Peter Jacobs

#HS2 begins assembling Turweston green bridge deck #Engineers working for the HS2 project have begun assembling a new green bridge at Turweston on the edge of Buckinghamshire and West Northants. The 5,940sq/m structure, near Brackley, will carry a country lane and footpath across the new high-speed railway with space on either side to provide a safe corridor for small animals, insects and birds. The bridge will be planted with hedgerows and vegetation to provide cover for wildlife crossing one of the longest and deepest cuttings on the new high-speed railway. It is one of sixteen similar bridges on the HS2 project, which is designed to improve journeys between London and the West Midlands while freeing up space on the existing network for more freight and local services. With the foundations now complete, engineers have begun the delicate task of lifting the thirty-six massive steel beams that will support the 99m wide structure. The team used a 600-tonne crawler crane to lift the beams into position on top of the twin abutments. The beams, which were manufactured in sections and assembled on site, weigh up to 105 tonnes and are being lifted in pairs. They will support a concrete deck formed of pre-cast slabs which will support 2,700 cubic metres of earth to complete the landscaping. Once the main structure is complete, excavation will continue beneath the bridge to complete the cutting in which the track will be laid. This cutting will stretch for 1.5 miles between the Westbury and Turweston viaducts on the outskirts of Brackley, helping to reduce noise and disruption for local residents. Cameron Thompson MBA MSc ChPP FAPM AMICE, HS2 Ltd’s Head of Delivery, said: “It’s great to see the first beams lifted into position at Turweston and I’d like to thank everyone involved.” The bridge – thought to be one of the largest in the UK – was designed by HS2’s main works contractor #EKFB, a team made up of #Eiffage, #Kier, #Ferrovial and #BAMNuttall, working with its design partner, ASC (a joint venture between #Arcadis #Setec and #COWI) and specialist architects #Moxon. During the design stage, better than expected ground conditions combined with design optimisation, allowed the team to cut the structure’s carbon footprint by 42%. This was achieved by significantly reducing the amount of carbon-intensive concrete and steel by removing 102 deep piles and opting for shallow foundations instead. Luis Prieto, T2G Structures Project Manager for EKFB, said: “It’s exciting to witness the construction of the wildlife bridge at Turweston. This innovative 5,940-square-meter structure will carry a country lane and footpath across the HS2 railway, providing a safe corridor for small animals, insects, and birds”. https://lnkd.in/ex2gRGer

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https://lnkd.in/eY-NQuvh HS2’s struggles offer some important takeaways for our future infrastructure projects. To avoid repeating the same mistakes, future projects need to be better organised with proper oversight, especially as we gear up for major initiatives in housing and energy. #UKInfrastructure #CivilEngineeringUK #FutureOfConstruction

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T Levels are taken after GCSEs, with one T Level being equivalent in size to 3 A levels. Learn more about T Levels from those who themselves have done one, like Zuzanna who studied a T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction. #TLevels http://spr.ly/6046YUqRK

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Modern Slavery in Construction Last week, the Cabinet Office and CCLA ran a seminar on modern slavery. Whilst construction is far from the only sector where this is found in the UK, the sad facts are that there has been a growth in modern slavery in the UK in 2023, where serious and organised criminal gangs are operating networks to traffic people. Construction is one of the sectors being targeted, because of the way the supply chain operates, and because there are occupations that have a high proportion of migrant workers, which can be targeted. We are also seeing people trafficked from a range of countries, including those in Europe (and even the UK), and that those trafficked are found in all types of roles, including onsite roles, but also in ancillary services such as cleaning and catering. So it is against this background that I'd like to promote the industry campaign against modern slavery, Stronger2gether (https://lnkd.in/eCkFY8gr), which provides a lot of information and advice to firms about how to improve their policies and procedures to tackle modern slavery. In addition, there is a government-run hotline and online reporting mechanism for individuals and firms who suspect they are seeing cases of this - which can be found at https://lnkd.in/eVG9mQ7a). 

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What is DfMA and how does it improve not only safety and quality of a build, but also sustainability? Buro Happold was appointed to deliver all major engineering services including Civil, Structural, and Building Services Engineering (MEP) for Everton FC’s new stadium, located on the Grade II listed Bramley Moore Dock. One of the major elements of our work was the DfMA approach to the stadium. Lloyd Baker, UK Director, Buro Happold, said: “Buro Happold and Laing O’Rourke have exemplified excellence in the application of Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) on the Everton Stadium project, achieving remarkable efficiency and quality. “Their collaborative approach and innovative use of technology have set a new benchmark in the modern construction of stadia.” Our work on the DfMA principles and virtual prototyping at Everton Stadium has seen the construction of a future-proof development. Through early collaboration with the contractor, we delivered a construction phase ready design model, using DfMA principles to build a virtual prototype of the building, utilising different software and workflows. DfMA’s focus on efficiency naturally leads to the improved sustainability of construction projects. A reduction in the number of parts means less processing and, subsequently, a reduction in energy usage and carbon emissions, whilst also improving safety and quality.     Alix Waldron, Director of New Stadium Development at Everton FC, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Buro Happold’s team in helping us create and bring to life our new home.     “All staff that our team have come into contact with have been incredibly knowledgeable, collaborative and committed to help us succeed in this momentous project.”    Find out more in the video below, and read the full DfMA story for Everton Stadium here: https://lnkd.in/gzfr7NRR #football #EvertonFC #Liverpool #UK #engineering #BuroHappold #DfMA #sports #stadium #stadia #MEP #structuralengineering #GradeIIListed #Everton 

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Birmingham’s Curzon Street Station Development Update🚆 Work has started on the foundations for Birmingham’s Curzon Street Station, the future HS2 hub. The Mace Dragados Joint Venture (MDJV) team, alongside Keltbray, is installing 2,000 piles using three 95-tonne piling rigs. This crucial stage is set for completion by mid-2025, with further construction and design work ongoing over the next year. 🏗️ This development is more than just transport—it's a major boost for Birmingham's economy, creating jobs, apprenticeships, and business opportunities. It’s also a catalyst for property growth in the surrounding areas, offering significant potential for investors as demand increases. 🔍 My thoughts: This progress will transform the property landscape in Birmingham, enhancing connectivity and investment appeal. 💼 Interested in investment opportunities near this development? Contact me to discover how you can benefit. Source: Construction Enquirer #BirminghamProperty #HS2 #RealEstateOpportunities #FabrikInvest #PropertyInvestment

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Pontin's Pakefield holiday park is due to be transformed into accommodation for 500 workers for Sizewell C. It had reached an agreement with Pontins Pakefield, near Lowestoft, Suffolk, to deliver "a long-term legacy for the area". The firm said no staff at the Pontins resort would lose their jobs and it promised "considerable refurbishment" of the site. Sizewell C, partly funded by the French energy company EDF, is set to be built on land between Aldeburgh and Southwold, costing about £20bn. A company spokesperson said: "At peak construction, Sizewell C will require a workforce of 7,900 people with at least a third coming from the local area. "Those workers living away from home can expect to use the accommodation campus on the Sizewell C site which will house 2,400 workers, Pontins, and the remainder using existing local accommodation - in order to deliver local economic benefits." Workers living at Pontins are due to be transported to the power plant by bus - a 21-mile (34 km) journey lasting about 35 minutes. Building permission for Sizewell C, which promises to generate 3.2 gigawatts of electricity, was granted in July 2022. EDF claimed the plant could power the equivalent of about six million homes and generate electricity for 60 years. The rental agreement between Sizewell C and Pontins is expected to take effect next January – with construction of the power plant set to last almost a decade. In 2023, EDF took over 900 chalets at Pontins Brean Sands in Somerset to house construction workers building Hinkley Point C - a similar sized nuclear power station. www.bbc.co.uk

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To highlight the extent and cost of construction activity that would need to take place to meet the government’s target of the housing stock being at least EPC rating C for Net Zero, there were 29.6 million homes in Great Britain in 2023. Of this, 15.7 million were below EPC rating C and so need to be energy-efficiency retrofitted. This is split by region and nation in the chart. If the housing stock were to be retrofitted to at least EPC rating C by 2050, assuming that this activity ramped up on 1 January 2025, it would require 630,000 energy-efficiency retrofits on homes each year, every year until 2050 or 12,000 energy-efficiency retrofits homes each week, every week until 2050. The greatest issues are clearly who will pay for it and who will do the work. If we assume the average cost of retrofitting a home was £10,000, which is very optimistic as 35% of homes were built before 1940 and 72% were built over 45 years ago, then the total cost of retrofitting the housing stock would be £160,000 million. If we assume the average retrofit cost was £20,000, the total cost would be £360,000 million, and if the average retrofit cost were £30,000, the total cost would be more than £470,000 million. The extent of retrofit activity that needs to take place also requires sustained large investment upfront over many years in skills and products capacity to be able to deliver the retrofit activity, even assuming that the demand, finance and willingness to spend on energy-efficiency retrofit is there from homeowners, particularly on older more expensive to retrofit properties. This is especially given the loss of the construction workforce over the last 5 years (see links in the comments), a lack of apprenticeships and whether new entrants are being trained for skills needed in the future. It is also critical to remember energy-efficiency retrofit is much more labour-intensive than new build construction, so it will require a sharp increase in construction workers. What we need most of all, if government is actually serious about retrofitting the existing housing stock, is a realistic long-term plan of investment in energy-efficiency retrofitting that is funded (or if it is private funded then who will pay private investors the price including profit?) with sustained demand so firms can justify making the upfront investments in capacity and skills. Otherwise, retrofitting the existing housing stock will not happen. #ukhousing #housing #ukhousingmarket #housingmarket #ukrealestate #realestate #ukconstruction #ukbuilders #construction #builders #constructionuk #buildersuk #building #ukbuilding #buildinguk #constructionindustry #contractors #supplychain #constructionworkers #constructionworker #constructionwork #buildingmaterials #constructionmaterial #constructionmaterials #buildingcontractors #netzero #netzero2050 #netzerotransition #netzerocarbon #retrofit #retrofitting #retrofits #energyefficiency #energyefficienthomes #energyefficientretrofits

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This morning the final inquiry into the #Grenfell disaster was published and it sets out how a chain of failures across government and the construction industry led to the apartment block becoming a death trap. In 2017 a fire broke out in #GrenfellTower, #London which killed 72 people. Following an immediate investigate into the case, #cladding was found to be the ‘principal’ reason as to why the blaze spread so rapidly, although this morning – 4th September 2024 – the final report of the six-year public inquiry was published. Within the report, which was created by Sir Martin Moore-Brick, a retired #HighCourt judge and is comprised of 1,700 pages, the government, private sector and the construction industry were all discovered to have committed serious failings which contributed to the tragedy. #Government flaws Twenty-Five years before the Grenfell fire broke out – in 1992 – experts sounded an alarm about cladding fires after an 11-storey Knowsley Heights tower caught alight in #Merseyside. What’s more, seven years later there was another blaze at Garnock Court in Irvine, which prompted a committee of MPs to raise concerns. However, the flammable cladding wasn’t banned because it had already been classed as meeting #British safety standard. Adding to the problem, in 2009 six people died in a fire at Lakanal House, a high rise in #SouthLondon. A review of building regulations was requested, but the inquiry found the demand ‘wasn’t treated with any sense of urgency.’ In 2010, the coalition government, which was headed by David Cameron, showed promise of addressing cladding issues, but the inquiry found that under the surface, ‘matters affecting the safety of life were ignored, delayed or disregarded.’ Privatisation problems The Building Research Establishment (#BRE) is a key body in the UK that helps provide quality science-led standards for the construction industry. It was privatised in 1997, but the inquiry said it then became exposed to ‘unscrupulous product manufacturers’. This includes Arconic, a manufacturer, which ‘deliberately concealed’ the danger of the cladding used to wrap up Grenfell. Fire tests the organisation commissioned showed the cladding performed badly, but this information was never passed on to the BBA – a British private certification company tasked with keeping the construction industry up to date. #Council catastrophes Ultimately, the inquiry found Grenfell’s retrofit was poorly managed by contractors and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s company that ran social housing, known as Tenant Management Organisation (#TMO). Prior to the fire, trust and relationships had broken down between the TMO and residents, which led to a ‘serious failure to observe responsibilities’.

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Damp Survey Masterclass – Part 2 Apologies for the delay and sorry for keeping those interested in suspense. Here is the second part to my damp survey masterclass video. In this video, I’ll talk you through a comprehensive damp survey on a traditional period terrace property in York that's dealing with some major issues. Despite my best efforts to keep this video under 15 minutes, there was just too much content, so I’ve uploaded the video in two parts. If you’ve not yet seen Part 1, here’s a link. https://lnkd.in/eXX5eVb2 Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts, I always appreciate the feedback. What makes this survey particularly interesting is how the findings unfold, backed by laboratory results. You'll see firsthand the process of an invasive damp survey, demonstrating the importance of hiring a qualified damp specialist who has the expertise, experience, and equipment to properly identify the root cause of your problems. Remember not all damp-proofing companies or independent surveyors are experts, irrelevant of how they regard themselves, the term specialist / expert is used far too frequently in our industry! In this circumstance, whilst, the source of the problem remains undiscovered, the severity and extent of damage is now clear, as too is the likely origin. The diagnosis is pretty accurate, we just need to locate the defect. It is however clear that finding this defect will require our survey to be extended into the neighbouring property (with the neighbour’s co-operation). This is one of the problems with terraced houses, unfortunately when houses are built attached to one and other, they are potentially vulnerable to damage caused by defects in neighbouring properties. All too often if this forgotten about during damp investigations. Don’t think this is valuable to the client?....... Well, let me explain. Prior to my involvement this client was potentially looking at a significant repair which they would have been financially liable for however, based on the information we’ve provided they now have all the evidence they need to start an insurance claim thus, the damage which I’d estimate to be in the 10’s of thousands should be covered by their insurers (with a little bit of a battle as always!). Damp is often more complex than it appears. Many people focus on treating symptoms without addressing the cause, leading to temporary fixes that fail over time. If those symptoms are early indications of a serious issue and are not diagnosed accurately or simply masked, this could result in serious damage to the property over time. Correctly diagnosing the cause from the start is absolutely essential. At Dryfix, there’s a reason we’re Yorkshire’s leading damp and timber specialists, and why we’re proud to be an 8 X Award-winning company.

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Last week's issue of the latest HSE Building/Construction Fatality Statistics - No inclusion in this statistical report of the issues concerning the new application of CDM Regulations, since 2015, to house extensions or a new house for a domestic Client, ie. such a Client with little or no knowledge of construction health & safety and the parties' obligations. #CDM2015 #BuildingSafety #ConstructionSafety #EngineeringSafety #ConstructionAccidents #HSE #PrincipalDesigner #HealthAndSafety

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The UK’s #highspeed rail (HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd) project is a scheme first proposed in 2009 when the Labour Party was in power. It was pushed forward by a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the years to come, before – ultimately – a large portion of it was cancelled by the Conservatives last year. With Labour again at the helm after the UK elections, what’s next for HS2? The programme, which has consistently run overbudget and overtime, will still construct phase one; connecting the cities of #London and #Birmingham via a high-speed #rail line. That portion could conclude by 2029. Back in January, additional money was injected into phase one of the #project, and another billion pounds was added this May for #tunnelling work in London. Altogether, the total cost of HS2 is estimated at £66.6 billion (€79 billion). The original cost projection for phase one was about £30 billion (€36 billion). Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in October 2023, cancelled plans (phase two) to extend the line beyond Birmingham to the northern cities of #Leeds and #Manchester, and in the months since, questions have surfaced on whether the new Labour government is interested in resurrecting it. Over the years, Labour’s approval of HS2 phase two has fluctuated... Read the full article below ⬇

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Network Rail invests £33 million to stabilise a critical section of the East Coast Main Line 🚧 Near Browney Curve in Durham, engineers have been working since September 2023 to address ongoing land movement that could lead to major disruptions in passenger and freight services due to landslips. 🔧 Key project highlights: Pile Installation: 529 piles, up to 25 meters deep, are being driven into the ground. The 400th pile has already been installed! Drainage Improvements: Enhanced drainage systems are being implemented to prevent waterlogging. Embankment Reshaping: The embankment is being widened and regraded for improved stability. Environmental Measures: New trees and wildflower meadows are being planted to help stabilise the ground. The project is now 75% complete and is expected to wrap up this autumn, with final land reshaping continuing until spring 2025. The work is being carried out in collaboration with contractor Story, with piling progressing at six piles per day. 🛤️ Jon Calvert, Network Rail’s portfolio delivery director, stated: "Keeping the railway running safely and smoothly is what we’re here to do, and it’s paramount for us to take proactive action like here at Browney Curve to prevent problems before they happen. This is a mammoth worksite, the largest of its kind in Network Rail’s Eastern region, and our engineers are working tirelessly to secure the East Coast Main Line for the future. It’s a huge achievement to have done this while causing minimal disruption to this vital rail route, which will soon be better protected for passengers and freight for years to come."

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Do you like chips? 🍟 In your windscreen? 🚘 Ah, see what happened there. 😉 You didn’t wait until you fully heard and understood the question. 🙋🏽‍♂️ This happens a lot in construction. 🏗️ Where the whole picture is concealed in language specialist contractors don’t fully understand 🤦🏽‍♂️ Legal jargon. Words. Dangerous words for the uninformed. ⚠️ Traps. Pitfalls. ⛔️ And usually not provided to you until after you’re on site. 🤦🏽‍♂️ With a seemingly harmless condition “we need you to sign this, so we can set you up on our payments system”. 🚩🚩🚩 This is a red flag 🚩 and then some. The only words in that sentence to note are “we can set you up”. 😈 Because once you sign. You’re f’cked. 😵‍💫 Want to know some more red flags and how to avoid them. Oh and your rights and how to assert them confidently? 🤓 (Spoiler alert - refuse to sign it and call me). DM me and let’s talk, but let’s ensure we keep a sense of humour 🙂 It’s good for the soul. ✨🙏🏽 #educate #liberate #adjudicate #build #better #relationships #avoidmartha

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Grateful to Su Butcher for highlighting the recommendation from the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 Report for a publicly available library of test data - an issue raised in the Paul Morrell review of product testing: "Unless, therefore, manufacturers can demonstrate how intellectual property can be protected and still be sufficiently transparent about the make-up of a product to establish whether it remains unaltered since testing, and to provide designers with the information that they need to design responsibly, then our recommendation is that the test results that support a Declaration of Performance should be publicly available, and in full; and if it is feasible for a UKAS database to hold certificates, then it could usefully be expanded to hold test results too." Morrell Day Review page 129

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“We don’t need to show the critical path on our programme because the NEC doesn’t ask for it.” I disagree. The contract asks for it but indirectly. Clause 31 of the Contract requires the programme to make provision for float. Float is generated automatically by the programme software. Activities with zero days total float are critical activities. If the programme is built correctly with each activity logically linked then the software will show activities with zero float as critical (coloured red). Thus showing by default the critical path. #civilengineering #nec #projectmanagement #constructionlaw MoreConsult Ltd

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Following their win at the polls, labour have claimed they will set national housebuilding targets and reduce construction red tape. This worries me. Much of the red tape is there for good reason and shouldn't be dissolved without good reason. More importantly, setting housebuilding targets creates a danger that incoming housing stock will be low(er) grade, built at speed and built on greenbelt without much consideration for available services or the overall scheme. I would've much preferred to hear labour announce considerate new housing laws which require new schemes to actively serve the local community needs, ensure school places and doctors are available to new residents and the utilities are sound. labour promised to open the doors to growth. If this is their plan, I'm wondering at what cost. Too many housing schemes are of cookie cutter low quality and don't serve the community needs while overloading services. I'm hoping that we don't receive more of this and Labour force a consideration of design, innovation and environmental impact alongside a rebuild of council planning services. True growth doesn't need to be damaging, but there is a bigger picture to consider than build, build, build. https://lnkd.in/euqTHe7c

One of my focus in the coming months is the revision of the existing standard on Stations Infrastructure. Fire safety requirements for stations will certainly be an area of focus in this piece of work going forward from the perspective of both writing standards and structural engineering. #TeamRSSB #Stations

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If we are going to have HS2 then it makes sense to have it finish in central London rather than it grind to a halt somewhere in the suburbs. Hopefully once that is complet then we can sort out the rail links in Northern England - this time focus on capacity rather than speed. https://lnkd.in/e7S2yhmA

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