CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2016 | WWW.CONSTRUCTIONMANAGERMAGAZINE.COM
PUZZLING OVER PRODUCTIVITY
INTELLIGENT MACHINES ON SITE
CPD: AVOID BIM INFORMATION OVERLOAD
INSIDE: CONTACT NEWSLETTER
FOR MEMBERS OF THE CIOB
JUNE 2016
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CONSTRUCTION’S VIRTUAL FUTURE
Virtual reality
And how construction could use it
01_CM.June16_COVER.indd 1
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Agenda
June 16
News and views
04
Adonis raps short-term culture
NIC chairman puts focus on
industry raising productivity.
05
Contractors warned of safety fines
Industry likely to see more stiff
sentences after Balfour’s payout.
06
CIOB: Military make ideal managers
Institute launches bid to help
ex-forces leavers realise potential.
08
CIOB takes ONE CIOB on tour
Roadshows publicise new initiative.
Plus Chris Blythe on how changing
attitudes to corporate wrongdoing
are currently playing out in court.
10Feedback
Letters, comments and readers’
views on how the new mayor of
London should tackle housing.
12
Features
12
20
28
32
34
58
What’s the big idea?
Virtual reality innovations led the
way at this year’s CIOB and BRE
Accelerate to Innovate event.
Focus on productivity
As construction’s productivity
continues to drag, a major CIOB
survey shows that the issue
remains far from straightforward.
Earth-shattering technology
Advances in machine control
technology are bringing digital
innovation to site, saving time
and raising productivity.
Hillhead preview
CM ’s pick of the best construction
equipment at this year’s show.
CPD: Better definition with BIM
Knowing exactly how much
information to provide at the
different stages of the BIM process
is key to efficient project delivery.
Project of the month
Willmott Dixon’s Met Office
scheme in Devon.
Construction professional
38
39
40
42
A check on corruption
How has the Bribery Act made an
impact on the industry in the five
years since it became law?
BIM bytes
Successful clash detection means
maintaining consistency within
a complex web of obligations.
Keeping up with CDM 2015
A year after the Construction
(Design and Management)
Regulations came into force, some
small firms continue to struggle.
Greening infrastructure
PAS 2080 is setting out to cut
carbon emissions – and costs –
in the infrastructure sector.
+ Contact
34
58
44-55
All the latest news
and reports from CIOB
members and branches
Take the test on this issue’s CPD topic
on BIM and additional topics at
www.constructionmanagermagazine.com/cpd
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2016 | 3
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16/05/2016 17:19
News
Adonis raps construction’s ‘short term’ culture
CICERO GROUP
National Infrastructure Commission chairman says raising productivity is ‘critical’ for industry
Lord Adonis has turned up the heat
on construction over productivity, with
a warning that the industry must ditch
its “short-term” culture.
The chairman of the National
Infrastructure Commission (NIC) shared
his views exclusively with Construction
Manager, ahead of a keynote speech he
will make to the industry later this month.
Adonis, who was being tipped for a
transport role with new London mayor
Sadiq Khan as CM went to press, described
raising productivity as a “critical issue”
for construction.
“Construction has changed hugely for
the better in recent years, yet still many
in the industry feel it has a long way to go
to rid itself of the ‘this is the way we have
always done it’ culture,” he said.
“If the UK is to develop the projects that
this country needs, we need to ensure that
we are getting the highest possible quality
at the lowest possible whole-life cost.
“Quite simply, we need to do more – and
we need to do it faster, better and cheaper.”
“That means thinking beyond the
short-term and taking advantage of every
innovation and incremental improvement
that might help us on that journey.”
Adonis, who will speak at the
Construction Productivity Forum on
8 June, added that public and private
sector construction clients also had a
responsibility to push productivity.
“They have the ability, and the self-
interest, to drive new ways of thinking
and the adoption of new technologies
along the supply chain,” he said.
“Supporting innovation and raising
productivity are critical issues for
the construction industry and for the
delivery of major infrastructure projects
across the UK.”
Adonis was Transport Secretary in
Gordon Brown’s government from 2009
to 2010, but resigned the Labour whip
in the House of Lords in October 2015 to
take the newly created NIC role.
Office for National Statistics (ONS)
figures suggest that construction
productivity growth is slow, improving
just 7% over two decades, although
this is disputed in a new report published
by the CIOB (see p20-26).
Paul Nash, incoming president of the
Institute, said it was hard to believe
construction had not grown considerably
more productive in recent years, given
“Quite simply,
we need to do
more — and we
need to do it
faster, better
and cheaper”
Lord Adonis,
National
Infrastructure
Commission
the steady fall in accidents on site and
the emergence of innovations such as
offsite manufacturing.
“For decades, studies have suggested
numerous solutions to improve
construction’s productivity, yet the data
indicates growth is weak at best,” said
Nash. “We might ask – is construction
productivity being measured in the most
accurate way? Are we getting the wrong
impression from the data?”
He added: “It’s important to point
out that poor productivity growth
in construction is not just a UK
phenomenon: in developed nations
globally we see the same occurrence,
which drags down the productivity
performance of the wider economy.”
The Construction Productivity Forum,
organised by the Construction
Equipment Association, takes place
in London on 8 June.
Work with us to boost
construction productivity,
say plant chiefs
Contractors could raise their productivity
considerably by working more closely with
construction equipment manufacturers, according
to the leading plant trade body.
“Technology has moved on massively in the
last five years, but we’re not sure if contractors
realise the potential efficiency gains they could
make,” said Rob Oliver, CEO of the Construction
Equipment Association (CEA).
He points to intelligent machine control, where
3D site models are integrated with GNSS on
earthmoving equipment. Manufacturers such
as Komatsu say the technology will deliver 30%
improvements in productivity through more
efficient digging, less fuel use and reduced wearand-tear on machines (see p28-31).
“The greater efficiencies construction
equipment now offers can make a big difference
to a contractor’s bottom line,” said Oliver.
However, he warned that there is currently limited
interaction between plant manufacturers and
contractors.
“Contractors are the end users of our equipment,
but they interface with plant hirers,
so manufacturers rarely get much feedback
from site,” Oliver explained.
He added that the CEA and its member
manufacturers were keen to work more closely
with the wider construction industry on the
productivity issue.
“The Construction 2025 targets are very
ambitious, so all parts of the industry need to
work together,” Oliver said. “We have support from
Build UK and the CIOB who see our point.
“Together we can present a united front to the
government to influence policy, for example,
encouraging public procurement to include greater
reward for technical innovations.
“Let’s look forward to what a construction site
might look like in 10 years. We have seen one
revolution get underway with off-site
manufacturing, but there hasn’t really been a
revolution in construction equipment. ”We need
to clear the path for the innovators, so that new
technology gets used on site.”
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17/05/2016 10:29
News
Contractors warned to expect more big safety fines
Industry likely to see further stiff sentences following Balfour’’s £2.6m payout for trench collapse
ALAMY
The £2.6m fine imposed on Balfour
Beatty last month for a fatal trench
collapse signals a new era of multi-millionpound payouts for serious accidents, a
leading safety adviser has predicted.
“We are seeing significant increases
in fines – potentially a five to tenfold rise
– under the new sentencing guidelines
which came into force in February,” said
Neal Stone, deputy chief executive at the
British Safety Council, one of the UK’s
largest safety advisory bodies.
Large contractors, defined by the
Sentencing Council as firms with a
turnover above £50m, can be fined up to
£20m under the new guidelines. However,
Stone pointed out that this is not a cap.
“The wording says, ‘Where an offending
organisation’s turnover or equivalent very
greatly exceeds the threshold for large
organisations, it may be necessary to move
outside the suggested range to achieve a
proportionate sentence’,” he said.
“I know of one
leading QC
who has
publicly stated
that a £100m
fine is not
inconceivable”
Neal Stone,
British Safety
Council
Home Office steps
up crackdown on illegal
site workers
“So where deaths are involved, where
there is a high degree of culpability,
where it involves a large organisation, the
fines could be much higher. I know of one
leading QC who has publicly stated that a
£100m fine is not inconceivable.”
Stone said that past fines had
been “derisory” and that the Council’s
1,200 corporate construction
members supported the change to the
sentencing guidelines.
The fine handed out to Balfour Beatty,
one of the largest ever in the construction
sector, followed a Health & Safety
Executive (HSE) investigation into the
death of a 32-year-old working under
subcontract for the firm’s utility business
on 14 April 2010.
It followed a £2m fine handed out to
Travis Perkins after a customer was killed
by a company vehicle at the builders
merchants’ yard at Wolverton, Milton
Keynes in November 2012.
Construction companies should brace
themselves for more site raids from the
Home Office, which is stepping up its
campaign to root out illegal workers.
Operation Magnify, a UK-wide
enforcement campaign, was launched in
October 2015 to clamp down on firms
employing and exploiting illegal migrant
workers.
“Although many construction businesses
complete the right-to-work checks, stolen
and counterfeit documents are used
sometimes by criminal gangs to enable
migrants to work illegally in the UK,” said a
Home Office statement issued last month.
“If these are not spotted, businesses can
inadvertently allow immigration offenders
access to critical national infrastructure
projects. Companies working on sensitive
construction projects have a clear
responsibility to safeguard the integrity of
identity checking processes.”
The Home Office said immigration officers
were working closely with other
government departments to identify
offenders and take action against
construction companies who are using
illegal workers on their sites.
“Construction businesses must have a
strong understanding of the seriousness of
this issue across the organisation,” the
Home Office warned.
The length of the time it took for
the cases to come to court is another
matter for concern, said Stone.
“Justice is not served by such delays,”
he added. “Murder trials don’t take
six years.”
Last November, trade union UCATT
criticised the HSE for an eight-year
investigation into a death on a south
London demolition site, for which
contractor 777 was fined £215,000.
The HSE said that “several complex
investigations... meant average time taken
between an incident and a prosecution
has increased” in recent years, but that
80% of prosecutions were approved
within three years.
HSE figures show there were 258
prosecution cases in 2014/15, 243
(94%) of which resulted in a guilty
verdict for at least one offence. The
resulting fines from these prosecutions
totalled £3,976,000.
“Contractors who duck
responsibility… are likely
to incur significant
financial penalties”
Chris Blythe, CIOB
New legislation in last year’s Immigration
Bill allows for tougher penalties and
sanctions to be imposed on rogue
employers who exploit illegal migrants,
including closing down businesses that
flout the law.
Lincolnshire-based contractor Sword
Construction faces a £400,000 fine after an
Operation Magnify site blitz found 20 illegal
workers on one of its sites last October.
The CIOB has been working on the
problem with the Home Office, and chief
executive Chris Blythe called on main
contractors to take more responsibility for
checking their supply chains do not exploit
illegal workers.
He said: “Contractors who duck out of
their responsibilities by blaming the
subcontractor risk reputational damage and
are liable to incur significant financial
penalties and site shutdowns. The
uncertainty amongst clients which stems
from reports of modern slavery also risks the
image and success of the entire industry.”
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2016 | 5
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17/05/2016 10:29
CIOB News
Military leavers ‘ideal’ for management roles
CIOB launches campaign to attract ex-military to construction ahead of Armed Forces Day
Military leavers who enter the
construction industry often “aim too low”,
taking junior roles when they are more
suited to management jobs, according to
an armed forces recruitment adviser.
Rebecca Lovelace, BuildForce project
manager from Circle Three Consulting,
told Construction Manager that many
ex armed forces members are “interested
in the industry”, but believe their skills are
only suited to lower-level entry positions
when they should be aiming much higher.
She was speaking as the CIOB launched
a new campaign to attract military leavers
into the construction industry, ahead of
Armed Forces day on 25 June.
“Many people’s expectations are too
low, when they could and should be
aiming for management positions in the
construction industry,” Lovelace said.
“All the skills they have learned in
the military are transferable, such as
leadership, management of people and
resources. With the help of ourselves,
CIOB and some of our construction
partners, we hope to put people on the
right path and with some further training
and direction they can excel.”
Buildforce works directly with a number
of large contractors – such as Carillion,
Crossrail, LendLease, Morgan Sindall and
Wilson James as well as others – to place
military leavers into construction jobs.
The organisation has been in
existence for 18 months and is an
initiative co-ordinated by industry
charity the Construction Youth Trust and
part-funded by the CITB. It was set up
to educate, inspire and inform service
leavers about the wide range of career
opportunities in construction.
The armed services and construction
have a long history, with many ex-armed
forces members joining the industry.
Both share an ethos and enjoy cultural
similarities such as having clear hierarchies
and chains of command, as well as relying
on careful planning behind the scenes
rather than just boots on the ground,
according to Lovelace.
With thousands of people leaving the
military each year, the CIOB is keen to
“All the skills
they have
learned in the
military are
transferable,
such as
leadership”
Rebecca
Lovelace, Circle
Three Consulting
Teamwork: construction and the military share cultural similarities
attract some of the best people and offer
them a number of routes to get chartered.
The idea is mutually beneficial for both
parties as defence cuts continue and
there remains a large skills shortage in
the construction industry.
The CIOB offers a number of routes
to becoming chartered, depending on
experience and qualifications.
For example, if an ex-military member
has a degree, they can study part-time for
the CIOB Graduate Conversion Course, a
fast way of building up knowledge
and expertise of site management.
The Institute also supports candidates
with technical qualifications, such as an
HNC in Military Clerk of Works, or Design
Draughtsman Class 1, into full Chartered
Membership through a number of
programmes, such as Chartered Membership
Programme or CIOB Accredited National
Vocational Qualifications (NVQs).
www.ciob.org/routes/i-havemilitary-background
www.buildforce.org.uk
Two elected to CIOB Board of Trustees
Richard Sapcote and Ivan McCarthy accept positions for three years
Candidate
No. of votes
Richard Sapcote FCIOB
Ivan McCarthy FCIOB
Paul Dockerill FCIOB
David Philp FCIOB
Jason Margetts FCIOB
Tim Barrett FCIOB
1,084
1,075
891
840
811
772
The CIOB has elected two new trustees to its board.
In total, 2,879 voters took part (14.4% of the
electorate), with seven spoilt papers confirmed.
Each voter was able to cast a maximum of two votes.
The results are shown in the table above.
In accordance with the Institute’s by-laws,
the two candidates with the highest votes are
deemed elected from the close of the AGM.
Richard Sapcote and Ivan McCarthy have
accepted the positions and will be elected to
the Board of Trustees for tenure of three years,
commencing at the close of the AGM.
The Board of Trustees consists of 16 CIOB
Fellows and Members. These have the ultimate
responsibility for directing the affairs of the
Institute and delivering its Royal Charter objectives.
They set policy, oversee the budget and are legally
responsible for the Institute.
The AGM will take place on 11 July at the Grand
Hyatt Hotel, Hong Kong.
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06_CMJun16_CIOBnews.indd 6
17/05/2016 10:34
CIOB News
Chris Blythe
Two cases show how
attitudes to corporate
offences are changing
ONE CIOB takes its show on the road
Institute will roll out the CIOB’s new Local Hub support structure
throughout the UK as part of its service improvement initiative
“ONE CIOB
means high
quality to
every member
in the world,
no matter
what their
position or
where they
work”
Alan Crane
FCIOB, chairman
of ONE CIOB
Following a meeting of the Board of
Trustees, and the input and collaboration
of a number of members since 2013, the
CIOB is launching ONE CIOB, a new initiative
to support and help members’ changing
needs at a local level.
Over the coming year, a range of new
services will be introduced to support
members, such as making events more
accessible, improving the CPD programme
and online content, upgrading management
systems, and delivering improved
communications and external engagement.
A new Local Hub structure will also be
rolled out to deliver them. The hub is an
administrative centre, which will deliver
events and services within a geographic
region. It will have dedicated staff, budget
and six elected committee members.
Alan Crane FCIOB, chairman of ONE
CIOB,said: “One CIOB means high quality to
every member in the world, no matter what
their position or where they work.”
A series of roadshows are being
run though May and June so members
can find out more about the change and
what it means to them.
Each roadshow will give a briefing about
the plans and the new Local Hub structure.
There will also be an opportunity to network
with other members.
Roadshows will last an hour and a half
and will take place after work.
2 June 6.30pm 6 June 6.30pm 7 June 6.30pm 8 June 7pm 8 June 7pm 9 June 7pm 10 June 7pm 14 June 4pm 15 June 6.30pm
16 June 6.30pm
21 June 6.30pm
22 June 6.30pm
5 July 6.30pm
6 July 6.30pm
19 July 6.30pm
20 July 6.30pm
21 July 6.30pm
Truro
Perth
Chester-le-Street,
Durham
HKT/MYT/SGT / 8pm CST / 12pm BST - Hong Kong, China,
Singapore, Malaysia webinar
Belfast
Dublin
NZT / 4pm AWST/ 6pm AEST / 9am BST New Zealand, Sydney
& Perth webinar
EDT / 8pm BST, Americas webinar
Cambridge
Stansted
Oxford
UK & Ireland webinar
London
Basingstoke
Sevenoaks
Stretton, Cheshire
North Preston
Take advantage of CIOB’s subsidised BIM training
The CIOB is launching a brand new course to keep
staff up to date on latest BIM techniques and
capabilities and to meet the government PQQ
requirements.
The course, run by trainer Etienne Le Roux ICIOB, a
BIM project manager with Turner and Townsend, aims
to demystify BIM to CIOB members, equipping them to
work in a BIM environment at the level of excellence
expected by both their companies and their clients.
The course covers everyone in a construction
or project management role, or who is responsible
for tendering and responding to PQQs.
Speaking about the need for the course, Le Roux
said that while most people are aware of BIM, many
are still unprepared but know they need to upskill.
He said: “I have trained everyone from clients,
architects, engineers, project managers, cost managers
and facility managers. Most have never worked on a
BIM project, however, they understand that there is a
need to upskill themselves to prepare for the impact
that BIM will have on their roles.”
He added: “I would encourage all CIOB members
to take advantage of this heavily subsidised course
to gain a clear understanding of
how BIM principles can be used to improve
construction performance.”
Upcoming dates for the courses are:
14-16, 21-22 June - CIOB London
12-13 July - CIOB London
27-28 September – Leeds
11-12 October - CIOB London
The CIOB is also holding its annual international
conference in Hong Kong on 14 July. The conference,
Constructing the Future, will provide insight into
the latest industry knowledge and a chance to
debate on the key issues facing all sectors of the
construction industry.
Speakers are set to include: Graham Robinson,
director, Global Construction Perspective; Professor
Stuart Green from the University of Reading; and
incoming 2016/2017 CIOB president Paul Nash.
The cost to attend is £130 for members and
£150 for non-members.
Details at membersforum.ciob.org/conference
A couple of recent court cases have
helped to highlight the changing mood
towards institutional wrongdoing. They
show just how far attitudes towards
those that transgress have intensified
and evolved over time.
The first that springs to mind saw
consultancy firm Sweett Group ordered
to pay £2.25m for breaching the Bribery
Act in the United Arab Emirates, the
first full-blown corporate prosecution of
its kind under the Act. The Serious Fraud
Office, which will often opt for a Deferred
Prosecution Agreement (DPA) when
parties agree to co-operate with the
authorities, chose not to offer a DPA
despite the decision to plead guilty.
Without adequate anti-bribery
procedures in place firms have little
in the way of protection. When
instances do occur there is no scope for
mitigation. We only need to look at the
size of the penalty to see this.
The other, more recent, case involved
Balfour Beatty. For breaching health
and safety legislation, the firm was
handed a £2.6m fine after a trench
collapse in which one employee died.
Some have said that it is wrong to
take money out of the industry with
fines, and it would be better spent
ensuring that training is improved,
particularly in smaller firms. The point is
missed. The fine is a punishment – and
in this instance the firm was not an SME.
The same commentators suggest a
smaller fine combined with a courtsupervised safety training programme
for firms in breach of the law could be the
way forward. Again I have to disagree.
This shifts responsibility onto the courts
and turns something of vital importance
into another box-ticking exercise.
Contractors are right to be concerned
about the potential scale of fines for
breaches in health and safety legislation,
but the remedy is in their hands.
What both cases have in common is
the fact that neither firm could claim any
mitigation. Both failed to demonstrate
that the appropriate steps had been
taken to prevent either accident.
People do make mistakes. That’s life.
On occasion you also get a rogue
operator. But it is well-designed
policies and procedures that provide
the scope for mitigation on the rare
occasion when things do go wrong.
So where are the next tripwires likely
to be? The transparency in supply chain
regulations in S54 of the Modern Slavery
Act 2015 is a starting point. While the
initial focus is on reporting in supply
chains, the only court you will end up in at
the very beginning is the court of public
opinion. As we know, it’s now this court
which can drive the legislative process.
8 | JUNE 2016 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
8_CM.JUNE16.CIOB news.indd 8
17/05/2016 10:40
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TOTAL BUILDING ENVELOPE
16/05/2016 15:22
Views
Time for a rethink on
construction productivity
CONSTRUCTION HAS A PRODUCTIVITY PROBLEM.
At least, that’s the view of Lord Adonis,
National Infrastructure Commission
chairman [see News, p4-5]. And it is a view
supported by figures from the Office for
National Statistics (ONS), which show
miserable construction productivity growth
of just 7% over the last two decades.
But sometimes statistics can be
misleading.
The CIOB has produced a wide-ranging
study on construction productivity
[see p20-27], which asked 130 MPs and
almost 500 senior industry professionals
how construction productivity could
be improved.
Many concerns the report raises will
sound familiar: wasteful procurement,
poor communication, bad people
management.
But it makes another important point
– that official figures on construction may
not tell the whole productivity story.
For example, one great construction
innovation movement of recent years –
the shift towards prefabrication – may
have caused a large chunk of industry
activity to be reclassified as
manufacturing. Because factory work is
usually more productive than site work,
this ‘innovation’ may actually have
reduced construction productivity, as
measured by official statisticians.
The report also argues that any
measure of construction productivity
needs to take a more holistic approach
and consider the wider impact the
industry has on society. For example,
Gentoo housing association’s ‘Boiler on
Prescription’ project has proved a link
between more energy-efficient homes
and improved health and welfare of
tenants. So better buildings make people
happier and healthier, which encourages
them to be more productive.
The report does not deny that there is
room for improvement in the industry’s
productivity. One of the survey’s findings is
that construction regards investment in
machinery as a low priority. Though as we
see in our construction equipment special
[p20-27], digital technology is helping the
plant sector make great productivity strides.
So while construction does have a
productivity problem, it is only partly to
do with the industry’s own performance
– it is also down to the way construction
productivity is measured.
VIRTUAL REALITY IS MAKING its first forays into
the construction sector, with two
demonstrations at last month’s Accelerate
to Innovate event organised by the BRE
and CIOB [see p12-18].
The innovations featured ‘Oculus Rift’
style headsets to create virtual
construction site environments, for use in
training and particularly to improve health
and safety. Could they have a future in
the ‘real’ construction world? Industry
experts who watched the demonstrations
liked the potential, particularly as a
possible means for integrating health and
safety with BIM.
In an issue where we debate ways for
construction to boost its productivity, it is
encouraging to see the industry is not
short on innovators.
Will Mann, acting editor
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Mark Winters, via website
Stephen Lines FCIOB, past president for
CIOB Middle East, is absolutely correct!
One has to have a moral stance (Questions
raised over Qatar labour abuse, CM May).
I am afraid corporate bodies are only
interested in profit at the expense of
everyone else. All they will ever come up
with is "we are complying with all the
regulations that the country requires", so
they can wash their hands of the problem.
Christophe Krief MCIOB, via website
At least an institute of professionals is
doing something. Bravo, CIOB! Why are other
institutes silent on this subject? I thought
architects, engineers and other chartered
professionals had a social responsibility?
Maybe not when it comes to profit...
Mukesh Kashyap FCIOB, via website
Legislation, strictness is one side, the other
is commitment and being socially responsible
(Construction firms warned about
corruption and slavery, online). It is time
British companies demonstrated maturity
and responsiveness to the rest of the world.
Be wary of self-certification
Richard Wheeler FCIOB, via website
Employers, employers’ agents and client's
representatives take note. (Faults found in
17 Edinburgh schools self-certified by Miller,
online). Inspection by second parties and
by the building insurer during construction
is the best approach to sustainable
development of the built environment.
Paul Maher, via website
Most projects these days are "design and
build", which sounds fine on the outside but
is fraught with risk. We need external
supervision similar to a clerk of works,
as even the most "competent" specialist
sub-contractors have problems with
their own systems/work packages.
The labour on site is critical – that's
where mistakes are made, often due to time
constraints or even lack of understanding.
Good quality costs money.
10 | JUNE 2016 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
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17/05/2016 15:12
Vox pop
What should the new mayor of London’s
top priority be on housing?
Patrick Flaherty
Chief executive –
UK & Ireland, Aecom
Housing should not
be tackled in isolation.
New homes must be built in lock-step
with infrastructure and employment
opportunities. A joined-up approach
that recognises the symbiotic
relationship between housing, transport
infrastructure, hospitals, schools and
jobs is required. And a broader choice
of dwelling types and tenures, so that
homes are built as part of sustainable
communities, is essential.
Addressing the shortfall requires
region-wide collaboration and vision. Key
to this will be building a "coalition of the
willing" with local authorities surrounding
the capital that want to share in economic
growth and are prepared to look beyond
local housing needs.
Brian Berry
Chief executive, Federation
of Master Builders
If the new mayor of
London wants to address
the housing crisis, he must focus on
revitalising the SME house-building
sector. He has – quite rightly – set himself
some very ambitious targets on housing
and to achieve them, smaller house
builders need to be firing on all cylinders.
SMEs are well suited to build out
sites more quickly, which will assist in
increasing the speed of delivery, and
they are capable of building out the small
and micro sites that will be cumulatively
crucial in delivering sufficient numbers.
To this end, giving SMEs a fair chance
with public land designated for housing
would be a welcome boost.
Sadiq Khan has insisted he wants
to work hand in hand with the housebuilding industry to boost numbers,
so we’re hoping he’ll soon grasp how
counter-productive imposing a uniform
50% affordable housing target would be.
If he really insists upon one in two homes
in every development being affordable,
then a lot of those developments simply
won’t get built.
Shelagh Grant
Chief executive,
Housing Forum
We should have mixed
affordable communities –
we should strive for that. That
would be a great legacy for London.
We appreciate the mayor set out
housing so centrally to his campaign
– we think that was the right thing to
do. Inevitably there has to be some
flexibility looking at individual sites and
probably the need to be some strategy
for thresholds on affordable housing.
You can't be too rigid, but you have to
understand how the market works.
There are many challenges with
estate regeneration and communities
should have their say if they want to
stay together, but at the same time it is a
problem to get the same level of density
in when you're redeveloping.
Housing promise:
London mayor Sadiq
Khan put affordable
housing at the centre
of his campaign
"To address
the crisis, he
must focus on
revitalising the
SME houseMark Robinson
building sector" Chief executive officer,
Brian Berry,
Scape Group
Federation of
The new mayor will
Master Builders
understand that his priority
is to deliver on his housing pledges,
but to meet his promise of 80,000 new
homes a year, he will need to get London
building homes at a faster rate than either
of his predecessors.
The new mayor must act quickly to
provide the detail on how he will change
the London Plan and exactly when and
how he will "call in" planning decisions
that don’t provide sufficient numbers of
affordable homes. Local authorities have
been unable to deliver more affordable
housing because of restrictions on public
spending, and the new administration
Hall will have to set out exactly how it will
increase the number of affordable homes
within these spending limits.
Eddie Tuttle
Principal policy and public
affairs manager, CIOB
There needs to be pangovernment collaboration
across the GLA, Whitehall, Westminster
and local authorities both in and outside
Greater London if effective action is to be
taken – the mayor’s powers only go so far.
The declining number of housing
starts, the changing role of housing
Learning with Minecraft
Less than zero
Dave Briggs, via website
My 10-year-old saw my copy of CM and
sat down and read the article on Minecraft
(New kids on the blocks, CM May).
After he had finished reading it, he
started to try and build the CCTV tower
in Minecraft. He was really excited trying
to recreate it. Maybe he has a future in this
industry. Maybe this is way to grab the
attention of schoolkids to show them
what this industry can offer.
Adam Harper, via website
Many in the industry had significantly
invested in training, in new methods and
techniques in anticipation of zero carbon
homes, and it was disappointing that the
government pulled the rug from under our
feet (Zero carbon campaigners lifted by
Lords defeat for government, online).
Construction has to play its part in moving
to a low carbon economy and zero carbon
homes are an important part of that. For
associations following reductions in
social rents, and public attitudes towards
density and development all require
addressing.
A shortage of construction skills could
also further damage Khan’s housing and
infrastructure plans, so firms need to be
encouraged to train and recruit people to
careers in the construction sector.
many of us, there is pride in designing and
constructing, high quality homes which have a
high energy performance and low energy bills.
Contact us
Do you have an
opinion on any
of this month’s
articles? Email:
constructionmanager@atom
publishing.co.uk
Keeping up steel standards
RN Cowling MCIAT (retired), via website
In consideration of the use of Chinese or any
other foreign structural steel components in
the UK industry (More pressure on
contractors to buy British steel, online), will
such alternatives be tested to equal or
better our old BS449 standards/tables?
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2016 | 11
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16/05/2016 12:44
Feature Innovations
Visions
of the future
How do construction inventions make the move from bright idea to
industry standard? James Kenny reports from the CIOB and BRE’s
Accelerate to Innovate event, where inventors showcase their ideas
WHERE WILL THE NEXT construction
innovation come from? Construction
Manager and a panel of experts headed
to the BRE last month to see eight new
inventions, any of which may one day
transform the industry.
Organised by the CIOB and BRE, the
Accelerate to Innovate event brings
together “innovators”, pitching their
fledgling inventions, and a panel of
experts, or “mentors”. The annual event
aims to provide advice, open doors
and help the innovators make headway
in a competitive industry.
University of Reading professor
Stuart Green, chair of the CIOB’s
innovation and research panel, was one
of the mentors. He believes that the
benefits flow both ways.
“The innovators could learn from the
mentors, but also the mentors learn
from the innovators,” he says. “It shows
that the construction sector is hugely
innovative, which sometimes people
The innovators
(from left): Ludovico
Carozza, Mehdi
Alhaddad, Michael
Kohn, Aparajithan
Sivanathan, Sidney
Newton, Sarah Davis,
John Egan and
Gregory Malek
doubt it is. But this a sector that has
innovation in its lifeblood.”
And Saleem Akram, the CIOB’s
director of construction, innovation
and development, adds: “No one in
the industry wants good ideas sitting
on a shelf. This initiative is not a
competition – it’s a collaboration
between innovators and those who can
help open doors to the wider industry.”
BIM and digital innovation dominate
new construction technology
at present – and this
year’s event proved
no exception.
Accelerate to Innovate’s industry mentors
Professor
Stuart Green
University of
Reading, chair,
Dr Deborah
Pullen
Group research
director,
CIOB Innovation
BRE
and Research Panel
Kathryn Vowles
Business
development
director,
Balfour Beatty
Dr Rennie
Chadwick
Innovation and
performance
director,
Osborne
Dr Jackie Maguire Paul Oakley
Director,
Associate
director BIM,
IP strategy,
Coller IP
BRE
Saleem Akram
Director of
construction,
innovation and
development,
CIOB
12 | JUNE 2016 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
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Feature Innovations
iHR – immersive Hybrid
Reality for Construction
Training and Practice
Virtual reality training system
Dr Ludovico Carozza, research
associate, Heriot-Watt University
What is it?
A virtual reality, Oculus Rift-style system
with a headset (worn by Kathryn Vowles,
left) that allows wearers to conduct
“real” physical tasks while fully immersed
in virtual environments. It is based on
relatively affordable commodity hardware.
Why is it innovative?
It provides trainees and workers with
“real-life” scenarios on high-risk jobs such
as nuclear sites – as a more effective way
of preparing them for work on site.
Has it been used by the industry?
Not yet.
What next?
Plans to improve the user experience and
to develop a lightweight, “untethered”
system used without connection to
an external device. The main aim is to
attract investors to sustain technology
and product development.
www.ice.hw.ac.uk
MENTORS’ VIEWS
Rennie Chadwick: “The technology
is great. But, with my contractor hat on,
what’s the value for my business?”
Jackie Maguire: “It will be best suited
for high-risk, highly skilled activities in
high-risk environments – for example
welding in power stations.”
Kathryn Vowles: “There is value for this
in selection and training.” >
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2016 | 13
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Feature Innovations
Dangerous game: the Situation Engine delivers safety training on a virtual site
The Situation Engine
Virtual-reality health
and safety training
Dr Sidney Newton, director,
NewtonLowe
What is it?
It aims to improve on-site health and
safety behaviour by delivering a virtual
site experience based on actual project
models using a headset and video game
technology. Activities can be benchmarked
and situations adapted to individual needs.
Why is it innovative?
Witnessing and discussing potential
site accidents is a different approach
to changing behaviour compared to
traditional training. The proprietary
system of controls allows the trainer
to replay a situation, so the learner can
experience it from multiple perspectives.
Has it been used by the industry?
In the training facilities of Hong Kong
contractor Gammon Construction and
trialled at four Australian universities.
What next?
Situation models tailored to particular
projects and workplace contexts. It
plans to work with BIM consultancies to
promote the technology to a wider client
base, and develop a standard health and
safety training and assessment product.
www.newtonlowe.com
CSattAR Photogrammetric
Deformation Monitoring
Structural movement monitor
Why is it innovative?
It is small and easy to install, using
low-cost cameras to measure minute
movements without disruption. Based
on technology used in labs to measure
particle movements, it can measure
the tiniest variation – less than 0.1mm –
Kathryn Vowles:
“Changing behaviour
is what the industry
recognises as where
the safety gains are
now. So you’re hitting
the sweet spot.”
Paul Oakley: “There
is a big push with
using BIM to integrate
health and safety –
you may be at the
forefront of that.”
Jackie Maguire:
“From a health and
safety perspective,
I liked the way
it involved a
whole team.”
MENTORS’ VIEWS
Mehdi Alhaddad, researcher
at Cambridge Centre for Smart
Infrastructure & Construction (CSIC)
What is it?
CSattAR uses
photogrammetry
to monitor
structural
movement on
infrastructure
projects.
MENTORS’ VIEWS
CSattAR’s small size allows ease of installation
so is particularly suitable for identifying
deformation in tunnels.
Has it been used by the industry?
Used on projects including London
Crossrail, CERN and monitoring the disused
Royal Mail tunnel in central London.
Jackie Maguire:
“It needs to be a
technology play –
it’s cheaper than
other products
out there. But you
may need to get it
patented, depending
on how it works.”
Paul Oakley:
“In seismic areas,
there could be an
application for this.”
Stuart Green:
“Brilliant technology
– I can see every
tunnel construction
project wanting this.”
BIMUp 5D
BIM compliancy on a budget
Gregory Malek, director, BIMUp
What is it?
It enables
quantity take-off
from SketchUp
3D models.
BiMUp 5D can
perform complex
calculations using
formulas and
produce as many reports as required using
bespoke templates.
Why is it innovative?
Because it can be used with SketchUp,
designs can be BIM compliant
without expensive software, and
cost modelling can be auto-generated
from the earliest design models.
It can easily be introduced to SMEs
and the supply chain where upfront
cost and potential return on investment
in BIM is becoming a serious issue.
Has it been used by the industry?
Scaffolding design on a scheme in High
Holborn, central London. Scaffolders need
health and safety sign-off for design and
buildability of scaffolding, so they design
and take the quantities off that.
What next?
It needs to convert site visits into sales.
BiMUp 3D and BiMUp Viewer are in
development.
www.bimup.co.uk >
What next?
There are plans for a spin-off company to
develop the system for commercial use.
www-smartinfrastructure.eng.cam.ac.uk
14 | JUNE 2016 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
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16/05/2016 15:26
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17/05/2016 12:20
Feature Innovations
Skills4Leadership
in Construction
Online leadership game
MENTORS’ VIEWS
Sarah Davis and Beverley Hammond,
Skills4Stem
by analysing the choices, providing an
alternative to conventional skills analysis
or psychometric-style tests.
What is it?
An online video game to collect, analyse
and map leadership traits.
Why is it innovative?
It aims to engage people through
gaming, in contrast to more conventional
leadership training. One scenario is a hike
to Everest, where the user leads a team
and must make key decisions, such as
assigning tasks to team members and
dealing with events such as bad weather.
The software assesses the user’s skills
Has it been used by the industry?
It has been adapted by some smaller
companies, but is struggling to get
volume takeup. Preliminary discussions
with some of the large contractors.
What next?
More industry support and building a
higher profile. It is looking for funders
to develop a version that will collect,
analyse and map behaviours affecting
health and safety on site.
Peak performance: Sarah Davis (above left) and
Beverley Hammond use the scenario of a hike to
Everest to assess players’ leadership skills
Jackie Maguire:
“I was really inspired
as it’s a different
approach. But you
might have to adapt
to get it picked up by
companies. You might
have to buy into them,
rather than they you.”
Rennie Chadwick:
“I could say to my
HR director that
I’ve seen this great
product, and she
would say: ‘Where
has the competency
model come from?
What backs up those
competencies?’”
Paul Oakley:
“Perhaps a smaller
version for free is
needed to get more
people interested?”
skills4stem.com
can now be measured against health and
safety benchmarks to monitor risk.
The product also allows other types
of sensor to be attached, allowing
companies to create customised devices.
Has it been used by the industry?
In use in two construction training
centres (Forth Valley College and
Edinburgh College).
Activity Tracking and Body
Area Network (AT-BAN)
Motion tracking system
Dr Aparajithan Sivanathan, research
associate, Heriot-Watt University
What is it?
AT-BAN captures physical motion data
through tracking sensors worn by workers
on site (pictured left and below right). The
data retrieved can be analysed against
health, safety and productivity standards.
What next?
Has talked to the NHS and HSE about
how the technology could be used. Plans
for a spin-out company from Heriot-Watt
University to focus on training, wearable
technology and MSD risk diagnostics.
www.ice.hw.ac.uk >
MENTORS’ VIEWS
Saleem Akram:
“My only concern is
that it tracks such
personal info and
data. Not everyone
wants things like
their blood pressure
revealed.”
Kathryn Vowles:
“It is a very
interesting concept
for tracking work
in high-pressure
environments. There
is a question about
data protocols but
there are ways
around it.”
Why is it innovative?
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) caused
an estimated 14 million UK workdays to
be lost in 2012/13 and are common in the
industry. Data collected from site activity
16 | JUNE 2016 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
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And why we’re the only safety distributor to have a UKAS
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there’s no room for doubt.
arco.co.uk/productassurance
1687_ConstructionManager_CS_220x285_V1.indd 1
12/05/2016 12:34
Feature Innovations
Jenca
Online host for open-source
BIM apps in the cloud
John Egan (right) and Connor
Alexander, co-founders, Jenca
Stickyworld
Soft Landings
communication platform
Michael Kohn, CEO, Stickyworld
What is it?
An online
communications
platform for
Soft Landings.
The Stickyworld
platform enables
smarter stakeholder
involvement
throughout
construction projects, from design
briefing through to handover, training,
post-occupancy evaluation and aftercare.
Why is it innovative?
The Soft Landings process relies on
strong communications between people
of different expertise, including clients
and end-users. Unlike mainstream
collaboration platforms, Stickyworld is
geared towards presenting and explaining
data, not just sharing it. It suits projects
with wide stakeholder groups.
Has it been used by the industry?
By hospitals and councils, which have
huge stakeholder groups.
What next?
The aim is to sell subscriptions
and supporting services from
September 2016.
info.stickyworld.com
What is it?
The first online marketplace for open
BIM apps. Developers use Jenca’s hosting
service to put their BIM applications on
the platform like an app store – end-users
choose and run apps from the browser.
Why is it innovative?
Jenca makes BIM accessible to the
masses by hosting BIM applications in
one place. An on-demand pricing model
means no upfront cost, which may favour
SMEs struggling to get on board with
BIM. Jenca’s wider aim is to provide an
open-source alternative and democratise
technology in the built environment.
Has it been used by the industry?
Not yet.
What next?
Continue to accrue interest in the platform
from end-users and developers.
www.jenca.org
MENTORS’ VIEWS
Stuart Green: “If I had £10,000 in my back
pocket I’d be too tempted to invest.”
Rennie Chadwick: “The not-for-profit
principles are brilliant. But a lot of people
won’t care about that. You need to show
people examples of how it can work for them.”
Paul Oakley: “The industry does need some
open-source solutions that can get everyone
involved with the BIM process.”
Last year’s winner –
3D Move
One of the standout innovations from
the 2015 event was the 3D Move,
from University of Reading research
fellow Dr Maxwell Mallia-Parfitt and
lecturer Dr Dragana Nikolic
The product (right) was a mobile version
of a “BIM cave” – typically a room in a
university or specialist facility fitted with
angled screens on which images from
the BIM model are projected at 1:1 scale.
They are useful for walk-throughs, clash
detection and design consultations.
3D Move was a lightweight mobile
version, available to hire and ready to
deploy after a 30-minute set-up. It’s a 78kg
combination of three linked screens, three
projectors and a computer running the Unity
games engine software that takes data
from a Revit BIM model and turns it into a
game-like navigation experience.
One year on, where is the product now?
Has it been adopted by the industry?
Mallia-Parfitt tells CM he has moved
from academia into industry by joining
Coins:Fulcro, a company that delivers
applied technologies to the construction
sector and helped to develop the product.
He took the mentors’ comments from
last year on board, significantly reducing
its size and improving the technology.
“We’ve developed the technology to
a point where it can be used on projects
and now we’re just looking for clients who
are interested and can implement the
technology,” he says. “We are working with
a number of large Tier 1 contractors and
we have interest from large infrastructure
projects. With our new prototype we’ve
significantly reduced the footprint.”
He adds: “We’ve made it to a point
where it’s a drag-and-drop technology.
We’re also able to play back 360 degree
stills. The pricing model is still to be
decided, but it has reduced. It depends
on client and application.”
www.coins-fulcro.com
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COMPL
IAN
EN 998-1
NDARD
STA
ITH EUROPEAN
TW
OC-CSII-W2
Feature Productivity
productivity
conundrum
How can the construction industry improve
its productivity? A CIOB survey of MPs and
industry professionals has attempted to
provide an answer – but the issue is not
straightforward. Will Mann explains
THE HEADLINE DATA does not paint a positive
picture. Since 1994, official figures show
UK construction productivity growth has
been sluggish at best, improving just 7%
over two decades. This is well behind
other industry sectors, and drags down
the productivity performance of the UK
as a whole (see sector chart, p21).
That will not please the government,
which launched its own productivity plan
for the UK economy last year and wants
construction to deliver projects 50%
quicker and 33% cheaper by 2025.
So how – if at all – can construction
productivity be improved? This was
the central question addressed by
a wide-ranging study commissioned
20 | JUNE 2016 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
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Lies, damned lies and statistics
Why measuring construction
productivity is tricky
Construction productivity comparisons across Europe (% change since 1994)
115
110
105
100
95
90
85
80
n France
n Germany
70 n Italy
n Netherlands
65 n Spain
n UK
60
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
75
Source: OECD. Index adjusted to 1994 = 100
Productivity comparisons by sector (UK) (% change since 1994)
170
n Construction
n Services
n Manufacturing
140 n Whole economy
160
150
130
120
110
100
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
90
1994
m
Feature Productivity
Source: ONS. Index adjusted to 1994 = 100
by the CIOB, surveying the views of
130 MPs and almost 500 senior industry
professionals. Their views are presented
and analysed in this article.
But it is not an easy question to answer.
For one thing, measuring productivity
is difficult. “In economic terms, the
Office for National Statistics (ONS)
defines productivity as the rate of output
per unit of input – so creating more
output for a given input should result in
higher living standards,” explains the
CIOB report author, industry analyst Brian
Green. “However, while the concept may
be simple to grasp, in practice measuring
and interpreting productivity is fraught.”
Green and other commentators feel
that the data on construction
output published by the ONS is not
necessarily a fair reflection of the
industry’s productivity (see box, p21).
Also, it is not an issue that other
countries have cracked (see Europe chart,
above). Using the same measures as the
ONS, UK construction is – contrary to
popular belief – actually slightly more
productive than most of our counterparts
in the major western European
economies. So whatever our productivity
problems are, they are shared by
construction industries abroad.
This is by no means the first time
construction has examined its
productivity. The concern within >
The accuracy of official construction
statistics has long been a bone of
contention for industry economists. And
finding data which accurately measures
construction productivity is a “slippery”
business, the CIOB report’s author Brian
Green acknowledges.
Although there are many different
productivity measures that are used, across
all industries, the most common benchmark
is output per hour worked, which has been
used for this CIOB study. However, it does
not necessarily tell the full story.
ONS data shows output per hour
worked in 2012 in construction was
£23.60. This compares very unfavourably
with other industries. In chemicals and
pharmaceuticals the figure was £73.30,
in finance and insurance £56.30, while in
real estate it was £230.60.
“The wide spread reflects, in part, the
labour intensity within each sector,” says
Green. “In construction repair and
maintenance, for instance, work is noticeably
more labour intensive than most new build.
And over the years the share of repair and
maintenance has increased.”
Another concern about the data is
what actually counts as construction.
“When determining the productivity of
construction we measure the value added
on site as the output and the labour (hours
worked) on site as the input,” says Green.
“But this does not then capture the
materials supply chain or the professionals
engaged in planning, financing and design.
“Offsite manufacture is seen as a way to
boost productivity. It certainly can. However,
productivity is about adding value and if work
moves from the site to the factory the value
added is likely to be classed as manufacturing,
not construction, in the statistics.
“The work remaining on site may well
end up being the less skilled and, in
economic terms, less productive.”
So paradoxically, while innovation in
building design and product manufacturing
may increase the overall productivity in the
process of delivering and maintaining the
built environment – this does not
necessarily raise productivity on site.
Statistically such advances can, in fact,
reduce measured construction productivity.
Indeed, data from both the UK and abroad
suggests that construction productivity
over recent decades has stalled or fallen.
Clearly this is illogical. The steady fall in
deaths on site, and the delivery of vastly
better-performing buildings, helped by
advances in technology, materials and
techniques, indicate that the construction
industry is doing something right. But does
that mean the statistics are wrong?
“No,” says Green. “We just need to know
what they mean and what they are telling us.
And to this end the report argues for better
statistics to help guide policy.”
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Feature Productivity
MPs v industry top priority for raising construction productivity (%)
MPs v industry top three priorities for raising construction productivity (%)
People
38
29
People
69
64
Economy
23
26
Innovation
53
47
Innovation
15
10
Economy
47
55
Investment
9
4
Investment
41
19
Procurement
5
8
Procurement
29
32
Regulation
3
6
Regulation
27
23
Organisation
17
40
Industry structure
9
20
3
11
Organisation
n MPs’ top priority
n Industry’s top priority
2
6
Industry structure
0
10
20
30
40
0
n MPs’ top three priorities
n Industry’s top three priorities
20
40
60
80
Priorities for raising construction productivity
There appears to be significant
consensus between the industry and
MPs on broad policy areas that are seen
as potentially the most effective in
improving construction’s productivity.
Both groups placed people issues as
top, with the economy and innovation
making up the top three most supported
of the eight broad policy areas listed.
One large difference was in attitudes
to investment – in areas like plant and
machinery – from within the industry
itself. This had significantly more support
from MPs than the industry, where it
ranked last. Most likely to be in the top
three priorities for both MPs and the
industry respondents were the economy,
policy certainty and planning, with the
industry very strong on policy certainty.
More than half of industry respondents
ranked either people issues (29%) or the
economy (26%) as their top priority for
improving construction productivity.
Almost a third ranked people and more
than half ranked the economy in their top
three. Least likely to be ranked as a top
three priority were the broad areas of
industry structure and investment.
A point of note is how highly industry
respondents ranked organisation –
above procurement and regulation.
While it is a category that can be
considered broad, it seems reasonable
to assume that the view of the industry
from within is that it is poorly organised.
MPs are far less likely to prioritise
issues that appear to require more
detailed industry knowledge, such as
organisation, industry structure and
regulation. MPs also see investment and
innovation as far more important than
the industry for improving productivity.
Where differences lie are around
policies that may require more industryspecific knowledge. So MPs show
significantly less immediate enthusiasm
than industry for areas such as industry
structure, organisation and regulation.
> government and industry is reflected
in a stream of reports over the decades,
dating back as far the Simon Committee
report of 1944, which was commissioned
during the second world war.
“Despite being commissioned at
different times to address different
immediate political, economic, social or
industrial concerns, similar themes recur,”
says Green. “Procurement, prefabrication
and standardisation, communication,
fragmentation between and within
the design and build processes,
safety, casual labour and quality.”
The CIOB survey responses
show that, broadly, those issues
are still among the top concerns,
for both the industry and
politicians (see detailed analysis
in priorities box above).
Generally, there was a high degree of
consensus between the views expressed
by MPs and construction professionals.
The one that comfortably comes first
is people. For both MPs and industry
respondents people issues were most
likely to be selected as the top and
within the top three most impactful policy
areas to improve industry productivity.
This is, of course, not the first time
that the industry has been told how
important its people are – or that it
has a shortage of them. >
“There is no political will
to improve productivity.
Otherwise, quality training
and qualifications would be
properly administered and individuals
would value their qualifications.
Unfortunately training is not and
individuals do not. Also, to ensure skills
are taken seriously, there needs to be
a system of rules and regulations that
support those with qualifications and
the firms that employ them. Instead,
firms compete on price and the market
dictates that the lowest tender wins.”
Dr Stephen Gruneberg, industrial economist
and reader at the University of Westminster
“Everyone is chasing their tails
trying to find the solution to
the productivity puzzle. Yet, if
we are honest with ourselves,
we know where the answers are. Every
day we see duplication of effort, underinvestment in innovation, and time
spent jumping through procurement and
regulatory hoops that create little value.
The problem is not one of knowing what
we can do to improve productivity, but
knowing how the industry can change
its whole business model to one that
allows these improvements to occur.”
Alasdair Reisner, chief executive at the Civil
Engineering Contractors Association (CECA)
“Construction should first
and foremost be measured
by the outcomes it
generates for the wider
economy and quality of life. It is
a means to an end. The cost of
construction – and maintenance –
of a facility, whether a building
or a piece of transport or energy
infrastructure, is dwarfed by
the effect that well-designed,
well-built and well-maintained
facilities have on the productivity
of the rest of the economy.”
Don Ward, chief executive at
Constructing Excellence
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17/05/2016 14:22
Feature Productivity
> The UK Commission for Employment
and Skills, in a 2014 report, reckoned
construction would need about one
million new recruits by 2022. The
Department for Business Innovation
& Skills produced a study in 2013
called Supply Chain Analysis into the
Construction Industry, which found
that the quality of site management was
pivotal to improving productivity. This
was particularly true of the ability of the
site management to communicate well.
Both industry and MPs want stability
and see the National Infrastructure
Commission (NIC) as an important means
of achieving that. Construction
professionals are particularly keen on
the government pumping in public funds
to keep the industry ticking over when
a recession bites.
However, construction is less keen on
investing itself. When asked to assess the
effectiveness of eight broad policy areas for
raising productivity within construction, the
industry respondents ranked investment in
areas such as plant and machinery last.
The problem in analysing these results,
as Green says, is that “they tell us things
we already know about what is wrong
with the industry, and what improvements
need to be made – but there’s something >
“Construction is highly cyclical
and the business models
within the industry through
the supply chain have been
established to deal with the volatile
nature of activity in the sector. Any
improvement in quality, value and
efficiency will involve a change in the
business model so firms throughout
the supply chain can invest in skills,
capital and new technologies.”
Dr Noble Francis, economics director
at Construction Products Association
(CPA) and visiting professor at the
University of Westminster
MPs v industry ranking of policy options to boost UK construction productivity (%)
A commitment to boost public investment in private
sector construction during a recession
50
52
The establishment of the National infrastructure
Commission to focus on long-term planning of major projects
49
50
Designing public sector contracts to encourage private
companies to improve productivity
43
38
Increasing funding allocated for training,
eg an apprenticeship levy
40
48
Reforming land taxation to encourage more efficient use of
land, eg a land value tax model in place of stamp duty
40
29
Enhancing incentives to deliver greener and smarter
buildings through grants and tax breaks
30
37
Increased public spending on research
and development
20
23
Providing incentives for companies to encourage
labour saving processes
18
23
0
10
20
30
40
50
n MPs ranking in top three n Industry ranking policy in top three
Policy options for raising construction productivity
The consensus was generally
strong on specific policy types, with
boosting investment in a recession
and the National Infrastructure
Commission (NIC) ranking high and
increased public spending on R&D low.
Asked to prioritise a list of specific
policies, industry respondents were
most likely to rank as their top three
priorities: first, a commitment to
boost public investment during a
recession (52%); second, establishing
the NIC to focus on long-term
planning (50%); and, third, increasing
funding for training (48%).
Asked to prioritise specific
policies, MPs were most likely to
rank, first, a commitment to boost
public investment during a recession;
and, second, establishing the NIC
to focus on long-term planning,
in their top three.
The main areas of difference
appear to be more industry support
“Our research tells us
that productivity increases
come when firms invest in
technology and skills.
Typically, low skills bring low
productivity. Improving skill levels in
the sector requires a long-term and
sustainable approach to recruitment
and training. Direct employment,
where employees are upskilled
regularly, is one of the best
ways to achieve this.”
Lee Bryer, research and development
operations manager at the Construction
Industry Training Board (CITB)
for incentives on green/smart
building and more enthusiasm for
increased funding for training.
Conversely the industry ranked land
taxation reform much lower than MPs.
Overall, comparing MPs and
industry responses suggests a high
level of correlation in views. But one
immediate observation is that while
policy certainty seems to matter to
both MPs and the industry, it matters
more to the industry.
“The delivery and procurement
process for construction in
the UK is far too long and
wasteful. Clients and their
advisers too often adopt onerous
tendering processes which costs the
industry a huge amount of money and
wastes time. The industry would be far
better served by creating collaborative
forms of contract, and by clients and
end-users negotiating to form their
design and delivery teams for their
projects rather than adopting costly
and lengthy tendering processes.”
Tony Giddings, former partner at Argent LLP
How the survey
was conducted
MPs survey: The CIOB
commissioned research
consultancy ComRes,
which interviewed
150 MPs between
25 February and
6 April 2016. Data
was weighted by party
and region to be
representative of the
House of Commons.
Industry survey: The
CIOB used an online
survey to canvass
opinion from 481
industry professionals.
While weighted
towards CIOB
membership, responses
also came from
members of the Royal
Institute of British
Architects (RIBA), the
Royal Institution of
Chartered Surveyors
(RICS), the Construction
Equipment Association
(CEA) and the
Construction Products
Association (CPA).
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Feature Productivity
Why construction is crucial to the nation’s productivity
HEAD
The knock-on effects of an effective industry are felt throughout the UK
Paul Nash FCIOB
incoming
president,
CIOB
The so-called “productivity puzzle”
is a regular topic of debate, and with
good cause: the latest UK figures,
released in April, show the biggest fall
since the financial crisis in 2008.
The government has recognised
the risks of poor productivity growth
and has made improving it a policy
priority. As chancellor George Osborne
stated in the first Budget of the
Conservative government in 2015:
“Our weak productivity shows we
don’t train enough or build enough
or invest enough. This we are
determined to change.”
The government’s concern is
two-fold: UK productivity growth has
stalled for the best part of a decade,
and for years the UK has lagged
behind other developed nations.
Improving productivity – labour
productivity at least – should pave the
way for higher wages. It should make
more people buy goods and services
because they get better value for
money. And it should reduce waste and
see resources used more efficiently.
So what does this mean for the
construction industry? For decades,
studies have suggested solutions to
improve construction’s productivity,
yet the data suggests growth is weak
at best. So, from the outset, we
needed to take a step back and
see the bigger picture.
Poor productivity growth in
construction is not just a UK
phenomenon: in developed nations
globally we see the same occurrence,
which drags down the performance
of the wider economy.
So we might reasonably ask if
there is anything inherent within
construction that means it will never
be on a par with other sectors – can we
only automate and standardise so far?
Is it being measured in the most
accurate way? Are any unexplored
barriers holding back progress?
This report seeks to highlight the
fact that the construction industry
should not be viewed in isolation
when talking about how to improve
productivity. Construction, and
the wider built environment, has a
major bearing on how productive
we are as a nation.
And the recommendations from
this report reflect this approach, with
high priority given to the contextual
issues – how we can better measure
productivity; how we can demonstrate
the wider value of construction; how
firms can recognise that their current
business models may be an obstacle
to productivity growth – as opposed
to specific proposals.
This report throws up as many
questions as it answers. But our focus
is clear. The CIOB wants to kickstart
the debate into productivity not just in
terms of the industry itself, but how
construction benefits productivity
in the UK as a whole.
> stopping us from making them”. Similar
sentiments have been echoed by other
construction commentators (see p22-24).
“Both Noble Francis and Alasdair
Reisner point to the need for new
business models within the industry that
can provide a context in which firms see
reason to take the much-recognised
actions to raise productivity,” says Green.
“Tony Giddings may not use the same
phrase, but in calling for more
collaborative working he is, in effect,
challenging the existing business models
operating within the industry.”
There’s one other important point that
emerges from the report, which harks
back to the concerns expressed earlier
about the reliability of construction data.
“There is a need to measure more
effectively the productivity of the
whole process of delivering the built
environment and its impact on wider UK
productivity – rather than just what
happens on site,” says Green.
“Better buildings and infrastructure
contribute to productivity not just through
their primary function or through directly
contributing to increased economic
output. Making people happier, safer and
healthier encourages them to be more
productive and reduces costs elsewhere.”
He points to the “Boiler on Prescription”
trial project, piloted in the north-east
by housing association Gentoo Group,
which discovered a strong link between
improving the energy efficiency of
its stock and improvements in its tenants’
health and welfare.
“Compared to roads or railways, it
provides a less direct – but no less
significant – example of how construction
influences UK productivity,” says Green.
“The built environment that
construction delivers influences every
aspect of the lives of every person that
engages with the modern world. It
influences their health, education,
effectiveness at work, their travel to work
and how they spend their leisure time.
“It impacts not just on the quality of
life but the effectiveness of the economy.
In other words – its productivity.
An understanding of this should be
at the heart of policy-making.
“Construction needs to be seen
not just as a low-productivity
problem, but as a solution, supporting
a high-productivity UK.” CM
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Technical Construction equipment
DIGITAL
DIGGING
Building information modelling is rarely
discussed in terms of earthworks, yet
using 3D models with GNSS-enabled
equipment – intelligent machine
control – can generate 30% productivity
improvements. Will Mann explains
WHEN WEIGHING UP ideas for improving
productivity, construction professionals
often overlook site equipment.
Indeed, in the CIOB productivity survey
covered in pages 20-26, the industry
ranked investment in areas such as plant
and machinery last, when asked to assess
the effectiveness of eight policies for
raising construction productivity.
That is surprising. For recent advances in
digital technology used with construction
machinery are resulting in massive
productivity improvements. The companies
leading the charge in machine control
technology – where a combination of 3D
terrain models and global navigation
satellite system (GNSS) tracking is used to
position and guide earthmoving equipment
– agree that a 30% increase in productivity
is possible, sometimes much more.
“The savings come mainly from the
accuracy of the grading, which means there
is no need to overlap the bucket, and
elimination of rework,” explains Richard
Clement, planning manager at Japanese
construction equipment manufacturer
Komatsu. “These savings result in lower
machine hours, hence lower fuel usage >
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Technical Construction equipment
Excavators on the
site are working
from 3D models
Leica sensors mounted on the dozer use
GNSS technology to display the machine’s
position on the in-cab display (inset).
Case study: Collins Earthworks, Amazon
distribution centre, Leicestershire
How machine control works
1 From the initial survey of the site,
a 3D model of the terrain is created.
2 Design engineers use the model to plan
the earthworks operation, including any
value-engineering, and ensuring that no
material needs to leave the site.
3 This design model is then transferred to
the in-cab display of the machine operator,
usually by 3G or 4G, who gets a 3D
visualisation of the terrain on screen,
in profile, plan and cross section.
4 GNSS sensors on the arms and
body provide a real time update of the
machine’ position, as the operator
manoeuvres around the site, and guide the
movement of the blade or bucket. The
accuracy can be to within a centimetre.
5 As the cut-and-fill operation progresses,
the 3D model is updated in real time,
informing the operator of progress,
and allowing engineers to view – and
if necessary change – the design
without visiting the site.
Collins Earthworks was appointed by main
contractor Winvic Construction to deliver the
cut-and-fill operation for retailer Amazon’s giant
distribution hub in Ellistown, Leicestershire
On the 370,000 sq m site, the earthworks
contractor is using six dozers and three excavators,
all of them working from 3D models loaded onto
the in-cab control, and equipped with Trimble’s
GNSS capability. The kit is supplied by
Trimble’s dealer Sitech.
Collins director Patrick Gaffney says: “We are
using the technology to control the layers of fill,
delivering a maximum of 22 layers and an average
of 14 across the site. We can cut to tolerances of
within 10mm. It is a ‘balanced’ cut and fill, with
no material going off site.”
Gaffney says the technology has made
Collins’ operations far more efficient.
“In the past, using a 2D approach, we have
would had three or four people on a site of this size,
setting up laser levelling equipment every morning,
to measure progress of the earthworks and control
all the plant we have here,” he explains. “There is no
need for that with the 3D system on the in-cab
control, because the operators will now cut or
trim to the correct level in the design, without
the need for any checking.
“Without the technology, this job would have
taken us 25 to 26 weeks. But we will finish in
22 weeks. The 3D model and GNSS technology
gives us a real competitive edge.”
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Technical Construction equipment
Brooks says the operator can use the
technology in manual mode, where the
light bars act as a guide, or automatic
mode, where the blade is automatically
moved to the correct position.
> and effectively an increase in tonnes per
hour as an ultimate measure.”
“There are also reduced maintenance
costs due to less wear and tear on the
machine, and – although it is harder to
quantify – less operator fatigue,” adds
Neil Williams, engineering manager with
positioning specialist Leica Geosystems,
which pairs its technology with original
equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for
use on excavators and dozers.
Historically, cut-and-fill operations
would be staked out by hand, and
progress monitored by on-site engineers,
using laser monitoring equipment.
Machine control eliminates that.
“The stake-out is now done digitally,”
says Peter Brooks, operations manager
with Sitech, UK dealer for Trimble,
another positioning technology firm which
works with OEMs. “Surveyors create 3D
models of the terrain, when they survey the
site. This model is then transferred to the
machine operator's in-cab control unit, who
uses it to plot the cut-and fill operation.”
The digital model makes it easier for
engineers to tinker with the design, without
having to leave their office, and plan the
cut-and-fill so that no material needs to
leave site. And from the operator's
perspective, machine control makes the
digging execution far more efficient.
“The model is displayed to the operator
in profile, plan and cross-section,” Brooks
explains. “GNSS sensors on the arms and
body of the machine show exactly where
the machine is in relation to the design.
The operator can track the movement
of the bucket and blade, and the display
unit provides the cut and fill values down
to within a centimetre.
“The cab display includes light bars
which help the operator align the blade
when digging out a particular section, for
example a gully line. The bars are green
as long as the operator follows the right
alignment, but will turn amber if the
machine strays off it.”
Above: Operational
view of the monitor in
a Komatsu excavator
Left: Sitech, UK
dealer for positioning
specialists Trimble,
works with OEMs
(original equipment
manufacturers) to
install the machine
control technology
Surge in technology adoption
The last two years have seen a surge in
adoption of machine control technology,
according to Kevin Minton, director at the
Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA).
“Two years ago, the theory was known
about but not widely used,” he says. “Now
all the earthmoving contractors will have
machine control-enabled kit in their fleet.”
Clement says use of the technology
varies significantly by country, with the UK
still some way behind northern Europe, and
by business segment. “Here, we are seeing
high use of machine control in road
construction and housing developments,
however there are still projects where,
although the earthworks design exists as a
3D model, contractors are still not making
use of the technology,” he explains.
One perceived barrier to its wider
adoption is skills, though Williams says
the technology is “not difficult” to grasp.
“Even someone with no prior
knowledge of machine control can pick it
up quite quickly,” he says. “You only need
to learn its functionality once, which
means less training, and increased
motivation for the operator.”
Leica is currently building a training
academy in Shropshire with plant
hirer Hawk, and Williams says this will
help grow the pool of operators who
understand the technology. “The
Construction Plant Competence Scheme
(CPCS) needs a module on machine control,
which it doesn't at present, but we are
working towards that,” he adds.
But perhaps a bigger obstacle to wider
adoption is a lack of knowledge of the
technology further up the supply chain.
“On the Aberdeen Western Peripheral
Route, one of the UK's biggest earthmoving
jobs, there are 120 machines using our
technology,” Williams says. “And that's
because an early decision was taken by the
contractor team Connect Roads [a Balfour
Beatty, Galliford Try and Carillion team] to
use machine control. But that is rare.”
Clement says that, paradoxically, plant
hirers may be reluctant to embrace
machine control because the greater
productivity will mean shorter hire
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Technical Construction equipment
periods. “The UK is quite unusual in how
strong and influential the hire sector is,
compared to in Europe,” he says. “We need
main contractors and clients to become
aware of the technology's benefits, the
time and money savings possible.”
In the meantime, machine control
technology seems certain to advance
further. So far, it has been chiefly used on
excavators and dozers, though Komatsu
and Trimble are investigating using the
technology for compactors, where sensors
automatically detect when the required
compaction values have been reached.
Williams says: “If you consider that
Formula One is the 'playground' for car
innovation, mining is the equivalent for
construction equipment. In that sector, there
are driverless trucks which operate in mines.
Obviously that is an enclosed, controlled
environment where there are not as many
safety risks. But I think that will eventually
happen on construction sites too.”
Will the day come when robotic
earthmoving equipment, controlled via
3D models and GNSS, is commonplace?
Clement is cautious. “Current
technology provides for semi-automatic
operations, but operator input is still
vital,” he says. “For example, encountering
rocks in otherwise soft material will
require the operator to devise a strategy
to work around the obstacles.
“Komatsu is studying the possibility of
surveying the working area for such hidden
obstacles. But without an understanding
of the surface and sub-surface conditions,
full automatic operation is unlikely.”
“We need main
contractors
and clients
to become
aware of the
technology’s
benefits,
the time and
money savings
possible”
Richard Clement,
Komatsu
Intelligent machine control – key players
l Komatsu Japanese construction
equipment manufacturer which developed
the first machine control excavator, the
PC210LCi-10. Komatsu uses GNSS
technology from Topcon, combined with its
own sensors and controllers, to create the
machine control functionality.
l Caterpillar AccuGrade Cat’s machine
control system comes pre-enabled on
many of the manufacturer’s machines,
along with GNSS-enabled technology.
Cat has made AccuGrade open to thirdparty providers of positioning software,
such as Leica and Trimble.
l Leica Geosystems Positioning
technology specialist, providing a portfolio
of products which link surveying software
and equipment with machine control
applications via GNSS. Leica sensors
are mounted on to OEM (original
equipment manufacturer) machines.
Komatsu developed
the first machine
control excavator,
the PC210LCi-10
But Clement believes there is “no
doubt” that some level of robotic
operation will emerge, given that
“construction technology is just starting
down the path of automation that
manufacturing started many years ago”.
An indication of the wider potential for
machine control can be found overseas. In
Japan, where an ageing population has led
to concerns about labour shortages, the
government wants to boost construction
productivity, and Komatsu has begun
exploring the potential for using drones to
guide automated machinery on some
earthworks projects.
l Trimble Another provider of positioning
services and software, Trimble has agreed
deals to integrate its GNSS-controlled
machine control technology with OEMs
such as Hyundai, Volvo and Doosan. Sitech
is the UK and Ireland dealer for Trimble.
l Topcon Teams up its geospatial
positioning software with OEMs such as
Komatsu to provide machine control
capability, plus tracking of other onsite
activity such as haul truck movement.
l Prolec Made its name providing
sensor, hardware and software technologies
for construction equipment to improve
safety, though has now entered the machine
control arena, also working with OEMs.
l Moba Known as a highways and waste
management specialist, Moba provides
measurement and control technology
which integrates with earthmoving and
road construction machinery.
“The aim is to use technology to improve
the construction progress, because they
will have less worker hours,” says Clement.
Williams says that northern Europe is
10 years ahead of the UK. “In the Swedish
market, their equivalent of Highways
England has made machine control
mandatory,” he says. “Leica alone does £1m
of business a month in Sweden, whereas
in the UK, the whole market for machine
control technology is only £7m a year.
“So there is plenty of growth
potential here – if we can get clients
and main contractors to appreciate
the technology.“ CM
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Technical Construction equipment
KNOW YOUR QUARRY
This month, Tarmac’s Hillhead Quarry will host
the world’s biggest exhibition of working
quarrying, construction and recycling
equipment. More than 460 UK and international
suppliers of plant, machinery, materials and
services will be on show, many carrying out
live demonstrations. CM picks out five things
you won’t want to miss
Small is beautiful
with Takeuchi
Mini-excavator specialist
Takeuchi will show off its
new hybrid electric,
1.6-tonne mini-excavator.
The TB216 machine
(pictured) is designed for
use in internal or zero-emission
environments. The Japanese firm
will also exhibit its 9-tonne TB290
and 8-tonne TB280FR
zero-swing models, both
with new-style cabs.
Hyundai pushes productivity with HX series
Hyundai will be unveiling a host of new machines, including the 52-tonne capacity
HX520L crawler excavator and 31-tonne HL980 wheel loader in the live
demonstration. It will also display its new HX480L 49.5-tonne excavator (pictured).
According to Hyundai, its HX series excavators provide “higher productivity and faster
operation” while an in-cab “eco gauge” can help cut fuel consumption by up to 12%.
Sturdy but eco-friendly – JCB’s new wheeled excavator
Liebherr goes green
JCB will give a Hillhead debut to the Hydradig 110W, its new
wheeled excavator. The Hydradig (below) has a sturdy
all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-steer chassis based on the
manufacturer’s Loadall telescopic handler. JCB says the compact
Hydradig has been designed to offer better “visibility, stability,
manoeuvrability and mobility”, allowing operators to turn and
work in a single carriageway with an under-4m turning radius.
Liebherr will exhibit its latest large
wheel loader – the 23-tonne, XPower
L 566. The manufacturer says the
Stage IV/Tier 4F-compliant machine
can offer fuel savings of up to 30%
and up to 20% more breakout force.
And if you’ve still got time...
l Case will unveil its largest ever dozer
at Hillhead, the 2050M. The 21-tonne
wheeled dozer offers up to 14% more
power than its previous biggest.
l Terex Finlay will preview its I-140RS impact
crusher, with on-board detachable sizing screen.
l Doosan will show its new Stage IV-compliant
machines, including 52-tonne DX530LC-5
crawler excavator.
l Bell Equipment says its new B60E
articulated dumptruck is one of the lowest
cost-per-tonne machines on the market.
l Compact equipment specialist Bobcat’s key
exhibit will be its T590 compact tracked loader.
l Datatag ID will promote the Micro-Cesar
security tagging system, which features an
integrated QR code to deter theft.
l Hitachi will show off its recently launched
50-tonne ZX490-6 excavator, with new
hydraulic system to reduce fuel consumption.
Machine control with Caterpillar, Finning and Sitech
Caterpillar’s UK dealer Finning will be demonstrating its Cat D6N
LGP dozer – which incorporates Cat grade control technology and
Trimble’s 3D software – in the live area. Finning’s technology
partner Sitech, Trimble’s UK agent, will be on hand to explain 3D
machine control and site-positioning software. The new
Cat 730C2 articulated truck (pictured right), with 28-tonne
capacity, will also make its first UK appearance.
l Garic will be at Hillhead with MB Dust Control’s
spray cannons, which use “misting” to suppress
the smallest dust particles, and have a powerful
spraying distance of up to 100m.
Hillhead 2016 takes place from 28–30 June at
Hillhead Quarry, Buxton, Derbyshire.
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Continuing Professional Development
BIM
• An agreed level of definition (LOD) is crucial to efficient use of BIM
• LOD will change over the duration of a construction project
• The correct LOD should be defined and recorded at the outset
Better definition
with BIM
Understanding how much information to provide at
different stages of the BIM process is vital if the
benefits of the technology are to be realised.
Duncan Reed from Trimble explains
stages, but potentially much more later
on. In this respect, the software used
becomes an important guiding tool.
When an organisation enters the BIM
process – at any of the eight stages
defined by the BIM Task Force’s Digital
Plan of Work (DPoW) – it needs to know
how much information it is expected to
provide. To get the best out of BIM, it is
important that a project team member
does not overproduce or underdeliver
on information for the model. Otherwise
the lean principles which underpin BIM
are unlikely to be realised.
This point is illustrated in the table (see
opposite page), which shows the process of
designing and detailing a building structure
using BIM. Here, Tekla Structural Designer
has been used to develop the model
definition. In the early stages of the project,
the structural analysis is the most important
factor. By stage three, only the sizes of
Comparison between stage four “design” detail (LOD 300) and stage six “as built” detail (LOD 400 –500).
Note the extra detail in the more advanced stage of the model (on the right)
CPD
BIM CAN DELIVER HUGE efficiencies in the
construction process – but only if members
of the project team clearly understand their
roles. This is particularly important when
providing information for the model.
In UK building information modelling
(BIM) terminology, the acronym LOD
usually refers to “level of definition”,
meaning the amount of model detail or
information detail provided at different
stages of a project. It is an acronym
that can sometimes be misinterpreted
(see box, p36), but a clear understanding
of its meaning and purpose is vital.
At the start of a project, agreeing the
appropriate LOD throughout the lifecycle
of a scheme is central to using BIM
efficiently and successfully.
One important thing to understand
about LOD is that it will change over the
duration of a construction project – with
less definition required during the early
the structural members have become
known. As the project progresses to stage
four, the locations of the members, along
with their physical and performance
properties, have been determined.
At the end of stage five, the level of
model definition needs to be completely
defined, at which point the structure is
procured from a specialist supplier, in this
case a precast concrete frame manufacturer.
Importantly, the Tekla Structures model can
be used by the manufacturer to produce
all the structural frame components.
Accurate member sizes and accurate
geometry as well as end plates, welds,
bolts and 2D fabrication information are
generated directly from the 3D model.
The example shows how overproducing
information for a BIM model during the
early stages of a project is as unhelpful
as underproducing. Detailing the
reinforcement required for a concrete
column at stage two is pointless, as the
framing material has not been decided,
and the scheme may ultimately choose a
steel frame solution at stage three.
On the other hand, modelling the
optimal level of information ensures
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Continuing Professional Development
BIM
Design development of a reinforced concrete
column using Tekla BIM software
Stage Project stages
number
Overview – required
information* Example – reinforced Software
concrete column
options
0
Strategy
Strategic definition
This is still very much at a business case level – is there even a need to change an existing asset or
construct a new one?
At these stages the
need for a concrete
column will not
have been defined.
1
Brief
Preparation and brief
The development of
project outcomes –
the scope of a project.
Concept
Concept 2
design
This should include
the outline
proposals for the design, architectural, structural and building services.
an efficient process for designers and
detailers. This ensures technical queries
are virtually eliminated, reducing delays
and waste in the construction process.
It is very easy to get bogged down in
information overload. For BIM to be used
successfully, the team should start by
defining what information is important and
when in the lifecycle of the project. The
suite of BIM Standards, PAS1192-2:2013
and PAS 1192-3:2014, help project teams
to define the information needed.
The correct level of model definition
over the life of a project should be defined
and recorded at the outset, so that all >
Tekla software for the construction
and structural engineering industries
is produced by Trimble, a technology
company with the vision of transforming
the way the world works. Tekla solutions
are used for realising projects around
the world, from housing and bridges
to factories and skyscrapers.
www.tekla.com/uk/solutions
“Overproducing
information
for a BIM
model during
the early
stages of
a project is
as unhelpful
as underproducing”
PAS 1192-
2:2013
RIBA Plan of Work
The need for a
column has been
identified in the
design, but it may
not be concrete
at this stage.
Trimble
SketchUp
Tekla
Structural
Designer
Tekla Structures
3
Definition Developed By this stage there
design
should be a
coordinated design, though still not a complete design.
A concrete column
has been chosen
and an initial
design carried out.
Size is known, location is still potentially
approximate.
Tekla
Structural
Designer
Design
Technical 4
design
The detail design
has determined
the size location and
both physical and
performance
properties of the
concrete column.
The scheme will be
fully designed and
coordinated, using supply chain data where appropriate rather than just designer information.
Tekla
Structures
Tekla
Structural
Designer
Tekla
Structures
Build and Construction Offsite manufacturing The concrete column Tekla
5
commission
and onsite construction is installed on site in Structures
in accordance with the accordance with the
construction programme. design parameters.
Handover Handover Handover of asset
Details of “as Tekla
6
and
and
and conclusion of
built” concrete
Structural
close out
close out
construction contract.
column within
Designer
documentation
and BIM model.
Tekla
Structures
Operations In use
Useful information to
“Can we remove
7
and end
the operations team to this column?”
of life be available in a
suitable format. Tekla
Structural
Designer
Tekla
Structures
*Text paraphrased from the RIBA Plan of Works 2013 Overview.
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Continuing Professional Development
BIM
> parties understand what they
are being asked to deliver.
It is also important to identify the
software capable of delivering a model
to these required levels. The Tekla suite
of software provides support through
the eight stages of the DPoW and offers
a high level of transparency for all
project team members – ensuring clarity,
removing the need for rework
and ultimately driving waste out of
the construction process. CM
The Ordsall Chord
provides a new viaduct
and section of railway
to connect Manchester’s
Victoria, Oxford Road and
Piccadilly stations
Duncan Reed is digital construction
process manager, structures division,
with Trimble.
Definition, detail, development –
understanding BIM definitions
The arrival of BIM has created a whole new
language for construction organisations
to try and understand – and there is
plenty of scope for misunderstanding.
One acronym which crops up frequently
is LOD, which can mean different things to
different roles in different organisations.
Its original definition came from the
American Institute of Architects (AIA),
which published a BIM guidance document
called the LOD Forum in 2011. It defined
LOD as “level of development” – referring
not to design phases, but instead to
project milestones or deliverables.
Much early BIM guidance in the UK
referenced the AIA document in the absence
of anything else. However, the Digital
Plan of Work (DPoW), created by the UK
BIM Task Group three years ago, has since
provided UK construction with an eightstage design, construction and operation
plan that encompasses the whole life of an
asset. From this, a standard has emerged –
PAS1192-2:2013 – which not only defines
the BIM project stages but also gives a UK
meaning for LOD: “level of definition”:
3.30. “Level of Definition”. Collective
term used for and including “level of
model detail” and “level of information
detail”. Note: The “level of model detail”
is the description of graphical content of
models at each of the stages defined.
The “level of model information” is the
description of non-graphical content of
models at each of the stages defined.
So, although the UK has defined LOD
as “level of definition”, it is also possible
that teams will use it to mean “level of
detail” too, either as model detail
or information detail. With so much
potential for misinterpretation, it is
critical that project team are clear what
they understand the acronym to mean
at the start of the BIM process.
“LOD can
mean
different
things in
different
organisations”
Northern Hub proves BIM value
BIM 3D modelling software is helping with the structures design on a key
project in the Northern Hub rail enhancement programme in the north-west
The Ordsall Chord North
West Bank Structure: the
ability to visualise the
full reinforcement cage
in 3D in advance has
the potential to make
construction planning
much more predictable
The Northern Hub capacity rail
enhancement works is a complicated
and multifaceted project. Together
with the North West Electrification
Programme (NWEP), it totals over £1bn
of rail investment.
A key part of the programme is the
Ordsall Chord, where a Skanska/Bam joint
venture is the main contractor. The work
includes building a new viaduct and
section of railway to connect Manchester’s
Victoria, Oxford Road and Piccadilly
stations, and widening existing brickwork
viaducts using new concrete arches.
Construction is due to get under way in the
summer. In the meantime, the design is being
developed by the joint venture engineering
team of Aecom and Mott MacDonald. The
structures are complex, comprising a mix
of insitu concrete, precast concrete and
steelwork. But the design is being helped
enormously by BIM 3D modelling.
“Building virtual, constructable models
for the requirements of stage five in the
Digital Plan of Work [DPoW], before starting
work on site has revolutionised the design
engineering for the project,” says Brian
Duguid, engineering manager for the
scheme with the Aecom/Mott MacDonald JV.
“It has meant substantial benefits in terms
of reducing risk of errors, increasing design
accuracy, and providing better information
for the construction team – and this is all
before building work actually commences.”
The project delivery team set out from
the start to build a common BIM model, for
use both during construction and for future
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Continuing Professional Development
BIM
CPD online.
Your new
home for
learning.
The North West Bank Structure has structural
steelwork hidden within reinforced concrete. The
ability to detail both steelwork and reinforcement in
Tekla Structures identifies and resolves glitches and
clashes before steelwork is fabricated offsite
asset maintenance. The civil engineering
design team selected Tekla Structures
to create the 3D model.
One area where the model has helped
particularly is in the reinforcement design.
“Reinforced concrete drawings are
traditionally schematic in nature, typically
providing information that would now be
deemed suitable at stage three or four of
the DPoW,” says Duguid.
“Although easy to understand, they don’t
always help contractors and reinforcement
fixers to plan the sequence of their work
accurately, especially on complex structures.
They also provide limited information on how
reinforcement should be arranged in tight
locations with limited tolerances. So being
able to visualise the full reinforcement cage
in 3D, using information from stage five
of the DPoW, will potentially make it much
easier to plan the construction.”
The modelling capabilities are crucial on
the Ordsall Chord, as the widening of the
existing brick-arched viaduct involves 25
varying concrete arches in total. Every new
arch will have a different geometry as a result;
the taper of the concrete widening and the
demanding architectural parameters means
that no two arches are the same.
“A key feature of Tekla 3D modelling
“Being able to visualise the
full reinforcement cage in 3D…
will potentially make it much
easier to plan the construction”
software is that any changes made
to the model during stages three,
four and five of the DPoW can be fed
through into updated 2D drawings
and reinforcement bar schedules with
a minimum of manual intervention,”
explains Duguid. “With a large number
of parties involved in the project, being
able to quickly respond to changes
and revisualise the reinforced concrete
works will be very helpful.”
Another complication on the project
is the amount of structural steelwork
hidden within the reinforced concrete.
“The Tekla software allowed us to
detail this steelwork and reinforcement,
which was invaluable,” says Duguid. “It
provided the opportunity to identify any
potential glitches and clashes, and see
how everything will fit together before
the steelwork is fabricated off site. This
will greatly reduce problems out on site
and prevent substantial delays and cost.”
He continues: “Fully developed
stage five BIM data provides enhanced
reassurance and confidence to all parties
involved, especially on a project like this
with multiple subcontract suppliers, all of
whose work must fit together perfectly.
For example, there are precast elements
supported on insitu concrete, which in turn
support further insitu concrete panels,
as well as the instances where structural
steelwork is embedded in the concrete.
Those three key suppliers have a number
of geometrically complex interfaces.
“The use of Tekla software for
coordination throughout the design,
planning and delivery phases has
improved accuracy and greatly reduced
the likelihood of unexpected clashes.”
The CIOB has a dedicated CPD portal on the Construction Manager
website, featuring CPD modules from the magazine, as well as
study topics from a wide range of industry experts. To complete
the questionnaire below, and access the free CPD content, go to:
www.constructionmanagermagazine.com/cpd
CPD test paper
LOD: level of definition
1. Overproducing information in a project’s early stages
can prevent…
l Waste
l Legislative compliance
l An efficient design process
l Delays
2. When should the correct level of model definition
be defined and recorded?
l At the outset of the project l At the design stage
l When it starts on site l On handover
3. How many stages are there in the BIM Task Force’s
Digital Plan of Work?
l Five
l Seven
l Eight
l Nine
4. What is not cited as an unofficial usage for LOD?
l Level of detail
l Level of development
l Level of definition
l Level of documentation
5. Which document first gave LOD its UK definition?
l The AIA LOD Forum
l PAS1192-2:2013
l PAS1192-3:2014
l BIM Task Force Digital Plan of Work
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Construction Professional
Five years on –
what impact has
the Bribery Act had
on construction?
IT WILL BE FIVE YEARS next month since
the Bribery Act came into force, but has it
had the desired effect on the industry?
The signs are not positive. Last
December, consultant Sweett Group agreed
with the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to
plead guilty to a Bribery Act offence after
admitting it had failed to prevent the
bribery of a United Arab Emirates
businessman by a subsidiary company in
return for the award of a contract. The
SFO imposed a confiscation order of over
£850,000, representing the profit from the
contract, a fine of £1.4m, and Sweett was
also ordered to pay costs of £95,000.
In February, consultant EY’s industrywide Global Fraud Survey 2016 showed
that 22% of the respondents have
concerns about fraud, bribery and
corruption at work. This followed a study
by the Chartered Institute of Building in
2013, in which 48% of respondents said
that corruption was commonplace within
the UK construction industry.
Before the Bribery Act came into force
on 1 July 2011, the anti-bribery legislation
consisted of a patchwork legislative mix
of statutes. The Act widened the scope of
the anti-bribery legislation to include:
l the introduction of a new corporate
offence of failing to prevent bribery;
l restrictions over corporate hospitality;
l strict prohibition of facilitation
payments; and
l extra-territorial reach (meaning it
applies to UK companies operating abroad).
But a series of cases during the
past year involving companies
What do I need to know about
Contractors, beware. April saw a raft of tax
and regulatory changes with potentially big
implications for the construction industry.
Construction Industry Scheme
The Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) has
been subject to several changes, which are
intended to simplify the system. These include:
l Simplifications of the compliance test, with
the requirement that company directors must
pass the test removed;
l Reduction in the turnover threshold
from £200,000 to £100,000, where there
are multiple partners or directors; and
ALAMY
The sentencing of the Sweett Group by the
Serious Fraud Office earlier this year shows that
corruption remains a problem in the industry.
Laura Teodorescu explains
“A series of
cases indicates
that bribery
remains a
problem”
incorporated in England indicates that
that bribery remains a problem.
As well as the Sweett case, the SFO
secured a deferred prosecution for a
breach of the Act against ICBC Standard
Bank over payments to a Tanzanian
government official last November. It was
Construction employment tax changes
l Mandatory online filing (with mandatory
online verification of sub-contractors
coming in April 2017).
While any simplification of the taxation
system is to be welcome, be warned that
these changes are part of HM Revenue &
Customs’ (HMRC) drive to reduce costs and
inefficiency by automating more of their
systems. Inevitably, this approach further
reduces your chances of speaking to a “real
person”, when looking to resolve minor
compliance issues or questions, and forces
contractors to use the less user-friendly, and
often time-consuming, online system.
Travel and subsistence
Beyond the CIS, HMRC continues to reduce the
tax advantages available to the self-employed,
with tax relief no longer available on travel
and subsistence where, in the words of HMRC,
“a worker is providing personal service and
is subject to supervision, direction or control
(SDC), and is paid via an intermediary”.
As with the Onshore Intermediaries Act of
2014, managing the supervision, direction or
control (SDC) test is key to avoiding large tax
bills down the line, with the risk of contractors
being held personally liable for the unpaid tax.
Contractors who use an intermediary for the
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BIM bytes:
Clash detection – is it
just about the models?
Where construction
companies could
potentially fall foul
of the Bribery Act
Facilitation payments: These are
payments made to officials to perform
routine actions faster than normal. This
practice is strictly prohibited by the Act.
Corporate hospitality: The Act
requires that any such hospitality must
be reasonable and proportionate.
Tendering for public projects:
An organisation can be excluded
from tendering if its directors or
“any other person who has power of
representation, decision or control”
is convicted of a bribery offence. Supply chain: An organisation’s lack
of knowledge of – or lack of involvement
in – a bribe is irrelevant for the purposes
of the Act. An organisation needs to
ensure compliance across its supply
chain, and this also applies where
an organisation is working on a
project outside the UK.
Construction documentation:
It is advisable that provisions
are included in contracts which
address each party’s responsibilities
in relation to bribery.
ordered to pay out £17m. In January,
specialist printer Smith and Ouzman was
fined £1.3m under pre-Bribery Act
legislation. The same month, Scottish
based Braid Logistics reached a £2m
settlement with the Crown Office after it
self-reported incidents of bribery.
supply of tradesmen – even traditional
agencies – should take specialist advice
about these engagements.
Tax on dividends
Changes to the dividend tax regime
apply to all sectors, signifying a tax
hike for most limited company owners.
The notional 10% tax credit on
dividends was abolished, with the
introduction of a £5,000 tax-free
dividend allowance. Dividends above
this level will be taxed at 7.5% (basic
rate), 32.5% (higher rate) and 38.1%
(additional rate). These measures will
For a corporate organisation to have a
defence under the Act, it has to show that
it had adequate anti-bribery policies and
procedures in place. For instance, any
such policies and procedures should
include a mechanism to enable, and
support, an employee to “whistle blow” if
the employee considers that any practice
or behaviour might be in contravention of
the organisation’s anti-bribery policies.
The government’s official guidance on
the Act advises each organisation to adopt
a risk-based approach when introducing
anti-bribery policies and procedures and
sets out six illustrative principles:
Proportionate procedures: The
organisation needs to be mindful
of the scale of its business and the
bribery risks it faces.
Top-level commitment: The board and
management of the organisation should
promote anti-bribery measures.
Risk assessment: The organisation
needs to conduct and document
regular assessments of its exposure
to bribery risks.
Due diligence: The organisation
needs to gather and store information
relating to any relevant parties.
Communication: Employees and
associated persons must understand
the organisation’s anti-bribery policies
and procedures.
Monitoring and reviewing: The
organisation needs to do this regularly
and make any necessary changes to its
anti-bribery policies and procedures.
Laura Teodorescu is a solicitor at
Pemberton Greenish.
have a harsh effect on those working
with spouses in small family firms – a
couple splitting income of £100,000
a year will be over £5,000 worse off.
These changes make personal service
companies (where an individual sets up
a limited company) less attractive. Many
will revert to traditional self-employed
arrangements – with the risk that HMRC
will reclassify these as employment – or
become full employees of contractors,
with a rise in costs and loss of flexibility.
Nick Pilgrim is managing director of
payroll services company EEBS.
Clash detection is seen as one
of the great benefits of the
BIM Level 2 process. As the
individual author models are
federated, clashes can be
identified. The authors of the
native models and the lead
designer can discuss how the
clash is best resolved and an
instruction issued to the author
of the model that is to change.
The clash detection process
involves collaboration and the
management of that process.
The CIC protocol assumes that
someone other than the BIM
manager will be responsible.
The industry has not yet
produced a standard solution
for managing this. Where
design is developed by a single
team, the information manager
and lead designer roles may be
established at inception and
may not need to move as the
design is developed. In a design
and build structure, where
responsibility for developing
the design moves from an
employer to a contractor, it is
likely that either or both roles
may need to transfer, as design
responsibility, model delivery
and production moves from the
client team to the contractor.
In this web of liabilities and
obligations it is important to
provide a consistent structure.
Our industry building blocks of
consultant appointment
documents and standard
building contracts do not
produce that consistency when
delivering BIM. In many
respects, such documents do
not even deal with the issues
we need to address to achieve
satisfactory BIM collaboration.
For example, rights to access
and use data in a common data
environment are not part of
our standard documents, and
copyright solutions may not be
adequate to allow the
collaboration the team needs.
Further, BIM objects and
their associated intellectual
property may be produced or
owned by third-party libraries
or manufacturers, and provided
on terms that may be
inconsistent with traditional
documentation. Software
licensing, too, is not usually
part of the standard contract.
However, the complexity of
collaboration is recognised in
certain procurement models
and standard documents. One
solution is a multi-party
contract, such as PPC2000.
This can provide a template of
solutions for the whole team.
Providing the template for
how parties are to contract is
one thing, but monitoring what
they do in practice and helping
them to get it right is also an
important role. PPC2000
provides for a “partnering
adviser” to help the parties
complete and document the
collaboration. If we are to
produce documentation that is
“clash free”, perhaps we need
to consider the same for BIM.
Whether we adopt a multiparty solution or remain with a
bilateral contract structure,
there is a need for someone to
take responsibility for ensuring
that documents are fit for their
purpose, and that parties
complete the documentation
so that it is clash free.
Tim Willis is a consultant in
Trowers & Hamlins’ dispute
resolution and litigation
department.
BIM best practice
Read new case studies
from around the country
demonstrating BIM best practice
from Balfour Beatty, BAM,
Galliford Try, Kier, Costain and
many more. Go to the awardwinning BIM+ website:
www.bimplus.co.uk
CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
MANAGER
MANAGER
| JULY/AUGUST
| JUNE 2015
2016 || 39
39
38_39.CM.JUNE16_CONPROF.indd 39
17/05/2016 14:49
Construction Professional
CDM changes are still causing confusion
Twelve months on from their introduction, many construction companies are struggling to
understand the new CDM Regulations 2015, says Martin Cox
IT IS JUST OVER A YEAR since the Construction
(Design and Management) Regulations
(CDM) 2015 came into force – but the
evidence from site level is that they
are still some way from being fully
understood. At least, that is what CDM
advisers are finding.
When compiling the changes for
the 2015 Regulations, the Health &
Safety Executive (HSE) followed the
government’s desire to cut away red tape.
The Approved Code of Practice (ACoP)
from CDM 2007 – which had legal standing
and gave great clarity, as well as examples
of what was required – was revoked and
replaced by a guidance document. Failure
to follow the ACoP was not in itself an
offence, but those prosecuted for a
breach of health and safety law, who had
not followed the code, were likely to be
found at fault by the courts.
The new guidance incorporates loosely
worded provisions allowing a variety of
unclear interpretations. This has led to
misunderstanding of responsibilities and
confusion over exactly what is required.
In the past, if a project was of a
sufficient size to require an F10
notification – meaning the HSE must be
informed about the work – that was the
trigger for the CDM coordinator (CDMC) to
be appointed. But now, the trigger for the
appointment of a principal designer (PD)
is when there is likely to be more than
one contractor on site. This seems to be
frequently misunderstood by many clients,
project managers and contractors, who
cling to the F10 and length of the project.
The new CDM Regulations are
proving particularly problematic for
SME contractors, who may lack the
infrastructure, resources or inclination
to understand them. They often do not
have the templates or understand what
is expected of them in providing the
principal contractor role.
For instance, it is not uncommon to
see an SME contractor supply a
construction phase plan which includes
mention of the planning supervisor
role. This was a feature of the 1994
regulations, which were superseded by
Some smaller contractors are still failing to come to terms with the requirements of CDM 2015
“SME
contractors
may lack the
infrastructure,
resources or
inclination to
understand the
regulations”
the 2007 regulations, which replaced
the planning supervisor with the CDMC
role – itself dispensed with in CDM 2015.
This gives an illustration of how out of
touch some contractors can be with the
regulatory changes.
Additionally, SME construction
companies often show a complete
misunderstanding of their obligations
regarding welfare provisions, fire safety
plans and signing-in procedures.
There are also failings on the client
side. Many are still not appointing a
PD – the new requirement of CDM 2015 –
at an early stage as required. Often,
this role is not even considered until
well into the planning stage or after
a contractor is appointed.
One retail project was shut down
recently by the HSE because of its CDM
failings. The client was developing a
shop fronting onto a busy high street.
Most of the building had already been
demolished, leaving just a four-storey
front facade, supported by a wooden
lintel with a single cast-iron support and
buildings either side. A PD was appointed
but clearly had not assessed how or
if the buildings on either side were
supported. The unsafe nature of the site
led to an HSE prohibition notice.
Being a PD is not just a follow-on
from being a CDMC. The role still
requires health and safety knowledge
and experience, but it also needs an
understanding of technical issues such
as structural designs, fire safety and
building services. Because of this, the
scope for a single person to carry out the
role has been greatly reduced.
PDs need to impress upon clients the
importance of the role and that it is not
merely a throwaway appointment. Time,
money and, potentially, lives can be saved
if the PD and contractor are involved at
an early enough stage to provide sound
technical advice, prevent abortive work
and stop unsafe working practices.
Martin Cox is a senior health and safety
and CDM consultant at Pellings.
40 | JUNE 2016 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
40_CM.JUNE16.conprof.indd 40
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19/04/2016 10:42
Construction Professional
A game changer in carbon management?
A new standard for environmental management – PAS 2080 – aims to slash infrastructure carbon
emissions, and save the sector £1.5bn a year. Terry Ellis and Priyesh Depala explain
What is PAS 2080?
It is a new specification for carbon
management for the infrastructure sector.
Published this month, the standard will
provide all the guidance the value chain
needs to cut carbon in new and existing
infrastructure. Importantly, PAS 2080 is very
practical. It is a how-to guide that provides
a framework for organisations at all levels
of the value chain to collaborate and reduce
their carbon emissions – and their cost.
What is the problem it is
trying to address?
Use of infrastructure accounts
for approximately half of the UK’s
greenhouse gas emissions. The ambition
is to reduce UK emissions by 80% by
2050, therefore the infrastructure sector
needs to take action – now. And, as set
out in the Infrastructure Carbon Review,
cutting carbon also cuts cost.
What kind of company should use it?
It is written for any organisation which
operates in the infrastructure value
chain – asset owners and managers,
Terry Ellis
Priyesh Depala
“PAS 2080 is
about cutting
carbon to cut
costs, rather
than adding
costs on to
a business”
Key areas covered by PAS 2080:
l Integration of greenhouse gas emissions
management into infrastructure delivery
l Leadership and governance
l Quantification of greenhouse gas emissions
l Target setting, baselines and monitoring
l Reporting and information management
l Continuous improvement
l Supply chain responsibilities –
including asset managers,
designers, constructors and
product/materials suppliers
SMEs, designers, constructors and
product or material suppliers. PAS 2080
aims to provide a common language
and framework to manage carbon at all
levels of the infrastructure industry and
to facilitate collaboration throughout
infrastructure delivery. Collaborative
approaches are key to making sure
that every opportunity to cut carbon
can be identified.
Who should take responsibility for
cutting carbon in a company?
PAS 2080 is aimed at practitioners within
organisations, especially those working
hands-on in project delivery. Managing
carbon should be the responsibility of
everyone in an organisation.
What is in the standard?
PAS 2080 defines requirements for
leadership and governance, targets and
baselines, monitoring and reporting,
quantification and continual improvement.
The requirements are set out for each value
chain member, with guidance on how these
should be applied at each work stage. The
guidance document that accompanies the
specification provides examples and good
practice from across the infrastructure
sector against all the themes in PAS 2080.
Why is it different to existing
environmental standards?
There are already many standards
that detail how to quantify carbon.
PAS 2080 references these – for example,
BS EN15804, which measures whole-life
costs and embodied carbon of products
and materials – but differs in providing a
framework for managing carbon focusing
on supply chain member behaviours.
Most firms already have environmental
management systems in place, notably
ISO 14001, but while that aims to
manage and minimise the impacts of
environmentally damaging activities,
it doesn’t say how to reduce them. PAS
2080 provides the practical framework for
setting targets, monitoring performance
and reducing emissions.
Will it mean more red tape?
The PAS has been created to enable,
not restrict. While there are defined
requirements in PAS 2080, it enables value
chain members with varying maturities
in carbon management to understand
what is expected from them to improve
collaboration and innovation, and to realise
carbon and cost benefits. It references
standards for BIM and information
management to aid integration of carbon
management with other developments in
the industry. And it promotes early, strong
engagement with suppliers.
What will it cost?
PAS 2080 can be adopted by any
organisation with minimal cost. There
will be a period of transition, but it should
quickly become business as usual. There
is not a huge amount of investment
required, no new procedures to learn – it is
more about integrating existing systems
and processes. PAS 2080 is about cutting
carbon to cut costs, rather than adding
costs on to a business.
What outcomes will it deliver?
PAS 2080 will not guarantee success.
However, if applied intelligently with good
business management then it will be a
powerful enabler to drive down cost, cut
carbon emissions and unleash innovation.
The Infrastructure Carbon Review – Two
Years On report, published last month by
the Green Construction Board, outlines the
progress of many leading organisations in
this area. On 16 exemplar projects in the
past year, savings of 300,000 tonnes of
CO2e and £140m were recorded. More
and more organisations across the value
chain are demonstrating that they are
able to identify and implement carbon
reductions in the assets and programmes
they are involved with.
Terry Ellis is a principal environmental
scientist at Mott MacDonald and Priyesh
Depala is a graduate water sector
analyst with the consultancy. Both were
part of the PAS 2080 authoring team.
42 | JUNE 2016 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
42_CM.JUNE16.conprof.indd 42
16/05/2016 12:58
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09/02/2016 09:34
Contact
Contact
THE CHARTERED
INSTITUTE
OF BUILDING
MEMBERS’
NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 143
JUNE
2016
IN
THIS
ISSUE
45-48 ON THE RADAR
All the latest news and
developments from the CIOB at
HQ and in your area including
Yorkshire award winners and CIOB
committee vacancies
50 SCHOLARSHIPS
Could a CIOB scholarship be the key
to your career progression?
51 ONE TO WATCH
James Jackson from
Suffolk County Council
52 IN GOOD COMPANY
A London electricity substation
sparked a tricky and crucial project
for consortium
54 MEMBER BENEFITS
Take advantage of exclusive
member offers
55 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Key events by region for the
month ahead
44_45FINAL.indd 44
16/05/2016 12:03
ON THE
RADAR
Contact | Jun 16
global student challenge
Student challenge finalists head for Hong Kong showdown
>
The Finalists for the CIOB Global Student
Challenge have been announced.
Students acting as a board of directors for a
virtual construction company, in a simulated
environment, have been fighting it out over six
weeks of intensive competition to reach the
final of this year’s Global Student Challenge,
run by the CIOB.
Over 50 teams from universities all over the world
entered the competition, which began back in March.
The six teams to reach the finals, which will be held in
Hong Kong from the 9 –15 July, represent a truly
global mix. They are: Cali Construction (Glasgow
Caledonian University), BRE Team 4 (The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University), Oath Keeper (Chongqing
University), Prestige Worldwide (University of Cape
Town), Bond Agents (Bond University) and AGBA
(Deakin University). Of that, only Glasgow Caledonian
University and Deakin University have previously
been represented in the final.
The challenge utilises software developed by
Loughborough University where players take
decisions on staffing levels, estimating and bidding,
managing cash flow and capital and seeking
investment opportunities. It is seen by the industry
as an opportunity for university students to learn real
skills in contract management, teamwork and
leadership. Teams consist of 4 people who each take
on a specific job role such as finance director,
construction director or chief executive.
The winning team receives £2,000 in prize money
along with access to mentoring from industry leaders
who will offer advice and guidance on their future
careers and professional development.
The finalists will battle it out in Hong Kong in July for the coveted Global Student Challenge winner’s trophy
Right from the start team Cali Construction took an
early lead which was briefly taken from them before
they regained it the following week. In the final round
of competition, Oath Keeper leapt an impressive five
places to third place and in doing so secured their
position in the final.
Last year’s challenge was won by a team from
Glasgow Caledonian University. Loughborough
University finished second, while the University of
Hong Kong came third. The other three finalists were
all from Australia: University of Newcastle; Curtin
University; and Deakin University.
Dale Mason, one of the members of the 2015
winning team from Glasgow said: “The best thing about
this competition is the business learning side. It’s a
massive learning curve, seeing things not just in terms
of calculations and equations, but in terms of the
outcomes of your decisions. The hardest thing has
been learning diplomacy skills and finding a way to
come to an agreement – team working – it sounds easy
but it is quite difficult at times.”
You can find live updates and further information
online at http://gsc.ciob.org.
trustees
ELECTION RESULTS: NEW CIOB TRUSTEES
The CIOB Board of
Trustee’s Election Results
2016 has now taken place
and all votes have been
verified and counted.
2,879 voters took part in
the election, with 7 spoilt
papers confirmed. (14.4%
of the electorate)Each
44_45FINAL.indd 45
voter was able to cast a
maximum of 2 votes and
the results are as follows:
Candidates and number
of votes:
Richard Sapcote FCIOB 1084
Ivan McCarthy FCIOB 1075
Paul Dockerill FCIOB 840
Jason Margetts FCIOB 811
Tim Barrett FCIOB 772
In accordance with the ByeLaws, the two candidates
with the highest votes
are deemed elected from
the close of the AGM.
Richard Sapcote and Ivan
McCarthy have accepted
the positions and will be
duly elected to the Board
of Trustees for tenure of
three years, commencing
at the close of the AGM.
The AGM will take place
on Monday 11 July 2016
at 9:00 HKT at the Grand
Hyatt Hotel, Hong Kong.
See more at:
www.ciob.org/mediacentre/news/ciob-boardtrustees-election-results2016#sthash.BICVSG4e.dpuf
45
16/05/2016 12:03
ON THE
RADAR
Contact | Jun 16
event
award ceremony
CIOB promotes the role of professionals in
contributing to the Northern Powerhouse
>
The CIOB was extending its
influence at the North England
Build in April. The event is the
construction expo for the Northern
Powerhouse – the networking
organisation for public and private
sector businesses with interest in the
North of England.
Attended by the major construction
companies and numerous industry bodies
including the CIOB the event showcased
the latest infrastructure, residential and
commercial projects as well as exclusive
updates on tender opportunities and
government strategy.
With £24bn of investment sought for
infrastructure projects in the North of
England the Government’s vision of a
Northern Powerhouse is becoming
a reality.
But with a continuing skills shortage,
especially at the management level, the
challenge of capturing the next tranche of
talent is an area the industry has to
address. At the Expo the CIOB
demonstrated why construction
management is so important to the
Northern Powerhouse and how those
already in construction, or looking to join,
can start their journey into senior positions.
Speaking ahead of the event Jacqueline
Balian a director at the CIOB said: “There are
The CIOB was one of the key bodies at the recent North England Build event
great opportunities ahead for the North of
England. The investment in infrastructure
will bring with it an increasing demand for
construction managers. That demand will
have to be met and we have to ensure that
there is a pipeline of talent coming into the
industry and that a management career is
accessible for all kinds of backgrounds.” The CIOB introduced the benefits of
membership and its Chartered Membership
Programme. There were also specific talks
for those looking to take their first step on
a management career through the CIOB’s
own Site Management and Site Supervisory
qualifications. These qualifications in
particular help those at the trade level
progress to supervisor and into
management roles.
In the main conference Chris Chivers,
CIOB President,chaired the Excellence in
Construction Project Management session.
And Gordon Harker detailed why it’s
important the industry showcases its
finest achievements in project
management through the highly sought
after Construction Manager of the
Year Awards. Looking at the future
challenges in construction project
management Wes Beaumont, BIM
Information Manager at Arcadis and CIOB
Member, explored the new emerging skills
for project manager roles.
At a recent ceremony
the CIOB awarded new
Fellows, Members
and a Chartered
Environmentalist.
Fellows: Vian
Ahmed, David Brophy,
Christopher Cheshire,
Mark Coleman, Russell
Cooke, Thomas Dwyer,
Matthew Flanagan,
Tarek Hassan, Robert
Mawson, Daniel
Nebbitt, Keith Parker
and Julia Robinson.
Members: Nana
Amoako, Carlton
Austrie, Neil Banks,
Lee Bartlett, Steven
Bennett, Stephen
Booth, Matthew Bowler,
Richard Bray, Gavin
Brothers, Ian Burton,
Adam Cartwright,
Richard Cooke, Martin
Daccus, Sarah Davis,
Benjamin Downton,
John Egerton, Robert
Francis, Pedro Garcia
Santisteban, David
Gray, Mark Hanks, David
Harris, David Hitchcock,
David Jardine-Wilkinson,
Peter McLaughlin,
Andrew Martin, David
Mayo, Jesse Meek,
Anthony Mills, Neil
Morgan, Michael
O’Byrne, Thomas
Parson, Ronald Pinfield,
Anthony Pitcher, Gary
Pollard, Polly Priday,
John Riordan, Horland
Rochester, Sukhjinder
Seehra, Marcus Shaw,
Deborah Stone,
Anthony Walker and
Anthony Weirich.
Chartered
Environmentalist:
Paul White
ireland
CIOB News
CIOB VISIT BELFAST LISTED BUILDING REVAMP INTO STUDENT ACCOMMODATION
46
John Bell House in Belfast now
houses student accommodation
46_49.FINAL.indd 46
Chartered building
company O’Hare &
McGovern, arranged a site
visit for CIOB members
to John Bell House, new
student accommodation at
the iconic former Belfast
Met college at College
Square East.
The attendees were
given a guided tour of
the building by project
manager Edward O’Hare
and design manager
Eamon Laverty. The
walkthrough included
an overview of how the
listed building is being
converted to house over
400 bedrooms as part of
a £16m redevelopment
project. Work includes the
full refurbishment of the
existing five floors within
the building as well as the
addition of three floors at
roof level. Commenting on
the event, Gerard Graham,
Chair of CIOB in Ireland’s
Northern Centre said,
“This was a great
opportunity to see how
a city centre building
is being transformed
within a challenging and
restricted timeframe. “
16/05/2016 12:04
• If you have moved or changed any of your details recently, don’t forget to tell
us. You can update your details online – simply log in to “members area” of the
website www.ciob.org. Or email us at memenquiry@ciob.org.uk or call our
membership customer services team on +44 (0) 1344 630706 for further help.
If you would rather post your details send them to: The Chartered Institute of
Building, 1 Arlington Square, Downshire Way, Bracknell RG12 1WA, UK
awards
TV star helps winners celebrate at Yorkshire annual
awards event
>
Representatives from housing
providers and construction firms
across Yorkshire came together at the
end of April to celebrate the Committed
to Construction in Humber & West
Yorkshire Awards.
The awards, held at the New Dock Hall,
Leeds andendorsed by CIOB, reflected the
dynamic nature of the construction
industry and highlighted the broad
spectrum of construction excellence
delivered by businesses in the area.
CIOB Leeds & West Yorkshire Centre
Chairman, Elaine Armitage said - “These
awards celebrate the region’s commitment
to building communities and highlight the
broad spectrum of construction excellence
delivered by businesses working in the
area. They demonstrate what can be
achieved through strong partnerships, a
clear vision and delivery through high
quality implementation.
We were overwhelmed at quality of the
entries we received. The winners are all
very deserving of their awards and we look
forward to seeing them again next year
and finding out more about their ongoing
and future programmes of work.”
Hosted by TV’s Mark Durden Smith, the
12 winners were presented with their
awards by representatives from the
category sponsors.
Guest enjoying the prestigious CCIHWY awards
at Leeds’ New Dock Hall
AwardSponsor Winner
Achiever of the Year Award
Clugston Construction John Gittins – Interserve Construction
Corporate Responsibility Award
Wetherby Building Systems & Soar Build
Training Award
Leeds College of Building Keepmoat
Team of the Year Award
Yorkshire Builders Federation HECDM Apprenticeship Team – LCB
Innovation Award
Ambitemp (M&E) Ltd Britcon UK Ltd
Sustainability Award
Keepmoat (JOINT) Interserve & Clugston Construction
Health & Safety Award
LSS Waste Henry Boot Construction Ltd
Collaborative Working Award West & Machell
Trainee of the Year Award
J F Finnegan Ltd Tom Gibbons – Henry Boot Construction
Heritage & Refurbishment Award E Fletcher & Sons Sewell Construction
Project of the Year Under £5m
Alternative Windows Laura Mitchell Health & Wellbeing Centre – Clugston Construction Ltd
Interserve Construction
Interserve Construction
Project of the Year Over £5m
CITB Construction Skills Leeds Housing Regeneration Project – Keepmoat, sc4L & Leeds City Council
The Awards will be held again next year in Spring 2017. The Committed to Construction in
Humber & West Yorkshire Awards are the most prestigious event in the construction
industry’s social calendar in the region.
For further information, please contact Nicky Senior at Little Spark – 07817974804 nickysenior@littlespark.co.uk
wales
CIOB GETS EARLY SIGHT OF NEW ROYAL MINT VISITOR CENTRE
The cladding evokes the iconic
design of the 50p piece
46_49.FINAL.indd 47
The Novus Wales
committee arranged a
presentation and tour of
the soon-to-be-complete
new Royal Mint Visitor
Centre. The project, being
completed by contractor
ISG in Llantrisant in South
Wales, is a single-storey,
steel frame building
featuring a striking
burnished stainless steel
cladding system to its
façade.
The new visitor centre
will include precious
artefacts, café, educational
area and conference
space. HRH The Queen will
officially open the centre
this spring.
The external cladding
has been designed in a
hexagonal configuration
and in multiple shades
to create a colour change
effect that varies with
natural light and evokes
the iconic design of the 50
pence piece. Matt Wales who
attended the event
commented: “It was great
to see what I am sure
will be an iconic welsh
building.”
CIOB News
y
HAVE WE GOT YOUR CONTACT DETAILS CORRECT?
47
16/05/2016 12:04
ON THE
RADAR
ON THE
RADAR
Contact | Jun 16
Contact | Jun 16
scotland
news in brief
Awards, education and roulette at dinner event
>
Almost 500 guests attended the
CIOB Scotland Annual Dinner at
the end of April enjoying an evening of
entertainment and a fun casino.
The event was also used to launch
the Design Engineer Construct
Programme (DEC) – a learning
programme for secondary school pupils
– which is now accredited on the
Scottish Qualifications Framework
following financial support from the
CIOB and the support of the Scotland
Branch to ensure engagement with
employers across the country.
Awards were also given at the event:
Guest and award winners at the CIOB Scotland Annual Dinner
• OPEN AWARD WINNER:
Neil Kelly of MacRoberts
• INNOVATION AND RESEARCH
WINNERS: Heriot Watt
• GLOBAL STUDENT CHALLENGE
WINNERS 2015: Glasgow Caledonian
University
• SERVICE AWARD WINNERS:
Donald Kemp and Mike Turner
Jim Grieve, branch treasurer, received the
Recognition of Achievement Award. This
Award recognises the years of dedication
given to the Branch and Centres by Jim, but
also his wider contribution to the CIOB with
his most valuable input to developing new
finance procedures. The dinner’s main sponsors were
Contract Scotland and Competence
Matters as well as support from Aird Group
of Companies, Brookfield Multiplex,
McLaughlin & Harvey, Novus Property
Solutions, Pacific Building, Peace
Recruitment and Wm Tracey Ltd
Emma Marriott, director, Contract
Scotland said: “Contract Scotland shares
the same vision of attracting the young to
the construction industry, improving
standards and promoting careers in
construction. We are committed to
improving diversity in construction and
addressing the skills shortage with the
addition of our Social Enterprise,
Constructing Futures, and identifying
talent in Europe from our base in Spain.
These candidates have a superb skill set
and we are introducing to the UK.”
David Aitken, managing director of
Competence Matters said: “It is vital the
sector recognises that the demographics of
our workforce are changing and changing
faster than most realise. The average age
of the workforce is getting significantly
older and the industry needs to take
cognisance of this fact if we are to head off
the looming skills crisis at the pass. By
sponsoring such events we can raise
awareness of the issue and hopefully
stimulate debate on how best to recruit and
develop the talent that will be the
backbone of the sector in years to come”.
To take advantage of an early bird deal
for the next Annual Dinner contact
lmckay@ciob.org.uk
> STILL TIME
TO APPLY FOR
RESEARCH
FUND
The CIOB is offering
between £2,000 £10,000 for original
research projects via
its Bowen Jenkins
Legacy Research
Fund.
Now in its second
year the Fund
is targeting five
areas of research:
sustainability;
corporate social
responsibility;
building
performance
improvement;
application of
digital technologies;
and employment
practices in
construction. Saleem Akram
CIOB director said:
“There were more
than 50 applications
last year from 12
countries and we are
convinced that many
more untapped
ideas exist out
there. All they need
is help getting
off the ground.”
Funding is
accessible for
individuals,
companies or
larger research
projects within
other organisations.
Details about how to
enter are available
on the CIOB website.
The Fund is open
for entry until 15 July 2016.
ireland
CIOB News
IRELAND FOCUSES ON CONSTRUCTION FUTURES AND AWARDS STUDENTS
48
CIOB Ireland held an education
event and student awards
46_49.FINAL.indd 48
The CIOB in Ireland, North
Western Centre, teamed
up with North West
Regional College in April to
host a Construction
Futures event. This
highlighted the various
routes to and benefits of
a career in the industry to
an audience of school
students. Guest speakers
included Rebecca
Thompson, CIOB Vice
President,Leo
Strawbridge, Derry &
Strabane DC, John Farren,
IMAC Facilities
Management, Shona
Watson, Kevin Watson
Group, Paul McNamee,
Heron Bros.Ltd. and David
Little, Chairman CIOB in
Ireland.
Alongside this event the
Centre held its annual
student award ceremony
and presented CIOB
Bronze Medals to mature
students from
Letterkenny, Omagh and
Derry. Robert Kelleher
from Sligo Institute of
Technology received the
“Joe White Memorial Cup”
for overall best student
2016.
16/05/2016 12:05
Look out for roadshows in June on ‘One CIOB’
One CIOB is the Institute’s plan to introduce new services and
support. It will make events more accessible, improve the CPD
programme and online portal, upgrade management systems,
and improve member communications. There will also be a
new Local Hub structure to help meet members’ local needs.
See more at www.ciob.org/one-ciob
training
New training course tackles need for retrofit expertise
>
The National Trust and the
Federation of Master Builders have
teamed up to work on improving
expertise and the treatment traditional
buildings receive by upskilling through
a national two-day training programme
to be delivered throughout England
and Wales.
It was launched last month at the FMB’s
national conference in Brighton by Brian
Berry the Chief Executive of the FMB, Rory
Cullen, Head of Building at the National
Trust and John Edwards of Edwards Hart
Consultants who will deliver the training.
The course was developed by CITB’s
National Construction College and specialist
building consultancy Edwards Hart. Director
of Edwards Hart, John Edwards FCIOB said:
“It is very common to treat traditional
buildings as modern buildings with many
unintended consequences”.
This two-day course is the only course of
its kind that delivers a qualification and is
independently accredited by the Scottish
Qualification Authority.
The National Trust will also see many of
its staff train and get qualified. Head of
buildings at the National Trust Rory Cullen
FCIOB said: “The National Trust may have
many fine country mansions but it also has
thousands of small dwellings, many of
which are not listed. We would like to see as
many of our people as possible take part in
this training and believe that only by
A new training course in retrofitting will educate candiates on how to treat traditional buildings
improving our knowledge, will we properly
and safely improve our valuable buildings.”
The course takes a holistic approach and
identifies the many other ways in which
buildings can be made more energy
efficient and sustainable before
contemplating retrofit.
John Edwards added: “It’s a huge
mistake to jump in and retrofit without
first properly understanding the building
and its condition and that’s the approach
that this course takes.”
The course includes latest innovations
and research by BRE, Historic England,
STBA and others and is being offered at a
subsidised rate due to funding from CITB,
but places are limited.
For more information,
visit the Environment Study
Centre website: https://environment
studycentre.org/
The National
Trust will put its
staff through
the new two
-day training
programme
which delivers a
qualification
vacancies
The CIOB is currently
seeking three individuals
to join the Regulatory
Management Committee. This committee is
responsible for overseeing
the CIOB’s compliance with
Ofqual and Qualifications
in Wales’ regulations.
46_49.FINAL.indd 49
It also monitors and
oversees the quality
systems for vocationally
related regulated
qualifications. This is a
volunteer position. The Institute also
requires External Verifiers
for the Level 3 Diploma
in Construction Site
Supervisory Studies and
the Level 4 Certificate and
Diploma in Construction
Site Management
Programmes.
The closing date for
applications is 18 June
2016.
For full details of the
criteria for these vacancies
and/or to make an
expression of interest in
either of the vacancies
please send your CV
with a covering letter to
Marita Trevett at
mtrevett@ciob.org.uk
CIOB News
CIOB SEEKS COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND DIPLOMA VERIFIERS 49
16/05/2016 12:05
LEARNING
CURVE
Scholarships
>
MASTER MINDS
CIOB Scholarships
>
50
The CIOB’s suite of scholarships
help to advance individual
careers, employers’ intellectual
properly and industry knowledge
The CIOB offers several scholarships in a
variety of sectors of the built environment.
Research grants of £3,000 are awarded to
the most deserving candidates annually.
Scholars carry out their research on their
chosen topic and are offered mentoring
and support via the CIOB and the partner
sponsor – The Worshipful Company of
Constructors (WCC) and the University
College of Estate management (UCEM).
They then present their findings to an
audience of industry experts and produce
a 10,000 word report. They are nominated
and supported by their employer.
UK Construction related companies
identify and nominate talented graduates
who have demonstrated exceptional skills,
motivation and drive.
It is through these research scholarships
that the CIOB hopes to champion thought
leadership, promote innovation, encourage
advancement, develop leadership skills and
expand the knowledge base within the
industry. For the successful individuals it
helps to advance their careers and their
research benefits their employer as well as
the wider industry.
Saleem Akram, CIOB director says:
“Supporting those who want to unlock
their leadership potential on the back of
real work experience can only be good
for them and for an industry in need of as
many leaders as it can get.”
The CIOB scholarships support
individuals from a wide variety of
backgrounds and throughout different
stages of their careers. Last year it
awarded 40 student scholarships and six
industry scholarships. It anticipates that
figure will be higher this year.
Entries for some of the scholarships are
now being invited.
50_51FINAL.indd 50
Sustainability
Whether you are interested in the advent
of carbon accounting on projects or the
importance of water conservation in the
future, the Sustainability Scholarship
encourages a company to carry out
research using one of its employees.
The scholarship is funded in partnership
between the CIOB, the Worshipful
Company of Constructors, and the College
of Estate Management. It is open to
candidates working for companies based in
the UK and to qualify each candidate must
be nominated by their employer.
Dr Gina Al-Talal, Scholarships and
Research Manager at the CIOB said:
“Construction can lead the green agenda
and help society meet the demand for
greater housing, adaptable working
environments and smarter infrastructure
without compromising future generations.
The industry needs green leaders and
that is what we are developing in this
programme.”
Inga Geach, sustainability manager
at Willmott Dixon was the 2015/16
Sustainability scholar. Inga’s research
investigated the role sustainability plays
in contractor selection and evaluation.
Inga’s study confirmed that sustainability
played a considerable role but it emerged
that different types of customers had very
different ambitions regarding sustainability.
Sir Ian Dixon
Sir Ian Dixon was CIOB’s President from
1989 to 1990 and head of Willmott
Dixon. He was an enthusiastic supporter
of innovation and education within the
industry. The scholarship was established
in 1997. It is funded and supported by
Sir Ian Dixon Legacy, the CIOB and The
Worshipful Company of Constructors.
Adam Golden from Costain, was the
2015/16 scholar. HIs research examined
the impact behaviours can play within the
areas of conflict and dispute.. The principal
findings show that behaviour is influential
in relation to conflicts and disputes; SMEs
were found to be more adversarial than
large companies and draconian clauses
were cited as encouraging negative
behaviours.
Faculty of Architecture & Surveying
If your company would benefit from
research on any topic related to design or
surveying, the Faculty of Architecture and
Surveying Scholarships are for you. It’s a
chance to work out what impact emerging
trends and changing practices could have
on your business, whilst developing one of
your employees.
> CLOSING DATES
Applications for the
Building Control &
Standards Scholarship
2015/16 are now
open and will close
on 17 June 2016.
For closing dates and
more information on
all scholarships please
contact Dr Gina Al-Talal
at the CIOB on GAlTalal@ciob.org.uk>
Building Control & Standards
Scholarship
This relatively new scholarship aims to
encourage advancements in the building
control profession and the development of
Building Regulations. Each year the Faculty
of Building Control and Standards, together
with the Local Authority Building Control
(LABC), select a chosen scholar.
16/05/2016 12:06
ONETOWATCH
James
Jackson
MCIOB, Corporate
Property Advisor,
Suffolk County Council
Pictured top: Adam Golden
from Costain and Inga
Geach from Willmott Dixon
(holding certificates) at
their presentation evening.
Bernadette Bowen (bottom
picture, left) was the 2016
Building Control Scholar. Her
research tackled performance
gaps in design and
construction of new buildings
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
A flavour of the high calibre
scholars/research:
The candidate submits to the CIOB
their CV and a brief report (approx. 500
words) as to why they have applied and
details of their chosen research topic. The candidate is invited for interview
and gives a 10-15 minute PowerPoint
presentation to a small panel of
representatives from the CIOB and
scholarship partners like The Worshipful
Company of Constructors and the
University College of Estate Management.
This provides an opportunity for
discussion, questions and comment.
Once selected, the candidate will
then meet with experts every few
months to receive support and mentoring.
At the end of the 12-month scholarship
period they share their findings in a
presentation, hosted by their company.
The scholar must also produce a report
of 8,000-10,000 words, together with
an abstract.
• RICHARD DAVID, Wilmott Dixon.
‘Procurement & Contract Choice:
A Contributor to Project Failure?’
• WES BEAUMONT, Kier Construction.
‘How can the Government’s Construction
Strategy be realized in practice?’
• ANNA BAKER, MCIOB. Sir Robert
McAlpine. ‘How effective are contract
clauses in securing sustainable outcomes?’
•
RICHARD BARTLETT,
Willmott Dixon.
‘The influence of sustainability
drivers for main contractors with regard
to material choices in non-domestic
construction.’
•
ED DIXON, Mace.
‘The relationship between
sustainable construction
and lean project management’.
•
anyway, would ultimately fulfil
my technical and methodical
way of thinking.
Q What has been your
toughest challenge to
date?
Working full time and
undertaking a part time degree,
did place a lot of pressure on
me. I am also finding it a
challenge fulfilling the wide
range of competencies that are
required in order to complete
the Building Surveying APC with
the RICS, so I am looking for
new ways in being able to
achieve this wherever possible. Q Any embarrassing work
moments to share?
At the office Christmas party I
was once given a mankini as a
secret Santa present and was
made to wear it. Not really
something anyone would want
to see, no matter what time of
the day!
Q When you’re not at work
how do you spend your
time?
I spend a great deal of time
with my trained working
gundog Labrador Retriever,
Esta. She keeps me active and
healthy by walking between
3-6 miles every day, both before
and after work and also when I
am training her and attending
shooting days where she will be
used to ‘pick up’. Also, I try to
keep up my participation in
motocross racing, a sport that
has been a hobby of mine for 13
years or more, but is more
difficult the older I get!
•
CIOB Members
PAST SCHOLARS
Q Tell us about your career
to date
I have been solely working for
the Suffolk County Council in
the Corporate Property
department, where I started as
a trainee in July 2006. The role
itself is diverse and consists of
overall property management
of the council’s built assets
ranging from schools, children’s
centres, offices, sports centres
and so on. After my first year’s
temporary contract was
fulfilled, I was enrolled onto a
part time Building Surveying
degree with the Anglia Ruskin
University in Chelmsford,
where I achieved a First Class
award in 2012. From
completing this degree and as
part of a company re-structure
I was promoted to the role of a
Building Surveyor or Corporate
Property Advisor known locally
within the firm. As part of a
personal ambition to develop
my knowledge and skills base
further, I completed the
Professional Review with the
CIOB and was awarded MCIOB
status in October 2015.
Q Why did you choose
construction as a career?
What else would you have
done?
I chose a career in the
construction industry after
always hearing of my father’s
personal ambition to become
an architect. He always said
that he had wished he had the
knowledge to be able to work
in this industry.
I had a desire to become a
graphic designer, which
although is not related in
51
50_51FINAL.indd 51
16/05/2016 12:06
INGOODCOMPANY
>
National Grid
>
Morgan Sindall ABB
Powerful stuff
Construction of an electricity substation in a tricky
spot was a complex project for Morgan Sindall
T
he Electricity Alliance Central (a
consortium of Morgan Sindall and
ABB) is building a new substation in
West London, working on behalf of National
Grid. The new substation at Kensal Green
forms part of the wider £1bn London Power
Tunnels scheme, which will create a new
32km electricity superhighway under
London. Upgrading the existing high
voltage (275 and 400kV) power
transmission system across the capital, the
project will support the increase in demand
for energy in the UK’s continually growing
capital city. The Kensal Green substation is
situated between the existing Willesden, St
John’s Wood and Wimbledon National Grid
substations, which will be linked by 20
kilometres of three and four metre diameter
tunnels.
Capital sparks
Case study
These tunnels will provide the conduit for
the new electricity supplies into London.
The new substation also features two
transformers which will deliver a 27.5kV
supply to the Crossrail project which passes
immediately next to the works.
The project included the construction of
three steel framed clad buildings and a brick
built building along with a substantial
52
52_53.FINAL.indd 52
retaining wall, drainage, ducting, troughing
and perimeter fence works.
Morgan Sindall’s work has involved
working with National Grid in supporting
the planning application submission, and
coordination with other parties such as
Network Rail and the Canals and Rivers
Trust in the construction of the
substation.
Ground works on the site involved
dealing with the legacy of gas works and
industrial activity in the area. Excavation
of old industrial and gas industry materials
involved a considerable amount of testing
as work progressed to ensure the material
was disposed of correctly.
Ground conditions also dictated the use
of reinforced concrete piled foundations
for the buildings and transformer bund.
These were installed using a rotary rig to
minimise vibration given the proximity of
the canal, railway and gas works.
The substation is wedged between the
Grand Union Canal and National Rail lines
forming the approaches to Paddington
Station. Availability of land for industrial
purposes such as this in London is at a
premium. This prompted a more innovative
design, using compact Gas Insulated
Switchgear manufactured by ABB to allow
“The combination of the tight footprint and mulitple
contractor interfaces required close collaborative
engagement between all parties on site”
16/05/2016 12:09
Grid unlock
The Kensal Green
substation is part
of the £1billion
London Power
Tunnels programme
to enhance electricity
supply to the capital,
including the
Crossrail scheme
the substation to have a very compact
footprint ensuring best value for National
Grid and its customers. Morgan Sindall has
built two steel framed buildings to house
this Gas Insulated Switchgear and provide
a dedicated control building. Both of
these buildings (and two head houses
constructed by others) are clad in a
secondary architectural mesh. This mesh
is supported on an exoskeleton of
steelwork fixed outside the normal
weatherproof shell of the building.
Building walls
Ground levels on site (an approximate six
metre difference between canal towpath
and rail side) meant that a sizable
retaining wall was required to maximise
the footprint available for the substation
construction. Due to the presence of an
existing wall on a similar line, Morgan
Sindall installed a temporary sheet pile
wall prior to removing the existing
concrete wall. The new reinforced
concrete retaining wall was then
constructed using traditional panel
shuttering moved in panels by mobile
cranes. Use of a crane close to the
Network Rail line necessitated close
collaboration with Network Rail which
52_53.FINAL.indd 53
See more at http://construction.morgansindall
com/case-study/electricity-alliance-central
•
Case study
>
had a safety representative on site during
periods when the crane was in use.
The combination of the tight footprint
and multiple contractor interfaces required
close collaborative engagement between
all parties on site. This has been managed
through regular coordination meetings
with all parties working on and next to
the construction site.
Dan Angel, National Grid Project
Manager, who worked on the project,
commented: “Morgan Sindall has had a key
role in supporting National Grid in managing
the various interfaces on site between
contractors, developing the collaborative
behaviours needed to deliver within
complex schemes such as the London
Power Tunnels Project, ensuring we deliver
the project safely, on time and within
budget.”
After two and a half years’ work, a major
milestone was achieved on 21 July 2015
when the project achieved its High Voltage
System Clearance Certificate, meaning
the site was accepted by National Grid,
and is now operational.
Whilst the majority of work is complete,
the remaining works will be finished in the
first quarter of 2016 following the
completion of third party works on site.
53
16/05/2016 12:09
MEMBER BENEFITS
FULL CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP OF CIOB brings with it many benefits,
not least the descriptors Chartered Construction Manager or Chartered
Builder, the right to vote or to become a trustee. Being a member
or fellow also gives you exclusive access to discounts and special
deals on products and services that could enhance your professional
development, help your business or boost your earning power.
Products and services currently on offer from our special
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DIS BE
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MASTERCLASSES
16 Years of Explaining the Contract and Avoiding Disputes
learning
Despite technological
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changes, costly disputes
still arise on construction
projects. How disputes are
handled and resolved can
have a significant impact
on the financial success of
projects, and the parties
involved in them. Are you
fully familiar with expert
determination as a route
to dispute resolution? Do
you fully understand the
difference between an
expert witness and an
expert advisor, and their
differing duties and
roles? Hill International
have been providing CIOB
members with
Masterclasses around the
world for over sixteen
years. Each one is uniquely
tailored to its location, and
the series continues this
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• A
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October - Delay,
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ondon, 10 November •L
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•G
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•D
- Adjudication
On the subject of
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3 Did the delay lead to a
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Increasingly in courts and
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the tribunal is looking for
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This was highlighted in a
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because clear proof of
cause and effect couldn’t
be demonstrated.
Each Masterclass
features world leading
experts from around the
world discussing the latest
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This autumn is no
exception, with speakers
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from adjudication, to NEC3
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Call 0330 102 6158 or visit www.ciobinsuranceservices.com for more details
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process, take a look at Bidcon. It’s a new arrival on the UK market and is available from Elecosoft – the developers
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54
54.FINAL.indd 54
16/05/2016 12:17
DATESFORYOURDIARY
EAST OF ENGLAND
NOVUS Treasure Hunt
11 June, 1:30pm
Cambridge City
Contact: bgrange@ciob.
org.uk
Visit to North West
Cambridge
14 June, 6pm
Gravel Hill Farm
Contact: mrix@ciob.org.uk
One CIOB roadshow
15 June, 6:30pm
Holiday Inn Cambridge
Contact: mrix@ciob.org.uk
Tour around Peterborough
Cathedral
22 June, 6pm
West Front of Cathedral
Contact: mrix@ciob.org.uk
IRELAND
Eastern Centre Committee
Meeting
14 June, Dublin
Contact: mcoleman@ciob.
org.uk
LONDON
NOVUS Treasure Hunt
(joint with East of England)
11 June, Cambridge
Contact: chierlehy@ciob.
org.uk
50 years of Building
London
17 June, One Whitehall
Place London
Contact:chierlehy@ciob.
org.uk
Chartered Environmentalist
Workshop
30 June, Mace Business
School
Contact: chierlehy@ciob.
org.uk
NOVUS Joint Organisations
Boat Trip
14 July 2016 on The
Golden Jubilee
Contact: chierlehy@ciob.
org.uk
Graduate route to MCIOB
18 July, Union Jack Club,
SE1 8UJ
Contact: chierlehy@ciob.
org.uk
NORTH EAST
Please be advised that
previously published AGMs
have been cancelled. There
will be no Branch or Centre
AGMs until further notice.
One CIOB Roadshow
7 June, 6pm, Durham
County Cricket Club,
Chester-le-Street
Contact: nsilcock@ciob.
org.uk
Professional Review
Workshop
21 June, 6pm, The Angel
View Inn, Gateshead
Contact: ????
NORTH WEST
NW Novus Site Visit
The Crescent
9 June, 4pm, Buxton,
Contact: bbrown@ciob.
org.uk
Velux Modular Systems
24 June, 6.30pm, Leyland
Golf Club Leyland
Contact: bbrown@ciob.
org.uk
JUNE TO
JULY 2016
Kent Annual Dinner
30 June, 7pm, Marriott
Tudor Park, Bearsted,
Maidstone
Contact: blawrence@ciob.
org.uk
SOUTH WEST
Visit and talk at the Exeter
Met Office ‘TRON’ Building
7 June 6.30pm, Exeter
Science Park, Honiton,
Exeter
Places limited to just 30.
Book soon!
Contact: jpye@ciob.org.uk
WALES
Flying High - A Novus
CPD event
2 June, 6.30pm,
Contact: vcoxon@ciob.
org.uk
Scotland Branch AGM
1 June, 5pm The Glasgow
City Hotel, Cambridge
Street, Glasgow
Contact:lymckay@ciob.
org.uk
CIOB Roadshow
6 June, 6pm, McDiarmid
Park Perth
Contact:lymckay@ciob.
org.uk
SOUTH EAST
If you have a smartphone, iPhone
or tablet, why not search your
apps for a free downloadable
QR reader and scan our details.
General
Main CIOB telephone
number
+44 (0)1344 630700
Chief Executive
Chris Blythe 01344
630701
Member Services
Head of Member &
Business Development
01344 630852
Change of Address
01344 630789/630731
Direct Debit Enquiries
01344 630831
Membership
Certificates
01344 630720
Membership Enquiries/
Progression
01344 630706
Subs Enquiries
(Members) 01344
630831
Training Partnerships
01344 630726
Certificate Ceremonies
01344 630785
SMTS Enquiries 01344
630742
Experienced
Practitioner Assessed
Programme (EPA)
01344 630887
Experienced
Practitioner Assessed
Report Route (EPAR)
01344 630887
Benevolent Fund 01344
630780
Professional
Development
01344 630716
Library Enquiries 01344
630873/737
Head of Education
01344 630822
Adjudication and
Dispute Resolution
01344 630732
Scholarship and
Research
01344 630776
Chartered Building
Company/
Consultancy Scheme
Chartered Building
Scheme Manager
01344 630746
Administrator 01344
630743
Publications
Magazine subscriptions
(non-members) 01344
630811
Construction Research
and Innovation (CRI)
01344 630735
Construction Manager
020 7490 5636
Contact 07704 336835
Policy and External
Relations
Deputy Chief Executive
01344 630702
Press Office 01344
630766
Web Site Enquiries
01344 630738
CIOB International
General Enquiries +44
(0) 1344 630791
CIOB Africa + 27 11 234
7877
CIOB Australasia +61 (2)
9816 4700
CIOB China East +86 21
2211 1556
CIOB China North +86
10 6528 1070
CIOB China West/South
+86 23 3670 6360
CIOB Hong Kong +852
2543 6369
CIOB Malaysia +852
(603) 2284 5754
CIOB Middle East +971
(0) 4457 9107
CIOB Singapore +65
6334 4116
The views expressed
in Contact are not
necessarily those of
the editor or the CIOB.
The editor reserves the
right to edit any article
submitted for publishing.
Printed on paper produced
from a sustainable source.
CIOB Diary Dates
Kent: CPD- Crossrail
7 June, 7pm, Holiday Inn,
Maidstone Road, Rochester
Contact: blawrence@ciob.
org.uk
Site Visit to Pinewood
Studios
7 June, 5.30pm, Pinewood
Studios, Bucks (meeting
point confirmed on
booking)
Contact: sbriggs@ciob.
org.uk
CPD – Renewable Energy
9 June, 6.30pm,
Cottesmore Golf Club,
Pease Pottage, Sussex
Contact: blawrence@ciob.
org.uk
Site visit – Bracknell
Regeneration
14 June, 5.30pm, Bracknell,
meeting point TBC
Contact: joparker@ciob.
org.uk
Site visit – Wilmcote Project
17 June, 1pm, Somerstown
Central, Tyseley Road,
Southsea
Contact: blawrence@ciob.
org.uk
CIOB centre. To receive information from the CIOB visit www.ciob.org.uk and
log on to the members’ area to input/update your details and preferences.
55.FINAL.indd 55
Contacts
SCOTLAND
find out more about events in your area go to www.ciob.org.uk/regions or
> To
look out for your electronic news and event updates from your CIOB branch or
The Chartered Institute of Building
The Chartered Institute of Building is at the
heart of a management career in construction.
Our focus is on those entering and already in a
management career in construction. By delivering
qualifications and certifications that meet the
needs of a changing industry. We work with
members, employers, academia and governments
across the globe to drive forward the science,
practice and importance of management in
construction.
OUR VISION: Built environment professionals
making a difference
OUR MISSION: To contribute to a modern,
progressive and responsible construction
industry, meeting the economic, environmental
and social challenges of a global society
OUR VALUES:
• Creating extraordinary people through
professional learning and continuing
professional development.
• Promoting the built environment as central to
quality of life for everyone, everywhere.
• Achieving a sustainable future worldwide.
• Being socially responsible and advocating
exemplary ethical practice, behaviour, integrity
and transparency.
• Pursuing excellence in worldwide management
practice and technological innovation rooted in
evidence based research.
• To be the inclusive valued Institute of choice
for built environment professionals.
We have over 47,000 members around the
world and are considered to be the international
voice of the building professional, representing
an unequalled body of knowledge concerning
the management of the total building process.
00
16/05/2016 12:28
Announcements
TO ADVERTISE ON THESE PAGES, CONTACT TOM PEARDON ON
T: +44 (0)20 7490 5595 E: tom@atompublishing.co.uk
New era for Secured by Design and ACPO CPI.
The national police project Secured by Design
and associated crime prevention activities have
been owned and operated by ACPO Crime
Prevention Initiatives since 1999, when it was
established as a not-for-profit, police owned
company. With the closure of the Association of
Chief Police Officers this highly successful
organisation is now owned by the Mayor’s
Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) on
behalf of the UK police services and will draw
Directors from several police forces.
In future the company will be known as
Police Crime Prevention Initiatives, retaining
Secured by Design as a trading name and its
key, widely-known, trademark brand. Existing
business areas Park Mark, Safer Parking,
Secured Environments, NPCC Security
Systems Group and Community Safety
Accreditation Scheme will all be retained under
the new ownership and company name.
Company activity is entirely supported by
private sector funding through more than 500
companies that make or supply security-related
products meeting the Secured by Design
Police Preferred Specification, or through
security industry links to the other business
areas. In the coming weeks the company will
work with them and other key partners to
replace their references to ACPO with, what will
for industry and public be the more easily
recognised, the Police CPI term.
Rebecca Lawrence, MOPAC Strategic
Director, joins as Director, whilst Alan McInnes
remains as Director and General Manager.
The Company Chairman, Peter Vaughan,
Chief Constable of South Wales, welcomed the
changes and said, “The transfer to MOPAC
ensures that this country-wide initiative will
continue to thrive and support the police service
in the reduction of crime. The model is unique
and benefits police, the public and industry.”
Rebecca Lawrence, for MOPAC, said,
“Secured by Design has made a significant
impact on the level of security in homes and
buildings, raising standards in security and
investing in research to benefit crime prevention
across the UK. We at MOPAC welcome the
opportunity to ensure it can continue to do so
and to develop new projects.”
For more information on company activity and to follow news on these changes see www.securedbydesign.com
Classified
When time is limited and resources are
constrained, QS Services can provide
a service specifically tailored to your
Company’s requirements.
QS Services Ltd is an independent, highly experienced Company,
which specialises in preparing, verifying and auditing Bills of
Quantities according to various modes of measurement, NRM2,
SMM7, CESMM3/4, POMI or bespoke B of Q.
We use a range of computer software to accurately
deliver detailed Bills of Quantities
Scope of work covers, Building, Civil, Rebar detailing,
Architectural, MEP and Industrial.
Our extensive knowledge of the Estimating and
Cost Modelling Service ensures a competitive tender,
delivered within your project deadline.
CONTACT: Owen McDevitt | owen@qs-services.com
www.qs-services.com | tel Off +44 (0)1372739407 | Mob +44 (0) 7869619021
56_57.CMJUNE16_CLASSIFIED_SPECIFIERS.indd 56
17/05/2016 16:35
Specifiers’ pages
TO SHOWCASE YOUR PRODUCTS ON THESE PAGES, CONTACT TOM PEARDON ON
T: +44 (0)20 7490 5595 E: tom@atompublishing.co.uk
MUST HAVE FOR BUILDERS AND PLUMBERS FROM EPSON
Automated and fast label printing, cost-saving options, and hands-free operation
make Epson’s new industrial-grade LabelWorks LW-Z900FK a must-have for
builders and plumbers. The LW-Z900FK is ideal for rapidly, efficiently and
affordable labelling electrics, cabling, including audio/video cables, data
communications equipment, as well as pipes and machinery. The label printer can
use up to seven different tape widths and three different shapes of die-cut
labels, all on tapes ,measuring up to nine metres long. Label types include
standard and specialist varieties such as heat-resistant, glow in the dark,
magnetic, die-cut and heat shrink tube labels, A unique pick and print function
enables the LW-Z900FK to print the next label in a pre-set series when it
detects that a user has ‘picked’ the previous label. With the ability to save up to
100 different label patterns. Hands-free operation is made possible by magnets
that can be used to hold the printer onto steel surfaces.
www.epson.co.uk
MOISTURE IN BUILDINGS IS FOCUS OF
TRADE BODY CONFERENCE
MOISTURE in buildings will be under the spotlight at a key
event for construction professionals, as the Property Care
Association (PCA) stages its annual International
Conference at the Møller Centre – within the University
of Cambridge – on May 12.
A panel of expert speakers from around the world will
discuss a variety of issues related to the topical subject
of moisture in property.
The panel includes renowned forensic industrial
hygienist Caoimhin Connell.
A talk on ‘flood resilience in the built environment’
by Stephen Garvin, Director of the Building Research
Establishment (BRE) Centre for Resilience will also feature
– while Colin King, director of the BRE with responsibility
for the refurbishment and hygrothermal performance
of buildings, will discuss the unintended consequences
of retrofit works,
Other speakers include Nicholas Heath, of the Sustainable
Traditional Buildings Alliance, who will talk about external
wall insulation and its use in retrofit, as well as Neil May
of the UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings and
Dr Hector Altermarino.
PCA members entitled to one complimentary place
and entry for additional attendees costs £75 plus VAT
per person. Entry for non-members is £100 plus VAT.
More details at www.property-care.org/
annual-conference-2016
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2016 | 57
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Project of the month
Met Office Supercomputer, Exeter
AN UNUSUAL, ANGULAR-SHAPED structure is
rising from the landscape in the deepest
West Country.
Located on the Exeter Science Park, this
will be the home for the Met Office’s new
‘super computer’. Thirteen times more
powerful than the system it replaces, and
capable of performing 16,000 trillion
calculations a second, the super computer
will play a key role in developing more
sophisticated weather and climate
models, which will help the UK’s resilience
to extreme weather events.
Willmott Dixon was appointed as main
contractor for the £22m project last
September, through the Scape framework,
and the strange-looking building is started
to take shape.
Switchboard
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Will Mann
Deputy editor
James Kenny
Online production
editor
Lucien Howlett
Advertising manager
Dave Smith
Key account manager
Tom Peardon
Credit control
Eva Rugeley
Managing director
Stephen Quirke
Art editor
Heather Rugeley
Engineer Atkins, which developed the
design with architect Stride Treglown,
services engineer Arup and structural
engineer WSP, describes the new structure
as “a spark of science-fiction in the West
Country” saying its “angular, computercircuitry design and turquoise neon-lights
was inspired by the movie Tron”.
The 30,000 sq ft facility comprises two
steel-framed structures. The IT hall, 90-m
long by 25m-wide with sloping sides, will
house the Met Office’s new £97m,
140-tonne supercomputer.
However, the more complicated building
is the two-storey ‘collaboration’ space.
Designed to reflect the patterns on a circuit
board, it has a hexagonal shape, with two
glazed, sloping facades at either end.
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The unusual angular
design has been
inspired by
computer-circuitry
The scheme is targeting a rating of
BREEAM Excellent.
Willmott Dixon project manager
Kristian Cartwright said: “We’ve used BIM
level 2 to deliver the project, which has
allowed greater collaboration on the
design and construction among the
project team.”
The contractor has recently completed
a space technology facility at Harwell
Science Campus in Oxfordshire, and south
west managing director Neal Stephens
says: “This will be another important
asset to the country’s technology sector,
and further complements our skill-set for
building science facilities.”
The supercomputer is set to be
operational by 2017. CM
Construction Manager
Published for the Chartered
Institute of Building by
Atom Publishing
Clerkenwell House
45/47 Clerkenwell Green
London EC1R 0EB
Tel: +44 (0)20 7490 5595
Fax: +44 (0)20 7490 4957
firstname@atompublishing.co.uk
Construction Manager is published monthly
by Atom Publishing. The contents of this
magazine are copyright. Reproduction in part
or in full is forbidden without permission of the
editor. The opinions expressed by writers of
signed articles (even with pseudonyms) and
letters appearing in the magazine are those of
their respective authors, and neither the CIOB,
Atom Publishing nor Construction Manager is
responsible for these opinions or statements.
The editor will give careful consideration to
material submitted – articles, photographs,
drawings and so on – but does not undertake
responsibility for damage or their safe return.
Printed by The Wyndeham Group. All rights
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and design, are owned by CIOB and/or Atom
Publishing. ISSN 1360 3566
58 | JUNE 2016 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
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