In today’s news, we will look into the Stronger Together an organisation that is working to put an end to modern slavery in supply chains. STARK UK, a leading retailer and distributor of building and construction supplies in the United Kingdom, has taken on the role of sponsor for Stronger Together. Meanwhile, the National Housing Bank of Canada (NHBC), the leading provider of new house warranties and insurance in the United Kingdom, recently hosted the first-ever Affordable Housing Innovators event. This event was held in collaboration with the British Property Federation. To add insult to injury, the contract to convert a region in Milton Keynes into an I&L centre has been awarded to GMI Construction, which will receive twenty million pounds. In addition, Kristina Smith visits Winvic’s Crown Place Birmingham development, where she sees a remote-controlled tower crane, which is one of the next-generation inventions that are on show there.
STARK UK joins to combat building exploitation
Original Source: STARK UK announces partnership to tackle exploitation in construction
STARK UK, a leading UK retailer and distributor of building and construction goods, has partnered with Stronger Together, a group fighting to end modern slavery in supply chains, as a sponsor.
Sponsoring Stronger Together’s UK Construction and Property Programme, STARK UK joins other prominent construction companies in their fight against worker exploitation. Together, they will drive sector-wide change, guaranteeing fair employment opportunities and responsible recruitment practices.
Stronger Together reports that multiple organisations have classified the construction industry as a high-risk zone for modern slavery. These organisations include the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and the Office of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement.
As a whole, the real estate industry is just as precarious as any other because of all the interconnected activities and overlapping workforces.
With industry-specific information, training, and tools, firms can better detect the indicators of modern slavery in the construction and property supply chain, according to the newly revised Construction and Property Programme by Stronger Together.
With the acquisition of many companies from Saint-Gobain, including Jewson, Jewson Major Building Solutions, Jewson Partnership Solutions, Frazer, Minster, JP Corry, Normans, and International Timber, STARK UK was formally founded on 1st March 2023.
“By sponsoring Stronger Together’s UK Construction and Property Programme, we’re taking an important step to help tackle the risks of modern slavery in our industry and supply chains. We are committed to supporting ethical practices across the construction sector,” stated Nim Cassidy, General Counsel and Company Secretary at STARK UK.
“Our values and commitment to building a responsible and equitable supply chain are reflected in this partnership. We are thrilled to collaborate with Stronger Together and other organisations to create a tangible impact and safeguard workers.”
It is with much pleasure that we acknowledge STARK UK as a sponsor of our Construction and Property Programme, according to Pamela Zielinski, who is in charge of that initiative at Stronger Together. Together, our sponsors and our free tools help businesses and their supply chains combat the threat of modern slavery.
“We look forward to the next year of working together to end modern slavery in the building and property industries and bring about systemic change in the sector as a whole.”
First-ever NHBC Affordable Housing Innovators event to take place!
Original Source: NHBC holds first Affordable Housing Innovators event
In a joint venture with the British Property Federation, NHBC—the preeminent UK provider of new house warranties and insurance—recently held the inaugural Affordable Housing Innovators event.
Attendees of this dynamic new instalment of NHBC’s Innovators event series gathered to discuss the topic of “Innovation through partnership” in the affordable housing sector.
The event took place in the heart of London and brought together over 120 housing associations, developers, home builders, operators and other key players in the field for a day of networking, learning about the newest trends and hearing from thought leaders.
Home England’s director of affordable housing, Shahi Islam, served as the event’s main speaker. As promised in the previous budget, he went over the present state of affordable housing, the sector’s challenges in meeting the need for new houses, and the Affordable Houses Programme top-up. Mr. Islam also discussed consumer norms, shared ownership, tenure priority, the planning framework, and housing strategy.
Presenters included Marcus Dixon, JLL’s director of UK residential research; Angela Wood, chair of the G15 Development Directors’ Group; Nick Cumberland, Great Places’ head of delivery program; and Stephen Teagle, Vistry Group’s chief executive of partnerships and regeneration. The event’s speakers delved into creative ways to increase the construction of affordable homes in Britain, citing case studies that showcased effective collaborative placemaking and cost-efficient project management.
The need for reasonably priced housing is on the rise.
In his remarks, NHBC’s Charlie Ash, who is in charge of the affordable housing sector, expressed gratitude to Ian Fletcher of the British Property Federation for collaborating with them to host this premier event in the field. Given that partnership was the overarching subject, it should come as no surprise that numerous presenters stressed the significance of teamwork and collaboration.
While it’s heartening that home construction has become more prominent in political and media agendas over the last year, the industry’s focus should continue to be on providing cheap, high-quality homes and finding ways to unlock the delivery of this product.
“NHBC is pleased to collaborate honestly and reliably with housing associations, city governments, developers, home builders, contractors, and the affordable housing industry as a whole, all to safeguard assets for the future and ensure quality construction from the start.”
There has never been a more critical time for cooperation and joint ventures than now, according to British Property Federation director of policy Ian Fletcher. The affordable housing market is under unprecedented strain to meet rising demand.
It was an honour to hear the speakers’ stories of the mutually beneficial partnerships between the for-profit and non-profit sectors. To speed up the construction of affordable homes in the UK, it would be wise to combine the for-profit sector’s knowledge of business and investment opportunities with the not-for-profit sector’s focus on social purpose and placemaking. At the end of the day, though, we can’t lose sight of the residents and fail to put them first.
An industrial contract worth £20 million was awarded to GMI Co.
Original Source: GMI Construction wins £20m industrial contract
GMI Construction has been awarded the £20 million contract to transform a Milton Keynes area into an I&L centre.
Three warehouses, totalling over 175,000 square feet, will be constructed at Precedent Drive by the contractor for developer DV5 Last Mile Developments (UK) Ltd, a partnership between Coltham and customers of Delancey Real Estate.
In preparation for the additional units, the proposal calls for the demolition of the nearby unoccupied office buildings.
Two units will be constructed on speculation, while one has already been pre-letted to a manufacturer.
The first unit, which encompasses the ground and first floors as well as the M&E services in the warehouse, requires CAT B fit-out works.
Extensive landscaping, better drainage, and parking for cars and heavy trucks are also part of the outside improvements.
By October, GMI hopes to have finished.
The contractor ventures into the South East with Precedent Drive, a project that is anticipated to generate 300 job opportunities. This follows their recent acquisition of a £50 million PBSA in Bristol, their first significant residential contract in the South West.
Adam Taylor, regional director of GMI in the Midlands, stated, “Securing this contract highlights GMI’s ability to deliver cutting-edge industrial and logistics projects that combine innovation with sustainability.”
“Our expansion into the South East is a major milestone in our growth strategy, and it further demonstrates our outstanding track record of delivering outstanding results.”
Following the implementation of its plan of “controlled consolidation”—a revenue reduction of over 30%—GMI has just reported another profitable year.
Compared to £0.92 million in 2023, the firm’s pre-tax profit for the year ending 30 September 2024 was £1.04 million, thanks to the strategy to reduce turnover. Additionally, cash reserves improved to £19.3 million from £10.2 million in 2023.
Following a deficit of £2.3 million in 2022, GMI, which operates in the Midlands, North West England, and Yorkshire, returned to profitability last year.
Using the first remotely controlled tower crane in the United Kingdom
Original Source: On site with the UK’s first remote controlled tower crane
A remote-controlled tower crane is one of the next-generation inventions on display at Winvic’s Crown Place Birmingham development, which Kristina Smith visits.
Using the first-ever remote-controlled tower crane in the UK, the 33-story student accommodation building Crown Place Birmingham, built by Winvic, made headlines in September 2024.
There have been other innovations in the workplace as well. Project manager David Elson and his team are utilising a variety of digital tools and technology, including a remote-controlled crane (refer to below), that begin to reveal the potential future of construction sites.
The Crown Place Birmingham is set to become Winvic’s tallest building to date. This is the contractor’s second project for client Crown Student Living, following on from a similar but smaller building in Nottingham. The tower consists of 33 stories, with two lower portions of 12 and nine stories.
Featuring 814 beds and more amenities than typical student housing, including a yoga studio, vintage gaming area, and an outdoor terrace on the first floor, the property is conveniently located near Aston University and less than 20 minutes walk from Birmingham New Street. Within the structure, a small number of students will have the opportunity to reside in “duplex clusters,” which are essentially two-story houses with individual stairs.
Roads are open
Elson describes the site as extremely cramped, saying, ‘We’ve got one metre on one side, one metre on the other and theoretically 35mm on the other two sides’. Although we are unable to shut down any highways due to our red route into Birmingham, we were able to secure the closure of one bus lane to construct a drive-through area where we can unload the vehicles, one Arctic at a time.
Groundworks, decontamination of the site, and the construction of continuous flight auger (CFA) piles were the first tasks carried out on the site in February 2023. The reinforced concrete frame, which incorporates both precast and cast-in-situ horizontal components, was initiated in September 2023 by contractor Midwest.
Winvic has used a hybrid concrete solution before, in Nottingham, but this is their second project using it. Unlike in Birmingham, where the columns are just one level tall, Winvic utilised precast columns at Nottingham that were two stories high.
According to Elson, “laying two-storey columns down off the lorry would have been difficult” due to the wind effects and the fact that the site is much more cramped. Furthermore, “we had to think about the wind effects” because they are going higher.
Building progresses more rapidly
Due to the elimination of lifting reinforcement and striking shutters, the use of precast vertical members shortens the hook time required by the tower crane. Elson claims the superior quality is a result of the factory fabrication and the accelerated construction time. Although it’s more expensive than an entirely in-situ frame, he says there’s more program assurance with it.
It will only take one day to stand all of the precast columns on a floorplate, he claims. Every week, we are rotating a floor slab. We won’t have to worry about having to build the core while people are descending and slipping or jumping it because our finish is better, even though our core construction is slightly slower.
Hünnebeck climbing screens, which are four stories deep, round the tower’s circumference to offer edge protection as levels continue from the columns. You have the option to use the tower crane or hydraulics to raise the screens.
The formwork may be raised and placed without the need for the tower crane thanks to Midwest’s use of a Doka table lifting system (TLS) for casting the floor slabs. Once again, this allows for more hook time and ensures that operations are unaffected by excessive wind gusts.
Architectural facade
Due to the lack of place for scaffolding and mast climbers on the site, Winvic altered the facade’s design. Winvic has made what it considers to be a first for the UK by switching from a steel framing system (SFS) with brick slips to a brick facade unitised curtain walling system from Danish manufacturer Hansen.
Every panel is three stories tall and has a width ranging from two bricks to 1,600 mm, which is the width of a whole window. A Forterra carrying frame mechanically fastens Forterra glass or bricks to form a curtain walling system. To ensure that the panels are air and watertight, they are attached to brackets that have been cast into the slabs and separated by four lines of gaskets.
Elson gushes over the unitised facade, praising its exceptional craftsmanship. It is incredibly clear and precise. I dare you to locate a vertical brick joint.
Winvic is utilising coordinates to set up each floor slab, rather than plumb between floors—a common method in multi-story construction—to prevent any mistakes from being amplified. We’ve been out no more than 4 millimetres, and we’re ready to cast level 22,” Elson says.
Innovative technology in action
On the inside of the facility, we see some of the younger team members who are occupied with experimenting with the technology that Winvic is using for the project. Anas Ahmed, a T-level graduate and current employee, uses GAMMA AR to conduct quality assurance (QA) checks.
When Ahmed places his phone on top of the installed light switches, an augmented reality image showing their proper placement according to the BIM model is superimposed. The tool “makes QA easier” and is “a clever bit of kit,” he remarks. I couldn’t agree more.
As a robot draws lines on the floor, Mohammed Sammad, another ex-T-level student, stands nearby, controlling it with a remote. The HP SitePrint technology accurately pinpoints the location of every item in every room of the building, including wardrobes, bathroom pods, sprinklers, spotlights, ventilation ducts, fans, switches and outlets. Only six prototype generation 2 HP SitePrint robots are in operation worldwide; the only one in the UK is being trialled by Winvic.
The main reason to use it, according to Elson, is to avoid conflicts and rework. The location of the electrical outlets and switches is specified by the dryliners before they install the studs. Level 12 has been completed without a single disagreement involving MEP, dry lining, or joinery. He also mentions that it eliminates the possibility of setting out errors and is speedier.
Elson is overjoyed with the accomplishments of 17-year-old Viktoriia Grachova, a Ukrainian immigrant who has played a pivotal part in organising the HP SitePrint robot. She works part-time on the site and studies for her T-level at the same time.
Energy storage
The site’s energy source, which Elson is eager to highlight, is a battery contained in a container that has supplanted three 350kV generators. Elson says that to supply the necessary startup loads, each of the three hoists—the tower crane, the freight hoist, and the passenger hoist—would have needed its generator.
The site’s electricity comes from a battery called the Enertainer, which is supplied by the startup Hong Kong business Ampd. It takes 90A and turns it into 400A, and it charges itself by trickle charging. “We have saved 150 tonnes of carbon and 600 litres of diesel in four months from the beginning of July because we are on green electricity,” Elson explains.
Elson claims that the Enertainer is ideal for urban sites because it does not produce any emissions, is silent, and does not pose a risk of diesel spills: “Going forward this will be implemented on all our multi-room sites.”
It’s hard to criticise this site because it’s so well-designed and operated. It appears that the CCS evaluators reached the same conclusion: the project received 48 out of 45 points, with an additional 46 points given for the innovations used.
Mr. David Elson is the operations manager at Winvic Company.
After graduating from college, David Elson began his career in the construction industry working for Tarmac as a site engineer. While still employed, he attended Loughborough University for a construction engineering management course and a BTEC in civil engineering.
He spent ten years with Carillion after rising through the ranks to become a project manager at Tarmac (now known as Carillion). After working for a local contractor with a development arm for five years, he returned to Carillion in 2009 after a year with Willmott Dixon. He became a part of Winvic six years ago.
Throughout his career, Elson has worked on a wide variety of projects, including those in the public and private sectors, as well as those in the industrial, commercial, office, residential, student, flat and hotel industries, as well as traditional and PFI projects. “I enjoy constructing,” he states. “I construct things. Yeah, I’m into that.
“The people.” That’s his answer when you ask him what he loves most about working in construction. Our suppliers and subcontractors are the backbone of our business as management contractors. I enjoy interacting with individuals.
Changing the game with crane control
It’s unnerving to enter a site cabin and see the tower crane operator seated in front of a wall of screens. It has the vibe of a gaming bedroom or a security room. Nonetheless, the controls and driver’s seat are identical to those in the tower crane’s cabin.
Skyline Cockpit, a piece of remote-controlled equipment developed in Israel, has never been used outside of its native country before. Radius, a crane firm, has been implementing it for about 18 months before pitching the concept to Winvic.
Upon our arrival, we found Radius’s resource manager, Dale Burton, seated in the chair. “When you are driving the crane you feel the machine move,” he says, explaining that operating the tower crane remotely is just like being in the cab. Here, you can see the action as it’s captured by the cameras.
This method of operating tower cranes is safer than the old one, and there are several reasons to support this claim. Several advantages are available to the operator, including more information (such as wind speed and radius data) shown on the screen, improved site and hook views provided by the cameras, the elimination of a 30-40-minute climb to reach the controls, and the ease of evacuation in the event of an operator illness.
Improved Health
According to Burton, it’s great for wellness as well. “Floating in a crane, you feel a little alone,” he remarks. A trusty walkie-talkie is all you have at your disposal. The level of interaction is higher down here. Additionally, using the loo is a lot more refined affair.
The ability to gather and analyse data is also provided by the Skyline Cockpit system. Manager David Elson of Winvic explains that after they have eight weeks of data, they can identify busy and quiet intervals and reschedule tasks, such as bringing in deliveries during slower hours.
Winvic decided to maintain the device on-site after a 12-week trial. It has increased lifting efficiency by slightly less than 10%, according to Elson, by monitoring the crane’s daily and weekly patterns of operation.
Among Radius’s drivers, three are currently proficient in Skyline Cockpit. Two of them, alas, have succumbed to the allure of wealthy Middle Eastern work. Elson notes, though, that this crane may be operated in theory from any location on Earth. The more conventional method of operating it from the cab is also an option.
Winvic has taken the position that the crane is a great way to get younger people interested in driving cranes; Elson claims that the controls could be anything, including an Xbox controller. This technique has the potential to lower the need for tower crane operators in the long run.
“It’s not quite there at the moment, but there’s a chance it could be semi-autonomous,” remarks Burton.
Summary of today’s construction news
Overall, we discuss Along with other well-known construction companies, STARK UK is fighting worker exploitation by sponsoring Stronger Together’s UK Construction and Property Programme. They will ensure ethical recruiting methods and equitable job opportunities by working together to create sector-wide reform. Meanwhile, participants at this exciting new instalment of the Innovators event series hosted by NHBC convened to deliberate on the subject of “Innovation through partnership” as it pertains to the affordable housing industry. Over the day, attendees at the event—which took place in the middle of London—networked, learnt about the latest trends, and heard from industry professionals. The event organisers counted 120 housing associations among the attendees. In addition, the developer DV5 Last Mile Developments (UK) Ltd, a joint venture between Coltham and Delancey Real Estate clients, will have the contractor build three warehouses at Precedent Drive, with a combined floor area of more than 175,000 square feet. Ideally, GMI would like to have completed by October. Crown Place Birmingham, a 33-story student accommodation skyscraper constructed by Winvic in September 2024, was the first of its kind in the UK and used the country’s first remotely controlled tower crane.
