Cutting Edge
Plant hirers must assess how to handle the boom in the use of lasers and GPS. Colin Sowman, Editor of Plant Managers’ Journal, investigates. more
(07 April 2006 12:38)
Galliford Try reaches financial close on £134m schools PFI
Galliford Try has reached financial close on a £134m schools PFI for Scotland’sHighland Council. more
(07 April 2006 09:00)
Plans for £235m Brighton Marina scheme unveiled
Plans for a £235m development at Brighton Marina have been submitted by Brunswick Developments. more
(06 April 2006 11:00)
Vinci keeps cash pile growing
Vinci has announced that its construction activities generated an “excellent” cash flow last year. more
(06 April 2006 11:00)
Editor's comment: Safety: moving in the right direction
There can be few people in the construction industry who don’t take health and safety seriously. After all, get it wrong, and in a matter of seconds,.... more
(06 April 2006 10:13)
New orders still on the up
New orders in the three months to January increased 15% in value to £10.9bn compared to £9.5bn a year ago, according to the latest data from the.... more
(06 April 2006 09:00)
Scottish contractor goes into receivership
Midlothian-based contractor Peter Walker Group has gone into receivership with the loss of nearly 350 jobs. more
(06 April 2006 09:00)
Bridgepoint sells Hydrex for £106m
Rail plant and materials handling specialist Hydrex has a new owner after private equity investor Bridgepoint sold its 70% stake in the firm for a.... more
(05 April 2006 20:00)
Castle Cement plans to conquer Scottish market
Castle Cement last week commenced hostilities against rival Cemex for business in Scotland, with plans to develop a new rail distribution centre.... more
(05 April 2006 15:00)
SITA UK poised to scoop 28-year waste contract
SITA UK looks set to be awarded a PFI waste management contract for Northumberland County Council worth £34m in capital value and some £207m in.... more
(05 April 2006 15:00)
In brief
CGCS (Midlands) has been appointed as the sole UK distributor for the RubbleBuster range of compact crushing equipment built in South Africa by.... more
(05 April 2006 14:00)
Van-mounted platforms lose diesel exception
Street lighting contractors and local authorities are to lose their exception to run dedicated van-mounted access platforms on red diesel under the.... more
(05 April 2006 14:00)
Barratt house sales up to 7,000
Housebuilder Barratt has reported sales of 7,000 properties in the latest interim financial period, a slight rise over the figure of 6,900 in the.... more
(05 April 2006 13:00)
Deals done
Belfast-based Eastwood Demolition has recently taken delivery of three new machines from Extec Screens & Crushers: a C-12 jaw crusher; an E-7.... more
(05 April 2006 13:00)
Top of the pile
Rock & Alluvium managing director Ken Cromwell recently took over as chairman of the Federation of Piling Specialists. Helen McCormick talked to him.... more
(05 April 2006 13:00)
WYG adds town planner and quantity surveyor to portfolio
White Young Green (WYG), the rapidly expanding consultancy group, has announced two more acquisitions: Farningham McCreadie and Tweeds.
WYG has.... more
(05 April 2006 13:00)
A fine performance
Allenbuild’s work on a new performing arts centre at a top London girls’ school meant building the foundations out into a lake. Peter Weedon reports. more
(05 April 2006 13:00)
EP plans regeneration of Silverdale Colliery
English Partnerships (EP) has submitted a planning application to Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council (NULBC) for the regeneration of 105ha site at.... more
(05 April 2006 12:05)
Bovis hops on Dubai Metro
Bovis Lend Lease and the Mass Transit Rail Corporation of Hong Kong will provide strategic project management services for the first three phases of.... more
(05 April 2006 12:00)
In brief
Vinci subsidiary Norwest Holst has won a £17.9m contract with St Modwen to design and construct an Asda store in Walsall, alongside a number of.... more
(05 April 2006 12:00)
MCG members approach 100% qualified level
Major Contractors Group (MCG) members are nearing the 100% target of getting their workforce fully qualified, or working towards qualification. .... more
(05 April 2006 12:00)
TfL loses to Tramtrack in PFI ruling
A landmark ruling that will make it difficult for clients of PFI schemes to force changes to contracts was issued by the High Court last week. The.... more
(05 April 2006 12:00)
Dean & Dyball picks up Woolston Riverside deal
Dean & Dyball Developments has been chosen as the preferred commercial development partner for the commercial element of the regeneration of the.... more
(05 April 2006 12:00)
Record figures at North Midland
■ Chairman of construction group has “great confidence” for year ahead, with profit recorded across all five operating divisions. more
(05 April 2006 12:00)
Harbour master
Marine piling specialist Pennine is smoothing the way for this year’s America’s Cup regatta through an ingenious ground improvement project in Spain..... more
(05 April 2006 12:00)
Boxing clever
Edmund Nuttall’s use of box piling for signage on its M1 technology framework contract reduced installation times by more than two thirds. Helen.... more
(05 April 2006 12:00)
Costain wins Battersea Park station deal
Costain has won the £26m designa nd build contract to modernise Battersea Park railway station for Battersea Power Station developer Parkview.... more
(05 April 2006 11:30)
Trio battle for £120m Stirling regeneration
Three consortia are to fight it out for the right to undertake a £120m scheme to regenerate the Raploch area of Stirling in central Scotland. more
(05 April 2006 11:00)
Construction’s safety record is improving
Construction is showing “real progress” in making itself a healthier and safer industry, according to the findings of a report by the Strategic Forum. more
(05 April 2006 11:00)
Council in the clear on Ayrshire schools PPP
Hochtief has finally sealed a deal to deliver the £86m North Ayrshire PPP schools scheme, after a police investigation cleared the council’s.... more
(05 April 2006 11:00)
Mace receives the Most Considerate Site award
Mace won the coveted Most Considerate Site award at the Considerate Constructors’ Scheme (CCS) 2006 National Awards last week. The company scooped.... more
(05 April 2006 11:00)
Regional roads shelved
■ Out of 11 Highways Agency schemes allocated to regional transport boards, six have now been mothballed. more
(05 April 2006 11:00)
Workers plagued by angry gulls
Workers from Mowlem and Costain had to call in a professional hawker after they suffered dive-bomb attacks from seagulls during decommissioning.... more
(05 April 2006 11:00)
Government plans hefty safety fines
Contractors who breach health and safety regulations in future can expect to pay much larger fines, if current government plans come to fruition. .... more
(05 April 2006 11:00)
The independence of the engineer
In many standard forms of construction contract, the named architect or engineer is required, either by the express words of the contract or by.... more
(05 April 2006 11:00)
Fraud case will not impact on Erinaceous
Erinaceous’s reputation has not been tarnished by a police investigation into alleged fraud by one of its staff, according to the company’s.... more
(05 April 2006 11:00)
Drainage specs leave contractors in muddle
■ Keeping pace with the latest drainage technology can be tricky, according to supplier JDP. more
(05 April 2006 11:00)
Materials price hikes will affect whole supply chain
Contractors will have to include materials price increases when tendering for projects, while manufacturers face tougher conditions, warned the.... more
(05 April 2006 11:00)
Going with the flow
Time and tide wait for no man – especially Paul Burnside, Morrison’s site agent in charge of the reinstatement of a pair of jetties in the Sharpness.... more
(05 April 2006 11:00)
Deeley named preferred partner on £150m Bristol scheme
Developer Deeley Freed Estates has been named preferred partner for a £150m mixed-use development based in Bristol's city centre. more
(05 April 2006 10:55)
EP to pilot green initiative
English Partnerships (EP) will include green specifications for contractors working on public sector sites, following advice from the Department for.... more
(05 April 2006 10:00)
Record £30m profit for Henry Boot
Henry Boot has unveiled a record £30m pre-tax profit. Chairman John Reis said that the company “continued to grow from strength to strength”. more
(05 April 2006 10:00)
PfS puts academies at top of its agenda
■ £1.6bn BSF scheme will see construction of up to 50 academies and 57-plus schools. more
(05 April 2006 10:00)
In brief
Tender prices are set to rise faster than the retail price index, according to EC Harris. In the year to 31 March 2007, tenders will rise by 4%.... more
(05 April 2006 10:00)
Wembley crisis averted
The threat of steelwork stopping on the £757m Wembley Stadium project seemed to have been averted as CJ went to press on Monday night. Last minute.... more
(05 April 2006 10:00)
Gleeson gets divisions in order prior to sale
■ Sale of engineering arm put on hold as group re-evaluates its key areas of focus. more
(05 April 2006 10:00)
Trio battle for £120m Stirling regeneration
■ The scheme will combine efforts from both public and private sector organisations. more
(05 April 2006 10:00)
Three consortia line up for £43m Doncaster schools PFI
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council has selected three consortia for what looks to be one of the last traditional-style private finance contracts.... more
(05 April 2006 10:00)
In brief
Cala Homes has got the go-ahead to build three housing schemes in Scotland: 277 homes on the site of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency in.... more
(05 April 2006 10:00)
Scottish Water panned in contractors’ survey
Scottish Water (SW) is stifling construction activity due to poor performance, according to a survey of contractors in Scotland. The Scottish.... more
(05 April 2006 10:00)