More Focus 鈥� Page 546
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Inspecting gadgets
Don't be scared off by microtechnology – the new portable gizmos are light, affordable and easy to use whether you're on site or in the car. So, what should be in your briefcase?
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Pret a port-air
Fewer faults in a fraction of the time – that's the message for clients from a firm that prefabricates services, including air-conditioning, in its factory and assembles them on site.
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The Appliance of science
London's Science Museum has a new eco-friendly way of generating electricity. But instead of being hidden in a dark basement, it's on show for all to see. How does it work?
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Was it Bill or was it Ben?
If housebuilding ends up wonky, who’s to blame? The person who takes on the work, of course. But just who is that? The main contractor, the subcontractor, the builder, the architect or the surveyor?
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What’s done is done
Once an adjudicator has made a decision on a case, it cannot be settled again by another adjudicator. That is, as long as the judge does not rule that they are substantially different disputes.
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Would you win in court?
Firms trying to avoid litigation would do well to embrace early neutral evaluation, a procedure that allows a judge to tell the parties who is likely to win long before they get to court.
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Scrutiny on the bounty
In the first of a series of columns designed to help small businesses run more efficiently, accountant Smith & Williamson examines the role of the external audit in cutting costs and improving management processes.
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Whole-life cost model
The government is set to spend 拢450m on new and refurbished PFI schools next year. To help firms thinking of bidding to prepare tenders, Citex details the occupancy costs of typical schools, together with case studies of new-build and refurbished institutions.
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Filling the post
Superstars required. But how do you hire them? Robert Smith of recruitment consultant Hays Montrose explains.
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Appointments
ContractorsTaylor Woodrow has appointed Brian George non-executive director and non-executive chairman, and Denis MacDaid managing director.Weaver Construction has appointed Jeff Gale new contracts manager.The Higgins Group has appointed Gary Robins and Brian Mason construction directors.Lichfield-based construction firm Linford-Bridgeman has made Andrew Chamberlain masonry manager.Leisure contractor Multibuild has promoted Dean Johnston ...
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Modernism makes its mark on Walsall
West Midlands is home to 拢25m new gallery designed by Caruso St John.
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The next generation
Graham Stirk may not have the celebrity status of Lord Rogers, but with three major projects under his belt, he is one of Richard Rogers Partnership's rising stars.
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The benchmark
[Virgin multiplex cinema, Hull] A contractor uses a series of similar jobs to form a crack team of cinematic heroes out of a bunch of raw recruits. Contains scenes of partnering, lateral thinking and cost reduction. Unmissable.
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How adapting the design saved time
Over the past three years, HBG’s North-east office has used continuous improvement processes to hand over nine cinema shells in an increasingly short time. This benchmark compares three of these schemes.In 1997, the contractor completed the shell-and-core construction of a nine-screen Virgin multiplex cinema at Boldon, near Sunderland, in 38 ...
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How research saved the contractor time and money
The acoustic performance of the walls and roof are critical if noise break-out or break-in to the auditoria is to be prevented. For the first scheme, at Boldon in 1997, HBG did not carry out any acoustic testing but simply opted for a heavy roof construction with sufficient mass to ...
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Get connected
It's high time construction companies overcame technophobia and woke up to the fact that if you're not on-line, you're out of the picture. Get the message: new business starts with e-mail.
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The right stuff
At last, the Human Rights Act has made its way into UK law. It may not be something many of us have to think about on an everyday basis, but by Jove, it's going to affect us all.
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Find the leader
The Institute of Personnel and Development's Angela Baron on how to spot and nurture stars of the future.
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Appointments
ContractorsBallast Wiltshier has promoted Alex Gaskill to managing director of its South-east business.Mervyn Butler has been promoted to director of Ashe Construction’s Southampton office.HousebuilderCharles Church has appointed David Hooper financial controller for the South Midlands and north London.ConsultantsSurveyors Greg Millsopp and Paul Brewer have joined the Leeds office of building ...
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Shock horror: I like the dome
Leave a bunch of journalists queuing on new year’s eve with no alcohol and it’s no wonder the Millennium Dome gets mud slung at it.