Construction Industry is bouncing back at a slower rate
The construction industry is still making a recovery but progress began slowing down again in November, compared to during the summer. Policymakers will be concerned with the news that employment rates are still declining. In the summer months the employment sector was considered to be the solution to jobs being lost in the public sector when the funds are cut.
Sarah Ledger, economist at Markit and author of the figures asserted that, “While mild growth of the UK construction sector was reported in November, PMI data signalled that operating conditions remained challenging. New contract wins were restricted by lengthy negotiation periods and deferred spending by clients. Furthermore, jobs were cut again, indicating that constructors see little need to maintain current capacity. Expectations for business activity over the coming year did rise in the month, although confidence remained below pre-recession levels.”
The economy will be unable to rely on the construction industry to being the saviour of the recession in the UK. The boost in construction during the second and third quarters was due to special factors which are no longer influential. However, there are certain projects in Greater London which are having a positive effect on the construction industry so it’s not all doom and gloom.
iPhone App for the Construction Industry
The company, SmartBuild Software, have developed an iPhone application which enables construction site managers to monitor the clean-up of their sites by sub-contractors. There is a wide spread problem of sub-contractors being either very slow when cleaning-up or simply leaving the site without doing it. This can result in the contractor incurring additional costs by employing extra staff to do the cleaning work.
The software was designed after research was carried out and it emerged that there was significant demand for a technological solution to the ongoing problem. The software is suitable for construction companies of all sizes. The app capabilities include recording and actioning a clean-up by a specific date or penalties are issued, sending warning notifications to workers and reporting on the performance of workers. The dashboard displays issues that are pending, late and resolved.
SmartBuild Software headquarters are at NovaUDC, Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at University College Dublin. They are marketing their new products at the UK, UK and Irish market.
Piling Rig Accident
Two construction companies have been fined for an accident that occurred in December 2007 on Tower Street in Hull. On the busy street in rush hour, a piling rig being used for the construction of a hotel fell over and rolled into the middle of the road.
Amazingly, no one was killed or even injured in the event, but both companies, who pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety Work Act, have been fined. The main contractor, Multibuild, who provided the stone platform on which the piling rig worked, have been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £18,687 in costs. Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering Ltd, who were sub-contractor, responsible for carrying out the work, have been fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £17,676 in costs.
Dave Redman, the HSE Inspector, has said that, “It is every company’s responsibility to ensure that employees and members of the public are not exposed to danger from heavy construction machinery. There is extensive guidance governing safe working in this sector, and we hope today’s prosecution serves to remind people of their duties so that we don’t witness an incident of this kind again.”
Piling Rig Working Platform Guide
It is important that working platforms for piling rig contractors are robust to ensure compliance with health and safety guidelines. Accidents are very dangerous on piling rig platforms and can often prove fatal. The platform needs to be stable to prevent it from settling into the ground under the weight and pressure of the piling equipment.
Piling rig working platforms are made from granular material that is crushed and compacted. For extra support geotextiles are also used. The thickness of the platform is decided by several factors. The rig type including the model, manufacturer and also how the machine is set up for use. The soil type and soil strength; whether it is cohesive (clay) or cohesionless (sand, gravel, most chalks)
Piling rig working platforms should be at least 2m longer than the construction area any ramp platforms should be should be at a safe and suitable angle. If it was necessary to remove any obstructions and holes were left then they must be backfilled properly so that there are no soft ground areas.
Ensure a safe piling rig working platform by following these guidelines and serious accidents will be avoided.
Decline of Home Construction in US
There has been a drop in the number of houses being built in the US during the month of June. According to Commerce Department figures, US home construction is at its lowest level since October 2009.
Builders have been forced to hold back on building projects despite a reported 2.1% increase in building permit applications. This is a positive sign for the future but with the current US unemployment rate being under 10% there are no advancements as yet.
New home and apartment developments fell 5% between May and June which was triggered by a 20% decrease in demand for apartments and condominiums.
High unemployment rates are cancelling out mortgage rates being at a record low. The figures have highlighted the fragility of the US recovery.