Articles by Date : April 25 2005 - May 01 2005

ECA accidents fall by a quarter
Figures for reportable accidents from the electrical contracting industry’s Joint Industry Board (JIB) have revealed yet another fall in.... more
(29 April 2005 16:33)

Tube PPP would be scrapped if Lib Dems elected
The PPP for the Tube would be scrapped and maintenance for the Underground brought in-house if the Liberal Democrats win next week’s general election. more
(29 April 2005 16:33)

Timber merchant secures door kit deal
A national timber firm has opened the door on a unique solution, which makes fitting internal doors much quicker and easier. more
(29 April 2005 11:21)

Balfour Beatty tops CJ's PFI league table
Balfour Beatty has topped CJ’s annual PFI league table, now into its third year. The contractor has secured more than £3.5bn worth of construction.... more
(29 April 2005 11:10)

S Wales set for brownfield scheme
Remediation work will start later this year in South Wales on 250ha of brownfield land. Welsh Development Agency (WDA) director of strategic projects.... more
(28 April 2005 17:08)

MoD confirms Mowlem for PPP - at last
The Ministry of Defence has finally confirmed the award of a £200m PPP scheme six years after the deal first came up for grabs. more
(28 April 2005 17:07)

Three bidders hope to see the light in Redcar
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has shone the spotlight on three firms to contest its £30m PFI streetlighting deal. more
(28 April 2005 17:07)

Farrans first past post in Glasgow road race
Northern Ireland firm Farrans has beaten off local contractors to win a £25m infrastructure deal in Scotland. more
(28 April 2005 17:06)

Warings takes on £47m Sussex housing scheme
Portsmouth firm Warings has the key to a £47.6m PFI housing deal in West Sussex. The firm starts work this week on building 12 residential care homes.... more
(28 April 2005 17:05)

Two afloat in battle for Thames bridge
Two firms are locked in a £25m tussle to bridge the gap in Surrey. more
(28 April 2005 17:05)

Tyre shortages may continue until 2008
Tyre manufacturer Bridgestone has warned machinery manufacturers and end users that tyre demand will outstrip supply and shortages will continue.... more
(28 April 2005 17:03)

HSE issues timber jack warning
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has issued an alert concerning timber-built temporary accommodation with jack legs. more
(28 April 2005 17:02)

Ainscough secures Vanguard Industrial
The assets and goodwill of Vanguard Industrial, parent company of heavy machinery transport specialist Pickfords, has been bought from the.... more
(28 April 2005 17:02)

Amey back in the black
Amey enjoyed "a major turnaround in 2004" according to chief executive Mel Ewell. Latest accounts for Amey UK show a pre-tax profit of £21m - much.... more
(28 April 2005 17:01)

Housebuilding margins hit the roof at Barratt
Barratt's half-year results showed a rise in operating margins on UK housebuilding operations to 14.3%, a full percentage point improvement on the.... more
(28 April 2005 17:01)

Royal Bam margins down in UK and Eire
Royal Bam, the Dutch construction group, has announced that its three businesses in the UK and Ireland - HBG UK, Edmund Nuttall and Ascon - posted a.... more
(28 April 2005 17:00)

B&CE urges pensions rethink
The B&CE benefits company is pressing for cross-party commitment in the coming general election to address what it calls the current "pensions.... more
(28 April 2005 16:59)

HA increases roads spend
Roads contractors can expect increased highways workloads over the next three years after the Highways Agency (HA) announced improved spending on the.... more
(28 April 2005 16:58)

Holyrood hearing adjourned
Sir Robert McAlpine's £4.3m legal case against the Scottish Parl-iament over the £430m Holyrood project has been adjourned for eight weeks. more
(28 April 2005 16:58)

TfL hits back at Dutch auction accusations
Transport for London (TfL) has reacted strongly to suggestions that it is solely using reverse auctions to determine its four-year consultancy.... more
(28 April 2005 16:56)

Quarry firms count cost of archeological digs
Archeologists are delaying aggregates extraction and costing quarry firms, according to the British Aggregates Association (BAA). more
(28 April 2005 16:56)

Manslaughter Bill welcomed
New laws to prosecute companies and organisations where gross failure at senior management level results in a fatality have been described as a.... more
(28 April 2005 16:55)

Five rev up for £25m west London road improvement
Five firms have hit the road for a £25m deal in West London. The scheme centres on the A40 Western Avenue and on the starting grid are Alfred.... more
(28 April 2005 16:54)

Chinese show export potential
Chinese manufacturers, both of parts and finished machines, were much in evidence at the recent Conexpo exhibition in Las Vegas to demonstrate their.... more
(28 April 2005 16:53)

Gleeson's £15m loss down to M&E errors
The £15m of losses in Gleeson's building division resulted from the M&E element within a whole range of projects going pear-shaped. more
(28 April 2005 16:53)

A-Plant forecasts UK rental market growth
Following encouraging third quarter results, A-Plant and its parent company Ashtead Group said it is predicting growth and expansion in the UK rental.... more
(28 April 2005 16:51)

HA and councils link for giant roads deal
Roads contractors could soon be able to bid for the first ever combined Highways Agency (HA) and local authority highways maintenance contract. It.... more
(28 April 2005 16:51)

Three share Liverpool regen
Three firms have been named framework contractors for £60m of regeneration work in Liverpool, with a £30m contract for landscaping yet to be awarded..... more
(28 April 2005 16:50)

Madrid fire raises materials debate
The fire that devastated the 32-storey Windsor Tower in Madrid last month has sparked a debate about the suitability of materials in tall.... more
(28 April 2005 16:48)

Construction still lacks the female touch
More than one-in-10 girls are interested in the construction industry, according to an Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) report. more
(28 April 2005 16:48)

Hewden reorganises
Hewden Plant and Tool Hire is to implement a major restructure of its network following the recent merger of its two rental businesses. more
(28 April 2005 16:47)

Cement firms eye land clean-up opportunity
A government push to clean up contaminated land could open markets for the cement industry. more
(28 April 2005 16:47)

Scot Exec green-lights M74 against inquiry conclusion
Scotland's £500m M74 extension faces legal challenges and on-site disruption from environmentalists after the scheme was given the go-ahead, despite.... more
(28 April 2005 16:46)

Carillion adds £45m Asda deals to its shopping list
Carillion has bagged negotiated deals with Asda to build three new superstores in a project worth £45m-plus in total. more
(28 April 2005 16:42)

Government criticised for boiler snub
Chancellor Gordon Brown did little to encourage landlords to replace inefficient boilers in last week's Budget, although he may have opened up.... more
(28 April 2005 16:42)

Middlesbrough housing refurb split three ways
Three contractors, out of an original line-up of nine contestants, are set to share out £105m worth of housing upgrade work in Middlesbrough. more
(28 April 2005 16:41)

Leicester hospital PFI goes to Laing O'Rourke/Equion/Serco
A joint venture of Laing O'Rourke/Equion/Serco is confirmed as preferred bidder for a £760m deal to redevelop three hospitals in Leicester, as tipped.... more
(28 April 2005 16:41)

Alfred McAlpine tipped for £43m Leeds road
Alfred McAlpine looks set to continue its recent string of road contract triumphs by leaping into the driving seat for a £43m deal in Leeds. more
(28 April 2005 16:40)

Procurement under scrutiny
Measures to improve access to public sector procurement for small businesses, announced in the Budget, were given an enthusiastic welcome by.... more
(28 April 2005 16:40)

Showdown at the NEC
Gone are the days when a builder drove around in the most dilapidated vans the law would allow. more
(28 April 2005 16:39)

Citroen boosts CV range
Citroën is renewing its push into the commercial vehicle (CV) market by launching new vans and appointing a new CV sales manager. more
(28 April 2005 16:39)

New tracked dumperCummins and Valvoline in jv
Seddons Plant has launched a new tracked dumper and said it boasts 30% more capacity than its predecessor. more
(28 April 2005 16:38)

Mixing business with pleasure
Want something that is tough enough to withstand life on site, but still scrubs up well when you have to go and visit the bank manager? more
(28 April 2005 16:38)

Van-demonium
British van operators have never had it so good. Products are more efficient, more comfortable and better built than ever, and a supply situation.... more
(28 April 2005 16:37)

A McAlpine takes £35m hit
Alfred McAlpine made an almost non-existent pre-tax profit of £3m on last year's turnover of £950m. more
(28 April 2005 16:36)

Laing makes 5.2% margin
John Laing, now fully transformed into an infrastructure investor, made a £25m pre-tax profit last year on a turnover of £480m, representing a.... more
(28 April 2005 16:35)

Prisoners tackle skills shortage
John Laing Training and HMP Wandsworth have set up a brickwork centre to train prisoners to help combat the skills shortage. more
(28 April 2005 16:35)

The burden of proof
In resolving construction disputes, the tribunal, whether that is a court, arbitrator or adjudicator, must decide the case according to the civil.... more
(28 April 2005 16:34)

Equipment sales to rise
Sales of earthmoving equipment in Europe will increase by 3% this year, while European production is expected to rise by 5%, according to the.... more
(28 April 2005 16:34)

Bath Spa: Griffiths under fire
The political mudslinging over the £36m Bath Spa project continued this week, with construction minister Nigel Griffiths being accused of siding with.... more
(28 April 2005 16:33)