcare sector for further expansion. JCB Sales executive director Françoise Rausch said, globally a year, this market is.... more
(04 May 2006 08:30)

Bidder shortlist for LIFT finalised
All eight schemes in the fourth wave of the NHS LIFT initiative have finally shortlisted their bidders with both GB Consortium and Guildhouse.... more
(04 May 2006 08:20)

Atkins sweats on Cambs road deal
Members of Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) have called in the decision of its cabinet to appoint Atkins as preferred bidder on its £250m highways.... more
(04 May 2006 08:00)

Bird exclusion zone halts housebuilding
The construction industry and environmentalists are fighting over moves to halt the building of 40,000 new homes in the South East to protect rare.... more
(04 May 2006 08:00)

PFI/PPP special report: An uneasy partnership (Treasury PFI review)
The marriage of public and private sectors through PFI has never been the happiest of unions, and the Treasury's latest review, Strengthening Long.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Balfour keeps PFI top spot
Balfour Beatty has retained the top spot in CJ’s annual PFI league table – by a nose from Skanska and Carillion. more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Company life: What's going on within WSP
WSP is a global consultancy business with 6,000 staff. It first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1987. While the UK and Scandinavia account for.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Equitable set-off
In 1993, Safeway Stores entered into an agreement with a developer named Chelverton, whereby Chelverton agreed to design and construct a new.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Multiplex and CBUK dispute rumbling on
The court battle between Multiplex and Cleveland Bridge UK (CBUK) rumbled on as CJ went to press on Tuesday afternoon, with Multiplex director Martin.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Coverite owes £5m
Coverite, the roofing and cladding specialist that went into administration last week, owed its creditors around £5m. more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

More delay for next CAT round
The Highways Agency (HA) may delay the roll-out of its third round of Capability Assessment Toolkit (CAT) assessments until next year – 12 months.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Bird exclusion zone halts housebuilding
Overcrowding near heathlands prompts call for stop to homebuilding in the South East. The construction industry and environmentalists are fighting.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

ODA supports SMEs
SMEs are to be encouraged to bid for work for the London Olympics. Speaking at the Construction Products Association spring lunch, Olympic Delivery.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Bright future for Thomas Vale following acquisition
Thomas Vale Group has doubled the size of its streetlighting maintenance and installation division, which trades as Paul Adams, as a result of the.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

MacLellan bought by Interserve for £116m
Interserve has unveiled a £116m agreed bid for MacLellan, the facilities management group with an annual turnover running to £230m. more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

News analysis: Taxing times ahead
Ross Pearman investigates agency-type tax agreements being promoted in the run-up to the next year’s changes to the CIS scheme. more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Preview SED 2006 – Truck Zone: Get your motor running
Preview of SED 2006 from Contract Journal 4 May 2006. SED’s Truck Zone provides the perfect platform for visitors to evaluate what’s on offer from.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

SED Preview 2006 - Pavilion: Under cover
Preview of SED 2006 from Contract Journal 4 May. The Pavilion is home to a huge range of useful products and services for you to browse, including.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

SED Preview 2006 - Cranes and Access: High and mighty
One year on from the introduction of the Work At Height Regulations, what impact have they had on the companies exhibiting in the Cranes & Access.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

SED 2006 - Site Equipment Zone: Action stations
Preview of SED 2006 from Contract Journal 4 May 2006. SED celebrates its 40th exhibition at a new venue, Rockingham Performance Park, with yet.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Terex goes east with purchase of 50% of Changiang Crane
Terex’s voracious appetite for expansion shows no signs of abating. During Intermat last month it announced the purchase of 50% of Chinese crane.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Mansell airport safety record: one in a million
Mansell’s airports division, Mansell Airports, has achieved BAA’s prestigious ‘One in a Million’ health and safety target. more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Building: we have the technology (Interbuild 2006)
Richard Stirling reviews the materials technology revealed and the topics debated at last week’s Interbuild exhibition in Birmingham. more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Skanska pension push pays off
Skanska UK’s decision to top up its pension fund with a £45m contribution and sustain the option of a defined benefit pension scheme –even for new.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Back bites and other bits: 4 May 2006
Back bites, number of the week, and quote of the week, from the Contract Journal issue dated 4 May 2006. more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Preview SED 2006 – Concrete: A drop of the hard stuff
Exhibitors at this year’s Concrete Show at SED reckon they have products that allow contractors to do less work and earn more money in a cleaner,.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Four firms chasing £35m Birmingham development
Four firms have until June 2006 to price a £35m mixed development opportunity in Birmingham. Jostling for position on the design and build scheme,.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Four on the register for £50m Nottingham Trent University project
Four firms are hoping to graduate onto a £50m redevelopment deal for Nottingham Trent University. The contest will be between Bowmer & Kirkland,.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Tanfield buys Upright to add scissors and booms
The Tanfield Group, owner of Aerial Access, is to buy Upright’s powered access division. The firm will gain the manufacturing rights to Upright’s.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

More mergers ahead
Financial expert predicts a flurry of mergers and acquisitions in construction this year. more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Employment status law unclear
Department of Trade & Industry review on employment status law lacks certainty and clarity on employment status, say legal experts. more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

50% of site electricians supplied by agencies
Half of all site electricians are now supplied by labour agencies, rather than being directly employed, according to the latest figures from the.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Bowmer bags Sheffield academies
Bowmer & Kirkland has scooped two more academy schools deals for the United Learning Trust. The latest coups are both in Sheffield and total more.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

SED Awards for Excellence 2006: Stars of the show
Once again, SED’s Awards for Excellence were hard fought, with strong competition in all categories. Colin Sowman reports on who came out on top in.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Plant news in brief
Plant news in brief from Contract Journal, 4 May 2006. more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Plant operatives in coal sector receive pay rise
New rates of pay for plant operators in the open-cast coal mining sector have been agreed under a national deal, which has now been finalised between.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Tolent to build Yorks centre
Tolent has negotiated a £20.6m deal to design and build the biggest distribution centre to date in Yorkshire. more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

SMC sees profits soar after first year on AIM
The architect and design group SMC has reported a 280% rise in pre-tax profit to £2.9m. The group’s latest figures are its first set of annual.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Legal: Equitable set-off
The case: Safeway Stores Limited -v- Interserve Project Services Limited, TCC 1 December 2005. The issue: Whether a contractor can apply a set-off.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Bowden expands in the north
Housebuilder Wilson Bowden has bought one of its smaller competitors in the North West, Roland Bardsley, for £49m. more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

Leavers and joiners: 4 May 2006
CJ's weekly review of who's moving where in the construction industry. more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

PFI/PPP special report: Balfour is still UK’s biggest PFI player (PFI league table)
Despite strong challenges from Skanska and the Mowlem-fortified Carillion, Balfour Beatty remains top of CJ’s annual PFI league table – just. Will.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

PFI/PPP special report: Motorway of the future (M25 widening)
PFI is back on the road following a two-year hiatus. The £4.5bn M25 widening scheme is the largest DBFO contract ever tendered. Ross Pearman looks at.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)

SED Preview 2006 - Site Clearance: Out with the old...
Once again, environmental issues will be high on the agenda in the Site Clearance Zone. Paul Howard reports on the latest technology that will be on.... more
(04 May 2006 00:00)