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Many commercial, customer facing businesses have been disrupted by the notion of a comprehensive customer ‘experience’ that has been introduced largely by tech giants Apple and Google. In view of this, they are presented with customers and clients that have an insatiable appetite for a new ‘experience’. The challenge inherently begins with the business premises themselves, they need to hint towards the promise of being ‘interestingly different’ as we are all aware of the old cliché, “first impressions count”. The space that a commercial business occupies has a number of requirements, it needs to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing but it also must carry the energy of the brand. The premises are integral to brand perception as well as productivity levels and staff morale. They need …

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A lack of manpower is the biggest concern for the Government in meeting construction targets, according to construction and rail recruitment specialists, One Way. This comes in light of a recent survey from property consultants McBains Cooper which revealed that just three in ten of England’s housebuilders believe the Government’s target of building one million homes by 2020 can be achieved. The report listed the biggest barriers as land shortages, the slow granting of planning permission, a lack of finance and skills shortages. However, the firm has argued that the biggest problem facing the Government’s target is the lack of ‘feet on the ground’. One Way has highlighted that these targets should have included greater consideration of the manpower requirements which will have a significant impact on productivity. Paul Payne, managing director …

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Topping out takes place at ground level when 16 metre steel truss is dropped into place A STEEL truss 16.2 metres tall that will be at the structural heart of the University of Huddersfield’s latest building was carefully lowered into place by a giant crane, guided by a team of construction workers.  But it took just a few turns of an Allen key for it to be secured by the trio of dignitaries called on to perform a special ceremony. The event was a variant on the traditional “topping out” that marks a crucial stage in construction projects.  It usually revolves around the installation of a final beam at the top of a structure.   On this occasion, however, the “topping out” took place at ground floor level as …

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New Property Renovation Calculator Gives Homeowners Estimated Cost of Home Improvements A brand new microsite has launched allowing people considering making home improvements to input information, such as the room they are looking to renovate, the size of the space and the region they live in, and then get an estimated cost for the work. Months of research have gone into making the home renovation calculator as accurate as possible. In a bid to help people understand the cost of home improvements before they start the work, the team at www.Web-Blinds.com has designed and built a home renovation calculator, based on months of research, to help users create the property of their dreams. The calculator initially asks users to choose the room they want …

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Four constructors triumph at Considerate Constructors Scheme National Site Awards 2016 Costain, Gentoo Construction, Robert Woodhead Ltd and Walter Thompson (Contractors) Ltd have each been awarded the prestigious title of Most Considerate Site at the Considerate Constructors Scheme’s 2016 National Site Awards. This year marks the first time four sites have won the esteemed Most Considerate Site accolade, as a result of ‘value bands’ being introduced, enabling sites to be assessed against projects of similar value. The value bands are: Under £500k; £500k to <£5m; £5m to <£10m; £10m and over, and the award-winning sites are: Denton Green Bungalows project – Robert Woodhead Ltd (under £500k) This project involved the construction of four new-build bungalows on a brownfield …

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Investing in properties in order to sell can be a tricky game to play if the return on investment isn’t as high as you’d hope. Upgrades can sometimes cost more than the added value to the final market price of a property. We’ve listed some of the best home improvements according to experienced real estate experts and property selling and remodelling specialists. Surprisingly, a lot of the most rewarding remodelling projects are rather low maintenance and not too costly: you don’t need a labour intensive complete property overhaul to get the most bang for your bucks. Highest long-term Return On Investment: the entry door Replacing the entry door of a property provides a ROI of up to 98% according to data obtained by HouseLogic and is …

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‘Topping Off’ ceremony welcomes the High Sherriff to guide the trusses into position – at 12.30pm on Today Local firms help finish job AS an architecturally-innovative £27.5 million building at the University of Huddersfield takes shape, two giant steel trusses that will help lock the structure in place are to be installed in a special twist on the traditional ‘topping out’ ceremony. The ‘topping out’ ceremony usually commemorates the installation of a final beam at the top of a structure.  But the two herringbone pattern trusses – 16.2 metres tall – will extend vertically from the ground floor to the roof of the new Oastler Building at the University, four levels higher.  The trusses will act as a frame for the main entrance to the …

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When you have had a long day on the construction site, it’s time to switch out into more comfortable clothes. Depending on the job you’ve been doing, your clothes are all covered in soot. Maybe you’ve been plastering, perhaps you’ve been drywalling, roofing, or even putting up steel girders. No matter what job you have been working on, it’s safe to say you’d appreciate getting out of the job-site clothes and into something more relaxing. If you’ve got a date after a long day on the construction site, you definitely need to change out of your work clothes before meeting with your date. Be sure to check out some of the great outfits available at Boden for some of your options. Plus when you visit Groupon, …

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The UK’s largest contractor trade body, Build UK, has called on members to use British produced steel. The latest guidance to help support the constructional steel and rebar industries comes after the Government extended rules to encourage the use of British steel on all public sector contracts. Local MPs in Cardiff and Redcar are also writing to firms urging them to favour British-made steel in a bid to get the industry up and running again. Build UK, which represents major contractors and more than 30 specialist trade bodies, issued a statement yesterday saying its members were committed to providing opportunities for British-based steel producers to support local economies, create jobs, and reduce carbon emissions from transport. EU procurement rules require fair and open competition between member states and prevent public sector…

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Stansted Airport’s operator is set to lift the wraps on plans for a £600m long term upgrade of its terminal infrastructure. Manchester Airports Group, which owns the airport, is to host a suppliers day next month for the industry’s large contractors turning over more than £100m. Its planned programme of improvements includes expansion of the arrivals infrastructure, additional car park capacity and modifications to the existing departures, landside and airside infrastructure. The latest plans signal a forthcoming boom in airport construction work. MAG is already planning a major £1bn expansion of Manchester Airport, while Luton airport is about to start its own £100m terminal upgrade with plans to build a £200m ligh trail link to speed up journeys from London. Gatwick and Heathrow Airports are also…

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