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British construction output rose modestly in the last three months of 2013, official figures showed today led by the greatest expansion in the building of new housing since the start of 2008. Construction output rose by 0.2 per cent in the three months to the end of December, significantly down on the 2.6 per cent seen in the previous three months but stronger than the 0.3 per cent fall in construction reported in the preliminary GDP data for the same quarter. Britain’s economy grew by 0.7 per cent in the three months to December an initial estimate by the Office of National Statistics showed last month. However it said the upward revision to construction output would not be enough to impact GDP. The upward revision to the construction data was helped by…

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THE newly appointed head of a multi-million pound centre has promised it will have excellent teaching and the best facilities to educate the next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians. Peter Alstead, aged 51, will lead the £4.1 million Bolton College’s STEM — science, technology, engineering and maths — centre, which is currently being built next to the town centre campus and is the first centre of its kind in the North West. Mr Alstead will oversee the development of the centre, which is due to open this spring, as well as taking charge of the motor vehicle, engineering technology and water engineering sections. He said: “We want to ensure that our students experience excellent teaching and learning enhanced with the best facilities. “This will enable …

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An All Terrain crane slipped off the road near Nantes, in France on Wednesday causing a road closure and a cut to the the local electricity supply. The crane a five axle Liebherr from Mediaco’s depot in Nantes was travelling along the D 744 between Moncoutant and Cerizay to the south east of the city, when it ended up in a ditch and resting against an embankment. Thankfully no one was injured in the incident. The crane slipped off the road into a ditch and embankment Two larger cranes were sent out from the branch to rescue the stricken machine, which also required the overhead power lines to be cut off, and all was cleared up by mid-morning yesterday.

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Workers at a World Cup stadium in the Brazilian city of Manaus are threatening to go on strike after a third worker died during the construction of the venue. The Arena da Amazonia stadium in Manaus, Brazil, pictured during construction in December 2013  A 55-year-old Portuguese worker was killed on Friday while disassembling a crane. He is now the third person to die at the venue in less than a year. Construction of the stadium, which is due to host England’s opening game against Italy, is already behind schedule.

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220 volts, 100 amps, 500 watts. Even the most basic units of electrical power jargon are confusing enough to give the average non-expert a headache. A headache or a nasty shock, that is. While electrical power jargon may seem overly complicated and difficult to understand, the confusing words used to describe the different voltages, currents, and levels of resistance all relate to simple principles. Electricity and water have a surprising amount in common In this simple guide from neXpower, we’ll be learning about the four fundamental units of electrical power: watts, volts, ohms and amps. But first, a lesson in plumbing… What do electricity and water have in common? A lot, surprisingly. While it’s never a good idea to cross wires and pipes, you can learn a lot about…

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A cherished landmark which it was feared had suffered terminal damage in the storms may be repairable. The clock tower at Kingsand and the adjacent building, known locally as the Institute, took a battering from powerful waves last week. It was initially feared that the foundations of a the sea facing corner, which also form part of the picturesque village’s sea defences, were so badly damaged that the entire structure would have to be demolished. However, Paul Masters, duty director at Cornwall Council’s Silver Control emergency response unit, said there were cautious hopes that the building could be saved. He said engineers had erected special props around the structure in the hope of saving it from further damage in the weekend storm. Further tests are ongoing between…

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Engineers from Sellafield to travel to Japan to advise on shutting down the stricken site British nuclear experts are being lined up to help decommission the damaged Fukushima power plant in a move that could reboot Japan’s atomic power capabilities. Lady Judge, the British-American nuclear expert and adviser at Fukushima, is organising for engineers from Sellafield in Cumbria to travel to Japan to advise on decontaminating and shutting down the stricken site. “At Sellafield and Dounreay we are decommissioning big power plants and we can provide a very good example to the Japanese of how to do it safely,” said Lady Judge in an interview with The Telegraph. “I’ve been talking to Sellafield about sending some engineers to help.” The Tokyo Electric Power Company …

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THE upturn in Derby’s property market will help create thousands of building jobs, according to the Construction Industry Training Board. Research by the organisation estimates that about 10,000 construction jobs will be created in the region over the next five years, driven largely by the upturn in the housing market. The CITB, which supports training in the construction industry, said that the Government’s Help to Buy and Funding for Lending schemes were making “major contributions” to growth in the housing sector. It said that about 1,950 construction workers would be needed yearly, including plumbers, plasterers, labourers, painters and decorators and logistics personnel. The organisation said the challenge would be to find and train up these workers, as during the recession the construction industry lost a number of skilled workers. That is …

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Sizewell C: Construction of any new nuclear plant unlikely before 2018 – at least two years later than expected The proposed project to build Sizewell C on the Suffolk coast is thought to be at least two years behind shedule Construction of Sizewell C is unlikely to begin before 2018, according to a senior Suffolk planner – at least two years later than widely expected. Electricity would start to be generated 10 years later, in 2028. EDF Energy has consistently declined to set out its target schedule for getting the proposed nuclear power station through the planning process. However, Philip Ridley, head of planning at Suffolk Coastal District Council, believes the earliest that building of the twin European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) can start is 2018. The power station – costing an estimated …

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Members of the Pochin family seeking to take back the Cheshire construction group into private ownership have been given more time to prepare their offer. Property development director Jim Nicholson, grandson of founder Cedric Pochin, made an initial approach to the board in December, together with members of the Cedric Pochin concert party. Under Stock Exchange rules, he had until 6th January to either announce a firm intention to make an offer for Pochin’s or to walk away. On 6th January the Takeover Panel agreed to an extension to the ‘put up or shut up’ deadline to 3rd February. With takeover talks still going on but not having reached a conclusion, a further extension to 5pm 3rd March 2014 has been granted

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