Articles by Date : July 24 2006 - July 30 2006

Gleeson fined £35,000 for safety breach
Gleeson Construction has been fined and ordered to pay costs after a worker was crushed by falling mortar containers at a site near Huntington in.... more
(28 July 2006 12:33)

Jarvis plc announces pre-tax loss of £58m
Jarvis is still in the red with the group’s latest annual results, covering the 12 months to 31 March 2006, showing a pre-tax loss of £58m. more
(28 July 2006 10:00)

Site-seeing: construction webcams
Want to do a little site-seeing? Contract Journal has rounded up a collection of webcams that let you spy on the progress of construction sites.... more
(27 July 2006 14:19)

Open Gates - Tony Gates of Carillion (Roads and bridges special report)
Three years after heading up Carillion’s health PFI business in Canada, Tony Gates has returned to the UK to head up the group’s new roads business..... more
(26 July 2006 16:46)

Citroen Berlingo road test - Hit the road (Roads and bridges special report)
Roads contractors generally have more robust requirements for their commercial vehicles compared with other builders. Colin Sowman finds out if.... more
(26 July 2006 16:08)

Three deaths on 26 July bring construction fatalities total to 19
There were three fatalities on construction sites yesterday (Tuesday) taking the total number of construction deaths for the year to 19 - a reduction.... more
(26 July 2006 12:29)

Software failings hold up projects
A trickle of delayed projects could become a flood if the ineffectiveness and operational difficulties of the current software used for assessing.... more
(26 July 2006 09:00)

Economic duress in adjudication
Rob Palles-Clark, Brewer Consulting, considers case law. The issue: Whether an adjudicator's decision was void because the settlement agreement that.... more
(26 July 2006 09:00)

Mea Corporation duo banned as directors
High Court judge said John Aviss and William Berry did not respect the 'inescapable' fiduciary duties of a director. They have been banned from.... more
(26 July 2006 08:00)

SWG business ahead of plan
Scott Wilson Group has unveiled its first set of financial results since floating on the Stock Exchange in March. The consultancy group's orderbook.... more
(26 July 2006 08:00)

Writing on the wall for composite firms?
A failed appeal by composite company Gabem Management against HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and the outcome of a further hearing could have.... more
(26 July 2006 08:00)

Plant news in brief: 26 July 2006
Round-up of plant and equipment news from Contract Journal issue dated 26 July 2006. more
(26 July 2006 08:00)

Clients more likely to use web-friendly contractors
Clients are increasingly favouring contractors who have experience of using web-based collaboration systems, according to independent research.... more
(26 July 2006 08:00)

£65.5m Surrey lighting deal reaches end-game
Two contractors are left in the battle for Surrey County Council's £65.5m street-lighting private finance initiative (PFI) deal. Balfour Beatty Power.... more
(26 July 2006 08:00)

Costain wins three-year contract from Eni Pakistan
Costain Oil, Gas and Process has been awarded a three-year contract by Eni Pakistan for the provision of engineering, procurement services and.... more
(26 July 2006 08:00)

Cement industry getting greener
The UK cement industry has flagged up its green credentials following the publication of its corporate responsibility report. According to the.... more
(26 July 2006 08:00)

Corporate Manslaughter Bill to punish corporations
The construction industry has finally received its Corporate Manslaughter Bill after years of waiting. The new legislation was given its first.... more
(26 July 2006 08:00)

Polish workers no longer face double-tax scenario
Polish workers will no longer be paying double tax on their earnings after a deal was brokered between the UK and Polish governments. more
(26 July 2006 08:00)

Waste regs affect aggregates production
The Quarry Products Association (QPA) has warned that production of 30 million tonnes of aggregate is at risk due to restrictive regulations.... more
(26 July 2006 08:00)

Leavers and joiners: 26 July 2006
Contract Journal's weekly review of who's moving where in the construction industry. more
(26 July 2006 08:00)

Back bites and other bits: 26 July 2006
Back bites, number of the week, and quote of the week, from the Contract Journal issue dated 26 July 2006. more
(26 July 2006 08:00)

Build Center boosts chain-of-custody products
Timber products from legal and sustainable sources are now available from a further 29 Build Center stores. more
(26 July 2006 06:00)

Plant deals done: 26 July 2006
Plant news in brief: deals done. From Contract Journal issue dated 26 July 2006. more
(26 July 2006 05:00)

Livingstone challenges London's incinerator plans
London mayor Ken Livingstone is to challenge the government's decision to approve the construction of Europe's largest incinerator. more
(26 July 2006 02:00)

Value for money key with Olympics work
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is opting for certainty over cheapness in its draft procurement policy, which has just been released for.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Report reflects changing face of plant hire sector
The latest Plant Hire Investment Report has highlighted the level of consolidation among major plant hirers, with 21 acquisitions during 2005/2006..... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

BANES prepares for Bath Spa legal action
Bath & North East Somerset Council (BANES) is setting up a £1.45m fighting fund for its anticipated legal case against Mowlem over the beleaguered.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Universal Aerial Platforms hits administration
Access equipment hirer Universal Aerial Platforms has gone into administration. more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

News round-up: 26 July 2006
News in brief from Contract Journal 26 July 2006. more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

M6 Toll road extension scrapped amid cost fears
Plans to extend the M6 Toll road have been scrapped amid government fears that the new scheme would be too expensive. Instead, the current M6 is to.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Greenstar cuts cost of waste handling by 35%
Recycling specialist Greenstar said it can offer construction firms reductions of up to 35% in the cost of waste handling by recycling rather than.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

A big Usk for Nuttall (Roads and bridges special report)
A new bridge over the River Usk is one of several complex structures Nuttall is building on the latest phase of the Heads of the Valleys widening.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

McAlpine slays the beast of Bodmin (Roads and bridges special report)
One of the South West's most notorious traffic black spots is being put to the sword by Alfred McAlpine. Will Mann reports. more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Smarter surfacing (Roads and bridges special report)
With some of the early thin surfacings now reaching the end of their design life, there is potentially a big market in recycling these premium.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Will the regions rule the roads? (Roads and bridges special report)
Regional Assemblies look set to play an increasingly important role in shaping roads policy for the next decade. But will they help, or hinder, the.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Playing it safe - Wandsworth Road Improvement (Roads and bridges special report)
It started out as a road surfacing contract, but ended up becoming a much wider, more holistic regeneration scheme. CJ looks at the star turn in the.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

HM Plant goes online with shopping site
HM Plant has added an online shopping facility allowing customers and end-users to order a range of parts for Hitachi excavators. more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

MJ Gleeson chief exec Terry Massingham steps down
In a surprise move, Terry Massingham has stepped down as chief executive of the MJ Gleeson Group, with immediate effect. more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Norfolk Council moots PFI for £100m highway
Norfolk County Council (NCC) is considering using the PFI route to construct a new £100m Northern Distributor Road for Norwich. more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

West Midlands BSF bid list down to two
Two teams have gone head- to- head in the final run-in for a £70m-plus Building Sschools for the Future (BSF) deal in the West Midlands. more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Three-stage procurement race for Olympics launched
The whistle has blown on the start of the £280m Olympic Stadium with the launch of a fast procurement process for a design and build team to be in.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Ringway waits on contracts
Waiting for news on contract award decisions for a string of major projects is giving David Lee, chief executive of Ringway, what he describes as a.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Tool hire shows go head-to-head
Next year sees two tool hire events taking place within a fortnight. The Hire Show will take place on 24 to 25 January at the ExCel Centre in.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Wolseley eyes Essex site for Olympic centre
Building materials giant Wolseley is considering using one of its fabrication and storage sites in Essex as an all-encompassing 'Olympics center'. more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Restructuring at Interserve
Interserve's £116m acquisition of MacLellan has prompted a shake-up of the enlarged group's internal operational structure. The main change is that.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Willmott Dixon sells housing arms to Inspace
Willmott Dixon is selling its social and affordable housebuilding divisions to Inspace, its former support services arm that was demerged 18 months.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Apprenticeships sought for 5,000
CITB-ConstructionSkills has called on employers to offer apprenticeships to more than 5,000 recruits who are seeking work placements. more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Turnover rises 35% at Daniel
Daniel Contractors has boosted its annual turnover to £85m (£63m) thanks largely to the purchase of Walter Lawrence, a fellow specialist pipeline.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

CITB develops migrant worker skills database
Systematic vetting of the skill levels of migrant workers is being introduced by the CITB, with an initial programme targeting bricklayers,.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)

Firms responsible for staff bullies following ruling by House of Lords
Construction firms are being warned that they can now be held liable for the bullying behaviour of their staff after a landmark ruling in the House.... more
(26 July 2006 00:00)