Articles by Date : March 08 2004 - March 14 2004

Multiplex anger at 'Wembley arch unsafe' stories
Multiplex Construction UK has hit back at press reports earlier today (Thursday) which insisted that the new Wembley Stadium's 135m-high arch has.... more
(12 March 2004 16:29)

Cracks appearing in Aggregates Levy
The British Aggregates Association (BAA) has welcomed today's (Friday) Northern Ireland Affairs Committee report which casts doubt on the future of.... more
(12 March 2004 16:28)

Jarvis considers selling half its 33% stake in Tube Lines
Engineering group Jarvis has admitted today (Friday) that it is considering reducing its stake in Tube Lines, one of the firms in a consortium.... more
(12 March 2004 15:31)

Amec wins £139m contract to restore power to Iraq
International project management and services company Amec has won its first big contract in Iraq - worth up to £139m. more
(12 March 2004 15:12)

New steelwork guide cuts hospital costs
Substantial savings have been made on a steel framed medical treatment centre thanks to a new design guide on vibration in health sector buildings. more
(12 March 2004 13:12)

Difficult 2003 admits Heywood Williams Group
Building products group Heywood Williams has admitted that 2003 was one of the most difficult years in its long history. more
(12 March 2004 11:42)

Waterman reports order book growth
Multidisciplinary engineering and environmental consultancy Waterman Group has today (Friday) reported a substantial forward order book and a strong.... more
(12 March 2004 11:05)

Keller's run of growth ends
Last year was a "disappointing pause" in Keller's track record of growth. Turnover was up 11% to £567.5m, but pre-tax profit slumped from £30.4m to.... more
(12 March 2004 09:31)

Tough trading for T Clarke
Tough trading conditions in its core markets led T Clarke to post a small drop in turnover and a 17% decline in pre-tax profit last year. Turnover.... more
(12 March 2004 09:06)

Combisafe wins safety award
Fall-safety systems supplier Combisafe has won this year’s Beaumont Trophy awarded by the Construction Health and Safety Group for the greatest.... more
(11 March 2004 16:59)

Land & Water changes hydraulic fluid
Specialist contractor Land & Water has decided to convert all its excavators to use non-toxic and biodegradable hydraulic fluid. more
(11 March 2004 16:35)

Willmott Dixon catalyst for affordable homes contract
Willmott Dixon has secured a £13.5m contract from its strategic partner Catalyst Housing Group for phase three of the large-scale regeneration of the.... more
(11 March 2004 15:39)

Kier Scotland wins £9.2m mill conversion contract
Kier Scotland, part of the Kier Group, has been awarded a £9.2m contract to convert the Anchor Mill, a disused mill in Paisley, into luxury.... more
(11 March 2004 15:30)

Bio oils go on trial
Many organisations are insisting that plant hirers use biodegradable and non-toxic hydraulic oils in their kit. Colin Sowman finds out more about the.... more
(11 March 2004 13:07)

Developer signs up John Lewis for proposed Leicester scheme
Property company Hammerson and Hermes has agreed terms with John Lewis for a 20,000m² department store in the proposed Shires West retail-led.... more
(11 March 2004 11:59)

Bouygues is preferred bidder for £120m Broomfield Hospital project in Essex
Bouygues has been selected as preferred bidder by the Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust for its £120m PFI scheme at Broomfield Hospital in Essex. more
(11 March 2004 11:01)

New orders suffered a slow start in January
The total value of new construction orders slipped 8.5% in January to £2.9bn. In the three months to January the total was £8bn, 9% lower than the.... more
(11 March 2004 10:10)

Acquisitions pay off for Alfred McAlpine
Alfred McAlpine's acquisitive nature paid off last year as its purchases helped the group to improve turnover by 13% to £868.5m and pre-tax profit by.... more
(11 March 2004 09:11)

Amec edges closer to £5bn turnover mark
Amec improved profit last year and edged closer to the £5bn turnover barrier. Pre-tax profit increased 7% to £112.5m before exceptional items..... more
(11 March 2004 08:46)

Positive views from NHS batched PFI open day
The Three Shires NHS batched PFI hospital deal received a vote of confidence from contractors who attended the open day last week. more
(10 March 2004 17:05)

Collaborative working will boost value of PFI
Pan-industry think-tank Be has submitted a paper to the Treasury in an attempt to improve the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) through collaborative.... more
(10 March 2004 16:59)

Construction fibre manufacturer launches US operation
Yorkshire-based Anglo-Danish Fibre Industries Limited (ADFIL) has launched a US operation to meet rising demand from US companies for its patented.... more
(10 March 2004 16:04)

Steel price hikes ‘makes concrete a better first cost option’
The Concrete Centre is using the price hikes the steel industry is currently experiencing to promote the cost advantages of concrete frame buildings.... more
(10 March 2004 15:45)

McAlpines must wait for High Court decision
Sir Robert McAlpine and Alfred McAlpine will have to wait a few weeks for Mr Justice Mann to deliver his judgement on the former's High Court case.... more
(10 March 2004 15:05)

'Building Success' shows that integrated teams do work
A joint publication by Constructing Excellence and the Construction Products Association, Building Success: lessons from manufacturers and suppliers.... more
(10 March 2004 14:59)

Nuttall preferred bidder for A47 Blofield project
The Highways Agency has selected Nuttall as preferred bidder for a £15m upgrading scheme in East Anglia. more
(10 March 2004 12:19)

Carillion wins £48m highway maintenance contract
Carillion has won a £12m per annum four-year highway maintenance contract from Warwickshire County Council. more
(10 March 2004 11:16)

OFFSCA set to promote off-site building
A new offsite industry umbrella group, known as the Offsite Construction Alliance (OFFSCA), is to be launched at Interbuild next month. more
(10 March 2004 11:16)

High Court hears closing McAlpine arguments
Sir Robert McAlpine could suffer if Alfred McAlpine is allowed to continue without its first name, the High Court heard yesterday (Tuesday). more
(10 March 2004 10:05)

Carillion profits top £50m as forecast by chairman Simms
Construction group Carillion has reported a slight rise in annual profit today (Wednesday) - in line with forecasts from analysts. more
(10 March 2004 09:50)

Balfour posts £118m pre-tax profit
Balfour Beatty's pre-tax profit in 2003 roared ahead to £118m making it a contender for the title of the most profitable UK construction group. more
(10 March 2004 09:32)

Interserve follows Peterhouse into the red
The Stock Exchange's most hectic week, as companies unveil their financial performances for 2003, has seen another major player in the support.... more
(10 March 2004 09:17)

Specialists’ lobby to quiz DE on retentions
The Specialist Engineering Contractors' (SEC) Group is to challenge Defence Estates (DE) over its use of retentions across the department's contracts.... more
(10 March 2004 09:13)

ProCure 21 ‘must speed up’ to meet £1.4bn goal
ProCure 21 contractors have warned this week that if the flow of ProCure 21contracts does not speed up the programme will fall well below its.... more
(10 March 2004 09:13)

£35m Northern Ireland education PPP out to tender
The East Down Institute of Further and Higher Education in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland has advertised a £35m PPP scheme to provide new build.... more
(09 March 2004 10:39)

Redrow's growth continues
Redrow delivered growth in turnover and profit in the six months to 31 December 2003. Turnover was up 5% to £310.8m, but a boost in operating margin.... more
(09 March 2004 10:31)

Ennstone makes record profit
Ennstone, the aggregates group, has unveiled a record pre-tax profit of £5.6m. Vaughan McLeod, chairman, said he was pleased with the performance in.... more
(09 March 2004 09:59)

Peterhouse dives into the red
Peterhouse dived into the red last year to the tune of almost £8m. David Jackson, executive chairman, described 2003 as "an exceptionally tough year.... more
(09 March 2004 09:40)

Alfred McAlpine name change was planned for five years
Meetings among Alfred McAlpine senior executives to discuss a name change were held as long ago as 1999, even though the company only announced its.... more
(08 March 2004 18:46)

David Webster Group profits up to £2.9m
Street lighting specialist David Webster Group has unveiled a pre-tax profit of £2.9m for the 12 months to 31 December 2003, well ahead of the figure.... more
(08 March 2004 18:38)

Proposed ban on high-chromium cement
The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) is inviting firms to comment on a proposed ban on high-chromium cement, a known cause of allergic dermatitis. more
(08 March 2004 15:46)

Construction charity calls for 'classic plant' for SED 2004
The Lighthouse Club, the construction industry's charity, is once again looking for interesting items of classic plant for its display at SED. more
(08 March 2004 11:18)

WSP profits well ahead at £5.6m
WSP, the consultancy group, has today (Monday)unveiled a pre-tax profit of £5.6m for 2003, well ahead of the borderline figure of £400,000 in the.... more
(08 March 2004 11:02)

Travis Perkins profits hit £160m
Travis Perkins, the builders’ merchant, enjoyed a lift in operating margins to 11.4% last year, resulting in a pre-tax profit of £160m on a turnover.... more
(08 March 2004 10:19)

NFB surveys industry's IT capabiltiies
The readiness of the industry to adopt an electronic based tax system is to be examined by the National Federation of Builders (NFB). more
(08 March 2004 09:46)

Gleeson 19th best company to work for
Gleeson has become the first construction company to make the Top 20 of the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For. more
(08 March 2004 08:38)