The Foreman

Chimney demolition debris causes electric fire - VIDEO

My distant German cousin Von Foreman has contacted me with news of a demolition bodge in his homeland. It seems the normal precision planning one would expect of a German contractor was absent on this project - with fiery results!...

Posted by Will Mann on March 10, 2009 2:16 PM

Restaurant owner blows up wrong building - VIDEO

Another in our increasingly popular demolition bodges series. This chap might want to check the explosives wiring a bit more carefully next time....

Posted by Will Mann on March 10, 2009 2:09 PM

Withhold payment at your peril

You've got to love the construction industry. I know they say desperate times call for desperate measures. But where else would people come up with such imaginitive ways of resolving a payment dispute when times were tough? It's never a...

Posted by Janie Stamford on February 4, 2009 10:22 AM

Wind turbine hit by UFO

News of a wind turbine wrecked by a UFO nearly made me choke on my cuppa this morning. Apparently 'strange lights' were spotted before the 290ft turbine was struck at 4am yesterday. The Sun reported that following the smash, no...

Posted by Janie Stamford on January 8, 2009 10:13 AM

Tough times in The City

The true extent of desperation in the Square Mile was rammed home to the Foreman during a foray into the banking quarter last week. Some enthusiastic workmates had suggested a quick snifter to ease the credit-crunch gloom so our merry...

Posted by Will Mann on November 25, 2008 4:01 PM

Engineers jokes

Volker Stevin's Mike Burton has sent me an excellent document called Understanding Engineers, which sets out a series of cases to help your average layman better understand how an engineer's mind works What is the difference between mechanical engineers and...

Posted by Will Mann on October 7, 2008 5:06 PM

How to make use of spare plant in the downturn - PHOTO

Got any spare plant hanging around that you're not using? Well here's an idea for you... A friend of mine spotted this when he was walking through Windrush Square in Brixton, normally a haven for crackheads and winos. But on...

Posted by Will Mann on September 29, 2008 12:37 PM

'Pain' of pavement builder - VIDEO

There may be a lot of doom and gloom forecast for the construction industry, but that hasn't stopped the chuckles on site. This video has worried me though. Not one member of this unsuspecting public checks the well-being of the...

Posted by Janie Stamford on September 17, 2008 11:34 AM

The Foreman's got his knockers

I promised I would bring you naked women, after a raft of photos of scantily clad men. And I have well, almost. So here is a gratuitous shot of a female builder for you. Actually, I'm not sure if...

Posted by Will Mann on September 16, 2008 4:23 PM

The nominees for the Dodgy Builder of the Year award are...

Contract Journal Construction Industry Awards 2008 showcase of entries for its newest awards category: Dodgy Builder of the Year...

Posted by Janie Stamford on September 11, 2008 12:20 PM

A lesson in unsafe lifting - VIDEO

Here's an example of why you should never overload a crane....

Posted by Janie Stamford on September 8, 2008 5:04 PM

Yet another public relations gaffe

It's always satisfying catching out our friends, the public relations experts. After all, much of the time it seems their job is to provide an impenetrable barrier between inquisitive hacks and their clients. But when even the PR won't answer...

Posted by Janie Stamford on September 3, 2008 9:24 AM

How not to build a motorway bridge - VIDEO

Motorists in Iran take more than just the steering wheel in their hands when they hit the roads - they also hold their lives in their white-knuckled grip. This prize screw-up in highway building features a fantastic flyover that directs...

Posted by Will Mann on August 11, 2008 3:04 PM

How bricklayers get distracted - VIDEO

I always thought bricklayers were hard-working lads, but it seems they sometimes get distracted on site too. There are some tools that are best not used in this trade......

Posted by Will Mann on April 17, 2008 10:27 AM

How not to use a backhoe loader - PHOTOS

I'm not sure what the Health & Safety Executive would have to say about this, but I doubt I could print it here anyway. Ah well, it looks like they got the backhoe up on the rail wagon ok -...

Posted by Will Mann on April 16, 2008 3:02 PM

VIDEO: For Your Eyes Only - if only all building sites were like this...

Ok, here's a contender for the best building site in the UK - the City Road branch of For Your Eyes Only, a chain of 'gentleman's clubs'. I don't know about you, but judging by this video, I wouldn't mind...

Posted by Will Mann on March 31, 2008 1:57 PM

Yob the Builder given ASBO

I know we've got a recruitment crisis in construction, but I'm not sure we want this young lad. The Sun reports that an eight-year-old Bob the Builder fan has become the youngest child to be given an ASBO -...

Posted by Will Mann on March 14, 2008 1:56 PM

VIDEO - The many deaths of Sid the Melon

My thanks to Suffolk civils contractor Breheny for producing a new safety video which should scare the living daylights out of any kids fool enough to go near a building site. The short film was produced and narrated by...

Posted by Will Mann on March 13, 2008 10:09 AM

The builder who fell for Henry Hoover

Construction can be a lonely place for a man - long hours, not many women on site - and it apparently was all too much for one Polish contractor - who succumbed to the temptations of a Henry Hoover....

Posted by Will Mann on March 3, 2008 3:48 PM

A nice pair

Thanks to Dougie Thom from Miller who sent in this pic of a whopping pair of petrol tanks, which are being installed by Miller Construction at a new Morrison's superstore in Granton, Edinburgh. This chap was so impressed with the...

Posted by Will Mann on February 26, 2008 10:41 AM