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By Alex Green, CEO of HANDS HQ, an online tool for creating construction risk assessments and method statements in minutes. Readers of UK Construction Blog can use the code UKCONSTRUCTION for a free month trial. Looking at data alone, you’d think that construction is becoming a safer industry every year. HSE statistics show that the rate of fatal injury has more than halved over the last 20 years, and employers have unprecedented online resources to help manage health and safety. But the risks to workers’ health and wellbeing aren’t going away as quickly. UK construction workers remain nearly four times more likely to be killed at work than the average worker, while an estimated 70,000 builders are suffering from ill health as a result of their work. Falls from …

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SOON TO BE RELEASED! SiteMaster BIM 2013 makes the creation of 3D building models from surveys incredibly simple, even to the point of the Disto usurping the role of the mouse As we draw near to the Government’s strategy to require BIM across all public sector construction projects by 2016, architects and surveyors might like to know that BIM implementation on a site development project can even start before the design stage, using an efficient and cost effective 3D surveying solution -i.e. BIM on existing buildings and not just new build. SiteMaster BIM 2013 from Graebert iSurvey & Mobile CAD Surveying provides users with the ability to create fully object orientated 3D models using only a handheld laser distance meter. Furthermore, the 3D models and 2D representations can…

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The Russian government is seeking to slash up to US$389 million from the construction budget for 2018 FIFA World Cup stadia by dropping plans to develop commercial zones around the facilities, according to the R-Sport news agency. A spending limit of $442 million had been set for each of the seven new stadia for the World Cup, but new plans from the Ministry of Economic Development outline a reduction to $386 million per venue. After announcing the plans, Audit Chamber official Vladimir Katrenko criticised them for being short-sighted, insisting trading zones for food outlets, parks and shopping centres play a crucial role in the long-term legacy of a stadium. R-Sport said the initiative, which is not yet approved, looks set to apply to the 45,000-…

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LONDON–Support services company Carillion PLC   said Monday that it is part of the consortium selected by Manchester Airports Group to build the 800 million pound ($1.28 billion) Airport City development at Manchester Airport. Carillion said it will invest up to GBP12 million in the project, which is expected to take 15 years to complete. The consortium also comprises the Chinese building company Beijing Construction Engineering Group and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund.

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These days, some of the most modern construction projects utilising the latest, high-tech materials, are also using a centuries old method in the design of their roofs. Living roofs, sometimes referred to as green roofs, were used as far back as the 11th century, in traditional Viking dwellings. These days, the feature can be found in the most innovative building projects, including Manhattan’s most famous landmark, the Empire State Building. The benefits of the technique are numerous. A study conducted by the University of Toronto was the first of its kind to suggest that green roofs dramatically reduce the energy it takes to keep a building warm during winter. You can find more details from this study, here. The vegetation on the roof acts as a…

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Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has signed a joint venture deal with a Chinese engineering business, UK support services company Carillion and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) to accelerate the development of its £800m Airport City scheme. Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEG) and Carillion are to join with the GMPF for the scheme, while Argent has been selected as the development manager. The JV was confirmed by Chancellor George Osborne in Beijing. Airport City will be the core element of the government-designated enterprise zone surrounding Manchester Airport, which is the UK’s third busiest. The five million sq ft project hopes to attract a raft of international businesses that could contribute an additional 16,000 jobs in the North West. It will include offices, hotels, manufacturing space, logistics …

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Warrington Borough Council is set to revamp the town’s centre after it announced a new £52 million proposal. The new initiative will see a new retail centre emerge, complete with a family-friendly shopping area, featuring restaurants and other leisure experiences. There will also be a contemporary market hall at the heart or the centre that will hopefully boost business in the area. It will be built on the same site that previously accommodated the Boots building on Bridge Street and will therefore preserve a street front entrance feature of the Grade II-listed brick facade. Other key elements include a new multiplex cinema and a civic centre to build community ties. The project, which is subject to a public consultation process and ratification by the …

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Construction work has begun on more than 1,000 homes at an Oxfordshire town. Cherwell District Council has described the 185 acre (75 hectare) site at Longford Park as “Banbury’s largest outstanding housing development”. Taylor Wimpey, Barratt Homes and Bovis Homes have started work on land south of Bankside and east of Oxford Road. The development will have 1,092 homes, shops, a school, a pub and 2,200 sq m (7,200 sq ft) of office space. Michael Gibbard, lead member for planning, said: “We have always included this development in both the local plan and land supply figures so the delivery of these houses will not impact upon either. “However, what it will do is provide people with completed, rather than pending homes to live in.”

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Carillion Alawi has been awarded a £92 million contract by The Oman Hospitality Company SAOC to build the Kempinski Wave Hotel in Muscat, Oman.  The 24 month contract, which is to start this month, involves the construction of a beach front resort including a 309-room 5-star hotel and 77 hotel apartments, to be operated by Kempinski Hotels. The plot is approximately 40,000 m2, and the resort will be built to a maximum five storey height plus basement car parking. Carillion Alawi has previously delivered projects worth £75 million for The Wave, Muscat development. Commenting on the award, Carillion Chief Executive, Richard Howson, said: “We are delighted to have been selected to deliver this contract, which follows a number of significant recent contract wins in Oman and reflects Carillion …

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WORK is set to start on construction of a £6m Wirral indoor skate park and sporting village after the project was given outline planning permission. Rampworx’s plan for a 7,000 sq m complex on land at Valley Road in Bidston that could create up to 35 jobs was unanimously approved by councillors on Wirral’s planning committee when it met on Thursday. It includes a skate park with floor space up to 6,00 sq m and more than 1,000 sq m of commercial floor space. Ancillary facilities would include admin offices, a cafe, flexible learning spaces and business support facilities for young entrepreneurs and car parking. Rampworx, the charity and social enterprise that work with young people to provide sporting and learning opportunities, already has a skate park in Aintree, Liverpool, …

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