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The BBC will start showing a three-part documentary next week highlighting construction work on London’s Crossrail. BBC 2’s Fifteen Billion Pound Railway starts on 16 July at 9pm and follows work on the new train tunnels and stations under London. Crossrail provided exclusive access over two years to the BBC’s producers Windfall Films who spent time with tunnellers and engineers as construction of the new railway progressed. They witnessed the engineering challenges and key milestones including the spectacular tunnel machine breakthroughs. Crossrail Chief Executive Andrew Wolstenholme said: “The documentary series provides a unique insight into the complexity and challenges of delivering Europe’s biggest construction project through the very heart of London. “Every day people walk past our construction sites unaware of the maze of tunnels that are being constructed …

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The Government has given Tottenham Hotspur planning permission to build a 58,000-capacity stadium after a public inquiry. Communities minister Eric Pickles has just approved a compulsory purchase order made by the London Borough of Haringey, which will enable the Northumberland Development Project to continue to proceed. More than 95% of the 3 hectare site has been acquired by agreement and work has already begun on the first phase of the redevelopment plan. The order was requested to allow the final phases to proceed and follows a public inquiry. The redevelopment proposals have had far reaching support from local MPs, the London Mayor’s champion for Tottenham and the chairman of the Independent Tottenham Taskforce. Spurs said the announcement “was a very significant step” and now hope to be able to …

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New figures released by the Government show it has smashed its target to roll out project bank accounts on centrally funded jobs. Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, said that £5.2bn worth of government construction projects are now being paid through project bank accounts. Maude said: “As part of our long-term economic plan this government is reforming public sector construction and helping develop a more efficient and competitive industry that will lead to more jobs and better value for taxpayers. “To win the global race, we must support the smaller suppliers which are the lifeblood of our economy. We’ve beaten our target on project bank accounts but we will keep pushing ahead to ensure suppliers of all sizes are treated fairly.” The 2011 Government …

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Measured surveys Nationwide and Europe! Mobile CAD Surveying Solutions Ltd  can accommodate either a simple single property floor plan for a domestic or private customer to a complete schedule of buildings including whatever type of data collection the customer requires for a commercial customer. If you are an Architects or Surveyor and you require fast turn around building surveys, please give us a try! we currently work for dozens of architects and designers around the UK, where they haven’t the capacity or staff to handle their own surveys or where they just require someone to make sure the job is done right and first time. Currently we are working on many Commercial surveys around the country, with a number of domestic and Dimensional Property Surveys around …

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The London construction market is now so strong that contractors can “pick and choose” schemes they bid for. Steve McGuckin, UK managing director of consultant Turner & Townsend, said: “The days of builders bidding for every sniff of work are gone. “The confidence in London is now so strong that contractors are able to pick and choose their projects. “Tender prices are still competitive, but with input costs starting to creep up this may not last forever.” McGuckin was commenting on latest official construction figures which have been revised up to show 1.5% growth during the first quarter of the year. That is more than double the original 0.6% estimate by the Office of National Statistics. McGuckin said: “With such a big upward revision to the …

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Revised tenders for Google’s King’s Cross HQ contract are not due to be submitted to the internet giant until the New Year. The Enquirer understands that contractors bidding for the job are working to a January 2015 deadline to submit new tenders. The value of the contract has also doubled to £600m as Google radically alters the designs for its new UK flagship. BAM Construct were named preferred bidder on the original £300m contract last March. The contract race was then re-opened  after Google instructed architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris to rework the scheme. The re-bidding means original rival bidders Carillion and Skanska are back in the race with BAM. Bidders are now looking at the New Year for the race to begin as the construction …

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More than 300 subcontractors and suppliers of failed cladding group Astec are unlikely to see a penny owed to them. The latest creditors’ report from administrator Deloitte reveals that the three main businesses Astec Projects, Astec Group and Concept Design (Interiors) owe unsecured creditors £12.2m. Of this sum, £7.3m is owed to suppliers and subcontractors, with a further £2.8m owed in intercompany debt. Deloitte estimates that when they took over on 11 April this year around £1.7m was being held by clients and contractors in retentions. A further £5.6m due for work in progress is now unlikely to be recovered. Administrators said that they expect to be able to pay Barclays Bank from sales of property proceeds but have warned there is precious little …

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HSE inspectors are starting a fortnight-long crackdown on sites exposing workers to unhealthy working conditions. More than 500 deaths a year are caused by silica dust exposure Inspectors will be looking in particular at respiratory risks from dusts including silica materials and exposure to other hazardous substances such as cement and lead paint. The inspectors will also have manual handling, noise and vibration in their sights as they make unannounced spot checks this week and next. For every fatal accident in construction, it is estimated that a worker is at least 100 times more likely to die from a disease caused or made worse by their work. In 2012/13, 39 construction workers were killed. But more than 500 deaths a year are due to silica exposure alone. HSE Chief Inspector of …

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This guide should give those interested in construction or starting out in the construction industry a basic idea of the processes involved in the creation of large buildings, for both public and private use. Pre-Construction Plans for the house, office block or public building should be developed, finalized and submitted for review before any actual building work takes place. You may require permits for building work, electrical work, plumbing the septic system and sewer connection. Site tests must be conducted to examine the soil, the bearing capacity of the ground and the water table. Findings from these tests may require engineering adjustments to be made in the building plans. Foundation Preparation of the land for building involves the removal of topsoil, which is usually piled elsewhere …

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A new construction technique to build large concrete shell structures has been developed by scientists in Austria. The “balloon” method does not require any expensive supporting structures which have previously put developers off building large concrete shells. The technique devised at the Vienna University of Technology uses a flat concrete slab which hardens on the ground before an air cushion below the plate is inflated bending the concrete and forming a sustainable shell. Professor Johann Kollegger said: “It is similar to an orange peel, which is regularly cut and then flattened out on the table. “We do it the other way around, starting with a flat surface and then bending it to a shell.” A flat slab is first created using standard concrete. Kollegger said It …

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