CMYA medallists profiled

construction manager | november/DECember 09 | www.construction-manager.co.uk

follow the green brick road

is your van your best friend?
inside: contact newsletter

for members of the CIOB

november/DECember 09
www.construction-manager.co.uk

Awards special:
Find out why the project
manager of York’s De Grey
Court won the ultimate prize
CMYA Awards 2009

01_Covers.indd 1 04/11/2009 11:07

 Building Information Modelling
goes beyond buildings; it also
helps civil engineers to design,
visualise and simulate more
sustainable land development,
transportation and environ-
mental projects.

With AutoCAD® Civil �D®,

Autodesk’s civil engineering
software for BIM, engineers
can analyse design alterna-
tives quickly to identify
the one with the least
environmental impact.

Engineers can optimise site

design layout easily with BIM,
maximising open space and
minimising site disturbance
during construction. To learn
more about BIM for civil
engineering, visit
autodesk.co.uk/bim.

HOW CIVIL ENGINEERS USE BIM

TO MAKE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
THE ONLY DESIGN.

Autodesk, AutoCAD and Civil 3D are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or
trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that
may appear in this document. © 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

News and views
04 Brazil looks to London
The Rio Olympics organising
committee seeks to gain insights
from London’s 2012 experience.
05 Construction hit harder than banks
Job losses in the industry outstrip
those in the banking and financial
sectors.
07 International news
More European countries adopt the 19-37 Gold and silver winners
UK’s environmental standard.
08 News from the CIOB
CDM 2007 regulations have failed to
raise health and safety standards;
Chris Blythe salutes industry’s finest.
10 Leader
Construction needs to focus on being
part of green solution, not the problem
11 Feedback
Letters; readers’ opinions on
how the OFT inquiry will affect
public tendering.
03_Agenda.indd 3
nov/dec09
Agenda
Features Construction professional
Cover story: Construction Manager 48 Look at the ledger
of the Year Awards You’ve made redundancies and
15 Introduction from the glitzy reworked your margins, but are you
awards night at the Grosvenor missing some obvious savings in the
Hotel in London. purchase ledger?
16 Into the limelight 48 Back to basics
CM catches up with Morgan Ashurst’s New JCT contracts published in
jubilant David Wilson after he May encourage parties to address
scooped the top award. sustainability.
49 Case notes
Find out who won in each category Work involving asbestos removal left
and why their skills caught the a sticky case when the client
judges’ eye. discovered the material was still
40 Finalists present 12 years later.
A complete listing of all this
year’s finalists. + Contact
42 Green dream 55-70
CM asks if a low-carbon utopia can All the latest news direct from the CIOB
become reality, or if it’s the stuff including updates on Building Regulations,
of fairy tales. and a regional focus on the North West.
46 Green products for 2010
A collection of must-have
sustainability products.
50 Commercial vehicles
Contractors are frustrated that many
obvious features are missing from
their medium-sized panel vans.
conStruction manager | november/december 2009 | 3
03/11/2009 09:47
 News
LATIN TOUCH
Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic
organisers are looking to
forge links with London
2012 organisers
Brazil nuts about London
Rio de Janeiro is hoping that construction
companies involved in London 2012 will
be a source of consultancy advice and
investment as the city gears up to host the
2016 Olympics, writes Stephen Cousins.
A spokesperson for Rio’s official
Olympic organising committee said the
country wants to start a dialogue with
officials and companies working on
London’s Olympic Park, in the same way
as London built up contacts with Beijing.
“The Rio organising committee is very
tuned in to what’s happening in the UK,”
said the spokesperson. “President Lula
and the bid committee have made visits
the UK and are particularly interested in
the legacy aspect of London 2012, which
Rio plans to emulate.
“The effort to regenerate east London
also mirrors Rio’s plans to build its Olympic
Village in the redeveloping Barra district.”
The Olympic Delivery Authority also
plans to bring Rio’s decision makers and
UK firms together at the London 2012
site. “In the coming months we will be
organising visits to the Olympic Park for
key members of the Rio committee, and
that is likely to involve meetings with UK
companies,” said a spokesman.
The Rio games’ organisers are also
planning to set up a foreign direct
investment agency similar to Think
London, which has helped foreign
businesses establish themselves in
the capital.
4 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
4-5_News.indd 4
Construction firms eager to get a head
start on Brazil’s sports-related spending
boom can book their place on a UK Trade
& Investment trade mission to São Paulo,
between 15 and 20 November.
“Delivering Major Sporting Events” is
an opportunity for British companies to
meet with, and sell products, services and
expertise to, the organisers and host city
representatives of the 2014 Soccer World
Cup, as well as investigate possibilities in
anticipation of Rio 2016.
UKTI, in a report on Brazil published last
month, estimates that some 80 projects
will be required to help it host the two
events. Investment in infrastructure for
2014 alone is likely to be in the region of
£10bn to £30bn, which includes £1.5bn
to build and modernise 12 stadiums, plus
£1.4bn to expand and modernise airports
across the country and £10bn investment
in transport infrastructure.
“President Lula and the bid committee
have made visits to the UK and are
particularly interested in the legacy
aspect of London 2012, which Rio
plans to emulate.”
Spokesperson, Rio Olympic organising committee
Q&A
Andrew Wolstenholme
Andrew Wolstenholme, managing
director of Balfour Beatty
Management, chaired the
Constructing Excellence Review
Team that wrote Never Waste a
Good Crisis, a review of progress
made since Sir John Egan’s
Rethinking Construction was
published in 1998.
How did the Review Team operate?
We had consultants, academics, and
people with contracting backgrounds.
We looked at 10 years of KPIs from
demonstration projects, 10 years of
reports on different aspects of the
problem. And nearly 1,000 industry
professionals completed our survey.
What are the main themes of
the report?
If you took 100 projects and most
of them were improving, then I
wouldn’t have a job to do. But there
were four main blockers: the economic
environment and recession; the
capability of the industry; the
delivery model; and the structure
of the industry.
Can the industry change gear
in a recession?
Clients are in survival mode and the
government is under pressure to cut
public spending. We need to look long
term and incentivise the supply chain
to make innovations and look long
term, and then everyone will stay in
the game.
You’re quite critical about
university courses. Why?
We train people at university with a
technical degree, then ask them to
solve business problems. They’re not
prepared. This built environment is not
about building buildings and leaving it
– it’s about building an asset for 50
years that gives you pay back. You need
leaders who can see that bigger picture
and can run companies that way.
What’s your message to
institutions, such as the CIOB?
We have too many people in too many
silos and we don’t have a clear
message about how all this adds up.
The institutions’ voices need to be
more joined up.
Who should read this report?
No one should read this report and
think “this doesn’t involve me”. There
are quick wins that could make a
difference tomorrow, and there are
some bigger themes that need to be
owned by parts of the industry.
03/11/2009 09:51
 Month in
numbers

Industry job losses 50%

The number of
directors who
will leave Laing
O’Rourke as a result
of its restructuring,

higher than banking

announced in October.

Construction has borne the brunt of UK
job losses during the economic downturn,
and redundancies are likely to escalate
unless the government maintains levels
of investment, writes Stephen Cousins.
That’s the gloomy conclusion of a
report commissioned jointly by the UK
Contractors Group (UKCG) and the CBI
construction group argues.
The report, prepared by independent
research consultancy LEK using Office
of National Statistics data, shows that
in the second quarter of 2009
construction redundancies averaged
2.2 per 100 employees, compared
with 1.2 in manufacturing and 1.2 in
financial sectors.
It also shows that construction has had
the greatest redundancy rate since the
start of the recession, with 28 per 1,000
employees losing their jobs – 40% higher
than manufacturing and 50% greater than
the financial and business services sectors.
“I’m not surprised by the figures,” said
Stephen Ratcliffe, director of the UKCG.
“Anecdotal evidence from our members
indicated redundancies were accelerating
and the cancellation of major projects
like those in the LSC colleges programme,
plus a fall in private commercial demand,
have contributed to a drop in construction
output. It certainly runs contrary to
reports that we’re heading for a recovery.”
Andrew Bredin, managing director of
recruitment firm Hays Construction, says
that the majority of redundancies have
been made in companies exposed to the
private sector. “Public sector funding has
so far remained relatively secure and has
Fatalities following
construction
created jobs on major infrastructure accidents in 2008/9,
projects. In terms of redundancies, site
managers, architects and quantity
in figures published
by the Health and
Safety Executive.
China stars named
surveyors have been some of the worst Two Chinese medalists joined the
affected, with maintenance workers line-up of award winners at last month’s
faring better.” Construction Manager of the Year Awards
The number of
But Bredin has seen hopeful signs in housing projects (CMYA), recognised for their outstanding
approved for Homes
some quarters. “Architectural practices and Communities efforts in co-ordinating rebuilding
and housebuilders are beginning to recruit Agency funding in work in China following 2008’s
the first wave of the
again, albeit slowly,” he says. government’s £925m devastating earthquake in Sichuan
The UKCG and CBI now plan to use the Kickstart programme. province, central China.
LEK report to lobby all government and Yu Yong, vice president of CIOB China,
opposition parties to maintain future was awarded a medal by President
levels of capital spending on construction. Li Shirong, who has introduced the
The height, in
The report also claims that every £1 metres, of a the president’s special medals to recognise
invested in the industry can generate a new Regal Tower expertise among the Institute’s overseas
being proposed for
£2.84 increase in GDP. Birmingham city membership. Dr Raymond Ho FCIOB was
centre. At 56 storeys,
“We’re hoping to influence spending it would be the tallest unable to attend the event, but received
plans outlined in the pre-budget report. in the city. his medal in Hong Kong.
Decision makers need to understand that Speaking before the event, President
cutting spending on infrastructure might Li told CM: “The earthquake rebuilding
seem like an easy option, but the data work is an amazing project involving
The amount, in
shows the economic consequences could billions of pounds, hundreds of dedicated people and we
be disastrous,” adds Ratcliffe. building Crossrail thought these medals would be a special
and completing
the London tube way to draw attention to it.
modernisation could “I always admired the CMYA as it
“Cutting spending on generate for national
GDP, says business recognises excellence in the industry and
infrastructure might
organisation London
First. this is a first attempt to include people
overseas. In future we expect to open the
seem like an easy option, international award up to other countries,
but the data shows the including South Africa, India and the
economic consequences The number of
people who died from
Middle East,” she concluded.
The winners were selected by President
could be disastrous.” asbestos-related
mesothelioma in Li from a shortlist of seven nominated by
Stephen Ratcliffe 2007, according to
the HSE. Around one Chinese members.
in four worked in
construction trades.

All change for website and CPD
Apologies to all readers who have
been in touch about our website and
the online CPD service.
The magazine is now being
published by Atom Publishing, which
is also taking over the URL of the CM
website from the previous publisher.
If you visit www.construction-
manager.co.uk today, you’ll find our
holding page. From mid-December,
a new website will go live. As well
as all the content from the current
issue of CM and Contact, it will
include additional web-only news,
views and images.
This redesigned edition of CM
does not include a CPD article. But
from January 2010, the magazine
will run a CPD article in every
issue. You will be able to gain
CPD points by sending completed
questionnaires to Atom, or by
completing the questionnaire on
the website. to CPD for those issues should be
Readers who have submitted emailed to cm.cpd@ubm.com.
questionnaires for September or The change of publisher means
October to the former publisher, that articles published up to
UBM, will still be able to receive October 2009 will not be available
their CPD points. Enquiries relating on our website.
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 | 5

4-5_News.indd 5 03/11/2009 09:52

 Plan it. Progress it. Prove it.
When project managing complex projects such as; the award-winning Royal Hall in Harrogate; the iconic
London Eye; and the retractable roof at Wimbledon Centre Court – top contractors know the importance
of being able to trust software that is consistently proven to perform.
“Asta Powerproject enabled us to predict the cost and impact on the overall delivery schedule of the project
when implementing new activities. It enabled us to provide ‘what if scenarios’ for a number of different
solutions to a given requirement and to offer complete transparency to stakeholders in the project.”
Derek Clayton, M.C.I.O.B, Planning Engineer, BAM Construction Ltd
Asta Powerproject® delivers the brief seamlessly with the unrivalled advantage of having a 21 year
history in providing a scaleable, powerful, project management solution that is designed specifically
for the construction industry.
With Asta Powerproject you get a robust solution that supports any size and type
of construction project, available with flexible licensing (standalone, network or
enterprise) and comprehensive direct UK support.
To find out more, call us on 01844 261700 or email app@astadev.com
For a free 30-day trial, please visit: www.astadev.com/harrogate

Untitled-1.indd 1 03/11/2009 12:54

 News International
Russia latest to adopt
BRE’s green standard
The BRE has signed a memorandum of
understanding with the Russian Green
Building Council to develop Russia’s
version of the BREEAM standard. It is the
latest evidence that the UK sustainability
assessment is being adopted across
continental Europe.
Developers can already have their
buildings assessed under BREEAM Europe,
written in English with appendices
tailored to each country. But the Dutch
Green Building Council has now launched
BREEAM Netherlands and an agreement is
in place to develop a Spanish version.
BRE has also signed an agreement to
work with France’s Centre Scientifique et
Technique du Bâtiment to align the BRE
assessmnent with its HQE standard
(Haute Qualité Environnementale).
According to Simon Guy, head of
marketing at BRE Global, the move
towards using BREEAM as a basis for a
Europe-wide assessment system is being
driven by multinational developers that
want a common benchmark for all their
European buildings.
“There’s been a lot of demand from
Antarctica – ice work if you can get it
Seven plumbers, six carpenters, six
electricians and a groundworker are on
their way to work at British research
stations in Antarctica.
The group has been successful in
the biggest-ever construction trades
recruitment drive run by the British
Anatarctic Survey, the UK’s environmental
research agency in Antarctica. Some will
7_ItlNews.indd 7
Europe, particularly developers that want
a common standard based on BREEAM,”
says Guy. “Initially it’s been private sector
driven, but European regional
governments are also showing interest.”
Guy added that the adoption of a
UK standard was also good news for
UK-based construction consultants
working in Europe. “There are 350
BREEAM International assessors working
in Europe, and a lot are based in the
European offices of British firms.”
David Lawrence MCIOB, European
director for planning and construction at
developer AIG Lincoln, worked on the
development of the BREEAM Europe
certification system. “Developers want to
make sure they can benchmark their own
buildings, as do pension funds and other
investors,” he said. “It’s especially
important in eastern Europe, where
building standards are lower.”
BRE is also a founder member of the
International Sustainability Alliance,
which will work with national Green
Building Councils to develop national
variants of BREEAM.
be working over the Antarctic summer,
others will stay on 18-month contracts.
“The Antarctic summer is our winter.
You can get a lot of work done in 24-hour
daylight so we can make a big push on
maintenance and construction,” said
spokeswoman Linda Capper.
The BAS is likely to be recruiting to fill
further vacancies in spring 2010.
Access Abu Dhabi
The Docks 76 retail
scheme in Rouen,
France, developed by
Unibail Rodamco, will A business support service for south-
be assessed under east-based contractors and construction
BREEAM Europe
consultants looking to break into new
markets has opened a new office in
Abu Dhabi.
The South East Centre for the Built
Environment opened its first overseas
office in Libya six months ago, and is
now helping 40 businesses to access
opportunities there.
“Libya has got off to a roaring success,
and we hope that Abu Dhabi will achieve
the same success,” says John Ellis,
business development director for the
Middle East and North Africa.
The Abu Dhabi office will act as an
“incubation” service for companies in
the early stages of exploring the market.
It will help firms to identify potential
clients or joint venture partners, and
to arrange premises, visas and local
“There’s a lot staff. It will also support UK businesses
of demand that already have a presence in these
from Europe, markets, but would benefit from
particularly business support.
developers that Although most of its Libyan clients are
want a common architects, engineering and surveying
standard based consultancies, Ellis says SECBE is keen
on BREEAM” to work with companies offering
Simon Guy construction and project management
services. “In both countries, there’s a real
desire to have British contractors. They
have a lot of credibility and offer high
levels of service.
“To be effective they would probably
have to partner up with a local, and
SECBE can also assist with this.”
SECBE is a not-for-profit organisation
funded by the South East of England
Development Agency (SEEDA) and
chaired by Bob Heathfield, PPCIOB.
The two organisations undertook
research to identify overseas markets
where there was most opportunity for
British companies in the construction
sector to take market share, and found
that Libya and Abu Dhabi came top of
the list. SECBE is now considering
offering a similar service in Qatar.
conStruction manager | november/december 2009 | 7
03/11/2009 08:12
 News CIOB
CDM 2007 struggles as stress rises
100
What impact has 90
CDM 2007 had on 80
70
how you address 60
health and safety? 50
40
30
20
10
0
100
What causes you 90
stress in your work 80
70
environment? 60
50
40
30
20
10
0 8 Don’t feel stress at work
1 2
THE CONSTRUCTION Design and Management
2007 (CDM 2007) regulations are failing
to raise health and safety standards
across the board, according to a CIOB
online survey on health and safety. The
survey also found that work-related stress
has increased since the recession began.
Of the 1,260 members who responded,
29% said CDM 2007 had had very little
impact on how they dealt with health and
safety, and 7% said it had none. The CDM
Regulations were revised in April 2007,
placing new duties on clients, designers
and contractors and handing more power
to a CDM co-ordinator.
Howard Prosser, chair of the CIOB health
and safety advisory committee, says
the results are a concern. “I suspect that
more needs to be done to help designers
understand CDM 2007. There may also
be a communication issue between the
various professionals on projects so there
needs to be more dialogue.”
Vince Busk, head of health and safety
at contractor ISG, agrees: “I operate in
the CDM co-ordinator role, and I find that
designers, architects and clients still don’t
understand what their responsibilities
Management bible tackles sustainability
The Code of Practice for
Project Management has been
updated with new guidance on
sustainability, e-procurement
and project communications.
The fourth edition of the Code,
intended as a key reference
text for clients, contractors
and professionals, has a major
8 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
08_news.indd 8
Chris Blythe
The future’s in
good hands
A new look for Construction Manager
is a fitting background to pay tribute
to this year’s CMYA participants and
in particular the medal winners.
What struck me when signing all
1 None the certificates, and looking at the
2 Very little project titles was the impact each
3 A reasonable
and every project has on the quality
improvement
4 A significant of life. The range of projects goes
improvement
from maternity hospitals through to
schools, colleges, medical centres,
leisure centres, prisons and all the
1 2 3 4 way to retirement homes. Every
1 Job demands phase of life is embraced by our
2 Demands of senior
management industry, and for the better too.
3 Line manager
I have always been deeply
4 Work environment
5 Lack of, or insufficient, impressed by the way the CMYA
health and safety
awareness in the firm entrants identify with their projects.
6 Possible loss of job In June, I took the opportunity to
7 Insufficient training
spend a day with this year’s judges
3 4 5 6 7 8 in June. That left me seriously
Source: CIOB impressed both by the entrants and
are. Poor attention to safety at the design their supporters and the diligence
of the judges. I doubt whether any
stage is resulting in building maintenance “People are other awards in the industry are so
problems and problems with construction.” more stressed comprehensively and objectively
Shaun Davis, health and safety director about losing judged – another example of the
at Rok, says: “We shouldn’t feel afraid to their jobs, but industry at its best.
challenge designers and clients to remind reluctant to One of the commonest complaints
them of their responsibilities under CDM. take time off or I get is about the relatively poor
I’d like to see more discussion between admit to stress” exposure the industry gets on
duty holders so we can iron out oversights Howard Prosser television. I have to say it is not
true. Sky has a lot of programmes
at an early stage,” he argues.
about what the construction
The survey also draws attention to high industry does, featuring diverse
levels of stress in the industry. A total of projects all around the world.
62% of respondents said they suffered Whether it is Megastructures,
stress from their job demands, while 42% Kings of Construction, or Extreme
said they would carry on at work even if a Engineering, or simply Grand
GP diagnosed them with stress. Designs, there is a wealth of material
showing the ingenuity and skill
“People are more stressed about losing
of a range of people solving huge
their jobs, but also reluctant to take time technical and logistical problems.
off or admit to stress in case it endangers The next achievement for the
their employment, says Prosser. ”It’s also industry in it role as transformer
perhaps an indication of the macho of lives is its most difficult and
attitude that still pervades building sites.” challenging. That is, of course,
On a more positive note, 85% of carbon reduction. With the world’s
population continuing to grow and
respondents said the recession had not
with it carbon-based consumption,
affected levels of health and safety
our industry has the opportunity to
compliance in their companies, while 36% make the biggest difference and
said their firm had increased spending on deliver the levels of carbon reduction
health and safety in the past 12 months. needed to sustain a decent sort of
life in the future. It is the biggest job
in the world, over the longest time
span, requiring the best people on
construction research, construction
new focus is the assimilation guidance on electronic
engineering and management.
of sustainability at every level procurement, plus tips on the Anyone who wants a career that
within construction projects. use of Building Information requires creativity and flair, problem
Readers can also find guidance Modelling (BIM) software. solving skills and innovation, working
on drawing up a communications The Code is available for with a diverse set of people who are
plan for a project, including a £44.99 (RRP £49.99) if ordered transforming the world we live in
protocol for how team members before 5 January from www. would be hard pushed to find a
better industry than construction. At
should communicate. constructionbooksdirect.com.
our best, there’s nothing to beat us.
New sections on IT include For more information see p70.
02/11/2009 09:42
 We spend several
million pounds each
year researching new
ways to make it even
easier to design and
construct with steel.

Experience counts so take advantage of ours:

Millions of questions, thousands of research
projects, hundreds of customers and a dedicated
team of experts all giving individual attention to
your questions about steel.

Meet us face to face or via telephone support, on

our website or at the regular technical briefings,
seminars and events we hold.

For world-class technical support

start here: www.steelessentials.info

Untitled-1.indd 1 03/11/2009 12:57

 Views
We’re at the centre of
the new green focus
Ahead of the CopenhAgen summit in
December, green is definitely the colour
of the season. In the past couple of
years, we’ve seen a steady flow of policy
and voluntary measures that have
increased our understanding of
the carbon challenge and solutions.
Thanks to measures such as the Code
for Sustainable Homes and BREEAM, and
the efforts of the UK Green Building
Council and the Construction Industry
Council, we’ve seen a new consistency
emerge in the debate.
The overall effect has been to push out
“greenwash” and confusingly wide
definitions of sustainability that tried to
embrace everything from eco-diversity in
the Amazon to Third World employment
practices. Now there’s a new focus on
measures that have a direct impact on
carbon emissions: insulation and air-
tightness, ground and air source heating,
thermal mass and triple glazing.
The difference in outlook is particularly
striking when you consider the atmosphere
that preceded the arrival of Part L 2006,
and the far more ambitious targets arriving
in Part L 2010. Then, we were obsessed
with “pay-back periods” and fixated on the
perceived extra costs of going green: now,
clients and contractors are rightly focused
on the cost of inaction.
Of course, there’s still a long way to go.
Online poll
Last month
Do you feel you’re working in a
diverse company?
Yes No
10 | november/december 2009 | conStruction manager
10-11_Views.indd 10
We don’t yet have a Code for Sustainable
Buildings, our understanding of embodied
carbon is still inadequate, and we’re
working in an arena of continued
recession, low margins and flat demand.
But construction does have many of
the answers, and it’s now up to the CIOB
and other representative bodies in the
sector to get that message across.
green is also the colour of this redesigned
edition of CM, the first from new publisher
Atom. Each issue will feature a different
accent colour tying all the articles
together. We hope the design is stylish
but practical, with a blend of familiar
elements and new innovations.
Just like the construction industry, we’re
keen to continuously improve what we
offer. If you have any comments on the
new-look magazine, or suggestions about
what you’d like to see in it or on the
forthcoming website (see p5), please
email us at constructionmanager@
atompublishing.co.uk
With Part L 2006 we were obsessed
with “pay-back periods” and fixated on
the perceived extra costs of going green:
now, clients and contractors are rightly
focused on the cost of inaction.
Feedback
When your face doesn’t fit
Mark Rawlings BSc
With reference to your October article
on diversity, I have been in the
construction industry all my working
life. I started as an apprentice plumber
when I was 16 and eventually became
a professional bricklayer and proficient
in other wet trades.
Following this I experienced a time of
unemployment, but was lucky enough to
get into Greenwich University to do a
building surveying degree, receiving a
BSc honours degree in 2000, which I am
very proud of.
I have been very busy for the last eight
years. However, in my opinion my
background has hindered my progress
within the industry. I am not black or
Asian. I am a white British man, a bit
overweight, bald, tattooed with a south
London accent. Great if you’re on site as a
bricklayer, but not so good in the
boardroom. I have experienced that I can
get clerk of works jobs and condition
survey work, but project management
roles are a no-no.
In my opinion employers are looking for
6ft, dark haired, well-groomed types with
an Oxford degree, not the short fat bald
comprehensive type with tattoos. Of
course, they want to represent their
company to the best of their abilities, but
this discrimination is limiting the diversity
of our industry in my opinion.
I can normally tell if I have the job after
shaking the interviewer’s hand. If your
face fits is still the case in my experience.
It’s time for change.
Discriminating against diabetes
Nigel Hunter Jones MCIOB
I must add “illness” to the discrimination
list in construction. I have had insulin
treated diabetes for over 20 years. But
when I got a letter of acceptance for a
job with a large contractor, it was
withdrawn as soon as I put “well-
controlled insulin-treated diabetic, treated
at St Thomas Hospital” on the
employment detail sheet. Since then I
have not lost any days due to diabetes
with other employers.
03/11/2009 13:26
 Vox pop
What impact will the OFT
scandal have on public
sector tendering?
I work with several public
sector clients who have
been phoning firms
named by the OFT and
demanding an explanation.
The contractors all respond
the same way – rather than admitting
responsibility they blame it on someone
else or on a subsidiary company. Clients
are becoming more suspicious of what
they already see as a corrupt industry, and
firms can expect much closer scrutiny of
their bidding information, and during the
interview process, particularly on public
sector jobs.
The way contractors share information
will have to change. I recently came
across a project on which all the bidding
contractors chipped in to pay for one QS to
price up the job.
Peter Gracia, Gracia Consult
I’ve been reading in the
press about Leeds City
Council becoming the
first client planning to sue
contractors. From a clients’
perspective I’d say that suing
is the worst kind of behaviour. The advice
we give members is to try to work more
Underfloor heating snags
Dennis Green MCIOB
The CPD article on underfloor heating (CM
October) was very interesting but your
contributor did not mention any snags
(well he wouldn’t, would he?).
In December 1963 I moved into a new
house with underfloor heating that took
advantage of the cheaper, night-time
tariff. Brilliant – and great for the children
who could play with their toys on a nice
warm floor.
10-11_Views.indd 11
collaboratively with your supply chains and
avoid legal action or blacklisting offenders,
which is counter-productive and could force
us back to the dark days of lowest cost
pricing for work.
Peter Cunningham, head of client group,
Constructing Excellence
The fines will send a strong
message to the industry
that old ways of doing
business are unacceptable
in the modern environment.
Hopefully the after-effect will be to help
eliminate the false markets we can end up
with on some projects, where there’s only
the illusion of competition. I can think of one
major project where most main contractors
didn’t want to bid because they knew one
of their number already had it, but everyone
still submitted bids. It was farcical.
I don’t think the contractors who were
not fined can expect to win more work
from their guilty competitors now either.
Most clients will not change their approach
to tendering and will not want to be seen
as infringing anti-competitive law by
discriminating against guilty contractors.
Michael Blackburne, partner, Reynolds Porter
Chamberlain
However, the one snag was controlling
the heat. In the spring, when to switch
off? In the autumn, when to switch on?
The concrete floor became one large
storage heater that held the heat for
several days. An open fire could give us
some warmth in the autumn if we were
hit by a sudden cold snap. But in the
spring, with a sudden warm day the only
answer was to open the windows.
So, Mr Ingram, has this problem been
overcome?
Architects have to be very
careful about what they
can say to contractors in
the bid process, and often
we’re instructed not to. But
if it means the contractor can’t test out a
few alternative ideas, does that help the
bid process? In some projects we’ve been
instructed not to have any contact with the
contractors at all until they’re at preferred
bidder stage. Everything is left to the QSs
– we produce the drawings, they go into
a vacuum and six months later we’ve got
a contractor. There are issues both about
confidentiality and whether designers and
contractors can liaise with each other in a
fair environment, but often it’s resolved by
saying we just can’t talk to them at all.
Roger Hawkins, director, Hawkins/Brown
Illustration The whole thing has created a lot of
by Patrick Lewis negativity throughout the industry. Word
has got around that we need to be careful
about who’s watching over our shoulders,
and we need to keep our noses clean. The
public already has a negative opinion of
the industry as a whole, and this really isn’t
adding to their confidence.
Philip Hall, managing director, Hall Construction
The lessons have been learnt
and the guilty verdicts
should deter other firms
tempted by cover pricing.
The fact the information
has been made public should
be humiliation enough for offenders and it
will undoubtedly impact on levels of trust in
their business relationships.
Emma Nicholson, senior project manager, Stace
This type of negative publicity has done
immeasurable damage to the building trade
at a time when we should be publicising the
vast number of opportunities and exciting
careers available in construction. The UK
construction sector should be playing on
the international stage, not stuck with the
stigma of national sleaze.
John Gray, chairman, Diamond Build
More Ann Wright please
Mark Kane MCIOB
I have noticed a worrying trend with
Construction Manager. The case notes
section appears to be getting smaller with
each publication. You should consider
giving Ann Wright more space in the
magazine as her construction law case
notes have always been a must read in
my opinion.
Ann always has the same space and will
continue to write in our new-look CM – Ed
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 | 11
03/11/2009 10:00
 Comment Keith Clarke
Where next after Copenhagen?
new roles for contractors, pressure on the
supply chain and taxation are on the horizon
as i write, European Union officials have
started talking about Europe-wide carbon
emission cuts of up to 95% by 2050, with
a shorter term 30% reduction target by
2020. While this is only a negotiating
position ahead of the COP15 global
climate change talks in Copenhagen
next month, the message this sends is a
powerful one. For those of us involved in
the construction sector, it presents both a
unique challenge and a huge opportunity.
We should draw comfort from the fact
that whatever global deal is reached,
the UK is already positioning itself to
take advantage. From a legislative point
of view we are already leading with
the world’s first Climate Change Act,
demanding carbon cuts of 80% by 2050.
But the truth is, once we get beyond 2020
the UK’s interim carbon budget targets
will already be driving huge change.
So while, at present, it could be argued
that countries such as Switzerland
and Germany are leading Europe’s
construction sector in carbon thinking,
the rate of change that the UK’s
professionals are being forced to go
through means we are catching up fast.
It is difficult to imagine how we will
be working in even five years. But what
is happening in Switzerland gives us a
clue. Swiss contractors are now taking
an increasingly high-profile project
management role as on some projects
they are being asked to provide
warranties on buildings to guarantee
their energy efficiency. Contractors are
therefore seeking to control processes
even more tightly, leading to designs
being fixed at an earlier stage and an
12 | november/december 2009 | conStruction manager
12_Comment.indd 12
increasing focus on building physics.
This raises questions about how the
whole design and construction process
may change. In future, designers will
still be able to create beautiful buildings,
but the construction process may be
carried out differently. On a high-rise
tower, for instance, the only component
that may be conventionally constructed
would be the structural armature. All the
accommodation and service modules
would be made off site and simply lifted
into place and fixed. The design and
build integrity would be of the highest
standards and the building would
outperform anything we have today.
As we become more skilled at building
super-efficient, perhaps even carbon zero,
projects, the focus will shift to embedded
carbon and this will bring pressure on the
supply chain – a top-down demand for
greater transparency and accountability.
The main cry that goes up is “how much
will this cost, and will clients pay for it?”
However, that does not heed what is
already happening. President Sarkozy
of France announced in September this
“Swiss contractors are taking an
increasingly high-profile project
management role as they are being
asked to provide warranties to
guarantee buildings’ energy efficiency”
year that he would be introducing a
carbon tax covering the use of oil, gas
and coal starting in 2010. That tax would
initially be set at €17 a tonne and cover
around 70% of the country’s carbon
emitters. After the climate change talks
in Copenhagen, the UK is also expected to
look at some form of carbon tax.
While we do not need to consider how
this may be achieved, we do need to
think about the impact of such a move.
Carbon will become an increasingly
significant part of the project cost and
clients will naturally demand more
accurate information on their exposure
to it. This is not something that stops
once the build is completed either, as
there will be an on-going cost implication
of having a less efficient building. This
means construction professionals will
have to make judgements on whether to
“spend” more carbon up front on a build to
improve its efficiency going forward. This
is thinking we, as a sector, are not doing to
any meaningful extent at the moment.
There will be a skills element to all of
this too because knowledge must expand.
Already the UK’s Green Building Council
is talking about setting up industry-wide
courses to help address skills gaps.
The greatest challenge is not keeping
pace with current thinking, it is predicting
what is coming next. For Atkins and every
other company in the sector, cutting
carbon emissions is not a moral decision,
but a business one. cm
Keith Clarke is chief executive of
Atkins and chairman of the Construction
Industry Council
29/10/2009 10:54
Untitled-1.indd 1 03/11/2009 13:16
 g e o t e c h n i c a l s e r v i c e s

www.maygurney.co.uk

For companies that need

to be sure of their ground
M ay g urney offers a complete geotechnical package
from identifying the problem to solving it.

m a y g u r n e y g e o t e c h n i c a l

Ayton Road, Wymondham, NR18 0RJ Tel: 01953 609844 Fax: 01953 609819 Email: piling@maygurney.co.uk
t

Department of the Built Environment

Qualifications to build a career

We offer high quality professionally accredited programmes
in a caring and friendly environment.

n MSc Project Management CIOB Accredited

n MSc Construction Management CIOB Accredited
n MSc Sustainable Construction CIOB Accredited
n MSc Conservation of Buildings IHBC Accredited
One-year full-time or two-year part-time study with
September and February starts.
Professional Doctorate and PhD programmes
also available.

For further Click: www.anglia.ac.uk/construction

information: Email: answers@anglia.ac.uk
Call: 0845 271 3333

Untitled-1.indd 1 04/11/2009 12:51

 Introduction
CMYA Awards 2009

Construction
Manager of the
Year Awards 2009
After detailed interviews and site visits, this year’s CMYA judges
concluded that no fewer than 115 individuals had attained the
standards of professionalism, technical expertise and team-building
skills necessary to reach the final. Over the next 25 pages, we
tell the stories behind the success of overall winner David Wilson
(above), and 23 gold and silver medalists – the very best of the
industry’s distinguished high-fliers. Photographs by Ed Tyler

conStruction manager | november 2009 | 15

14-17&40_Awards.indd 15 02/11/2009 09:30

 CMYA Awards 2009
A modest man by nature, David Wilson would never have expected to be
named Construction Manager of the Year. But the judges just couldn’t ignore
his work at York St John University’s De Grey Court. Elaine Knutt met him
Into the limelight
Amid back-slapping congratulations, an
impromptu congratulatory speech from
his Morgan Ashurst director, and even
an off-the-cuff job offer from another
contractor, David Wilson is enjoying the
aftershock of having been awarded the
title of Construction Manager of the
Year. Several judges single him out to
tell him he was their unanimous choice
and last year’s winner Anthony Joubert
(below right) is on hand to offer his
congratulations. “Did your life change?”
Wilson jokingly asks him.
But even if that job offer is the first of
many – “I told him he couldn’t afford my
prices!” was Wilson’s quick-fire response
– it seems unlikely that certain aspects of
his personality and professionalism will be
changing. Throughout all the commotion,
the 44-year-old responds to the demands
on his attention with a smile, a joke and a
promise to return later, politely prioritising
what happens to be the task in hand – an
interview with CM.
As he describes his achievements
on York St John University’s De
Grey Court, it becomes clear
16 | november/december 2009 | conStruction manager
14-17&40_Awards.indd 16
that Wilson’s personal warmth and people
skills had a great deal to do with how he
ran the project. Describing the no-blame
culture within the team, he also talks
about “the necessary evil” of email.
“I say, always make a phone call, or pay
someone a visit. And if you’ve got to
break bad news, don’t send an email
then go to lunch – pick up the phone and
talk to them!”
Wilson, a graduate of Ulster University,
also stresses the effort he puts into
building team relationships and a positive
atmosphere. “Life’s work is hard and can
sometimes take over, so it’s important
that we have some good times along the
way,” he says, his accent a blend of his
Northern Irish upbringing and his 20-plus
years in Yorkshire.
De Grey Court, which consisted of
a new-build teaching block and the
refurbishment of two grade-II listed
houses, no doubt generated its fair share
of bad news. First, the client had a fixed
budget of £9.344m, making it crystal clear
that there could be no overspend. It meant
that every item of extra expenditure had
to be offset with cuts – and knock-on
problems – elsewhere. Wilson succeeded
in implementing a tough but necessary
strategy. As he told awards host Natasha
Kaplinsky: “My wife now understands the
meaning of cost neutrality!”
The technical complications were
considerable, including an M&E spec of
chilled beams and underfloor heating in
the new building, and archaeology and
underpinning in the refurbishment. But
Wilson highlights the project’s location
and the resulting logistics challenge as
the hardest nut to crack. The site was
surrounded by three major traffic routes,
other campus buildings and a residential
area. “The location on the busiest junction
in York was a challenge in itself, as was
trying to keep to a build sequence that let
us get all the materials in and out.”
Then there were the 57 planning
conditions to adhere to, Morgan Ashurst’s
commitment to using local suppliers
and sub-contractors, and the immovable
deadline of the start of the academic year.
But Wilson’s biggest achievement was
undoubtedly delivering the design quality
that makes De Grey Court the CM cover
star and the proud recipient of an RIBA
regional award. Under the design and
build contract, London-based architect
Rivington Street Studio was novated
to Morgan Ashurst. As practice director
Charles Thomson says, such a relationship
can easily become dysfunctional if the
indefinables that make up design quality
end up at odds with the all-too-definable
metrics of budget and programme.
But at De Grey Court, Wilson was
responsible for putting quality top of
the agenda. “We had our arguments and
debates, but there was a very clear sense
that they wanted to achieve a quality
product, and David Wilson was at the
head of that,” says Thomson. “They
understood our standards and were
rigorous with their sub-contractors if
things weren’t going well. David was
the lead man, very passionate and
interested in the project, and endlessly
pushing for design quality.”
Wilson’s passion for the project began
during the tender stage, when he was
02/11/2009 09:32
 put forward as Morgan Ashurst’s project
manager and drew up a strategy to cut
£1m from the budget. According to Chris
Richards, chair of the judging panel, it
was his honesty about the problems
ahead that impressed the client and won
Morgan Ashurst the job. “He laid out all
the logistical problems that would be
encountered, and applied his knowledge
of construction to solve them. This is an
experienced client, and he says that De
Grey Court is the best he’s ever done.”
The project is now a landmark in
York, and a turning point in Wilson’s
professional life. “What does winning the
award mean? It gives me the confidence
that how I’m running projects must be
going along the right lines,” he says
modestly. “It’s about working together to
find a solution for every problem.”
As for the future, he’s thinking ahead
to a celebratory weekend away with his
wife, and working on projects closer to
home and his young family in Shipley,
West Yorkshire. Apart from that, he’s just
concentrating on enjoying the moment.

“What does winning the award mean?

It gives me the confidence that how
I’m running projects must be going
along the right lines.”
David Wilson

conStruction manager | november/DECEMBER 2009 | 17

14-17&40_Awards.indd 17 02/11/2009 09:32

 COINS IS USED BY MORE
CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS
THAN ANY OTHER BUSINESS
SOFTWARE SOLUTION
COINS is the industry’s choice for construction
and house building software. Our clients
represent more than 30% of the top 100 UK
companies and more than a third of the top 30
Irish companies, making us the market leader.

FIND OUT WHY AT:

www.coins-global.com

Untitled-1.indd 1
Coins_285x220Ad.indd 1 03/11/2009
29/10/09 13:01
16:33:46
 CMYA Awards 2009
TIM CROCKER
GOLD
Name: Mike Morris
Position: Project leader,
Laing O’Rourke
Project: New Biochemistry
Building, University of Oxford:
construction of 13,000m2 of laboratories
over six levels, completed in 105 weeks
Value: £50.2m
Contract: JCT 1998
few sites could have been more
constrained. Mike Morris had to build a
large building in the middle of an historic
city, on a university campus with powerful
and influential neighbours. The proximity
of research buildings on three sides of the
site and a grade II-listed museum on the
fourth made work scheduling a real
headache and demanded a well-
considered site deliveries plan.
Morris delivered a robust supply
strategy by employing a full-time logistics
manager who co-ordinated all deliveries
on a just-in-time basis. He set up holding
areas outside the city from where
materials could be called into site when
a slot became available.
He also solved the traffic congestion
problem – the project’s excavation phase
alone involved 3,000 lorryloads of waste
removal – through careful planning and
clear communications with the council
and the neighbours.
He deployed his considerable
interpersonal skills to great effect in the
many neighbour meetings held. He
18-37_Awards.indd 19
Projects over £45m
communicated the project activities
effectively, resolving the issues by
putting in considerable efforts to
minimise disruption. His personable
approach prevented situations from
becoming polarised and confrontational,
while his relationships with the client and
the architect were harmonious.
Morris showed a strong grasp of the
technical problems and was instrumental
in solving them. For example, the top-
down construction of the two-level
steel-framed basement posed severe
difficulties for the installation of steel
columns within plunge piles. Morris
spearheaded the development of the
solution in the form of 51, 18m-long
plunge columns.
He instigated technical workshops
to add value to the project without
compromising the design. One result
was a change in the roof construction
from screed to an insulation material
that brought financial, programme and
thermal efficiency gains. And he had
the flexibility to deliver key client
requirements when newly-recruited
academics requested changes which
ultimately amounted to more than £2m
worth of variations.
Not only did Morris smoothly integrate
the extra work within the programme,
but he worked hard to ensure the client
gained best value in procurement.
conStruction manager | november/december 2009 | 19
Category sponsored by
silver
Name: Bill Brock MCIOB
Position: Project director,
Skanska Construction
Project: 30 Crown Place,
London EC2: construction of 19-storey
office block, completed in 98 weeks
Value: £60.7m
Contract: JCT 1998
whether it was the big picture or the
dense technical detail, Bill Brock
demonstrated an impressive
understanding of this project to
construct 16,000m2 of new-build
office space in the City of London.
The developer was looking to Brock
come straight off the starting blocks
on a speculative build that aimed to
capitalise on tenant demand as soon
as possible. It wasn’t disappointed.
Brock worked proactively to develop
the contract before works had to begin,
accepting that the design had not
been fully detailed but determined
to deliver the uncompromisable
quality required.
With the contract signed and
the main parameters set, Brock
set to work digesting the practical
details. He identified and resolved
the construction problems head-on,
including recovering from the effects
of an archaeological investigation on
site by reviewing the sequencing,
and decommissioning an electricity
substation within eight weeks to avoid
lengthy programme delays.
He showed an exemplary ability
to co-ordinate the safe construction
of a transfer truss at level nine,
implemented a robust and thorough
change control process, and managed
the cladding contractor’s first central
London installation.
Brock’s in-depth project knowledge,
allied to a motivating leadership style
that put a premium on team-building,
won the respect of the professional
team. He kept a powerful grip on the
progress of works and the problems
encountered. His opinion counted with
the design team, his management
decisions were relied on, and his 30
years’ construction experience was
given the respect it deserved when he
suggested alternative methods of
design and construction.
29/10/2009 13:26
 Looking to...

win more construction contracts?...

reduce risk and cut costs?...
build stronger relationships?...
monitor market trends?

Glenigan it...
Construction contract leads // Company intelligence
Region and sector analysis // Robust forecasts

FREE TRIAL at www.glenigan.com/ciob

Endorsed by the

Untitled-1.indd 1 03/11/2009 13:03

 CMYA Awards 2009 Category sponsored by

silver
Name: Peter Lynton-Jenkins
MCIOB
Position: Senior project
manager, Bowen
Project: 7-10 Old Bailey, London:
construction of seven-storey office
block, completed in 77 weeks
Value: £22m
Contract: JCT 2005

when his client’s demolition contractor

was hauled before an Old Bailey
judge and threatened with contempt

GOLD
Name: Richard Tyler ACIOB
Position: Project manager,
BAM Construction
Project: Redcar & Cleveland
College: construction of college,
completed in 85 weeks
Value: £21m
Contract: JCT 1998
in the tricky position of middle-man
between a client rebuilding its entire
facility and an architectural practice that
changed its project manager five times
during the project, Richard Tyler emerged accepted. The success of such a strategy
from this scheme with distinction.
The client’s need to open the building in stick to it. Tyler did so, standing his ground
time for enrolments for the new academic on accepting only design alterations that
year was critical. Even though BAM had
little design responsibility, Tyler decided
to take a proactive approach by appointing Just as important, it oozed quality, leaving
a design manager.
He then built the relationships and
trust through partnering workshops to
help the stakeholders understand each
other’s expectations and needs. Acutely
aware that the designers needed as much
support as possible, Tyler cemented team
spirit and collaborative working.
But late release of design information
and incorrect detailing and a stream of
design variations and changes (amounting
to £4m), left the schedule in tatters. In
danger of not even meeting a revised
completion date set 13 weeks after the
original, and a month after term was due
to begin, Tyler took decisive action.
Projects £20-45m
He called the client to a make-or-break
meeting, emerging with a new, realistic
completion date and a mandate to resolve
the issues. He then met with the key
suppliers and subcontractors to finalise
a reprogramming and resequencing that
would claw back some of the slippage and
allow the college to open in time for the
new term.
He made it clear to the design team that
only critical variations could henceforth be
depends entirely on having the strength to
would benefit users.
The building opened for the new term.
the college principal happily accepting
compliments about the splendour of the
finish from peers.
“Tyler made it clear to the design team
that only critical variations could
be accepted. The success of such a
strategy depends entirely on having
the strength to stick to it. Tyler did so.”
conStruction manager | november/december 2009 | 21
of court for being too noisy, Peter
Lynton-Jenkins realised just how
unique his project was. There aren’t
many schemes where disturbing the
neighbours can land you in jail, but that
was the case with this office block that
shares a party wall with the Old Bailey.
Lynton-Jenkins immediately stepped
in to take over the troubled demolition
contract, completing it in parallel
with the construction programme.
He then acted as the liaison with the
law courts, personally handling the
daily and often hourly management
co-ordination of court sittings and
construction works. He successfully
pulled back the delayed demolition
without ending up in the dock.
He deployed a single tower crane,
rather than the pair proposed by rival
bidders, and sourced specialist piling
rigs that reduced noise and vibration.
As the first UK project for this
Irish contractor, the scheme not only
needed to succeed commercially, but
also demonstrate that Bowen could
deliver safety, quality, programme and
client satisfaction.
His leadership proved faultless in
handing over the building a week
early despite a string of challenges.
There were weather delays, hold ups
in the electrical services connection,
no storage areas for materials, and
difficulties with the only access road,
which had to be shared with prison
escort vans. In addition, archaeology
finds demanded resequencing, the
proximity of St Paul’s Cathedral led to
noise-related working restrictions, and
an unrecorded services tunnel was
found below the site.
Lynton-Jenkins showed tremendous
energy in dealing with these challenges
and keeping his team focused.

18-37_Awards.indd 21 29/10/2009 13:26

 A
Complete
Package
The
Construction
Information
Service
The Construction Information Service is an expert Knowledge tool
that delivers key technical information critical to all construction
projects in one easy-to-use on-line package.

Developed by IHS and NBS, it provides instant full-text access to

current regulations, standards, technical advice and a vast array of
related news and briefings.

Fully searchable, intelligently classified and constantly updated, it’s

an indispensable source of key information, tailored to meet your
real needs.

www.uk.ihs. com Telephone 01344 328000

tcis-260mm x 194mm.indd 1 29/10/2009 08:47:11

Untitled-1.indd 1 03/11/2009 16:54
 CMYA Awards 2009
GOLD
Name: Harry Dhanjal MCIOB
Position: Operations manager,
Willmott Dixon Construction
Project: Shrewsbury Theatre
Severn: construction of 650-seat theatre,
250-seat studio and a dance studio,
completed in 119 weeks
Value: £19.3m
Contract: JCT 2005
archaeological intervention can make
mincemeat of even the best-planned
projects, arresting momentum and
undermining the construction team.
On this theatre project, though, Harry
Dhanjal’s determined management kept
the site team and the subcontractors
focused and on track.
silver
Name: Nick Hilton MCIOB
Position: Project manager,
Morgan Ashurst
Project: Nottingham Science
Park: construction of 15,240m2 research
facility and 21,300m2 academy, completed
in 83 weeks
Value: £17.7m
Contract: JCT 1998
when a client undertaking its first project
makes winning awards its top priority,
the construction manager has good
reason to swallow hard. Yet Nick Hilton
hit the target several times over, with
the project taking everything from
sustainability prizes to design medals
to building awards.
A key theme was Hilton’s formidable
relationship-building skills. His open and
honest approach and regular meetings
to establish the key drivers convinced
the client it had made the right choice.
The regeneration developer now has
Hilton working on another of its projects
and has asked Morgan Ashurst to be
18-37_Awards.indd 23
Dhanjal resequenced the works so the
archaeological investigations under the
theatre’s fly tower could be carried out
unhindered and progress on the project
maintained, ultimately delivering a fine
building to a delighted client.
His teamwork ethic and partnership
approach was the foundation of that
success. His relationship with the client
was characterised by openness and
honesty, keeping them fully informed
of issues and problems throughout the
Projects £15-20m
build so there were no nasty surprises.
He managed a difficult site in a
responsible and proactive way. Bounded
by the River Severn’s flood defences,
“His relationship with the
client was characterised
by openness and
honesty, keeping them
fully informed of issues
and problems throughout
the build so there were
no nasty surprises.”
its construction partner on a bid for a
development scheme.
The lead project architect is also
recommending the contractor for other
work, while the concrete frame, M&E
and groundworks subcontractors have
been promoted to preferred status on the
Morgan Ashurst supply chain thanks to
conStruction manager | november/december 2009 | 23
Category sponsored by
a main road and listed buildings, the
tight brownfield site was also within a
residential area. Vehicle manoeuvring
was a particular issue, and Dhanjal did
everything to make all deliveries to site
off-road.
Project finances were also a recurring
problem, with the original contract
sum exceeding the client’s budget.
Dhanjal reviewed the envelope and
internal finishes, developing alternative
specifications to reduce costs but
maintain quality. His reconsideration
of the building services, replacing
the planned standby generators with
uninterruptible power supplies, also
yielded substantial savings.
And when the unforeseen
archaeological dig brought additional
costs, he again went down the value-
engineering route. He secured a
large saving in the cost of the theatre
seating, for example, by investigating
alternative products.
Throughout this project Dhanjal kept
his eye on the ball. The client praised his
project management excellence, which
included professional and level-headed
dealings with all parties, including
subcontractors.
the great relationships developed on
this project.
Hilton brought the programme and
design output into alignment by working
closely with the designers to ensure that
timescales were deliverable. He made sure
the design scope was clearly allocated so
each party understood their role and there
were no misunderstandings.
What was even more impressive was
Hilton’s assured handling of sequencing,
buildability and value engineering.
With one of the two buildings £1.5m
over budget, he suggested changing the
floor-to-ceiling heights of the undercroft
and teaching rooms to allow for future
expansion. It saved £1.2m in avoiding the
costs of additional futureproofing for the
foundations and frame.
He also developed a standardised
facade that looked random, as required by
the design, but saved money by reducing
the number of window types.
29/10/2009 13:27
Untitled-1.indd 1 04/11/2009 10:41
 CMYA Awards 2009
GOLD
Name: Peter Roberts MCIOB
Position: Project manager, Wates
Construction
Project: Winchester Prison:
construction of 155-cell prison wing,
completed in 93 weeks
Value: £12m
Contract: PPC 2000
peter roberts didn’t so much exceed as
comprehensively outstrip expectations on
this project. He completed the project five
weeks early and £800,000 under budget,
while still delivering quality and a perfect
safety record.
With Roberts implementing lean
planning techniques for the first time
at the client’s request, the concomitant
silver
Name: Rod Nutbourne MCIOB
Position: Project manager,
Norwest Holst
Project: Tank Museum,
Bovington, Dorset: construction of
exhibition hall, completed in 69 weeks
Value: £10.4m
Contract: GC/Works
the scale of Rod Nutbourne’s success on
this project is clear from his membership
of a very special elite: the handful of
people the client has permitted to ride
in a working World War II German Tiger
tank, pride and joy of its collection.
It was an honour awarded for forging
a genuine and extremely successful
partnership. Nutbourne handled change
pragmatically and collaboratively. Client
and contractor were willing to help each
other out, and both gained as a result. A
good example was during project close-
out, when the client let Norwest Holst
use its office space at no extra cost,
while the contractor left the temporary
18-37_Awards.indd 25
weekly rescheduling and critical path
analysis proved instrumental in achieving
the target programme. Three weeks
behind at the start of the superstructure,
due to unforeseen ground conditions
and structural issues, the project still
finished five weeks ahead of the contract
completion date.
Because he took the time to consider
how the prison operated, Roberts was
able to challenge the suggested access
route. His alternative involved less work,
Projects £10-15m
saved six weeks and £165,000, improved
vehicle access and holding arrangements,
and involved less disruption for the prison.
Unimpressed with the precast concrete
“Unimpressed with the
precast concrete panels
at his inspection of the
supplier’s factory, he
repeated his visits to
ensure consistency and
rigorously applied finish
checks to ensure quality.”
site toilets in place for use by museum
visitors during the peak season.
Nutbourne worked hard to keep the
client relationship as effective as possible.
His tender proposal was the only one
willing to compromise the convenience of
the site operation to allow the venue to
remain open during the works.
conStruction manager | november/DECEMBER 2009 | 25
Category sponsored by
panels at his inspection of the supplier’s
factory, he repeated his visits to ensure
consistency, and rigorously applied finish
checks to ensure quality. He knew his
efforts had paid off when a fellow project
manager mistakenly thought the walls
had been plastered. He handed over the
completed prison wing defect-free and
virtually snag-free.
When it sank in that he really did want
operatives to work safely and get home
uninjured, the workforce responded
positively to his safety culture. To
overcome the frustrations of no parking
on site, he laid on a shuttle bus from a
park-and-ride point – it was so successful
that he had to order a bigger bus.
Roberts also proved a very effective
communicator. His weekly liaison
meetings with key prison stakeholders
co-ordinated the prison’s operational
requirements with the project’s need
for escorts so smoothly that the prison
“hardly knew they were there” as far as
the governor was concerned.
In the context of demolishing and
replacing one entire wing of a building
in operation 24/7 and the first time that
such a project had been attempted in the
UK, that’s high praise indeed.
He was the only tendering project
manager to undertake a ground survey to
quantify the risk. His appreciation of the
museum’s need for the contractor to take
charge of risk was the sort of insight that
impressed the client throughout.
Nutbourne was clearly in charge from
the off. He personally supervised the
overnight concrete pours, and even
postponed his holiday at a key moment.
He proved resourceful and determined
when things did not go to plan. Faced with
a delay to the structural steel package, for
example, he identified the key elements
and negotiated with the following trades
to mitigate the programme loss. When
design information flowed too slowly, he
held workshops with the architects so his
team could elicit and understand the key
design principles.
He reaped the rewards of forming a
good understanding of the design vision
and how to implement it.
29/10/2009 13:28
 CMYA Awards 2009
GOLD
Name: David Wilson
Position: Project manager,
Morgan Ashurst
Project: De Grey Court, York St
John University: construction of three-
storey teaching block and refurb of two
Grade II-listed houses, completed in 68
weeks
Value: £9.4m
Contract: JCT 1998
with 76 capital projects undertaken
over the last eight years, the client on
David Wilson’s project has plenty of
scope for making comparisons between
construction managers. Yet Wilson has
come out top, achieving the nearest to a
perfect delivery the university has ever
experienced. Indeed, the client even
delayed his annual holiday so that he
could support Wilson in his interview for
these awards.
Having played a key part in winning
the contract for Morgan Ashurst, Wilson
tackled its construction and logistical
challenges with zest. Three major arterial
routes, including the busiest intersection
in the city, converged close to the
4,800m2 site, which was itself surrounded
by a public car park, residential properties,
shops and other university buildings.
Further complications included a high-
tech M&E specification and innovative
low-carbon technologies, such as chilled
beams, underfloor heating, and passive
heating and cooling. There was also the
26 | november/december 2009 conStruction manager
18-37_Awards.indd 26
Projects £7-10m
underpinning and refurbishment of two
listed buildings, ground contamination,
archaeological investigations, the
movement of student and staff around
the site perimeters, 57 planning
conditions, and a programme with no
room for slippage that had to be complete
for the next academic year.
Wilson applied his extensive technical
and construction knowledge, lateral
thinking and can-do mentality. His open
and proactive approach delivered the
challenging value engineering required to
overcome cost pressures.
His communication and problem-solving
skills were excellent and he was ready to
get to grips with the detail of any issue.
He combined effective resource planning
and co-ordination with great discipline,
motivation, humour, professional integrity
and confidence. He showed respect for
the skills of others and gave praise and
criticism in equal measure.
He argued issues of design, detail and
quality with the architectural team, but
always displayed wit, wisdom and a clear
desire to find a fair resolution to every
problem. Crucially, he appreciated the
value of design and was good at balancing
objectives; never more so than when
things seemed to be going wrong and the
right decision needed to be made quickly.
As a result, the project has been entered
for a number of prestigious awards.
Category sponsored by
silver
Name: Steve Wimpenny ICIOB
Position: Project manager,
Mansell
Project: Sefton Water Centre,
Merseyside: construction of sports
centre, completed in 46 weeks
Value: £7.8m
Contract: JCT 1998
you don’t often get ducks swimming
between the pile caps on a site, but,
as so often on this project, Steve
Wimpenny took the problem and found
a solution. He quickly and efficiently
developed a dewatering system that
could deal with the high water table.
His solution moved away from the
original well-points plan to a series
of interceptor trenches at strategic
points across the site that also
brought the cost down from £120,000
to £50,000.
Wimpenny kept a keen eye on design
throughout the scheme. With the
connections between the steel and
glulam frames depending on a series of
galvanised metal shoes, he smoothly
managed the co-ordination between
the four designers involved, preventing
any delay in construction of the tricky
interface between the glulam beams
and the steel structure.
From the start, Wimpenny put
in place an ambitious programme,
streamlining progress by identifying
and targeting the critical elements. His
treatment of the foundation design
allowed the piling rig to operate on
site from week one, alongside the
groundworks. This in turn allowed the
structural steel frame to go up five
weeks earlier than originally planned.
He maintained this momentum
throughout the project, completing
the building five weeks ahead of
schedule and having incorporated
£700,000 of variations.
His practical and professional
approach got results. When information
or decisions were needed, he requested
them; and if they didn’t arrive, he was
polite but forceful in insisting.
Leadership, management skills and
sheer hard work were the keys to his
success. Personable and easygoing, he
showed a commitment to the job that
was mirrored by the site team.
29/10/2009 13:29
 Hays Construction & Property
is the UK's leading recruitment
consultancy specialising in
matching the right person
with the right job
We were proud sponsor the New Build/Refurbishment Projects
over £7m to £10m category highlighting our integral role and continued
investment in the industry. We would like to once again congratulate
this year’s winner and all those short listed.

Our specialist construction consultants are experienced in placing

individuals in roles across a range of disciplines including:

• Building Control
• Construction Management
• Design & Build
• Planning
• Project Management
• Surveying

With 70 offices nationwide and a presence in 28 countries, we have local

consultants that will take the time to understand your individual needs and
discuss the latest opportunities and methods to help you in either the
recruitment or the job search process.

To find the details of your local office visit hays.com/contactus

or call 0800 716 026

Specialist Recruitment hays.com/construction

Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada China Czech Republic Denmark France Germany Hong Kong Hungary India Ireland
Italy Japan Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Poland Portugal Singapore Slovakia Spain Sweden Switzerland UAE UK
09-09426 MCP

Untitled-1.indd 1 03/11/2009 13:05

 CMYA Awards 2009 Category sponsored by

GOLD
Name: Adrian Kelly game applies just as much to his projects up much earlier than scheduled. This
Position: Project manager, as himself. On this health centre project, programme gain was the key to achieving
Miller Construction
Project: Wetherby Enhanced
he focused whole-heartedly on giving early completion.
Primary Care Centre, West Yorkshire: the users exactly what they wanted. An important success was persuading
construction of health centre, completed At the same time, he went through the an adjacent landowner to lease
in 65 weeks programme and construction strategy him enough land to house the site
Value: £5.9m
Contract: Bespoke LIFT
with a fine-tooth comb to hand the accommodation. This avoided the
building over two months early and disruption and upheaval of relocation
cruising along in the comfort zone is not within budget. at a critical stage of the works.
for Adrian Kelly. His ambition and drive In the lead up to the site start, he set He managed the design team
have taken him along the long road from himself stringent targets to guarantee efficiently and successfully integrated
joiner to project manager, and is evident the out-turn delivery. He challenged the the supply chain with it, as well as the
from the distinction gained in the NEBOSH programme, streamlining the enabling facilities management partners. This
certificate in construction health and works and instigating additional allowed him to manage out design

Projects £5-7m
safety he undertook while on this project. temporary works to give earlier site and building risks by incorporating the
Kelly’s desire to continually raise his access and allow workfaces to be opened suppliers’ advice on effective detailing at
the key build interfaces.
But the issue at the forefront of his
“On this health centre mind was always user satisfaction, and
project, Kelly focused Kelly made every possible effort to
whole-heartedly on achieve it. He organised weekly visits
for the users and guided them step-by-
giving the users exactly step through the construction process.
what they wanted.” Determined to understand what the key
features for users were, he found that
the colour and material selection of the
finishes was paramount, then made sure
that the health centre staff drove those
decisions. Not surprisingly, the staff love
their new building.

silver
Name: Pat Thornton ACIOB
Position: Construction
manager, Parkeray
Project: Central Library,
Imperial College London: refurb
and extension of library, completed
in 52 weeks
Value: £6.9m
Contract: NEC 2
most projects meet with a potentially
disastrous turn of events sooner or
later, but few encounter calamities and
setbacks on the scale that threatened
Pat Thornton’s.
Hearts must have sunk when huge
ground obstructions were encountered
during the piling. Knowing that the
size of the foundations meant there
was something substantial below, and
recalling an historic photo of the area,
Thornton headed for the college archive.
There he discovered that the piling had
hit the footings of the Imperial Institute,
demolished a half-century earlier. The
foundations had been missed by the
pre-contract drilling of test holes.
With time of the essence and the
piling rig rebooked for two weeks later,
Thornton ruled out probing with the rig
to find a way through. His solution was
to grub up as much of the footings as
possible, cart off the spoil and redesign
the piling around what was left. Just as
important, he communicated the sense
of urgency to the design team, which
undertook a rapid redesign to maintain
the programme.
Then there was the fact that the
specified fan coil air-conditioning would
be too noisy in a library lacking an
acoustic ceiling. With the design already
far advanced, introducing one would
compromise the architectural integrity.
Issuing a memo to everyone to come
to the table the next day with solutions,
he led the team towards a consensus
that the fan coils should be omitted and
an air-handling unit installed.
The design team worked round the
clock, and the subcontractors offered
their installation buy-in. Most crucially of
all, Thornton solved the location issue.
The roof was too small and the new
service tower unable to accommodate
the four huge units, so he negotiated to
install them in the basement.

28 | november/december 2009 | conStruction manager

18-37_Awards.indd 28 29/10/2009 13:29


GOLD
Name: Gavin Colton ICIOB
Position: Senior site manager,
Kier Marriot
Project: Bowbridge School,
Newark: construction of two-storey
classroom block, completed in 54 weeks
Value: £3.3m
Contract: NEC 3
incorporating glulam timber from top to
bottom, Gavin Colton’s project was not
for the faint-hearted. The double-curved
“lamella” roof supported by timber beams
and posts, structurally insulated wall and
roof panels and curved roof panels, plus
plywood floor panels bonded to timber
joists all made for a complex build.
It also made for a project that
constantly teetered on the budgetary
brink. By the time Colton was appointed,
the design had been under development
for a year, and the project was over
budget and in danger of being shelved
or so heavily reworked that the unique
design would be compromised.
Colton rescued the project by
offering a stream of sensible ideas and
practical initiatives that helped bring
costs under control. His keen interest
in timber technology also gave him the
technical insight to realise that critical
design issues had been overlooked.
He immediately organised a series of
meetings with the key subcontractors
to seek specialist advice on how to
reconstruct the programme.
18-37_Awards.indd 29
Projects £2-5m
His open, straightforward and
collaborative approach won the
commitment of the subcontractors.
Colton’s ability to form productive
relationships was demonstrated when
the original project architect departed just
before work started on site. He quickly
gauged the new architect’s aspirations
for the project and forged a relationship
so good that the architect has asked for
Colton to work on future projects.
Relations with the other stakeholders
were equally strong. Not one complaint
was received from the neighbours,
despite the potential for problems from
the dead-end access road and the volume
of construction operations.
Despite the difficulties of making the
budget stretch, Colton delivered fine
quality and minimal defects as well as
the innovative sustainable build.
“The project was over budget and
in danger of being shelved. Colton
rescued it by offering a stream of
sensible ideas and practical initiatives
that helped bring costs under control.”
conStruction manager | november/december 2009 | 29
Category sponsored by
silver
Name: Justin Penhallurick
Position: Senior site
manager, Midas Construction
Project: Princess Alexandra
Maternity Wing, Royal Cornwall
Hospital: refurb of maternity ward,
completed in 67 weeks
Value: £3m
Contract: JCT 1998
justin penhallurick’s hospital project
might best be described as a bed of
nails. As well as the budget, quality and
programme demands that apply to every
project, the scheme posed formidable
technical challenges, the user group
had real clout, and the stakeholders
were legion. Despite the workload this
imposed, Penhallurick demonstrated
a can-do attitude that motivated the
entire team.
The technical installation covered
water, electrical and ventilation
systems along with medical gases
and alarm systems. Installation was
made particularly testing by the need
to maintain all services to temporary
decant accommodation as well as the
rest of the hospital while the maternity
wing’s facilities were upgraded.
During the works, there were 10
decants of patients from the delivery
suites, theatres and neonatal intensive
care unit. In each case Penhallurick
consulted ward staff in exhaustive
detail to ensure all essential life support
equipment was available wherever and
whenever required.
He engaged with the clinicians and
nursing staff throughout the project,
giving them confidence that there
would be no loss of in-patient services
or facilities, and maintaining patient
privacy and dignity.
Penhallurick had to consult with nine
separate hospital departments, from
infection control to health and safety.
His willingness to listen built trust and
confidence, which was of enormous
importance for staff and patients.
The client declared him “an example
to the construction industry of the ideal
site manager for a project that has
demanded extreme extra effort and
personal commitment”. The hospital has
since awarded additional works to Midas
– on the condition that Penhallurick and
his team are involved.
29/10/2009 13:29
 Estimates show
that each week
approximately
20 tradesmen die
from this
hidden killer.

Asbestos is responsible for an estimated 4000 deaths every year, and it could still be hiding in anything
built or refurbished before the year 2000.
Protect yourself.

Call 0845 345 0055 now for your FREE Asbestos Information Pack.
Health and Safety Executive www.hse.gov.uk/hiddenkiller

912245 HSE 260x194 Join.indd 1 30/10/09 16:17:05

Untitled-1.indd 1 03/11/2009 16:53

 CMYA Awards 2009
Philip VILE
GOLD
Name: Gemma Sapiano MCIOB
Position: Building manager,
Willmott Dixon
Project: Winterflood Theatre,
City of London School: refurb of school
theatre, completed in 16 weeks
Value: £1.08m
Contract: JCT 1998
like most school projects, this one had an
uninfringible deadline, but here there was
an added twist: Gemma Sapiano was four
months pregnant when works began, and
her baby was due just three weeks after
the scheduled handover.
As unmissable dates go, it’s a hard one
to beat. Equally hard to beat is Sapiano’s
attention to every detail to bring this
complex project in on time, on budget and
to quality.
She rightly identified access as one
of the keys and put a great deal of time
and effort into scheduling and out-of-
hours deliveries. Set right in the heart of
London’s congested City, the multi-level
school has a road running through it. And
while the first half of the project occupied
the summer holidays, the second half had
to be undertaken with 900 pupils and 100
staff on hand.
Sapiano placed material orders very
early in the programme. The steelwork,
in particular, had to be ordered and
fabricated from day one. With the theatre
a windowless room in the middle of a live
school, there was no space for storage, so
18-37_Awards.indd 31
Projects under £2m
deliveries had to be co-ordinated for the
consecutive trades on a just-in-time basis.
Use of weekly snagging sheets kept
the programme on track for its allotted
16-week span. And by championing off-
site manufacture, she increased control
over material quality as well as making
more space for the trades to work in.
While the budget was small, it was
non-negotiable and it was Sapiano’s
leadership on value engineering that held
the line on costs. When it became clear
that the timber panelling specified by
the architect could not be made within
the project budget, she took the decision
to standardise it, arranging for sample
panels to be delivered to win client and
designer agreement before fitting them.
Her determination, enthusiasm and
unflagging efficiency pushed this project
through to completion.
“While the budget was small, it was
non-negotiable and it was Sapiano’s
leadership on value engineering that
held the line on costs.”
conStruction manager | november/DECEMBER 2009 | 31
Category sponsored by
silver
Name: Adam Cannon MCIOB
Position: Site manager,
Wates Construction
Project: Winson Green Prison,
Birmingham: replacement of three
roofs, completed in 30 weeks
Value: £831,000
Contract: PPC 2000
given the difficulties of the environment,
this project would have given many
construction managers sleepless nights.
But Adam Cannon, a former design
manager promoted to project leadership
and on his first solo project, did more
than justify his employer’s trust.
The technical challenge alone was
substantial, replacing three different
roofs in confined and restricted spaces.
One was flat, another pitched and the
third was an octagonal cupola light
above a four-storey wing.
Cannon challenged the external
consultant’s advice to replace the
composite metal sheet on one of the
roofs, because its ends had rusted, by
inviting the original manufacturer to
the site to provide guidance. As a result,
he was able to implement an edge
treatment that avoided the removal of
the sheets, resulting in less disruption.
With the prison insisting that plywood
linings be fitted under all metal roofs,
he carried out extensive surveys that
established that the sarking board
beneath the pitched slate roof was
still in good condition and adequate for
the replacement composite cladding. It
brought a substantial budget saving and
ensured the programme remained lean.
Security was paramount. Construction
workers had to be escorted by a prison
officer to and from their working
position and have their tools tracked and
checked. If escorts were unavailable,
there was the potential for delays.
Cannon mitigated this by acting as the
liaison with prison staff. He persuaded
the subcontractors to work unsocial
hours to maximise escort potential,
and issued the main security gate with
a daily bulletin with information that
allowed workers and deliveries to be
processed quickly in and out of the
prison. It was all part of a success story
that directly resulted in Wates winning
further work at the prison.
29/10/2009 13:30
 Hill can help you manage the high risks of construction

In these uncertain economic times, it is more important than

ever to discover and remedy construction issues early, before
they become costly problems. Contractors, subcontractors,
employers, lenders, engineers and architects have all turned
to Hill International to help them untangle some of the most
complex issues that can arise on a construction project.

Whether you want to make sure your construction project stays

on track or you have run into issues relating to time, money or
quality, you can rely on the construction professionals at Hill.

Our construction claims experts have helped clients resolve more

than 25,000 claims and disputes valued at over £69 billion. In
addition, we have successfully managed more than 5,000 projects
with a total construction value of over £172 billion.

With 2,300 professionals in 80 offices worldwide (and more than

200 professionals in 11 offices in the UK alone), Hill provides a
wide range of construction consulting services, including:

• Management • Delay and Disruption

Consulting Analysis
• Commercial / • Expert Witness
Contractual Support Services
• Dispute Avoidance, • Procurement and
Management Partnering Advice
and Resolution • Seminars and Training
• Claims Review
and Analysis

Hill is also one of the leading project management firms in the

world, helping our clients manage their projects more successfully,
minimising risk and maximising results to avoid issues before they
occur.

We help our clients to aim high – delivering projects on time, to

budget and with the highest quality. Email uk@hillintl.com for
more information.

www.hillintl.com

Construction Manager
Untitled-1.indd 1 Awards Ad - 285x220mm.indd 1 10/28/09 5:5013:07
03/11/2009 PM
 CMYA Awards 2009
GOLD
Name: Martin Brown ICIOB
Position: Project manager,
Interserve Project Services
Project: Allerton High School,
Leeds: construction of 1,150-place school,
completed in 72 weeks
Value: £24.2m
martin brown brought drive, vision and
commitment to this project, one of four
new-build schools in Leeds’ Building
Schools for the Future programme.
He took immediate control of all the
major stakeholder interfaces. He worked
closely with the client to develop the
design in a sequence that would allow
construction to progress simultaneously.
He chaired regular design meetings
silver
Name: Paul Heald
Position: Senior contracts
manager, Morgan Ashurst
Project: Harrop Fold
School and Buile Hill School, Salford:
construction of two schools, completed
in 90 weeks
Value: £35m
on this scheme to build two new schools
to replace two facilities, Paul Heald saw
off a set of challenges that only rarely
coincide on a single project.
First, there was a worrying legacy
problem. From his first meetings, Heald
realised that the first wave of schools
built for the client had not been a
success. He slowly but successfully
achieved a turnaround in attitudes that
brought accolades and repeat business
from an initially hesitant client.
Then there were the neighbours,
who showed a high degree of hostility
toward the two schemes. Determined
to show the community that it would
18-37_Awards.indd 33
with the consultants, and visited their
offices to ensure specific issues were
quickly resolved. And he demanded high
standards of external site presentation
and maintenance, personally dealing with
issues raised by local residents.
But most of all Brown worked hard at
establishing positive relationships with
the school, which already had existing
buildings on site that it continued to
use during the project. He explained his
plans, his schedule and why and when the
programme would change, and installed
vision panels around the site so staff and
students could view progress.
Brown also spoke in school assembly
PFI Projects
“Starting off with a clean
slate in terms of site
personnel, Brown built a
capable and integrated
delivery team that acted
as a cohesive body.”
benefit from the works, Heald engaged
90% of site operatives from the local
area and initiated regular forum meetings
with residents. He listened to their
concerns and acted on them, running
the sites to cause minimal disruption.
He improved relationships by donating
fencing to neighbours, getting site to
conStruction manager | november/december 2009 | 33
Category sponsored by
about the site, judged a student design
project and helped physics students
doing research on forces and power.
And he listened attentively to any
concerns from senior staff following site
visits, patiently answering questions
and moving swiftly to impose effective
solutions where necessary.
Starting off with a clean slate in terms
of site personnel, Brown built a capable
and integrated delivery team that acted
as a cohesive body. He involved the whole
team before making the key construction,
commercial and design decisions. And
he instilled a right-first-time culture, a
preference for keeping it simple and a
determination to close tasks off.
He owned the schedule, mastering the
risk register and deploying a site-based
design manager to ensure the design was
buildable, affordable, safe, timely and
sustainable. He monitored trades to
maintain progress, and implemented
offsite fabrication where advantageous.
Despite a tight programme, and the
safety and logistics implications of the
site’s proximity to an existing school,
Brown met all the critical deadlines.
His decisive pre-planning and detailed
understanding delivered a fine project.
put out residents’ bins, removing grafitti,
providing a parking area for site workers,
and managing site waste and rubbish.
But the biggest bomb of all was
dropped when, with the substructure
works well under way, the client decided
on a fundamental redesign of one of the
schools to reflect a downsizing of the
school roll from 1,200 to 900.
Heald resequenced the phasing to
allow the redesign to be completed
without delaying the final handover.
The redesign affected every part of the
school, including the main steel frame,
but Heald’s proactive approach gave the
stakeholders time to properly consider the
redesign while site works progressed.
Even though he could have reasonably
argued for an extension of time, Heald
decided that the right thing to do was to
make sure the school could open on time.
That it ultimately did was thanks to his
initiative and determination.
29/10/2009 13:30
Untitled-1.indd 1 03/11/2009 13:09
ciob.indd 1 3/11/09 11:00:37
 CMYA Awards 2009
GOLD
Name: Andy Lee
Position: Site manager/project
manager, Kier Wallis
Project: BMA House, Tavistock
Square, London: refurb of five state rooms,
completed in 56 weeks
Value: £9.3m
Contract: JCT 2005
two months in and this project to refurbish
the historic, Lutyens-designed home of
the British Medical Assocation had already
lost its first two site managers. With
confidence in the contractor draining from
the disconcerted client, the arrival of Andy
Lee soon provided welcome reassurance.
Lee addressed the understandably
strained relations with the client by
silver
Name: Kieran Gardiner ACIOB
Position: Senior construction
manager, Urban Splash
Project: Midland Hotel,
Morecambe: restoration of Grade
II*-listed building, completed in 156 weeks
Value: £12.9m
Contract: Management
renovation projects are notorious for
encountering unforeseen problems.
But on Kieran Gardiner’s scheme, a
restoration of an iconic Art Deco hotel
that had lain derelict for nine years, it
wasn’t just the construction strategy
but the client’s intentions that fell foul
of some very nasty surprises.
The client planned to complete the
shell and core works before undertaking
the fit-out to the future operator’s
specification. However, after failing to
attract a hotel chain the client, which
was also acting as the contractor,
decided it would need to operate the
hotel itself.
18-37_Awards.indd 35
immediately adopting an honest approach
and regular communications. He remained
approachable and helpful, despite what
must have been unbearable pressure at
times. He frequently made last-minute
alterations to accommodate the client,
which remained in occupation of the live
building, even suspending noisy site
works altogether on occasions.
Restoration projects
He supported the client when the
council planning department’s protracted
consideration of resubmitted details
following a design change prevented
progress in a key area. It prevented
a planning breach that could have
compromised the client.
“Each time the building
threw up its many
surprises, Lee rapidly
reprogrammed to
minimise disruption,
often shifting operations
from one part of the
building to another.”
In the ensuing nine-month design
review, Gardiner lobbied hard for the
project not to be shut down during this
time. Pointing out that a shutdown could
lead to yet another false dawn for the
hotel, he won the argument. The project
remained live, with Gardiner identifying
areas of works that could continue
conStruction manager | november/december 2009 | 35
Category sponsored by
Lee divided the project into three
areas, giving the separate teams with
responsibility for delivering them. He held
daily informal half-hour catch-up meetings
to keep everyone aware of progress, plus
formal meetings once a week.
Each time the building threw up its
many surprises, he rapidly reprogrammed
to minimise disruption, often shifting
operations from one part of the building
to another to maintain momentum. The
unexpected discovery of steel columns
encased in brickwork walls destined for
demolition was a serious problem, but
Lee’s clever resequencing of the hastily
revised programme chopped four weeks
off the 12-week extension of time
granted to deal with it.
His value management and buildability
input brought consistent gains. A joiner by
trade, Lee simplified the design of desks
for the BMA council chamber that had
created a hole in the budget and damaged
the programme.
When the only option left to keep on
programme was longer working days and
weekend working, Lee carefully managed
his resources to maintain quality. He
himself worked long and hard, directing
operations during many busy weekends.
without incurring extra costs or affecting
the sequencing.
Even before the fit-out began, Gardiner
had shown exceptional ability. He
pushed the project through the delays
and additional costs that resulted from
the discovery of asbestos in the original
specialist wall coatings, and maintained
project progress despite constant design
and layout reviews. As the situation
became more complex, with the decision
to replace rather than repair significant
elements, he tirelessly co-ordinated the
works and related trades.
He also fought hard to rein back
the extra building costs linked to the
discovery of concealed asbestos and
poor-quality original work, such as
unbonded hollow clay block partition
walls. Gardiner’s ability to offset these
costs by respecifying other areas of the
works was crucial in keeping the budget
under control.
29/10/2009 13:31
 CMYA Awards 2009
GOLD
Name: Gavin Davis
Position: Project manager, Wates
Construction
Project: Sunrise Knowle,
Solihull: construction of two three-
storey care homes, completed in 62 weeks
Value: £16m
Contract: JCT 2005
having successfully completed another
Sunrise project, Gavin Davis was the
obvious choice for this one. But this
second project was always going to be
a much trickier affair.
It was the biggest Sunrise development
yet, with 114 rooms in total, and the first
to be split into two separate buildings,
each with its own communal areas. With
silver
Name: Steve Leese MCIOB
Position: Project manager,
Inspace Partnerships
Project: Church Road phase 4,
London NW10: construction of 81 flats
and 62 houses, completed in 116 weeks
Value: £14.1m
Contract: PPC 2000
what marks steve leese out as an
outstanding construction manager is
his ability to see things from a user’s
perspective and to take personal
responsibility for the entire project.
The good relations he developed
with the residents on this five-phase
regeneration scheme offered them
reassurance and created an atmosphere
of trust and respect.
And when things went wrong, as
they did one evening when the gas
supply to residents on the estate was
accidentally cut, Leese put their needs
first. He ensured that electric heaters
were distributed and visited residents’
36 | november/december 2009 | conStruction manager
18-37_Awards.indd 36
Category sponsored by
Residential projects over £14m
the typical 80-room Sunrise project designers, subcontractors and suppliers
taking around 62 weeks to build, Davis that consistently delivered against
put forward an ambitious programme tough targets. Members of the design
schedule of just 63 weeks. team were able to talk openly with the
He then established a clear strategy, subcontractors and trust their advice.
based on treating the buildings as Davis met all the problems head-on.
two separate sites, and set precise For example, during the steel erection
team accountabilities. Having worked phase, a decision was made to change the
with the design team before, he was formation of the gables so they were no
particularly successful in promoting a longer flush but jutted 600mm out from
partnering approach with an ethos of the rest of the elevation. Whereas the
continuous improvement. He extended structural engineering solution was for
the collaborative culture to the time-consuming steelwork, Davis made
subcontractors, working hard to build up the most of his good relationships with
trusted relationships at the workface. the steel erection and carpentry supply
He created a close-knit team of chain to propose a programme lifesaver: a
timber solution that could be implemented
after the frame had been erected.
“Having worked with His ability to push through the build
the design team before, while maintaining the quality was noted
Davis was successful in by the client. Two months before practical
completion, he was asked to achieve early
promoting a partnering completion.
approach with an By concentrating resources and
ethos of continuous continued careful planning, he delivered
the project four days early, a remarkable
improvement.” achievement in any context, but
particularly impressive given the worst
snow for 20 years in the weeks leading
up to it.
opportunities for value engineering.
However, initiatives such as replacing
copper plumbing with plastic and the
benefits of early handover allowed him to
return more than £100,000 in savings to
the client at the end of the project.
He recovered from the major initial
headache of unmapped water mains
in the area, which delayed the first
handovers by a month, and he ultimately
delivered the project four weeks early.
The effort Leese put into building
good relationships with the statutory
authorities paid off and helped him
to incorporate a late design change
homes himself until the problem had been to replace gas central heating with
fully resolved. He also communicated electricity in one block.
extensively with the community, He paid rigorous attention to quality,
mentoring local people employed as site drafting an 11-point checklist for each
apprentices and organising a football subcontractor milestone as well as first
championship for local youths. and second fix. He backed that up with
Respecting the tenants’ desire for stringent joint quality inspections before
a traditional build, Leese had limited handover, resulting in limited defects.
29/10/2009 13:31

GOLD
Name: Shaun Hodgkin
Position: Project manager,
Kier Marriott
Project: Stowe School Boarding
Houses, Buckinghamshire: construction of
78 student bedrooms, completed in
40 weeks
Value: £3.5m
Contract: JCT 2005
arriving midway through the first phase of
this scheme after the client had dismissed
the main contractor, Shaun Hodgkin was
faced with a deteriorating project and
fractured relationships. The workmanship
had been poor, the subcontractors hadn’t
been fully paid, and the programme had
slipped so badly that it had thrown into
doubt the official opening of the first of
the two linked buildings by the Queen.
But one thing on the project was for sure:
the client was very unhappy.
The effect of Hodgkin’s arrival was
instant. Before starting onsite, he
organised regular meetings with the key
specialists retained from the previous
contractor to ensure continuity in finish
and detail, working hard to revitalise
them. His open and honest approach,
combined with a no-blame culture, turned
attitudes around.
He re-energised the team and lifted
the project’s negative atmosphere.
Confident and determined, he drew up a
target programme and generated an air of
positivity that remotivated the team.
18-37_Awards.indd 37
Category sponsored by
Residential projects under £14m
silver
Name: John Lyne
Position: Senior project
manager, Leadbitter
Project: North Hants
Hospital Keyworker Accommodation:
construction of 88 four-bedroom
cluster flats, completed in 108 weeks
Value: £11.1m
Contract: JCT 1998
by taking a refreshingly open, can-
do attitude to site issues, John Lyne
earned the admiration of the client and
the construction team and speedily
managed out project risk.
His efficiency and drive prevented
delays on repeated occasions. The most
critical instance was when 96 en suite
bedrooms were ready for occupation, but
BT could not install the infrastructure
to allow the off-site monitoring of the
fire alarms. Lyne averted a three-month
delay in occupancy by having a security
guard, equipped with a mobile phone to
provide the link to outside, monitor the
Hodgkin’s completion of the first phase fire alarm panel overnight.
on time gave the client the confidence He led by example, ensuring all staff
to award him the second phase. Through understood where they fitted into the
hard work and commitment, and his team and the importance of their work
ability to get the same out of the rest of to overall project progress.
the team, Hodgkin brought a significant The key factor in planning and
improvement on phase one. Despite scheduling was the erection of the
prolonged bad weather, he completed on timber frame, accomplished by mobile
schedule, neither requesting nor needing cranes. Rather than accepting the usual
extensions of time. Design detailing practice of driving the cranes on and
improved dramatically, with workmanship off site every day, with the consequent
of the highest standards, and buildability loss of an hour or two of production
issues were efficiently addressed. time in mobilising and dismantling them,
Hodgkin quickly gave a disillusioned Lyne had the insurance documentation
client the confidence that the project adjusted so they could remain on
would be delivered to the quality it site overnight. It boosted production,
wanted and to the programme it needed. reduced vehicle movements and didn’t
As the client ultimately conceded: “Shaun even cost any more.
has demonstrated that the construction He proposed value-engineering
industry does contain successful, client- initiatives that gained time and
focused, results-driven individuals.” simplified logistics. He had the
demolition waste crushed and graded,
reusing it on site to save some 2,000
“Hodgkin infused the project with a vehicle journeys in materials deliveries
sense of enthusiasm and enjoyment, as and muckaway.
well as a can-do spirit, and quickly gave And Lyne intelligently closed out the
delay risk by putting a precise aluminium
a disillusioned client the confidence cladding envelope around an imprecise
that the project would be delivered to timber frame. He did so by oversizing
the quality it wanted.” the structural timber window openings
so that windows positioned by cladding
panels would slip easily into the timber-
framed openings every time.
conStruction manager | november/december 2009 | 37
29/10/2009 13:31
 “IHAVEENOUGH
ONMYPLATEWITHOUT
HAVINGTOCONSIDER
WHETHERWE’VE
CHOSENTHERIGHT
SUBCONTRACTORS”
Duncan Pierce,
Director, Page Associates

ECA electrical contractors are

periodically assessed to ensure
their technical competence

ONE LESS THING TO WORRY ABOUT.

Untitled-1.indd 1 03/11/2009 13:11

ECA Duncan285x440.indd 1
 To find an ECA contractor
that’s right for you:
www.eca.co.uk
Untitled-1.indd 3 03/11/2009 13:11
30/10/2009 09:10
 CMYA Awards 2009
PROJECTS OVER £45m
John Birch MCIOB, Skanska Construction Private Sector
Dashwood, 69 Old Broad Street, London EC2
Chris Edwards, BAM Construction
C4.1 South Fifth Street, Milton Keynes
Thady Gallagher, Carillion Building
HM Prison Edinburgh, Phase 3
Alan Grant ACIOB, BAM Construction
Darwin Centre, Phase Two, Natural History Museum, London
Tim Hare, Sir Robert McAlpine
New Street Square Buildings 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, London EC4
Hamish James MCIOB, Sir Robert McAlpine
Buildings 005, 014, 016, Porton Down, Salisbury
Martyn Woodhouse, Bovis Lend Lease
The Curve Theatre, Leicester
PROJECTS £20–45m
Sam Barker MCIOB, Willmott Dixon Construction
The Waterfront Building, Phase 1, University Campus Suffolk
John Connell, Bovis Lend Lease
Wells & More Project, Mortimer Street, London
John Daltrey, Wates Interiors
Telecity Powergate, Acton
Mike Gorman MCIOB, Wates Construction
The Headrow, Leeds
Adam Knaggs, SDC Builders
NAPP Phase 1, Buildings 194,196 & 198, Cambridge Science
Park, Trinity College, Cambridge
Andrew Mackintosh, Willmott Dixon Construction
HM Prison, Lindholme, Doncaster
Stephen Roome, BAM Construction
Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College, Birmingham
David Saville MCIOB, Laing O’Rourke
University Place, The University of Manchester
Jospeh Schembri, Kier London
129 Wilton Road, London
Kevin Scott, Wates Group
Langley Academy of Science, Slough
Richard Shroll ACIOB, Wates Construction
The Margaret Thatcher Infirmary, The Royal Chelsea Hospital
Roland Spikings MCIOB, Kier Marriott
Victory, Agness, Cobra and Keen Office Blocks,
EDS, Milton Keynes
Cameron Stewart ICIOB, Miller Construction (UK)
Mixed Development Wm Morrison Supermarkets, Granton
Eric Swithenbank, Miller Construction
Carnival House, Harbour Parade, West Quay III, Southampton
Steven Turner, Kier Longley
HM Prison Lewes Houseblock & Associated Infrastructure, Lewes
PROJECTS £15–20m
Richard Black ACIOB, Simons Construction
Warburton Bread Factory, Bristol
Neville Dale MCIOB, Willmott Dixon Construction
Epsom Grandstand
Tom Maguire MCIOB, Bovis Lend Lease
1 The Avenue, Manchester
Mark Powell MCIOB, Wates Construction
Manor Church of England School, York
Eddy Tipping ICIOB, Rydon Construction
Bishop Ramsey School, Ruislip
Chris Woods, Kier Southern
Village Hotel, Elstree
40 | november/december 2009 | conStruction manager
14-17&40_Awards.indd 40
PROJECTS £5–£7m
Ian Armitage, ISG Regions
Ramada Encore Hotel, Barnsley
Tom Clarke, Midas Retail UK
M&S Home & Food, Cardiff Capital
Philip Greville, ISG Jackson
TC3 New Catalysts Technology Building, Johnson Matthey, Royston
John Hastie ICIOB, Kier Scotland
Loch Primary School, Rutherglen
Colin Hodge, Leadbitter Construction
Chelsea Football Club Youth Academy
Peter McStay, Kier Wallis
Australian House Refurbishment, Strand, London
James Roberts ACIOB, Morgan Ashurst
Rye Community Primary School and Childrens Centre, East Sussex
John Ross MCIOB, Central Building Contractors
Carrochan, Balloch
Chris Taylor, Kier Marriott
Think Tank Lincoln Innovation Centre
André Witter MCIOB, Willmott Dixon Construction
St Agnes Church of England Primary School, Manchester
PROJECTS £2–£5m
Geoff Bull, The Apollo Property Services Group
Rockmount Primary School, London SE19
Kevin Donaldson MCIOB, Robertson Construction Northern
Mezzanine Floor, ASDA Store, Elgin
Toby Goplen MCIOB, Debut Services
Project SLAM, Commando Training Centre, Lympstone
Christian Huckstep, Morgan Ashurst
Queens Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk
Alan Kelly, Killby & Gayford
PROJECTS £10–15m Royal College of Pathologists Education Centre, London SW1
Karl Barr MCIOB, Mace Group Matt Sidwell MCIOB, Midas Retail
99 Milton Park and 100 Milton Park, Innovation Centre, Abingdon Wm Morrison Superstore, Horndean
Mike Fallon, Kier North West Roy Ward, ISG Regions
Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton All Saints Church of England Primary School, Bradford
Finalists
Damien Froehlich MCIOB, Mansell Build
Stanley Building and Edward Rushton Building, PROJECTS £2m AND BELOW
Paradise Street Development, Liverpool Lyndon Burrell, Wates Construction
Phil Heavey ACIOB, Wates Construction Oxford Jet New Business Aviation Terminal, Oxford
Sunrise Senior Living, Beaconsfield Neal Kavanagh, BW Interiors
Simon Neath ICIOB, Wates Construction 40 Portman Square, Level 4, London W1
The Ann Marie Howes Centre, Sheldon Danny Roberts ACIOB, Ashe Construction
Gary Owens, Cowlin Construction UCMK, Milton Keynes
Swansea University Student Accommodation Phase 2, Singleton Andrew Robins MCIOB, Snibor
Park, Swansea JM Upward Academic Centre, Port Regis School, Dorset
Sean Sweet, Morgan Ashurst James Woolfrey, Killby & Gayford
Freemans Quay Leisure Centre, Durham HBOS Fit Out, Westfield, W12
Andy Tolfree, GB Building Solutions
Sunrise Senior Living, Sonning PFI
Jason Wooldridge, Wates Construction Alasdair Fernie MCIOB, Balfour Beatty Construction
Sunrise Senior Living, Bagshot New Victoria Hospital, Glasgow
Tony Harrison, Kier Regional
PROJECTS £7–£10m The Radclyffe School, Chadderton
Stephen Brook FCIOB, Kier Western Derek Jones, Cowlin Construction
Sainsbury’s Superstore, Taunton Maesteg Comprehensive School, Maesteg, Cardiff
Noel Cafferty MCIOB, Willmott Dixon Construction Tony Miller, Rydon Construction
University of Cambridge Centre for the Physics of Medicine Newton Abbot Community Hospital
Michael Devaney ICIOB, Kier Wallis Donald McPhail, Sir Robert McAlpine
Wolfson Education Centre, Hammersmith St Pauls R.C Academy, Dundee
Nicholas Dodd, (formerly of Verry Construction) Steve Watson, GB Building Solutions
Newhall Projects Sidcup Leisure Centre & Sidcup Golf Club House
Newhall North Chase Phases 1 & 2, Essex
Stephen Forshaw, Interserve RESTORATION
Parliament House, Edinburgh Gary Collings, Cathedral Works Organisation
Richard Hamlin MCIOB, Kier South East The Monument, London EC3
Faraday House, Isle of Grain, Rochester, Kent Brian Shackleton, Laing O’Rourke Construction North
Phil Hodgson, BW Interiors Leeds Grand Theatre, Phase 2
Geneva House and Zurich House, Aerospace Centre, Farnborough
Paul Lacy, Willmott Dixon Construction RESIDENTIAL OVER £14m
Swindon Central Library Tudor Fordham, Hill Partnerships
David McEwan, City Building (Glasgow) Wenlock Street, Hackney, London N1
St Fillans Primary School, Glasgow David Sershall ICIOB, John Sisk & Son
Ben Moylan, Carillion Forum House, Empire Way, Wembley
Thanet Phase 2, Kent Ray Toft ICIOB, Galliford Try Partnership
Paul Nash, Leadbitter Group Taylor Place, London
Aardman Animations Headquarters, Bristol
Garry Stamp, R Durtnell & Sons RESIDENTIAL UNDER £14m
Tonbridge Schools Sports & Media Centre, Kent Tony Butcher ICIOB, Taylor Wimpey North Thames
Chris Travers ICIOB, Mace Group Croft Court, Campbell Park, Milton Keynes
Riverside Buildings A, B & C, Granta Park, Cambridge Matthew Cooper ICIOB, Cowlin Construction
Stephen Waldron, Willmott Dixon Construction John Foster’s Almshouse, Bristol
Forest Way SEN School, Leicester Lloyd Hardy ICIOB, GB Building Solutions
Tom Weal, The Apollo Property Services Group Oaklands and Eden View, Barcester Healthcare Home, Bottisham
The Michael Tippett School, London SE24 Cain Peters, Hill Partnerships
Keith Williams MCIOB, Morgan Ashurst Osprey House, Bishops Green, Hants
Kentish Town Health Centre Ross Taylor ICIOB, Inspace Partnerships
Blue Court, 6 Sherbourne St, Islington
02/11/2009 09:36
 E E
FR rgy n e
e every a
airir to
by upgra
this
th
h offer never ends!
upgrading free energy found in the outside
o help pro
provide domestic heating and hot water,

for e Mitsub
Mitsubishi Electric’s multi-award winning air

hom
help
lp so
source heat pump can reduce a home’s
to co ing you
mply
with annual fuel bills by up to 30% and
its CO2 emissions by 50%**

Certificate Number: MCS HP0002

Product Reference: PUHZ-W50VHA-(BS)

TTelephone:
l h 01707 27
278666
7 email: heating@meuk.mee.com
PUHZ-W85VHA-(BS), PUHZ-HW140VHA/YHA-(BS)

**These savings are based on a 4 bedroom house of standard construction built in 2000. The Ecodan replaced an 80% efficient gas boiler www.mitsubishielectric.co.uk/heating

Untitled-1.indd 1 03/11/2009 17:23

 Feature Sustainability

From the darkness of recession and a world polluted by buildings and

manufacturing, CM has a vision of a green utopia. Elaine Knutt embarks
on a voyage of discovery to find out if it can become reality

Green dream
once upon a time, the leaders of 192
nations met in Copenhagen to discuss
the financial, technical and moral burden
of slashing worldwide carbon emissions.
There were shipping emissions, aviation
emissions, manufacturing emissions and
building-related emissions, a huge, dark
carbon-filled cloud blotting out China
and smaller ones hanging over Brazil
and India. Because these developing
economies needed room to grow, it
fell on the Western nations to cut CO2
harder, faster and with more impact on
their populations. Meanwhile, a big, bad
recession lurked in the background.
But one industry anticipated the
challenge and came up with solutions.
In an era of limited resources, it showed
that, pound for pound, it was highly
efficient at turning investment into
carbon cuts. It changed its traditional
outlook to take a lifetime view of new
buildings, returning to monitor and modify
projects post-completion. So public
funding streams – linked to tough eco-
standards – began to flow. Low-carbon
42 | november/december 2009 | conStruction manager illustration: Mark Bergin
public sector frameworks rewarded the
best contractors, and challenged the rest.
Partially state-owned banks followed suit,
linking property deals to carbon targets.
Eco-homes became status symbols, jobs
and growth were created, and everyone
lived happily ever after.
A fairytale? Sadly, at the moment, it is.
But with roughly 45% of emissions linked
to the built environment, population
growth in the coming decades possibly
driving an expansion in demand and public
sector spending constraints likely to be a
feature of the next decade, construction
needs to make the fairy story a reality.
“The building sector not only has the
largest potential for significantly reducing
greenhouse gas emissions, but this
potential is relatively independent of the
cost per tonne of CO2 equivalent [saved],”
says a pre-Copenhagen report from the
UN Environment Programme, adding
that energy savings of 30-50% can be
achieved without increasing costs.
“We have the evidence, the technology
and the know-how, and the investment
is cheap compared to pumping money
into the power infrastructure or carbon
storage,” echoes Paul Toyne, head of
sustainability at Bovis Lend Lease.
But as in all the best fairytales, there’s
a forbidding forest of obstacles. The
targets that should drive change are
split between legislative and voluntary,
and neither is consistently enforced nor
monitored. In the recession, clients that
could be setting the agenda are instead
focused on procuring at the lowest price.
Low-carbon design is best achieved
through collaboration, not the current
system of competitive tendering and
value engineering.
And as technology improves, the gap
between new and built stock will widen
further with no contractual or financial
mechanism to close it. In short, there’s too
many disconnections and too many gaps
for good ideas to fall through.
“We can’t reach zero carbon using the
current procurement processes,” asserts
George Martin, head of sustainability at
Willmott Dixon. “We need construction >

42-47_Feature.indd 42 03/11/2009 08:26

 conStruction manager | november/december 2009 | 43

42-47_Feature.indd 43 03/11/2009 08:27

 Feature Sustainability
> contracts to be aligned with [hitting
targets set under] planning permission,
with developers obligations, supply chain
obligations, and enforcement at every
step,” agrees Bovis’s Toyne.
So what would a carbon-busting
construction sector fit for the coming
decade actually look like? On the eve of
the Copenhagen summit, and with new
policies for 2010 bringing the low carbon
economy ever nearer, leading-edge
contractors and consultants are looking at
what needs to change before the industry
can ride to the rescue of national – and
international – CO2 policy.
Companies would first need to set their
own house in order, shrinking carbon
emissions from their own operations, sites
and transport fleets. The overall target
– as set by the government’s Committee
on Climate Change – is a 15% cut in
construction-related emissions by 2020.
On site waste, the target of “halving
waste to landfill by 2012” is enshrined
in the Strategic Forum’s Construction
Commitments.
BAM Construct is well on its way:
carbon intensivity – emissions expressed
against turnover – fell 7% between 2007
and 2008. But as BAM’s climate change
manager Jesse Putzel points out, there is
no common reporting standard.
Constructing Excellence has KPIs for
energy used and vehicle emissions in the
construction phase, but there is no overall
methodology to calculate total emissions
on and offsite, or normalising them
against turnover, staff or size of premises.
“Most companies are not currently
measuring and reporting in the same
way,” says Putzel. “It’s never possible
to compare one company to another
accurately, but a common approach will
help to level the playing field and make it
easier to identify reduction measures.”
The next challenge is that low-carbon
contractors would have to win new work
at a sustainable price. But in the current
climate, contractors and designers often
find that clients’ commitment to the green
agenda doesn’t last beyond the tender
stage. Terry Keech of building surveyor
Calford Seaden regularly advises housing
44 | november/december 2009 | conStruction manager
42-47_Feature.indd 44
associations and other social housing
clients. “On a recent scheme, the bidder’s
language was ‘what’s the cheapest way
of looking green?’ Not ‘what’s the best
way of achieving long-term aims?’ We
can talk about best practice in our
professional institutions, but day to day
we’re working with employers who want
the most cost-effective solution.”
One answer would be the wider
adoption of whole-life costing, which
encourages clients to look beyond upfront
capital costs to take a long-term view
of energy emissions, and embedding
this in the procurement process. In a
recent position paper on the low-carbon
economy, Willmott Dixon chief executive
John Frankiewicz calls on public and
private sector clients to adopt a PFI-style
approach by merging budgets for capital
and operational expenditure.
To help with the haziness of
calculations – for instance how exactly
do you accurately factor in future energy
prices and product lifespans? – the RICS
will next year publish new Rules of
Measurement for whole-life costing.
As for carbon emissions from the new technologies to tune performance as
buildings themselves, the revised Part L they become available.”
2010, due to come into force in April, sets However, from next year, new policies
the bar at a challenging 25% improvement will start to incentivise clients and project
on a notional 2006 building. The new teams to think holistically about building
version also promotes the use of a mix projects, from design to handover to
of energy supplies and renewables, and lifetime operations. From next April,
supporting users to operate the building the Carbon Reduction Commitment will
efficiently. It also seeks to close the gap penalise the large public and private
that can open up between designs and sector property owners that fail to make
the as-built building. year-on-year emissions cuts from their
But while 25% sounds like a tough buildings. Covering local authorities,
target, it would be far tougher if Building NHS health trusts, government estates,
Regulations were enforced via mandatory property companies and even the largest
post-completion testing at regular contractors, the measure will start to
intervals. “Why aren’t buildings judged like place a high price on corporate inaction.
cars?” asks Bovis’s Paul Toyne. “We should “It’s likely to trigger building
give buildings MOTs every two years. improvement programmes, especially by
Having a polluting car on the road isn’t large property owners that can’t pass
acceptable, so why is it acceptable to have energy costs onto tenants,” says Davis
a polluting building?” Langdon partner Simon Rawlinson. “As
Peter Caplehorn, technical director of clients ask ‘where do I spend to get the
architect Scott Brownrigg, adds another maximum benefit’, we’ll build up expertise
suggestion: “Contracts could state that in low-carbon refurbishment.” He points
contractors have to return at one, five and to the example of the recently-completed
ten years post-completion, and implement Queen Elizabeth Court in Winchester
03/11/2009 08:27

by architect Bennetts Associates
and contractor BAM, a refurbishment
of a 1960s building that cut energy
consumption by 70%. “It’s a good example
of spend to save,” he says.
April will also bring the introduction of
feed-in tariffs (FITs), which could re-write
the economic case for photovoltaic panels,
wind-turbines, and combined heat and
power (CHP) systems. FITs will require
utility companies to pay a competitive
price for electricity fed into the national
supply from renewables, raising the
possibility of buildings becoming energy
centres. Similar policies in Germany
and Spain have been highly effective,
with owner-occupiers taking out mini-
mortgages to spread the capital cost of
the kit, farmers planting fields with solar
arrays, and school playing fields hosting
wind-turbines.
In converting the renewable energy
into a secure income stream for building
owners, FITs will help ensure that
technology such as PV and CHP make it
from the design stage to the built project.
42-47_Feature.indd 45
“In the first year of FITs, the clients Commercial
will be the sort of people who would warehouse
have considered PV or wind turbines Embodied carbon
anyway but just needed an extra push. and operational
Then the market will grow and we’ll see emissions over
manufacturers respond with cheaper 30 year life span
products and more products suited to the
%
UK market,” says Simon Roberts, an
associate director in Arup’s future-gazing
Foresight group.
However, FITs still leave a contractual
disconnect between the client that pays
for the CHP plant or PV kit, the contractor
n External works
that installs it and tenants that benefit
n M&E services
financially. Without better alignment of
n Finishes
interests – perhaps under PFI-style long- n Furniture, fittings and equipment
term FM contracts – the full potential of n Superstructure
the policy will not be realised. n Substructure
But to truly be prepared as the n Operations
low-carbon industry of the future, the
industry will have to get to grips with
Low carbon office
the complexities of carbon accounting. Embodied carbon
As energy emissions are reined back, and operational
the carbon embodied in the foundations, emissions over
frame and fit-out of every project will 60 year life span
become a larger proportion of the overall
%
footprint. The totals can be considerable.
Davis Langdon has calculated that
embodied carbon typically represents
15-20 years of operational energy, while
re-using an existing building instead of
new build typically “takes back” 10 years
of operational carbon. n External works
At the moment, there is no legislative n Finishes
lever tackling embodied carbon, but n Furniture, fittings and equipment
Davis Langdon partner Simon Rawlinson n Substructure
anticipates one soon. “If you look at the n M&E services
n Superstructure
way carbon has to be reduced across
n Operations
the board, I can’t imagine there won’t be
a mechanism that starts to discourage Source: Davis Langdon
heavy manufacture,” he says.
Some clients are already looking at
“carbon budgets” – the total carbon “We should give buildings MOTs every
footprint of a project’s products and two years. Having a polluting car on the
materials, plus transport, construction and
waste emissions – to evalute the business
road isn’t acceptable, so why is it
case for projects. Take that thinking a step acceptable to have a polluting building?”
further, and you arrive at a fixed carbon Paul Toyne, Bovis Lend Lease
budget for a building, adding a fourth
dimension to the holy trinity of cost,
time and quality. Contractors and clients
might have to work to a whole-life carbon
budget, spending more to create thermal >
conStruction manager | november/december 2009 | 45
03/11/2009 08:27
 Feature Sustainability

Experts nominate
low-carbon
products for 2010
> mass up front to reap the benefits of lower
emissions later.
“We’ve calculated that 600kg of carbon
per square metre is good practice. In
future, contractors might have to provide
data on whether they’ve complied with
the embodied carbon plan,” predicts

02
Sean Lockie, director of Atkins’ cost
management subsidiary Faithful & Gould.
But before all this can happen, the
industry needs a common carbon metric.
Instead, it has a flurry of initiatives:

01
Faithful & Gould is working with a team
at Cardiff University to produce “carbon
factors” for different product types; Davis
Langdon won a 2009 CIOB Innovation
Award for its Carbon Caluclator; the BRE
is looking at a Europe-wide system and
the Carbon Trust has already introduced
a standard based on assigning products a
value of one to 100.
Stuart Barlow, technical director at
architect 3DReid, believes that a common
system needs to be handed down from
the top. “The EU Energy Performance
in Buildings directive led to Energy
Performance Certificates and Display
Energy Certificates. Maybe something
similar needs to be done to establish
benchmarks,” he says.
There are two possible endings to this
story. In one version, the industry pre-
empts the challenges, re-engineers itself
as a low-carbon industry and starts to take
responsibility for buildings over the long
term. “There are some bright people in the
industry that are ready to challenge the
status quo. There is tremendous optimisim
that the industry has the technology, 1 Parans lighting 2 ICAX Interseasonal Heat 3 SolarWall Transpired
motivation and talent to pull it off,” says Nominated by: John O’Brien, Transfer Solar Collector
Bovis’s Paul Toyne. principal consultant, BRE Nominated by: Peter Nominated by: Peter
But in the other ending, the industry The Parans light is an Caplehorn, Scott Brownrigg Caplehorn, Scott Brownrigg
passes the buck to clients that hadn’t innovation from Sweden. Technology developed by Profiled metal cladding or
Solar collectors - mounted ICAX is now being marketed over-cladding, with holes
got the message. There is no committed
on the roof, facade or at by asphalt company Rock. drawing air into the cavity
leadership that helped it rally around
ground level – channel Tubes embedded in roofs or between the solar collector
the carbon cause. A vast but fragmented sunlight into the building school playgrounds act as surface and the original
industry suffers from inertia, with targets via fibre optic cables. Each solar collectors in summer, elevation. Warm air rises to
and technologies taking so long to become panel can illuminate up to with the heat stored in the top of the cavity and
embedded that the distance between four internal luminaires, boreholes or buried arrays. vented into the building.
common practice and zero carbon narrows that can be switched on A ground source heat pump Suitable for any new build
too slowly. And as for consequences... and off with conventional transfers the stored energy or retrofit with a space
light switches. for heating or cooling. heating requirement.
well, let’s just say that we really don’t
www.limitless.uk.com www.wearerock.co.uk www.cagroup.ltd.uk
want to go there. CM
46 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

42-47_Feature.indd 46 03/11/2009 08:28


03
04
4 Heritage solar slates
Nominated by: John O’Brien,
principal consultant, BRE
Blending in with the rest
of the roof these slates
provide “invisible” solar
roof panels that preserve
the aesthetic integrity of
the building. The product
is still being tested, but
kits that can produce
600W to 3kW are expected
to be commercially
available in 2010.
www.heritagesolar
slate.co.uk
42-47_Feature.indd 47
05
06
5 Nordic Solar
Nominated by:
Stuart Barlow, 3D Reid
From Finland, this is a new
technology that combines
the heat collection of a
flat-plate solar thermal
system with Luvata’s range
of copper cladding panels,
profiles and cassettes.
The patination process
has been developed to
maximise the amount of
solar energy the facade
can capture.
www.luvata.com
6 Owl energy monitor
Nominated by: Terry Keech,
Calford Seaden
This device works by
clipping onto the household
electricity supply cable,
transmitting data –
expressed in kilowatts,
CO2 emissions or pounds
and pence – to a portable
wireless monitor. It can
calculate average usage per
week and per month, and
there’s a socket to download
the data to a laptop.
www.theowl.com
07
08
7 GeoFlow ground source
heat pump
Nominated by:
Stuart Barlow, 3D Reid
The gas-fired heat pump
combines low running
costs with low-carbon
operation. Several units can
be installed together in a
“cascade” configuration. The
GeoFlo package includes the
heat pump, pump station for
the ground loop and optional
500-litre buffer tank.
www.potterton
commercial.co.uk
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 | 47
8 Sumatec unfired clay bricks
Nominated by : Peter Walker,
Bath University
Produced from a
combination of brick and
clay, these bricks offer high
thermal mass for internal
walls and an alternative
to concrete blocks. A
new mortar, developed
in partnership with Bath
University, has enabled
the blocks to be laid on
edge by providing improved
bond strength.
www.limetechnology.co.uk
03/11/2009 08:28
 Construction Professional

Many firms have taken the obvious steps to

reduce costs in the past year, but there are other
ways to save cash. Elaine Knutt reports

Time to get your

nose into the books

a year after the credit crunch officially
became a recession, most contractors
have adapted to the new realities of
lower margins, increased competition
and enforced redundancies. But some
specialist consultants are claiming that
construction firms are missing out on the
savings that can be made from another
core area – the purchase ledger.
Contractors’ expenses typically fall
into two categories: non-staff overheads
such as insurance, telecoms, IT and office
supplies; and core spend on raw materials,
sub-contractors and plant hire.
But according to a survey of 104
construction companies carried out by
Expense Reduction Analysts, a franchised
consultancy, 36% had not carried out
contract negotiations with suppliers since
September 2008, and 30% had not put in
place a cost reduction programme.
ERA believes that any company
reviewing its own internal purchasing
policies can reduce expenditure by an
average of 6%, but that appointing a
consultant can release additional savings.
“The range among construction
clients is huge – from 8% to 52% for one “In many cases contractors practise
particular project,” says consultant Ian
Morrison, whose background is in the good procurement, but sometimes the
lighting sector. right questions just aren’t asked, or
The figures come as no surprise to John buying habits are based on what has
Bermingham, former head of procurement
at contractor MJ Gleeson. Bermingham been done in the past.”
recently set up Procurement Specialists
Group, a consultancy offering a “no save,
no fee” service to construction firms.
“A lot of companies fail to understand
the importance of purchasing, even
though it can account for 70-80% of
sales,” says Bermingham. “Companies put
a lot of effort into marketing strategies,
but if you ask about their procurement
strategy, they just don’t have one. If you
don’t have a database, or performance
monitoring, it’s hard to put a cost
reduction plan in place.”
In his experience, a contractor’s buying
department might not take responsibility
for non-staff overheads, leaving this
to non-trained staff. “A purchasing
department may be highly focused on

Back to basics: Sustainability in JCT contracts

Just under half of all CO2 emissions
in this country are linked to the built
environment, and more than 70% of
all building contracts are JCT contracts.
In response, the JCT contracts were
republished in May 2009 to include new
sustainability provisions.
The JCT decided not to impose rigid
rules, but to encourage the parties to
the contract to embrace sustainability
48 | november/december 2009 | conStruction manager illustration: Elly walton
within their project through a range of
contractual options.
The most important new clause is
that the contractor is now “encouraged”
to suggest amendments, which have to
be economically viable, to improve the
environmental performance of both the
process of building the project and the
building itself. If the employer agrees
with the suggestions, then they are
implemented as a “change” with the
normal contract effects.
In addition, the contractor has an
obligation to provide information
“reasonably” requested concerning the
environmental impact of the materials
selected for use by the contractor.
The menu of detailed provisions that
are available to client and contractor for
selection within the contract include:

48-49_CProfessional.indd 48 02/11/2009 09:47


delivering projects, and may not have the
capacity or market knowledge across the
board,” he says.
But an experienced eye can spot
substantial procurement savings.
For instance, Bermingham reduced
MJ Gleeson’s mobile phone bills from
£500,000 to £200,000 within a year, and
when working in-house at William Verry
costs were cut from £80,000 to £35,000.
As for core spend on products and
materials, Bermingham says buyers can
become pre-occupied with daily ordering
and deliveries, and forget to focus on the
big-ticket items, such as cladding.
Contractors can also make significant
savings by negotiating yearly contracts
for day-to-day items such as personal
protective equipment, sand, cement
and mastic. Bermingham also suggests
that companies can reduce costs by
inter-linking sub-contractor procurement
with materials buying – advising sub-
contractors to buy from its regular
suppliers, to take advantage of the
contractors’ superior buying power.
the requirement on the contractor to
reduce, reuse and recycle materials; the
encouragement of design efficiency;
the saving of energy and water; the
reduction of emissions and the use of
sustainable materials and products.
These measures, although not new,
may now be included as contractual
terms, with the possibility of monies
being withheld for non-compliance.
48-49_CProfessional.indd 49
When working for a new client, ERA
first benchmarks what the company is
paying against an industry average. “In
many cases contractors practise good
procurement, but sometimes the right
questions just aren’t asked, or buying
habits are based on what has been done
in the past,” says Morrison.
McCann Homes, a £70m turnover
housebuilder and social housing
contractor based in Milton Keynes, invited
ERA to look at its non-staff overheads
a year ago, on a “no save, no fee” basis.
Finance director Bob Green estimates that
this segment of expenditure accounts for
5% of turnover.
“They looked at utilities, stationery and
mobile communications, and achieved
savings of 25-35%,” says Green. “I was
expecting some savings, as it was an area
we hadn’t looked at in detail, but I didn’t
expect such high percentages.”
An ERA consultant is continuing to
monitor the company’s purchasing,
earning a fee according to how much it
can slice off McCann Homes’ invoices.
Achieving a specific BREEAM rating
or score can also be included as a
contractual provision.
Contractors can be obliged to report
back to the client using relevant
performance indicators, such as those
published by Constructing Excellence.
By Stephen Clarke, head of construction at
solicitor Clarke Willmott T: 0845 209 1303
Ann Wright’s
Case notes
Corus tort a lesson
Corus UK v Cavendish UK and Woods Building
Services. Queen’s Bench, August 2009
The consequences of bad work or
negligent misstatements can take
years to become apparent. So it was
in this case, which dates to 1997
when Corus wanted to replace
the ceiling and rewire the lighting
and renew the alarms at its 1960s
office building in Corby, Northants.
The existing plaster suspended
ceilings had been spray-coated
with asbestos containing material
(ACM) for fire protection. Overspray
from the ACM had penetrated the
lightwells and the concrete soffit
of the floor above.
An internal report dated 19
February 1997 noted the office
ceiling would be easily damaged
and release asbestos fibres if
disturbed. Therefore the renewal
work could not start until the
asbestos issue had been resolved.
In May 1997, Corus put the
asbestos removal and rewiring out
to tender with the aim of removing
the asbestos completely.
Cavendish submitted its proposal
on 17 June and Corus placed its
purchase order in July for the “total
removal of asbestos-containing
ceiling with encapsulation of
and labelling of overspray”.
Encapsulation meant the asbestos
would be sealed and enclosed. Thus
Corus was aware that it could not
expect total removal of all the ACM.
When work started in August,
Cavendish’s subcontractor, Woods
Building Services, found the ceiling
was actually composed of slabs that
were difficult to remove. Woods
tried a wet strip method to remove
the ACM, which proved successful
and was discussed with Corus at a
meeting on 28 August, 1997.
Unfortunately, there were two
versions of what was discussed.
Analysis
You can be sued in tort as well as
in contract. With a claim under
contract, you need to show a term
in the contract was breached and
that losses result.
For tort you need to show
a duty of care and a breach of
that duty resulting in damage.
If a negligent misstatement is
involved, the damage does not
need to be physical.
The court held that although
Woods had a duty of care in
tort, the building had not been
damaged. In addition, the court
held that Corus should have
Ann Wright FCIOB is an adjudicator and quantity surveyor.
T: 01675 466009
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 | 49
Cavendish’s Stephen Allen wrote
to Corus the following day, saying
all the ACM would be removed but
some would remain in inaccessible
areas and would be sealed with
encapsulating material.
However, according to Corus’s
minutes from the meeting, the
client wanted confirmation that
the new method was as good as
the original and would leave an
asbestos-free structure.
In March 2007, a worker
installing a fire alarm system
noticed debris and a subsequent
survey found traces of ACM. Quotes
for its removal and decontamination
ranged from £1.1m to £2.4m.
Corus tried to recover costs
from Cavendish and Woods. After
10 years it was too late to sue
in contract, but it sued in tort
for damage to the building due
to faulty workmanship and/or
inaccurate/misleading advice
from Woods.
The court said it was clear that
Corus had allowed work to take
place in the voids which may well
have released the ACM, and that
Corus had neither inspected nor
managed the asbestos in the
voids as it was obliged to do under
the Control of Asbestos at Work
Regulations of 1987 and 2002.
Also, although the Limitation
Act 1980 allowed for an action
to be pursued in tort if the defect
was unknown, subsection (10) of
section 14A of the Act states that
a person must take all reasonable
steps to acquire that knowledge.
If Corus had complied with its
duties under the asbestos control
acts it would have been aware
of any deficiencies in the work
years earlier.
known of any defects much
earlier and before time had
expired under the Limitation Act.
There are two lessons to be
learned from this case.
First, disputes can arise at any
time, even years after the project
has finished, so never destroy
those old files, notebooks or
diaries, in whatever form.
Second, reply to all
correspondence with which you
disagree. If the parties had done
that, the case may well have
settled out of court, saving most
of their legal fees.
02/11/2009 09:47
 Feature Commercial vehicles
Contractors are frustrated that many safety and
environmental features are not supplied on their
vans as standard. Stephen Cousins reports
Driven to distraction
when carillion initiated a health and safety
campaign last year, fleet account manager
Pat Brown was keen to reduce the risk
of accidents caused by reversing. “We
wanted reversing cameras fitted in all
our new medium-sized panel vans to give
drivers a better view of any obstacles
behind them,” explains Brown. “It’s
particularly useful on building sites where
there are hazards that can’t be seen in the
side mirrors and where operatives often
can’t hear a van’s reversing alarm due to
noise from machinery.”
But Brown was disappointed to
learn that cameras were not fitted as a
standard on new vans and manufacturers
were instead charging high prices to
intstall them. ‘The only cost-effective
option was fitting the systems ourselves,’
he complains.
Brown is not alone in thinking
that manufacturers of medium-sized
panel vans could do more to meet the
demands of construction’s end users.
Fleet managers complain vehicles lack
other important safety features such
as electronic stability control, which
maintains vehicle stability and prevents
skidding. Vans are increasingly used as
mobile offices, but vital kit such as
three-pin power points and air
conditioning is still not fitted as standard.
And although vans with lower carbon
emissions are available, many say the
technology is underdeveloped.
Regular visits
On the other hand, manufacturers point
out that feedback from end-users and
fleet managers often leads to new
innovation. Phil Reed, a spokesman
for Citroën, says: ‘Our field-based
representatives regularly visit managers
50 | november/december 2009 | conStruction manager
50-51_Feature2.indd 50
of large fleets. When end users
highlighted the security risks associated
with the number of doors on our Relay
panel vans, it led to the introduction of
central locking on all doors.”
But there’s every reason for
manufacturers to be listening to their
construction customers. Rok runs a fleet
of 1,600 vans, for example, while Kier
has 2,000 and around 70% of Carillion’s
14,000-strong fleet comprises commercial
vehicles. And in the on-going recession,
van sales this year are forecast to be
down 37% on 2008.
In the last 10 years there have been
significant improvements to safety
features in medium-sized panel vans.
Standard models now include features
previously only seen in cars, such as driver
air bags and anti-lock brakes. But more
needs to be done, says Carillion’s Brown:
“Reversing is one of the biggest causes of
accidents [the Health & Safety Executive
estimates that nearly a quarter of all
deaths involving vehicles at work occur
during reversing.] but reversing proximity
alarms, which emit a beeping sound that
gets faster the closer you get to an object,
are never standard on panel vans and we
have to fit them ourselves.”
David Oliver, head of procurement
at Rok, runs a fleet comprising mostly
Ford Transit vans. He says he would
consider switching manufacturer if
driver safety aids seen in most cars
were fitted as standard – specifically
electronic stability control. Often referred
to as electronic stability programs
(ESPs) by van makers, this computerised
technology improves vehicle stability by
detecting and minimising skids. When the
system detects loss of steering control,
it automatically applies the brakes to
individual wheels to correct the vehicle.
Kier’s head of procurement Stuart
Lightbody is also keen to see this
implemented in medium-sized panel vans.
‘ESP and anti-skid technology would be
handy as 3,500kg of deadweight out of
control can be a handful,’ he says.
While simple features such as height-
adjustable seats and adjustable steering
columns might seem a nice-to-have rather
than a necessity, Lightbody believes
they also have safety implications: “Some
drivers spend all day in their vans but they
have to make do with an uncomfortable
driving position. Bad posture will not just
affect comfort, it can also limit visibility of
the road and increase driver fatigue.”
Reduced speed
Manufacturers can fit speed limiters
on vehicles, which help reduce the
likelihood of accidents as well as cutting
fuel consumption. Iveco offers 90kmh,
100kmh and 120kmh alternatives, while
the Ford ECOnetic comes with a 70mph
limiter as standard. But these would prove
less effective if vans are often deployed
in built-up areas. “Speed limiters would
have limited impact for us due to the
“Reversing is one of the biggest causes
of accidents, but reversing proximity
sensors are never standard on panel
vans and we have to fit them ourselves.”
Pat Brown, Carillion
02/11/2009 09:55
 How contractor-friendly are these leading vans?
CITROËN RELAY
2.2-LITRE DIESEL
SHORT WHEEL BASE, LOW ROOF
Price: £17,200
Engine size: 2,198cc
CO2 emissions: 208g/km
Average mpg: 35.8
Gross weight: 3,300kg
Max payload: 1,455kg
Capacity cargo area: 8.0m3
Load length: 2.7m
CONTRACTOR-FRIENDLINESS 7
All models have remote control central locking,
power steering and a dual passenger seat
SUSTAINABILITY 8
“Second-lowest carbon emissions for a diesel
of this type, and a modified Euro 5-compliant
engine is coming soon.” Phil Reed, Citroën
RUNNING COSTS 7
When connected to Citroën’s Trafficmaster
fleet management software, fuel savings
could result
OPTIONAL EXTRAS 7
Electronic stability program, traction control
and hill start assist are part of a £180
option package
OVERALL 29/40
tight geographical spread of our sites
where slower speeds are the norm,” says
Jonathon Lagden, services development
manager at Willmott Dixon Sustain.
Drivers on long journeys are also
suffering due to lack of air conditioning,
says Lightbody: “It’s important that
drivers remain alert, especially when they
spend four or five hours in a van at a time,
but air conditioning is still a prohibitively
expensive option – how are you supposed
to do a day’s work when you emerge from
50-51_Feature2.indd 51
SMITH ELECTRIC FORD TRANSIT ECONETIC
EDISON 2.2 LITRE DIESEL
MEDIUM WHEEL BASE, LOW ROOF SHORT WHEEL BASE, LOW ROOF
Price: £53,550 Price: £18,095
Engine: 90kW induction motor Engine size: 2,198cc
CO2 emissions: 0 CO2 emissions: 189g/km
Max range: 100 miles on one battery charge Average mpg: 32.9
Gross weight: 3,500kg Gross weight: 2,840kg
Max payload: 1,220kg Max payload: 1,097kg
Capacity cargo area: 6.5m3 Capacity cargo area: 6.5m3
Load length: 2.9m Load length: 2.6m
CONTRACTOR-FRIENDLINESS 5 CONTRACTOR-FRIENDLINESS 7
Short battery life makes it only suitable for urban “Ford is our preferred manufacturer due to up-
or inter-urban journeys time and reliability. In our experience their vans
are better engineered.” David Oliver, Rok
SUSTAINABILITY 9 SUSTAINABILITY 8
“These vans will definitely become more popular, “This year we plan to lease several ECOnetics,
especially on contracts for local authorities who which, thanks to optimisation of gears and
are keen to cut emissions.” Pat Brown, Carillion the engine, increase mpg and reduce CO2
emissions.” David Oliver, Rok
RUNNING COSTS 8 RUNNING COSTS 7
No fuel costs, but batteries aren’t cheap and are The vehicle’s top speed is restricted to
likely to need replacing during 70mph, cutting fuel consumption
the van’s lifetime
OPTIONAL EXTRAS 5 OPTIONAL EXTRAS 6
None available on website Air conditioning, rear parking sensors, rear view
or specification documents camera with overhead colour display
OVERALL 27/40 OVERALL 29/40
your van feeling like you’ve done have to rely on a small 12-volt socket to
10 rounds in a boxing ring?” plug in or charge their PDAs, mobiles and
It seems strange that other basic kit satellite communication systems, rather
needed to perform work-related tasks than conventional three-pin sockets we all
is not standard on many vans. “Satellite use in the home, office and increasingly
navigation systems are a very pricey on trains. “You’ll have to go to the body
option so we have to rely on drivers builder if you want three-pin AC sockets,”
to carry their own systems, but many concedes Jon Stokes, product manager for
don’t and can’t find their destination,” Daily vans at Iveco.
says Lagden. “Sat-nav should be built in As if worrying about the safety and
as standard.” welfare of their drivers was not enough,
It’s also far from ideal that drivers still fleet managers are facing a huge modern-
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 | 51
02/11/2009 09:56
 Member get Member
Nominate someone into CIOB membership* and
we will reward you with a £50.00 cheque

Since its inception as The Builders Society in 1834

by a small group of London’s leading master builders,
the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)
has been working to promote and set standards of
excellence in the construction industry.
175 years on from those humble beginnings the Institute
has over 44,000 members working in every corner of the globe.
As a CIOB member, you already recognise the benefits that
a professional qualification can bring.
If you know of someone who has a similar commitment to achieving and
maintaining the highest possible standards within the built environment,
then why not recommend them for CIOB membership?
If your nominee is accepted into CIOB membership
(at ACIOB or ICIOB level), then as a thank you,
we will send you a £50.00 cheque or make a £50.00 donation
to the charity of your choice.
Please visit www.ciob.org/membership/memgetmem
for more information, full terms and conditions and the referral application form.
*Excluding student membership

Untitled-1.indd 1 03/11/2009 13:13

 Feature Commercial vehicles
day challenge – carbon emissions. In the
case of large contractors like Carillion,
whose 14,000-strong fleet accounts for
over 70% of the firm’s carbon emissions,
it’s a daunting prospect.
However, impending new European
legislation should help. In recent years,
car users have paid variable road tax
rates based on carbon emissions and
heavy goods vehicle operators have been
incentivised to buy diesel vehicles with
lower air pollution rates under the Euro 4
and forthcoming Euro 5 standard.
Vans and light commercial vehicles,
meanwhile, have occupied a grey area
between the two.
But now the European Commission
is proposing new laws to force van
manufacturers to cut CO2 emissions,
setting a target of 175g/km, or 42.8mpg
from 2014. The move is expected to be
linked to new tax bands for vans.
Meanwhile, fleet managers can
compare current emissions rates and fuel
consumption at a new online database at
www.vca.gov.uk/vandata.
Contractors are unimpressed by the
performance of electric vehicles, which
they say need more development and
investment from manufacturers. Apart
from a lack of recharging infrastructure,
it is felt that the limit of 100 miles
between battery charges is insufficient.
But the vans are still proving effective
in some applications. Carillion, for
example, recently used Smith Electric’s
Edison vans for a London-based project.
“This helped cut fuel costs and the electric
vehicles are exempt from congestion
charges and parking fees in some areas of
London,” says Brown.
Progress has been made on diesel/
electric hybrid engines, which reportedly
can generate fuel savings of 20-30%.
When the diesel engine is in operation,
an electric motor is charged and used
when the van slows down. However,
manufacturers say production models of
these vehicles are unlikely to be available
for another two to three years.
If you’re convinced it’s time to change
your fleet, there’s one final headache.
Due to the recession many factories are
running at half capacity, which means
longer waits for vehicles. ‘Customers
requiring specialist vans will have
problems because the vehicles just won’t
be in stock,’ says Iveco’s Stokes.
50-51_Feature2.indd 53
IVECO DAILY 35S MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER
2.3-LITRE DIESEL 2.1-LITRE DIESEL
SHORT WHEEL BASE, LOW ROOF MODEL SHORT WHEEL BASE, LOW ROOF MODEL
Price: £20,650 Price: £17,240
Engine size: 2,300cc Engine size: 2,143cc
CO2 emissions: 213g/km CO2 emissions: 214g/km
Average mpg: 35.1 Average mpg: 34.9
Gross weight: 3,500kg Gross weight: 3,000kg
Max payload: 1,500kg Max payload: 1,395kg
Capacity cargo area: 7.3m3 Capacity cargo area: 7.5m3
Load length: 2.6m Load length: 2.6m
CONTRACTOR-FRIENDLINESS 9 CONTRACTOR-FRIENDLINESS 8
“Ivecos are very robust, they have a strong Adaptive electronic stability program (ESP)
chassis that can take a real beating and have allows the Sprinter to take account of varying
better ground clearance than the Transit.” vehicle loads; large door openings on side and
Pat Brown, Carillion rear; load-securing features
SUSTAINABILITY 8 SUSTAINABILITY 7
All vans weighing less than 3,500kg have to “Sprinters can come with ECO-Start engine idling
be at least 80% recyclable by mass, but the technology which cuts out the engine when you
Daily is 95% recyclable stop in traffic. It’s a great bit of kit we recommend
to external clients.” Pat Brown, Carillion
RUNNING COSTS 7 RUNNING COSTS 7
“Road speed limiters contribute to safety and cut ECO-Start cuts fuel consumption
fuel consumption, we offer 90kmh, 100kmh and
120kmh versions.” Jon Stokes, Iveco
OPTIONAL EXTRAS 7 OPTIONAL EXTRAS 7
Reverse proximity sensors for £275 per vehicle, Comfort seats, full-height load
reverse cameras with a rear spotlight for night compartment trim, bulkhead with
time driving cost £375 per vehicle aluminium sliding door, reversing camera
OVERALL 31/40 OVERALL 29/40
“Some drivers spend all day in their
vans, but they have to make do with an
uncomfortable driving position. Bad
posture will not just affect comfort, it
can also limit visibility of the road and
increase driver fatigue.”
Stuart Lightbody, Kier
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 | 53
02/11/2009 09:56
Untitled-1.indd 1 04/11/2009 15:31
 Contents
56/57: News
L&F must go further to meet
carbon reduction targets
Strengthened accreditation
process bolsters partnerships
58/59: News
E-learning brings builders and
archaeologists together
CMYA 2009
60/61: Regional
How Shakespeare’s Globe went
back to the future
Scots warned to expect more site
inspections
62/63: Region in Focus: North West
MediaCityUK prepares to go live
Students capture college rebuild
for posterity
64/65: Regional
Face to face with a nuclear
warhead
Kent celebrates in style
66/67: Education and Careers
Don’t let your membership
slip away
When money’s too tight
to mention
68/69: Member Benefits
Earthworks Course
Masterclass takes on
the recession
70: Books

Contact
Code of Practice for Project
Management

The Chartered Institute of Building | Members’ Newsletter

Issue 77 | Nov 09

55SJW LH.indd 1 29/10/2009 10:56

56 Contact | November 09
News
News in Brief
CIOB books are a gift for
John Prescott
CIOB President Li Shirong took the
opportunity to present John Prescott
MP with copies of the CIOB’s Building
Modern China and Building Visionaries
during a private meeting at the House
of Commons. Li Shirong and John
Prescott are working together
following an agreement
between the Chinese city
of Chongqing and Regional
Development Agency
CONSULTATIONS Yorkshire Forward.
To order a copy of either book visit

L&F must go further to meet carbon www.constructionbooksdirect.com

Inbox innovations
reduction targets, says CIOB The CIOB is launching an html email
system which will deliver an interactive
monthly e-newsletter to members and
stakeholders. It will include information
on membership, CBCs, polls and surveys.
To ensure you receive the e-newsletter,
The CIOB has again urged the government to update your details on the members’ area of
strengthen the focus on energy use in buildings the website (www.ciob.org.uk)
in the UK’s Building Regulations. The call came
in the Institute’s response to the Department
What’s your line?
The CIOB is looking for members who
of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) would like to share their experiences
consultation on Parts L and F of the Building in a series of events to help CIOB staff
Regulations. gain a better understanding of the
membership.
In its response, the CIOB also called for a greater
Two of the first members involved
general awareness of the impact of Building were archaeologist Andrew Townsend
Regulations on national energy policy. According and senior project manager Emma
to the Institute, fuel use is vital in shaping the Nicholson. Andrew talked about
discovering prehistoric statuary at the
way towards low- and zero-carbon buildings in the Brochtorff-Xaghra Circle on the island
near future. of Gozo in the Maltese peninsula, while
Michael Brown, CIOB deputy chief executive, Emma spoke of her work mentoring
commented: “Parts L and F certainly make progress. fellow construction professionals.
If you are interested please contact John Poole
However, if there had been a greater focus on by email: jpoole@ciob.org.uk
consequential improvements for existing building the consultation document. The Institute recognises
stock more could have been done. This is a missed its own role in providing training and education Cardiff Castle complete
opportunity to progress the UK towards the CO2 and eagerly awaits the resources to enable the John Edwards, chair of the CIOB
Conservation, Maintenance and
targets set out in the Climate Change Act. CIOB network to deliver education to construction Refurbishment Group, joined leading
“Existing buildings represent an area where professionals and the public. heritage experts, government
significant savings in energy usage will have to be The CIOB has highlighted the skills base needed, representatives and dignitaries at a
banquet to celebrate the completion of
made, and in a sector that is the hardest to tackle. especially for the installation, commissioning and
the £8m refurbishment of Cardiff Castle.
We feel that the importance of this issue may have certification of more ventilation appliances. It has John initiated and led the eight-year
been lost on the government. This is a good example also called for a wider programme of education and refurbishment of the castle, which is one
of why the industry needs the influence of a chief engagement with building occupiers. This is vital, of Wales' largest conservation projects.
construction adviser.” says the Institute, to driving a change in the use of
2010 subs: look out for
buildings to make best use of in-built technologies, your renewal pack
CIOB submission highlights such as ventilation appliances. Membership Subscription Renewal
The CIOB has welcomed the unified approach to Packs will be delivered during
November. Subscriptions are due by
distributing information and education for all those To view the entire CIOB submission please visit:
1 January 2010. Anyone not receiving
involved in the built environment sector, as outlined in www.ciob.org/about/ciobpolicies their renewal notice by the end of
November, or wishing to discuss
SAP could help close energy performance gap payment options, should telephone:
01344 630831 or email: subenquiry@
Using the Standard the government’s believes that with better be beneficial, including ciob.org.uk
Assessment Procedure consultation document information, rigorous points on party walls,
(SAP) as a design tool on proposed changes compliance checking and domestic hot water,
could help to close to SAP. testing, together with a heat pumps and micro
the gap between the The Institute wants to change in culture, wind turbines.
calculated design energy see SAP used as a design the performance gap The CIOB’s response
performance and the tool with information can be closed. also welcomed the
as-built performance of available early in the The Institute also joined-up approach that
structures, says the CIOB. construction process highlighted other areas has been taken between
It highlighted that will indicate critical not mentioned in the Approved Documents
the opportunity areas for construction current consultation, L, F and the SAP
in its response to and inspection. It but where changes may consultation.

p56-57SJW.indd 56 02/11/2009 09:58


Editor’s letter
It is with great pleasure that I
welcome you to the new look
Contact. With a fresher style
and modern layout Contact will
continue to deliver all the latest
national and regional news from
the CIOB, but with an increased
frequency of 10 times per year.
These changes reflect a new
era for the CIOB. In our 175th
anniversary year there is much
for CIOB members to look back
on and applaud. However, there
are always challenges ahead
and the CIOB remains focused
on meeting those challenges
and investing in the future.
Contact aims to be both a guide
and point of reference for all
CIOB members.
We hope this relaunched
issue echoes the CIOB’s
vibrancy while exemplifying its
stronghold within the industry.
Our links with government
(page 2), education (page 3)
and other disciplines (page
4) are becoming stronger
and stronger. The industry’s
celebration of individual
management achievement,
the Construction Manager of
the Year Awards, is featured
on page 5. On a regional level,
there continues to be a diverse
range of site visits on offer
for members, ranging from
Shakespeare’s Globe (page 7) to
Cold War bunkers (page 10).
All that remains is for me to
invite you to read on and please
get in touch with any feedback
and ideas you may have.
Sarah Jane Wilson
Editor
sjwilson@ciob.org.uk
p56-57SJW.indd 57
ACADEMIC ACCREDITATION
Strengthened accreditation
process bolsters partnerships
The CIOB has revamped its accreditation process
in a bid to improve its links with academia and
industry. The new, streamlined system includes more
evidence-based procedure, and has also introduced
international panel members to broaden its scope.
Closer relationships with teaching institutes
and industry partners should help the Institute to
promote best practice and give academic institutions
access to the latest research, CPD events and
influential figures and experts in the industry. In
partnership with the CIOB, stakeholders can make
a greater contribution to the industry and the
promotion of excellence.
A panel of 14 experts, drawn from the forefront
of the built environment and who have extensive
experience of accreditation, the built environment
and education, has been created. Members
representing Australia, Dubai, Canada and South
Africa bring international experience and knowledge
to the panel.
Rosalind Thorpe, accreditation officer, explained:
“The introduction of international members on
the panel enables us to assess applications within
their cultural context. It will also ensure positive
representation, communication and knowledge
overseas. The new process is also less onerous
on the universities as it is based on their quality
Grow your own for £50
Do you know someone who would benefit from
CIOB membership? If you successfully nominate
someone into full membership of the Institute
we’ll send you £50.
In its 175th year, the Institute has more than
44,000 members in every corner of the globe.
If you know someone with a commitment to
achieving and maintaining the highest possible
standards within the built environment, why not
recommend them for CIOB membership? If your
nominee is accepted (at ACIOB, ICOB, MCIOB or
FCIOB level), then as a thank you, we will send
you a £50 cheque or make a £50 donation to a
charity of your choice. Unfortunately student
membership does not apply.
Contact | November 09 57
News
assurance and internal management system.”
CIOB accreditation is an internationally-recognised
seal of quality assurance for teaching institutes and
the gold standard of educational programmes in the
built environment.
The award of accreditation signifies that both the
teaching institute and the programme have reached
the highest standards of quality. This is rewarded by
the use of the CIOB logo for advertising purposes
and publication of the accredited programmes on the
recognised awards list – which is available at: www.
ciob.org.uk/education/CIOB_Recognised_Awards
For students, accreditation reassures them
that their chosen programme meets the highest
academic and vocational standards. Students of
accredited programmes enjoy exemption from
CIOB membership requirements and access to the
CIOB library and information services, professional
development activities and careers advice and
progression opportunities.
Outstanding students of accredited programmes
are awarded CIOB Certificates of Excellence.
For further information on the accreditation
process or to request an application form email
Rosalind Thorpe, accreditation officer:
educationadmin@ciob.org.uk
For more information, full terms and conditions and
the referral application form please visit:
www.ciob.org/membership/memgetmem
28/10/2009 14:44
58 Contact | November 09 Building Control faculty
News calls for members
The CIOB’s newly-formed Faculty
of Building Control and Standards is
looking for new committee members. It
is seeking experienced Building Control
professionals to contribute to its work
and growth, while gaining additional
recognised professional qualifications.
Among other objectives, the faculty
has been created to: raise the profile
of Building Control practitioners and
their teams; create wider networking
opportunities between Building Control
teams and the industry, and between
ARCHAEOLOGY construction professionals; and

E-learning project brings builders

encourage wider recruitment into the
Building Control profession.
Faculty chair Kevin Dawson

and archaeologists together

said: “[We] offer building control
professionals a route into gaining a
valuable qualification. It also gives them
a chance to network with the people
they meet in their working lives, and
to influence the way we build our
When site preparation unearths an ancient artefact, future through a new platform for
involvement.”  
swift archaeological advice is vital. No one wants to For details about joining the committee please
delay a project, but what priorities matter most? The contact Una Mair at umair@ciob.org.uk
CIOB is supporting a scheme to help archaeologists
and construction professionals understand each Post-construction experts
other’s roles and interests in such situations. needed to bolster FM group
Archaeology & Construction Engineering Skills Facilities management is an important
part of many projects and the CIOB is
(ACES), a project funded by the EU’s Leonardo
keen to promote excellence in the field.
Da Vinci programme and led by the Institute for Its working group delivers set objectives
Archaeologists (IfA), aims to increase co-operation and develops a strategic plan but it
between the disciplines through training. It involves needs your help.
Members are invited to join the
archaeologists and construction specialists from
Facilities Management Interest
Turkey, Poland, Norway and the UK who have Group to discuss, review and make
developed good practice guidance for managing recommendations on many of the
the relationship between archaeology and design and transitional processes
between completion of a construction
construction in their respective countries. Common
project and the live building. This could
elements from their experience has been distilled involve discussion in areas such as
into trans-national e-learning modules for students. management, technical, sustainability,
The modules can also be used by professionals as whole-life costing and health and safety.
If you are interested in becoming involved in
part of their CPD. this sector please contact Adam Hollis on
The e-learning modules tackle each sector’s 01344 630734 or: ahollis@ciob.org.uk
priorities and requirements at the different stages indicating your preferred method of
Wessex Archaeology

of a project. In the UK, this builds on, and is
supported by, Archaeology and development –
a good practice guide to managing risk and
maximising benefit produced by CIRIA with IfA.
The importance of early archaeological advice in
any project is a key message throughout, as is the
promotion of a better understanding of health and
safety requirements.
Testing of the e-learning modules is taking
place soon. The engineering module, aimed
at archaeologists, will be tested on a range of
participation (eg working group, shared
electronic forum, surveys with quarterly
feedback of results or seminars).
professionals, including contractors, curators and
consultants, at different stages in their career to
determine the best target audience.
More information about the project can be found at:
http://aces-project.eu

Qualifications harness value of experience responsibilities for people, finances

Gaining that extra qualification
can make your CV stand out.
The CIOB’s Experienced
Practitioner Assessed (EPA)
programme is designed for
people with a sound background
in a construction discipline, but
who may not have the academic
qualifications to gain full CIOB
membership. It requires an ability
to apply experience, undertake
knowledge-based learning and
solve scenario-based questions.
Candidates must have
knowledge of managing people,
processes and the technology of
construction. Applicants for the
EPA programme would typically
have five years’ experience in
managing these key areas.
The Experienced Practitioner
Assessed Report (EPAR) route,
meanwhile, is aimed at more
experienced professionals who
can demonstrate experience in
a senior management
role, including significant
or technical change.
Candidates taking this route
would typically have been working
at senior level for 10 years.
To find out more about the EPAR
route and the EPA programme, visit
www.ciob.orguk/membership/routes.
For further assistance, please contact
Denise Lewington, member services
support, on 01344 630721.

p59SJW.indd 58 02/11/2009 10:14

 Contact | November 09 59
News

Construction manager of the year awards Call for Trustees

As part of the CIOB’s new Governance

Park Lane event salutes industry’s structure, the Nominations

Committee will be accepting

outstanding performers
Almost 1,000 construction professionals attended
the Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s
Park Lane on 27 October for the Construction
Manager of the Year Awards (CMYA) 2009. Among
them were 115 finalists selected by a panel of
judges led by Chris Richards and including previous
CMYA winner Phil Rowley.
The panel worked together to choose this year’s
overall winner, David Wilson, as well as 24 gold
and silver medal winners, from a record number of
entries. In a hectic schedule reminiscent of a project
nearing completion (12-hour days, five days on the
road), Rowley and Richards visited more than 80%
of this year’s candidates.
“As judges, a big part of our role is to get the
best out of candidates,” said Rowley. “Construction
managers are a pretty modest bunch, underselling
what they’ve achieved. Our role is put them at
ease while coaxing out of them what they’ve
accomplished despite all the pressures.”
As previous winners will testify, it is not enough
to complete an excellent project or demonstrate
outstanding management skills. To become
Construction Manager of the Year candidates must
negotiate a rigorous interview, presentation process
and site visit of their completed project.
“Three presentation questions are sent to the
candidate just five working days before our visit,”
Richards continued. “This way we get to see how
the candidates perform outside their comfort
zone. They have to form an opinion but I think
they welcome this and it shows another side to
their skills-set.”
applications for Trusteeship from
the end of November 2009.
In June 2010, three Trustees will
be stepping down and it is for these
positions that we will be recruiting.
Two of these vacancies will be elected
to the Board of Trustees through a
ballot of Corporate Members (MCIOB/
FCIOB); with the final Trustee being
selected by the Board.
CIOB Corporate Members are
entitled to apply for a Trustee
position. A formal application
procedure will be made available
to download from the main CIOB
website, or requested in hard copy.
To express an interest at this
stage and ensure you receive an
application pack as soon as it is
available, please email Samantha
Teague, deputy institute secretary
at: steague@ciob.org.uk.
Phil Rowley (left) and
Chris Richards with
David Wilson (centre).
Candidates also need to show that they know the
direction they are heading. “Candidates must show
they understand they are producing something
for someone else, clearly identifying the needs
and desires of their client or employer while also
focusing on where they and the industry are going.
This includes embracing modern technology and
techniques,” said Rowley.
This year’s winner, David Wilson, who was
awarded the gold medal in the New Build and
Refurbishment £7–£10m category, can boast that
not only has he proved his worth among his peers,
but has also excelled in the demanding criteria set
by the CMYA judging panel.
For more, turn to page 15. For images of the awards
night visit www.cmya.co.uk

Working in sustainability? Reap the reward as a CEnv

Increasing recognition of the
sustainability challenges we face
means that the role played by
environmental professionals is
more important than ever. Members
and fellows working in the area of
sustainability can now boost their
employability and develop their
specialism by applying to become a
Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv)
through the CIOB.
The CEnv qualification sets
its holders apart from others
working in the field by establishing
proven knowledge and a high
degree of expertise, experience
and commitment to professional
standards, including best practice.
Gaining this qualification also
enables members to:
• Tap into the wide information
base produced by the Society for
the Environment (SocEnv).
• Get involved in lobbying the
government on issues relating to
sustainability, through the CIOB
Ambassador Programme.
• Join the ever-growing number
of CIOB members showing their
commitment to best practice
and awareness in the area of
sustainability.
• Network with other SocEnv
members.
To find out more about assessment for
the CEnv qualification through the
CIOB, visit www.ciob.org.uk/
membership/charteredenvironmentalist

p59SJW.indd 59 02/11/2009 10:15

60 Contact | November 09 Uphill struggle for Snowdon
Regional news visitor centre
When Mount Snowdon’s new visitor
centre opened on 14 June it was 12
months behind schedule – not due to the
builders but because of the notorious
weather around Wales’ highest
summit, including 100mph winds and
temperatures of -20°C.
It comes as no surprise to North Wales
Centre members who finally managed
to visit the cafe, Hafod Eryri, after two
earlier attempts were thwarted by
adverse conditions.
Peter Trumper of Snowdonia National
Park explained that the elements have

Green features and pod system

always been a significant part of life on
the mountain.
The original summit cafe/ hotel was

make college fit for the future

Peter Jones FCIOB
Sustainable measures including photovoltaic cells,
automatic windows and rainwater collection are
among a host of environmental and educational
innovations being used on the £28m Torquay
Community College rebuild.
The new glass and pre-cast concrete school
(pictured below) is being constructed by Interserve
Building in the grounds of the 1938 Audley Park
building. It is one of the government’s Pathfinder
projects, which are leading the way in the Building
Schools for the Future programme.
Members of the Exeter and South Devon Centre
who visited the site heard that after extensive
research the school opted for a collection of “pods”,
where each year group has its own wing of the
building linked by a central “street”. Instead of going
to different areas of the college for a variety of
subjects, students will be taught in their own pods.
College principal Gill Battye told members about
the procurement process: “We will only get one
chance to build our new school and we wanted to
get it right. Students and staff were all asked for
their input into what features they wanted in the
new buildings. Without exception they wanted a
light and airy environment in which to work.”
Other wings house sections for IT, arts, music and
drama and practical skills such as motor mechanics,
construction and hair and beauty.
The sustainable features are expected to reduce
future running costs. Even the old school buildings
are being recycled as hardcore for the extensive
landscaping measures. But there was an additional
challenge for the builders in that work had to be
carried out without causing the school to close
down.
Stuart Gray of Interserve Building explained how
they solved this problem. He said: “All floors, walls,
staircases and so on are constructed from precast
concrete which required a very high standard of
manufacture and installation.”
With its exterior panel walls of Cornish concrete,
soaring glass features and open airy interior, the new
school is a radical change from the existing buildings
and very much a building for the future.
The first pupils move in next January. Existing
buildings will then be demolished to make way for
future phases of the new build.
Battye concluded: “This building gives the college
the chance to be at the forefront of education. It
has really helped morale and the students now wear
their uniform with pride. To have a lovely working
environment will boost self-esteem no end.”
built in the mid-1930s and despite
renovation attempts in the 1980s,
it was decided by the late 1990s to
demolish and rebuild it.
The fixed-price design and build
contract was won by Mowlem, now
part of Carillion. With its complex
shape – a footprint on a radius to match
the contours – the steel structure was
fabricated and erected in a shed at Corus
steelworks. Dummy stub columns were
bolted to the shed floor to replicate the
uneven foundations on the summit.
Some of the risings were used in
the new foundations. But the isolated
mountain location presented other
constraints. The train that serves the
mountain could only push a maximum of
10 tons and tight curves in the railway
cuttings restricted the length of steel
members. Each load was scheduled
to ensure components arrived in the
correct order. The contractor was also
limited by the size of plant so the middle
part was erected first then used as a
gantry to erect the steel furthest from
the railhead.
By winter 2007 the structure was
clad with the steel sheeting. The floor
slab, with underfloor heating, was cast,
granite-faced walls were built and the
granite fascia and overlay to the flat roof
were installed.
The contract cost marginally less
than the agreed £8.5m. The cafe finally
opened to serve the 140,000 train
passengers and 200,000 walkers and
climbers that come each year.

Arts centre refurb on track despite hidden pool

Encountering unexpected hurdles
after work has started on site is
often cited as a reason for delays.
Such challenges will not hold
up the £1.7m refurbishment of
the Midlands Art Centre (MAC) in
Birmingham (pictured right).
Midlands Centre members who
toured the complex structure
to see how the design and
build contractor, Thomas Vale,
was progressing heard that
huge concrete bunkers were
unearthed under the floor of the
old cafe, delaying initial work on
site. Historical research revealed
that MAC was built on top of an
old open-air swimming pool and
digging out its foundations took
several weeks.
Other challenges included
dealing with a variety of complex
interlocking structures and
enabling access for disabled clients
to different levels.
The project includes a new three-
storey building, a double-height
gallery, a new 200m2 performing
arts studio and a media studio.
MAC opened in 1962. The
improvements began in 2008 and
are expected to be completed on
time and to budget in 2010.

p60-61SJW.indd 6 28/10/2009 14:45

 Diary highlights: Contact | November 09
Regional news
61

Buckinghamshire
175th Anniversary Charity Dinner
Date: Friday 20 November
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: Bell Hotel, Oxford Road,
Beaconsfield, HP9 2XE
Speakers: Bill Giles, former TV weather
forecaster and Graham Poll,
former football referee
Cost: £45 per person,
corporate tables available
Contact: Bianca Sturge
Email: bsturge@ciob.org.uk
Tel: 0845 070 6114

How Shakespeare’s Globe went

Bedfordshire
The Law of Contractual Damages: When,
For What And How Much Can You Recover?

back to the future

Date: Tuesday 24 November
Time: 6:30pm
Meeting point: Bedford Rubgy Club,
Goldington Road, Bedford, MK40 3NF
Speakers: Julian Kirkpatrick
Cost: £10 (Free to student members)
Contact: Sam Briggs
Email: sbriggs@ciob.org.uk
Tel: 0845 075 5053
Hampshire
Basements, Is It Worth It?
Date: Tuesday 24 November
Time: 6.00 for 6.30pm
Venue: Highbury Northarbour Centre,
Southampton Road, Portsmouth, PO6 4BQ
Speaker: D Aulton, Thermonex
Cost: Free
Contact: Paula Hazell
Email: phazell@ciob.org.uk
Tel: 0845 070 6095
Kent
Structural Waterproofing
Date: Tuesday 1 December
Time: 7:00pm
Meeting point: Hadlow Manor Hotel, Goose
Green, Hadlow, Tonbridge, TN11 0JH
Speakers: Steve West
Cost: £10 buffet and lecture, £5 lecture only
Contact: Beverley Lawrence
Email: blawrence@ciob.org.uk
Tel: 0845 070 6099
Dorset
175th Anniversary of the CIOB
Celebratory Event
Date: Tuesday 1 December
Time: 6.00 for 6.30pm
Speakers: Colin Harding PPCIOB, chairman
of GH Group; Kevin Dawson, chairman of
CIOB Building Control Faculty; Pat Feighery,
vice chairman of CIOB South East Branch
Venue: The Regimental Room, The
Wardrobe, 58 The Close, Salisbury,
Wiltshire, SP1 2EX
Contact: Sarah Holborn
Email: sholborn@ciob.org.uk
Telephone: 0845 070 6108
Marcel Cooper MCIOB
The Globe Theatre has
been faithfully restored
Modern methods of construction may be much
heralded as building’s future, but there’s nothing new
about the idea. The 16th century builder of the
original Globe Theatre in London, Peter Street, used
off-site carpenters to manufacture a green
oak timber frame that was then shipped to the
site and assembled.
This surprising detail was revealed by Peter
McCurdy, who led the construction of Shakespeare’s
Globe in 1991, in a talk to members of the Essex
Centre. McCurdy, a master constructor in green oak,
trained as an architect and joined his father making
furniture, before adapting these skills to undertake
heritage building renovations and reconstructions.
He is a builder with vast experience of traditional
oak buildings.
It is surprising how little data remains about the
original Globe, where Shakespeare put on his plays.
Built in 1598 under what is now Anchor Terrace, it
survived until 1613 before it was ravaged by fire and
was subsequently rebuilt on the same site, although
it was closed in 1642. However, McCurdy’s detailed
research identified enough data for his team to create
a design that fairly reflected the original Globe and
was true to the construction techniques of the day.
Achieving this while satisfying today’s rigorous
building regulations and health and safety standards
is testament to the talent and dedication of McCurdy
and his staff.
The existence of a contemporaneous contract for
the Fortune Theatre, which was also built by Street,
provided valuable evidence of the original
specification that might have been used for the
Globe. The documentation to construct a three-
storey, 100ft diameter theatre was surprisingly
simple in those days. In McCurdy’s words: “No
architect, just the builder – as it should be!”
Two columns support the roof over the present-
day stage which, although painted to look like marble,
are each formed from a single oak tree, one Scottish
and one English. The trunks, weighing 5 tonnes, were
delivered to McCurdy’s yard and were worked by hand
to finished articles that weigh 2 tonnes. His attention
to detail is such that these solid hardwood columns
even have a hand-carved axial hole running from top
to bottom to help reduce splitting.
For more information please visit:
www.shakespeares-globe.org

West Midlands
BREEAM in Action – Building for Low
Environmental Impact
Scots warned to expect more site inspections
Date: Tuesday 1st December 2009
Time: 6:00pm Scottish construction managers should brace inspectors will lead to more random site visits.
Meeting point: Trident Technology themselves for more random site visits from Smaller sites, previously not visited, may
and Business Centre, Poseidon Way,
inspectors, the Health & Safety Executive receive more attention than larger sites run
Warwick, CV34 6SW
Contact: Georgina Floyd has warned. by the major contractors.
Email: gfloyd@ciob.org.uk Speaking to members of the West of Scotland “Refurbishment projects are also a higher
Tel: 0845 072 2366 Centre, Iain Brodie, principal inspector of health priority than new-build ones," Brodie added.
and safety in the HSE’s construction division, For more information, including the HSE’s
For a full list of events please visit:
www.ciob.org.uk/events explained: “A decrease in the construction Safety and Health Awareness Days (SHADS),
industry’s workload coupled with an increase in visit: www.hse.gov.uk

p60-61SJW.indd 7 28/10/2009 14:45

62 Contact | November 09
Region in focus

Region in focus:
North West MANCHESTER'S MEDIA CENTRE

North West
Major projects under way: MediaCityUK
(shown right), a mixed development of
offices, retail and leisure facilities on a
36-acre site at Salford Docks. £220m
redevelopment of Blackpool town
centre.
In the pipeline: New facility at
Sellafield: £1.5bn contract to begin
April 2010. Building Schools for
the Future Programme North West:
investment of more than £2.1bn.
Employed in construction: 265,390
Regional annual recruitment: 4,780
CIOB members: 3,799

For your diary MediaCityUK: the £500m phase

one is complete
20 FEBRUARY 2010
Liverpool Centre
ANNUAL DINNER DANCE Lights, camera, action:
MediaCityUK prepares to go live
Venue: The Britannia Suite, The Liner
Hotel, Liverpool
Time: 7.30 for 8.00pm
Tickets: £45 each or corporate
table £425
Contact: Katrina Percival by email: Top BBC radio departments, including Sport and deploying more than 85,000m3 of concrete and
kpercival@ciob.org.uk Radio 5 Live, will soon be entertaining the nation nearly 9,000 tonnes of structural steel.
Dress: Black tie and evening wear
Booking essential from Salford in Manchester, broadcasting from a huge Phase one includes 700,000ft2 of offices, a
Sponsorship packages also available. new purpose-built media centre. 218-bed hotel, 377 flats and 80,000ft2 of retail and
When phase one of MediaCityUK opens in 2011 it leisure facilities as well as a media education facility
23 APRIL 2010 will house some 2,500 BBC staff and become the for the University of Salford.
Greater Manchester Centre home of one of Europe’s biggest high-definition-TV The site requires 32MW of power to keep it going,
ANNUAL DINNER studios. Peel Media, the scheme’s developer, hopes to which meant 7km of 33,000-volt cable had to be laid,
Venue: The Lowry Theatre,
Salford Quays
attract a range of media companies and is investing a task that took 18 months.
Time: Reception 7.15pm; dinner 7.45pm around £500m in phase one, which covers more than To improve sustainability, a tri-generation system
Tickets: £60 or 10% discount for 36 acres of land along the Manchester Ship Canal on has been installed in the site’s main multi-storey car
corporate table the redundant Salford Docks. park. It has an electrical output of 4.5MW and
Contact: Hazel Yorke by email:
hyorke@ciob.org.uk Members from the North West Branch visited the circulates hot water from the plant around the site.
Dress: Black tie and evening wear development to see for themselves the This provides heating and also drives absorption
Booking essential development’s sheer scale and ambition. Bovis Lend chillers for cooling, reducing the carbon footprint of
Sponsorship packages also available Lease, the management contractor, started work on the site by 38%.
site at the country’s first purpose-built creative and Bovis Lend Lease has awarded more than £188m
digital community in 2007. Already, 6.5 million man worth of contracts to companies in the Salford and
hours have been spent on the build, with workers Greater Manchester area.

p62-63SJW.indd 62 02/11/2009 10:17


MEMBERSHIP EVENT
Sellafield pledges support for staff
seeking CIOB membership
Managers at Sellafield Ltd are actively encouraging
staff to become CIOB members. The management
board values the high professional standards the
CIOB promotes and has promised to give employees
all the assistance they need to become chartered.
Following the CIOB’s Into-Membership and
Training Partnership event at the Sellafield visitor
centre, the Institute invited all interested employees
to go through a job evaluation and development
programme.
Sellafield Ltd is responsible for safely delivering
decommissioning, reprocessing, nuclear waste
management and fuel manufacturing activities
across sites in Cumbria and Cheshire.
Hilary Brown, CIOB special projects manager, who
ran the recent event, said: “Our professional
qualifications should be of real interest for anyone
wanting a successful career in the built environment.
“It’s important in a competitive marketplace to
Students capture college rebuild for posterity
Architect’s drawing of the finished project
A fascinating record of a construction project as
it grows has been created by students at South
Cheshire College. The £58.5m rebuild – which
replaces the existing buildings with a new, fully
integrated structure within the college grounds
– has been captured in a time lapse video of the
construction work using images caught on the
students’ project webcam.
Visiting the site, members of the Cheshire
Centre heard that seven blocks will be linked by
a three-storey, curved glazed “street”.
Demolition material has been re-used
(including recycling the annex teaching
buildings to form the piling mat), topsoil has
been stored for later use and construction
p62-63SJW.indd 63
stand out from the crowd and show that you are
qualified, experienced and at the very top of your
chosen discipline. That’s what membership of the
CIOB stands for in the UK and internationally.”
Brown also pointed out that employees are more
likely to earn more with a professional qualification.
The Institute has now added the Chartered
Environmentalist designation, which is becoming
sought after by those who want greater recognition
in the field of sustainability.
“Most people know that we have over 44,000
members, but we also have the most diverse
membership of any of the professional bodies in this
sector, which represents our industry’s integrated
team vision,” concluded Brown.
For further information please contact Hazel Yorke,
North West Branch Manager, by email:
hyorke@ciob.org.uk
waste is being sorted and recycled. The new
building encircles a protected copse. This will
be surrounded by a moat that will provide
attenuation for surface water drainage.
BAM project manager Mark Ferrie explained
that he formulated the initial programme
himself, concentrating on concrete frame areas
and then plant rooms, before staggering the
blocks to ensure resource levels can be managed
and quality controlled. The perimeter of the
building has a variety of facade treatments
including brickwork, polished blockwork, render,
zinc, curtain wall and glazed curtain walling.
The Cheshire Centre has been invited back to
see the completed building.
Contact | November 09 63
Region in focus
In the Chair
Tim Cheshire, Chair,
North West Branch
When did you become a CIOB member?
I joined the CIOB in 1984 and became a
corporate member in 1998. I have
been involved with the Greater
Manchester Centre for 14 years prior to
becoming North West Chair.
What has the CIOB given you?
Ultimate professionalism and standing
within the construction industry.
Whatever role I have had, it offers
representation on projects and the
opportunity to work with valued
colleagues.
What do you hope to give back in your
role as chair?
I am working with members, students
and young people to develop their
experience and professional standing.
Talking to young people in the industry
I hope to raise awareness of the CIOB
and the fact it can help them in their
daily working life. It can feel very
lonely when you first start out in the
industry but I try to reassure them
that they’re not alone and that CIOB
membership brings with it a wealth of
experience, at national and local level,
to aid their professional development.
What represents the best construction
management in the North West?
The best construction management
fulfils the three key performance
indicators: time, quality and cost.
It is about working with people, at
whatever level, to achieve projects
delivered on time, within budget and
of a high quality.
What are the key challenges facing
the region?
I feel that ultimate client satisfaction
is the major challenge and always
has been. Ensuring projects are
delivered in the right way, with built-in
efficiencies, and are client-driven and
customer focused.
Tim can be contacted on: 07788 567649 or
email: cheshiret@manchesterfire.gov.uk
02/11/2009 10:17
64 Contact | November 09 Irish students win a
Regional news Pisa the action
Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT)
students have been given financial
support towards a European study visit
to Pisa in Italy from the CIOB in Ireland’s
Eastern Centre.
The Centre awarded €400 for the
best student project, identified by a
DIT panel, which paid for the winning
students’ trip. The visit enabled
students to learn the principles of
building conservation in another
EU country.
The second-year construction
YORKSHIRE BRANCH management degree students carried

Face to face with a nuclear warhead

writer
Steven Farrow
A small bungalow by the North Sea houses a
secret: a Cold War bunker 100ft below ground,
which includes a hospital, cinema, training schools,
canteen, computer room and dormitories within
10ft-thick walls. The Brezhnev era seems a distant
memory now, but the bunker at RAF Holmpton near
Withernsea was eerily convincing when members of
the Hull Centre visited it.
The bunker was built during the Cold War in the
1950s as an Early Warning Radar Station which
could withstand a nuclear explosion. It is estimated
that, in an attack, one could survive within it for
about two weeks.
The bunker has been gradually improved as a
visitor attraction over the years and investment in
the site is running at just over £1.75m. It is a 10-
year project, due for completion by 2012, which
will need a final, estimated budget of around £2m.  conditioning and water heating system has been
During the tour the Centre visited the weapons of
mass destruction gallery and came face to face with
a real (decommissioned) nuclear warhead. There
is a main plant room, which demonstrates how the
machinery would run in the event of an attack.
One room, full of original equipment, was the
last operations area in the UK used by the Royal
Observer Corps. There is also a 1970s radar
operations centre from where the original radar
station at Holmpton would have been controlled
along with the only remaining example of a radar
projection (PDU) table in the world today.
From an environmental perspective, RAF
Holmpton stores more than 55,000 gallons
of rainwater, which is used for land maintenance
and vehicle washing among other things. In
2007 the entire site was fitted with energy
efficient lighting and also has a new power supply
system, which replaces the original high-voltage
substation with a new, low-voltage supply.  A full report, including the survey, is available
In the 1950s the radar station drew up to 1MW
from the national grid and even in 2003 the
station might at any time draw up to 300Kva.
A new energy-efficient central heating, air
installed, so even if everything in the building was
turned on at full power at the same time,
the maximum call on the national grid would
only be 42Kva.
For more information please visit:
www.rafholmpton.co.uk
out an onsite survey at Pisa and were
able to see first hand the history of
building conservation going back almost
800 years. Specific buildings gave the
students an insight into restoration
techniques and the differing methods of
construction used during their lifespan.
The students carried out a survey of the
elevation of the building using laser and
image techniques, producing a full set of
3D CAD drawings.
The data for the survey, in the form
of laser scans, photographs and CAD
surveys of the historic structures, was
downloaded from CyArk’s website
(http://archive.cyark.org/). CyArk, a non-
profit entity, digitally preserves cultural
heritage sites through the collection,
archiving and provision of open access
to data created by laser scanning, digital
modeling, and other state-of-the-art
technologies.
The students’ finished survey has
also been submitted to the CyArk site.
at: www.ciob.org.uk/regions/branch/2/news

Kent celebrates 175 years in style

CIOB President Professor Li
Shirong FCIOB and Vice President
Alan Crane CBE FCIOB were the
principal guests as the Kent
Centre celebrated 175 years of
the Institute at its annual dinner
at Leeds Castle.
The event was held in September
in the Fairfax Hall, which dates back
to 1680. Its terrace overlooks the
castle and provided a stunning
backdrop for the evening.
Comedian and sports mimic
Aaron James entertained guests at
the event. As well as Li Shirong and
Alan Crane, guests included
representatives from some of
Kent’s chartered building
consultancies and companies,
lecturers from a variety of Kent
colleges, CPD providers and South
East Branch officers.
The Kent Centre committee is already
planning the 2010 Dinner. If you have any
comments or would like to secure places
at the event, contact Beverley Lawrence,
Centre administrator, by telephone:
08450 706099 or
email: blawrence@ciob.org.uk

p64-65SJW.indd 64 02/11/2009 09:59

 News in Brief Contact | November 09
Regional news
65

Latham’s legacy
Tony Clarke from Conica Consulting
enlightened members of the East
Midlands Branch on contractual
awareness at a seminar on 8 September.
He gave a brief insight into the history
of construction contracts and the impact
of Lord Latham’s influential 1990s
report Rethinking Construction on
their evolution, in particular the JCT 05
and NEC3. His presentation notes are
available online at: www.ciob.org.uk/
news/view/2220
175TH ANNIVERSARY
The way it was then
Thames Valley Centre members saw
a different approach to procurement
when they visited Blenheim Palace
CIOB Scotland urges united
on 12 September. Member Roy Eyles
commented: “We learnt that a grateful
nation, after defeating the French at
front to lobby government
various battles including Blenheim,
paid for the construction of the palace.
The designer/architect had no concerns
about cost and spent many hundreds Construction industry leaders and institutes Central Scotland and minister for housing and
of thousands of pounds, building and must speak with a single voice to increase their communities, outlined the spending plans and
rebuilding this spectacular palace for all influence with politicians and public sector innovative ways in which the Scottish government
of us to now enjoy.”
clients, the CIOB has urged. The call came at was trying to bring forward projects, despite
Ruby Ball makes Wessex a dinner at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, difficulties with funding.
party a double organised by Scotland branch to celebrate the “The Scottish government is keenly aware of
The Wessex Centre celebrated its 175th anniversary of the founding of the CIOB. the impact of the recession on the hard-pressed
40th birthday together with the
The event was well attended by various construction sector, and is working hard to help
175th anniversary of the CIOB on 19
September. At the first social dinner captains of industry, representatives from where it can,” he said. 
dance enjoyed by the Centre for many client bodies, fellow professional institutes and Neil said the government had brought
years, 90 members and guests enjoyed members of the CIOB. forward capital expenditure from future years
a meal at the Holiday Inn, Taunton, and
then danced it all off to numbers from
Rob Leslie, branch chair, welcomed the to help sustain investment in infrastructure and
covers band Thick as Thieves. guests and gave a brief history of the housing. Public sector infrastructure investment
Table magician Malcolm Lown also CIOB before issuing a rallying cry for senior in Scotland is at record levels, with £3.8bn being
entertained guests and photographer figures to get involved if they wanted to see spent this year alone on transport, schools and
Trevor Barrett captured the evening
in pictures.
improvements in the industry. Leslie said: “The hospitals. 
gathering of 50 guests and CIOB members “At the heart of our plans to assist in
Hampshire membership represents a significant proportion of Scotland’s the recovery of both the economy and the
workshops construction industry. construction sector is our investment of £1.5bn
The Hampshire Centre and Chris “Construction leaders must collaborate over three years to support increasing the supply
Westacott are holding four sessions
early next year to help local members
with other key industry institutes to speak of affordable homes,” added Neil. “This will provide
to progress their membership and with a united voice advising politicians and a substantial boost to the housebuilding sector by
qualifications. Workshops on PR, public sector clients how we can all bring supporting construction activity and employment.” 
EPA, Fellowship and Chartered about improvements within the industry The number of affordable houses completed
Environmentalist status will be held
on 26 and 27 January at the which will, in turn, eliminate some of the waste in Scotland last year reached an eight-year high
Southampton Rose Bowl. and duplication we see, particularly in the with 6,221 houses for rent and low-cost home
For further information contact Paula procurement process.” ownership completed in 2008-09, the highest
Hazell, Hampshire Centre administrator, Alan Crane, CIOB vice president, commented annual figure in eight years, he concluded.
by telephone: 0845 0706095, email:
phazell@ciob.org.uk or online: www.ciob.org. on his time in the industry and discussed how The evening demonstrated that the CIOB can
uk/regions/hampshire/events we should be engaging with the politicians, play a vital role in bringing together senior industry
instead of letting them make unilateral decisions representatives and politicians to help create a
London Anniversary that affect us. greater understanding of each other’s relative
meeting After the dinner, Alex Neil MSP, Member for positions to improve our industry.
The London Branch Anniversary
Event will take place on 8 December
at the Robert Perks Room, Central Hall,
Westminster. John Armitt CBE, chairman Cardiff stadium
of the Olympic Delivery Authority,
is the speaker. scores a winner
For more information or to book your place
contact Danielle Baker by telephone: 01322 Cardiff Centre visited Cardiff City FC’s new £42m
668260 or email: dbaker@ciob.org.uk. stadium, which will also host Cardiff Blues rugby
team games, on 29 September. Paul Norman,
Laing O’Rourke project leader, gave a detailed
account of the project, explaining how value
engineering and close client liaison ensured
the facility was delivered on time, within budget
and to the necessary quality.

p64-65SJW.indd 65 02/11/2009 09:59

66 Contact | November 09
Education and careers

Meet a member
Rebecca Boam
Events chair, Novus
NOVUS East Midlands

There’s never been a better time to

What was your first experience
of the CIOB?
I was introduced to the CIOB when

make the most of membership

WRITERS
Stefan Eriksson MCIOB
vice chair, CIOB Novus London
Times are tough, but that makes professional
membership more important than ever. If you are
one of the CIOB’s students whose free membership
is coming to an end, becoming MCIOB should be top
of your agenda if you have recently embarked on a
career in construction. Upgrading your membership
is not a complicated process and not as daunting as
you may think.
As the Institute celebrates its 175th anniversary,
today’s student members are the future of the
next 175 years. Becoming a full member of the
CIOB shows that you are committed to your career
and gives you a voice in the industry. Many of our
branches now have specific Novus groups, which help
you to get involved in many of the branch activities
and provide invaluable networking opportunities
through social events and CPD.
Your membership is what you make of it; the more
active you are the more benefit you will receive. The
London Branch of Novus is always looking for new
members and particularly welcomes recruits to its
active education sub to offer help and support to
other students, ACIOB and ICIOB members.
Membership of the CIOB puts you on a path of
career advancement that leads to the very top of the
profession. Progress is made through a combination
I completed my Masters degree in
construction management in 2003.
I had secured a position on a three-
year tri-partner training programme
as a graduate engineer with Morrison
Construction. The aim of the scheme
was to work for a host company and to
rotate with other graduates working
for the client and then the consultant,
while gaining professional membership
to a relevant organisation.
How has your career progressed since
What is Novus? that first encounter?
The CIOB created Novus provides I decided to join the CIOB while my
Novus to look after the networking peers worked towards ICE membership.
interests of members, opportunities and I took the Professional Development
primarily those who are support for members. It Programme (PDP) route to Professional
Review, which I sat in July this year. I
new to the construction also offers assistance
am now a design manager for Bowmer
industry, such as to those wishing
university students and to progress their
& Kirkland and work on projects all
over the UK. In the past six years I
graduates. membership status. have worked in canal regeneration,
healthcare, prisons, education, and the
of study, examination and experience, culminating commercial sector.
in the award of corporate membership and the
designation MCIOB. Which are the career achievements you
are most proud of?
There are several routes to membership, depending Over the last five years I have been
on your level of education and work experience. If you involved in the CITB Construction
are uncertain which is the best route for you visit the Ambassador programme, including
CIOB’s website (www.ciob.org.uk). You will find plenty numerous events with young people
hoping to inspire others to consider
of information on the most efficient way of working careers in construction and to raise the
towards a full membership status, depending on your profile of women in the Industry. In
specific needs and circumstances. You will also find 2007 I was voted one of Construction
News’s Future Leaders of the Industry
further information about Novus, future events and
and was a finalist in the Atkins
its committee members. Inspire Awards “future star” category,
recognising the contributions of
For full details of our events please women in the built environment. I was
later short-listed as a finalist in the
visit: www.ciob.org.uk/regions
science and technology category in the
novuslondon/events Women of Future Awards.

How are you involved with Novus?

I recently joined the East Midlands CIOB
Forthcoming LONDON NOVUS
Membership Workshop
EAST MIDLANDS NOVUS
Friday Night Out with Novus
Novus committee where I am chair of
events. One of my key concerns is to
Novus events Date: 24 November Date: 20 November ensure we continue to engage and
Venue: UCL Venue: Crowne Plaza, Nottingham enthuse young professionals through
NOVUS IN HAMPSHIRE Cost: Free Contact: Kiren Gill Novus events. The group is not only
Leadership and Teamwork Contact: Marie Elliott Email: kgill@ciob.org.uk a way to meet and share experiences
Date: 26 November Email: melliott@ciob.org.uk Tel: 0845 070 6131 with other young CIOB members;
Contact: Jamie Barrett Tel: 0845 070 6104 it is a vehicle to raise the profile of
Email: jamie.barrett@evolution5.ltd.uk Student Information Evening construction and develop its members
Tel: 07931484188. Student Challenge 2010 Date: 2 February through CPD activities and key speaker
Date: 26 January Venue: Loughborough University events. A huge variety of young talent
Christmas Party Venue: London South Bank University Cost: Free exists within our region and NOVUS
Date: 10 December Contact: Marie Elliott Contact: Tessa Rock promotes those people and welcomes
Contact: Jamie Barrett Email: melliott@ciob.org.uk Email: trock@ciob.org.uk new members.
Email: jamie.barrett@evolution5.ltd.uk Tel: 0845 070 6104 Tel: 0845 070 6153
Tel: 07931484188.

p66-67SJW.indd 66 02/11/2009 10:19

 Is there light at the Contact | November 09
Education and careers
67

end of the tunnel?

Lynne Crowe, regional manager at Hays
Construction, reviews the opportunities
for employers and those seeking a
career move in the current market.
There are signs of stability returning
to the construction marketplace, with
the public sector still holding up well,
continuing refurbishment work and a
slowing in the rate of salary decline.
Despite the difficulties of the past 12
months, and contracts typically getting
shorter, there is still some recruitment
activity, as evidenced by the slight SCHOLARSHIPS

When money’s too

increase in the demand for trades and A scholarship helped Luke
labour expertise across the UK.
Smith visit Hanoi
With so many experienced site

tight to mention
staff available employers can be more
specific in terms of the technical criteria
they require. Organisations can hire site
managers, tradesmen and labourers on
a temporary basis to meet their needs,
for example.
The public sector continues to
prove resilient and there are several of
long-term opportunities for managers,
particularly in the education and health
sectors, which have benefited from
continued government investment. It’s an age-old worry for students – money. Often country’s first green building assessment tool and
Notable examples include the enough the problem is finding enough to pay the experienced first-hand the importance of low-carbon
Building Schools for the Future (BSF)
programme, Decent Homes and NHS
rent and buy a book or two, but it can also be about building. I am now looking forward to my final year of
hospital renovation work. funding that special project which will get you a head studies and applying the knowledge I have gained in
Although the private sector has start to your career in construction. Vietnam to my final design project. "
scaled back commercial new build The CIOB Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Fund The closing date for 2010 Queen Elizabeth II
activity, refurbishment projects
continue to come forward, often as
Scholarship aims to help students at a critical stage of Jubilee Scholarship applications is 31 March 2010.
a result of companies reconsidering their degree, providing financial support during their Applications are considered by the Queen Elizabeth
moves to new office buildings and final year. Students should be CIOB members when II Jubilee Fund Scholarship Committee, which may
instead looking at redeveloping existing they apply for their scholarship. interview candidates. The value of individual awards
premises. The high-end residential
market has also created opportunities Luke Smith, studying architectural technology at will vary according to the circumstances.
for companies with a healthy cash flow the University of Central Lancashire, said: “My CIOB
who are able to pick up discounted scholarship helped to fund my voluntary eight-week For more information telephone: 01344 630730,
properties and inject funds into internship with the Vietnamese Green Building email: scholarship@ciob.org.uk or visit:
upgrading them, which they will be able
to resell when property values increase. Council (VGBC) in Hanoi. I worked on developing the www.ciob.org.ukevents/jubileefund
So what are employers looking for?
A key requirement is the Construction A scholarship could be your ticket to ride
Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card,
an extremely important accreditation Is there something the industry’s future construction process. Scholarships are
given the health and safety regulations fascinating you that leaders the CIOB offers Through the available to individuals
that contractors need to abide by. you’d love to research a range of scholarships management and who show the potential
Experienced site managers with a if only you had the supporting students, development of these to succeed in the
proven track record in civil engineering, money? Want to expand graduates, academics scholarships, the construction industry.
social housing and social renewal/ your knowledge and practitioners. The Institute leads the way To apply for a
regeneration are also in demand. and experience of scholarships, prizes and in promoting educational scholarship or for further
Membership of professional institutes,
construction overseas? Or bursaries include awards standards and helping information visit: www.
such as the CIOB, demonstrates that
you are knowledgeable and competent simply struggling to pay for research, travel, students, academics ciob.org.uk/events or
in your field with a commitment to your course fees? course fees and projects and practitioners to email Dr Sarah Peace:
continuing professional development. To promote and reward covering the whole exceed them. speace@ciob.org.uk
Organisations still want to hire the
most talented individuals and good
opportunities remain to work on a
variety of private and public sector
projects. But expectations have also
Institute adds 30 more names to its ranks
risen and in some cases roles have been Vice President Alan Crane CBE FCIOB presented newly- Brooks, David Redfern, Nicholas Jose, Phillip Beaumont,
merged to generate cost efficiencies as elected Fellows and Members with their certificates at a Garry Davis, Thomas Reeves, Richard Saunders, Philip
budgets have come under scrutiny.
Hays Construction is the only recruitment presentation ceremony on 17 September at Englemere, Long, Matthew Mott, Matt Sidwell, Christopher Goode
consultancy endorsed by the CIOB. To find the CIOB’s headquarters. Bridget Boreham, CIOB chief and Michael Fussell.
out more about current opportunities visit operating officer, also officiated at the event. Paul Lennon MCIOB of Bailey Garner (Health and
www.hays.com/construction or contact Congratulations to: Robin Sandall, John Hales, Safety) Ltd was also there to receive his training
Lynne Crowe on 020 7259 8761.
Frances Austen, Gary Reay, Martin Brennan, David partnership and chartered building consultancy
Ballan, Steven Liddle, Peter Baker, Daniel Corley, Justin certificate.
Price, Irfon Jones, Mohammed Alkhateeb, Iain Scorgie,
Darren Harrisson, Wayne Nennstiel, Alan Hepburn, For details of future ceremonies please contact
David Phillips, Darren O’Regan, Jonathan Sweeney Wendy Hewlett by email: whewlett@ciob.org.uk.

p66-67SJW.indd 67 02/11/2009 10:19

68 Contact | November 09
Member benefits
Speaking Frankly …
Practical advice on financial
and employment matters
from Frank MacDonald,
Secretary of the CIOB
Benevolent Fund
Q: I am considering some short-term,
skills-based training. Can the CIOB
Benevolent Fund help?
A: While the fund does not generally
help with formal/academic educational
costs, it can sometimes help with the
expense of short-term training. This is
intended primarily to support members
where the training is vocational in
nature and participation might help to
improve employment prospects.
During the economic downturn
members are taking every opportunity
to update and improve their skills base,
particularly following redundancy
or other spells of unemployment.
Subject to an assessment of individual
circumstances and means the
Benevolent Fund may be able to offer
some financial contribution towards
the costs of short-term, skills-based
training. Typically, these courses might
be on health and safety or workplace
first aid.
The advice offered here is of a
general nature. If you have a specific
query and would like a personal
response, please contact Frank
MacDonald at the address below.
What the CIOB Benevolent Fund offers
Financial assistance: Depending on
individual circumstances, the CIOB
Benevolent Fund can help families
in situations of financial hardship.
While it cannot assist with paying
debts, it can sometimes help members
and their families with day-to-day
household costs.
Confidential advice: Whether members
are seeking practical advice on
employment matters, housing issues
or the consequences of ill health or
early retirement, confidential advice
and support is available.
Information & guidance: Fresh Start is
a detailed practical guide for members
of the CIOB who are coping with
the consequences of redundancy or
unemployment. The publication is
available in pdf format at www.ciob.
org.uk/resources/benevolent or as a
printed copy through Frank MacDonald.
For information or advice, please contact
Frank MacDonald on 01344 630780 or
email fmacdonald@ciob.org.uk
p68-69SJW.indd 14
TRAINING
Two-day course gives a good
grounding in earthworks
Earthworks are key to most construction projects. If
they are well designed and built they remain largely
unseen and unsung, but a bad job will damage the
whole project – causing delays, adding cost, and often
require complex and expensive remedial works.
Thomas Telford has created a two-day course
designed to give professionals a comprehensive
understanding of how to design and deliver
successful earthwork projects. The course addresses
the three key areas of earthworks in practice:
The ground – How to investigate, quantify and
understand its current and future behaviour.
The design – How to specify and design the key
components of an earthworks project
The construction – The theory and reality of
compaction and placement of earth fill.
The course will also cover impaction technology,
geotechnics for earthworks, interpreting geotechnical
data, design of earthworks, soil stabilisation, special
soils, as well as offering an update on legislation and
codes of practice.
The successful delivery of earthworks requires a
clear understanding of a wide range of contributing
factors, including soil behaviour, compaction and
placement processes, design standards, and the
practical limitations of the material to meet the
design challenge.
Day one focuses on defining what information
is needed to enable the design to be carried out.
It considers the soil and soil behaviour and how to
specify a site investigation to ensure that the correct
information is obtained and the soil parameters
defined to classify the soil and specify the design.
Practical sessions will deal with how to specify
an investigation and understanding the advantages
Member Benefits
CIOB AND CRONER CIOB AND GLENIGAN
Health and Safety Products Contract leads and market
0845 450 1306 intelligence
www.croner.co.uk/ciob 0800 373 771
www.glenigan.com/ciob
and limitations of the various tests which can be
carried out.
Day two focuses on the design of earthworks
using the Highways Agency specification and various
methods of placement and control for an earthworks
project. It also considers some of the UK’s more
challenging soils as well as soil improvement methods
available to modify and improve the performance
of natural soils. Each session will include a practical
exercise and discussion session.
The tutor is a chartered geologist with more than
30 years’ experience in the geotechnical industry. He
has carried out the design, planning and monitoring
of earthworks schemes throughout the UK and has
extensive first hand knowledge of laboratory and
field testing methods, including design and testing
for stabilised soils. He is also technical director of a
specialist geotechnical consultancy.
This course is aimed at those designing,
constructing or managing earthworks projects; civil
and structural engineers, geotechnical engineers,
geologists and engineering geologists, project
engineers and managers and site-based engineers.
It will give you the ability to design, monitor and
construct earthworks and incorporate current
thinking and best practice into your projects.
The course costs £440 plus VAT for two days, and
will run on the following dates: 15-16 December and
21-22 April 2010 in Birmingham; and 9-10 February
2010 in London.
For more information please telephone:
020 7665 2468, fax: 020 7538 0539,
email: training@thomastelford.com or visit:
www.tttrain.co.uk
CIOB APPOINTMENTS AT HAYS CIOB HILL INTERNATIONAL
CONSTRUCTION MASTERCLASSES
Recruitment and career advice Hill International and CIOB’s
for employers and employees. Masterclass training series
Tel: 0800 716026 0207 089 7021
www.hays.com www.hillintluk.com
02/11/2009 10:25
 Contact | November 09 69
Member benefits

Contacts
General
Main CIOB telephone number
+44 (0)1344 630700
Chief Executive’s Office:
Chief Executive
HOME INSURANCE MASTERCLASS Chris Blythe 01344 630701

Save 10% on your Masterclass takes

PA to Chief Executive
Claudine Herbert 01344 630707
Member Services
Customer Services Manager

home insurance on the recession 01344 630852

Hiscox specialises in the home insurance needs
of professional people, and its policy covers most
eventualities with the few exclusions listed clearly.
• Unlike 80% of standard home insurance policies,
Hiscox includes cover for your belongings if they
are accidentally damaged or lost – as standard
(source: Defaqto, 12 August 2009).
• Comprehensive buildings and contents insurance
including garden furniture and bikes.
• Efficient claims service with knowledgeable
UK-based staff. No forms and some claims paid
within 24 hours.
• Accidental damage cover for buildings and contents
as standard.
• Worldwide cover as standard for theft, loss and
damage of your possessions when you take them
temporarily away from home.
• 10% discount for CIOB members on Hiscox
standard rates.
How Hiscox compares
505 Home
and Contents
Accidental damage cover for
building and contents as standard ✓ ✗
Worldwide cover for your
possessions as standard, when
temporarily away from home
✓ ✗
24-hour home emergency cover
as standard ✓ ✗
No need to list individual items
valued over £2,000 for them to ✓ ✓
be covered
Information sourced from defaqto on 29 July 2009
Preferential rate for CIOB members
Information sourced from
Defaqto on 29th July 2009
Change of Address
01344 630873/630789/630731
Direct Debit Enquiries
01344 630831
The latest in the acclaimed CIOB/Hill International Membership Certificates
01344 630752
Masterclass series comes to Dublin on 24 November. Membership Enquiries/ Progression
The event will tackle issues associated with the 01344 630706
Subs Enquiries (Members) 01344 630831
recession and offer advice on how to successfully
Training Partnerships 01344 630720
manage disputes and their resolution. Certificate Ceremonies/ SMTS Enquiries
For almost a decade, the Masterclass has 01344 630785
Experienced Practitioner Assessed
established a proven record of providing focused CPD Programme (EPA) 01344 630721
and education for construction managers. Experienced Practitioner Assessed
Report Route (EPAR)
“Hill International and the CIOB have been 01344 630721
successfully running Masterclasses for nine years,” Benevolent Fund 01344 630780
said Stuart Wilks of Hill International. “However, these Professional Development
01344 630716
are the first to focus on the current economic climate Library Enquiries 01344 630873/737/741
in our region. The Masterclass enables delegates to Education Manager 01344 630822
Adjudication and Dispute Resolution
learn how to deal with project suspensions, disputes 01344 630732
and other issues while offering invaluable networking Faculty of Architecture and Surveying
Manager 01344 630798
opportunities and support.” It also qualifies for 14
Chartered Building Company /
hours of CPD. Consultancy Scheme
Described by previous delegates as “the best Chartered Building Scheme Manager
01344 630746
course I have attended” and “perfectly organised”, the Administrator 01344 630743
Masterclass provides the ideal opportunity to meet
Publications
Direct Line Halifax LV= More TH>N experts and industry colleagues, learn what the law Construction Books Direct 01344 630810
Home Home Home Home
Insurance Insurance Insurance Insurance
looks for in dispute resolution, and find out how to Magazine subscriptions (non-members)
save money by avoiding costly disputes and legal fees. 01344 630811
✗ ✗ ✗
Construction Information Quarterly (CIQ)
Subscriptions 01344 630811
✗ ✗ ✗ For more information visit: www.hillintluk.com/ Construction Manager 020 7490 5636
Contact 01344 630700
✗ ✗ ✓ masterclass or contact Stuart Wilks on
+44 (0)20 7089 7021 or at stuartwilks@hillintl.com. Policy and External Relations
✗ ✗ ✗ Deputy Chief Executive 01344 630702
Press Officer 01344 630766
Web Site Enquiries 01344 630768
Marketing Manager 01344 630765

Visit www.hiscox.co.uk/ciob for a quote or call Hiscox Events

on: 0845 365 1289 quoting 'Contact November’. CMYA/Guildhall Dinner 01344 630802
Englemere Room Bookings, Conferences
The 10% saving offer only applies to Hiscox 505 home insurance available via the
specific telephone number and website. Cases that do not meet Hiscox’s underwriting
and Business Meetings 01344 630825
criteria may be referred to a Hiscox recommended specialist insurance broker, where Weddings and Receptions 01344 630815
this offer will not apply. Policies are underwritten by Hiscox Underwriting Ltd on
behalf of Hiscox Insurance Company Ltd both of which are authorised and regulated
by the Financial Services Authority. This is not an endorsement of Hiscox home
CIOB International
insurance products by the CIOB and the CIOB is not suggesting that this product is CIOB Africa +27 11 234 7877
suitable for your personal circumstances. Reference to standard policies is based on CIOB Australasia +61 (2) 9638 4977
a typical level of non-high net worth cover as defined by the financial products rating
agency DefaqtoMedia Limited. For UK residents only.
CIOB China +86 10 6528 1070
CIOB Hong Kong +852 2543 6369
CIOB Malaysia (603) 6411 3754
CIOB Singapore + 65 6334 4116

The views expressed in Contact are not

necessarily those of the editor or the CIOB.
SITEWIZARD CIOB HOME INSURANCE CIOB TRAINING CIOB INSURANCE SERVICES The editor reserves the right to edit any article
Website design Home insurance for CPD-approved courses All forms of insurance. submitted for publishing. Printed on paper
Tel: 08450 608860 (quote professional people. Tel: 020 7665 2432 Tel: 0845 305 8390 produced from a sustainable source.
WIZ1272) Tel: 0845 365 1289 www.thomastelford.com www.ciobinsuranceservices.co.uk
www.sitewizard.co.uk www.hiscox.co.uk/ciob

p68-69SJW.indd 15 02/11/2009 10:25

70 Contact | November 09
Publications
NEW RELEASE
Fourth edition is still essential reading
Effective management is the key to a
successful project, whatever its size
or value. As construction is an industry
which produces many individual and
bespoke projects, it is arguably a leader
in project management approaches
and techniques.
The CIOB recognises this and
initiated a multi-institute task force
in 1991 to prepare a comprehensive
textbook on the best practice and
procedures involved in project
management.
The first edition of the Code of
Practice for Project Management was
released in 1992, followed by a second
edition in 1996 and a third in 2002.
Its global appeal was apparent and
the second and third editions were
translated into Chinese.
The fourth edition of this best-
selling book is due for release at the
end of this year.
The Chartered
Institute of Building
The Chartered Institute of Building
represents for the public benefit the
most diverse set of professionals in the
construction industry.
Our Mission:
To contribute to the creation of a
modern, progressive, and responsible
construction industry; able to meet the
economic, environmental and social
challenges faced in the 21st century.
p70_SJW.indd 1
Our seven guiding principles:
• Creating extraordinary people through
professional learning and continuous
personal development.
• Promoting the built environment
as central to the quality of life for
everyone everywhere.
• Achieving a sustainable future,
worldwide.
• Advocating exemplary ethical
practice and behaviour, integrity and
transparency.
• Pursuing excellence in management
practice, and technological innovation
rooted in evidence based science.
With strong emphasis on the
assessment and management of
risk, 32 appendices (12 new for this
edition) and fully updated content
on e-procurement and other cutting-
edge disciplines, this is a key reference
text for clients, contractors and
professionals, irrespective of the size
of project.
This latest edition reflects the
challenges faced by the industry today
and the revised material, additional
diagrams and thorough appendices
are all testament to this. It really is the
latest thinking and guidance in this
field to help those who are striving to
achieve excellence.
Pre-order your copy before
5 January to pay just £44.99 (RRP
£49.99), with free UK p&p. visit:
www.constructionbooksdirect.com or
telephone: 01344 630 810.
• Being socially responsible and working
reasponsibly.
• Enabling our members to find an
emotional resonance with the
Institute; their success is our success.
We have over 40,000 members
around the world and are considered
to be the international voice of the
building professional, representing
an unequalled body of knowledge
concerning the management of the
total building process.
Top 10 books
What customers are
buying this month from
Construction Books Direct
1 JCT Minor Works Building
Contract: Revision 2 2009
2 CIOB Mini Form of Contract
(Home Improvement Agencies)
pack of 15
3
JCT (IC) Intermediate Building
Contract: Revision 2 2009
4 Spon’s Architects’ and Builders’
Price Book 2010
5 Introduction to Health and
Safety at Work 4th Edition
6 CIOB Facilities Management
Contract: Revised Jan 2008
7
Introduction to Health and Safety
in Construction – 3rd Edition
8 JCT (DB)Design and Build
Contract: Revision 2 2009
9 Modern Construction
Management – 6th Edition
10 Construction Technology:
Analysis and Choice
Buy all of these titles and more from
www.constructionbooksdirect.com
or telephone: 01344 630810.
To find out more about the benefits of either
individual CIOB membership or Chartered
Building Company and Chartered Building
Consultancy schemes (CBCs), go to our
website www.ciob.org.uk; or call us on
+44 (0)1344 630700 today.
02/11/2009 10:27
 Recruitment
CONSTRUCTION
MANAGER RECRUITMENT
ADVERTISING RATES
Full page £4160
CONTACT
Ian Christensen
NET AVERAGE
CIRCULATION
Atom Publishing Half page £2080 T: +44 (0)20 7490 5638
45-47 Clerkenwell Green Quarter page £1040 E: ian@atompublishing.co.uk 33,438*
London EC1R 0EB Eighth page £520 Martin Sinclair
*Audit period 1st July 2008 - 30th June 2009
T: +44 (0)20 7490 5644 Single column centimetre £40 T: +44 (0)20 7490 5661
F: +44 (0)20 7490 4957 For colour rates add 20% E: martin@atompublishing.co.uk

To reserve your space in the January 2010 issue please call +44 (0)207 490 5638. Copy deadline Tuesday 15th December.

Business Development / Sales Executive Kent/London c£40k + Pkge
Our client’s core business includes major construction, special projects and interior and fitout
works. Sector coverage includes Education, Healthcare, Historic/Heritage. Project values range
from £500k to £30m. Working as part of a small focussed team of four people; strong written,
verbal and presentation skills; help to identify growth opportunities in core market and other
sectors, increase business and tender opportunities; responsible for PQQ’s and target, develop
and meet clients including, Crown Estates, Universities and Heritage organisations
Ref: 5175
Operations Manager Essex £90-100k + Pkge
Our client is a leading social housing contractor wishing to appoint an Operations Manager to
manage a £15m regeneration contract. Role; oversee regeneration and decent homes proj-
ects from tender submission, PQQ through to delivery and handover; oversee the construction
teams within your control to ensure that they function efficiently and correctly; ensure project
delivery times are met; Good working knowledge of social housing partnering contracts, PPC
2000 NEC Forms of Contract, JCT and other NEC forms of contract.
Ref: 5152
QS/Senior QS Essex c£40-50k + Pkge
Our client is a small sized social housing contractor, c£20m. Core sectors include new build, D&B
and Traditional, Sustainable Regeneration, Commercial, Special Works and M&E. They are now
seeking an experienced QS and/or a Senior Quantity Surveyor. The role will be a mixture of of-
fice and site based working, project values are c£4-5m, they have recently been awarded a £2.5m
scheme. This role may evolve into a more senior opportunity within six months to one year for
someone to manage the surveying team as the company enters a new phase of growth.
Ref: 5164
Contracts Manager Kent c£50k + Pkge
A major player in Kent is seeking a Contracts Manager with a main contracting background and
experience of commercial, education, healthcare, residential, new build, D&B and refurbishment
projects up to £5m. You will run two or three jobs c£1-3m. Ideally, you will be professionally
qualified with experience of running multiple contracts successfully including the site teams and
solving any technical issues that arise. You will need a proven track record, a stable career and
relevant sector experience.
Ref: 5172
Senior Site Manager/Contracts Manager Kent c£36-40k + Pkge
Our client specialises in fitout and refurbishment. They are a small successful and growing busi-
ness. Project values c£100k. Role includes; assisting the estimating team, devise the construction
programme, H&S plan, logistics and phasing plans, method statements & risk assessments; orga-
nise direct labour requirements and the appointment of sub-contractors; oversee site activities
and liaise with the clients.They are seeking a first class manager with main contracting experience
capable of running multiple sites.
Ref: 5176
Design Coordinator Kent £Neg. Rate
Our client is a successful general main contractor seeking a Design Coordinator capable of han-
dling jobs up to £5m.You will require relevant construction/site based experience or an architec-
tural/design based background. Undertaking tender and contracts coordination to achieve value
for the company and client, evaluating alternative methods of construction & value engineering.
You should enjoy providing design input with hands on site based responsibilities later on. Rel-
evant experience on planning and providing build ability solutions essential.
Ref: 5173

CASL 4x4.qxp 13/8/09 16:07 Page 1

Need a CSCS card

GAIN NVQ MANAGEMENT
QUALIFICATIONS
Tel: 01600 772011 BY USING YOUR EXPERIENCE
www.caslgroup.co.uk Need membership of the CIOB

Advertise your vacancies in Construction Manager and reach over

33,000 CIOB members.
For advertising information, deadlines and costs call
Ian on +44 (0) 207 490 5638

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 | 71

Recruitment Nov/Dec.indd 13 04/11/2009 10:52

 Recruitment To advertise your vacancies call Ian on +44 (0) 207 490 5638

Advertise your vacancies in

Construction Manager and reach over
33,000 CIOB members.

Director Designate – Building Surveying To reserve your space in the

Roughton, a successful and progressive multi-disciplinary consultancy, is January 2010 edition please call Ian on
seeking to recruit an experienced and highly motivated Chartered Building
Surveyor to actively manage and expand the Building Surveying +44 (0) 207 490 5638
Department. Proven commercial acumen, client focus and excellent
leadership skills are essential. The appointment, based at the company’s Final copy deadline
office in Victoria, will initially be at Associate level. Promotion to Director
and equity shareholder is expected following attainment of agreed goals. Friday 18th December
There is also a vacancy for a Senior Building Surveyor.

Please apply by emailing a full CV & covering letter including salary to:
surveyor@roughton.co.uk

72 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

Recruitment Nov/Dec.indd 14 04/11/2009 11:02

 Hill International (UK) London Team
participating in the 2008 Great River Race

Want to Join Our Team?

DIRECTORS & VICE PRESIDENTS – EXPERT SERVICES
Locations across UK, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific
Hill International understands and values the true meaning
of teamwork. Our formula is simple: we hire the best people,
understand our clients’ needs and objectives and take ownership
of each and every project with which we are involved. Hill
International offers world leading construction claims consulting
services globally and has advised on over 25,000 disputes
valued in excess of GBP £60 billion. Complemented by our
Projects Group which manages all phases of the construction
process and has participated in over 5,000 project assignments
with a total construction value of over GBP £150 billion, we offer
a unique and unparalleled opportunity for you to develop and
enhance your skills.
Why work for Hill International? We provide the flexibility for
you to take your career in the direction you wish. By enhancing
your reputation in the industry with our support and global
network of clients you will be fundamentally contributing to the
continued development of our business. We employ the largest
group of highly skilled, motivated professionals committed to
development and improvement; whether as peers or to assist
you further or to enhance Hill International’s delivery of a first
class professionally focused claims & litigation support service.
You will also benefit from a remuneration package equal to the
best that our competitors can offer and a personal fee earnings
related bonus structure pioneered by Hill International.

As part of our corporate strategy to provide the highest quality For more information on the above positions or indeed
claims and litigation support services to the construction, oil & any opportunities available within Hill International
gas and power industries, we are looking to complement our worldwide please contact our Director of Recruitment,
current team of Experts, Mediators, Adjudicators and Arbitrators Graeme Collie for an informal, confidential discussion on
with exceptional individuals to fulfil what we regard as strategic +44 (0)1642 79 66 12 or +44 (0)7515 629 120 or by E-mail at
roles in the Hill Claims Group who will have a considerable impact graemecollie@hillintl.com or visit our website for up to date,
on the future direction and prosperity of our business. Our aim detailed vacancy information at; www.hillintl.com
is to have at least one resident Expert to support the Regional
Directors in each of our 20 offices throughout the UK, Europe,
Middle East and Asia Pacific solely tasked with the enhancement
of our reputation to provide these services whether that be in
relation to Project Management, Delay or Quantum.

The people we are looking for should already be operating as

an Expert Witness, Mediator, Adjudicator or Arbitrator in their
own right whether as a sole entity, in partnership or as an
employee of a claims consultancy with qualifications, relevant
memberships and experience appropriate to an individual
operating at this level. Demonstrable experience of securing
instructions/work from lawyers or external clients in your own
right and appropriate references to this effect will be essential. +44 (0)1642 79 66 12

conStruction manager | november/december 2009 | 73

Recruitment Nov/Dec.indd 15 04/11/2009 10:52

 Back page
…extending your coffee break by
taking it above Manhattan?
That’s what we thought this Willmott
Dixon team had done until we realised
they had tricked us with their cunning
photo-fakery. The team was working
on a cancer research facility in Merthyr
Tydfil, Wales, when the Macmillan
Cancer Support charity asked them to
recreate “Lunch atop a Skyscraper”, the
famous 1932 photograph taken during
construction of the Rockefeller Center.
The charity wanted to use the image
...making building sites more like to promote its “World’s biggest coffee
an episode of CSI? morning” event.
If your site security uses a fingerprint “We never actually left Merthyr Tydfil,”
recognition system that struggles with said operations manager Ian Jones. “The
builders’ worn, cracked or dirty fingers, team sat on a beam a few feet off the
here’s a solution Horatio would be proud ground and computer trickery made it look
of. The National Physical Laboratory has like we were in New York.”
ranked a fingerprint reader developed by
researchers at Warwick University top for
accuracy because it can identify partial,
smudged, or even warped fingerprints.
The technology has been snapped up
by Data Collection Strategies, a security
control installer for the construction
industry, and is being used on six building
sites. Managing director Rodney Holland
said: “This is the first time I have seen a
biometrics system that works reliably with
the type of poor-quality fingerprints we
see routinely in the construction industry.”
…burying a time capsule beneath 80% of time capsules are forgotten
your building? about before they can be recovered. The
Loughborough contractor William Davis International Time Capsule Society –
has made its bid for posterity, burying based at Oglethorpe University, Georgia in
a capsule on its site for social landlord the US – has the following tips:
Trent & Dove Housing. ● Select a retrieval date.
Children from two nearby schools ● Select a safe container with a cool, dry,
sealed artefacts from 2009 in a capsule and dark interior.
due to be opened in 2059. ● Mark the capsule’s location with a
Nice idea, but sadly an estimated plaque describing its “mission”.
Editor Advertising manager Construction Manager
Elaine Knutt Martin Sinclair Published for the Chartered
Contributing editor +44 20 7490 5661 Institute of Building by
Stephen Cousins Production manager Atom Publishing
Peter Songi Clerkenwell House
Production editor 45/47 Clerkenwell Green
Lucien Howlett Publisher London EC1R 0EB
Art director Kathryn Gunn
Mark Bergin Advertising director
Tel: +44 20 7490 5595 Ian Christensen
Fax: +44 20 7490 4957 Managing director
firstname@atompublishing.co.uk Stephen Quirke
74 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
74_BackPage Edited LH.indd 74
Have you thought of…
....using a toy dancing robot to
find mobile phone reception on a
rural site?
That was the winning suggestion in
October’s contest to adopt Rocky, the
dancing yellow dumper truck that no site
should be without. Jane Hopwood MCIOB
and her colleagues at Cumbrian contractor
Thomas Armstrong often waste time
running round sites in the north west
trying to get decent mobile reception. But
once Rocky reports for duty, he can carry
the phone on his travels around the site.
If it rings – meaning he’s found reception
– Rocky will start to dance and flash his
lights. Hurrah!
Congratulations to Jane, and thanks also
to everyone else who entered.
● Include a mix of items from
the sublime to the trivial as
they will all have meaning in
the future.
● Conduct a solemn sealing
ceremony and formally
christen the time capsule.
The ITCS has set up a database
to register all known time capsules
for future generations.
Subscriptions Construction Managerl is published monthly by
Atom Publishing. The contents of this magazine
Katy Stoneham are copyright. Reproduction in part or in full is
forbidden without permission of the editor. The
Englemere Ltd. The White House, opinions expressed by writers of signed articles
Englemere, Kings Ride, Ascot, (even with pseudonyms) and letters appearing
in the magazine are those of their respective
Berkshire SL5 7TB authors, and neither the CIOB, Atom Publishing
kstoneham@englemere.co.uk nor Construction Manager is responsible for
these opinions or statements. The editor will
UK £69.00 Overseas £79.00 give careful consideration to material submitted
– articles, photographs, drawings and so on – but
does not undertake responsibility for damage
Circulation or their safe return. Printed by Headley Brothers
Ltd. Reprographics by F1 Colour. All rights in
Net average circulation 33,438 the magazine, including copyright, content
and design, are owned by CIOB and/or Atom
Audit Period: 1 July 2008– Publishing. ISSN 1360 3566
30 June 2009
03/11/2009 10:02
 Officially, we’re a more
Real Star responsible choice.
Wienerberger’s responsible approach is

Quality once again helping you. Our Warnham

range of bricks is the First in the brick
industry to gain BEs 6001 Accreditation
by the BRE for the responsible sourcing
of construction products. Which means
that we’re helping you gain additional
points and credits towards the Code for
Sustainable Homes.
Find out more on why our Sustainability
Star keeps rising – call 0845 303 2524.

For further information

visit www.brick.co.uk or
email: sustainability@wienerberger.co.uk

Untitled-1.indd 1
K3781_warnham_ad_RIBA_fullpage.indd 1 03/11/2009 16:46
24/9/09 16:03:45
 A Daimler Brand

A new Vito or Sprinter for less

than the cost of your weekly shop?

Vito from
£46.15
per week*

Sprinter from
£68.74
per week*

For further information on our great

finance deals call us on 0845 6024321
or visit mbvans.co.uk

Sprinter example based on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313CDI SWB, with 60 monthly payments of £297.89. Vito example based on a Mercedes-Benz Vito 109CDI Compact with 60 monthly payments of
£199.99. All examples FOR BUSINESS USERS ONLY: based on 12,000 miles per year on a Mercedes-Benz CharterWay Operating Lease and include delivery, plylining, reg and rfl. Written quotations available
on request. Credit provided subject to status. Available on stock vehicles (excluding Sprinter 2-series) registered by 31st December 2009, offer is subject to terms and conditions. Weekly terms for
illustration purposes only, monthly terms apply. Payments are subject to VAT. Vehicles must be supplied by a franchised Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles Dealer. Offer subject to availability.
Finance provided by Mercedes-Benz CharterWay. Mercedes-Benz CharterWay is a brand of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services UK Limited MK7 8ND.

Untitled-1.indd
9064_MF 1
MEC Construction Manager Q4 SHOP 220x285 1.indd 1 03/11/2009 13:49
03/11/2009 15:13