Articles by Date : July 17 1995 - July 23 1995

Bovis work takes off in June - cj40 JUNE results
New contracts for major new construction work slumped in the second quarter of 1995 compared with the first three months of the year. But the.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Span Construction goes into receivership
Scottish contractor Span Construction has gone into receivership putting 150 jobs at risk. The firm has eight projects under way in the.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

175 jobs to go at Trafalgar House Construction
More than 175 jobs are to be lost at Trafalgar House Construction as part of a radical restructure which will see the company reduced from five to.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Redland claims rivals fail CEN test
A study by tile manufacturer Redland has shown that some rival tile brands fall short of the new European quality standards that come into force on.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

œ20m complex for Cardiff Bay
Tarmac has unveiled plans for a œ20 million entertainment complex in Cardiff Bay. Proposals include a 10-12 screen cinema, a theatre, 20-lane.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Major: homeowner support 'rock solid'
The Prime Minister John Major has moved to quell the fears of house builders that the Conservative government has abandoned its support of home.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Dig for Roman history at JLE 103
Archaeologists have begun work on the site at the œ64 million Jubilee Line Extension Contract 103 which is being built by Aoki-Soletanche..... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

MoD denies U-turn over Devonport Trident refit
The Ministry of Defence has denied reports that it is contemplating a dramatic U-turn over its plan to award the contract for refitting Trident.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Midland Metro set for Oct start
Work on the œ144 million Line One of the Midland Metro light rail scheme looks set to start in October, following government approval of the.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Civils meet DoT as Agency escalates late pay war
The UK's leading civil engineering contractors are to meet the Department of Transport's top officials to discuss their concerns about late payment.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Research gets blown out of all proportion
The Building Research Establishment's tests on exploding huts in Hertfordshire captured the imagination of Backbites readers throughout the land -.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Housing Corp approves 29% more homes
Despite cuts in its budget, the Housing Corporation approved over 60,000 homes in 1994-95, exceeding its original target by 29%, according to its.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Five cities bid for new national stadium funding
Five bids for a new national stadium were lodged with the Sports Council last Friday from Wembley, Manchester, Bradford, Birmingham and Sheffield..... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

VAT Watkins' creditors seek Salperton cash
Creditors of failed contractor VAT Watkins say it would be outrageous if the œ10 million raised by the sale last week of Salperton Village is.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Contracts signed on the Oresund project
Contracts for the immersed tunnel and dredging works on the œ2 billion Oresund fixed link project between Denmark and Sweden were signed this.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Bank to rebuild No.1 St James's
National Westminster Bank is to speculatively redevelop No. 1 St James's Square in London's West End into a 9,200m2 office headquarters. The.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

HK to invite bids for fix & fittings
Hong Kong's Provisional Airport Authority is preparing to select tenderers to supply and install internal finishes, fixtures and fittings for the.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Balfour bags US work to œ53m
Balfour Beatty Construction has picked up several contracts in the US worth a total of about œ53 million. Largest is a œ20 million high.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

MoD to upgrade Otterburn range
The Army is to spend œ24 million on a scheme to upgrade 55km of roads at Otterburn ranges in Northumberland. The upgrade is necessary to.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Durham gets œ40m development
A œ40 million shopping development in the heart of Durham City is set to go ahead. The scheme is being masterminded by Boots Properties and.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Partner sought for Royal Baths
Harrogate Council is seeking a partner to help it redevelop The Royal Baths into a major leisure centre. The listed Victorian building once formed.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Latham still lives to fight another way
So, we've had the Latham report in our hands for a year. It's tempting to say very little has changed - at least on the ground. For confirmation.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

View from the Regions
Tendering to local authorities in South Wales, as our company does for 85% of its turnover, has inevitably led to a portion of that being procured.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

More sales at Barratt means more directors
Housebuilder Barratt saw annual sales jump by 14% in the 12 months to June 1995. As a result it has appointed 14 new divisional directors. .... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

œ16m profits for Ballast Nedam
Dutch contractor Ballast Nedam made a net profit before tax of œ16 million (1994 - œ15 million) in the first half of 1995. Ballast's.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Concern over Rail Link bids' backing
Government officials assessing the shortlisted Channel Tunnel Rail Link bids are concerned about the ability of the bidders to raise the necessary.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Legislation over payment agreed
All members of the Construction Industry Board have now agreed that statutory protection is the only way of guaranteeing client payments to.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

LDDC boss calls for new bridge
Another crossing of the River Thames is vital to the future prosperity of London Docklands, said Michael Pickard, chairman of the London Docklands.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Route for Valleys road announced
The preferred route for the œ175 million A465 Heads of the Valleys road has been announced by the new Secretary of State for Wales, William.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

New year start for Edinburgh HQ
Work is expected to start in early 1996 on a œ15 million speculative headquarters office at Edinburgh park, in Scotland. The developer,.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Amec/Squibb fined over dust
Amec Building and subcontractor Squibb and Davies have together been fined œ17,500 and ordered to pay more than œ10,000 in costs because.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Costain Stolt in North Sea win
The Costain Stolt Alliance has been awarded a œ30 million contract by Britannia Operator in the North Sea. The contract involves the.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Phony talk and foreman walks
Mobile phones can seriously damage your work prospects, as the following sorry tale reveals. A foreman left the site in the crewbus with workers on.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Oiling the walls of progress
A story of everyday construction folk has reached Backbites from Wales. A labourer was instructed to apply release oil to shuttering pans set up to.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Birse in partnering deal with Rover
Birse has signed a major partnership deal with Rover, which it hopes will help rebuild profits in its troubled contracting arm. The agreement.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Jubilee meets its Waterloo
A Balfour Beatty and Amec jv is building a unique, temporary support system under Waterloo Station as part of the JLE project. Nick Barton.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Jaguar deal means new opportunities
Car manufacturer Ford's decision to build the new Jaguar X200 in Birmingham will create enormous opportunities for construction firms, according to.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

New Euro building forum
Contractors will have the opportunity to participate in a new bi-monthly European construction forum with the launch of the Crane Group. .... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

PFI reduces work, says RICS
Around 20,000 construction jobs could be lost in the health sector because of government constraints on capital spending, according to the Royal.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Labour will go further than Latham
Labour will put back any Latham proposals watered down or omitted in government legislation and will campaign to have Sir Michael's scheme.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Ethics - Busby
Having spent 10 minutes or so studying the questions and answers, I feel that there should have been one last question included... If faced with a.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Small firms ignore safety, says survey
More than two thirds of safety managers in small construction firms have no training in how to manage workplace health and safety, says a survey.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Industry in decline, say builders
Construction industry workload is continuing to decline and future orders show no signs of materialising in any substantial way, reveals the.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

C of E - resting on its laurels
Contract Journal's survey on ethical behaviour in the construction industry threw up a litany of complaints. One respondent fulminated against.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Secure sub-contracts?
The decision in Hewgate Construction v RW Construction which found Hewgate guilty of negligence was successfully overturned by the Appeal Court..... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Back in the late 1960s, Roy Sanderson, the designer of a new tractor forklift and the son of a blacksmith, set up his own firm called Sanderson.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Full production of MZ13 begins
Euro Access Platforms has started full scale production of its new telescopic handler, the MZ13-42, first seen at Haydock '95. Manufactured to.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Doing it Merlo's way
The home of the world's best design and engineering skills, the flair for making the product look exactly right. Where? Northern Italy of.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Liebherr loader gets teeth that last over 1,000 hours
Tooth wear on a Liebherr 551 wheel loader, recently fitted with Esco's Vertalok tooth and adapter system, has been dramatically improved, claims.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)

Cat excavators dig up Cross
PC Harrington Contractors, currently working as the groundworks and concrete frame contractor for Taylor Woodrow at Brent Cross Shopping Centre in.... more
(20 July 1995 00:00)