The Election: Will it be a Brave New World?

  

WHAT MIGHT THE GENERAL ELECTION MEAN TO THE INDUSTRY?

WILL IT BE A BRAVE NEW WORLD OR JUST MORE OF THE SAME?

 

 

Chris Goggin reviews the NetZero policy statements espoused by both of the main political parties this side of the General Election and considers the viability of these plans and  gives a summary of the key issues regarding investment, infrastructure and cost evaluated against the trajectory of the international energy market and realistic domestic requirements.

 

 

A potential change of government is thought to be likely after the forthcoming General Election. If a change of direction in UK governance is introduced a redrafting of every major UK policy will take place. One area of legislation that remains an important pillar of political discussion is the question of energy – its supply, its price, its security and its impact on NetZero.

To provide a brief overview: the current opposition believes that renewable generation should be expanded far beyond the present government’s ambitions. Nuclear expansion will also be pursued whilst all North Sea drilling contracts will be honored. However, the opposition’s long-term plan is to shelve oil and gas usage in favour of carbon reducing alternative energies.

A more detailed look reveals discrepancies between the opposition and the current government’s approach to all critical areas of UK energy. However, additional renewable energy integration into the UK grid is reliant upon electrical grid upgrades that assist in renewable grid connections. Both political parties have separate plans for UK electric grid upgrading, later visited in this article.

Solar power will be tripled from 15.6 GW to 50 GW of installed capacity, whilst onshore wind will be more than doubled from 15 GW to 35 GW. Green hydrogen targets will also be doubled from 5 GW to 10 GW. Existing nuclear projects will also be completed alongside the completion of smaller nuclear projects such as the construction of small modular reactors.  Clean offshore wind production will be quadrupled to 55GW by 2030.

Although the opposition has pledged to increase investment into hydrogen and CCUS (Carbon Capture & Storage) it has not been highlighted how this strategy would best result in a mutually beneficial outcome. For instance, the opposition has not stated whether they will purchase or invest in privately owned hydrogen projects or construct their own hydrogen projects.

A cornerstone of the opposition’s energy policy will be the creation of GB Energy which has been recently described in The Guardian as:

“a state-owned investment vehicle and company working alongside and often in partnership with the existing private sector suppliers. The plan is for it to be largely invisible to households, not offering electricity directly to consumers but financing and helping to build low-carbon infrastructure, from windfarms to – potentially – nuclear reactors.”

GB Energy will have access to £8.3 billion of capital to assist in the completion of strategic objectives. £3.3 billion will be directed towards the construction of localized smaller power projects whilst £5 billion will be invested into larger projects and supply chains. This money will be raised through the taxing of North Sea fossil fuel companies.

Both UK political parties believe that decarbonising the national electricity grid remains a priority that will enable cheaper customer costs and increase clean energy usage across the entire UK. However, they are yet to agree on an appropriate pathway that secures beneficial economic and societal benefits.

The opposition believe decarbonising the UK energy grid by 2030 can be achieved through capacitating £116 billion of investment, whilst the current government’s plan is to extend the 2030 timeline to 2035 and absorb £104 billion of additional subsidy. Time and finance are central issues to both strategies. Both approaches have been labelled as viable and non-realistic, according to which political party an individual subscribes to.

A financial breakdown report was commissioned by Policy Exchange, a research institute that aims to influence domestic and international policy. The report was completed by an independent energy market analytics company – Aurora Energy Research

The current opposition will require huge amounts of capital investment to achieve their aim of decarbonising. Aurora has calculated that £15.6 billion a year until 2030 is required (total £93.5 billion) and a further £4.4 billion a year from 2031 – 2035 (£22.5 billion) equating to a total of £116 billion over the next 11 years.

In contrast current government plans to decarbonise the UK’s power grid by 2035 will require £8.2 billion a year of additional investment until 2030 – a total of £49.3 billon. A further £11.1 billion a year of additional investment from 2031 – 2035 a total of £55.3 billion. The total accumulative investment over 11 years will amount to £104.6 billion over the next 11 years.

The approach undertaken by the current opposition when compared to the present Govt party focuses on the expanding of renewables, hydrogen and nuclear in a shorter span of time at increased financial expense.

We need to keep in mind also that future energy policy by both UK political parties is dependent on wider international energy market conditions and geopolitical influences. There is no doubt that there are no easy or quick answers to the question of providing energy to both commercial and domestic markets.

Rinnai follows all news and developments connected to national and international energy policy, investment and legislation. Rinnai will continue to provide updated information and data-driven knowledge to all UK customers on events that could potentially affect cost and energy options.

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Committee Urges Government to Focus on MMC for Housing

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has warned the Government that an over-reliance on traditional building methods will see the UK fall far short of its target to build 300,000 new homes a year by mid-2020s.

In a new report, the Committee urges the Government to unlock the potential for modern methods of construction (MMC) to build homes quicker, more cheaply, while maintaining build quality. However, they will need to act quickly to increase capacity and improve investor confidence if it is to have a meaningful impact on UK housebuilding targets.

At present, use of MMC in housebuilding is low and the government will need to act quickly if it is to make an impact in meeting house building targets. Supply chain capacity will need to be increased, and greater focus placed on ensuring the workforce has the required skillset for developing technologies. The government should work with Homes England and training centres, such as the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, to develop targeted programmes targeted for use in the manufacture of MMC homes.

Initial work to develop centres of excellence, bringing together businesses and academia to support innovation, is welcome but could be strengthened by coordinating with the Transforming Construction Programme and Construction Innovation Hub. These networks could form an ideal arena for testing and standardisation of MMC processes and components, as well as ensuring they comply with building regulations.

The government will also need to improve data collection and sharing if it is to overcome reluctance to utilise MMC among lenders, insurers and home buyers. To gain the confidence of the industry as a whole, as well as consumers, they must establish a database of MMC homes to demonstrate the long-term value and durability of MMC. The Committee backs the creation of an “MMC Scheme”, setting out a single set of standards for warranty providers, to provide greater certainty.

Expansion of MMC faces many additional challenges including difficulties accessing land to build on, opaque and confusing building regulations and high upfront costs. The Government should investigate the specific impact of the current regulatory systems and access to funding on MMC, and consider options for measures designed to overcome existing barriers.

Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Clive Betts MP said:

“If the government is to have any chance of meeting its target of 300,000 new homes a year it cannot simply rely on traditional methods of construction. They must make a serious effort to support the use of new and emerging technologies that have the potential to have a transformative impact on the speed, cost and quality of home building. This is not simply about shifting production away from the building site and into factories. It is about seizing opportunities that modern technologies allow, whether it be precision manufacturing, use of new materials or digital working.

“First and foremost, they must create the conditions to improve investor and consumer confidence. Reluctance is understandable. The perception is that the building innovations of the sixties created homes that failed to survive half a century, while rows of Victorian terraces are still standing. Proving quality and longevity will be key. That is why we have called on the Government to collect and publish the data that prove new building methods work, and also show if they have failed.

“The government will also need to support the industry to grow the capacity needed for MMC to play a greater role in national housebuilding. They will need to ensure that the right training schemes and apprenticeships are in place so that we have the skilled workforce that can utilise MMC techniques. They must also work with the industry to support the development of robust supply chains and support innovative businesses develop.

“The housing system is in urgent need of a major boost and if the Government is to have any chance of meeting its ambitious target it must grasp every opportunity new technologies allow. But they must act fast and act now.”

Rory O’Hagan, director at Assael Architecture, added:

“Today’s report from the housing, communities and local government committee stating the urgent need for a wholesale embrace of modern methods of construction couldn’t be more timely. As the traditional construction industry suffers from skills shortages, rising material costs and an ageing workforce, we need to find new ways to deliver housing and social infrastructure at volume, without compromising on quality or beauty. Without adopting modern methods of construction more widely, we will continue to miss targets year after year and the quality of new builds will suffer.

“The built environment must take note of the opportunity it currently faces and shake off its current malaise. The time for disruption in the housing sector is long overdue and the emerging digital platforms and precision engineering techniques offer the step change required. The onus is now on us to push and pioneer what modern methods can offer to UK housing by being honest with both clients and consultants.”

Souce: Showhouse

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FMB: ONS Data shows a Worrying Trend Compounded by Bad Weather

The 1.4 per cent fall in construction output for the first four months of this year, marks a worrying trend in what is happening to the construction sector, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in response to the latest ONS Construction Industry output data for April.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB commented: “The latest ONS figures show a worrying trend emerging, with decline in construction output recorded in each of the first four months of 2024. While survey data collected by the ONS indicates that continued wet and windy conditions once again contributed to the struggles of construction firms, the stagnation seen across the UK economy suggests this is part of a wider problem.”

Berry concluded: “The performance of the construction industry is a key element of the UK’s overall economic performance. With the General Election fast approaching, and all of the major political parties claiming sustainable long-term growth will be a priority, it is essential that construction receives the attention it needs. By boosting house building rates, providing support to people looking to carry out energy efficient upgrades to their homes, and taking steps to address the current skills crisis in construction, the next government can set the UK on the road to a brighter future.”

 

Source: Federation of Master Builders

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Nuaire sponsors 2024 BESA Clean Air Day event

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Caerphilly based UK ventilation solutions provider Nuaire is proud to be sponsoring the Building Engineering Services Association’s (BESA) Clean Air Day event on the 20th June at The Wave in Bristol.  The event, which is being hosted by the BESA Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Group, will be based on ‘Shaping the Future of Healthy Environments.’

 

As part of the sponsorship deal, Nuaire will have the opportunity to present its ventilation solutions and engage with like-minded delegates who share a commitment to clean air.  As well as senior Nuaire personnel in attendance, Nuaire will also be inviting key customers to the event, where they can gain valuable industry insight.  This will include a presentation from the BESA IAQ Specialist Group which is driving change and shaping the future of air quality initiatives, plus an update on the BESA Schools Engagement Project on Ventilation and Air Quality.

 

Commenting on the decision to sponsor this year’s BESA Clean Air Day event, Nuaire Managing Director Meirion Richards said: “As the UK’s largest air pollution campaign, Clean Air Day provides an opportunity to focus attention on this very serious subject.  It’s important people from all walks of life understand the health risks of air pollution, but it’s also important that, as industry professionals, we look at the solutions.  BESA has been at the forefront of championing the cause of cleaner, healthier air for all and we are pleased to be supporting them on Clean Air Day”.

 

This year’s Clean Air Day focus is on transport.  With cars and vans being the biggest source of NOx pollutants, Clean Air Day is asking everyone to take action to help make travelling in cleaner and greener ways.  But when it comes to air quality within our buildings – where we spend the majority of our time – external pollutants are only one part of the problem.  Pollutant sources within our indoor environments vary hugely, from cleaning products and cooking through to furniture and even the fabric our homes are made from.  Little research has been done into indoor air pollution, compared to external pollutants, but what we do know is that good ventilation can disperse and expel indoor pollutants, as well as help prevent damp and mould from forming.  Established in 1966, Nuaire has developed a comprehensive range of ventilation solutions for the domestic, commercial, and industrial construction sectors, providing occupants with clean, healthy air.

  CLICK HERE for more information on the NUAIRE WEBSITE

 

 

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RAAC – Not the only danger in School Buildings

Timber rooves held together with ‘glue and panel pins’ and materials that turn to ‘fragile Weetabix’ when wet are ticking timebombs in our school buildings, finds Jessica Hill of Schools Week

A swollen national debt, depleted construction force and baby boom after the Second World War made Britain desperate for new ways to build schools cheaply and quickly.

Many of the quick fixes – from lightweight cement to hollow concrete blocks embedded in asbestos – were then forgotten about for decades.

Now the Department for Education is finally commissioning a £4.8 million research project into the structural dangers of post-war buildings, two years after it was proposed.

Matt Byatt, the immediate past president of the Institution of Structural Engineers, believes there is “a whole legacy” of buildings that have been forgotten about.

“Several new technologies were tried and adopted in the 1950s and 1960s. Those buildings have not been maintained as well as they should have been.”

‘System-build’ stresses

Of the 64,000 school buildings across England, 13,800 (22 per cent) come under the loose banner of “system-build blocks”. There are 12 known types made from concrete, steel and timber.

Of these, 3,600 (26 per cent) “may be more susceptible to deterioration”, a National Audit Office (NAO) report last year found.

Like those made with RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete), most system-build blocks are fragile structures, now at double their recommended shelf life of 30 to 40 years.

But repairing or replacing them often involves disturbing the asbestos buried within them.

As of last year, the DfE knew of six system-built blocks fully or partially closed since 2017 because of structural instability.

But officials don’t know exactly how and with what materials these post-war schools were built. The DfE’s own condition data collection surveys (CDCs) are only simple visual assessments.

Schools Week analysis of CDC surveys carried out between 2017 and 2019 found 987 system-built school structures referred to as “unknown” type.

Laingspan and Intergrid

Laingspan and Intergrid are two light-frame concrete systems that sit with RAAC at the top of the DfE’s priority list. They were used in the 1950s and 1960s to speed up construction and economise on steel, and were found in two buildings that closed urgently, one following the collapse of a wall, the NAO said.

The union Unison warned “there is the potential for a catastrophic collapse” of these structures.

In March, schools minister Damian Hinds said 24 schools had such buildings. All but one are now part of the school rebuilding programme.

Unison last year accused the DfE of knowing about the risks for “at least a number of years” but not communicating the risks with “staff, pupils or parents using those buildings on a daily basis”.

CLASP

Short for the “Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme”, these buildings were prefabricated with a steel framework. There are 1,644 such school buildings in England.

Their structures make them vulnerable to fire, so asbestos boards lined the steel. They are also prone to crumbling and easily damaged. While some local authorities replaced them over the decades, others didn’t.

Former Labour schools minister Lord Knight chairs the E-Act trust. He claims one of its schools built using the CLASP system – Willenhall Academy in the West Midlands – is now “teetering” with weak foundations. Fixing the issue is a “£10 million-plus [job]”.

Scola

A similar system, called Second Consortium of Local Authorities, was used in the construction of 767 school buildings from the 1960s on. It was often poorly insulated, contained asbestos and had a 25-year lifespan.

A quarter of Scola schools were built in Hampshire, where the council admits they’re now “well beyond their estimated initial design life”.

Rather than embarking on expensive rebuilds, the council is “recladding” as its annual school capital funding grant of £23 million is “insufficient”. At current funding levels and pace of improvement, some of its Scola buildings will have to “wait a further 20 years to be improved”.

Folded plate timber roofs ‘held with glue and panel pins’

Some dangerous construction techniques only reveal themselves when it’s too late. Two school hall roof collapses in 2011 and 2019 were linked to the failure of folded timber roofs over school halls.

In both cases, the structural engineer who reported concerns to the safety body Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures UK (CROSS-UK) concluded the end blocks were only held together with glue and panel pins.

They warned “a significant number of these roofs…could exist, and users of such buildings may be at significant risk”.

Another engineer reported in May 2023 how a 1950s primary school roof with an “unusual hybrid concrete and steel strand truss” in the north west collapsed with no warning. Its design was “inherently defective”.

Concrete crisis

It’s not just the RAAC that’s crumbling. In the past six months, four schools in North Tyneside have been found to have used an inappropriate pour of concrete – the “hollow block and beam plank” method. This led to their partial closure.

Concrete fell from a computer suite ceiling and multiple roof cracks were discovered in Fordley Primary School. The council found three other schools – Churchill Community College, Hazlewood Primary School and Grasmere Academy – had the same problem. They were built by different companies.

Jon Ritchie, the council’s resources director, describes it as an “extremely complex situation that’s occurred on a large scale” in the four schools.

Fordley’s headteacher Claire Withers says she’d be “very surprised” if the issue was “just limited to this area”.

She claims the DfE, which says the construction issue is “historic and isolated”, was “not very keen” for the council to share the problem more widely. But the local authority insisted other councils and academy trusts knew about it.

Some of Fordley and Churchill’s children are bussed to other schools, while Grasmere’s are crammed into other buildings and Hazlewood’s make do with outdoor toilets and a marquee.

Cardinal Newman Catholic School in Luton was also built using “hollow” concrete blocks. Cracks in the ceiling forced buildings to close with some pupils taught remotely.

HACC

Other schools were built using high alumina cement concrete (HACC).

In 1973, the collapse of Camden Girls’ High School’s hall roof in north London, blamed on HACC, prompted the hasty closure of some other schools. It was banned in 1976 because it degrades rapidly when exposed to chemicals or water.

IStructE warned in 1997 that “the matter of seriously defective HACC roofs does not seem to be widely understood”.

Woodwool and stramit

Woodwool – shredded timber bound in a cement paste – was used extensively in the 1960s and 1970s, often in the roof decks of system-builds.

It’s similar to stramit, a strawboard insulation made from fused wheat or rice straw used in the same decades. Both are flammable and often laden with asbestos.

These materials cause no problems as long as they’re kept dry. But that’s getting harder to do with the DfE estimating that nearly half of schools (10,710) are at risk of flooding. That’s expected to increase to as many as 16,394 by the 2050s, with scientists predicting severe storms to become more common.

Academy funding consultant Tim Warneford says water-damaged woodwool and stramit are the two biggest building safety issues that keep him awake at night.

He recently declared the sports hall at All Saints Academy in Bedfordshire a “no-go area” because of “vertical and horizontal cracks in the woodwool and the weight of rainwater pounding on their roof”.

A recent governors’ report for the school said “academy reserves will not cover the cost of repairs/replacements”.

Sean McGinty, a technical manager for Sike Roofing, describes stramit as being like “fragile Weetabix” when wet. About one in five of the surveys he has undertaken in schools finds stramit or woodwool in their structures.

“Like RAAC, [these structures] could collapse at any time,” he says.

Solar strain

In a cruel twist of fate, installing solar panels on rooftops is also creating safety concerns.

A 2021 CROSS-UK report highlighted “dangerous assumptions” in assessments for the instillation of solar panels in schools that did not take into account the existing structure and load of roofs and did not calculate additional weight correctly.

The increasing use of air source heat pumps and air conditioning condensers are also adding weight and strain to rooftops.

Modern methods of construction

National problems that led post-war school buildings’ problems – a swollen national debt and labour force constraints – have returned.

The solution has been modular structures built using modern methods of construction (MMC), promoted through government initiatives.

But at least seven such schools built or partially built since 2020 are now earmarked for demolition because they are structurally unsafe.

In February, CROSS-UK reported a “systemic issue” with modular timber frame systems, detailing six common flaws with their design and construction.

These include issues with fire stopping, structural element protection, protection of connections and, in particular, “cavity barriers to the voids created when modules are fitted together to form multi-storey buildings”.

Of the ten companies contracted to build schools in 2021 under the DfE’s £3 billion offsite schools’ framework, two have gone into administration.

An online brochure for the new Harrier Primary Academy in Essex, which gives an opening date of 2020, shows children playing at being construction workers laying bricks . But the DfE shunned the bricks and mortar approach to build the school, contracting Eco Modular Buildings Ltd.. The company collapsed in March 2023 and the school still has no opening date.

Eco Modular had also been contracted to build The Flagship School, a special school in Sussex which remains unfinished after an opening date of last September.

The school’s last Ofsted report from 2022 found “problems caused by temporary accommodation” meant leaders’ “capacity to do anything other than react to day-to-day events” had been “severely restricted”.

Preventing ‘floor rot’

James Emery, a sales manager for modular builders Wernick Buildings, says his company always ensures buildings have underfloor ventilation to prevent “floor rot”.

But he has visited schools built by other companies that “sunk the buildings into the ground without any ventilation”.

By the time problems emerge, the original contractors have “walked away” as their warranties have expired.

Caledonian Modular, which went into administration in 2022, built Haygrove School in Somerset, Buckton Fields Primary School in Northampton and Sir Frederick Gibberd College in Harlow, which were all ordered to close. Surveys found Sir Frederick Gibberd could not withstand “very high winds or significant snowfall”.

Byatt says it’s

“almost as though we’ve come full circle” with the “quick-fix” construction problems of the past.

He sees MMC as “a quicker, cheaper way to get you out of a pickle in the short term. But if they’re not maintained – and we know that these schools are not maintained because they simply haven’t got the budgets – then it deteriorates.”

 

Source: Schools Week

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GREEN OR BROWN, WHICH COMES FIRST?

 

Parts of London’s green belt must be opened up to allow home-building if the capital’s housing crisis is to be solved, politicians were warned at a summit on Wednesday.Experts at the Centre for London think tank argue that while increasing the density of homes in the inner city and suburbs is crucial, the crisis can only be fixed by building on sections of the city’s rural ring.

They were joined by Tory Lord Shaun Bailey, who said “a politician, somewhere, is going to have to be brave about where we build”.

But Sadiq Khan’s housing deputy, Tom Copley, played down the idea, saying the mayor favours a “brownfield first” approach, while acknowledging that Labour have promised if they form the next Government to allow building on “low quality” parts of the green belt.

Established in 1938 to prevent uncontrolled urban sprawl, the capital’s green belt has grown to cover an area three times larger than London itself.

Speaking at the London Housing Summit, researcher Jon Tabbush said the green belt “comes from an era when we had different policies to deal with housing demand”, such as through building New Towns like Stevenage and Harlow.

“We don’t have that any more, so we have this restrictive policy framework, without outlets for growth,” he said.

He added that this is causing a “structural unfairness” for Londoners, who are being lumped with higher housing costs and are therefore likelier to be living in poverty than in most other English regions.

It is “not plausible”, Mr Tabbush said, to close the yawning gap between the supply and demand of homes by only building more housing within London’s existing boundaries. While there is still “a role” for the green belt in providing a “more planned approach” for containing growth, he pointed to Denmark as a way of reforming it.

“In Copenhagen, they have what is called the ‘green fingers’ approach. They have a belt, but then they make sustainable, rail-led ‘incursions’ [of housing] outside the belt,” he said.

“That would be a perfectly reasonable way of doing it. If we centred it [new development] on rail [lines], it would end up looking like that anyway, with some gaps in the middle.”

Lord Bailey, a London Assembly member who stood for mayor in 2021, made similar remarks at the summit, saying there was a need to be “realistic” about the supply of land in London.

“When you say ‘green belt’ to the public, they imagine the rolling hills or the Yorkshire Downs or whatever it is,” he said. “Lots of it, particularly round big cities like London, don’t look like that.

“I think, as a group of professionals, we’re going to have to start having that conversation with people. What do you want? Do you want a park, or do you want a house for some of the most vulnerable people in London?”

But Mr Copley, the deputy mayor for housing, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS):

“In London we’re quite clear about being ‘brownfield first’. We absolutely have to prioritise building on brownfield land.”

Pressed on whether that would solve the housing crisis on its own, he said: “Brownfield land is a recyclable resource. We’ve got to be looking at building on vacant brownfield sites, intensifying areas that are already built on, as well as looking at how tall buildings should be.”

On the wider question of liberalising building restrictions in the green belt, the deputy mayor said planning laws were ultimately set by the Government, adding:

“It is no secret that the Labour party has been talking about what they are calling the ‘grey belt’.

“Should the Labour party win the next election, we would obviously have to understand what that would mean for London, but this is a national planning policy designation.”

The mayor was criticised by Lord Bailey for the slow rate of progress in London’s latest affordable housing programme, which has a minimum target of starting construction on 23,900 homes by March 2026.

“He has £4bn [of Government funding] for his affordable housing programme between 2021 and 2026,” said Lord Bailey.

“He’s halfway through, and he’s only built [started work on] 1,700 of those homes. He needs to get on that.”

The programme was meant to begin in 2021 – but City Hall said “no homes could start [construction] until the second half of last year” due to Government delays in signing off the funding for the programme, which took until July last year.

They said “delivery is now underway and will ramp up as in previous programmes”, with Mr Copley telling the LDRS he is “very confident” of hitting the target.

According to a survey by Savanta, 62 per cent of Londoners say the capital’s housing market does not work for people like them, compared with 22 per cent who say it does.

Some 50 per cent are supportive of the Centre for London’s proposals to build on parts of the green belt, while 19 per cent are opposed.

Source: Harrow Online

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“Unlimited height” approved for proposed tallest skyscraper in the US

 

Oklahoma City Council has approved a rezoning application for Legends Tower, a supertall skyscraper designed by California architecture studio AO that, if completed, will be the tallest in the United States.

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday, the Oklahoma City Council approved an “unlimited” height for the skyscraper, part of the Boardwalk at Bricktown development, which includes three smaller structures.

The decision comes after the initial approval for the height came in April from the city’s planning commission. Yesterday’s decision was the final approval hurdle for the tower.

The proposed plans for the skyscraper put forth by AO and developer Matteson Capital put the skyscraper as 1,907 feet tall (581 metres), significantly taller than the current tallest structure – the Freedom Tower in New York, which stands at 1776 feet tall (541 metres).

The project aims to “transform the city into a global destination”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Dezeen

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Stuart is New ADSA Chair

Stuart Dale, Key Account Sales Director for FAAC Entrance Solutions UK, has been elected as the new Chair of the Automatic Door Association.

He will undertake the role, providing strategic guidance and input to support the key deliverables of the association over the next two years. Stuart takes over from Mark Ayton, Managing Director of Record UK who previously held the position.

Stuart is the guest on the next ADSA Tech Talk podcast which can be downloaded by CLICKING HERE  and most streaming services

 

Stuart, has worked in the automatic door industry for almost 20 years, having previously worked in sales within the engineering sector. He has been a member of the ADSA executive committee for the past five years – an involvement which he considers has prepared him for this new role.

“The executive committee provides leadership and guidance to the association to ensure that it operates effectively and in line with its objectives. In taking on the role of chair, I hope to extend my support to the leadership team, and advocate in the interests of those involved in the automatic door industry – manufacturers, suppliers and engineers,” he said.

Stuart, who is from Manchester, trained as an apprentice electrical engineer at Weir Pumps and attended Openshaw Technical College, gaining industry standard qualifications.  A role in service sales with the Crawford Group followed, before a move into the automatic door industry with Mandor Engineering in 2004.

He joined Record UK in 2010 as Regional Sales Manager and was Sales Director with March Doors before joining FAAC UK almost 10 years ago.

He said among his career highlights was how his company responded to changing demands during the COVID pandemic.

 

“One of our customers, who became an essential retailer, wanted to ensure a safe flow of people in and out of their stores. The team at FAAC were able to design and implement a traffic light system within a three month period, from conception through to install, which was then put into over 1000 stores,” he recalled.

 

Stuart is married to Lindsey and has two children, Alfie and Ruby, aged 19 and 14. Outside of work he enjoys watching football and is a lifelong fan of Manchester United.

He is looking forward to working with the ADSA team to further help the association to grow and meet its requirements to boost industry-wide competency levels and raise awareness of security and safety standards.

Said ADSA MD Ken Price:

“We look forward to working with Stuart and tapping into his knowledge of sales and marketing to ensure that the association continues to meet the needs of its members, its customers and end users.”

 

 

 

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“Lift Your Standards by Lowering Your Load”

Combilift Launches National Forklift Safety Campaign: “Lift Your Standards by Lowering Your Load”

 

Combilift, a global leader in material handling solutions, is proud to announce the launch of its new National Forklift Safety campaign, “Lift Your Standards by Lowering Your Load.” This initiative aims to enhance awareness and promote best practices in forklift safety across industries.

Forklift safety is of paramount importance to Combilift, and every year, we are committed to using National Forklift Safety Day (NFSD) as a reminder of how forklift operations can and should be safer than ever.

This year, the NFSD falls on the 11th of June and in line with this, our key messaging for the month of June will be focused on safe forklift operating practices.

Key Points of the Campaign:

  • Safety First: Emphasising the importance of maintaining a lower load height while traveling to improve visibility, stability and reduce accidents.
  • Training and Education: Offering comprehensive training programs to ensure that forklift operators are well-equipped with the knowledge to perform their duties safely.
  • Industry Standards: Advocating for adherence to national and international safety standards in material handling operations.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

 

www.combilift.com

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Viking, Homegrown Power for Shetland

SSE’s Viking Wind Farm in Shetland.Photo: SSE

The Viking Wind Farm on Shetland has produced its first power.

The wind farm, with a capacity of 443MW, is expected to become the UK’s most productive onshore wind farm when fully operational.

The final turbine was installed in August 2023, and the project is now in the commissioning phase.

Full commercial operations are expected by late summer 2024.

The wind farm will generate enough electricity to power nearly half a million homes annually.

The milestone coincides with the Shetland High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) subsea cable project nearing completion, set to connect Shetland to the GB electricity grid for the first time.

This connection will support energy security and enable further renewable energy development in the region.

Heather Donald, SSE Renewables’ Onshore Renewables Development and Construction Director, said: “This latest milestone is another step towards cleaner, more secure, homegrown power for Shetland, Scotland and the UK.”

John Scott, SSEN Transmission’s Programme Director, said: “Full energisation, linking Shetland to the GB transmission system for the first time will be crucial in delivering Shetland’s energy security as well as enabling extensive renewable generation development and export.”

Source: Energy Live News

 

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