Building Briefs – March 22nd

Planning approval has been granted for a new build Early Years Centre in Greenock for Inverclyde Council.

Designed by Holmes Miller, the centre will be constructed by CCG.

​​​​​​​Preparations underway for demolition of old Muir of Ord rail bridge

Works are continuing on the construction of the new £3.3 million railway crossing in Muir of Ord to replace the existing bridge carrying the A862 over the main Inverness to Dingwall rail line.

Traffic has been transferred to the new bridge under traffic management since early March. Preparations for the demolition of the existing bridge are now well underway, with the old bridge expected to be removed this coming weekend.

Demolition work will be carried out by a specialist contractor overnight on Saturday/ Sunday and Sunday / Monday (March 25-27).

Work to complete the adjacent footpaths and roadworks including fencing, new street lighting, signs and landscaping are underway with all works expected to be completed by early June.

Significant AWPR works set for Charleston Junction

Major traffic management measures are expected to be in place on the A90 over the next month when 14 beams and bridge parapets will be installed as part of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project.

It is anticipated that the beams, 47m long and weighing 85 tonnes each, will be delivered and installed over three weekends: Friday 24 March to Monday 27 March, Friday 31 March to Monday 3 April and Friday 7 April to Monday 10 April.

It is also planned for the bridge parapets (sides of the bridge) to be delivered and installed overnight between Monday 10 April and Friday 14 April. The bridge parapets will be fitted into place at either side of the new structure, providing a base from which bridge barriers can be constructed.

Additional traffic management measures, including A90 road closures and contraflows, are necessary to enhance the safety of road workers and road users.

Realm Construction to begin Fife bridge improvement works

Realm Construction is to carry out improvement works to a road bridge in Fife.

The contractor has been appointed to replace Burnside Bridge in Newburgh. The 12-week scheme will begin on Monday, 27 March.

A temporary bridge and footpath diversion will be in place during the works. In addition, traffic management will be implemented.

Skye path repair project complete

Work on a path repair project in Skye is now complete.

Specialist contractor Arran Footpath Partnership has finished the second phase of works on the Sligachan to Loch Coruisk path at Druim Hain.

The 415-metre footpath construction involved 970m2 of landscaping, as well as transplanting turf to block braids and help encourage revegetation of a highly visible erosion scar, which extended six metres wide in places.

Since 2014, the John Muir Trust has spent £210,000 on path repair work on Skye, including at Bla Bheinn, Beinn Dearg and two phases of work at Druim Hain.

Costs included £169,000 employing local contractors and a further £41,000 on airlifting materials.

Plumber charged over Perthshire gas explosion

A plumber is to face trial accused of causing a gas explosion that obliterated an elderly couple’s home and buried them beneath the rubble.

Craig Hall is said to have failed to install a boiler properly at Robin and Marion Cunningham’s house in Callander, Perthshire.

It is alleged Hall, 34, failed to ensure a gas pipe was properly supported when he fitted the combi boiler at their home in Murdiston Avenue.

As a consequence, it is alleged, the supply pipe separated from the inlet pipe of the boiler, to which it should have been joined, allowing gas to escape.

Eight months after Hall carried out the work, the property was completely destroyed in a massive blast in August 2013.

At Stirling Sheriff Court yesterday, Hall, of Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, pleaded not guilty, through his solicitor, to causing the blast by carrying out the installation of the boiler dangerously.

Over 200 attend careers event at Clark Contracts

Over 200 people interested in a traineeship or apprenticeship in the construction industry attended a careers evening staged by Clark Contracts at its head office in Paisley yesterday.

Those who attended the special event met the company’s recruitment team and current employees to find out more about Clark Contracts and the opportunities to develop careers in construction through the company’s Academy system.

Representatives from Glasgow Caledonian University, the Construction Industry Training Board, West College Scotland, City of Glasgow College and Skills Development Scotland were also on hand to provide further advice.

Clark Contracts’ academy director, David Cooper, delivered presentations throughout the evening on the company’s apprenticeship opportunities, including numerous examples of staff members who started as apprentices and have progressed into other management roles within the company.

Also on hand to talk to attendees were a variety of Clark Contracts’ staff, including Quantity Surveyors, Contracts Managers, Marketing & Business Development executives, Estimators, Administrators and IT professionals.

Clark Contracts is now looking forward to its next Careers Evening in the East of Scotland on April 20 at Gate 55 in Edinburgh. Those interested in attending should email careersevening@clarkcontracts.com stating which discipline they are interested in.

Persimmon funds heart research team in Edinburgh

An Edinburgh charity that carries out lifesaving heart research will benefit from £800 courtesy of an East Scotland housebuilder.

The British Heart Foundation will receive the funding from Persimmon Homes East Scotland, after a group of dedicated fundraisers and students from the University of Edinburgh applied to support the charity.

Persimmon’s donation will be put towards a band and venue for a charity ceilidh in June that will raise money for further heart research.

Mactaggart & Mickel Group makes a splash with swimming sponsorships

Family housebuilder Mactaggart & Mickel Group has renewed its sponsorships with two of the UK’s top swimmers.

Andrew Mullen and Mark Deans have both signed deals to receive continued support from the housebuilder as they move onto the next stages of their successful swimming careers.

As a British Paralympian, with one silver and two bronze medals from Rio 2016, Andrew (20) from Newton Mearns in Glasgow is working towards the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. He also has his sights firmly set on the 2017 Word Para Swimming Championships in Mexico City, where he hopes to achieve gold.

Mark Deans (20) from Jordanhill in Glasgow is one of Scotland’s leading open water swimmers and a member of the City of Glasgow Swim Team, Scottish Open Water Swim Team and British Open Water squad. He was crowned the first ever champion of the Red Bull Neptune Steps, a title he has held for four consecutive years with his most recent win taking place in Glasgow on 18 March 2017 against more than 300 competitors. He is now working towards qualifying for the 2017 European Open Water Championships and 2018 Commonwealth Games.