Articles by Date : November 19 2001 - November 25 2001

Balfour denies drug dealer allegations
by Ross Pearman Balfour Beatty has vehemently denied a weekend newspaper article that claims one of its employees has been selling drugs.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Revenue implicated in self-employment fiddle
Thousands of site workers falsely categorised as self-employed by IR more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Red tape 'biggest burden'
Bureaucracy is putting more pressure on construction than labour shortages more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Carillion denies bid rumours
by John Leitch Carillion has scotched rumours that it is the subject of a takeover bid. A spokesman said on Monday that it remains.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Trade bodies focus on problems of SMEs
by Glenda Thisdell The National Federation of Builders (NFB) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) have joined forces in a.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Five short-listed for Dublin spire
Contractors vie for construction of controversial millennium monument more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Pre-assembly is way ahead, conference told
by Laura Hailstone Offsite manufacturing and pre-assembly saves time, improves quality, reduces defects and waste, saves money and.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Amec gas deal
Amec has seen off an international line-up of contractors to seize a £15m deal to upgrade a gas compressor plant in East Anglia. Firms.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Pair going green
A Costain/Black & Veatch partnership and a Morrison/Halliburton Brown & Root partnership have each secured contracts to deliver a.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Marketing can maximise your potential and profit
Sir, Is it coincidental that, as a marketing consultant specialising in the construction industry, I have clients in Sweden, the Netherlands,.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Talking heads
So William Hague has joined JCB. Which politician would you like working for your firm and why? more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

'Serious financial distress' to bring housebuilder cuts
One-hundred-and-twenty housebuilding firms are in "serious financial distress", a new report has claimed. The 2002 Plimsoll Portfolio Analysis.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Pay-when-paid clarity
Sir, Having run the claimants' successful case I write with reference to the article 'Judge restricts pay-when-paid' (CJ 31 October)..... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

NEWSBRIEF
London roads shortlist expected soon Transport for London (TfL) is expected to announce shortlists for its new management and maintenance.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Heathrow T5 expects OK
by John Leitch The go-ahead for Heathrow's £2bn Terminal Five (T5) project is expected today (Wednesday). Stephen Byers, Secretary.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

CJ readers overwhelmingly support tighter entry regs
Exclusive by Laura Hailstone Construction industry associations are split as to whether the industry should be regulated, despite an.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Tube property PPP in jeopardy
London Underground defers property deal indefinitely due to political issues more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Laing denies lapse in safety over site death
Laing Partnership has defended itself this week over the death of construction worker Chris Supiya. The brother of the 45-year-old Zimbabwean,.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Bureaucracy is 'putting up barriers to entry'
The Design Build Foundation (DBF) has also warned this week that too much red tape is one of the fundamental reasons for the problems British.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Time for New Labour to cut the bureaucracy
A message for the Chancellor of the Exchequer ahead of his pre-Budget Report next week. If you want New Labour to be seen as pro-business, how.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Firms close on schools PFI deals
Two firms have reached financial close on privately financed education deals totalling more than £500m. Jarvis starts work immediately on.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Transport sectors keep civil engineering buoyant
Railways, motorways and trunk roads are the most buoyant of the main sectors in the civil engineering market, although there were signs of recovery.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Detention centre bids sought
The Home Office is seeking contractors interested in building a 300-place immigration detention centre in Hillingdon, Middlesex. Firms have.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Two in frame for courts revamp
Carillion and Modern Courts to battle for £30m Bedfordshire refurbishments more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

WA funds emergency road work
by Ross Pearman The Welsh Assembly (WA) has allocated £25m to 22 local authorities to carry out emergency work on a backlog of.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Industry safety inspectors demand more resources
The union that represents site safety inspectors has launched a campaign for the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to receive an extra £35m.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

McCarthy & Stone profits soar
McCarthy & Stone, the specialist housebuilder with a 75% market share of the retirement homes market, continues to deliver a strong set of.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

NEWSBRIEF
directive cleans up procurement forms A new directive from the European Commission, which modernises the forms used by authorities to publish.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Opposition growing to vibration cut
by Ross Pearman Leading members of the products sector have joined forces to form their own protest against proposed amendments to the.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

European link-up is target for CSCS
Mutually recognised skills accreditation scheme part of growth plan for CSCS more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Survey finds no cancer link with bitumen fumes
A World Health Organisation (WHO) report has concluded that there is no evidence of a causal link between exposure to bitumen fumes and cancer. .... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Connaught heads for £100m - Pioneering an upsurge
Turnover could rise again as group's orderbook stands at a record £150m more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Union's safety bid
Reps can give warnings to firms that show disregard for site safety issues more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Leading plant hire firms see fall in profits
The average profitability of 145 leading plant hire companies has fallen in the past three years, according to a recent report. Growth in both.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Volvo and Komatsu in talks to develop components
Komatsu and Volvo Construction Equipment have initiated discussions to consider future co-operation in the production and development of components.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Ammann's patented plates can handle steeper slopes - up to 30¼
A range of patented forward/ reverse plate compactors with a unique triple shaft exciter system has been launched by Ammann Equipment. The.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Bauma goes east to China
Predicted annual growth rates of 4% until 2010, and an import market for construction equipment valued in 1999 at $2.1bn (£1.45bn), have.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Terex upgrades second ADT model in its range
Terex Equipment's TA25 has improved rear suspension and braking systems more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

GRP tower for Speedy Hire
Speedy Hire has invested nearly £2.5m in the new Boss Zone 1 GRP access tower from SGB Rental and Sales. Steve Corcoran, Speedy Hire's.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Volvo flagship FH12 gets facelift
New aerodynamically efficient cab and engines for Volvo's FH12 tractive unit more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

AJB Civils orders JCB backhoes worth £875k
AJB Civils of Leeds has placed an £875,000 order for JCB backhoes to meet its customer's demands. Proprietor Tony Burke said the company is.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Towards the light
viewpoint more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Sole skills card scheme may be anti-competitive
IPAF warns drive to affiliate certification schemes may be in breach of EU law more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Make materials matter
Suppliers vital to Rethinking Construction more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Irish set site example
Britain could follow Ireland and set up independent certification for site safety more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Not mean - just lean
With the industry awash with Egan-speak and initiatives intended to make construction leaner, is there room for more business tools? Geraldine.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Back bites
Is the price right? Ever wondered what the cost of building a prison works out at per prisoner? Or how much a new library costs per book? .... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Water work floats Gleeson top
October's total of £1.3bn of new orders was lower than the previous month's, as private commercial work and infrastructure both showed a.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

This week's work winners
Contracts Hotline is your at-a-glance digest of the latest contract awards around the UK. Data supplied by ABI Building Data. more
(21 November 2001 00:00)

Geoff Brewer of Brewer Consulting examines pay-when-paid clauses under the DOM/1 form
Despite the statutory regulation of pay-when-paid clauses, these provisions continue to be controversial. In the light of the significant efforts.... more
(21 November 2001 00:00)