News

Planning cities on the moon? It's no fantasy according to Bernard Campbell-Ellen, director of Constructor Management Consultants, organiser of Loughborough University's conference entitled 'Future Roles and Responsibilities for the Construction Manager'. As an indication of their commitment to long term planning, Japanese construction firms in partnership with their electronics industry…

Castle Cement, which has around 25 per cent of Britain's market, has just announced a £100 million plus scheme for a new cement works at Padeswood, North Wales. But most major cement manufacturers have been forced to invest heavily in new terminals to bring in imported material. Blue Circle mainly…

Looking at many of those overseas competitors, Mr Rose says it was quite clear that they had exported their way out of a crisis situation over recent years. Germany was the most outstanding example. When Britain's home market went into recession in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the UK…

The view often painted of 1992 is one of enormous opportunities for British business.To some, it is a panacea to cure many of Britain's industrial problems. But this will not be the case for the many British manufacturers who are resting on their laurels when it comes to promoting themselves…

Architects are in the hot seat on this issue', he said, 'and a laissez-faire approach is no longer acceptable. There is no room for complacency on this essential issue, either within the profession or within Government. There is still much more to do.' John Connaughton, of the DL and E…

Office buildings could also benefit from the use of natural daylight, and passive solar energy, which will reduce energy consumption by up to 50 per cent and contribute to the reduction of the use of fossil fuels in the industrialised world as recommended in the Bruntland Report from Norway's prime-minister:…

There is nothing cranky anymore about being environmentally concious. Architects considered how best they can promote low-energy buildings at a recent conference jointly organised by RIBA and the Energy Efficiency Office. Construction News reports. The environment is topping political agendas throughout the Western World, and global warming is a major…

Contractors could cut their workforce by two-thirds on some sites if they paid more attention to productivity, according to the National Economic Development Office. Management consultant John Ling, who was instrumental in devising a new productivity measurement system for NEDO, reckons that productivity varies between good and bad sites by…

Health and safety inspectors face an uphill task to save workers taking an earbashing on site.Only 11 full time specialists are employed by the Health and Safety Executive to look at noise levels on construction sites across the country. The figures were revealed last week during the launch of a…

Irish materials giant CRH, which last week unveiled a 27 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to IR£80.6 million (£77 million), is looking to make acquisitions shortly in West Germany and Austria. If successful, the moves will not only strengthen the company's fast-growing Continental base but give it a strategic…