Articles by Date : October 16 2006 - October 22 2006

Utility contractors need to take into account training to help address skills issue
Contractors need to take into account the views of their clients and undertake the training of their employees to meet their specific needs to.... more
(20 October 2006 10:50)

SIAC buys UK structural steel fabricator Bison Structures
SIAC Construction, the Irish group, has acquired Bison Structures, the UK structural steel fabrication division of the Bison Group, which operates in.... more
(20 October 2006 10:00)

New safety regs go for approval
Health and safety bodies have approved a revised package of regulations and submitted them to the government for implementation next April. more
(20 October 2006 00:00)

T Clarke makes redundancies as start dates slip back.
T Clarke, the electrical specialist contractor, has announced redundancies because of slippages in the start dates on various major commercial.... more
(19 October 2006 14:00)

Crane jib fails on Sir Robert McAlpine site
A crane jib has failed on Sir Robert McAlpine’s commercial development at New Street Square in Holborn, London. more
(19 October 2006 11:15)

Gleeson sells engineering division to Black & Veatch for £36m.
MJ Gleeson has announced the name of the buyer of its engineering division as Black & Veatch. The deal will cost the US-based consulting and.... more
(19 October 2006 11:00)

James Wates attacks industry disunity
Many in the industry don’t know why they join trade associations or what they stand for, according to Construction Confederation chairman James Wates. more
(18 October 2006 14:31)

Olympic chairman Jack Lemley resigns
Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) chairman Jack Lemley has resigned. The sudden move, announced by the ODA on Wednesday 18 October, means Lemley will.... more
(18 October 2006 13:43)

Steelmaker Tata considers buying Corus in £5.1bn deal
Consolidation within the global steel-making sector could be coming closer, with India’s Tata Steel proposing to take over Corus, the UK’s home.... more
(18 October 2006 10:00)

Editor's comment: Joining up the dots
You would expect an industry that accounts for 8% of GDP to have a pretty powerful voice. But it’s a fact that while the construction sector is.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

R McAlpine wins Olympic stadium
A high tech design of collapsible roofs and movable structures may have been the clincher for Team McAlpine’s winning bid for the Olympic stadium. more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

ICE urges the government to raise spending
The government’s management of the water and wastewater infrastructure is worsening, with more spending needed on mains replacement, better.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

British Waterways budget cut by £60m
■ Galliford Try the main loser after maintenance spend is slashed over the next five years. more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

FA to pay more to Multiplex to finish Wembley
Final details are being put together of a deal between the Football Association (FA) and Multiplex that will speed the completion of Wembley stadium.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Contractors look abroad for high-rise expertise
UK contractors are actively seeking skilled stadium and high-rise construction experts from Europe and America, according to recruitment firm.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

DTI reports 3.5% rise in new firms
Despite a significant number of high-profile collapses and several mergers last year, the number of firms operating in construction increased by 3.5%.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Immigration drives builders to emigrate
An influx of immigrants into the UK construction industry could be driving increased numbers of skilled British construction workers to emigrate to.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

PPP/PFI may end under Tory rule
■ Shadow construction minister says a Conservative government would scrutinise procurement. more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Builder and council fined nearly £15,000 after fall
Self-employed builder Neil James and Denbighshire County Council were fined a total of £14,800 after a construction worker fell nearly 5mfive metres.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

EON plans for a £1bn Kent power station
Energy giant E.ON .UK plans to send in a full planning application next month for a new £1bn power station to be built in Kent more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Procurement directive risks contractor anger
Public sector clients are facing increasing pressure to make sure they get their procurement process right under the new EU public procurement.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

McAlpine profits up as quality pays off
■ £300m-a-year civil engineering division’s operating margins rise 35% on drive for quality. Alfred McAlpine’s civil engineering division’s two-year.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

UK employs 75,000 migrants in the construction industry
Around 75,000 migrant workers were employed in the UK construction industry in the three months to June 2006 – that’s the latest snapshot offered by.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Mayor launches plans to take the heat off London
Buildings need to be designed to stay cool and the materials used for making roads, roofing and pavements should reflect and not absorb heat,.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Green Building Council plots sustainable future
■ Aim is to improve sustainability of the built environment in a commercially viable way. Twenty founding members attended the inaugural meeting of.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Willmott wins £60m prison deals
Willmott Dixon has knocked up £60m- worth of prison work for the National Offender Manage-ment Service (NOMS) under a strategic alliance deal. more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Corus adds to range of sections
Corus has launched a range of structural sections and renamed some of its old favourites in line with the new Construction Products Directive. more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Bouygues scores first UK PFI deal
■ Brent Council awards French firm £90m-plus housing work. North London is the scene for French giant Bouygues’ first victory in the UK’s lucrative.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

SMC nets £6m for expansion
SMC, the architect and design group, has raised £6m as a result of issuing almost four million new shares. As a result, the rapidly expanding group.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Unions lobby to strengthen kill bill
The government’s corporate- killing Bill, as it stands and without strengthening, will lead to no more than an extra five safety prosecutions at most.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Migrant workers face higher safety risks
Employers are being negligent of migrant workers’ safety on site, according to Health & Safety Executive research. Neil Gerrard investigates. more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Haymills scoops £31.8m Croydon residential deal
Haymills has sealed a £31.8m new-build contract from Howard Holdings for a five- storey residential tower in Croydon – the first of its kind for the.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

EP seeks partner for Shoreham hospital scheme
Regeneration agency English Partnerships (EP) is on the look-o out for a development partner to rejuvenate the former Southlands Hospital site in.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Plant news in brief: 18 October 2006
Stories on Kier Plant, Bott, Pearsons and DAF Trucks. more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Cowlin makes the grade for S Wales school
Cowlin Construction has scooped its largest education deal to date –- a £17m scheme to build the Maesteg Comprehensive School in south Wales. more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Plant deals done: 18 October 2006
Stories on … Speedy Pumps, Brian Ward, Robert Kellett Plant and Murphy. more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Transport Scotland defends M74 bid process
Having just one bidder to pitch for a crucial road project in Scotland, worth up to £500m, is “perrefectly legal”, according to Transport Scotland,.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

No toll for VHE at Rugeley
The reclamation of a 30ha former coal marshalling yard at Rugeley Power Station in the Midlands involves the excavation of some 600,000m3 of.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Wimpey’s UK sales counter fall in US
George Wimpey’s latest trading statement shows two highly contrasting housing markets. The good news is that the one in the UK has remained stable,.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Volvo buys into Eastern promise
■ Volvo Construction buys 70% stake in a major Chinese player. Large-scale exports of Chinese construction equipment to western markets are a step.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

B&B to float PPP equity fund
A new name is about to float on the London Stock Exchange – BBPP – and its £300m funds will be exclusively devoted to strengthening its portfolio of.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Dutch double in Cat challenge
Dutchman Peter van Schaik has won the ninth annual Caterpillar Operator Challenge – his second consecutive victory and the fifth for his country. more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Two Kingspan directors make a million each
Kingspan generated two cash millionaires last month as Dermot Mulvihill and Peter Wilson both traded in a fistful of chips. Their total value ran to.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Rush to register bad for the environment
■ Government inaction and Euro rules cause hauliers to bring forward new truck orders. A massive jump in truck registrations in September has.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Toyota rolls out updated Hiace van
Toyota’s re-engineered Hiace van offers more power and torque, as well as reduced fuel consumption and emissions. more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Grindex launches new pump range with stainless steel
Pump manufacturer Grindex has launched the Inox range of pumps, comprising three drainage and three sludge pumps made from stainless steel. more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Nissan’s new Cabstar makes size and safety its priority
Nissan’s new Cabstar boasts an even bigger cab for European users, plus improved safety and new engines. more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Join CJ in the 3 Peaks Challenge and help CARE International
The construction industry has made a fantastic initial response to Contract Journal’s call to take part in the COINS 3 Peaks Challenge 2007 with.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

SGB provides WAHR experts for assembly
SGB has launched a service for companies that lack the expertise or confidence to set up equipment in accordance with the Work at Height Regulations.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)

Crown Court delays dumper sentence
An unqualified dumper truck driver who admitted criminal charges in connection with the death of a construction site worker must wait until next year.... more
(18 October 2006 00:00)