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Using standard and bespoke Lego bricks, mini-figures and themed accessories, Weston Homes has built the first children’s bedroom dressed entirely in Lego products. Weston Homes has created the world’s first Lego-themed children’s bedroom. The brightly-coloured room, which has been created entirely out of red, black, yellow and grey Lego bricks, is on show at the company’s marketing suite for its Silverbrook development of 73 family houses in the village of Markyate in Hertfordshire. The bedroom also features a host of Lego-themed merchandise, including a Lego lamp and Lego alarm clock. According to Weston Homes founder and chairman Bob Weston, themed rooms are set to become a popular trend among housebuilders. “Linking in with brands such as Lego, Star Wars, Disney or other children’s …

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Construction companies are being urged to visit more schools in a bid to make a career in the industry more attractive to youngsters. The CITB is leading the charge for a more pro-active approach from contractors following a damning report which found young people were being advised they were “too clever for construction” CITB Chairman James Wates said: “Our industry has to compete with many others for future talent. “That means that we must be in the thoughts and choices of pupils making decisions at school – not as they’re about to leave or have already left. “We can’t leave this to existing careers advice because we need to reach teachers in order to reach pupils. “Teachers need to be made aware of what training and careers construction …

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The training body of construction professionals (CITB) says 182,000 jobs are to be created in the next four years. The CITB claims the growth will be fuelled by huge government infrastructure projects and demand for housing. However the body warns that work will be “very South Eastern England centric.” CITB deputy chairman Judy Lowe says ”One has to be careful in trumpeting the growth figures because initially it’s going be the South East which will benefit more.”

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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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