Building News is an information portal for all professional building specifiers. Here you can find all of the latest construction news from around the UK and the rest of the world.

Father and two sons jailed for supplying 180 illegal workers

CITB has helped secure convictions against a father and two sons who provided jobs for 180 illegal construction workers.

Baljit Rai, 55, and his two sons, Mandeep Rai, 32, and Daljit Pai, 34, from Littleover, Derby, were jailed last week for a total of 17-and-a-half years for supplying the illegal workers throughout the country.

Derby Crown Court heard that Mandeep was “the driving force behind the employment of most workers” and also created fake documents. He was jailed for seven and-a-half years, while Baljt and Daljit were both sentenced to five years.

CITB’s card fraud team supported the Home Office Immigration Enforcement and the Police in the investigation.

Ian Sidney, CITB Fraud Investigator, said “CITB takes illegal activity extremely seriously and it is critical that we continue to stamp out the fraudsters.

“I hope this conviction sends a strong message to anyone else that may be taking part in illegal activities, and highlights the seriousness of fraud in construction.

“We simply do not tolerate any fraudulent behaviour that puts people’s lives at risk or brings the industry into disrepute.”

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British steel is back!

Tata Steel UK have this week announced the completion of the sale of its Long Products Europe business to Greybull Capital LLP, securing 4,400 UK jobs and breathing new life into the floundering British industry.

During the last twelve months, the Long Products Europe business has implemented a transformation plan including a portfolio restructuring of assets, underpinned by committed support from employees and their trade unions. This has focused the business on higher-value markets supported by a more competitive cost base.

Mr Bimlendra Jha, Executive Chairman of the Long Products Europe business and CEO of Tata Steel UK said: “As a responsible seller, Tata Steel is delighted to have secured a buyer for this business and we hope that under Greybull Capital ownership, the business will continue the momentum of the improvement program that has been initiated in the last 12 months.

“Employees and trade unions have worked closely with the Long Products Europe management team to improve the business’s prospects, putting it in a more competitive position than it has been for many years. It is through their dedication and hard work that we are in this position today in spite of continued challenges in the market.”

From today the Long Products Europe business, which in the UK includes the Scunthorpe steelworks, two mills in Teesside, an engineering workshop in Workington, a design consultancy in York, and associated distribution facilities, as well as a rail mill in northern France, will trade under the name of British Steel. All together the business employs 4,800 people – 4,400 in the UK and 400 in France.

News of this deal completion will undoubtedly please workers at Tata. British Steel’s commercial director, Peter Hogg, said in the Guardian that jobs at the firm were now secure. “We have no plans to make any job reductions. The future of the business is based on that strong turnaround plan.”

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We’re a Nation of DIY Bodgers

  • Brits spend £244 correcting the average DIY decorating disaster, adding up to a staggering £6 billion by the nation per year
  • Our inability to complete decorating tasks means there are currently 31.7 million unfinished jobs in British households
  • One in ten Brits have injured themselves doing DIY decorating

With many Brits tackling DIY projects in their homes, new research has exposed the pitfalls that over-confident, self-proclaimed handymen and women may be up against. A study by Armstead Trade of more than 2,000 homeowners has revealed that three quarters of Brits have experienced DIY disasters that cost hundreds of pounds to put right.

According to the survey, the nation’s inability to complete basic DIY tasks to a decent standard, including painting a wall or a ceiling or putting up wallpaper means Brits spend £244 on average correcting their mistakes. This adds up to a staggering £6.19 billion spent on putting right a bodged attempt at decorating or DIY across the nation. Some DIY decorating results have been so poorly executed that 6% have had to splash out more than £1,000 for professionals to fix their bodged attempts.

The study, commissioned by professional paint brand, Armstead Trade, the ‘smart choice for professional decorators’, found that 67% of homeowners now avoid doing basic decorating themselves, with one in ten fearing they will repeat a previous disaster. 16% report feeling stressed at the prospect of completing a decorating project and 12% of men report that their partner does not trust them to do it. 36% of the nation admit that they simply don’t have the skills to do decorating themselves and as a result of this, there are now 31,767,600 unfinished decorating jobs across the country.

According to respondents, painting walls and ceiling are the jobs most likely to end badly (32%), followed by putting up wallpaper (15%), constructing flatpack furniture (14%) and putting up shelves (12%). When asked about their mistakes, a fifth of respondents admitted ruining carpet or furniture by spilling paint on them, with some even admitting to spilling paint on pets (4%) and children (1%). The research shows that many of these mishaps are down to attempting to do a DIY task too quickly (20%) while a lack of appropriate tools (16%) was also cited as a reason for a DIY decorating job not working out as well as was hoped. 3% reported that a decorating task ended in disaster after having consumed a few glasses of beer or wine. And one in ten has injured themselves while doing DIY and decorating. Aside from mishaps such as hitting themselves with a hammer, 6 per cent have fallen off a ladder and one in 25 men (4 per cent) have managed to do themselves such a mischief that they needed hospital treatment.

Revealingly, the survey also showed that DIY and decorating is the cause of rows and recrimination between 9 per cent of squabbling couples. So much so, that in a bid to impress, 7 per cent of men admit they have hired a professional to do the job and then claimed they did it themselves afterwards. Meanwhile, a quarter have had to get a friend or relative to finish their bodged job for them.

It seems that one in ten Brits find relatively simple tasks that would involve isolating or shutting off water beyond their comfort zone – 10% indicated that fixing a dripping tap or taking a radiator off a wall would flummox them and result in a disaster. Almost one in ten (7 per cent) confess to using entirely the wrong paint for the job, such as gloss instead of emulsion, 12 per cent have drilled a hole too big for the task and 6 per cent have seen their shelves fall down.

Jason Duggan, Senior Brand Manager at Armstead paints, explains: “Homeowners think they may be saving money by taking on improvement tasks themselves, but the jobs can often take longer and cause inconvenience with whole rooms being out of use for some time. The tasks themselves are more difficult because of a lack of knowledge or appropriate tools. We think the smart choice is to employ a decorator who knows their trade.”

Non-professionals are prone to making mistakes, which, as the research releveals can cost a considerable amount of money to put right. Jason Duggan continues: “Lack of knowledge and experience makes homeowners underestimate the complexity of a job, so they tend to give up half way through it, which explains the high number of unfinished DIY decorating jobs we currently have in British households.”

The top 10 list of decorating disasters that we can’t get right:

  • 31% have made a mess of painting a ceiling or a wall
  • 15% have suffered from incorrectly put up wallpaper
  • 14% have failed at constructing flatpack furniture
  • 12% have bodged fixing shelves to a wall
  • 9% have ended up with a less than perfect finish painting gloss on woodwork
  • 7% fixing a dripping tap
  • 4% wiring a plug
  • 4% putting down flooring

While 50% of Brits claim not to have suffered any DIY accidents, 6% also boldly boast of being a DIY ‘genius’, indicating that they have not needed to swot up on how to do a decorating task.

Decorator Confessions

Armstead Trade also asked professional decorators to confirm how often they are called in to fix a mangled DIY decorating disaster and the results are startling. 69% spend between one to two days per job fixing their customers’ decorating mistakes and a further 31% spend between three to six days per job on corrections. With the average British work day of eight hours, decorating mistakes are costing Britain 19 hours and 26 minutes of labour per job (or 14 days per year, per decorator); time that could be spent on getting decorating jobs right the first time with a professional finish.

Jason Duggan, Armstead Trade says: “We did not expect decorators to indicate that they devote so much of their time fixing decorating jobs. The decorators we polled say they are called six times a year on average to fix jobs that customers have made a mess of. It is important for homeowners to make smart choices when it comes to home improvements, even if this means admitting they are not up to the task. It is often cheaper, quicker and better to rely on qualified professionals to do a job. Not only will jobs have a better quality but they will save homeowners the need to pay twice.”

While Armstead Trade is drawing attention to homeowners making a ‘smart choice’ by engaging a professional decorator, it also wants to make decorators’ lives easier and for a limited period only, the ‘Bodge It Shop’ launches on the 26th May – providing so-called ‘shortcut product solutions’ to help decorators correct even more DIY painting jobs. Decorators wanting to make a real smart choice for their customers however, can visit their local Dulux Decorating Centre to see the range of Armstead paints.

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“Garden Bridge will cost twice as much to cancel,” says London Mayor

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has used his first Mayor’s Question Time to lay bare the finances of the Garden Bridge.

Sadiq Khan said it would cost taxpayers more than twice as much to cancel the project now, as it would to complete it and build the new bridge.

TfL and the Government have previously committed £30 million each to the Garden Bridge Trust’s £175m project – with the remainder raised through private donations. Of the £30 million pledged by TfL, £20 million is in the form of a loan to be repaid in full.

Sadiq Khan revealed that of the £60 million total of taxpayers money pledged, £37.7 million has already been spent by the Garden Bridge Trust. If the project was scrapped now, this amount would be lost in full with no benefit at all for Londoners or taxpayers.

However, if the Garden Bridge is completed, not only will TfL be repaid its £20 million loan by the Garden Bridge Trust, but they will also pay approximately £22 million in VAT to the Treasury. That means the ultimate bill to taxpayers for completing the bridge will be £18 million – less than half the cost of cancelling the project now.

On this understanding, Sadiq Khan has given his support to the completion of the Garden Bridge but has demanded that it is made more accessible for all Londoners in return. Last week he called on the Garden Bridge Trust to ensure:

The Bridge to be closed for fewer days each year for private fundraising events – the current plans are for 12 closures a year.

The Bridge to be closed for fewer hours each time it has to close for fundraising events, so that the Bridge can still be used in the morning and evenings – the current plans are for it to be closed from midnight to midnight.

A guarantee that children at local schools on either side of the river will get to visit the Garden Bridge and be involved in planting and maintenance – with a rolling programme of events for local school children.

The Garden Bridge Trust to build a strong working relationship with all of London’s parks, so that seeds and plants grown on the Garden Bridge can then be replanted in parks across the capital – ensuring it has a positive benefit for all Londoners.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said “From the point at which I became Mayor, it was quite clearly in London taxpayers’ financial interest to complete the Garden Bridge project. It would simply cost Londoners more to cancel the project now, than it would to finish building the Garden Bridge.

“If the Bridge was cancelled now taxpayers will have spent £37.7 million for no benefit at all. However if we complete the project and our loan is repaid in full then the ultimate cost to taxpayers will be under half that cost at £18 million.

“So I will support the building of the Garden Bridge, but I am demanding that the project is made more accessible and open to all Londoners in return.

“I expect the Garden Bridge Trust to ensure that the Bridge be closed fewer days each year for private fundraising events and fewer hours when they do. I also want a guarantee that an ongoing programme of visits will be laid on for local school children.”

This announcement comes after the recent realisation that this is becoming a steadily more unpopular project: 61% of Londoners are against it in the biggest poll so far, which has been running in the Evening Standard for the last month, with over 4,000 participants. Whatever your opinion on the project is, it is certainly a bridge over troubled water!

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Printing: the future of construction

Dubai has seen the completion of the world’s first 3D printed office building – called “Office for the Future.”

The opening of the first 3D-printed office in the world comes just less than one month of launching Dubai 3D printing strategy, which showcases a modern model of construction.

The building was constructed using a 3D-printer with automated robotic arm – measuring 20 feet in height, 120 feet in length and 40 feet wide. The office took 17 days in total to print offsite, and the structure was erected on site in just two days. Additional mobile printers were also located at the construction site to add the finishing touches.

Saudi newspaper the Gulf Today quoted Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as saying, “The UAE has emerged as one of the major incubators of innovation and future technology in the world today and its focused initiatives to shape the future have become global models that can be emulated in all sectors. The opening in Dubai of the ‘Office of the Future’, the first 3D-printed office in the world, is another shining example of how the Emirate adopts novel initiatives and ideas and also encourages teams to adopt innovation in their work.”

There can be no doubt that the competitive advantages of 3D printing, in terms of lower costs and faster delivery, will make the UAE one of the most important sustainable economic hubs, enabling the effective use of this technology to establish future cities in all sectors.

What is highly interesting in the case of the 3D printed office is that the labour cost could be cut by more than 50% compared to conventional buildings of similar size.

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority released an Expression of Interest for the construction of 3D-printed laboratories, to conduct research on drones and 3D-printing technologies at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site project in the world. The Solar Park would be able to generate 1,000 megawatts (MW) by 2020 and 5,000MW by 2030.

Sheikh Mohammed recently mentioned that the future is not built on possibilities and numbers but on clarity of vision, planning, action and implementation.

In the medical products sector, the focus will be on developing 3D printed teeth, bones, artificial organs and medical and surgical devices and hearing aids.

The Sharjah-based daily concluded by saying, “It is heartening that the UAE is successfully embracing technology for the service of entire humanity.”

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Weak information clouds construction bosses referendum decision

A survey carried out by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has revealed that 80% of construction bosses of SME’s will vote in the upcoming European Union referendum according to their own personal beliefs rather than casting a wider business interest-based vote overall.

The poll results indicate that more than 50% of small construction company owners feel like they haven’t received enough relevant information on the issues that might affect their businesses should we stay or leave come referendum time.

40% of respondents said that the main appeal to leave the EU would be the ability to “freely legislate” to meet the demands of British business. The argument to remain seemed largely based on the economic stability provided by the EU.

Only 17% of respondents said that they would put their business interests first when it came to deciding on the issue.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB said “The outcome of June’s referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU will have significant ramifications for construction SMEs, regardless of the outcome. That’s why it’s fascinating that more than 80% of our members have indicated that their vote will be determined by their personal beliefs ahead of anything else. It just goes to show that although it’s important to explore the business case for leaving or remaining within the EU, for many people their decision will be based first and foremost on other drivers. These could include the desire to be part of the wider European community or a compulsion to reclaim British national sovereignty.

“However, a recent survey by Ipsos MORI revealed that the public want to hear the perspective of SMEs more than any other type of business. Unfortunately our research shows that the people who run small construction firms feel that the ongoing debate over Brexit has done little to enlighten them on the issues that really matter, with 52% stating they do not feel well informed on the issues that might affect their businesses. This is perhaps a reflection of how few of the impartial facts that are so widely craved have actually been offered by either side. No wonder then, that the vast majority of builders will be opting to vote based on their wider personal beliefs, when the economic and business case of each argument remain so unclear.

“What’s clear is that few sectors are more sensitive to uncertainty than construction. Already, there are signs that the unpredictability surrounding the outcome is beginning to sag on industry confidence as investment is deferred and home owner confidence wanes. This explains why continued economic stability has been cited as the best reason to remain in the EU. On the other hand, 40% of SMEs identified the potential freedom that Brexit could grant the Government to set legislation that truly meets the needs of British business as the biggest potential positive of Brexit.”

How will you vote? Be sure to take our one-click poll at the top right-hand side of this page!
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Housing firm fined £100,000 over construction site pollution

A major home building company has been fined £100,000 over a pollution incident relating to a housing development in Huddersfield.

Miller Homes Ltd, of Edinburgh, appeared before Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday 18th May following a pollution incident at Lindley Park, Huddersfield, in November 2013.

The company admitted one environmental offence for an unauthorised discharge of water, containing silt and sediment, from the construction site into a nearby watercourse that runs into Grimescar Dyke.

Flannery Civil Engineering Ltd, of Willow Bridge Way, Castleford, was fined £9,000 by Kirklees Magistrates’ Court in March after admitting a similar charge for its involvement in the same incident.

Prosecuting for the Environment Agency, Chris Bunting told the court that the polluted water should have been managed on the construction site, and that neither company had permission to discharge silt water from the site.

Miller Homes contracted Flannery to construct four storage lagoons in order to reduce the risk of flooding downstream. Straw bales were used on the outflow of the lower lagoon to prevent silt from leaving the site.

But following heavy rainfall in November 2013, the lower lagoon filled with water, and Flannery removed the straw bales to allow it to drain. With the bales removed, silt water ran directly into the watercourse, affecting water quality.

A member of the public reported the pollution incident to the Environment Agency, which sent an officer to investigate. He found that the watercourse was running a dark brown colour, and traced the source back to the development site.

The officer also saw that the straw bales were situated at the side of the lagoon, no longer filtering the discharge. Water entering the top lagoon was clear, but the water leaving the bottom lagoon was cloudy.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency, said after the case “Environmental permitting laws exist to protect the environment and local communities from harm. This case shows how important it is that construction and other industrial companies adhere to the regulations to ensure that their activities do not pose a risk of pollution.”

“Miller Homes should have had more effective water management systems on the construction site to prevent the silty run-off from affecting local watercourses.”

“If anyone spots pollution of this kind, they are urged to contact the Environment Agency’s incident hotline on 0800 807060 so we can investigate.”

In mitigation, Miller Homes said they immediately improved the lagoon system following the incident. They added that they are one of a small number of house building companies that had achieved an accreditation for environmental standards, and that their board of directors had been “apoplectic” that the problem had not been reported to the Environment Agency or even themselves at the time.

The company was also ordered to pay £2,901.03 in costs.

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Many schools are “dangerous, dilapidated, poorly built and wasteful”, says RIBA

RIBA have highlighted the urgent need for school refurbishment in a new report into the state of school buildings, entitled ‘Better Spaces for Learning.’ The report revealed:

  • 1 in 5 teachers have considered quitting because of the wretched condition of the school buildings they have to teach in
  • The Government’s Education Funding Agency’s new school building programme is too rigid and is leading to waste and poor value for tax payers
  • Over 90% of teachers believe well-built and designed schools improve educational outcomes and pupil behaviour
  • Over-engineered schools, with Government-specified equipment that only costly consultants know how to operate, is costing £150 million per year which could have been avoided if schools were designed better

A new report on the state of school buildings in the UK has been published by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Using the largest ever analysis of primary and secondary school buildings in the UK, a nation-wide poll of teachers, and extensive engagement with school buildings experts, RIBA’s Better Spaces for Learning report makes the case for an urgent review of the Government’s Education Funding Agency’s current school building programme.

The report emphasises the importance of well-designed school buildings on young people’s wellbeing, behaviour engagement and crucially, attainment.

RIBA has identified that good school design can reduce running and maintenance costs, in some cases by more than several times a teacher’s average salary a year; it could have prevented the English school estate from spending upwards of £150m annually on unnecessary operation and maintenance costs.

The new report is further insight into the Government’s own assertion that just 5% of the nearly 60,000 school buildings across the UK are performing as intended and operating efficiently.* The prevalence of damp, leaky classrooms and asbestos-ridden buildings in British schools means too many pupils and teachers are struggling to learn and teach in conditions damaging to their health and education.

Better Spaces for Learning reveals that the Government’s current programme of building new schools is inefficient – with a lack of flexibility to make the best possible use of resources, and little opportunity for school staff to input into the design of their own new buildings. RIBA believes that the Government programme must be improved to guarantee better outcomes for our public money.

RIBA President Jane Duncan said “This country is in the grip of the worst shortage of school places in living memory. Our report highlights the vital importance of school design and how it affects the general health and wellbeing of their users, our children and their teachers. As limited funding is available to deal with the growing problem, every penny spent on schools must deliver maximum value for money. Award winning well-designed, successful schools with happy pupils and productive staff like Burntwood School in London shouldn’t be the exception, they should be the standard.

“How can we expect our children to compete with the world’s best when too many of our school buildings are substandard? Educational improvements resulting from the current programme of school building are not reaching the basic standards that British taxpayers and our economy expects. We need to do better for all of our children and their hardworking teachers. We urge the Government to review its programme of building new schools.”

To read more about buildings and construction within the education sector, subscribe to our sister publication School Building Magazine. School Building magazine is aimed at the key named buyers and specifiers with Local Authorities, LEA’s, Universities, Architects and contractors responsible for the design, build and refurbishment of educational facilities.
Read the latest edition here.
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Is the growth of cities causing a baby boom?

While urbanization has historically been linked to lower birth rates, research is dispelling the myth of cities as “fertility traps.” A recent study from Allianz found that the birth rate in 41 major European and US cities is actually higher than the national average of the respective country.

As cities experienced unprecedented growth in recent decades, global fertility rates have decreased dramatically. Some demographers believe that the conditions that draw people to cities, such as increased access to education, better employment for women and family planning options, could also be linked to this decline.

Yet recent evidence has indicated that cities in developed countries are experiencing a “mini baby boom.” How widespread this is was shown in recent research conducted by the International Pensions unit of Allianz, one of the world’s largest insurers. It found that the birth rate in 41 major European and US cities is on average actually 7% higher than the national average of the country in which the city is located.

In this study of fertility in cities in Europe and the US, birth rates were calculated and compared with national birthrates.* The list studied includes European capitals and cities with more than 1 million inhabitants. Researchers found that the higher fertility pattern transcends borders: Lisbon (+50%), Bratislava (+31%) and Birmingham I the UK (+17%) lead the list of cities studied in terms of excess birthrate. In the US, the adjusted birth rate for NYC was +5% compared with the national average; in Chicago it was +3%, and in Dallas, +17%.

“Surprisingly, cities with some of the highest living and housing expenses also show an excess birthrate compared to the national average,” said Brigitte Miksa, Head of International Pensions. “These include New York City, Munich (+5%), London (+8%), Stockholm (+13%), Copenhagen (+14%) and Oslo (+16%).

Drivers for the fertility increase in some cities include better opportunities for jobs that offer work-life balance, more comprehensive infrastructure with easier access to childcare, shifting attitudes towards parenthood among affluent couples, and increases in immigration.

However, the Allianz researchers also caution that while a city baby boom is a demographic plus, it isn’t a panacea for the issues faced by aging societies. Of the cities surveyed, only Dallas and Birmingham have fertility rates of 2.1 children per women, the number considered necessary for one generation to replace itself without immigration. Five other cities – Brussels, Stockholm, Oslo, London and New York – have fertility levels just under the replacement rate. What this means, according to Brigitte Miksa, is that “countries will still need to find other ways to sustain their populations and fund their public services and pensions systems.”

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VIDEO: 10 amazing construction technologies that could change the world

The effects of humans on the Earth are becoming more profound every day. Our energy consumption is higher than ever, and it is only getting worse. The population is also growing, which is putting a dramatic strain on basic resources like space, water, and food. Finally, the environment is rapidly changing, which has led to extreme weather that has had a tremendous effect on cities around the world.To address some of these problems, innovative changes are being made to old construction technologies to make the future beautiful, clean, and (most importantly) liveable.

Watch the video below to see 10 truly amazing construction technologies that have the potential to change the world:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzucewwlfX0

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