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The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has launched a probe into a bridge which collapsed while drilling work was being carried out. The Midland Main Line was closed for two days The bridge at Barrow on Soar partially collapsed onto the Midland Main Line below on August 1 causing rail chaos for commuters as services were suspended. The RAIB said: “At the time of the collapse, drilling work was being undertaken to investigate a depression in the footpath on the south side of the bridge. “There were a number of pre-existing defects in the bridge structure which Network Rail had been monitoring for some years. “Shortly after drilling commenced to take soil samples for analysis, cracks appeared in the footpath, and then the adjacent wall, footpath and the…

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Skills shortages are wrecking the quality of workmanship on construction projects. Scape Group has carried out a major survey of the construction supply chain which highlights the impact of the skills crisis. Sustainability in the Supply Chain found 58% of contractors and suppliers cited shortages as negatively impacting the quality of their workmanship. The problem is worse in the public sector with 85% of managers seeing the quality of their built environment projects negatively affected by skills shortages. Lack of labour is also busting budgets with 80% of public sector respondents and just under 40% of contractors and consultants blaming skills shortages for cost rises. Mark Robinson, Scape Group Chief Executive, said: “Our research has shown that the skills shortage is at breaking point, not only severely…

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Brookfield Multiplex has warned that its £150m Royal Hospital for Sick Children project in Edinburgh will be completed at least six months late after being hit by the collapse of two key trade contractors Brookfield Multiplex is hastily drawing up a new construction programme in the wake of the collapse of Dunne Group and JB Brickwork The project programme, which was already challenged by bad weather and technical construction issues, has now been hit by the collapse of concrete contractor Dunne Group last month and more recently trade contractor JB Brickwork entering provisional liquidation. Building consortium IHS Lothian is responsible for design, build, financing and maintaining the new hospital, with Brookfield Multiplex delivering the build, Bouygues E&S due to handle FM and finance from Macquarie…

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Cutting thousands of construction and housebuilding jobs would be the ‘first nail in the coffin’ for the industry, according to One Way. An analysis by the construction and rail recruitment specialist outlined that a further loss of jobs would prove critical for the construction sector. This comes at a time when the National Housing Federation has said any slowdown in housebuilding would result in the loss of nearly 120,000 construction jobs over the next decade. The UK’s construction sector has also slipped into recession for the first time in four years, with many commentators suggesting the industry is in turmoil and that the government must do more to support housebuilding. Paul Payne, Managing Director of One Way, agrees: “The news that the construction industry has slipped back into …

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Nearly everything nowadays is made with steel. Your sinks are made with stainless steel, the building you’re sat in will have been created from steel structures and your car is made of steel. Steel is a strong and durable material that has a complex fabrication process, especially the development of modern steels which have a larger variety of shapes and sizes. Steel fabrication is the process used to manufacture steel components, which can be assembled and joined together to form complete steel frames which we use in building structures or cars. Frames are generally built en-masse and are readily available from steel stockholders. In some cases the standard frames may not be the correct shape or size for the consumer and new shapes can be created …

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A major new survey on the impact of Brexit on the building services engineering sector has been launched by leading industry trade bodies. Results of the survey will help the Electrical Contractors’ Association, Building Engineering Services Association and SELECT negotiate with Government. Paul Reeve, Director of Business Services at the ECA said: “It’s now up to our sector to help shape UK government policy and to identify the opportunities, and solutions to the challenges ahead.” Rob Driscoll, Director of Commercial and Legal at BESA added: “The referendum vote has created business uncertainty and knocked confidence just when the economy was showing signs of gradual recovery after the financial crash. “However, there is a lot of misinformation and scaremongering out there – the UK is in danger…

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The Government’s new apprenticeship levy will come into force next Spring when firms with a wage bill of more than £3m will have to contribute 0.5% of the annual wage bill. Large companies will still have to make levy payments to the CITB as well with at least 900 firms facing a double whammy. But CITB bosses are working on plans to hand back around £38m in duplicated payments in the form of rebates. Today’s Government guidance said: “Some industries already operate levy systems, or other collective training arrangements. If you already contribute to one of these, you will still be required to pay the apprenticeship levy. “The Industry Training Boards for the construction, engineering construction and film industries will consult their members on potential changes…

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Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has started the hunt for a contractor and consultants to deliver highways maintenance services in the borough. The five-year main maintenance framework, which has options to renew for two further years, is expected to be worth around £50m. The council is also looking for a consultant to develop and promote innovation in delivering highways services to the community, expected to be worth around £3.6m over the term. It is also seeking to appoint a contractor to better manage levels of congestion in the town centres and reduce levels of pollution caused by visitors to Legoland, Windsor Castle, Wentworth Golf Course and Windsor and Ascot Racecourses. Visitor numbers are increasing with the vast majority arriving by road. Car and coach parks…

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A plumbing boss and his subcontractors have been jailed for charging elderly and vulnerable victims rates of up to £672 per hour. Victims contacted the Birmingham-based companies over a two year period via Yellow Pages, where Duane Linton, 34, of Handsworth, advertised as an emergency local plumber offerering OAP discounts. Linton – company director of both Plumb-Tech Plumbing and Heating Ltd of Great Barr, Birmingham, and Plumb-Tech Plumbing and Heating 1 Ltd of Handsworth – was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court last week along with three subcontractors. An investigation by Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards and local police found that once a call had been made Linton sent out subcontracted plumbers from Birmingham. Under Linton’s direction subcontractors were ordered to charge rates of hundreds of pounds…

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Construction industry welcomes e-learning to help increase best practice in being a considerate constructor Over 3600 courses undertaken so far by construction sites, companies and suppliers registered with Considerate Constructors Scheme The Best Practice Hub – the construction industry’s online platform for sharing best practice – has launched a series of free e-learning courses designed to help raise standards across the industry. Considerate Constructors Scheme-registered construction sites, companies and suppliers of all sizes can undertake the e-learning courses, designed to improve their knowledge of the Scheme, in order to meet and exceed the expectations of the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice. The e-learning courses, which are eligible for CPD, were launched to all Best Practice Hub registered users during May, and have since …

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