Author: California Builder

Every month, using figures compiled by The Builders’ Conference, our Contracts League reveals who’s winning the most work. And every month no matter who comes out on top, by far the greatest volume of new work is let in the residential sector. House-building is the industry’s biggest single sector and house-builders enjoy the highest profit margins….

Running under the banner ‘Work dead safely: Stay alive’, the Scotland’s trade body has produced a new animation, brochure and infographic to stress the importance of observing correct safe isolation procedures. It also reinforces the dangers of not isolating safely, with case studies of electricians who have been burned, scarred for life and even killed…

Like similar reforms in England, the Welsh proposals are informed by the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London. However, they are not restricted to high rise buildings. Proposals in the Safer Buildings in Wales white paper cover all multi-occupied residential buildings, from a house converted into two flats, to a high-rise apartment block. Wales’ housing…

Janice Smith Smith, who has 20 years’ experience as a qualified civil and structural engineer, started with the firm this month. She is taking over the region’s leadership from executive director, Phil Richardson who is due to retire in the spring. As well as civil and structural engineering services, Curtins offers transport planning, environmental, infrastructure,…

The introduction of Build Ayrshire follows the success of a similar programme in Lanarkshire. The new eight-week programme of practical instruction is designed to guide local construction industry-related businesses on winning new, high-value work from Scotland’s Tier 1 building contractors. An initial online information day will be hosted by Hub South West on 14th January….

As of 8th January 2021, Anne-Marie Trevelyan is minister in charge of the construction industry Kwasi Kwarteng was given the construction brief at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in December 2020, taking the place of Nadhim Zahawi, who had been transferred to the job of overseeing the roll-out of Covid vaccines…

Inside the concrete structure at Werrington Over nine days between 16th and 24th January 2021 an 11,000-tonne curved concrete box is to be pushed under the East Coast Main Line railway. Morgan Sindall is building a new tunnel at Werrington Junction, near Peterborough, to separate slow-moving freight from long-distance passenger trains. The project is part…

Inside Premier Modular’s factory in Driffield In the year to 30th June 2020 Premier Modular saw turnover rise to £65.3m, up 23% on 2019’s £52.8m but still below 2018’s peak figure of £72.0m. Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) was up 35% to £10.6m, the latest accounts show. Growth was reported in both…