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to All  our readers and contributors. We hope to see you all again in 2014

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A researcher at the University of Missouri has finished an app to prevent heavy equipment accidents and is now looking for an industry partner to distribute it. Each year more than 400 people die from heavy equipment and agricultural tractor rollover accidents, according to the Bureau of Labour statistics. The new VRPETERS (Vehicle Rollover Prevention Education Training Emergency Reporting System) is designed to summons site assistance immediately to help prevent death. The app, designed by A. Bulent Koc, assistant professor of Agricultural Systems Management at the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and research assistant Bo Liu, is downloaded to a Smartphone or tablet. The app then uses the sensors and GPS capability built into these mobile devices to detect a rollover, and sends an automatic emergency …

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Asking prices expected to rise 8pc in 2014, pushing average home above £250,000 The average price of a UK home will burst through the 3pc stamp duty threshold next year, putting many homes out of reach for British buyers. Growing consumer confidence, combined with a lack of supply, will push the average asking price up 8pc in 2014, according to the property website, Rightmove. This will drag the standard British home into the £250,000 to £300,000 banding, at which point stamp duty jumps from 1pc to 3pc. According to the residential property portal – which has seen a 21pc uplift in traffic over the past 12 months – the average asking price increased by 5.4pc this year to £241,455. Housing experts have been calling for the Government to lift the 3…

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The National Crime Agency is warning contractors against the growing threat of mandate fraud after companies lost millions during a series of payment swindles. The agency is issuing an “amber alert” to the industry following 34 reports of mandate fraud so far this year in which contractors were conned out of amounts of up to £1m plus. Mandate fraud involves criminals contacting contractors posing as a supplier or subcontractor. They then advise the company that their bank account details have changed in a bid to divert payments into a bogus account leaving the legitimate supplier and conned contractor out of pocket. The agency and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau said that reports of mandate fraud in the construction industry have increased steadily over the last year. The …

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Roundtable debate highlights key drivers for smart buildings and considers what’s preventing wide scale adoption  10-December 2013 – New environmental building legislation and competition to fill office or retail space are the two key drivers for smart buildings according to delegates that attended a recent roundtable hosted by infrastructure specialists Redstone. Debating the key drivers for smart buildings and the barriers hindering adoption, Redstone was joined by industry experts from engineering consultants Buro Happold and Norman Disney & Young and construction services company ISG. Matt Salter, delivery director, Redstone said: “All commercial properties which are rented out or that are up for sale must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and this quickly shines a light on whether  the building is efficient or not. “Tenants will seek out …

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Last week, the UK’s green plans were dealt a substantial blow when Atlantic Array was shelved. The project was set to provide power for one million homes and would have created thousands of jobs. Npower have pulled the plug on the offshore project as political uncertainty and cynical political point scoring once more threaten to severely hamper green construction investment. Struggling to Meet 2020 Targets Npower’s move is undoubtedly bad news for David Cameron and his government who had previously been banking on wind farms to generate low carbon power. By 2020, the government had expected to generate 15% of its energy through renewable sources, but the cancellation of the npower project calls this target into question. The Renewable Energies Association (REA) believes that npower’s withdrawal is purely down …

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The notoriously congested M25 has undergone a revolution of late. Recently, a new concrete repair technique has been trialled on a stretch of road that saw countless crashes over the past couple of months, and the results are outstanding. The trial, surprisingly, involves a new concrete repair system, and initial testing shows that it is cutting driver delays by around 80%. The joint venture on behalf of a number of companies has seen lane closure fall from 1,500 hours a year to just 300 and has significantly reduced traffic congestion in the area as a direct result. How Does it Work? First used in the aviation industry, rapid cure concrete works has lowered road closure times by limiting the amount of time that it takes for the concrete to …

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To help address the current skills gap in the West Midlands, Solihull College has made a significant investment in state of the art facilities for both construction and engineering disciplines to ensure it can train work ready employees. This commitment to both students and local industry was solidified last week at the official VIP launch of the College’s new £8.5 million motor vehicle and construction facility at the Woodlands Campus. Some of the West Midlands top industry names, including Jaguar Land Rover, Arup, Mansell Construction, Monarch Airlines and Snap-On Industrial joined the College to celebrate the launch. The new facility in Smith’s Wood houses twelve new workshops, enhancing and supporting the College’s offering in subject areas including motor vehicle, motor sport, engineering and construction. To celebrate …

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The government’s decision to require that all suppliers involved in public sector construction projects use Building Information Modelling (BIM) tools and techniques by 2016 makes sense. This should help drive improvements in value and performance, whilst supporting environmental commitments by facilitating a more integrated approach to design, construction, and facilities management. However, misinformation is rife. BIM is not just about 3D data but about creating a holistic information resource that also includes 2D data sources, documents, spreadsheets, and more. Nor is BIM best realized by a single, lowest-common-denominator data model imposed on every organisation in the supply chain. BIM is a business process, not a technology. As Neville Glanville, industry sales director, Bentley Systems, explains, the key to realising the compelling BIM vision is simply ensuring …

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FINAL PART  – the Top Ten 10. Savonnerie Heymans – Brussels, Belgium Image Source The Savonnerie Heymans social housing project is an attempt to create an entire environmentally friendly neighborhood consisting of public housing. Designed by local firm MDW Architecture, the development offers various apartment types, including lofts, maisonettes and duplexes, all of which incorporate energy-efficient qualities. Solar power and rainwater harvesting are just two of the eco-conscious features of the complex, which is built on the site of an old soap factory and utilizes the original structural elements where possible. You can see the old chimney for yourself. The 42-unit complex, which was completed in 2011, won a 2012 Prix Bruxelles Horta Award and earned a special mention at the 2012 Belgian Building Awards. 9. Les Loggias – Paris, …

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