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Plans have been unveiled for six projects to upgrade the key A47 road connecting East Anglia with the Midlands. Highways England said it is aiming for a Spring 2020 start date after revealing preferred routes for dualling three parts of the 115 mile stretch of the A47 between Peterborough and Great Yarmouth. The programme will also include several junctions and roundabout improvement projects. Following a public consultation Philip Davie, Highways England Programme Leader for the A47, said: “We have listened to the publics’ views and these have helped shape and inform our approach to our proposed schemes. “Work now continues, adding detail to the design for each of the dualling and junction improvements, and on planning how we will deliver them in a way that keeps traffic moving.”…

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Health and safety on a construction site is most closely associated with the use of heavy equipment and hazardous materials. But each year in the UK, there are 1000 slips or trips on worksites that cause fractured bones and dislocated joints. And many of these accidents are caused by a messy and disorganised work environment. So here are four tips for a clean construction site that keeps your staff safe. Safe storage Clients, contractors and suppliers should all be clear about where certain types of materials and equipment are stored onsite and any materials that are flammable or hazardous should be separated and labelled clearly. Large pieces of valuable kit can be kept safely overnight in vandal-safe storage containers but secure portable cases for smaller tools are …

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All 85,000 Construction Related Occupation (CRO) skills cards currently in circulation will expire by the end of this month. The deadline is part of the industry’s drive towards full qualification. The CRO cards cover a host of ancillary construction roles but crucially you don’t need industry related qualifications to hold one. Construction Skills Certification Scheme Head of Communications Alan O’Neile said: “In early 2015, the Construction Leadership Council announced that skills certification card schemes carrying the CSCS logo must only certify those occupations with nationally recognised construction related qualifications, i.e. NVQs or approved equivalents. “The CRO card was issued without the requirement to demonstrate the applicant has achieved an appropriate qualification and as such does not meet the expectations of the CLC.” Many CRO card holders will…

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A raft of building companies are among the latest list of 233 firms named and shamed by the Government for not paying the National Minimum Wage and Living Wage. More than 13,000 of the UK’s lowest paid workers will get around £2m in back pay as part of the government’s scheme to name offenders. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has published the latest list of 233 businesses that underpaid workers. Employers on the list have also been fined a record £1.9m by the government. Retail, hairdressing and hospitality businesses were among the most prolific offenders. Since 2013, the scheme has identified £6m in back pay for 40,000 workers, with 1,200 employers fined £4m. Business Minister Margot James said: “It is against the law to pay workers…

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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…

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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…

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The charity set up to build a garden bridge across the Thames has official scrapped the ambitious £90m project. Garden Bridge Trust fails to realise green dream The Garden Bridge Trust  announced that it will be winding up the project because of lack of support for the project going forward from the Mayor. The project will now be formally closed. This includes terminating contracts with Franco-Italian joint venture of Bouygues and Cimolai, and  concluding donor funding agreements. In April, London mayor Sadiq Khan wrote to Lord Mervyn Davies, Chairman of the Garden Bridge Trust, stating that he was not prepared to sign the guarantee for the annual maintenance costs of the Bridge, a condition of planning consent, despite previous assurances given about his support for…

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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…

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Safety chiefs have hit back following criticism of plans to silence Big Ben’s chimes during renovation work. The bell of the famous clock will fall silent for four years to protect workers’ hearing during a £29m restoration of the Elizabeth Tower, the Great Clock and the Great Bell. The revelation caused a storm in some national newspapers who attacked the move as “health and safety gone mad”. Sir Robert McAlpine secured the £3.5m pre-construction services deal last year. An HSE spokesperson said: “We’ve been concerned by a minority of the reaction to the announcement relating to the Big Ben conservation project in London. “People’s health should not be made worse by the work they do, so it is important that no worker should suffer…

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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…

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