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March 2003 |
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Ready to wear
We outline how m&e contractors benefit from using enabling technologies.
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Safe and sound
Bob Bailey questions the effects of approval of a regulated quality assurance scheme on fire detection safety standards.
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Healthy savings
The choice of cable tray has saved installation time and costs at a hospital refurbishment in Kent.
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Up in the air
Olson Electronics' mains power distribution panels are installed as standard in Thales Training and Simulation's static and full-flight simulators.
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Lighting up
Munich's Hotel Anna has been given a dramatic lease of life with light emitting diodes (leds).
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ABB wins Olympic glory
ABB has won a US$13 million order as part of a consortium that will provide power to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
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Efficiency is up in lights at Irish mail centre
An intelligent lighting system has helped to minimise energy costs at the new Northern Ireland Mail Centre in Newtonabbey, Belfast.
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Fraudulent behaviour
The Fraud Advisory Panel has developed a checklist to assist small and medium-sized firms. We outline an action plan.
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Major deal on major projects
It's taken two years to arrive, but the newly-signed Major Projects M&E Agreement may just be worth the wait (page 7).
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Money for nothing
On Saturday 18 January I was watching the BBC News 24 channel when one of the headlines announced 'Heathrow T5 bricklayers to be paid £55 000'.
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Common grounds
Work is underway to combine Rethinking Construction and Construction Best Practice into a single organisation to be called Constructing Excellence.
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Dealing with disputes
How do you resolve a dispute? We explain the options in the final article in the basics of contract management series.
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What price defects?
We look at remedial works and explains the legal thinking behind what is reasonable reimbursement.
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Getting an education
Getting young people interested in the construction industry remains a problem. Can the new Sector Skills Councils help?
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Research to ascertain industry skill requirements
SummitSkills and BSRIA are to conduct comprehensive research to develop accurate statistics on the sector's skills and requirements.
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Taking a Flexicon approach
Cable management specialist Flexicon has opened a new factory and headquarters next door to the firm's former site in Roman Way, Coleshill near Birmingham. Since 2000 the company had expanded onto five separate sites in Coleshill in order to meet demand for its conduit products. Flexicon now manufactures 95% of its products in-house.
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Latham to host Think 2010
Think 2010, the pan-industry brainstorming conference aimed at setting a new agenda for the building services industry, is to be chaired by Sir Michael Latham.
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NICEIC relaunches online guide
The NICEIC is aiming to get the message of electrical safety across to the public with the relaunch of www.niceic.org.uk, its guide to electrical safety.
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Compulsory operative safety tests arrive
The ECA has introduced a compulsory JIB-recognised health and safety assessment for all operatives applying for new or renewed Electrotechnical Certification Scheme cards.
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Construction boom slowing
The rate of expansion of construction activity has dropped for the second month in a row.
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Big names pay slowest
Four years after the Government introduced late payment legislation, the average payment period for UK companies is 58·7 days – one day longer than when the legislation was introduced in 1998.
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Clarke pledges action on training
Education secretary Charles Clarke has urged contractors to engage in the education agenda.
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Quality Mark insurance incentive
Contractors can now get a 20% discount on their public and employers' liability insurance premiums if they join the Government's Quality Mark initiative.
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Euro site for electricians
Voltimum, the pan-European web portal for the electrical installation sector, has gone live in the UK.
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Village people
Hills Electrical & Mechanical has recently completed a £1.9 million installation of building services at the prestigious De Vere Village hotel and leisure club in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. This is the largest project undertaken to date by Hills' Newcastle centre. The branch was responsible for the m&e installation, which included ventilation, electrical power, lighting and plumbing in the hotel. The main contractor was Wilmott Dixon.
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President calls for a continued united front
At this year's annual dinner, ECA president David Dennison stressed the positive results of working together and called for a continuation of this sustained effort.
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Wireless world
Modern businesses want fast and flexible IT infrastructures and they want them now. We weigh up the pros and cons of installing structured cabling versus the latest wireless technology.
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Blown away
Is blown fibre an expensive solution for restricted niche markets only? We investigate whether the mass market can benefit from the technique.
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Chiming the changes
Could solicitor Clifford Chance's new offices at Canary Wharf change the way that pipework is installed in tall buildings?
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Web of ties
As the number of projects using online project management increases, we ask are software packages delivering the savings promised?
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Automatic for the people
Tony Cheeseman, md of ECA firm A&A Co-ordinated Services is urging contractors to get involved with home automation systems.
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Employers and unions strike deal over major m&e contracts
Workers on major sites to get an extra £3 an hour within the M25 and £2.20 an hour nationally.
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