Articles by Date : October 03 2005 - October 09 2005

Mobile plant users warned of dangers by HSE
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned of the possible dangers of two items of mobile plant commonly used by construction companies -.... more
(07 October 2005 14:15)

Balfour Beatty fined £10m over Hatfield rail crash
Balfour Beatty has been fined £10m for breaching health and safety regulations over the 2000 Hatfield train crash, in which four people died. more
(07 October 2005 13:15)

One-off hit puts Gleeson in the red
MJ Gleeson plunged into the red last year. The high cost of jettisoning the troubled building division left the group with a one-off hit of £52m. more
(07 October 2005 08:15)

A McAlpine sells interest in Core Utility Solutions
Alfred McAlpine has sold its 50% interest in Core Utility Solutions to Scottish Power for £10m in cash, payable on completion. more
(06 October 2005 15:51)

Balfour/Carillion jv wins West Coast Main Line deal
A joint venture of Balfour Beatty and Carillion has been awarded the £110m contract to deliver 13 feeder stations and 998km of high voltage feeder.... more
(06 October 2005 11:17)

New orders rise 12% in year to August
New construction orders in the year to August increased 12% to nearly £42bn, according to the latest data from the Department of Trade & Industry. more
(06 October 2005 11:11)

Time to count lives not pennies - 06.10.05
contractjournal.com Newsletter - 06.10.05 more
(06 October 2005 11:09)

Amicus calls for skills action in Scotland
Amicus has delivered a report to the Scottish Parliament calling for urgent action to prevent skills decline in Scottish construction industry. more
(06 October 2005 11:08)

Jarvis’s roads sale in doubt after deficit
Cracks seem to be appearing in the proposed acquisition of Jarvis’s highways business by Accord. more
(06 October 2005 11:07)

Social housing set for LIFT-style deals
A new way of delivering privately- financed social housing schemes, based on the NHS LIFT model, could be launched by the end of the year. more
(06 October 2005 11:07)

Brandon Tool Hire expands in East Anglia
Brandon Tool Hire has expanded its East Anglian presence with the acquisition of King’s Lynn based Lynwood Hire & Sales in a deal worth £250,000. more
(06 October 2005 10:37)

Contractors urged to cough up for health scheme
Contractors will have to pay a levy in the future to help finance a national roll-out of the Constructing Better Health occupational health.... more
(05 October 2005 22:00)

Editor's comment
LIFT-style schemes the way forward more
(05 October 2005 22:00)

Laing sells its half of DMH
John Laing has sold its 50% equity investment in Defence Management Holdings (DMH) for 5.9m to Serco. more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Galliford buys mobile phone surveying firm
Galliford Try has paid 1.1m for Pentland, a firm of chartered surveyors that provides both site acquisition and planning services to the mobile phone.... more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Carillion/Haden jv wins 350m BT extension
Carillion, in joint venture with Haden Building Management and Reliance Integrated Services, has secured a three-year extension worth 350m to its FM.... more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Four bid 250m for Cambridge highway deal
Contractors and their consultants will pick up the tender paperwork later this month for Cambridge-shire County Council's 10-year, 250m highways.... more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

18-month bid time for next NHS LIFT
The bidding period for fourth-wave NHS LIFT schemes will be extended to 18 months to allow for the inclusion of clinical and soft FM services,.... more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

HSE plans 2006 falls from height campaign
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) is planning a major campaign in the new year aimed at targeting falls from height. more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Local companies to win 40m Kent housing job
Local firms have almost swept the board in the contest for 40m-worth of housing upgrade work in Kent. more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Interior Services buys Propencity for 12.5m
Interior Services Group (ISG) has bought Propencity for 12.5m (including 8.5m of the group's debt). The deal also provides for an add-on figure of up.... more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

United promises supply deals
United Utilities (UU) told CJ it plans to hand out massive supply deals after it struck up a 42.5m contract with pipes manufacturer Uponor last week. more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Amey improves road rating
Amey will be hoping that findings from the latest Performance Audit Group (PAG) report into contractor performance on the 350m Scottish trunk roads.... more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Bouygues seals 68m PFI school
Bouygues has registered its second PFI schools triumph this year by graduating to preferred bidder status on Peterborough City Council's 68m project. more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Adjudication costly but ok
There are "better rules and more natural justice in a pub brawl", according to a respondent to James R Knowles' survey on adjudication. more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Profits double at Holloway White Allom
Holloway White Allom generated 9m of the group's latest 45m annual turnover from its three "fledgling" divisions. "I'm happy with the way they've.... more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Developers to think recycling
Developers will have to change their attitudes to recycled materials if they are to meet targets for Olympic projects, the recycling industry said.... more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

100% attention to Detail
This year's 100% Detail exhibition showcased innovation in building products, making it an unmissable event for specifiers, manufacturers and.... more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Penny drops a new crane into action
Penny Hydraulics' new Maxiloader 1500 vehicle-mounted crane can handle loads up to 1.5t at its full 2.3m reach. more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

New categories join CSCS card
Two new categories for shotfiring and driller operation have been added to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS). more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Estimators must get the message
The jobs of Mowlem's estimators are at risk if they fail to step into line and comply with Vivian's new rules. "The new policy requires a culture.... more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Eight Welsh RSLs join to boost buying power
Eight Welsh housing associations have joined forces in a bid to maximize their purchasing power and cut procurement costs. more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Skills cards planned for timber
The offsite construction sector has taken inspiration from the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS), with plans for most timber erectors.... more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Overpricing verdict due next spring
The verdict in the AWG v Morrison court case is not now expected until spring of 2006. The case will finally reach court in December, with witnesses.... more
(05 October 2005 21:00)

Training centre needs full industry support
The team behind a planned 8m training centre in the West Midlands is calling for industry support. more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

Top four fight it out for 17m Yorks academy
Four outfits are vying for a 17m academy schools scheme in West Yorkshire. The line-up for the Bradford Academy is HBG, Miller, Balfour Beatty and.... more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

Balfour Beatty scoops 45.6m education deal
Balfour Beatty has held off challenges from two rivals to clinch a 45.6m education scheme in North Yorkshire. more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

NI ponders LIFT-style contract
Northern Ireland has yet to decide if it will adopt a LIFT-style contract for the renewal of its primary health care facilities, according to Leo.... more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

Gordon Morrison buys housing firm
Gordon Morrison, who along with his brother Sir Fraser sold Morrison Construction to AWG in 2000, has returned to the construction industry with the.... more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

Scots look to late 2006 for LIFT take-off
Scotland aims to have its first NHS LIFT-style contracts out to market by autumn next year, Mike Baxter, head of private finance and capital unit in.... more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

Mowlem's poor margins set to continue in 2006
Mowlem's latest financial results are a woeful read as turnover of 1.1bn generated little more than 4m profit in the six months to 30 June. more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

Crane operators respond to WAHR
This year's implementation of the Work at Height Regulations has led to a number of initiatives from the crane industry, according to industry.... more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

Web portal for abnormal loads
The Highways Agency has launched a web-based portal for assisted route planning of abnormal loads. The service is free of charge and can be located.... more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

JMS buys three Cats
Glasgow-based JMS Plant Hire has purchased three Cat 312C hydraulic excavators from Finning UK. The machines will be used throughout west Scotland on.... more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

Remote Brokks take to the floor at Festival Hall
Demolition specialist John F Hunt is using a pair of remote controlled machines to remove the concrete stage and auditorium floor inside the Royal.... more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

Volvo introduces 13-litre and updates cabs
Volvo Truck has introduced a 13-litre engine and an updated 9-litre unit, along with improved FH and FM truck cabs. more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

Nozzle detectors will prevent fuel accidents
Within two years, Ford will be fitting an intelligent refuelling system that prevents petrol being put into diesel-engined vehicles. more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

Crane hirers may
Mobile crane rental firms may be forced to add a fuel surcharge if the government goes ahead with its proposal to outlaw their use of rebated red.... more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

Housebuilding needs 165,000 extra workers
The housebuilding industry needs up to 165,000 extra workers if it is to achieve Barker Review-level output targets, according to new research. more
(05 October 2005 20:00)

Persimmon looks to steel frames
Persimmon Homes is considering using steel frames for bespoke apartment blocks. more
(05 October 2005 20:00)