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The CBI has raised its growth forecasts for 2013 and 2014 and expects growth to gather pace in 2015 with construction one of the main drivers. Britain’s business leaders are predicting GDP growth of 1.4% in 2013 – up from 1.2% in the August forecast – following signs of a pick-up in confidence across a broad range of sectors, including services, construction and manufacturing. In 2014 and 2015, the CBI expects the recovery to gather pace, forecasting 2.4% GDP growth in 2014 (up slightly from 2.3% in August), rising to 2.6% growth in 2015. John Cridland, CBI Director-General, said: “The UK is now set fair for growth with confidence returning to Britain’s entrepreneurs. “The recovery that started in the service sector has fanned out to manufacturing and construction, and is shaping up to …

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Infrastructure and support services provider Carillion has joined other leading road maintenance companies and the Highways Agency to launch a national radio campaign to ask drivers to ‘take extra care’ through roadworks. Every year there are hundreds of incursions into roadworks which put road workers’ lives at risk. A series of hard-hitting messages are running on commercial radio stations across England until 3rd November to raise awareness among the public of the need to drive safely through road works. The campaign is being run jointly by A-One+, Amey, Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Enterprise Mouchel, Connect Roads, Connect Plus (M25), Galliford Try, Sir Robert McAlpine and Skanska UK, who provide services to the Highways Agency. All companies are members of the Roadworkers Safety Forum, a group …

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In many industries personal protective equipment (PPE) is integral to employee safety. PPE is equipment which protects the user against health or safety risks at work. PPE can include respirators, protective gloves, protective clothing and footwear and eye protection. The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) makes a hard-hitting statement on the reality of using fake PPE: “buying a fake watch may be illegal but it is unlikely to be life threatening. Supplying fake personal protective equipment (PPE) however could be the difference between life and death.” What does the law say? In accordance to the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 employers and the self-employed have duties concerning the provision and use of PPE. Regulation 4 states that suitable PPE should be provided by every …

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Construction work has begun on an award-winning sustainable housing scheme which will bring 76 new eco-homes to the vibrant, Ouseburn valley in Newcastle, on land owned by the Homes and Communities Agency and Newcastle City Council. The leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Nick Forbes, looked on as the transformation of the former Ice Factory and Heaney’s Coachworks site on the banks of the Ouseburn got underway. The £14m Malings project – named after Malings Pottery which operated on the site during the 1800s – will see developer Carillion-igloo deliver on its promise to bring low-energy, high-quality and neighbourhood-focused housing to the Lower Ouseburn Valley. The design by architects Cany Ash and Robert Sakula has received national recognition, having been …

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History is in danger of becoming the study of half-baked ideas. There is a fair degree of anxiety in architecture schools at present about the teaching of history: we seem to be unsure about what to teach and how to teach it. ARB/RIBA criteria demand that history and cultural context are included in the curriculum; but the case for history in education has not been clearly made. At a time when we are told all knowledge is highly contingent and education is about transferable skills, it’s often hard to justify the study of Bramante or Mies, except as a source book for design studio. The Foundation for Architecture and Education (AE) is a membership organisation designed to provoke discussion about practice and education. The foundation …

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With the help of precision 21-century technology, archaeologists are mapping a dozen tunnels that were carved by Roman engineers into the mountains east of Rome in order to supply the ancient city with water Some 2,000 years after they were hacked out of solid rock by Roman engineers, the aqueducts that brought fresh water to ancient Rome are being explored anew with 21st-century technology. Archaeologists with specialist caving, abseiling and potholing experience are using lasers, remote-controlled robots and 3D scanners to map the dozen aqueducts that were built over centuries. They are working from maps drawn up by Thomas Ashby, a British topographer and archaeologist who explored the hidden tunnels before and after the First World War. Almost a century later, the new breed of explorers …

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A new Ruggedsied tablet, the WinPad IO – 10″ IP65 Ruggedized Windows Tablet  for external use, now with 500 nit screen rating and Pixel Qi versions. This fully loaded tablet is highly ruggedized without being over-sized or too heavy. Complete with every connectivity and data capture option available the WinPad® IO has it all. There is now a new model with N2600 CPU and 500 nits screen if you just want a brighter screen and also a Pixel Qi  version, see below for more details. The amazing WinPad® IO encapsulates the new energy efficient OakTrail CPU  platform in a highly ruggedized IP65 and MIL810G proof housing at only 1.6kg.  Combining a sunlight readable display and dual hot-swappable batteries this rugged tablet offers the choice of all wireless radios: WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, 3.5G …

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Highways The Highways Agency has formally begun the process of putting together a slate of up to 28 partner companies for its new Collaborative Delivery Framework (CDF). The new framework will be responsible for up to £5bn-worth of highways work over the next six years, although there is no guarantee of a minimum amount of work to any firm on the panel. The framework is divided into four sections: engineering design, and small, medium and large construction projects. The CDF will run for an initial four years with an option to extend for a further two years. A supplier day briefing presentation was held on 24 September and the contract notice inviting applications is published in the EU Official Journal today. The CDF’s four lots are: Lot…

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It goes without saying that if you’re part of the construction sector, you’re probably aware of the dangers of Asbestos. It is an insulating material that was used prolifically in a variety of buildings during the 1950s, and is now largely unused as a result of the severe health problems it can cause. More and more workers are seeking legal advice so that they can gain some amount of compensation for their illnesses. The majority of claims come from workers who have inhaled fibres whilst working in factories and other buildings. The symptoms of asbestos exposure can take anywhere between ten and 50 years to surface, meaning a lot of cases go undetected. There is also a danger when these old buildings are demolished and the asbestos dust …

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Consulting engineer WS Atkins has secured a new £200m five-year revolving credit facility. The new arrangement replaces the firm’s existing £150m revolving credit facility and £30m bilateral facility. Finance director Heath Drewett said the longer term facility provided Atkins with financing to support its strategy.

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