Articles by Date : November 17 2003 - November 23 2003

Track maintenance cost Network Rail £95m
The increased cost of track maintenance was a major factor in a massive rise in half-year pre-tax losses for Network Rail, it has emerged today.... more
(21 November 2003 13:06)

BPB boosts operating profit by 10%
Plasterboard manufacturer BPB produced a 10% boost in operating profit to £112m in the six months to 30 September. Turnover was up 14% to just shy of.... more
(21 November 2003 09:00)

Balfour increases its share in roads consortium
Balfour Beatty has acquired Atkins' 32.2% share in the Connect Roads and Connect M77/GSO Holdings consortia for £13.3m. more
(21 November 2003 08:36)

Joint venture named for Thames Gateway project
English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency, and Bellway Homes, one of the largest volume housebuilders in the UK, will be partners in a.... more
(20 November 2003 16:55)

Recycled and secondary aggregates as good as primary ones, BRE to prove
A new project has been launched by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to show that recycled and secondary aggregates can perform as well as,.... more
(20 November 2003 16:49)

BAA seeks contractors for multi-million pound projects
Contractors are being called in to meetings with BAA to help beef up its framework contractors base. more
(20 November 2003 10:46)

London to house Europe's tallest building
London is to be the home for Europe's tallest building in Europe after planning position was granted for the 306m high "Shard of Glass". more
(20 November 2003 10:14)

Babcock profits leap by a third
Support services group Babcock International has reported a 34% growth in pre-tax profits for the first half today (Thursday) and said current.... more
(20 November 2003 10:07)

On the right track?
Two weeks ago CJ asked whether Network Rail would bring the track renewals contracts back in-house in the wake of its surprise decision to take over.... more
(19 November 2003 17:06)

Tool's gold
HSS, Speedy Hire and Vp's Hire Station cover the entire UK. And Brandon Tool Hire - on the back of encouraging results for the first six months of.... more
(19 November 2003 17:06)

Coach trip
With construction being such a macho industry, it is remarkable to find someone who is open and enthusiastic about the chance to have a personal.... more
(19 November 2003 17:05)

Breaking the mould
Construction sites are not usually tourist attractions. more
(19 November 2003 17:04)

Finning reports record Q3
Finning International, the Caterpillar dealer and Hewden Stuart parent company, has reported record third quarter results this year. more
(19 November 2003 17:03)

White van man's reputation is 'unfounded'
White van man's reputation as an aggressive, unsafe driver is unfounded, according to research commissioned by Vauxhall. more
(19 November 2003 17:02)

Employers wise up to legal threats
Specialist vehicle converter Razorback has seen a rise in sales of its ground-level loading panel van because employers are becoming more aware of.... more
(19 November 2003 17:02)

Employers liable for hand-held calls on the road
From 1 December it will be an offence to use a hand-held phone while driving and employers may be liable if employees break the law. more
(19 November 2003 17:01)

TT and Balfour install under-rail crossings
TT UK has been working with Balfour Beatty installing under-rail crossings as part of the re-signalling and cable routing on the West Coast Mainline.... more
(19 November 2003 17:00)

Spec Check goes online
Spec Check Europe has launched its specification comparison service on the internet at www.spec-checkeurope.com. more
(19 November 2003 17:00)

HSE opens safety advice centre
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and the Freight Transport Association (FTA) have opened a workplace transport safety advice centre. more
(19 November 2003 16:58)

Buxton takes on UK's first 17m telehandler
The UK's first 17m Bobcat telehandler has been delivered to Buxton Lime Industries in Derbyshire. It will be used for materials handling and.... more
(19 November 2003 16:57)

Fit-out now and pay by credit
The way fit-out and refurbishment projects are paid for is changing, according to Overbury managing director Chris Booth. more
(19 November 2003 16:56)

IT investment pays off for RMC
RMC's £40m investment in a leading-edge IT system - including ERP software from SAP and a new shared service centre in Stockton-on-Tees - will have.... more
(19 November 2003 16:55)

Atlas QAS generating sets offer low exhaust emissions
Atlas Copco has launched four new generating sets with continuous prime ratings, at 1,500rpm, of between 150kVA and 300kVA at 50Hz. more
(19 November 2003 16:55)

Mosco denies fallout with SRA
Network Rail's former supply chain director Les Mosco has denied reports of a fallout with the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) as the cause of his.... more
(19 November 2003 16:54)

Loughborough and Ivor Williams settle
Ivor Williams, former executive director of the European Construction Institute (ECI), has reached a settlement with Loughborough University after.... more
(19 November 2003 16:53)

Time for M&E to join the party
For many major players in construction, the past six years may be regarded as a golden era. Big public sector spending followed New Labour's election.... more
(19 November 2003 16:52)

Shock 23% fall in level of safety fines
Judges and magistrates have been told to stop treating safety offences like parking fines after a Health & Safety Executive (HSE) report revealed.... more
(19 November 2003 16:31)

Hochtief bags £18m Coulsdon bypass job
Transport for London (TfL) has finally awarded a high-profile bypass scheme in south London - almost a year after five contractors sent in their bids.... more
(19 November 2003 16:31)

Haymills returns to profit
Julian Brandon's first year at the helm of southern England contractor Haymills has transformed the group's financial fortunes from a loss of more.... more
(19 November 2003 16:29)

Coffor formwork system set to be launched in UK in 2004
Stay-in-place formwork that enables concrete structures to be built up to three times faster than other construction systems, without a crane, could.... more
(19 November 2003 16:28)

Riverclack waterproof roof covering prepares for UK debut
Italian company Iscom is to launch its standing seam aluminium roof covering system for large roofs in the UK next year. more
(19 November 2003 16:27)

Brett Martin sees the light with Marcryl plastic sheet
The latest addition to roofing solutions firm Brett Martin's range was on show at Batimat. more
(19 November 2003 16:27)

SGB's Boss Octa goes up a rung (or eight)
Taking pride of place on the SGB Youngman stand was an eight-rung version of the company's leading alloy scaffold tower, Boss Octa. more
(19 November 2003 16:25)

McCarthy & Stone profit beats £100m
McCarthy & Stone, the UK's biggest player in the specialist retirement homes sector, has seen its annual pre-tax profit figure go roaring through the.... more
(19 November 2003 16:24)

Council puts £280m Toon roads on hold
Contractors are missing out on a highways partnering deal in the North East while the client decides if it needs to repackage the scheme, potentially.... more
(19 November 2003 16:22)

Sunley Turriff fined £8,000 for fall from height
Northwich-based Sunley Turriff Construction has been fined £8,000 for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act following a fall from height on one.... more
(19 November 2003 16:21)

Celtic Roads clinches Irish PFI road scheme
The Celtic Roads group has emerged victorious from a two-way tussle for the second private finance road scheme in Ireland to reach the preferred.... more
(19 November 2003 16:16)

Get your kit off for charity
Dawn Gibbins, chairwoman of industrial and commercial flooring company Flowcrete, has stripped off for a Calendar Girls-style calendar in the name of.... more
(19 November 2003 16:15)

Balfour and National Grid Transco open training centre for ex-offenders
Balfour Beatty Utilities has opened a training facility in Manchester as part of a back-to-work scheme for ex-offenders from Wymott Prison in.... more
(19 November 2003 16:14)

Majority of brownfield sites not fit to build on
Government attempts to solve Britain's housing crisis by developing brownfield land have been dealt a blow by a report from its own regeneration.... more
(19 November 2003 16:13)

Ringway and Peterborough fined after couple dies
Ringway Highway Services has implemented new training procedures after being fined £150,000 plus £42,000 costs for its part in a road accident in.... more
(19 November 2003 16:13)

QED signs off first PFI school job
Wates' schools PFI consortium QED Educational Environments is celebrating a landmark this week, after reaching financial close on its first PFI.... more
(19 November 2003 16:12)

Prime starts work on £12m health scheme
Healthcare developer Prime finally begins work this month on the £12m West Bromwich healthcare centre, closing the deal after 31 months of.... more
(19 November 2003 16:11)

Babcock & Brown seeks replacement contractors
Balfour Beatty appears to be in pole position to takeover from Ballast as lead contractor on Babcock & Brown's £88.5m Tower Hamlets Grouped Schools.... more
(19 November 2003 16:11)

Dublin Port tunnel is too low for HGVs
The 6km Dublin Port tunnel, costing £467m and halfway towards completion, is too small for some of the heavy goods vehicles it is intended to.... more
(19 November 2003 16:10)

TfL in crisis talks with road firms
Transport for London (TfL) has taken the drastic step of calling Ringway Highway Services, Fitzpatrick and McNicholas plc (brown Mac) into crunch.... more
(19 November 2003 16:09)

£75m-worth of bonds put bidders off Ballast
Ballast Nedam's £75m-worth of bonds covering its two live PFI schools - £40m at Tower Hamlets and £35m at East Lothian - are reported to have been a.... more
(19 November 2003 16:09)

Robertson wins Aberdeenshire PFI
Aberdeenshire Council has confirmed Robertson as its preferred bidder for a £45m public private partnership schools deal. more
(19 November 2003 16:08)

Building Schools for the Future to trial not-for-profit PFI
The government's £5.1bn Building Schools for the Future programme is to test drive a not-for-profit form of PFI, opening the door to the widespread.... more
(19 November 2003 16:07)

MoD's last regional prime contract out
Defence Estates has advertised the last of its five regional prime contracts in the OJEU. The contract is worth more than £400m. more
(19 November 2003 16:06)