The UK Construction Blog

A good way to upgrade a house is to add an extension, a specialist has said.

Director of the National Home Improvement Council Andrew Leech said building a conservatory is “one of the easiest ways of improving a property”.

He also highlighted renovating the loft space into rooms as a good method of increasing the size of a domicile.

Many people are staying in their current dwelling and refurbishing it to meet their needs at the moment, the expert remarked, pointing out this involves a “lot less hassle” than moving to another structure.

Particularly expensive extensions should only be performed by individuals who plan to live in the same house for a long period of time, but relatively cheaper ones of around £15,000 will recoup their initial cost “after a few years”, Mr Leech said.

Architect-your home  architect Tom Gresford recently argued homeowners can increase the size of their property for £10,000, although the overall expense will depend on what the customer wants.

Drax has signed up contractor Shepherd for biomass-related construction works at the Drax power station site near Selby.

Drax has announced plans to invest £50m this year in new biomass storage and handling facilities and other plant modifications. Shepherd will be working on delivering the capability to produce up to 20% of the power station’s output from sustainable biomass fuels.

Drax would like to go further to transform Drax into a predominantly biomass fuelled generator but only if it gets more subsidy from taxpayers.

In October 2011 the government announced its proposals for the future subsidy levels for renewable technologies. Drax welcomed the creation of a new band for ‘enhanced co-firing’, but wants more subsidy “to maximise the full potential of Drax” to produce this form power.

Increasing the power station’s biomass co-firing capability to 20% of output will ensure that Drax qualifies for increased support under the new proposals. Any further investment depends on it getting the “appropriate regulatory support”, it said. The government aims to publish its response to the consultation on future support levels in the spring and legislate in the summer.

Drax chief executive Dorothy Thompson, said: “Drax is ready to transform itself into a predominantly biomass fuelled generator, but to do so we need appropriate regulatory support, and to that end we look forward to the timely conclusion of the government’s current review of the future support levels for renewable technologies.”

Mark Perkins, chief executive of Shepherd’s built environment division, said: “We are delighted to be working with Drax. Shepherd Group’s designers have worked closely with the Drax team to develop integrated technical solutions that will create world leading biomass facilities and support Drax’s intention to become a lower carbon generator.

“The project will also generate wider opportunities for local people in terms of employment and skills training, and we will be maximising opportunities for local businesses, working closely with our supply chain partners throughout the build.”

Planning Permission has been granted for a major new office development in Glasgow.

Located in the city centre, it will contain 170,000 sq ft of Grade A commercial space, which will be priced from £23 per sq ft.

The initiative will be led by Abstract (Glasgow), which is owned by Abstract Securities.

This structure will be called St Vincent Plaza and the layout was produced by Keppie Design.

Privately-owned engineering, construction, communication and development organisation Bowmer & Kirkland has been appointed as contractor for the scheme, which will comprise of ten upper floors, a basement and a ground level, as well as 78 car parking spaces, with completion scheduled for 2013.

“In order to attract yet more big-name corporates to the city, it is imperative that Glasgow can offer high-quality ‘Grade A’ office accommodation at an achievable cost,” chief executive of Abstract Securities Mark Glatman said.

It is understood the price for this commercial space is “significantly undercutting” the offerings in the rest of the city.

The “Steel Study House No. 2” is by no means a normal detached house. Full of character and generous in design, its very appearance means that it stands out from the other waterfront properties in Leeuwarden’s new Zuiderburen district. The architecture of the building aims to combine urban living with an unhindered view of some beautiful scenery.

Its most striking feature is the rectangular building shell made of prefabricated white steel components and white Reynobond® aluminium composite panels. For modern structures such as the “Steel Study House No. 2”, Reynobond® is the ideal material. It is lighter than steel, but particularly resistant to the vagaries of the weather, as well as retaining its shape well. In addition, it is easy to process and install. The luminosity of the white, combined with the way in which interiors and exterior are merged into one, gives the building its distinct airy and elegant character.

The architects, Archipelontwerpers, have ensured the design of the road frontage of the house would preserve the privacy of the Pesie family. The house is reached via an ascending gangway. A descending slope leads down to the underground garage. The gangway accesses the south side of the house, which features an inner patio area of good proportions. The patio area is the central feature of the house, and a gangway connects this with the water. All rooms are designed to be accessed from the patio and have a view of the water.

The “Steel Study House No. 2” has one more special feature: with an area of 750 m2 the house takes up just about the entire area of the property. This means there is no garden in the traditional sense, but a generously proportioned covered patio instead, as well as a veranda, giving plenty of space to enjoy the fresh air, sun and water.

Mobile CAD Surveys can accommodate either a simple single property floor plan to a complete schedule of buildings with all types of data collection. So if you need any type of Measured Building Survey then please contact us.

We can provide Floor plans,  Elevational drawings, or a Topographical survey and all types of Measured Building Survey with varying levels of detailed work – from simple walls, columns, doors and window surveys, to a fully detailed data set including all 3D information including cill & head heights, stair riser and going details, door heights, ceiling heights, beam details, fitted furniture etc.. As part of our measured surveys, the surveyors can also pick up and highlight other information for example: any electrical and data points, sanitary fittings, incoming mains positions, plant, fire fighting and detection equipment, security equipment, signage and so on.

An accurate  topographical survey or land survey is essential to any project that you are considering and can lessen the possibility of costly mistakes or unforeseen issues later on.  The amount and type of topographical survey data that we collect on site is always based on your specification. However, our experienced land surveyors will use their knowledge of planning and development issues and requirements to provide additional information that might be vital for any future design or planning application. We are also able to gather information from any utility companies which can be added to your topographical survey drawings..

Photogrammetry services:-

• The photographs may be archived for future use.
  
• The photographs may be used either for monitoring or for the generation of data.
  
• The technique is non-intrusive.
  
• The technique is ideal for recording detail of a complex nature (see illustrations below)
  
• A high level of accuracy is achievable.
  
• The use of digital data ensures total flexibility.
  
• The level of detail to be extracted may be determined either by the client or the photogrammetrist.
  
• It is cost-effective.

We can also provide other additional land surveying services that you may require, for example; underground services tracing ( UPR – Underground Penetrating Radar) and 3D laser scanning enable us to provide you with a one-stop-shop for your surveying requirements.

for more information, please visit:-

Mobile CAD Surveys

A construction worker has amazingly survived after shooting a three inch nail into his head.

Jeff Lupak, 45, said he felt no pain after the accident in Bismarck, North Dakota, but was convinced he was going to die.

Even doctors were amazed that he was still alive when he was rushed to hospital where an X-ray showed just how far the nail had penetrated into his skull.

But incredibly the nail had missed all the major arteries and was lodged between his brain’s left and right hemispheres.

Despite feeling no pain Mr Lupak, a father of three, was told the seriousness of his injury.

One doctor told him: ‘Leave it in, it’ll rust and you’ll die of infection. Pull it out and you’ll bleed to death.’

A surgical team led by neurosurgeon Dr Eric Nussbaum at the National Brain Aneurysm Center in St Paul, Minnesota, took more than an hour to remove the nail.

Dr Nussbaum said: ’He was very lucky. I mean this is a potentially fatal injury depending on what structures it hits on the way.’

Mr Lupak was working on a construction site in Bismarck when he asked a colleague to hand him a 16 gauge nail gun.

As he grabbed the gun he heard it go off and felt a stinging sensation in the back of his head.

The co-worker began shouting that Mr Lupak had been shot with the gun – but Mr Lupak said he only felt a slight pressure in the back of his head.

After being taken to a hospital in Bismark he was flown to St Joseph’s Hospital in St Paul where neurosurgeons were waiting to carry out an operation to remove the nail.

His wife Kim was taken to the hospital where she was given an X-ray showing the nail protruding into her husband’s skull.

The operation proved a success and Mr Lupak is recovering in hospital with his only problem moving his left toes and ankle.

Doctors have said he will make a full recovery. Mr Lupak, a construction worker for 28 years, admitted he was lucky to be alive.

‘Somebody was looking out for me,’ said the husband and father of three daughters.

The elevation of the architect over the engineer is to blame for today’s cities being full of unsustainable buildings, Ken Shuttleworth told engineers and students at Imperial College.

Architects are able to get away with their “orgy with glass” because engineers have lost their voice, he said, delivering the Worshipful Company of Paviors’ annual lecture on Tuesday.

The founder of Make urged engineers to “find a new Brunel” who could represent them on television and push an environmental agenda.

“In the 19^th century the engineer was king,” he told the audience. “Then architects took over and design became paramount which led to this orgy with glass.

“If the engineer says ‘you can’t have this much glass’ he is sacked and replaced. Engineers need to become more assertive and tell architects what to do.

“Find the best engineer at speaking and put them on TV. Plenty of architects have knighthoods and get on TV. You need a new Brunel to promote engineering,” added Shuttelworth, who spent 30 years at Foster & Partners.

Questioned about the sustainability of Make’s plan to demolish part of the 1980s Broadgate Centre, he said conversion simply wasn’t possible.

Its £340 million replacement was London’s first sustainable office project which tried to reflect the “death of bling”, he added.

“Buildings aren’t built to be monuments. They are commodities that are built to be demolished,” he said.

“London has so many historic buildings and if you can’t knock anything down the city will stagnate. Sense has to prevail. Keep what you can keep and what works and if not, do something better.”

If you need a Measured Building Survey or a number of surveys or a complete schedule of buildings surveyed then we can accomodate you.

We can provide Floor plans,  Elevational drawings, or a Topographical survey and all types of Measured Building Survey with varying levels of detailed work – from simple walls, columns, doors and window surveys, to a fully detailed data set including all 3D information including cill & head heights, stair riser and going details, door heights, ceiling heights, beam details, fitted furniture etc.. As part of our measured surveys, the surveyors can also pick up and highlight other information for example: any electrical and data points, sanitary fittings, incoming mains positions, plant, fire fighting and detection equipment, security equipment, signage and so on.

An accurate  topographical survey or land survey is essential to any project that you are considering and can lessen the possibility of costly mistakes or unforeseen issues later on.  The amount and type of topographical survey data that we collect on site is always based on your specification. However, our experienced land surveyors will use their knowledge of planning and development issues and requirements to provide additional information that might be vital for any future design or planning application. We are also able to gather information from any utility companies which can be added to your topographical survey drawings..

We can also provide other additional land surveying services that you may require, for example; underground services tracing ( UPR – Underground Penetrating Radar) and 3D laser scanning enable us to provide you with a one-stop-shop for your surveying requirements.

for more information, please visit:-

Mobile CAD Surveys

The new Morrisons Regional Distribution Centre at Bridgwater in Somerset that covers nearly 60 acres and provides over 71,000 square metres of warehousing to distribute Morrisons goods to 63 stores in the West and South West of England and South Wales.

DLA Architecture specified over 2.5km of safety barriers to protect people, plant and equipment throughout the site. This specification not only met the approval of the client – Morrisons.

Just over 1.5km of barrier has been installed inside the warehouse and nearly 1km outside. This included nearly 800m of Berry’s Spring Steel Buffers on which a “warehouse rail” is mounted below a standard barrier rail to provide protection to pedestrian walkways from forklift trucks and other warehouse vehicles. The extra lower rail prevents the forks penetrating into the walkway below the standard barrier.

The varying styles specified reflect the different risks identified in specific areas and illustrates how the Berry Systems’ range can cope with virtually any requirement with a barrier that has been independently tested to prove its performance to the appropriate level.

There is also a waste recycling centre to deal with all the cardboard and paper waste inevitably generated and the access ramps to this part of the facility.

Morrisons have contracted DHL to run this regional distribution centre and it is now gradually working towards full capacity and is expected to handle over 2 million cases in 2012 from up to 800 vehicle movements per day.

The long drawn out saga of Liverpool’s plans to build a new stadium are back on again with the Premiership club’s US owners believed to be looking at plans first drawn up nine years ago.

Their owners, Fenway Sports Group has been working with specialist Manchester practice AFL on a brand new ground for the club in the city’s Stanley Park next door to the club’s current Anfield home.

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, the news will mean that futuristic designs (pictured) unveiled by US firm HKS in 2006 will now be scrapped for good. The £400 million plans were already in limbo after the previous Liverpool board said they were too expensive.

AFL, which declined to comment, first drew up plans for a new stadium in the early 2000s. These were put forward for planning in 2003 and given the all-clear a year later.

The new plans are dependent on the club raising the £300 million required to build the 60,000-seat ground, with at least half of this required before construction can begin.