THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF VINCI CONSTRUCTION UK ISSUE 50 / SUMMER 2015
01 NUCLEAR Making an Impact VINCI Technology Centre UK has a long 02 history of performing drop tests and has been involved in the nuclear industry since the 1950’s. The company was recently commissioned by a client in the 03 nuclear industry to carry out a drop test of an 18 tonne flask used for the storage and transportation of intermediate level nuclear waste. Measurements were 04 recorded during the drop to verify pre-test analysis of the flasks prior to use.
RETAIL Dixons Carphone FM Contract Renewed
VINCI Facilities has successfully negotiated a third contract renewal with Dixons and has been awarded the facilities management of a further 900 Carphone stores following the recent Dixons and Carphone Warehouse merger. The renewal extends to more than 1400 outlets across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Colourful Coatings in Carlisle Conren has been called upon to complete a renovation project for David Hayton Ltd in Carlisle, the leading Peugeot Dealer for the North West. Five years ago, an area of approximately 845m2 was prepared and coated with Conren Dustguard heavy duty epoxy resin. After five years of heavy commercial use, the floor was ready for a refresh. David Haytons were so impressed with the performance of the Dustguard coating they once again opted for this durable system. A MONUMENTAL LEGACY PROJECT
Completing this summer, With one academic building already minimum of 600mm to take them above handed over to the University, the the one-in-200-year flood levels. PUBLIC SECTOR team are preparing the other four for Swansea University’s Bay The delivery of the development has been North West Construction Hub occupation by staff in August. This will Framework Campus is one of the largest soon be followed by over 900 students made even more complex by the site’s moving into the 11 residential buildings in exposed coastal location and its close VINCI Construction UK is one of 11 knowledge economy projects September. The project has presented the proximity to a Site of Special Scientific contractors to have secured a place on the project team with many environmental, Interest. At times, dealing sensitively North West Construction Hub (NWCH) in the UK and among technical and logistical challenges but, with the delicate ecological balance of framework for projects valued between the dunes threatened to slow the project the top five in Europe. as ever, VINCI Construction UK has been £2m and £9m. The NWCH is being equal to the task. considerably. managed by Manchester City Council and VINCI Construction UK Swansea University Bay Campus will covers Cumbria, Merseyside, Lancashire, To allow the procurement team to meet Greater Manchester and Cheshire. It is budgets by negotiating economies of serve as a leading institution dedicated was awarded the contract to developing engineers of the future, part of the Government’s North West scale, the project team had to drive the 16 Improvement and Efficiency Partnership, projects concurrently. This proved toughest and while under construction, the site to design-and-build five has created a wealth of apprenticeships aimed at helping councils save money in the initial stages, when all 16 designs through collaboration. academic and 11 residential had to be completed at the same time. for young people, jobs for local people and opportunities for businesses in the buildings in 2013, as part To complicate matters further, high local area. Working together to overcome groundwater levels, proximity to high ecological and locational challenges, as well of the overall £450million tidelines and fine sandy soil would have as time constraints, the project team is set resulted in excavations filling with water to leave a remarkable legacy for the local campus development. very quickly. The problem was solved at community and South Wales as a whole. the outset by raising all foundations by a
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MANUFACTURING Crossrail West Stations VINCI-Costain JV Wins First Stage of M4 Corridor ECI Contract The western section of the Crossrail route Successful Bridge Launch at runs from Paddington in west London Jaguar Land Rover to Heathrow Airport and Reading. West The Building division is currently Drayton is one of the stations on the constructing a new £18m despatch facility route currently undergoing a number for Jaguar Land Rover at their Solihull of enhancements to facilitate the new plant. Crossrail services due to begin in 2019. A key milestone of the project was A weekend possession at West Drayton reached with the construction and Station saw the successful installation installation of a new 350 tonne bridge of the steelwork for the new footbridge which will be used to transport vehicles which comprises a 14.8m span steel truss from the production facility to the new with staircases and lift shafts. despatch facility. With neither side under possession at The 181 metre long bridge took five the same time, the manouevre presented months to construct. a number of logistical and technical challenges which the team successfully overcame. West Drayton is one of 13 locations that Taylor Woodrow is working on as part of the western section of the Crossrail route.
Nice Pak An £18m contract has been awarded to design and build a 400,000 sq ft production and warehouse facility for Nice Upminster Depot Pak in Wigan. The Ealing and Upminster Depot project The building will incorporate modern will provide London Underground with design features with cross-docking and an an infrastructure to fully operate and eaves height of around 11m. maintain the new S7 stock tube trains. The US-owned company, which has its UK Taylor Woodrow’s contract involves headquarters in Flintshire, North Wales, the design, procurement, installation, is hoping to move into its new premises testing and commissioning of modified next year. and upgraded maintenance and stabling facilities in both depots at either end of the District line.
The Welsh Government has awarded Grands Projets), the first stage of an ECI motorway includes a 2.5 km cable-stayed A significant milestone was reached the Costain/VINCI Joint Venture (50% (Early Contractor Involvement) contract viaduct above the river Usk, two key recently at Upminster, with the Costain and 50% VINCI, represented by for the M4 Corridor to the south of the city interchanges and 36 structures. completion of the first phase of the Taylor Woodrow and VINCI Construction of Newport. This new 24 km section of maintenance shed which now has four maintenance pits. During the project delivery period the depots remain fully operational for the SPECIALIST Project Completion Achieved at TRANSPORT current fleet of tube trains. EXPERTISE RCA Woo Building Project completion has been achieved at Connaught Tunnel Secures VINCI Technology Centre UK the Royal College of Arts’ Woo Building in CEEQUAL Excellent Rating Adds Concrete Tests to UKAS Battersea. Schedule Named in honour of Sir Po-Shing and VINCI Technology Centre UK Limited Lady Helen Woo’s close association has been given approval by UKAS with the RCA, the four-storey building HERITAGE (United Kingdom Accreditation Services) is the 3rd phase of development at to add seven tests to its Schedule of the RCA's Battersea campus and will Protecting the Country’s Heritage Accreditation. house two programmes of the School of Material - Ceramics and Glass (C&G) and VINCI Technology Centre UK has been These are for specialist concrete testing Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork awarded a commission to design, install involving strength, density and mixing and Jewellery (GSM&J). and monitor a Cathodic Protection system and will be used to support major civil for a major refurbishment project at the engineering projects. A saw-tooth roof covers the structure, old Marylebone Town Hall. while the façade’s main material is a ribbed metal sinusoidal sheet system PUBLIC BUILDINGS Cathodic protection is an electro-chemical EDUCATION with curtain wall glazing, featuring process for arresting corrosion. It was first both rendered and exposed brickwork. Lincolnshire County Council developed by VINCI Technology Centre UK The project required a very high spec Liberty Point Student Last year, the VINCI Facilities and engineers in the 1980s and is particularly industrial finish with exposed soffits, Accommodation Mouchel joint venture entered into a £45m useful for heritage structures as it avoids natural concrete and screed finishes, paint contract to deliver facilities management the need for façade removal. grade block walls and exposed services. and property management services to Opened in 1920, the Town Hall remains Staff and students will begin using the the municipal buildings and schools of a fine example of early 20th century space in the 2015/16 academic year. Lincolnshire County Council. municipal architecture. It was designed by the early 20th century, British architect, Following several months of detailed Sir Edwin Cooper and listed in 1981. mobilisation planning and execution, the contract commenced at the beginning of April, ensuring that this five year In recognition of months of sustained effort, partnership achieved a successful start. Connaught Tunnel has secured a CEEQUAL Excellent rating with a score of 87.6%. A CEEQUAL assessment is a life cycle assessment of all the sustainable aspects The Building division has been appointed of a project, from design through to preferred contractor for a £12.5m student construction and project completion. accommodation project at Liberty Point in Southampton. This score is so far the highest on Crossrail and the highest achieved by a Taylor The contract involves the refurbishment Woodrow project to date. The last CEEQUAL of 233 existing student accommodation Excellent rating was on the King’s Cross rooms/facilities and the construction of Station Redevelopment project. 269 new student accommodation rooms within the concrete shell of the Centrica Offices.
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CAR PARKING HEALTHCARE Regeneration of New Covent Garden Market Moves A Step Closer Congrip Transforms Gorse Reducing the Cost of NHS Stacks Car Park in Chester Buildings Conren’s high performance Congrip Integrated Health Projects (IHP) the joint system has recently been used in a venture between VINCI Construction UK major mixed-use design and build and Sir Robert McAlpine, along with the development project in the centre of other five ProCure21+ Principal Supply Chester. Congrip is an epoxy resin car Chain Partners, have been announced as park deck coating, which was installed 2015 Constructing Excellence Finalists for to basement car park levels – 2 and – 3. the P21+ Cost Reduction Programme. The tamped concrete finish of level – 1 of the car park was sealed using Conren’s The Cost Reduction Programme is Lapidolith. Demarcation lines, 361 delivering repeatable rooms and parking bays, directional arrows and standardised components to achieve and signage was completed to all three levels even exceed the 14% savings required by using Conren’s epoxy resin Line Paint, the Government Construction Strategy. with rumble strips being installed to the This enables ProCure21+ to deliver high- splitter areas of ramps using Conren’s FS quality healthcare environments and Screed epoxy mortar. release NHS funds for front line services.
Flagship Hospital Contract
COMMERCIAL Six Pancras Square External construction has been completed at Six Pancras Square for client BNP Paribas Real Estate. The multi-level office building, with retail space, forms A leading private hospital group has part of the thriving mixed-use VSM, the 50/50 joint venture between VSM was selected by Covent Garden The remaining 20 acres of land will be awarded the Building division a contract development at King’s Cross Central and St. Modwen Properties PLC and VINCI Market Authority in March 2012 to deliver transformed by VSM into: to construct a £28m state-of-the- PLC, and its partner Covent Garden the regeneration of the New Covent Garden art hospital in West Didsbury, South has an impressive line-up of tenants ˇ three high quality residential Market Authority, have announced that Market site, including the provision of a Manchester. The new facility will replace including Google. neighbourhoods comprising 3,000 new the commercial contracts and planning modern new market. the existing Spire Manchester Hospital homes; Covering 27 ha, the King’s Cross Central agreements for the regeneration of the 57 and will be a flagship hospital within This landmark ten year project, the largest in development is said to be one of the largest acre New Covent Garden Market in Nine ˇ 135,000 sq ft of office space; and Spire’s portfolio, incorporating some the Nine Elms regeneration area, will see the construction projects in Europe and has Elms, London, have gone unconditional. of the most up-to-date facilities and completely transformed the area from an delivery of over 500,000 sq ft of new state-of- ˇ 100,000 sq ft of retail, leisure and new configuration concepts. underused and largely derelict space. This latest milestone will see the main the-art market facilities across a 37 acre site community facilities, including shops, enabling works to the new market start in which will house the 200 market businesses cafés and restaurant Summer 2015. currently employing around 2,500 people. LABC Award Winner The Harbour Mental Health Hospital in Blackpool was the night’s winner at the LABC North West Regional Awards INTERNATIONAL With a total storage capacity of over and was one of two VINCI Construction 2 million cubic metres, the use of post- UK projects which reached the final, Record Breaking Reservoir Project tensioned concrete has produced the the other being the Countess of Chester largest drinking water storage facility in Hospital redevelopment. The Harbour In 2012, the National Water Company the world. was nominated for the categories of Best of Saudi Arabia awarded the design and Public Service Building and Best Large build contract for the Briman Strategic The project has also been highly Commercial Building. Reservoirs to the Al Muhaidib/VINCI commended by the British Expertise Construction UK joint venture. Awards in the category of Outstanding International Design Project. The design solution used for the The team is on track to deliver the 11 construction of the reservoirs has earned reservoir project ahead of schedule. the project a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
THE POWER OF COMMUNICATION
by Angela Stanley, power of the brand and word of mouth We can attend careers fairs, advertise in Human Resources Director, communication. But it also made me all the right places and have a fantastic VINCI Construction UK Limited think more about how we use these web site that showcases what we do to make a positive impact at a time and why people should work for us. But when there is a skills shortage in an the best way to have a positive impact industry that has suffered the worst on people’s perceptions and help shape I was recently interviewing a candidate recession since the second world war career ambitions is by being a better who was an employee of one of our and that continues to suffer from lack of communicator of all the good things we do. competitors who spoke so passionately awareness when it comes to career paths and choices. So my challenge to you, is to talk about her role, that I was left wondering enthusiastically about your role, the why she had actually come for an We are the best ambassadors for our company and the industry and, together, interview at VINCI Construction UK. industry as well as the companies we we will start to make a difference to how Her answer? She had been looking for a work for. Every one of us has the ability much people know about the fantastic suitable opportunity with VINCI, the biggest to talk about our roles at work, the career career opportunities available. paths we have taken to get there and the and best construction company in the world Some of you may be wondering whether and she was very excited to be talking to us - pride we feel when we see the company we work for create a building such as the candidate got the job – the interviews she would love to have the opportunity to work are ongoing but watch this space. with us and contribute to our successes. Swansea University, or maintain a facility such as the Olympic Stadium. These are This conversation brought home to me legacy projects that will be used and what I guess we already know about the enjoyed for generations to come.
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ˇ Working with the design team, the Emma McNab, who champions Taylor young people were given an Woodrow’s Women in Construction Stand Out Make a Difference introduction to how 3D modelling and initiative and who organised the event, Day at Phoenix School Farm BIM are used on construction projects. summed up her answer to the question saying: ˇ Working in small groups with members of the civil engineering team, the young “Creating clear and achievable career people were given the task of building paths is critical to ensuring that the very structures that were as tall as possible, whilst being structurally stable, best women join the industry and make it out of spaghetti held together with to the top. marshmallow joints. We have a huge number of very talented The day ended with a session that looked women working across the diverse range at the career paths open for young people to come into the industry. of skills and disciplines in the engineering and construction industry. Taylor Woodrow’s Gemma Hassan, Darren Over and Colin Dent recently spent the day Yet to be successful as the demands on at Phoenix School Farm in Hammersmith. infrastructure grow, we need more. Our Started in 2007, the farm provides a challenge is to find new ways to encourage learning resource for the school, local this number to climb more rapidly. community groups and offers volunteering opportunities for local residents. At Taylor Woodrow I am pleased to say that The task for the day was to reorganise the we are successfully increasing the number growing space in a large polytunnel by of female engineering graduates we recruit creating raised beds in the middle of the and have now boosted our overall number of tunnel, and moving older raised beds to London Marathon the side of the tunnel with new drainage female employees to 16%. holes in them. However, the focus of the evening went further than encouraging young people And while still short of representing the To help fuel their efforts, the regular into the industry by posing the question overall UK workforce, this is above the volunteers treated Gemma, Darren and of how can we inspire the best women to industry norm of 12%.” Colin to a lunch of homemade soup and The annual Taylor Woodrow reach the top of their professions? cake. Inspiration Lecture was Lively discussion from the floor chaired recently held at the Institution What better example than to listen to by Anthony Oliver (former NCE Editor, the experiences of three women who now editor of Infrastructure Intelligence) Bring Your Daughter to Work Day of Civil Engineers, a befitting have done just that. Emma McNab, suggested that if our industry addresses Business Excellence Manager for Taylor Four of our employees completed this venue for an occasion the problems of flexibility and work life Woodrow; Ann Collins, MD of Conren year’s London Marathon and combined intended to raise the profile balance, and brings schools and colleges their personal achievement with and Beth West, HS2 Commercial Director to understand the diversity of skills the fundraising for their chosen charities. At among young people of captured the imagination of the young, industry needs, the gender gap might sort the time of going to print, Mark Wilding, construction as a rewarding predominantly female, audience with itself out quite naturally: in fact we would Rob Martin, Becky King and Graham explanations of their equally successful attract and retain the best from all genders. Crockford had collectively raised over career path and profession. but very different career paths. £7000 for: Children with Cancer UK, Parkinson’s UK, Get Kids Going and the Richard House Hospice in Beckton.
Pink Ribbon Walk The Tottenham Court Road Station Upgrade Project recently took part in Bring Your Daughter to Work Day. Intended to increase the awareness of career opportunities within the construction industry, it also enabled project staff to give their daughters a better understanding of what their jobs entail.
Eighteen young people aged between 11 Mandy Schmid, Sal Kearsley and Nicky and 15 visited the project and were given Kings from VINCI Facilities were joined by a tour of the newly opened Tottenham Katrina Gillespie from VINCI Construction Court Road Station, which came into use UK Building division on Saturday 9th May in January as part of Phase 1 of the project. to don their walking boots and take part in This included taking a look at the back of a ten mile Pink Ribbon walk. house areas, not usually seen by members of the public. The event took place in the beautiful grounds and surrounding area of Following lunch, three team exercises Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire and, took place: despite the bad weather, they walked alongside thousands of people to complete Speakers (left to right): Beth West, Commercial Director, HS2 ˇ Surveying, which included setting out the course and raise money for Breast Emma McNab, Business Excellence Manager, Taylor Woodrow Ann Collins, Managing Director, Conren and how to locate buried services. Cancer Care.
The VINCI Innovation Awards Competition takes place The UK and Ireland Regional Jury took place on 6th May every two years and is one of the ways in which we at the Royal Geographic Society in London, with a team of recognise and showcase the creativity and entrepreneurial judges including directors and partners from Transport VINCI 2015 spirit of our people, both as teams and individuals. for London, Canal and River Trust, ARUP, AECOM, Thames Tideway, University of Cambridge, HS2 and Pick Everard. INNOVATION This year marks the eighth competition, with yet another The winners will be announced at the Prize Giving increase in the number of participants and entries. Out Ceremony in September. AWARDS of 2,212 entries from around the world, 202 have been submitted by the UK and Ireland Region. Challenging the status quo by finding alternative solutions to “The standard of the entries this year was again higher than last time. Listening to the everyday problems and sharing presentations was a truly inspirational experience. Not only is the competition a source good ideas is key to VINCI’s of pride for the Group, it is an effective tool for sharing fantastic ideas that will really success. make a difference, whether or not they receive a prize. I would like to make special mention of the judges, who willingly gave their time to support this year’s competition.” Dr Russell Matthews, Managing Director of the VINCI Technology Centre UK and organiser of the competition
CREDITS | Editor: Melanie Mathews, Communications Director, VINCI PLC / [email protected] Design: VINCI Construction UK Design Team
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