Welsh Government News: Global plans for energy saving technology

SolaVeil®– an advanced energy saving technology for both retro-fit and new build windows that optimises natural light, reduces glare and deflects solar heat, has had the seal of approval from the Technology Strategy Board.

TSB described SolaVeil® as one of their Energy Efficiency Whitehall* successes after it was trialled on a Government building in London resulting in significant energy savings.

Daylight Business Solutions - the Cardiff based company behind SolaVeil® - is now expanding rapidly to commercialise SolaVeil globally. Technical Director Brian Hughes said the endorsement by TSB was excellent news.

Developed over the past five years with help from Cardiff University, SolaVeil® is a fine polyester material with digitally applied three dimensional surface micro-arrays. It is engineered to deflect solar glare, heat and harmful rays, while diffusing natural daylight into buildings reducing the need for blinds and artificial light.

Retrofitted to windows and credited with transforming the working environment in offices, schools, hospitals and supermarkets, SolaVeil® also reduces air conditioning requirements, significantly cutting energy costs and carbon emissions.

The company has received ongoing advice and support in a number of areas from Welsh Government innovation specialists, who also helped with regard to intellectual property and funding towards patenting of the SolaVeil technology.

Business Minister Edwina Hart said SolaVeil® is an example of highly innovative research being undertaken in Wales by small but very smart companies.

She said: “It also illustrates the importance of industry collaborating with universities on research and development to bring new and novel products to market, helping to create jobs, growth and wealth. In this instance the product also has the potential to support government targets to cut energy costs and reduce carbon emissions.”

The technology carries a ten year warranty, with trials showing a 30% reduction in cooling energy costs and a 20% reduction in artificial lighting costs. It typically provides a return on investment in the UK of under four years.

It is now being targeted at a number of sectors, including the heath sector as new tests reveal SolaVeil has significant antimicrobial properties, capable of killing bacteria such as e.coli and MRSA.

Warwick NHS Hospital is currently undergoing a second phase of trials which are testing the antimicrobial properties and its impact on health care, energy costs and cleaning costs.

Brian Hughes said the energy efficiency of the technology is proven and the latest tests show it also has great potential for use in healthcare facilities.

“Not only can it improve the environment for patients and staff but could play a key role in the overall cleaning regime of hospitals, helping eliminate extremely dangerous bacteria.”

Brian Hughes added Daylight Business Solutions is already working with multi-national companies such as Saint Gobain and FujiFilm to develop its global channel strategy and is now proactively seeking further partners with the resources and expertise to commercialise SolaVeil on a global scale.

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Shea Concrete Products acquires Utility Precast and diversifies product rang

Shea Concrete Products, offering a full array of environmentally-friendly precast concrete products, has taken a number of steps to bolster the company. Shea Concrete’s products include ReCon Retaining Wall Systems, septic tanks, Easi-Set Precast Concrete Buildings, stormwater management products and many other precast concrete products such as concrete and brick steps.

Earlier this year, Shea Concrete purchased Utility Precast Inc., a provider of electrical, telephone, communication and gas utilities precast concrete products. The West Wareham facility became the fourth location added to Shea’s lineup of plants in Amesbury and Wilmington, MA and Nottingham, NH. This strategic acquisition allowed Shea Concrete to offer an entirely new line of products to its growing list of clients and resulted in Shea Concrete being selected for projects that it would not have been in the past.

“We made a conscious decision in a down economy to not shift our forward-thinking and to continue to pursue opportunities that benefit our customers and the community,” said Greg Stratis, Shea Concrete’s Amesbury plant manager. This year alone, the company has hired 12 people and diversified its product line as a result of its recent acquisition and an influx of new projects.

Recently Shea Concrete was hired to provide cable trenches for the NSTAR Substation in Waltham MA, as well as telephone and electric utility structures for the Makepeace River Run Project in Plymouth, MA. At the Westover AFB Airfield in Chicopee, MA, Shea Concrete provided runway light can bases.

“The contractor was looking to reduce the amount of interruption on site, so precast was a better option,” said Stratis. “Precast is a great alternative to manufacturing on site, especially at airports where delays cause major problems.” Shea Concrete also recently supplied block and engineering for a 20-foot high gravity ReCon Retaining Wall and provided boat ramp slabs for a boat launch in Lynn, MA.

Said Stratis, “We are poised for further organizational growth in an industry that has much to offer contractors and engineers to make their jobs easier.”

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Chelsom launches new website

Closely following the launch of the Edition 23 catalogue, the brand new Chelsom website is now up and running.

Edition 23 is the first Chelsom catalogue to be fully available on-line. Specifiers can now view the full collection via the website and easily download high resolution images and technical data for presentation use. All the products are fully searchable by product type, product code or range name.

The launch of the catalogue and website is the culmination of two years of in-house design.

With 40% of the collection being new, designers, specifiers and hoteliers will find a range of lighting that covers the hotel and leisure sectors from two star to six star levels. Based on Chelsom's hard-earned reputation for design, quality and value, guestrooms, bathrooms, bars and public spaces are all catered for with an eclectic mix of product covering contemporary and traditional styles.

Managing Director Robert Chelsom who, with son Will, has designed most of the collection, says: "I believe many of our worldwide clients will appreciate the moves we have made into even sharper designs, higher quality levels and larger proportions for top end hotel suites and public spaces. In creating some of these more iconic products, we wanted to bring a sense of realism and value to the pricing. Designs whose prices have in the past restricted their use to public areas, will now fit perfectly into guestroom budgets."

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NSI demonstrates its commitment to Health & Safety

NSI, as the first sector specific security and fire Certification Body to become UKAS accredited for EMS certification and Occupational Health & Safety Management System certification, has recently obtained two additional complementary recognitions to further its credibility. NSI has obtained registration to Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP), an initiative that promotes mutual recognition of registered Health & Safety schemes within the construction sector.

Businesses are increasingly being asked to prove their Health and Safety competence as a key pre-condition for gaining and retaining business. For example, to tender for new construction work specific pre-qualification criteria is often specified. These include registration under well-known Health and Safety based assessment schemes such as CHAS (Contractors Health & Safety Scheme) and SAFE Contractor. Such tender requirements are often enforced regardless of whether the organisation already has UKAS Accredited Certification to BS OHSAS 18001:2007.

The National House Building Council (NHBC), with the approval of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), set up Safety Schemes In Procurement, with the aim of facilitating mutual recognition of registered Health and Safety assessment schemes and avoiding unnecessary duplication with regard to construction work prequalification criteria.

The potential benefit of this mutual recognition is that if an organisation is approved under the NSI Health & Safety Gold scheme for BS OHSAS 18001:2007 then any client pressure for additional registration with other SSIP assessment schemes can be argued. In cases where there is still some pressure to hold multiple registrations, then the SSIP mutual recognition agreement will usually enable registration with other schemes at a reduced rate and without the need for a specific assessment.

Jeff Little, NSI Chief Executive stated, “We are delighted to have achieved recognition to become part of the SSIP. This demonstrates that our NSI Health & Safety Gold Scheme is recognised by other Health & Safety assessment schemes registered on the SSIP website such as CHAS and SAFE Contractor.”

Within Northern Ireland there is a separate initiative called “Buildsafe-NI”, administered by the Central Procurement Directorate. This scheme is designed to further reduce accidents within the construction industry. Any contractor seeking to tender for public sector construction work in Northern Ireland has to have a Health and Safety management system certificated by a recognised and nationally accredited third party. After submission of a detailed presentation it has been accepted that NSI’s Gold Health & Safety Certification scheme also meets the requirements of the Buildsafe–NI registration scheme.

In reviewing NSI’s significant Health and Safety achievements, Jeff Little commented “NSI constantly seeks to evolve and deliver a complete solution for the benefit of our approved companies. We are aware that trading conditions are difficult at present and these achievements with SSIP and Buildsafe-NI will open up new opportunities and reduce bureaucracy for companies approved by NSI for their Health & Safety management”

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FB Chain Ltd – leading manufacturer and supplier of leaf chain, anchor bolts and chain sprockets to the materials handling industry

The next time your conveyors are undergoing routine maintenance – or have had to be stopped to repair a fault – take a few moments to count the teeth on the power chain’s sprockets.

If the conveyor was acquired at any time within the last 30 years, the chances are that the chains that drive it will be running on sprockets with an even number of teeth.

“About two decades ago when Asia emerged as a centre for conveyor manufacturing, a number of companies based their designs on existing product ranges which featured non-standard chain sprockets with an even number of teeth. The manufacturers considered that this offered greater choice when designing conveyor systems, but it created a problem,” explains Peter Church, managing director of Letchworth-based FB Chain Ltd – a leading manufacturer and supplier of leaf chain, anchor bolts and chain sprockets to the materials handling industry.

He continues: “Before the 1980s it was rare to see any sprockets with an even number of teeth – and that was for good reason.”

“A sprocket with an odd number of teeth will offer at least double the service life of a sprocket with even teeth,” Peter Church explains.

“In simple terms, if a sprocket has an even number of teeth, the same tooth will be engaged by the same rollers on each rotation. This leads to uneven wear on the chain and sprocket and a shortened service life for both components.

“There is very little price difference between even and odd-toothed sprockets so it is perhaps surprising that even toothed sprockets have become so widely accepted.”

FB manufacture and stock a full range of standard sprockets and platewheels for all simplex, duplex and triplex roller chains. Larger sprockets suitable for the many varied types of metric and imperial conveyor chain are available on short delivery lead times.

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Miller Construction secure £37 million Airbus Contracts

Miller Construction has been selected by Airbus, the world’s leading aircraft manufacturer, to deliver two projects totalling £37 million, at Airbus Aerospace Park in Filton, Bristol.

The contracts include a £10 million project comprising the refurbishment and alteration of Pegasus House, together with the partial demolition and refurbishment of Old Filton House and construction of a 25,000 msq office building, totalling £27 million.

Chris Webster, Chief Executive, Miller Construction, said: “We are delighted to have secured these contracts on behalf of Airbus.

“We have been working closely with Airbus and their consultants over the past six months and are looking forward to progressing together to deliver the new office building and fully refurbished Pegasus House. We have a proven track record in the delivery of award winning accommodation and we are confident these projects will both meet and exceed Airbus’ requirements and expectations. These contract wins are in line with our strategy to develop our presence in one of our key developing markets, Science and Technology, providing us with the opportunity to widen our expertise and grow our reputation as a cross-market leader.

“By continuing to focus on our strategy throughout 2012, we are confident we will continue to deliver positive results for the business. As the world’s leading aircraft manufacturer with a global workforce of more than 55,000, Airbus relies on industrial co-operation and partnerships and we are thrilled to be their partner of choice for these hugely significant UK projects.”

Pegasus House, an existing five storey, 1936, Grade 2 listed art-deco office building will undergo a complete refurbishment and alteration, and Old Filton House, a Grade 2 listed mid-eighteenth century, three storey country house, will be partially demolished and refurbished, in order to return the building to its former glory. The works also include substantial structural alterations, new M&E installation and an upgrade of the current thermal installation. Construction works commenced in May and will be due for completion in the Summer of 2013.

Works on the office building are due to commence in August 2012 and will see the delivery of a new four storey, naturally ventilated office building incorporating four atria and a roof level plant room. Once complete in autumn 2013, the building will provide office accommodation for 2,500 staff with changing facilities for up to 600 cyclists, an energy centre, and 900 car parking spaces. In addition to the building, a new access route to the campus off the main A38, which requires the construction of a new controlled junction, will be delivered.

The completed building will be highly thermally efficient, with low air permeability, forming an integral part of the client’s requirements for an office building, creating a comfortable environment with efficient energy consumption.

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Verlinde PTY maintain steady business in a stagnant economy

Verlinde cranes & hoists (PTY) Ltd is flying the flag from its base in Johannesburg, bucking the trend and announcing a steady stream of projects won for the first half of 2012 across a range of industrial and mining applications. The company defies the odds and continues to do well in a South African economy that has fallen short of expected growth forecasts.

South Africa’s mining industry, which accounts for around one third of the country’s GDP, has fallen upon hard times in recent years, thanks to a noticeable decline in demand for the country’s natural mineral resources, but lifting equipment company Verlinde cranes & hoists (PTY) Ltd have sustained a healthy flow of business through the first half of 2012. Mining in South Africa has been the driving force behind the history and development of Africa’s most advanced and richest economy and although diamond and gold production levels are now much lower than they once were, South Africa remains a cornucopia of mineral riches with a future full of prospects.

Growth of the South African economy in 2012 has fallen well short of initial forecasts, hindered largely by Europe’s falling demand for gold, diamond and iron ore, lowering the value of these commodities by a combined 20% over the last year. But as the world’s largest producer of chrome, manganese and platinum, along with large production levels of gold and diamond, the need for sophisticated crane and lifting services remains ever present.

Verlinde Cranes PTY is firmly holding its own in a slow and highly competitive market. “Business for the first half of 2012 has been steady and progressive” said Martin Tavener, Sales Director of Verlinde Cranes PTY. “Our presence in South Africa for over 50 years as helped us establish a solid foundation on which the business can move forward, even if only slowly in these difficult economic times.”

However, the number of cranes of the skyline of some South African cities should not be taken as an indication of a major upswing in the sector, with most crane manufacturers and suppliers expressing caution about the prospects for recovery in the building sector, while warning that growth opportunities are extremely uncertain.

Business development manager for Verlinde, Simon Rothechild, said: “Verlinde remains committed to the emerging markets in Africa, and our recent expansion in South Africa is testament to the steady and prosperous growth of the economy. Verlinde recognised many years ago that African nations had a big future on the world stage, and via our distributor network we are proud to be giving them a lift in achieving their ambitions and future success.”

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Mitsubishi urges building professionals to join online debate over lower energy use in buildings

everyone involved in designing, creating and maintaining our built environment is urged by Mitsubishi Electric to join an online debate on how the nation can lower energy use in buildings.

The company has set up both Twitter and LinkedIn® accounts for its Green Gateway campaign in order to promote sustainable thinking within the built environment.

"This is a straightforward way to generate a lively on-going debate that involves as many people as possible," explains Martin Fahey, Sustainable Solutions Manager for the Hatfield-based company. "That is what Green Gateway is all about and social media offers people an ideal way to do the right thing and get involved so we can all work together towards making a difference."

Buildings account for 44 per cent of all UK greenhouse gas emissions which is more than either industry or transport, so as a sector, the building industry can play a major role in helping reduce emissions.

Visitors to the Green Gateway LinkedIn group will be able to view the latest thoughts of group members from across the UK building industry and contribute to the on-going discussion. The new Twitter account (@green_gateway) will offer followers a chance to receive up-to-the-minute news and views from those within and outside the industry, including key opinion leaders.

"We are now building new low carbon buildings but around 75 per cent of our existing buildings will still be in use in 2050," adds Fahey. "To a large extent we have already built our future and the challenge now is to find ways of reducing the emissions from these buildings."

Fuel security, rising fossil fuel prices, increasingly tough legislation and the need to combat climate change are all driving the demand for greater efficiency and the inclusion of renewable energy.

"No one person or company has all the answers but as an industry, we do have the
technology and the expertise to really make a difference if we can find ways of getting our heads together," ends Fahey.

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Franke Washroom Systems attracts active specifiers with Barbour Product Search

Franke Washroom Systems, leading manufacturer of quality stainless steel sanitaryware, explains how the Barbour Product Search Premier Profile and themed newsletter have helped the company to reach active specifiers across the whole purchasing chain.

Franke Washroom Systems has over 225 years’ experience manufacturing stainless steel and composite resin sanitaryware, washroom accessories, taps and water control equipment for any commercial sector. The company has been using Barbour Product Search to promote its products for the last two years.

A Premier Profile enables manufacturers to market their company and products as well as showcase a full range of brochures, technical data, company news and case studies to the audience. Barbour Product Search’s audience comprises of active specifiers including architects, surveyors, contractors, designers, engineers and private and public sector construction specialists.

Victoria Himsworth, Product Manager at Franke Washroom Systems says: “We turned to Barbour Product Search to promote our products to open up additional routes to the building and facilities management, M&E and plumbing sectors, as well as improve our visibility to subcontractors."

“The Premier Profile is great for us as we can list our products with images and links to our website. Also, the product and company news and case study sections really allow us to show our full range of products and capabilities.”

The Barbour Product Search newsletters offer the opportunity to further reach a large audience of key decision makers throughout the built environment. Franke Washroom Systems chose to feature in the themed newsletter.

Victoria continues: “The themed newsletters sent from Barbour Product Search are ideal as we can choose the ones most applicable to our industry. We have been included in the Education newsletter, where interested customers could then link straight through to the relevant section on our profile for more information.”

“The Barbour Product Search team is only too happy to provide us with advice whenever requested, and the support of our dedicated editorial account manager has been pivotal in making our profile successful.”

“I would absolutely recommend Barbour Product Search to other manufacturers who want to reach active specifiers across the entire purchasing chain.”

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Interactive information application (App) for European Plant & Machinery Sales by Moffat Consulting & Technology

Leading used equipment and machinery suppliers - European Plant and Machinery Sales - is the latest company to have a new interactive iPhone / iPad Application (App) developed for them by Moffat Consulting & Technology, the technology arm of Resale Weekly.

European Plant and Machinery Sales wanted to help improve the overall satisfaction and efficiency of potential buyers and sellers in the global marketplace. By partnering with Moffat Consulting & Technology to help solve this business challenge, they designed and created an application (App) for the business that could be viewed on smart phones and tablets by prospective buyers and sellers.

The new EPM App, as it has become known, enables the user to browse equipment by category (for example Excavators or Wheeled Loaders) to produce a subset listing of machinery that is displayed in a digital ‘stock book’, outlining available products classified by: model, year, hours, location, with the addition of the price and include a recent photograph.

A ‘Services’ section was also built into the EPM App which the user can use to message the workshop, the export office at European Plant and Machinery Sales, or make a serious enquiry about a particular piece of machinery which then may result in a sale. The EPM App is now available as a FREE download from the iTunes Store.

Grant McGregor, Partner at European Plant and Machinery Sales explains how this application has enhanced the business: “Our business operates on a truly global basis and as a result we need to find ways of reaching that global marketplace. By creating the new EPM App we have made it significantly easier for our buyers and seller to review our stock list anywhere in the world at any time of day. We have already seen a significant increase in the interest in our stock and products and are confident this new application will increase plant interest and sales.”

Daniel Moffat, MD at Moffat Consulting & Technology explains the challenges of this project and the successful outcome: “Moffat Consulting & Technology is fast establishing a name as one of the premiere builders of this type of iPhone / iPad application for the construction machinery and equipment sector. We understand how to package and present machinery and construction equipment for sale, having almost 50 years experience classifying and promoting it for sale through Resale Weekly. The EPM App for European Plant and Machinery Sales has already started to change the way the business sells and seeks buyers but we are already refining the software with a number of new functions that will be launched in version 2.0 in a matter of months.”

European Plant and Machinery Sales specialises in the sales of all types of construction equipment, primarily Caterpillar, Komatsu, Hitachi, JCB, Volvo, New Holland and Doosan, as well as other leading makes.

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Melcotel™ hotel control system from Mitsubishi Electric gets recognition from Building Controls Industry Association

Mitsubishi Electric has welcomed the recognition of the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) for its Melcotel™ hotel control system, which was shortlisted in the technical advance of the year category in the BCIA Awards 2012.

The event brings together the very best of the UK’s controls industry to celebrate the companies, innovations and people that are achieving the highest standards and driving this dynamic industry forward.

“The whole development of our Melcotel smart control system for hotels aims to focus attention on the value that appropriate controls can bring to cost and energy management for businesses,” explained Sebastian Desmottes, controls expert for Mitsubishi Electric. “When we saw the calibre of all the entries, we knew we had proved ourselves simply by making the shortlist and whilst we were disappointed not to have won, we take great pride in the recognition of our peers in the Controls Industry.”

Mitsubishi Electric’s Melcotel™ controller can help hotels reduce the energy needed to run their air conditioning and has demonstrated a 40 per cent reduction in energy during a six month trial at Premier Inn’s city centre site in Leicester.

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Manufacturing Engineering Scholarships

Students pursuing a major in manufacturing engineering receive core curriculum in science and mathematics. Within the specialty students study more focused components of a manufacturing environment including technological and production processes associated with all aspects of manufacturing.

The job of a Manufacturing Engineer includes designing, analyzing and implementing innovative systems and processes that streamline the production of materials and goods. Professionals may be asked to consider manufacturing from a wide perspective, including financial, technical, and labor related aspects.

Part of the mission behind the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) is to provide monetary and professional support to member students. To those ends the organization sponsors a heady array of scholarships for students at all levels of manufacturing engineering studies. A few include:

Caterpillar Scholars Awards are offered to high school seniors enrolling in a manufacturing engineering major at a four-year college. Preference is given to minority students with proven academic talent.
Phoenix Scholarships go to students pursuing manufacturing engineering in a college in Arizona.
E. Wayne Kay Community College Scholarships are available to manufacturing engineering students attending a two-year community college program. Eligible applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA to be considered.
High school students who already are engaged in manufacturing engineering activities and are members of the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) not only have access to extracurricular know-how and industry-related activities, but they also are eligible for scholarships. The Next Generation Scholarship Fund is designed to attract those graduating high school students with superior academic aptitude especially in engineering.

College Scholarships

The College of Engineering and Architecture at the University of North Dakota offers scholarships relative to students in the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering program. Most of the departmental scholarships are available to upper level and graduate students, including the Helgason Scholarship. Incoming students must apply for general academic or financial scholarships through the Financial Aid Department.

Wayne State University offers students scholarships through the department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. Students must write an essay outlining their career goals as well as include letters of recommendation from faculty and a professional resume. Applicants being considered for the awards may also be subject to an interview.

A few of the nearly dozen scholarships sponsored by the College of Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Stout are:

Rath Foundation Scholarships are awarded to new or transfer students who are at the top of their class academically. Up to $6,000 possible.
An upper level manufacturing engineering student with an internship already under his or her belt may qualify for the John Entorf Scholarship. Awards are up to $2,000.
3M Wisconsin Community Affairs Council Scholarships are specifically designed for students in at least their junior year of the ME program. Awards are $1,000.
Minority Scholarships

Traditionally minority students have been underrepresented in the sciences and engineering fields. For this reason minority students, including women, will find an almost endless array of scholarships all designed to offer the best support possible: money.

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) annually awards well over 100 scholarships to female students pursuing degrees in an accredited engineering program. Applicants may be undergraduate or graduate students.

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) offers dozens of scholarships funded by generous corporate sponsors like ExxonMobil, Delta Airlines and Northrop Grumman. In most cases applicants must demonstrate above average academic talents in the major.

The American Indian Science and Engineering Society sponsors scholarships for students majoring in an array of engineering degrees, including manufacturing engineering. Applicants must be ready to offer a Certificate of Indian Blood along with other specified criteria.

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Lakesmere appoints new Construction Director for South East region

Lakesmere has appointed Anthony Kirkby to the role of Construction Director, as part of the expansion and development of its South East region.

Having enjoyed a successful career as a Construction Manager since joining Lakesmere in 2008, Anthony’s promotion will see him take over responsibility of the day to day operational activities of the South-East team which is based at Lakesmere’s head office in Winchester.

Matt Nicholson, Managing Director of Lakesmere South, comments; “As a valued member of the Lakesmere team, Anthony has made a significant difference and contribution to the success of the region and we are confident that this appointment will allow us to take better advantage of the opportunities that present themselves within the South-East.”

Lakesmere South-East was created in 2006 when, in keeping with Lakesmere's customer-focussed management strategy, it was felt that creating an additional team to support the South region would facilitate the provision of an improved and more targeted service. Since then the South-East team has continued to thrive, working on a number of high-profile contract wins most recently the London Aquatics Centre for which Anthony and his team won the prestigious ‘Product Performance Award’ at the Balfour Beatty London Aquatics Centre Supplier Awards.

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CONSTRUCTION PRIORITIES SET OUT AT INDUSTRY SUMMIT

MORE than 500 delegates attended UBM’s Government Construction Summit 2012 with leading construction industry figures hailing it as the sector’s most important construction event of the year.

The event was organised by Building Magazine in conjunction with the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills to encourage greater levels of dialogue between the construction sector and Government departments. Attendees heard keynote speeches from Government Construction Advisor Paul Morrell and Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Rt. Hon. Francis Maude MP, as well as Mark Prisk MP, Minister for Business and Enterprise. The inaugural one-day event was held at Park Plaza, Westminster, in London. Tom Broughton, Brand Director, Building, said: “We’ve had a fantastic turn out to the event confirming the Government Construction Summit’s place at the heart of the construction agenda.

“We want to see the pubic and private sector work better together and this conference is a sign of that improving relationship. Building magazine will be checking on its progress in the coming months.” A stellar line up of industry speakers set out their thoughts on how to better procure major public projects and increase value. Dr Uwe Krueger, Atkins’ Chief Executive Officer, said: "The UK Government has again made it clear the infrastructure sector must continue to create efficiencies for the public purse. Partnership is key, with the Government continuing to cut the red tape that can act as a drag on its supplies, and the sector must respond by showing the world-class innovation that the UK is famed for. “With London 2012 just 25 days away, we must emulate the best athletes and create a fitter industry capable of beating all-comers.”

Mike Putnam, President & CEO of Skanska UK, said: "Around 40 percent of the projects we deliver as an industry are procured by the public sector. I believe that by sharing best practice across a number of areas, we can help both the future of the construction sector in the UK and, in the longer term, the British Economy. “The Government Construction Summit has been a great way for us to facilitate such collaboration.” Autodesk and Atkins were Platinum sponsors of the event, with Skanska, CITB Construction Skills and Laing O’Rourke as Gold Sponsors.

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Inspect2go launches new mobile app services for Contractors

Inspect2go has launched new mobile app services for Contractors. The applications are designed to help contractors save time and money through improved efficiency via Inspect2go’s mobile and cloud technology. Applications are offered on iPad, Windows and Android tablets and smartphones. All applications are based on Inspect2GO’s core technology for site surveys, photo/note taking, cloud storage, data/document processing and reporting.

CONTRACTOR CUSTOM APPS
Weekly Project Status Reports
-Instant, directly from site via iPad, Android or Windows Tablet
-Upload to cloud
-Create/send reports
-Updates
-Site plan/floor plan import and drawing

RFI
-Log
-Take notes on tablet
-Take photos
-Mark on photos
-Submit

Site Surveys
-Photos
-Notes
-PDF reports

Punch Lists
-Architect photographs/notes issues
-Data submitted to cloud
-Contractor receives punch list
-Issue are resolved and before/after photos document work

About Inspect2GO: Inspect2GO is a mobile application, cloud database and software development company based in Southern California. The firm’s mobile technology includes inspection checklists and apps with signature, photo, markup, custom reporting, pdf, scoring, field survey, data charting, trending and database functions. Software is available for Apple iOS (iPhone, iPad), Android and Windows tablets. Inspection results are sent to Inspect2GO’s cloud database for storage. Reports, graphs, trends and data feeds can be retrieved from the cloud.

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New Network for Marseille’s School of Management by NextiraOne and Cisco

The EMD School of Management, a non-profit organisation, is committed to training tomorrow's decision-makers in management skills and the practice of business ethics, based on human values. Established in 1964 it welcomes school-leavers (post-baccalaureat) and professionals in initial or continuing training.

In order to meet its growth and be able to welcome new students, the EMD School of Management decided to construct a new building in Marseille on the Euroméditerrannée campus. These new premises will open in October 2012 and will accommodate 500 students, around 20 administrative staff and a number of teachers.

On the recommendation of a number of higher education institutions in France and abroad, the EMD School of Management chose equipment manufacturer Cisco and NextiraOne, Europe’s leading communications services expert, as the system integrator to build the school’s IT and telecoms network, including a range of connected devices. The project began in March 2012 and will be fully completed in September 2012, in time for the start of the new school year.

"With the rapid growth in the EMD School of Management, our premises were quickly becoming cramped and we could no longer accommodate new students, so the construction of a new building was an imperative," said Xavier Palou, CEO of the EMD School of Management. "We have many partnerships with universities and schools abroad with whom we work very closely, so we needed to develop an IT infrastructure that would be stable, secure, efficient and scalable enough to allow the school to continue to develop and for students to study effectively.”

The new building included in all a 450 square meter auditorium, 30 classrooms, four 70-seat lecture halls and a learning centre of 600 square meters that all had to be equipped and connected to the network. With Internet access a critical factor for the school and all its students, the EMD School of Management built its new site on the first optical fibre node in Marseille, thereby enabling very high quality communications.

NextiraOne used a Cisco LAN infrastructure and WiFi system to develop and integrate the new and complemented it with a disaster recovery system in case of failure. The implementation included 58 WiFi hubs, and a Business Edition 6000 Communication Server for IP telephony integrating Cisco Jabber Mobile which in particular will allow the 50 users to use iPhones over the school network. A redundant infrastructure firewall has also been installed and a server to manage student enrolment and other applications is being hosted in the SFR cloud (national telecoms operator with recently launched own cloud services).

A system of wireless telephony is also being deployed that will allow school employees to follow the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend, as they will be able to connect their own tablets, smartphones and other devices to the network.

Video is also a significant part of the project: to provide security for the new building, 16 surveillance cameras have been integrated into the network, based on a video security infrastructure from Axis and Milestone. Classrooms are equipped with IP cameras that will send video to any desk and any room in the school and around the world (as part of the partnership activities of EMD with other schools and universities). This will allow the school to extend its strategy of collaboration with other higher education establishments in France and abroad.

Finally, the EMD School of Management had a keen desire to include a research dimension. The school's network has therefore been designed to interface, share and interact with other centres and major research networks throughout the world.

"We are delighted with our partnership with NextiraOne and Cisco, who, from the outset, created an atmosphere of trust and efficiency that entirely matched our own values, an important factor for us. Throughout the project we have found ourselves working with professionals who understood our needs and problems and provided us with relevant advice and day to day presence. We will not hesitate to call on NextiraOne and Cisco again for our future projects," added Xavier Palou.

The new premises of the EMD School of Management will be ready for the 2012 school year, accommodating up to 1,300 new students in a powerful, high performance networking environment.

Marie-Noëlle Cheisson, Sales Engineer in charge of the project at NextiraOne France, concludes: "We have been worked closely with Cisco and the EMD School of Management to put the school at the leading edge of technology and enable its students to work in an ultra-collaborative environment. We are sure this will allow the school to grow in the coming years and to welcome more and more students, who in turn will be able to enjoy these benefits. This is due to the scalable infrastructure we have implemented which will be able to adapt to the growth of the school. We are very proud of this project, and the strong relationship we have created with EMD School of Management."

About the EMD School of Management: The EMD School of Management, a non-profit organisation, is committed to training tomorrow's decision-makers in management skills and the practice of business ethics, based on human and Christian values. Established in 1964 it welcomes school-leavers (post-baccalaureat) and professionals in initial or continuing training. With a pedagogical approach concerned for the overall development of the person, the EMD contributes to the growth of its employees and the development of its business. The professions of commerce, management, marketing and business management are taught through courses that from the Bac to the Bac +5, place people at the heart of the training programme.

About NextiraOne: NextiraOne is a European multinational company that designs, installs, maintains and supports business solutions and communications services for over 60,000 private and Public Sector customers. Using its expertise in leading-edge communications, including data centres, contact centres, unified communications, secure network infrastructures and managed services, NextiraOne helps its customers to transform their organisations, making the complex simple. Headquartered in Paris, NextiraOne has a direct sales and service presence in 16 countries with more than 4,300 employees across Europe, including 2,500 qualified service experts, and an annual revenue totalling around one billion euros in 2010.

About Cisco: Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), the world leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate, this year celebrates 25 years of technology innovation, operational excellence and social responsibility.

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New Clean Surface Demising Wall Panels Offered by PortaFab

The demand for creating environmentally controlled space within manufacturing facilities is growing, as U.S. manufacturing continues to evolve into more highly technical industries. To help meet this need, PortaFab has expanded its line of SteelSpan “all-in-one” industrial wall panels. The new line extension features a “no profile” smooth surface option which provides an easy to clean solution for use in environmental control applications.

“Adding a flush surface provides an easy to clean wall solution for manufacturers in a medical, nanotechnology, micro-processing or other setting that requires an environmentally-controlled enclosure to house sensitive equipment or supplies,” said Mike Booker, Business Development Manager for PortaFab Modular Building Systems.

The SteelSpan system has traditionally been used to create demising walls for dividing plant space and it has proven to be a very cost effective system. Since SteelSpan wall panels do not require the use of wall studs for support, they cost less and can be installed more quickly than traditional post and panel construction methods.

Plus, the wall panels control dust, provide thermal breaks, vapor barrier, temperature, humidity, noise and other environmental concerns. “The advanced polyurethane core and impermeable steel faces provide insulation values that significantly lower heating and cooling costs, making them ideal for environmental control applications,” said Booker.

In addition to being easier to clean than traditional construction, the new wall panel system provides a level of flexibility that is inherent with modular construction. Primarily, the SteelSpan panels are easy to remove or reconfigure when needed, which is a welcome advantage within the constantly shifting environment of modern manufacturing and distribution operations.

The new smooth-surfaced wall panels have been designed to match PortaFab’s existing line of modular building systems in both appearance and color, allowing smooth and easy integration with all of PortaFab’s modular building systems.

About PortaFab: Located in Chesterfield, Missouri, PortaFab Corporation has been a leader in the manufacturing and design of pre-engineered modular building systems, cleanrooms, and preassembled structures for over 25 years.

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TREMOR – Event by Techkriti

Continuing its great legacy, this year also Techkriti, IIT Kanpur’s Annual Technical and Entrepreneurship Festival is organizing TREMOR. As some of you might know, TREMOR has been the prestigious contest of Techkriti as it gives you opportunity to challenge The Earthquakes. And this time, it comes with a challenge to save your apartment building from being wracked by the mighty vibrations.

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Shotcrete Mix Designs

Following are two typical mix designs for shotcrete, one for dry process and one for wet process.As a fact concrete, shotcrete production is a “local” business, the admixture product range may differ from one country to another. And this especially due to the type and quality of cement.

Dry process

Quantities in bulk as dry process
Cement 350 kg.
Sand and Aggregate: 1650 kg (58% Water: to be added at the nozzle with at leas 2 bars more pressure than delivery pressure but not less than 5 bars
Accelerator:
Powder type Sigunit D 54 AF (3 to 6%) to be added while mixing dry component at the BP as long as moisture of plain mix is < 5%. Mix to be used within the 2 hours. Or direct dosage by hand in the hopper Liquid type: Sigunit L 54 AF or Sigunit L 553MY (as well non caustic accelerator). L 54 AF or L 53 MY as alternative of L14AF as show a higher Specfic Gravity then L14AF)

Wet process

 (typically 5 MPa after 8 hours, > 30 MPa at 28 days = underground preliminary support concept)
Cement: 470 kg/m3 (min if PCB = blended cement is considered)
W/C < 0,45
Sikament 163EX: 1,0 to 1,2%
Sand & Aggregate: 1650 – 1700 kg/m3 (58% < S/A < 65%)
Only Liquid type: Sigunit L 54 AF or Sigunit L 553MY (as well non caustic accelerator)
Liquid dosing unit eg Aliva AL 403 required as accelerator added at the nozzle or 3 m back from nozzle.

Note: depending on equipment use, required slump when discharging should be about 180 mm for rotor machine and about 150 for pump. Therefore the dosage of SM 163 EX in combination with a W/C < 0,45 and suitable grading curve should be adjust to obtain this slump.

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Resolution of Construction Contract Disputes

Once a construction contract is reached, a variety of problems may emerge during the course of work. Disputes may arise over quality of work, over responsibility for delays, over appropriate payments due to changed conditions, or a multitude of other considerations. Resolution of contract disputes is an important task for project managers. The mechanism for contract dispute resolution can be specified in the original contract or, less desireably, decided when a dispute arises.

The most prominent mechanism for dispute resolution is adjudication in a court of law. This process tends to be expensive and time consuming since it involves legal representation and waiting in queues of cases for available court times. Any party to a contract can bring a suit. In adjudication, the dispute is decided by a neutral, third party with no necessary specialized expertise in the disputed subject. After all, it is not a prerequisite for judges to be familiar with construction procedures! Legal procedures are highly structured with rigid, formal rules for presentations and fact finding. On the positive side, legal adjudication strives for consistency and predictability of results. The results of previous cases are published and can be used as precedents for resolution of new disputes.

Negotiation among the contract parties is a second important dispute resolution mechanism. These negotiations can involve the same sorts of concerns and issues as with the original contracts. Negotiation typically does not involve third parties such as judges. The negotiation process is usually informal, unstructured and relatively inexpensive. If an agreement is not reached between the parties, then adjudication is a possible remedy.

A third dispute resolution mechanism is the resort to arbitration or mediation and conciliation. In these procedures, a third party serves a central role in the resolution. These outside parties are usually chosen by mutually agreement of the parties involved and will have specialized knowledge of the dispute subject. In arbitration, the third party may make a decision which is binding on the participants. In mediation and conciliation, the third party serves only as a facilitator to help the participants reach a mutually acceptable resolution. Like negotiation, these procedures can be informal and unstructured.

Finally, the high cost of adjudication has inspired a series of non-traditional dispute resolution mechanisms that have some of the characteristics of judicial proceedings. These mechanisms include:

* Private judging in which the participants hire a third party judge to make a decision,
* Neutral expert fact-finding in which a third party with specialized knowledge makes a recommendation, and
* Mini-trial in which legal summaries of the participants’ positions are presented to a jury comprised of principals of the affected parties.

Some of these procedures may be court sponsored or required for particular types of disputes.

While these various disputes resolution mechanisms involve varying costs, it is important to note that the most important mechanism for reducing costs and problems in dispute resolution is the reasonableness of the initial contract among the parties as well as the competence of the project manager.

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