Month in numbers

The number of Building Manager of the Year winners since 1998 holding a BSc in construction management. Here's what they did:

• 2002 Richard Pike: HNC, 1972, IOB 1and 2
  
• 2001 Peter Carruthers: BSc Civil Engineering
  
• 2000 Ian Eggers: BSc Civil Engineering
  
• 1999 David Hurricks: OND, HNC, took his IOB in the 1970s
  
• 1998 Phil Rowley: HND, polytechnical diploma, 1978

Construction Manager's straw poll comes as the industry is questioning the intrinsic value of the construction management degree.

Director of training strategy Sheila Hoile says maybe it's time to ask big questions. "Do we get rid of CM degrees? Maybe there should only be an MSc. Maybe an undergrad degree is a real turnoff to young people."

There is a crisis in applications to the CM degree. Our health check of construction management degree courses shows that one-third of the 42 courses are deceased or on the critical list, one-third are stable, and one third are showing signs of recovery.

22

The percentage of PFI construction projects which overran on budget according to a National Audit Office (NAO) report launched in February. This compares to 73% project overruns on agency and government projects in 1999.

PFI projects also performed well, with only 24% late, and just 8% with a delay of over two months. 70% of traditional contracts were tardy.

The report (which you can find on www.nao.gov.uk) assessed all PFI contracts let by central government and which were due to have been completed by September 2002. It focused on price, time certainty and design quality.

Auditors found design quality more difficult to assess as only four of the 37 projects had carried out formal user surveys, from which the feedback was "generally favourable".

55

The percentage of competent workers on the day of the Major Contractors Group (MCG) survey in January. This figure broke down into 69% for direct employees and 45% for subcontractors.

Although the figure is a 50% rise on the audit carried out last year, MCG director Bill Tallis estimates that the programme is still running six months behind schedule. The goal stated in its safety charter is a fully qualified workforce by the end of 2003.

Together with the results, MCG also launched its Occupational Health policy, which calls its members to introduce occupational health management systems by the end of March 2004 at the latest. These would cover health surveillance for workers at risk from hand/arm vibration syndrome, muscular skeletal disorders and noise-induced hearing loss.

300

The number of cubic metres of concrete pumped into the gaping hole which replaced residents' back gardens in Lavender Street, Stratford, above the route of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

The ground behind some houses on Lavender Street collapsed on 8 February, after one of the two TBMs (tunnel boring machines), passed underneath 36 hours earlier, about 20m below the surface. Now joint venture contractor Costain/Skanska/Bachy has stopped both TBMs while the client carries out investigations. Reports suggest that this process could take a month.

Experts believe that the collapse was due to weakened ground caused by three old wells in the area which extend down below the level of the tunnels. Stratford's residents were none too impressed - more bad PR for the industry.

1000

The number of construction staff who are being called to war against Iraq as members of the reserve forces. In this picture, members of the Territorial Army Royal Engineers based in Sheffield pack their vehicles on 20 February, preparing to set off for the Gulf within days.

The Construction Confederation has issued guidelines to employers who may be affected by the temporary loss of key members of staff. There is a chance to hang onto your reserve force members if you can prove to the government that your business will be seriously harmed if they go. But you have to do so within seven days of call-up.

The good news is that the MOD will pay salaries. And, according to Construction Confederation industrial relations director Jerry Lean, firms could receive payment from the MoD to cover any costs. caused.