All Building articles in 1999 Issue 38 – Page 2

  • News

    Engineer expands into building sector

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    Engineering contractor Binnie Black & Veatch is expanding its Middlesbrough operations in a bid to win more work in the building sector. The company's Middlesbrough office has done most of its jobs for the water industry since it was set up five years ago. But technical director Tony Jefferson says ...

  • News

    Councils ignore own brownfield policies

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    Local authorities and regional development agencies are overriding government, and their own, brownfield development policies by encouraging developments on green-belt sites, campaigners have claimed. Towards Sustainable Economic Development, a report launched this week by the Council for the Protection of Rural England, says: Huge overallocation of [greenfield] land ...

  • Features

    Spotlight on brickwork

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    Lead times Although lead times are now steady at six weeks, rising enquiry and workload levels are expected to boost them in the autumn. Brickwork contractors report little difficulty in procuring materials, but cite the lack of qualified operatives as the critical factor in determining lead times. As ...

  • News

    Bovis float in doubt

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    The flotation of Bovis next month may be cancelled because of unfavourable market conditions, say analysts. Bovis' management is trying to talk up the price to £300m, but City insiders say there little hope of achieving it. This is because the market has been hit by the recent interest rate ...

  • News

    Kier boss rounds on procurement critics

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    Busby says those attacking prime contracting and the private finance initiative are "frankly, wrong".

  • News

    Barratt chief backs interest rate rise

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    The chairman of Barratt, the UK's biggest housebuilder, has backed the chancellor's decision to raise interest rates. Frank Eaton said: I think it is a gentle nudge on the tiller to make sure there are no peaks and troughs. But even if the rate rises higher, I don't think ...

  • News

    Hyde to set Jarvis back on track

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    Jarvis has shaken up top management at its troubled rail division by appointing Kevin Hyde chairman of Jarvis Rail. Hyde replaces Bob Clarke, 49, who will stay on the board with responsibility for technical development and engineering. Hyde, 54, brings international experience of the privatised rail industry. He was made ...

  • News

    Asda wants more partners

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    Supermarket Asda is looking for contractors with overseas experience for international projects after its £6.7bn takeover by Wal-Mart. We are looking at the possibility of working with somebody with an international presence, said Bob Simpson, Asda's head of development. The retailer already has partnering agreements with Carillion, Laing, ...

  • Features

    Appointments

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    Contractor Birse Construction has appointed Martin Peat managing director, building. He will also join the Birse board. Housebuilder Ronnie Jacobs , previously with Persimmon Homes Scotland, has joined Miller Homes as regional director for west Scotland. Consultants Michael Albright , previously chairman and chief executive of Centex ...

  • News

    Cracks develop in anti-cowboy policy

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    The government's campaign to stamp out rogue traders is set to start in disarray because of a split over who will run it. The DETR has set up a steering group to look after the quality mark scheme while industry groups debate who should do the job in the long ...

  • Comment

    Law in the electronic age

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    Electronic data management is the future for construction consultants. It's just terrific. The problem is that the legal and commercial framework doesn't support it yet.

  • Comment

    Pet adjudicators

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    Tempting though it is to ensure that you get a tame adjudicator by writing their name into the contract document, you might be arming your opponent with a weapon of last resort.

  • News

    About-turn at Norwest Holst

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    French-owned contractor Norwest Holst turned an operating loss of £200 000 into a profit of £1.7m for the six months to 30 June 1999.The reversal of fortunes helped lift pre-tax profit (which includes interest payments) to £4.1m, up from £3.5m for the same period in 1998. Turnover rose £4m ...

  • News

    Amey spends £6m to wow Railtrack

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    Services contractor invests in management technology to improve punctuality record and anticipate failures.

  • Comment

    Summing up number 35 – payments into court

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    In Berwin Leighton's series on legal basics, Joanne Rees explains payments into court

  • News

    2000 village inquiry set to exonerate developer

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    Investigators satisfied that Greenwich project meets brief, despite former architect's claims.

  • News

    BG division set to award contracts worth £200m

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    National network split into 12 zones allowing firms to bid for bigger chunks of work over the next five years.

  • Features

    1999 architects' fees survey

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    Architects' charges are closer to physiotherapists' than solicitors'. A new study by Mirza and Nacey Research shows that fees are inching up, but after seven years spent qualifying, is an average of £55 an hour a fair rate?

  • News

    Schal beats rivals to £150m estate maintenance job

    1999-09-24T00:00:00Z

    Mace and Bovis pipped in race for five-year deal to manage refurbishment of 20 000 homes in east London.