News & Articles

  1. Bricklayers tools used in bank protest

    Bricklayers tools used in bank protest
    A property developer put his bricklayers tools to work in an unusual way when he bricked up the door to a bank in protest at lending conditions in the UK.Cameron Hope admits that the branch was not his intended target, as he planned to stage the protest at his local NatWest in Westbourne, Dorset.But as police were already there responding...
  2. Concrete forms could inspire poetry

    Concrete forms could inspire poetry
    With National Poetry Day approaching on October 7th, the Chartered Institute of Building is calling for examples of when concrete forms, sunlight in a new structure or the growth of a property from among the scaffolding has inspired an artistic response from those involved in its construction.A selection of poems are due to be published on the institute's website on...
  3. Training 'must be given' to future users of bricklayers tools

    Training 'must be given' to future users of bricklayers tools
    Future users of bricklayers tools must be given the support they need now to ensure a supply of skilled individuals in the construction industry, it is claimed.The Cross-industry Construction Apprentice Task Force (CCATF) explains that the initial cost of hiring a trainee proves prohibitive for some construction companies."The government is demanding the successful and swift transition to a low-carbon economy...
  4. Users of brick tools see big business grow

    Users of brick tools see big business grow
    Users of brick tools have seen the biggest construction firms grow, while smaller ones are less fortunate, it has been found.The Construction Index 100 Top Construction Companies 2010 found Balfour Beatty made 15 per cent of the total revenue earned by the best-performing 100 companies in the industry.However, overall earnings shrank in the sector, with the aggregate turnover of the...
  5. Concrete trowels could help keep mice at bay

    Concrete trowels could help keep mice at bay
    With the colder weather coming, some quick work with concrete trowels could help to secure homes against the invading threat of mice.The Express & Star suggests that any holes left open going into winter could prove tempting to the creatures - a problem that could be overcome with the prompt use of concrete trowels.However, air bricks should not be sealed...
  6. Norfolk projects could see concrete finishing tools put to work

    Norfolk projects could see concrete finishing tools put to work
    Concrete finishing tools could see action on a number of sites in Norfolk as the county council commences work on two new projects.The A149 Acle New Road and A149 North Quay are receiving new surfaces, while Little Plumhead Church of England School is undergoing a £5 million upgrade.At the school site, new facilities are being constructed and, on October 1st...
  7. Concrete tamping helps flooded pub prepare for future risks

    Concrete tamping helps flooded pub prepare for future risks
    A Cockermouth pub was able to make use of concrete tamping to lay a flood-proof floor after its previous wooden floor was destroyed in November, reports the Morning Advertiser.The Bush, in the centre of Cockermouth, is in a conservation area, which led to the local council objecting to the idea of using concrete tamping to lay a new waterproof floor...
  8. Concrete frost blankets could allay constructor fears

    Concrete frost blankets could allay constructor fears
    Construction professionals' worries about the chances of another harsh winter could be allayed using concrete frost blankets.With concrete frost blankets in place, cementitious surfaces can be protected against the elements while they are left to set.This could help to bring peace of mind to individuals and companies whose operations in recent years have been disrupted by extremes of temperature.Ernst &...
  9. Greener concrete forms could use fly ash

    Greener concrete forms could use fly ash
    The possibility of using fly ash in place of Portland cement could see concrete forms become a little greener in the future.Eco-conscious construction resource Sustainable Build notes that existing concrete has some environmental credentials - not least because it is itself hewn from the ground as part of nature.But scientists at Louisiana Tech University have developed a method of using...
  10. Fuel ash quality protocol could impact on concrete tamping

    Fuel ash quality protocol could impact on concrete tamping
    Future concrete tamping operations could be affected by the Environment Agency's publication of a quality protocol for fuel ash.As a bound application of pulverised fuel ash, a byproduct of the coal-fired power plant industry, the material is sometimes used as a cementitious element in concrete.This can see it added to Portland cement, as a raw material in kiln feeds or...