Kier bags first £42m affordable housing grant

Considerate Constructors Scheme announces 2017 monitoring Checklist

Considerate Constructors Scheme announces 2017 monitoring Checklist

New Checklist brings greater focus on key issues of:

• tackling illegal workers
• encouraging an improved road safety culture

 

London, United Kingdom, 6 January 2017: The Considerate Constructors Scheme – the national Scheme to improve the image of the construction industry – has announced a new Monitors’ Checklist.

The Checklist, which came into effect on 1 January 2017, is the key method which Scheme Monitors use to assess and score sites, companies and suppliers’ performance against the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice.

The Scheme has identified two pressing issues requiring a more concerted effort from the construction industry – tackling illegal working and improving road safety.

Although the 2017 Checklist has undergone minor changes in all five sections, there are new questions within the Specific Data section – which captures key information and identifies trends within the industry. The first set of questions have been introduced to encourage sites, companies and supply chains to examine how they are ensuring the legitimacy of their workforce:

• Are there processes in place to ensure subcontractors (and subsequent subcontractors) are conducting right to work checks?
• Are physical spot checks conducted to ensure minimum standards of right to work checks are taking place within the supply chain?

Two questions have also been added to encourage greater adoption of a more considerate road safety culture. The questions assess the extent to which CLOCS – the national standard for Construction Logistics and Community Safety – is embedded across Scheme-registered sites, companies and suppliers.

• Is the company a CLOCS Champion?
• Is this site operating to the requirements of the CLOCS Standard?

This enhancement to the Checklist will gauge the level to which those registered with the Scheme are helping to raise safety standards for every road user and pedestrian affected by construction vehicles. Recognising this important industry standard for the protection of vulnerable road users has been part of the Scheme’s monitoring Checklist for a number of years. In October, the Scheme became a partner in delivering the CLOCS Standard, further strengthening its support of this important initiative.

Commenting on the new Checklist, Chief Executive of the Scheme, Edward Hardy said: “With over 18,000 monitoring visits to sites, companies, and suppliers every year, the Scheme is the central part of instigating change to help raise standards and improve the image of the construction industry.

“The Scheme’s monitoring Checklists are the backbone to effecting this change, and we are pleased to be introducing greater focus on helping to address the critical issues of tackling illegal working in construction and helping to embed a culture of safety through greater adoption of the CLOCS Standard.”

Click here to read the new Checklist.

The post Considerate Constructors Scheme announces 2017 monitoring Checklist appeared first on http://ukconstructionblog.co.uk

Co-op to spend £70m opening 100 stores in 2017

Protect Your Asphalt Pavement From Winter Weather With These 6 Tips

You might be surprised to learn that it is not necessarily the harsh cold temperatures that can negatively impact your asphalt surface. It is actually the freeze thaw cycle that happens continuously all winter long. When ice and snow begin to melt, it creates pooling water on asphalt surfaces, which can compromise the integrity of the surface. On top of that, as water freezes it expands. Expanding water in small potholes and cracks can increase pressure, creating cracks and can cause further damage to your asphalt surface. The use of hot-mix asphalt is important in colder climates because it is engineered specifically to withstand freezing and thawing cycles.

Protect your asphalt investment from the winter weather with these helpful tips!

1. Clear your pavement of debris before the snow hits

To make sure your asphalt is in great shape once all of the snow melts, it is important that you set it up for a great start. This means, a thorough asphalt or street cleaning service. Consider getting your asphalt professionally cleaned for two key reasons. The first, to reveal any issues, like cracks or potholes, which should be repaired immediately. Secondly, to ensure that large pieces of debris don’t freeze and damage your asphalt surface over the course of the long, cold winter. Large debris can cause problems with snowplows and damage your asphalt surface. So cleaning your asphalt surface in advance will keep your asphalt looking great come spring.

2. Crack fill and sealcoat (if there is still time!)

For a proper curing, seal coat needs a nightly temperature of at least 50 degrees. It is likely that in your area, sealcoating is no longer possible, but if your asphalt surface needs some pre-winter TLC, consider doing some crack filling to help prevent further damage to your surface over the winter.

3. Pay attention to pooling water

If you see pooling water now, you could see a pothole in the spring. Consider making repairs to compromised areas of your asphalt surface. Or schedule a spring service now with your local and reputable asphalt repair contractor to ensure your paving repair job can be fixed early, before the problem grows (literally) as the weather warms up.

4. Shovel regularly

One of the key methods to protect your asphalt surface is to keep it free of standing water and snow over the winter months. The simplest method to do this is to shovel regularly. By taking the time to remove snow before it can melt and cause damage, you’ll keep your asphalt surface clear and prevent water damage.

Using a plow to remove snow is very efficient, but be cautious, plows can snag in small cracks and potholes and cause surface damage to your asphalt pavement. If you are looking to hire professional help for snow removal, make sure you do your homework. Consider a professional snow management team with experience in your area using commercial grade equipment.

5. Think Twice Before You De-ice

If you have a professionally installed asphalt driveway, you don’t have to worry about salt damaging your surface or causing potholes. But, there are environmental effects you should consider before your apply salt to your surface. Salt in water runoff affects plants and animals as well as local waterways. Did you know that studies have shown increased salinity in rivers, lakes and drinking water as a direct result of roadway salting? So while there are benefits to salt use, it is important to shovel and plow snow away first and use deicers sparingly. At Wolf Paving, we choose to use a mix of sand and salt because we find this is the best for melting, improving traction and having as little impact on the environment as possible.

6. Repair Potholes

Pothole repair as the weather turns cold can be a tricky process if you are not a trained professional. It is, however, important to repair potholes in the winter to prevent them from spreading and causing further damage. At Wolf Paving, we are pothole paving experts. In fact, we have custom cold-mix asphalt designed specifically for Wisconsin winters and pothole repair. Take a look at our video on the cold mix asphalt process, from start to finish. 

At Wolf Paving, we own the materials and plants, which allows us to control the entire process and provide you with the highest quality custom asphalt mixes to meet your specific paving needs.

Is your asphalt prepared for the cold winter weather? Follow our tips to protect your asphalt surface and save money from costly repairs in the long run.

With 75 years of asphalt paving experience, from highways to driveways, we are your local source for all of your asphalt paving needs.

It’s not too early to request a quote and get on our list for spring projects! Call Wolf Paving today! For the Milwaukee area, call us at 262-965-2121. For the Madison area, call us at 608-249-7931.

 

The post Protect Your Asphalt Pavement From Winter Weather With These 6 Tips appeared first on https://www.wolfpaving.com/blog

How to grow your construction company in 2017

How to grow your construction company in 2017

When you look at some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs – we’re talking about the likes of Richard Branson and Steve Jobs here – the one thing they have in common is relentless ambition.

They turned small startups into giant multinational corporations with eye-watering turnovers and profit margins by embracing a winning mindset that privileges innovation and development.

Adopting a similar approach will also help you grow your construction company into an even more successful operation in 2017 – despite the shaky political and economic future the industry is facing.

So your business doesn’t get stuck in a profit-destroying rut next year, we’re sharing a few top tips for careful expansion. Take a look.

#1: project the right image

To chase – and win – bigger contracts and projects, you need to project the right image of yourself as a capable and experienced construction expert.

Part of that means setting yourself up with the necessary infrastructure, like creating new headquarters from which to push business development. Instead of working from a makeshift onsite base, look at finding an office or shop to let that’ll impress future clients.

But you also need to build a strong brand identity that instantly communicates the ethics and quality you constantly provide in your work. Your first step should be hiring a graphic designer to revamp your logo.

#2: invest in up-to-date technology

The construction industry has been teetering on the edge of a digital revolution for the past few years but looks set to become much more heavily reliant on technology in 2017. To beat the competition, you’re going to have to stay on top of all the latest advancements.

Software to manage scheduling, pay, inspections and safety records is definitely worth an investment, purely for the amount of otherwise wasted admin time it can save you.

One of the most useful digital tools to consider buying is Building Information Modelling (BIM). Essentially, it creates 3D models of building plans, and its benefits – from reducing errors to attracting new business – are transforming worksites around the UK.

#3: build a strong team of employees

Up until now, you’ve probably kept your company ticking over by taking on a lot of the key responsibilities yourself, but it’s not a healthy approach to uphold as your workload expands.

You need to build a team of trustworthy employees who can help manage the important tasks, so that you can keep standards high even as you get busier – and the trick to accomplishing exactly that is hiring people smarter than you.

Complement your own skill set by employing staff who’ll provide expertise in a variety of different areas – accounting, law, marketing – and there’ll be nothing your business can’t handle.

Do you have any other top tips on how to successfully grow a business? Have an insight into the future of the construction industry in 2017 you’d like to share? Leave a comment and let us know.

The post How to grow your construction company in 2017 appeared first on http://ukconstructionblog.co.uk

Hewden cranes on the block

https://t.co/56usPTTpkY thanks for following us! Have a great day :) #pavingcontractor

https://t.co/56usPTTpkY thanks for following us! Have a great day :) #driveways #pavingcontractor

— Driveway Contractor (@drivewaysuk) January 3, 2017

from Twitter https://twitter.com/drivewaysuk

January 03, 2017 at 06:04PM