News

Horizon Nuclear Power has struck a deal with joint venture partners Hitachi, Bechtel and Japan’s JGC Corporation to deliver the Wylfa Newydd nuclear power station project. Proposed design for Angelsey’s new nuclear power plant This JV will work as a Tier-1 contractor responsible for engineering, procurement and construction of the £14bn project in Anglesey. The deal paves the way for the JV known as Menter Newydd, meaning New Venture in Welsh, to strike deals with key subcontractors. Menter Newydd will scale up its UK presence in the coming weeks and months, developing construction plans for the Wylfa Newydd site. Suppliers interested in any aspect of Menter Newydd scope should register details at www.hitachi-hgne.co.uk and Menter Newydd will communicate further contracting structures, routes to…

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–       Members of the design and construction sector are welcome to attend this debate on Wednesday 15 June at the University of Huddersfield –       The debate will be webcast CAN Britain build a better future in or out of the EU?  The likely impact on the UK construction sector of either BREXIT or a vote to remain in Europe is to be debated at a special University of Huddersfield event featuring leading industry figures. Titled BREXIT – it’s impact on the Design and Construction sector, the debate takes place on Wednesday 15 June (17:30–19:00) at the University’s 3M Buckley Innovation Centre. In the chair will be Bernard Ainsworth, who has been in the construction industry for over 40 years, the majority of those spent with firm …

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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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Develop Training Ltd (DTL), the UK’s leading training and consultancy specialist, is pleased announce that it has been awarded a large scale contract for the provision of operational training to Northern Gas Networks (NGN), following a competitive tender process. The gas distributor is responsible for the delivery of gas through some 37,000km of pipelines to over 2.7 million homes in the North East, Northern Cumbria and much of Yorkshire. NGN directly employs around 1,300 people and provides regular work to around 800 contractors. In order to manage the learning and development of such numbers, NGN has contracted DTL to deliver gas network technical training and health & safety training.  The technical training will be conducted at DTL’s York training centre, while classroom-based learning will be delivered on-site …

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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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