More Focus – Page 569

  • Features

    E-tax

    1999-06-04T00:00:00Z

    The Inland Revenue wants contractors to transfer subcontractor pay records electronically. But what sort of software is needed and how much does it cost?

  • Features

    Hot ice

    1999-06-04T00:00:00Z

    How will a load of balls containing water that freezes at 27°C heat and cool Bristol s landmark science centre?

  • Features

    Loser takes all

    1999-06-04T00:00:00Z

    A new court procedure caps the amount of legal costs the winner of a case can claim. That s not such good news for winners or for their lawyers, so why not write and tell the Lord Chancellor so?

  • Features

    Here be monsters

    1999-06-04T00:00:00Z

    The requirements of North Sea oil extraction have given rise to contract clauses that try to limit what can be claimed for variations. As Amec found, they can be horribly hard to understand, let alone apply.

  • Features

    A miss is as good as a mile

    1999-06-04T00:00:00Z

    A contractor missed the time limit for serving an arbitration notice by a week. The court took a strict line, and refused to grant an extension.

  • Features

    Slipping the choke chain

    1999-06-04T00:00:00Z

    Pressure on the carotid artery can render a person unconscious in less than 10 seconds; withholding payment has a similar effect on subcontractors. So, if you do, you better be acting in good faith

  • Features

    Materials life costs

    1999-06-04T00:00:00Z

    The second in Building's series of whole-life costs for materials focuses on PVCu, steel and aluminium windows.

  • Features

    Speak for yourself

    1999-06-04T00:00:00Z

    Mary Lou Hayes of the property and construction division of Alexander Hughes Selection explains how a second language can boost your career.

  • Features

    Appointments

    1999-06-04T00:00:00Z

    Consultants Lorien Engineering Solutions has appointed Phil Colquhoun project manager. John Dilley has joined the firm as a senior engineer in the utilities engineering department. Matt McCleish has been made process engineer; Steve Bailey has been appointed packaging engineer and Jonathan Cruse and Andrew Kilford ...

  • Features

    PFI in crisis

    1999-05-28T00:00:00Z

    Seven years after its creation, the PFI is still giving the industry nightmares. And as the Treasury prepares to change the rules yet again, Building investigates whether the PFI is falling apart and asks contractors and politicians whether it can be saved

  • Features

    Off the waiting list

    1999-05-28T00:00:00Z

    Staff at Britain's biggest PFI-funded NHS hospital have reason to be excited. The brand new building in East Anglia will house long-overdue, cutting-edge medical facilities, and a close-knit project team is ensuring its smooth operation.

  • Features

    Taking off

    1999-05-28T00:00:00Z

    Disenchanted with central government s approach to the private finance initiative? There is a solution. Local authority PFI is getting airborne at Luton Airport and Bovis has just signed the first purely commercial contract.

  • Features

    First born

    1999-05-28T00:00:00Z

    The first completed PFI healthcare facility is no blockbuster, but staff describe the £3.5m community hospital conversion as a five-star establishment .

  • Features

    Keeping tags on it

    1999-05-28T00:00:00Z

    Embedded chips in components are set to make facilities management an exact science. How do they work?

  • Features

    Welcome to our world

    1999-05-28T00:00:00Z

    Thirteen months after the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland is about to get to grips with the Construction Act. What is there to learn from the past year s experience?

  • Features

    Why can’t we help ourselves?

    1999-05-28T00:00:00Z

    The Rights of Third Parties Bill is working its way through parliament. If applied, it will be hugely helpful to construction. Unfortunately, the industry s atavistic response has been to fight it tooth and nail.

  • Features

    No need to argue

    1999-05-28T00:00:00Z

    Disputes review boards, often used for international contracts, could reach the parts adjudicators can't on domestic contracts.

  • Features

    Get organised

    1999-05-28T00:00:00Z

    The third in a series on marketing explains how to plan and project manage a strategy to ensure you always stay a few steps ahead of the competition.

  • Features

    Just the job

    1999-05-28T00:00:00Z

    Gleeds PFI expert Jonathan Stewart tells Nancy Cavill how a psychometric test led him to the career that took him all the way to government.

  • Features

    Appointments

    1999-05-28T00:00:00Z

    Contractors Andy Smith , previously with Laing Construction, has been appointed business development manager at Midas Construction. Andrew Clarke has joined Luff Construction to head its new division, Luff Heritage. Margaret Chelton joins the firm as marketing and PR executive. Terry Day has been appointed managing ...