Barnsley Town Hall is as good as new

Main contractor GRAHAM Construction has almost completed a challenging project to restore Barnsley Town Hall back to its former condition.

The intensive refurbishment project began in March 2011 and has included internal alterations and refurbishment, new windows to external elevations and structural repairs.

Barnsley Town Hall was hidden under a curtain of 700 square metres of scaffolding for eight months whilst essential work was carried out to the exterior. In total, the contractors removed almost eight years of accumulated dirt. This huge task included essential re-pointing of brickwork and the restoration of the fine stonework, which will ensure the longevity of the building for future generations.

Martin Flynn, GRAHAM Construction, said:

“Old buildings are always interesting because they are an unknown quantity, whether that is to the designers of the contractors, until you get in there and open them up, you can’t be entirely sure what exactly it is that you are dealing with.

“It is always challenging to restore a building as close to the original condition as possible, and this project was certainly no exception. However, with the challenge comes a great sense of achievement and I can honestly say that this has been an extremely enjoyable for us as a company to work on.

“I am extremely pleased with the progress that has been made and hope to deliver Barnsley Town Hall back to the client in the condition that they are expecting to find it.”

Also included as part of the overall refurbishment scheme is the creation of ‘Experience Barnsley’, which will incorporate museum galleries, an archives centre, learning centre, workshops and a cafe. In addition to attracting tens of thousands of visitors to the town centre each year, the galleries will showcase the many attractions and heritage sites that the town of Barnsley has to offer.

Facilities for the borough’s heritage community will include training, specialist equipment and heritage workspace. Staff will also be on hand to help with activities and events.

Dr. Fiona Spiers, Regional Director of the Heritage Lottery Fund for Yorkshire and Humber, said: “The impressive restoration work undertaken means that once again Barnsley Town Hall stands proud.”

Councillor Steve Houghton added: “We look forward to Barnsley Town Hall reopening, when it will continue its role as the civic and democratic heart for future generations, as well as welcoming and attracting new visitors to the town as the new museum and archive centre, Experience Barnsley.”

GRAHAM Construction

GRAHAM Construction dates back to 1798 and became incorporated as a limited company in 1955. Since then the company has successfully completed numerous landmark projects and has subsequently become a leading player in all areas of building, civil engineering and facilities management. Today, GRAHAM has more than 1,000 employees and operates from a network of regional offices across the UK and Ireland.

For more information on GRAHAM Construction, visit www.graham.co.uk.

In Northfield Hall we trust

Local residents of Brackenhall and Ferndale will soon be welcoming an exciting new community building.

Northfield Hall is currently taking shape in Sheepridge, Huddersfield for the Brackenhall Community Trust. Work began in July 2011 and the aim of the project is to update and replace the area’s previous community facilities. The majority of the external works are now complete on the site and with the interior fit-out underway, Northfield Hall is due to be completed in April 2012.

Deighton and Brackenhall Initiative Limited (DBI) are providing funding for the project and Fresh Horizons will manage the building once it is operational. QSP Construction is the main contractor, whilst Watson Batty Architects Limited is the architect and CDM Health and safety co-ordinator. The project is being managed by William Saunders.

Chair of the DBI Ltd Board, Councillor Jean Calvert, said:

“A new community facility for the Brackenhall and Ferndale estates has been one of the DBI’s priorities since the very beginning and the time and commitment we have put into the project along with the Trust, not to mention the major funding DBI has invested, shows our intent to make sure that the community receives the best possible facility.

“We are aware of the need to ensure Northfield Hall is sustainable so it can serve the local community for years to come and that is why we are working closely with a wide range of partners to achieve this goal. The project is further proof of DBI’s commitment to developing better facilities and services within the area, with the aim of improving the quality of life for all its residents.”

Northfield Hall is divided into a number of internal areas, including a board room, an activity room, Jolly Rodger’s play gym and a multi-purpose area that will become a home for meetings, training courses and after school clubs.

The building will also contain a large hall for functions and events as well as a café that will open during the day to serve sandwiches and hot food and can also double as a restaurant during the evenings. A multi-use games area (MUGA) and playing fields will also be part of the development.

In addition to serving the community, Brackenhall United Reformed Church (URC) will be using a purpose-built space on the site for their services and activities.

Watson Batty Architects Director, Richard Merrills, said:

“Having been involved with the whole DBI regeneration project since 2000, Watson Batty Architects is delighted to see the Northfield Hall scheme come to fruition.  We have worked closely with the DBI, Brackenhall Community Trust, Brackenhall United Reform Church and the Local Authority to help deliver such an important local landmark.

“This new building is the culmination of a great team effort and represents how integrating a number of good ideas can ultimately create a terrific shared facility.”

Brackenhall Community Trust Chair, Joan Mallinson, added:

“I am really excited that construction of Northfield Hall is nearing completion. After many years of hard work by many people, it now feels like the end is in sight and now the building has a name and identity it feels that little bit more real.

“As a Trust we are committed to ensuring that Northfield Hall will offer the best facilities and service possible for the local community now and for the future.”

 

Walney Offshore Wind Farm nears completion

The second phase of one of the world’s largest wind farms is almost complete.

 Walney 2 is the second phase of the Walney Offshore Wind Farm project, which has already seen the construction of one wind farm in the Irish Sea, 15km off Walney Island in Cumbria. Both of the wind farms will comprise 51 Siemens turbines and the development will have a combined capacity of 367.2MW. When the second phase is complete, the 73km² Walney Offshore Wind Farm will provide energy to power 320,000 homes.

The scheme has been implemented through a combined partnership of DONG Energy, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and OPW, with DONG Energy acting as the leading construction and operations partner.

A 3-month installation operation for foundations and cabling took place in April 2011, closely followed by a 3-month installation for offshore substations and a 6-month installation operation for the 51 turbines in May 2011.

Whilst Walney 1 took a year to complete, Walney 2 was scheduled for completion in around half the time due to an overlapping construction schedule that was specifically designed to speed up the construction process.

Crane barges, tugs and jack-up vessels worked out of ports in the East Irish Sea during the early construction period, whilst a number of smaller support vessels provided personnel transfer services and conducted environmental monitoring.

DONG Energy CEO, Anders Eldrup, said: “Walney 2 is the world’s fastest installation of an offshore wind farm and underlines DONG Energy’s position as a strong market leader within offshore wind. We’ve developed our techniques for faster and more cost efficient installation methods and this is an important step in the continuing drive to reduce the construction costs of offshore wind farms.”

On 1^st November 2011 Walney 2 began delivering CO2-free electricity via turbine F14, the first of its completed turbines. Power was supplied to the national grid via the Stanah 132kV onshore substation near Blackpool and a further ten turbines began operation shortly afterwards.

SSE Chief Operating Officer, Colin Hood, said:

“This was a major milestone in the development of the Walney Offshore Wind Farm and it demonstrated the excellent progress that is being made on the project.

“As the UK’s leading generator of electricity from renewable sources, SSE is committed to helping increase the amount of renewable electricity generation in the UK and the export of electricity at Walney is a step towards achieving this.”

Commission work was temporarily delayed in December 2011 when difficult weather conditions made site access impossible. Although wind turbines are specifically installed in areas where they can benefit from high winds, if weather conditions deteriorate, work must be placed on hold for health and safety reasons.

Prior to the change in weather, array cables that connect the Walney 2 substation to the shore were successfully laid on the seabed. However, one cable still needed to be terminated once conditions improved.

Approximately 70,000 tonnes of stone has been supplied and delivered from the Stainton Quarry to provide scour protection for the turbine foundations. The stones will be placed along a 15 metre radius around the monopole in order to reduce sand and material erosion caused by the current.

DONG Site Manager, Lars Alber, said: “The first phase of the works went well and we are now looking forward to completing the second phase with the same success.”

Walney 1 Offshore Wind Farm was completed in 2010 and began generating power on the 13^th January 2011. In October 2011, Walney Windfarms Limited completed the sale of transmission assets of Walney 1 to Blue Transmission Walney 1 Limited for £105 million. Power for Walney 1 is supplied to the national grid through the onshore transformer station in Heysham, with an approximate annual net energy of 663GWh.

With a power capacity set to increase to 600MW upon the completion of Walney 2, Walney Offshore Wind Farm will make a substantial contribution to the UK’s production of renewable energy in 2012.

 Batt At Sea Ltd

Batt At Sea Ltd is a specialist in wind farm support vessels. It uses marine vehicles to transport technicians to off-shore turbine towers and to carry out diving support operations. The company is also involved in Marine Mammal Observation (MMO) and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) services to monitor wildlife in areas that surround wind farms. Batt At Sea Ltd is an equal opportunities employer, with as many female members of staff to male.

On the Walney Offshore Wind Farm project Batt At Sea Ltd provides a crew transfer service. Originally this involved transporting crews to the site for cabling works, but now Batt At Sea is the main transport vessel for each crew change. It has worked on the wind farm at Walney for 18 months.

Batt At Sea Ltd Managing Director, Terry Batt, said: “At Batt At Sea Ltd we like to view ourselves as the official guardian of the sea and our boats burn approximately a tenth of the fuel of any wind farm vessel in existence today.

“This means our fuel consumption is considerably less than any other wind farm support vessel and as the whole concept of wind farms is to offer a reduced carbon footprint through low emissions, we’re proud that our service fits in perfectly with this operation.”

 

Kicking off the new season in style

Greater Manchester Super League rugby club, the Salford City Reds, are currently celebrating the opening of a new £16 million premier sporting and community stadium.

The 70-acre Salford City Stadium is located just eight miles from Manchester City Centre and serves as a purpose-built, fully licensed sports and entertainment hub for the local community. In addition to a pitch and changing rooms for regular rugby matches, the development also includes office, retail and events facilities.

Boasting a capacity of 12,000 people, the stadium was completed in December 2011 under a joint venture between Salford City Council and Peel Holdings. Main contractor Buckingham Group Contracting constructed the stadium on derelict land, whilst the project also included a new access route via Liverpool Road and the construction of a new traffic light junction off the A57.

Salford City Council and Peel Holdings will now maintain management duties for the stadium and will licence the premises for use by the Salford rugby club. This successful partnership has already seen a number of games played at the stadium grounds, the first of which took place in January 2012.

Salford City Council Leader, Councillor John Merry, said:

“This development is another landmark in Salford’s regeneration, adding to an already impressive line-up nearby of The Lowry and MediaCityUK. The partnership approach that was adopted also means that the city will be part-owner of a major sporting and community asset.

“Sport is a big business these days and making suitable, state-of-the art facilities available for a successful club will bring economic benefits to the city. Our plan is about supporting sport in Salford.”

Salford City Council Deputy Leader, Councillor David Lancaster, added:

“The construction of the stadium has provided new opportunities to promote Salford locally, regionally and nationally. Local people and sports fans can get behind its use and in turn, this will help boost recognition for Salford as a great city to live, work and invest in.”

The new stadium has been built to Super League requirements and includes a 122m x 86m fibre based grass pitch with automated irrigation, 12 ten-person executive boxes and a 60-seat function room with additional outside seating.

A 750-seat banqueting suite with pitch side views will be located in the West Stand and will include a mobile LED dance floor, a state-of-the-art PA system and automatic blackout blinds.

Additional facilities include on-site parking for over 600 cars, two public lifts, three kitchens, a pressroom for up to forty journalists and Wi-Fi throughout the stadium.

Buckingham Group Director, Tim Brown, said:

“We are extremely delighted to have been awarded the Salford City Stadium construction. Not only does this exciting new development benefit the people of Salford, but it is a significant boost for the Salford City Reds and its fans as they begin their campaign for a new Super League licence.”

In addition to providing a home for the Salford City Reds, the new stadium also boasts a number of community sports facilities. These include a floodlit 3G artificial pitch that incorporates 3 seven-a-side pitches and a 118m x 86m recreational grass pitch. Four changing rooms for community use have also been created.

Salford City Council Leader, Councillor John Merry, said:

“This stadium is very much about the community in Salford. We wanted to create a set of facilities that would be accessible to everyone and really support local sport in the city.

“Even before it had opened, the stadium was named as one of the venues for the 2013 Rugby World Cup, which was great news for sport in the city. Having the Reds play at the stadium means more fans than ever will get to see their team play.”

Over the last decade, a substantial investment has been made in the regeneration of Salford. With Salford City Stadium now complete, the development joins Salford Quays and MediaCityUK in bringing greater economic prosperity to the region.

Tunnelling east with Crossrail

Crossrail Limited will begin the East Running Tunnels phase of its Crossrail project in the third quarter of 2012.

The operation is divided into three sections: Limmo Peninsular to Farringdon east (Drive Y), Pudding Mill Lane to Stepney Green (Drive Z) and Limmo Peninsular to Victoria Dock (Drive G).

The first tunnel to be constructed will be the Limmo Peninsular to Farringdon section, which at 8.3km will be the longest tunnel drive for Crossrail. Two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) will be launched from the shaft at Limmo Peninsular and the TBMs will then move towards Farringdon east, through Canary Wharf, Whitechapel and Liverpool Street stations.

This section is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2014. Following this, the final sprayed concrete lining works at Whitechapel and Liverpool Street station will be implemented.

The next stage will see the boring of a 2.7km tunnel from Pudding Mill Lane to Stepney Green (Drive Z). TBM will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2013 and once the two TBMs from Drive Y pass Stepney Green, a separate pair of TBMs will move from Pudding Mill Lane Portal towards Stepney Green. This section is due to be completed during the third quarter of 2014.

During the second quarter of 2014, TBM will launch at Limmo Peninsula to Victoria Dock. This section is expected to reach completion in the third quarter of 2014 and underground structures and station tunnels will be built prior to TBMs passing through locations.

Rail Minister, Theresa Villiers, said: “We have taken an important step forward in one of Europe’s biggest infrastructure projects. These tunnels will help boost rail capacity across London by 10 per cent, relieving overcrowding on the other hard-pressed services.

She added: “Crossrail is a critical project for this country which has the potential to generate up to £50bn in wider economic benefits for UK GDP and will allow the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.”

Joint contractors for the project are Dragados S.A and John Sisk & Sons (Holdings) Ltd.

Dew Piling Ltd

 For over 70 years Dew Piling Ltd has specialised in steel sheet piling for use on temporary and permanent structures, creating retaining walls, cofferdams and access shafts. Over its operational life Dew Piling has worked with a number of high profile companies within the construction industry, including Morgan Sindall Group Plc, Balfour Beatty Plc, Costain, BAM Nuttall and Carillion Plc.

On the Crossrail Rail Running Tunnels East project, Dew Piling Ltd installed a circular sheet pile cofferdam for an auxiliary shaft. This consisted of driving 18 meter long 152 PU28-1 sheet piles into the ground. Dew Piling Ltd will also be involved with additional sites across the Crossrail project.

Dew Piling Ltd General Manager, John Storry, said:

“We’re a small yet experienced team that specialises in the sheet pile industry. We’re dedicated to what we do and between us we provide an expert service from design right through to installation.”

Pudding Mill Lane Portal takes shape

The ongoing construction of the Pudding Mill Lane Portal will prepare the site for the next stage of the exciting Crossrail project.

Pudding Mill Lane is Crossrail’s eastern tunnel portal and will see tunnel boring machines (TBM) launched from Stepney Green to Pudding Mill Lane (Drive Z) in 2014.

Work on Pudding Mill Lane Portal has included the construction of a 300 metre long tunnel, a 120 metre long approach ramp and two brand new bridges over the City Mill River for both Crossrail and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) lines. A large outdoor area will also be constructed on the site in order to provide passengers with access to local bus services.

Enabling works were completed on the site in late 2011 and diaphragm walls are currently being built and installed. Following this, piling work to the retaining walls of the DLR bridge will take place.

Due to the site’s close proximity to Olympic Park, work will be suspended on Pudding Mill Lane Portal during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Following the short break for the games, work will reconvene on the site.

Main contractor for the Pudding Mill Lane Portal project is Morgan Sindall Infrastructure Limited.

Due to the construction of the portal, the nearby DLR is being relocated from its current location to a new site between the River Lea and City Mill River.

Planning permission for the new DLR was granted as part the Crossrail Act 2008, which also granted approval to the London Borough of Newham for the external look of the station. This included making decisions on which materials were to be used for fences, walls, lighting and boundary walls.

In July 2011, Newham’s Strategic Development Committee approved plans for the replacement Docklands Light Railway station at Pudding Mill Lane and construction commenced in the second half of 2011.

The purpose-built station has been designed by Weston Williamson and takes into account the future needs of the station, particularly the expected increase in passengers. As a result, measures have been taken to accommodate larger three-car DLR trains, whilst escalators will be incorporated in the scheme at a later date.

London Rail’s Chief Operating Officer, Howard Smith, said:

“TfL welcomes the opportunity presented by Crossrail’s construction to provide DLR passengers with a brand new station at Pudding Mill Lane.

“The new station will be able to accommodate many more passengers than the existing station and it will support future development as well as the future use of the Olympic stadium.”

Once the Pudding Mill Lane Portal becomes fully operational, TBMs will arrive at the site in early 2014 in order to create tunnels to Stepney Green. The project is scheduled for completion in 2015.

itmsoil

itmsoil specialises in the design, manufacture, installation and monitoring of structural and geotechnical instrumentation for use on a number of key civil engineering projects throughout the world. The company has worked on many high profile projects over the last 10 years, including the M6 and M74 Completion projects, Green Park Step Free-Access Project, Olympic Park and the Lower Lea Cable Tunnels. Current projects include the Victoria Station Upgrade for London Underground/Taylor Woodrow-Bam Nuttall, Crossrail C701 (Crossrail) and Crossrail C300/C410 (BAM Nuttall/Ferrovial/Kier).

itmsoil’s involvement with the Crossrail C701 contract includes the supply and installation of over 250 Leica TM30 Robotic Total Stations complete with thousands of Geodetic mini-prisms. These are designed to monitor a range of third party assets including London Underground, DLR and Network Rail Infrastructures. All data is presented on Crossrail’s Underground Construction Management System (UCIMS) which has been purpose built by itmsoil to manage the huge quantity of monitoring data.

itmsoil C701 Project Manager, Brendon Oram, said:

“We pride ourselves on working on some of the largest and most demanding structural and geotechnical projects in the world. Our instrumentation systems have formed a vital part of various projects’ success, providing high-quality data and assisting engineers in making timely decisions.”

Southdowns Environmental Consultants Ltd

Established in 1996 Southdowns Environmental Consultants Ltd operates in a number of industry sectors providing specialist consultancy services on acoustics, noise and vibration.

On the Crossrail project Southdowns is providing a range of technical support services associated with construction noise vibration management. This includes the preparation of consent applications under Section 61 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 and the monitoring of noise and vibration compliance once works are underway. Southdowns is supporting a number of major civil contractors across the footprint of the project.

Southdowns Environmental Consultants Ltd Director, Rick Methold, said:

“Southdowns has vast experience working alongside some of the world’s largest civil engineering contractors, so we understand the specific needs of our clients and can tailor our services accordingly. We are dealing with some challenging acoustical issues on this project ranging from the provision of giant enclosures around large worksites operating 24/7, to the deployment of monitoring equipment powered solely by hydrogen fuel cell technology.”

Confidence low as half of construction firms report income fall

A tough 12 months for theUK’s construction sector have kept confidence at low levels, with around one in ten employers fearing that their business won’t survive the recession, new research reveals.

In the Employer Attitudes and Motivations report by Sector Skills Council and Industry Training Board, CITB-ConstructionSkills, results show that nearly half (47%) of all businesses suffered a decrease in turnover in the last year – with income falling by an average of 29%. Sole traders were hardest hit, with 54% reporting a drop in trade, followed closely by small firms employing between two and nine staff, at 48%.

Furthermore, for many in the industry, the immediate future offers little consolation. Nearly three fifths (56%) of respondents said that either the next 12 months provided no business opportunities (29%), or that they didn’t know where the opportunities would come from (27%).

These trends have taken their toll on employment levels across the sector, with over a third (36%) of employers surveyed claiming to have laid staff off.Britain’s woodworking industry was the most adversely impacted, with a quarter (25%) of the affected jobs being carpenters or joiners, just ahead of labourers at 24%. However, the impact on employment has not been restricted to the trades, in larger firms – those with over 100 employees – it was managers (23%) who were more likely to be made redundant.

Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, said: “It has been another testing year for the construction and built environment industry. Times are tough and businesses need as much support as possible.

“Through listening to employers we know that their main challenges are reducing their expenditure, increased competition for contracts and preparing for new environmental legislation.

“We are further developing training packages to address these concerns, consulting with central and local Government to ensure that the public money which is being spent is done so transparently with a positive impact on the industry’s skills and continuing to speak with central and local governments about the positive impact construction has on local jobs.

“We’ve also implemented initiatives such as our Cut the Carbon campaign, which help to prepare the industry for new ‘green legislation’ and give them the skills they need to be as competitive as possible.”

On a regional level, there were mixed fortunes for different areas. In the South East, for example, indicative figures show that there was a 13% spike in overall staff numbers, compared to a reduction of between 16-18%  in Northern Ireland, London and the South West.

The impact of the current economic climate has also seen training levels in the industry fall – with almost a third (29%) of businesses reducing their outgoings in this area. This pattern looks likely to continue into 2012, with a fifth (20%) of employers planning to scale training budgets back even further.

Mark Farrarcontinued: “When budgets are tight, training is sadly often one of the first areas to be reined in. This is particularly concerning given that one in six workers will retire in the next ten years, leaving a gaping hole in the industry’s skill base.

“We add value to employers in this area through a number of ways, such as our Management & Supervisory Development Programme which was introduced to improve the sector’s leadership attributes. But we’ll also continue to provide new, innovative solutions that respond to the industry’s changing needs.

“Only through swift action can we start to generate the right skills for future growth, locally and nationally.”

 

CITB-ConstructionSkills achieves consensus

CITB-ConstructionSkills will continue to use the statutory levy/grant system to support skills and training development after the industry returned a positive vote on its consensus consultation, outlining that the Industry Training Board has an important role to play as firms continue to struggle with economic uncertainty.

Thirteen consensus federations pledged their continued support for the levy and grant system with levy-paying employers giving the current system a 69% approval rating – a level that has remained unchanged since 2007.

The positive vote came after extensive consultation with employers and industry federations around levy, grants and funding issues. CITB-ConstructionSkills has committed to step up engagement with industry around key issues to understand the concerns of the industry and adopt solutions to support the development of skills and training for economic growth, both nationally and locally.

Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, said:

“We are delighted to have received the support of the industry for its Levy/Grant system. We’ve put employers at the heart of our work, listened to their views and shaped our strategies to make sure we support industry at this difficult time, but we recognise that there is still much to be done.

“Economic uncertainty is still a cause for concern, and we know that next year will be tough – that’s why it’s important for us to work closely with employers and trade bodies to provide quality information, advice and guidance to increase productivity, develop the right products and services to meet current challenges and work to recruit the best and brightest talent into industry – so that we have a sustainable skills base once we emerge from the recession.

“We will continue to provide training grants for federation members to assist skills development in different parts of the industry. By investing in training now, the industry will be ready to meet future skills needs for the upturn.”

Alasdair Reisner, Head of Industry Affairs at the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) said:

“CECA is in full support of CITB-ConstructionSkills and the renewal of the statutory Levy Order that will enable it to carry on supporting the development of skills and training.

“The last few years have certainly been challenging for the UK industry. However, we believe that CITB-ConstructionSkills’ work is as important now as it has ever been. To ensure the industry moves forward into the future, we need to give CITB-ConstructionSkills our continued support.”

The Levy Order will pass through Parliament for approval in early 2012. For more information of CITB-ConstructionSkills’ three year Levy Order and the work being undertaken to deliver the right skills and knowledge for the construction industry, visit www.cskills.org.

It’s not about the money: Construction’s ‘Generation Thumb’ want a whole lot more

The construction industry’s future employees are highly ambitious, clued-up and are keen to quickly climb the career ladder, according to the findings of a CITB-ConstructionSkills’ survey hosted on its youth website ‘bconstructive’ last month.

 Those born after 1985, nicknamed “Generation Thumb” because of their renowned enthusiasm for texting and gaming, cited ‘the opportunity to become your own boss’ as the most appealing factor about working in construction. This was followed closely by the variety offered by working on different projects and the opportunity to become a master craftsman in a specialist area. Surprisingly, the potential financial rewards were low down the priority listing for youngsters but the majority thought that earnings in construction were about the same (41%) or higher (35%) than other careers.

When choosing an organisation to work for, the respondents cited a company’s ‘commitment to training and development’ as the most important consideration. This was almost matched by the organisation’s ‘reputation as a fair employer’. However, a company’s size, location, reward package and its commitment to the green agenda were not rated highly in the pecking order.

‘Teamwork’ topped the poll as the aptitude, ability or skill the participants thought most useful to bring to the industry. Project management and organisational skills however, were not rated highly with most reckoning that technical ability, confidence and physical fitness were of more value to a prospective employer. The gaming generation also placed ‘hand to eye co-ordination skills/good motor skills’ higher in the skills stakes than people skills.

Commenting on the survey, Janette Welton-Pai, Sector Strategy Manager for Careers at CITB-ConstructionSkills said: “It’s clear from the survey that young people interested in construction are driven, ambitious and ready for tough challenges. This is exactly what construction needs – quality candidates who are keen to raise the bar and meet the future needs of an ever changing industry.

“As an industry we need to pay close attention to the expectations and asks around training and development. Opportunities for up-skilling and continuous improvement must be an integral part of our sector’s offering or we risk losing talented youngsters who will bring their skills and energy elsewhere.”

Other survey findings include:

–       Three quarters of respondents (76%) thought that 20 – 30% of the construction workforce were female. According to latest stats women make up only 13% of the workforce, 12% in non-manual positions and just under1% in manual roles although the industry is actively trying to raise awareness of opportunities for females in the sector.

–       The qualification or training most associated with construction were Apprenticeship, BTEC Diploma, NVQ / Diploma.

–       Over half (52%) thought apprenticeships was the most important way to help secure a career in the industry. Only 1 in 10 thought higher qualifications such as a Postgraduate Qualification or a Higher National Diploma were important to getting into the industry.

The Generation Thumb survey was conducted as part of the CITB-ConstuctionSkills’ Positive Image campaign which has been working on behalf of industry to attract new blood into the sector.

STATIONERS HALL, LONDON (2011)

A missing fragment requires replacement

Restoration, Conservation and Preservation are intrinsically linked and it is not often the 3 are employed separately. 

Faced with a broken piece of stained glass can involve several methods of treatment:

•  To retain as much of the original glass as possible (conservation)
• To replace any missing fragments that are either too many or too small to make viable repairs (restoration)
• To protect all the collected fragments once a cohesive piece has been made from them (preservation)

A set of 5 stunning windows made by Mayer & Co. of London and Munich in the 1860’s had suffered some damage, but mostly a thick coating of soot from a fire in a nearby wooden screen.  The windows depict the relevant greats of the age such as Tyndale and William Shakespeare; the main window depicting Caxton presenting his new printing press to the King.

The new piece is painted and edge- bonded together with the remaining fragments. All fragments must be flush on the back to allow for a back-plate to sit flat against the repaired piece.

Once fitted back in position, the repair work is visually lost amongst the decorative details

This edge-bonded piece was back-plated with 1mm float glass and sealed round the edges with acid-free silicone before reinstatement into the window.

Although on a small scale, these fragment replacements are imperative to the ‘legibility’ of the window’s design.  Modern resins and methods have enabled the eradication of myriad straps of lead to hold together small fragments of glass.  New inserts (as seen above) can be carefully cut and painted to fill the missing gaps which, from the distance most windows are viewed, are lost to the eye amongst all the detail of the design as a whole.

 

 Inferior Restoration

Unfortunately, not all restoration is good restoration.  As we can see from this image of the 2 heads of the King and Queen, the Queen’s head has been replaced with a new piece of glass painted by an inferior hand, which sits uncomfortably next to the superb work of the Mayer & Co painter’s handiwork.  This is why it is important not to accept the cheapest price for such work – do so at your peril!

ISOTHERMAL GLAZING

The rare pieces of ancient and mediæval glass found in our churches are now in such poor condition that they need protecting from the elements if they are to survive.  The pitting and white spotting usually seen on the outside surface are caused by chemicals leaching out of the glass in exchange with chemicals from the atmosphere mixed with water.  To prevent this, the glass has to be protected from the rain on the outside and from condensation forming on the inside.

To achieve this, the glass has to be removed, protective glazing fitted in its place and the delicate glass reinstated forward by an inch or so and ventilated to the inside of the building.  For entire windows, the ancient glass can be fitted into metal frames and fixed to the inside of the mullions, leaving the protective glazing (glass, polycarbonate, laminated or toughened glass or simple leaded lights) to bear the brunt of the weather.  This can also be carried out for the benefit of individual pieces of glass (as shwon above) which can be fixed proud of their supporting glazing, leaving an air gap between it and its protective glazing.