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Building

Google gets green light for £1bn King’s Cross HQ

Internet giant Google has been given the green light by planners to build its new £1bn headquarters at King’s Cross in London. Camden Council’s planning committee approved the deal last night. Main contractor Lendlease will start on site next year on a contract believed to be worth around £350m. The 11-storey building will be more than one million square feet of which Google will occupy 650,000 sq ft. The Google HQ building, designed by Heatherwick Studios and BIG, in collaboration with BDP, will be home to 4,000 Googlers on completion. Thomas Heatherwick said: “Strong support for an ambitious building in an important part of the city is more proof that London is not afraid of its future. “We’re excited to start building.” Neil Martin, Manging Director…

ISG wins Investec London office fit-out

ISG has started the contract to fit-out a 135,000 sq ft office on London’s Gresham Street. Client Investec currently occupies two floors of the building at 30 Gresham Street, and the new fit-out will see it move into the fourth, fifth and sixth floors, as well as the lower ground. The project involves the full strip-out and fit-out of the existing floors, which includes installing an atrium staircase from levels four to eight. ISG used 3D digital modelling to identify the logistics required to install the feature staircase. Matt Blowers, managing director of UK Fit Out, ISG, said: “This latest win reflects the strength of ISG in the London office fit out market. Demand for premium office space remains at a high level across London…

Second cladding system gets fire test ‘all clear’

The first cladding system using PIR solid foam insulation has passed the Government’s stringent fire tests in the wake of London’s Grenfell disaster. Aluminium cladding using a limited combustibility filler (A2) and PIR foam insulation boards passes BRE large-scale fire test It is the second cladding system to pass the large-scale fire test giving the industry a clear insight into which systems meet Building Regulation performance guidance. The latest test results now suggest that PIR insulation can be fitted to a high-rise building, but only when used with aluminium composite material cladding using a ‘limited combustibility’ (stone) filler. So far no high-rise buildings have been registered with the Government as having this particular combination of materials. The Government’s testing body is carrying…

CITB buys plant simulators to fill operator skills gap

The Construction Industry Training Board has forked out £1.2m to buy 16 plant simulators to help train the next generation of operators. Trainee operators can test drive excavators to cranes in all weather conditions It is the first large-scale investment in a dedicated virtual training centre as the industry faces the challenge of finding 5,000 new plant operators over the next five years. The simulators from Sweden and Canada have been installed at the National Construction College in Bircham Newton, Norfolk. They will be used to train apprentices and trainees in a wide-range of plant machinery, including excavators, cranes, crawler dozers, telehandlers, tractors and dumper trucks. CITB plans to use this technology to train people for an even wider range of jobs in the future. The…

Construction Safety In the European Workplace – Perception vs. Reality

Since the enforcement of the EU Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Strategic Framework in 2014, the numbers of accidents at work have been dropping, suggesting a positive impact on health and safety regulations and compliance at the workplace. The framework analyzes key challenges and strategic objectives for health and safety at work and aims to identify actions and instruments to address these objectives. But whether workers actually feel safe at work is a different matter. Perception of safety or danger is none the less a very important question that can have a significant impact on a worker’s performance and well-being at work. Health and safety consultants Arinite compared research from Eurofound on the perception of safety in the workplace with Eurostat’s recent analysis of health and safety …

Gilbert-Ash Awarded British High Commission Project in Ghana

West Africa project is latest for UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office 26th July 2017: Award-winning UK construction, refurbishment and fit out contractor, Gilbert-Ash, has been awarded a fit out project on the British Embassy in Accra, Ghana. Set to commence in August 2017, it is the latest international project by Gilbert-Ash for the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) with work undertaken in a total of 41 countries worldwide to date. Ghana is one of the world’s fastest growing economies and the UK’s fourth largest export market in Sub-Saharan Africa. The UK is a key partner to Ghana and is committed to advancing continued economic development in the country. The fit out project, the first by Gilbert-Ash in Africa, includes interior and exterior refurbishment …

Timber Expo set to address safety and quality in buildings

A unique show designed to bring together the leading voices of the construction industry for all in the built environment Timber Expo, the UK’s only event dedicated exclusively to Timber, announces its return to Birmingham NEC from 10 – 12 October 2017. Covering a wide range of timber applications, from timber frame through to plywood, CLT and timber cladding, the show will explore the latest developments across the industry as well as new products and innovations from around Europe, for all in the built environment. Exhibitors from across Europe will be at the show including fastenings and fixings provider, Schmid Scrauben Hainfield; manufacturer, Intumescent Systems, a leader in fire containment technology; Czech distributor of plywood and packing, Orlimex; Latvian sawmill, Vudlande Sawmill, which will showcase the newest form of sawmilling …

The Smart Buildings of the Future

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Post Grenfell: UK Construction Week to offer definitive safety courses

In light of recent tragic events, UK Construction Week, the leading event for the construction and building sector has taken the most positive step possible by launching free unbiased, factual workshops to anyone working in the industry. These free, one hour CPD-certified sessions – taking place from 10 – 12 October at the Birmingham NEC – will address the specification and use of products from the viewpoint of safety, quality and fire prevention in buildings to ensure that all participants are given the most up-to-date advice and guidance on the main issues affecting the built environment following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower. These topics have been under intense public scrutiny at a national level, and whilst Grenfell will change the construction industry forever, companies must come …

New appointment to the Association of Noise Consultants Board

Increasing training opportunities in acoustics and continuing to develop professional standards are among the key priorities for Anne Budd following her election to the board of the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC). Anne joins the leadership team after being appointed at the trade association’s AGM – and is the first woman to be elected to the board in its 45-year history. Throughout her career, which spans 21 years in the acoustics sector, Anne has played an active role in the industry. She is a member of the Institute of Acoustics’ Building Acoustics Group, the Acoustical Society of America and the Women’s Engineering Society. In her position on the ANC Board, Anne is particularly keen to give a voice to the small acoustic consultancy members located in the …

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