New Civil Engineer
Ed Owen

I moved into journalism late after working as a photographer in Cairo, a DJ in Sao Paulo, running an organic food shop in Manchester, and working in politics. I started at NCE in October 2006 and my first day was taken up with a bridge collapse in Canada. I have since ridden on a Tunnel Boring Machine beep below the palace of Versailles, stood on an earth dam which may have collapsed at any minute, and reported from the Grayrigg crash site in Northumbria. I mostly cover transport, so please email me with any stories you think we should know about.

Dounreay's iconic dome is too dangerous to preserve

23 September 2010
The iconic sphere at the Dounreay nuclear reactor site will be removed by 2032 as part of plans to “flatten” the site, the site management company confirmed this week.
Nuclear contractors need help

16 September 2010
Firms bidding to build the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point will need help to tackle the complexity of the project and deliver the quality of workmanship required, client NNB warned this week.
Dounreay spending cap to delay work and cost jobs

9 September 2010
Budget caps will see 182 jobs lost at the Dounreay nuclear site and prolong decommissioning by 14 years, the site operator revealed this week.
Plant: Hammer Time

19 August 2010
On the Cornish south coast on the Lizard peninsula, contractor Bam Nuttall is putting its latest piling rig through its paces.
Ground Control

22 July 2010
In France and Germany geothermal power is relatively widespread, yet in the UK there remains just one power plant under development. But new technologies could soon make this energy source more attractive.
Turning to the tide

21-Jul-2010
Consultants Halcrow and Mott MacDonald have joined forces to promote tidal energy around the world. But their biggest challenge is UK-based - the Severn barrage. Ed Owen reports.
In at the deep end

21-Jul-2010
Developers planning the latest offshore wind power installations are using skills learnt by the oil and gas industry. Ed Owen reports on their application.
Hinkley Point reactor plans gather pace

13-Jul-2010
Energy giant EdF has this week gone against local opinion and ruled out building a bypass around the town of Bridgwater in Somerset to support the construction of a new nuclear reactor at nearby Hinkley Point.
Engineers welcome fossil fuel and new nuclear incentives

21-Jun-2010
New energy minister Charles Hendry has indicated that the government is examining options for incentivising the construction of new fossil fuel and nuclear power stations to bridge Britain’s looming energy gap.
ICE: Transport and energy crisis looms

17 June 2010
The government must take “urgent” decisions to head off a transport and energy crisis within the next five years says the ICE in its annual “State of the Nation” report.
Innovative foundations for offshore wind challenged

16-Jun-2010
Deep water foundations for the next round of offshore wind farms must rely on tried and tested solutions from the oil and gas industry, engineers warned this week.
Risk cover alarms firms

3 June 2010
Consultants are increasingly turning down work as clients push firms to take on levels of risk that insurers will not cover, risk experts told NCE this week.
Crossrail programme partner chief departs the London mega-project

2-Jun-2010
Head of Crossrail programme partner Transcend Jhan Schmitz has left the project to return to Panama before taking up a post in Doha, Qatar, NCE can reveal.
Planning approved for Pembrokeshire windfarm

1-Jun-2010
Planning approval has been granted for a new windfarm to be built at Wear Point in western Pembrokeshire.
Ammonia plan to take emissions out of transport

1-Jun-2010
An American billionaire plans to decarbonise domestic and commercial transport by using vast quantities of ammonia as an alternative fuel, NCE can reveal.
Marine special: Seabed surgery

27 May 2010
Contractors had to overcome considerable logistical challenges to replace a section of damaged long sea outfall at Cleveleys on the Lancashire coast. Ed Owen reports.
Coalition urged to end confusion over renewables incentives

27 May 2010
Engineers this week urged ministers to end confusion about incentives for renewable energy.
Call to export renewables

27 May 2010
Britain could become a net exporter of renewable electricity by 2050 according to new research published last week.
UK could export renewable power by 2050

20-May-2010
New research published this week suggests the UK could become a net exporter of renewable electricity by 2050.
Sellafield to slash hundreds of jobs from three sites

19-May-2010
Nuclear site Sellafield is to slash up to 1,250 jobs from three of its sites amid pressure to increase its efficiency and refocus its activities on high hazard waste reduction.
Engineers call for greater clarity from coalition on renewables commitment

18-May-2010
Engineers this week called for greater clarity on incentives for renewable energy projects after the new ruling coalition pledged its commitment to both the Renewables Obligation (RO) and feed-in tariffs (FITs).
Coalition agrees to disagree on nuclear

13-May-2010
Engineers have urged the new Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government to bury differences on nuclear power and develop a deliverable energy policy.
Fears raised over carbon capture retrofit plans

6 May 2010
Engineers this week warned that carbon capture and storage (CCS) equipment is too expensive to be retrofitted to Britain’s 25 existing coal-fired power stations.
Sita defends centralised energy from waste plant for Cornwall

6 May 2010
Waste giant Sita last week defended its proposal to build a privately financed 16MW energy from waste incinerator in central Cornwall.
Engineers fear Tory renewables policy shift

4-May-2010
Engineers have warned of a funding hiatus for renewable energy projects should the Conservatives win this week’s General Election.
UK passes 1GW offshore wind landmark

23-Apr-2010
The UK has passed the 1GW of installed wind landmark, with installations at both Dong Energy’s Gunfleet Sands and E.on’s Robin Rigg windfarms.
Design flaw discovered in wind turbine towers

22 April 2010
Engineers this week uncovered a fundamental design flaw in the design of offshore wind turbine structures.
Solar Sahara

22 April 2010
Plans to tap the suns energy in the Sahara are gaining pace, with a new project about to get underway in Spain. Ed Owen reports.
Orkney's tidal race

22 April 2010
Orkney’s unique geographical location harbours what may prove to be the UK’s most valuable tidal current resource. Ed Owen looks at the projects under development.
Nuclear plans politically ‘safe’

15 April 2010
Construction of new nuclear power stations is set to progress unhampered following the General Election, but political divisions have arisen over using carbon floor pricing to drive construction.
City backs Atkins confidence

14-Apr-2010
Consultant Atkins is confident of outperforming market expectations, in a trading statement issued today, which saw shares in the firm surge by almost 4% in early trading.
Commercial carbon capture and storage projects close to reality

13-Apr-2010
Large scale commercial carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects this week took a step closer to becoming a reality with the announcement that the Energy Act had received Royal Assent.
Thames Water awards £1.2bn contracts

8-Apr-2010
Thames Water has issued £1.2bn of contracts for the next water spending round - AMP5 - which runs from April 2010 to March 2015.
Balfour Beatty wins £590M Dallas Airport job

7-Apr-2010
Balfour Beattyhas been selected for preconstruction and construction services for Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport’s seven-year Terminal Development Programme, worth some £590M ($900M)
Energy and infrastructure priority for new government

7-Apr-2010
Successful energy policy will be one of the defining issues for the next Parliament according to the Construction Products Association (CPA) , which has called on all parties to focus on energy and infrastructure in the lead up to the general election.
Magnox to face cuts in decommissioning plans

1-Apr-2010
Chief executive of the Nuclear Decommissioing Authority (NDA) Tony Fountain has admitted that: “Not everything” can be done to accelerate the closure of remaining Magnox stations - some sites will see work accelerate while others will move to a steady-state.
New wind farms push

1 April 2010
General Electric (GE) and Siemens this week joined the push to invest in the UK’s offshore wind market saying they want to build turbine manufacturing plant here.
New nuclear to generate 30,000 jobs

31-Mar-2010
A programme to build new nuclear power stations could generate 30,000 jobs - three times the number for the 2012 Olympic Games - over the coming 15 years, according to research from Cogent, but contractors warn that more needs to be done to engage the supply chain.
Middle East difficulties push Mouchel into the red

30-Mar-2010
Consultant Mouchel has posted a £3.5M loss for the year ending 31 January 2010, blaming ongoing ‘difficulties’ in the Middle East, forcing the company to sell its operations there.
MPs: Highways Agency could take on local authority roads

30-Mar-2010
MPs say strategically important roads may have to be handed back tot he Highways Agency for repair as local authorities often spend less on their roads than the government provides for.
Siemens joins offshore wind gale

29-Mar-2010
Siemens is the latest major manufacturer to announce plans to set-up shop in the UK and produce turbines for the third round of offshore wind energy production.
Heathrow campaigners win review battle

29-Mar-2010
A third runway at Heathrow has been put on hold following a ruling at the High Court, which stated that existing government policy approving a third runway needed to be reviewed.
£258M boost for recycling and composting

29-Mar-2010
The government has made £258.4M in private finance initiative (PFI) credits available for recycling and composting schemes in North London.
Government plan £10M anaerobic digestion push

26-Mar-2010
The government wants to roll-out a series of anaerobic digestion plants for energy production and has a £10M grant package for demonstration plants.
Morrison and AECOM win £150M Yorkshire AMP framework

26-Mar-2010
Galliford Try subsidiary Morrison Construction has, in joint venture with AECOM Design Build, been awarded two streams of Yorkshire Water’s AMP5 framework worth approximately £150M over five years.
MPs: £1bn per year adaptation as important as reducing emissions

25-Mar-2010
MPs say flood protection measures to adapt to wetter winters should be increased to £1bn per year by 2035 and made a priority on a par with reducing CO2 emissions.
General Electric to start offshore turbine manufacture in UK

25-Mar-2010
US giant General Electric (GE) has revealed plans to expand its offshore wind capabilities in Germany, Sweden, Norway, and particularly the UK.
Budget promotes infrastructure investment and repairs

25-Mar-2010
Chancellor Alistair Darling’s Budget includes a range of measures to promote infrastructure investment, repair damaged roads and increase motorway capacity.
Gammon wins £407M rail contracts in Hong Kong

25-Mar-2010
Gammon, 50% owned by Balfour Beatty, has won a £407M contract to build two stations and a running tunnel for Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation in a joint venture with Nishimatsu Construction Co.
Consultants and Highways to suffer from DfT cuts

25-Mar-2010
Consultants will be hit by a £90M cull at the Department for Transport (DfT), with £30M less being spent per year by 2012/13, and the Highways Agency will be expected to save a further £90M in efficiencies and better planning.
Tories to go for gas security before low-carbon transition

24-Mar-2010
The Conservatives have announced a new “rush for gas” plan for electricity production effectively pushing back any future proposals to move towards low carbon sources of power. The proposal outlined in their long-awaited energy ‘green paper’, released today, also includes the introduction of a new floor price for carbon and the creation of a green investment bank.
Budget 2010 as it happened

24-Mar-2010
Chancellor Alistair Darling has said there are ‘tough times ahead’ in the final budget before the general election, but a £2bn Green Investment Bank has been set-up and an infrastructure plan from Infrastructure UK has been published.
MPs slam British Energy sale

24-Mar-2010
MPs today slammed the £12.5bn sale of the British Energy to EDF in 2009, saying the sale did not guarantee EDF building new nuclear stations without public subsidy.
Two former transport secretaries suspended by Labour

23-Mar-2010
Stephen Byers and Geoff Hoon, who have both held the office of secretary of state for transport, have been suspended from the parliamentary Labour party for: “bringing the party into disrepute” following a TV sting.
Babcock buys VT Group, ending Mouchel speculation

23-Mar-2010
Contractor and defence specialist Babcock will buy service provider VT Group for £1.3bn, ending months of speculation over whether consultant Mouchel would be bought.
ICE: Green Investment bank - good but not enough

23-Mar-2010
A £2bn green investment bank would be a good move, but not enough to plug a £500bn infrastructure funding ‘gap’ over the next decade according to the ICE.
MPs: NPS 'must be improved'

23-Mar-2010
MPs propose a parliamentary vote for National Policy Statements (NPSs) for energy, and total emissions by projects approved by the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), which makes decisions based on NPSs, should be monitored to ensure the UK meets its carbon emissions targets.
Atkins wins £350M Oxfordshire highways job

22-Mar-2010
Consultant Atkins has won the £350M contract to design, maintain, and build Oxfordshire’s highways for the next decade.
Funding shortfall strangling solar roll-out

19-Mar-2010
A 10-month funding hiaitus will stifle attempts to establish solar thermal technologies, the renewable energy lobby said this week.
Rail maintence workers to strike

19-Mar-2010
Rail signalling and supervisory staff workers have voted to strike in protest against new working conditions, the RMT Union revealed today.
Mabey to lead in turbine towers

19-Mar-2010
Mabey Bridge has had plans approved to build a new factory in South Wales to propel the company to become the leading wind turbine tower manufacturer in the UK.
Anthrax concern for Crossrail dig

19-Mar-2010
Crossrail will test for “Anthrax spores or bacteria causing plague” from a suspected 488 year-old burial pit close to Farringdon, transport secretary Lord Adonis confirmed yesterday although it would be unlikely to delay the project.
Public faith in roads pitted by potholes

19-Mar-2010
Potholes caused by the recent freezing conditions have caused a sharp drop in the public’s satisfaction with our roads, research from the ICE suggests.
Nuclear special: Power players

18 March 2010
The charge towards a new generation of nuclear power is gathering pace. NCE looks at the plans and speaks to EdF about the challenges of building the first UK plants for 20 years.
Shared space for Piccadilly

17-Mar-2010
London mayor Boris Johnson today announced that Piccadilly Circus will be redesigned ahead of the London 2012 Games with funds coming from Transport for London’s Local Implementation Plan Major Schemes programme.
Mandelson approves £80M loan for Forgemasters

17-Mar-2010
Business secretary Peter Mandelson today approved a £80M loan for Sheffield-based Forgemasters, as part of the government’s pledge to invest in the nuclear supply chain.
CPA calls for no cuts to public sector spend

16-Mar-2010
The Construction Products Association (CPA) has written to the Chancellor ahead of his Budget statement, urging him to maintain public sector net investment at or above 2.25% of GDP, if the public sector built environment is not to start deteriorating.
Tube Lines loses £34M Northern Line claim

16-Mar-2010
Tube Lines has lost a second consecutive claim under the London Underground PPP, for losses it says it incurred on the upgrade of the Northern Line.
Crossrail awards second round of enabling contracts

16-Mar-2010
Crossrail has awarded the second round of enabling works for the £15.9bn scheme for portals at Royal Oak and Pudding Mill, and demolition works at Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road.
10 wave and tidal sites approved to power 750,000 homes

16-Mar-2010
The Crown Estate has approved 10 sites at Pentland Firth and Orkney in Scotland to demonstrate power generation for 10 new wave and tidal technologies, to produce 1.2GW in total by 2020.
Parsons Brinckerhoff to manage three US high speed rail schemes

16-Mar-2010
Consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB), acquired last year by contractor Balfour Beatty, has won three contracts to manage high speed rail projects - in Illinois, Ohio and Florida.
VT bags Sellafield monitoring job

16-Mar-2010
VT Group continues its push into nuclear, winning a £10M, 3-year contract to monitor the Sellafield site and ensure it meets its environmental targets.
Edinburgh tram - another 30 month delay

16-Mar-2010
Completion of the £500M Edinburgh Tram project has been delayed for a further 30 months to January 2014 according to consortium of contractors building the project, the Edinburgh Tram Board revealed this week.
Boris approves new £4.5bn Brent town centre

16-Mar-2010
London Mayor Boris Johnson has approved plans to build a new town centre in Brent, including improvements to local road infrastructure.
Additional Blackfriars rib arches installed

16-Mar-2010
New rib arches have been delivered and installed at Blackfriars Bridge in London, which will be renovated and widened as part of the £5.5bn Thameslink upgrade.
Former tube chief O'Toole poised to take over at Tube Lines

15-Mar-2010
The ongoing dispute between Tube Lines and London Underground is poised to take a surreal twist as former managing director at London Underground, Tim O’Toole, is in the running to take the top job at the tube upgrade contractor.
16,000 jobs in marine and tidal

15-Mar-2010
15M homes could be powered by wave and tidal power, creating some 16,000 jobs by 2050 according to the government’s Marine Action Plan, released today.
Parry rejects Arbiter's figures

15-Mar-2010
London Underground’s managing director Richard Parry has rejected the PPP Arbiter’s decision to award Tube Lines £4.5bn to upgrade the Piccadilly, Northern and Jubilee lines over the coming 7.5 years, but said he would not be taking legal action at this time.
E.On and Scottish win carbon capture funding

15-Mar-2010
E.ON and ScottishPower have won an undisclosed sum to design and develop commercial-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration plants.
Askew brought back from Dubai in Atkins shake-up

15-Mar-2010
Atkins has recalled Tim Askew, who headed the company’s Middle Eastern business, from Dubai to lead the group’s water and environment business.
Manchester City announced £1bn regeneration plans

12-Mar-2010
The area around Manchester City Football Club will be regenerated in a deal between the club, Manchester City Council and New East Manchester believed to be worth up to £1bn.
Dounreay to postpone projects to meet funding cap

12-Mar-2010
20% cuts in overheads and two major projects have been put on hold at Dounreay, site of the world’s first commercial fast-breeder nuclear reactor, to meet a strict £150M annual spending cap.
Dyson urges science and engineering push

11-Mar-2010
Inventor James Dyson has called for science and engineering courses to be promoted and award tax credits to companies investing in research and development.
Treasury considers Infrastructure Bank

11 March 2010
Economic secretary Ian Pearson this week said he was seriously considering setting up a bank to drive investment in infrastructure.
Fifty year spending vision is first task for new IUK boss

11 March 2010
The creation of a 50-year infrastructure spending vision is to be the first task for Infrastructure UK, NCE has learnt.
IUK to tackle energy capacity needs

11 March 2010
Work undertaken by the Treasury and Department for Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) will be a model for the future work of Infrastructure UK.
Victoria Line upgrade costs soar under London Underground

10-Mar-2010
Today’s decision by the PPP Arbiter to fall somewhat on the side of Tube Lines in the ongoing dispute between London Underground and the tube upgrade contractor is down to massivley increased reported costs for the Victoria Line upgrade.
Infrastructure at heart of 24 March Budget

10-Mar-2010
Chancellor Alistair Darling has confirmed the date for the Budget as Wednesday 24 March, and the Prime Minister says investing in infrastructure will form a significant plank of its content.
Scott Wilson grows on the back of international growth

9-Mar-2010
Shares in consultant Scott Wilson rose sharply this morning on the back of a confident trading statement, which shows strong international growth.
Calls for £500M investment to make UK world leader in wave and tidal power

8-Mar-2010
RenewableUK - formerly the British Wind Energy Association - has demanded £500M from government to prime the wave, tidal and offshore markets and propel the UK into a world leader.
Costain/Skanska win £15M Crossrail enabling works

8-Mar-2010
A Costain Skanska joint venture has won the first Crossrail enabling tunnelling works contract, worth £15M.
Grontmij wades into Wessex framework

3-Mar-2010
Consultant Grontmij has been appointed to Wessex Water’s 5-year AMP5 framework agreement, which is expected to earn the company between €11M-€16.5M.
RPS profits slip

3-Mar-2010
Consultant RPS has reported a decline in revenue, slipping from £470.5M to £433.9M, and profit for the year ending 31 December declining from £57.5M to £52.5M.
Carillion growth despite recession

3-Mar-2010
Contractor Carillion has grown its revenue, margin and profits in its full-year results, published today.
Crossrail tenders advance works for five tunnelled stations

3-Mar-2010
Crossrail has issued tenders for advance works for five of the most complicated tunnelled stations - at Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street and Whitechapel.
Airlines reject plans for Thames Estuary airport

2-Mar-2010
Airlines have rejected plans to build a new airport in the Thames Estuary, describing it as transport “cul-de-sac”.
Energy minister promises to drive up the price of carbon

2-Mar-2010
Measures to drive up the price of carbon will be revealed in the forthcoming budget, according to energy minister David Kidney today.
£190M Beckton upgrade to start

1-Mar-2010
Thames Water plans to start the upgrade of the £190M Beckton sewage works - the larges such site in Europe - next month.
WSP turnover slides, Dubai write-off halves profits

1-Mar-2010
Consultant WSP has reported a fall in turnover and a halving of profits in a ‘testing’ year, according to results for the year to 31 December 2009.
London to Sheffield focus for Network Rail

26-Feb-2010
National rail track operator Network Rail has published plans to reduce journey times between London and Sheffield as part of its East Midlands Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS).
Economic growth stronger than expected

26-Feb-2010
The Office for National Statistics has revised up the economic growth for the last quarter of 2009, from 0.1% to 0.3%.
Balfour Beatty bags lighting PPP

26-Feb-2010
Contractor Balfour Beatty has won preferred bidder status for a £250M streelighting PPP for Coventry City Council.
2012 Media and Broadcast centres top-out

25-Feb-2010
The two Olympic media buildings - the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and Media Press Centre (MPC) have both topped-out, according to the ODA today.
Mitsubishi enters UK wind market

25-Feb-2010
Japanese giant Mitsubishi has pledged to invest some £100M in new wind turbine research and development by 2014.
Contractors appeal for more public spending

25-Feb-2010
Contractors Kier and Galliford Try have said construction firms will suffer the consequences of plans to slash public spending.
Centrica to invest in infrastructure

25-Feb-2010
British Gas owner and British Energy shareholder Centrica says it will invest the huge profits from its gas business - £1.8bn for 2009 - in new energy infrastructure
MP's call on government and Ofgem to push 'smart' grid

25-Feb-2010
The energy and climate change committee of MPs has backed the construction of a ‘smart’ grid to accommodate the increasing proportion of renewable energy sources coming on-line, but says the government and regulator Ofgem needs to be more active in driving this.
White Young Green stays in the red

25-Feb-2010
White Young Green has reported an increased loss and reduced turnover less than two months after a debt for equity swap removed the company from the London Stock Exchange, but the company remains optimistic in the face of ‘challenging’ market conditions.
Cautious optimism from Travis Perkins

24-Feb-2010
Supplier Travis Perkins has displayed cautious optimism coming out of the recession, in its interim results, with their core business 30% down from the 2007 peak, but the expectation of future growth.
MPs claim Whitehall tram bias

24-Feb-2010
Whitehall appears biased against modern tram schemes, a report from MPs has claimed.
Galliford Try back to profit

24-Feb-2010
Contractor Galliford Try has returned to a modest profit, following a substantial loss last year, according to the company’s interim results, published this morning.
Kier profits rise, despite revenue fall

24-Feb-2010
Contractor Kier has reported profits growth, despite declining reveues, with profits rising 20% to £31.9M for 2009, a healthy cash balance, and a rapidly filling order book in its interim results, published today.
Hartnell appointed Renewable Energy Association chief

23-Feb-2010
Gaynor Hartnell has been appointed chief executive of the Renewable Energy Association (REA).
Parsons Brinckerhoff to study tidal energy in Cumbria

23-Feb-2010
Consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff will explore options for tidal energy generation across the Duddon Estuary in South Cumbria.
First Corporate Manslaughter trial adjourned

23-Feb-2010
The first corporate manslaughter prosecution using the new Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007 has been adjourned until Friday for jury selection.
Tory climbdown: IPC to stay, but under new name

23-Feb-2010
A Conservative government would rename the newly-formed Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), the government’s newly-formed planning body, as the ‘Major Infrastructure Unit’ in a shake-up to entire planning regime.
Heathrow third runway battle begins today

23-Feb-2010
A coalition of councils, residents and environmental campaigners today start their legal challenge against a third runway at heathrow Airport.
Planners slam new ports planning policy

22-Feb-2010
The new National Policy Statement (NPS) for ports is: “unfit for purpose” and “half-baked” according to planning body the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
Public indifferent to energy National Policy Statements

22-Feb-2010
Public consultations for Energy National Policy Statements (NPS) closed today, with very low turn-outs to at public events.
VT Group puts Mouchel offer on the backburner

22-Feb-2010
Defence support services firm VT Group has put its proposed £330M takeover of Mouchel on the backburner as it focuses attention on fighting a hostile bid from rival Babcock.
Babcock offer threatens VT Group’s Mouchel bid

18 February 2010
The Mouchel takeover saga took a new twist this week after it emerged that its suitor, VT Group, had become the target of a takeover bid from defence firm Babcock International.
Energy projects to face delays

18 February 2010
Energy minister Lord Hunt has raised the spectre of planning delays for power projects after revealing that Energy National Policy Statements would be unlikely to be “designated” until after the General Election.
CECA warns of dire year ahead

17-Feb-2010
The economy is: “on a knife edge,” with the construction sector, often taken as a bellwether for the rest of the economy, looking dangerously fragile according to alarming statistics published by the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) today.
Skills needed in Haiti to deal with 'overwhelming' disaster

17-Feb-2010
Engineering skills charity RedR has flagged the urgent need for skilled training on Haiti, to deal with the ongoing effects of the January 12 earthquake.
Atkins reorganisation satisfies City

17-Feb-2010
Consultant Atkins has told the City it is confident it will perform well over the rest of the financial year, thanks to cost-cutting measures taken early on in the recession.
Jarvis shares plummet on back of dire year

17-Feb-2010
Contractor Jarvis has revised its final year results downwards, and its share price has slumped in early trading, due to ‘considerable’ reductions in rail and plant volumes.
Final Crossrail tunnel tender released

16-Feb-2010
Crossrail has announced the final tender for Crossrail’s tunnels - for the drive from Plumstead Portal to North Woolwich Portal.
'Ordsall' solution chosen for £530M Manchester 'hub'

16-Feb-2010
New track and a rail flyover will be built in greater Manchester to de-clutter bottlenecks in the city and improve cross-city journeys, according to £530M Network Rail plans.
£500M Manchester 'hub' plans expected

16-Feb-2010
Network Rail is expected to announce a £500M package to create a transport ‘hub’ in Manchester.
Sisk top-out new Weston pier

16-Feb-2010
Contractor John Sisk has topped-out the new Weston-super-Mare pier, devastated by fire last year.
VT Group rejects Babcock takeover bid

15-Feb-2010
VT Group has dismissed an audacious takeover bid by contractor Babcock, describing the firm as “strategically challenged”.
Mouchel takeover in confusion after Babcock bids for VT Group

15-Feb-2010
Support services giant Babcock has made a surprise bid for services provider VT Group, which is in turn making a bid for consultant Mouchel.
20 dead in Belgian train crash

15-Feb-2010
At least twenty people have been killed following a head-on crash at 8.30 AM local time between two commuter trains to the south of the Belgian capital Brussels.
Construction slumps 8% in a year - snow to blame

15-Feb-2010
Construction starts have slumped by 8% over the past 12 months, with the recent snow a significant factor, new research from Glenigan suggests.
VT Group raises offer for Mouchel

15-Feb-2010
VT Group has today raised its offer to buy consultant Mouchel, as anticipated in NCE last week, offering its shareholders some 300p per share.
VT Group considers new Mouchel offer

11-Feb-2010
VT Group has refused to rule out a new offer for consultant Mouchel, that could improve on the 260p per share offer currently on the table, NCE can reveal.
BAA told to decide on second Stansted runway

11-Feb-2010
The government has asked airports operator BAA to confirm whether it wants to press ahead with planning applications for a second runway at Stansted, and to submit updated proposals if so.
Mouchel challenges VT Group’s bid and strategy

11-Feb-2010
Consultant Mouchel has broken its silence over VT Group’s attempted takeover bid this week, claiming it would “add no value”.
Mouchel confident while VT Group drops contract

11-Feb-2010
Consultant Mouchel has posted a confident trading statement this morning, while VT Group, which seeks to buy Mouchel, lost out on a key contract.
Call to clarify policy statements’ text

11 February 2010
Chairman of the newly-created Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) Sir Michael Pitt has called for National Policy Statements to be urgently tightened up to avoid confusion.
Consultants warned of tough decade ahead

11 February 2010
Consultants should brace themselves for a decade of difficulty caused by dire economic conditions, analysts warned this week.
Highways Agency confirms double Mouchel win

10-Feb-2010
The Highways Agency has confirmed a double win for consultant Mouchel, with two Managing Agent Contractor (MAC) contracts worth some £400M.
Severn barrage flooding 'disaster'

9-Feb-2010
A Dutch report examining the effects of a barrage on the Oosterschelde, obtained by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), indicates an ecological ‘disaster’ for the Severn if the proposed 10km barrage is built
Close energy gap by plugging skills gap

9-Feb-2010
The Energy Institute has called for a boost to the UK’s science and engineering skills base to deal with the roll-out of new energy baseload and transmission infrastructure over the coming decades.
Foundations laid for former MG factory

8-Feb-2010
Piling is progressing at the Bournville College site, located at the the former MG Rover factory, Longbridge.
Construction sector continues to decline

8-Feb-2010
Britain’s construction workload declined further during the final quarter of 2009 despite the recovery in the wider economy, the Construction Products Association said today.
MPs: Carbon price too low

8-Feb-2010
MPs have slammed the European Union’s carbon Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for failing to ensure that the price of carbon is set high enough to keep emissions down.
Atkins gongs for sustainability drive

8-Feb-2010
Atkins was named consultant of the year at the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Low Carbon Performance awards.
Anger as government closes green building scheme

5-Feb-2010
The government has closed phase 1 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP), giving some contractors less than one hour to react.
Dounreay decontamination exceeds expectations

5-Feb-2010
Contractors have cleared radioactive material Dounreay nuclear facility in Scotland 4,000 times more effectively than anticipated.
Skanska back to profit on £1.54bn order book

5-Feb-2010
Skanska UK has reported turnover of £1.54bn, and profit of £38.9M in results for the year to December 31 2009, an improvement on the operating loss of £43M reported in 2008.
Cash boost for sea power

04 February 2010
Plans for the UK to become a world leader in marine and tidal energy technology by 2020 have been boosted after six promising designs were fast-tracked to commercial demonstration.
Dounreay: A breed apart

04 February 2010
When Dounreay’s fast breeder reactor opened in 1958 it put Britain at the forefront of nuclear engineering. Today, the reactor is one of the trickiest in the UK to decommission. Ed Owen investigates.
RedR sends team to Haiti to combat spread of disease

04 February 2010
Engineering disaster relief charity RedR and French relief organisation Bioforce sent a joint mission to disaster-stricken Haiti on Tuesday as sanitation became a serious issue on the island.
Mouchel sets up takeover fighting fund

04 February 2010
Banks have given consultant Mouchel a war chest to fight a potential hostile takeover by VT Group by relaxing one of its financial covenants.
New categories for Considerate Constructors

2-Feb-2010
Smoking, drugs and literacy will come under the scrutiny of Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) site monitors in 2010.
Banks inhibit growth of construction SMEs

1-Feb-2010
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the construction sector expect to show a profit in 2010, but banks are stallin growth, according to research from QBE.
Domestic feed-in tariffs launched

1-Feb-2010
Feed-in tariffs (FIT) will be available for domestic low carbon energy prodcution from 1 April, giving homeowners the chance to cash-in on small-scale energy production with a 5-8% return on investment.
WSP to build 'Supergreen' power station

1-Feb-2010
Consultant WPS has entered a business deal with fuel cell providor AFC to build a ‘SuperGreen’ power station.
Mouchel secures banking headroom to fight VT bid

1-Feb-2010
Consultant Mouchel has confirmed it has secured breathing space from its banks, who are temporarily easing their covenants to help the consultant deal with market conditions and a possible hostile bid from VT Group.
Velodrome to be first complete 2012 structure

28-Jan-2010
Work has been completed on the steel structure of the London 2012 Velodrome, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced today, keeping it on track to be the first venue to be completed in the Olympic Park in early 2011.
Costain JV wins Irish A8 dualling contract

28-Jan-2010
A Costain, Lagan and Ferrovial Agroman joint venture the contract to dual the A8 from Belfast to Larne.
VT Group posts strong results, continues Mouchel push

28-Jan-2010
VT Group has posted a strong £4bn forward order book, and secured its first Highways Agency contract as it continues to push for the acquisition of consultant Mouchel.
New energy plans disputed by Oxford academic

28 January 2010
Energy National Policy Statements (NPSs ) have been slammed as “incoherent”, “amazingly complicated”, “badly written” and wide open to judicial review by a leading energy expert last week.
McAslan's Haiti plan

28 January 2010
Leading architect John McAslan has this week flown in to Haiti to spearhead rebuilding plans for the earthquake-devastated island.
Renewable energy groups reject built-in NPS targets

28 January 2010
Calls for explicit renewable energy targets to be included in National Policy Statements (NPSs) were dealt a blow this week after renewable groups a pro-wind lobby rejected this approach to building new low-carbon infrastructure.
Takeover rumours see Mouchel shares rise

28 January 2010
Shares in consultant Mouchel rose this week the on back of continued speculation surrounding a possible takeover by VT Group.
Briscoe new HS2 chair - announcement 'before election'

27-Jan-2010
An announcement on the proposed High Speed 2 line from London to the West Midlands is expected before the general election, while Sir Brian Briscoe will succeed Sir David Rowlands as HS2 chairman.
Atkins poach Sellafield don

26-Jan-2010
Atkins has hired the man who led the £42bn Sellafield decommissioning and major projects programme for British Nuclear Group – Tony Price.
Recession over - official

26-Jan-2010
The UK economy grew by 0.1% in the three months to December 2009, signalling the end of the longest recession since the 1950s, according to preliminary statistics.
Mouchel shares soar as takeover speculation mounts

25-Jan-2010
Shares in consultant Mouchel have soared today, rising more than 6% on the back of continued takeover speculation.
Earls Court faces demolition

25-Jan-2010
The iconic Art-Deco Earls Court exhibition centre is facing demolition post 2012 to build: “up to 8,000 new homes”.
Prestwick air control centre opens

25-Jan-2010
The £180M Prestick air traffic control centre entered full operation today, with 130 staff transferring from Manchester.
Tube Lines £327M claims "spurious"

25-Jan-2010
An independent adjudicator has dismissed tube upgrade contractor Tube Lines claim for £327M from London Underground as ‘spurious’, and placed the blame for Jubilee Line overruns at the contractor’s door.
VT to make final offer by 8 March

22-Jan-2010
The London Stock Exchange’s Panel Executive has given VT Group a deadline of 8 March to make a final offer to buy, or give up on, consultant Mouchel.
Nottingham Tran bidders down to two

22-Jan-2010
The two remaining consortia hoping to build the second phase of the Nottingham Express Transit (NET Phase Two) will submit bids in May.
Atkins tower tops out

22-Jan-2010
Atkins has celebrated the topping out of the 32-storey Iris Bay office and retail tower at Business Bay in Dubai.
New town considered for Port-au-Prince rebuild

22-Jan-2010
Architect John McAslan has proposed building a new suburb to replace devastated suburbs in the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince.
Engineers rush to help Haiti's quake victims

21 January 2010
Dozens of civil engineers trained in emergency aid provision rushed to Haiti this week after it was hit by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake.
Blackwall Tunnel toll could fund bridge

21 January 2010
Tolling London’s Blackwall Tunnel could fund a new Thames crossing, according to business lobby group London First.
Legal challenge threat to decision making powers of the IPC

21 January 2010
Green groups were this week preparing to challenge the authority of the new Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) via a judicial review.
Atkins calls for more flood defence spend

20-Jan-2010
Consultant Atkins has backed the Environment Agency’s call to increase flood defence spending to some £1bn per year.
Haiti struck by 6.1-magnitude aftershock

20-Jan-2010
A 6.1-magnitude aftershock has hit the stricken island nation of Haiti, still gripped by the effects of a massive 7.0 magnitude quake last week.
Full RedR Haiti mission to cost £200,000

18-Jan-2010
A full RedR programme in Haiti is likely to cost in the region of £200,000 according to the charity this morning.
Cold weather to force water companies to "miss leakage targets"

18-Jan-2010
Industry body Water UK is warning that water companies in England and Wales could miss their leakage targets for 2009/2010 following the recent bad weather.
RedR seeks £20,000 for urgent Haiti assessment

15-Jan-2010
Engineering charity RedR urgently needs £20,000 to send a team to the devestated Caribbean state of Haiti, which suffered a massive 7.0-size earthquake on Tuesday evening.
Construction orders fall 14%, Infrastructure orders grow

14-Jan-2010
Official statistics suggest the construction industry has contracted by 14% in the 12 months to November 2009, but rose by 4% year-to-year in the three months to November 2009.
RedR appeal for Haiti earthquake launched

14-Jan-2010
RedR has launched an appeal for funds to deal with the huge earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday.
Blackwall toll could pay for new London crossing

14-Jan-2010
London First says a toll on the Blackwall Tunnel should be imposed to pay for new crossings of the Thames in East London, such as the proposed Silvertown Crossing.
Fine for Commercial Road collapse

14-Jan-2010
A central London clothing company has been fined £10,000 following an incident in February 2007 in which part of its building collapsed.
Wind power: new doubts emerge

14 January 2010
Building wind farms around the UK coastline will not do enough to smooth electricity output and prevent alarming spikes in energy prices, a leading Danish energy researcher said this week.
ICE seeks infrastructure cash amid record falls in construction output

14 January 2010
Sustained and increased investment in infrastructure are at the heart of the ICE’s election manifesto, published this week.
Two nuclear power stations join IPC books

14 January 2010
Proposals for two nuclear power stations have joined 15 other projects on the books of new planning body the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC).
Balfours takes two water frameworks

12-Jan-2010
Contractor Balfour Beatty has won two AMP 5 capital contracts worth some £600M - a new £500M contract with United Utilities and an contract extension for Anglian Water.
Haynes joins Network Rail board

12-Jan-2010
Network Rail has appointed former White Young Green chief executive Lawrie Haynes and former Gatwick airport Managing director Janice Kong to its board as non-executive directors.
Adonis takes stock of salt

12-Jan-2010
Transport secretary Lord Adonis has said use of salt by local authorities to deal with frozen roads may have to be reduced further, following a 25% reduction by the Highways Agency, Local Government Association members and Greater London Authority last week.
Construction sector to shrink 3% in 2010

11-Jan-2010
The construction sector will contract by 3% in 2010, on top of a massive 12% contraction in 2009, according to the Construction Products Association (CPA) today.
MPs demand ramping up carbon reduction strategy

11-Jan-2010
MPs have slammed the government’s plans to reduce carbon emissions as unambitious, and proposed moving from a 26% reduction in CO2 emissions written into law and move to more courageous 42% reduction compared to 1990 levels.
Bob Ward: Stern Times

8-Jan-2010
As the Copenhagen climate change talks get into full flow, Ed Owen speaks to the group leading the UK’s delegation for an overview of the latest climate change thinking.
Engineering graduates 'highly employable'

17-Dec-2009
Research by EngineeringUK suggests that engineering and technology graduates are highly employable, with 94.3% in work three years after graduating and 74% working in the engineering and technology fields.
London Assembly slam Boris 'inaction' on Tube

17-Dec-2009
The London Assembly has hit out against London Mayor Boris Johnson for inaction on resolving the ongoing dispute between London Underground and tube upgrade contractor Tube Lines.
Mouchel shares continue to rise

17-Dec-2009
The price of shares in Mouchel have continued to rise on the back of takeover speculation, increasing in value by more than £1 per share over the past week.
WSP confident despite Dubai worries

15-Dec-2009
Shares in consultant WSP plunged by more than 5% this morning, admitting it is still uncertain of developments in Dubai, where it has £15M in unpaid bills.
Mouchel asked to explain VT rejection

15-Dec-2009
VT Group has asked consultant Mouchel to explain why it had rejected two takeover offers, saying the latest offer made on December 2 was: “compelling”.
High Speed enthusiasm for Kent commuters

14-Dec-2009
The first commuter service to use high speed rail lines have prompted overwhelming consumer support, according to new research by high speed pressure group Greenauge21
Taliban threat mothballs hydro-electric turbine

14-Dec-2009
A huge hydro-electric turbine dragged 110 miles by British troops through Taliban territory in Afghanistan is being packed away because the cement required to install it cannot be delivered safely, it was reported today.
VT interest in Mouchel triggers city rally

14-Dec-2009
Shares in Mouchel soared by 33% today as VT Group - formerly shipbuilder Vosper Thornycroft - is understood to be interested in acquiring the consultant.
£15bn public spending 'hole' post-2011

10-Dec-2009
The Pre-Budget Report has at its core a £15bn hole, which must be funded from public spending cuts of some 3% per year in areas such as transport, according to research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) today.
London Underground 'Not culpable' for Jubilee overruns

10-Dec-2009
Signalling upgrades on the Jubilee Line are running up to 9 months behind schedule according to Transport for London today, and they are putting pressure on tube upgrade contractor Tube Lines to prevent it from paying shareholders while the upgrade is delayed.
£450M approved for solar power project confirmed

10-Dec-2009
11 Concentrated Solar Power plants in the North African desert will go ahead, thanks to confirmation by the Clean Technology Fund, which has green-lit the £5.6bn project.
Pre-Budget Report: The verdict

10-Dec-2009
The Pre Budget Report has established national infrastructure planning body Infrastructure UK to secure funds for major infrastructure over the coming 50 years, although some have queried where funds will be found.
Wind farm research triggers CO2 row

10 December 2009
Energy experts this week challenged claims that an over-reliance on wind power would undermine Britain’s efforts to cut carbon emissions.
Move to Euro-supergrid

10 December 2009
Nine countries including the UK have signed up to develop an integrated offshore power grid in the North Sea and the Irish Sea.
Tories plan to scrap IPC

10 December 2009
The Conservatives will abolish the newly-formed Independent Planning Commission (IPC), but not right away, should they win the coming General Election.
Darling: The Pre Budget Report

9-Dec-2009
In his Pre Budget Report speech to the House of Commons, Chancellor of the Excheqer Alistair Darling said the country has faced: “The Biggest financial crisis for half a century.
Darling: Meet Infrastructure UK

9-Dec-2009
Alistair Darling has pledged to invest in infrastructure decades into the future, by setting up Infrastructure UK to focus the government’s planning to prioritise and fund infrastructure over the coming 50 years.
50-year infrastructure plans

9-Dec-2009
Today’s Pre Budget Report will include details of a new body - Infrastructure UK that will make national plans for infrastructure development over the coming 50 years.
WYG confirm shareholder vote for restructure

9-Dec-2009
Consultant White Young Green has confirmed that it will hold an extraordinary meeting in Leeds on 6 January 2010 to vote on proposals to restructure the company and delist from the London Stock Exchange to service debts and relist on the AIM exchange.
Carillion in £150M Abu Dhabi win

9-Dec-2009
The Al Futtaim Carillion joint venture has won a £150M to build the new Investment Council Headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
2012 Transport plans 'on track'

8-Dec-2009
The ODA has completed three quarters of its transport improvement programme for the 2012 Olympic Games - on time and to budget.
2000-2009 'warmest-ever' decade

8-Dec-2009
New research from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) suggests that the past decade has been the warmest ever recorded, with 2009 to be confirmed as one of the 10 warmest years ever recorded.
Thames uses evacuation for electrification

8-Dec-2009
Thames Water has reported saving some £15M in its electricity bills by using human waste to generate power.
£26M British Library depository opens

3-Dec-2009
The British Library’s £26M Additional Storage Building (ASB) has opened at Boston Spa in West Yorkshire.
Civil engineering contractors: 40,000 jobs will have gone by the end of 2010

3-Dec-2009
The civil engineering sector will have lost up to 40,000 jobs between autumn 2007 and the end of 2010, according to new research from the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA).
Benn: Engineers need to remedy changing climate

3-Dec-2009
Making Britain resilient to a changing climate will depend on the engineering sector’s response, according to environment secretary Hilary Benn.
£6M to develop smart meters

3-Dec-2009
The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has set aside £6M to develop smart meters, which are due to be fitted in all homes by 2020.
No festive cheer for 'vulnerable' construction sector

2-Dec-2009
The construction sector is expecting a dire winter, posting the 21st consecutive month of decline in November, on top of fresh job cuts, despite small increases in new business volume.
Crossrail appoints new head of procurement

2-Dec-2009
Crossrail has today appointed chartered surveyor Martin Rowark as its head of procurement reporting directly to commercial director Martin Buck.
New King's Cross ticket hall opens

2-Dec-2009
The Northern Ticket Hall at King’s Cross St. Pancras Underground Station opened today.
ACE calls for infrastructure 'account'

1-Dec-2009
A system of infrastructure accounting is urgently needed to keep track of what is required and where, according to the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE).
Pierson to lead Parsons Brinckerhoff

1-Dec-2009
George Pierson has been appointed as chief executive at consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff, recently bought by contractor Balfour Beatty.
Aecom Europe to cut 350 jobs

26 November 2009
Aecom Europe, formerly Faber Maunsell, is to cut a further 350 jobs in the UK and Europe, citing the ongoing effects of the recession.
Quantity surveyor takes construction adviser job

26 November 2009
Paul Morrell, the quantity surveyor named this week as the government’s chief construction adviser, has vowed to keep a “team” of civil engineers on call to help him represent the views of the profession.
Flooding and energy bills in Queen’s Speech

26 November 2009
The government has pledged to pass new laws to deal with surface water flood responsibility and fund carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in the annual Queen’s Speech to Parliament. It has also pledged to “respond” to high speed rail proposals.
Morrell - the first interview

25-Nov-2009
The newly appointed Chief Construction Adviser (CCA), Paul Morrell has pledged to keep a ‘team’ of Civil Engineers on call to ensure adequate representation to government.
Official: Morrell is government construction Tsar

24-Nov-2009
Former senior partner at Davis Langdon, Paul Morrell, has been confirmed as the government’s construction Tsar, beating a slim field to claim the top job.
Morrell tipped for government adviser post

23-Nov-2009
Quantity surveyor and former Davis Langdon senior partner Paul Morrell is understood to have been appointed as the government’s Chief Construction Adviser.
More gloom for civils contractors says CECA

19 November 2009
Civil engineering contractors are predicting a grim 2010, with more reporting falling order books than at any time since the mid-1990s.
Osborne in pledge to axe PFI

19 November 2009
Business leaders claimed this week that a Conservative government is unlikely to ditch the use of private finance for infrastructure despite pledges to scrap the Private Finance Initiative (PFI).
Gautrain link to be ready for World Cup

18-Nov-2009
South Africa is accelerating construction of a section of its Gautrain high speed railway so that it will be ready in time for next year’s World Cup finals, concession contractor Bombela confirmed today.
Government pledges Energy, Floods and High Speed action

18-Nov-2009
In today’s Queen’s Speech, the Government included both an Energy Bill to fund Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and a Floods and Water Management Bill to allocate responsibility for floods in addition to action on a high speed rail link between London and Scotland, although opposition MPs claim the legislative timetable is unrealistic.
Planning removed for community renewables

17-Nov-2009
Community renewable electricity generation such as wind turbines will have planning permissions removed under new government proposals.
Balfours win in Rail

17-Nov-2009
Balfour Beatty has won a number of new rail contracts, in China, Sweden and Germany worth some £188M in total.
Ministers set country’s infrastructure priorities

12 November 2009
Ministers this week approved 10 sites as locations for the UK’s next generation of nuclear power stations.
Demolition plan for iconic Dounreay sphere

12 November 2009
Dounreay nuclear research facility’s iconic 41m diameter sphere is to be earmarked for demolition, the team responsible for the site’s clearance told NCE last week.
Carbon capture coal power stations will still be less viable than gas competitors

12 November 2009
Government efforts to encourage the construction of coal-fired power plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology will fail unless more subsidies are offered, consultants warned this week.
£300M European Investment Bank loan to rescue London Gateway Port

12 November 2009
A £300M loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) is set to rescue the £1.5bn London Gateway Port project, NCE has learnt.
Carbon cross roads

12 November 2009
Installing carbon capture and storage technology on fossil fuel burning power plants could be a quick and easy way to reduce overall CO2 emissions post-Copenhagen. Ed Owen reports.
Government: Ports to be fast-tracked

10-Nov-2009
Ports are to be fast-tracked through the planning process, and the framework for new port development was published yesterday in the draft ports National Policy Statement (NPS).
Three new sites for nuclear power revealed

9-Nov-2009
The government has put forward three new sites for nuclear power stations at Kingsnorth in Kent, Druridge Bay in the North East and Owston Ferry south of Scunthorpe, that could be built post-2025.
Costain wins £250M Midlands highways job

9-Nov-2009
A joint venture between Costain and Lafarge has won a £250M Highways Agency maintenance framework contract in the Midlands.
Energy National Policy Statements expected next week

6-Nov-2009
The first six National Policy Statements (NPS) are expected to be published next week; all will deal with energy policy.
RWE and E.On complete £15bn nuclear joint venture

5-Nov-2009
E.ON and RWE npower have completed their 50:50 joint venture, to be called Horizon Nuclear Power, that aims to attract £15bn in investment and create 11,000 jobs.
John McDonough: Strong industry voice

05 November 2009
The CBI’s Construction Council has already claimed three victories in its work to promote construction after scoring direct access to Downing Street, says its chairman John McDonough. Ed Owen spoke to him.
Aecom targets major projects work

05 November 2009
Consultant Aecom’s UK and European project management arm this week said it was gearing up to take on Bechtel and other major players for major projects work.
Deep water wind farms to present major new challenges

05 November 2009
Offshore wind farms in deep water will present new technical construction and operational challenges, turbine operators warned this week.
'Worrying' state for construction as output continues fall

3-Nov-2009
Construction output has fallen for the twentieth consecutive month. Figures for October figures showed further job cuts prompting fresh worries about the state of the industry.
Oxford Street 'Shibuya' crossing opens

3-Nov-2009
The new £5M ‘Shibuya’-style crossing at London’s Oxford Circus opened yesterday to great fanfare.
UK Atomic Energy Authority commercial arm sold

2-Nov-2009
The commercial arm of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has been sold to Babcock International for £50M.
Metronet contracts to remain at London Underground

30-Oct-2009
Metronet’s tube upgrade contracts will remain under direct management of London Underground under a new deal.
Interest in Jarvis wanes

30-Oct-2009
The company that entered into talks to buy rail specialist contractor Jarvis has pulled-out of negotiations.
WYG to de-list and restructure following huge loss

30-Oct-2009
Consultant White Young Green will de-list from the London Stock Exchange as a result of a debt-for-equity swap and restructuring.
Ministers urged to develop clear carbon capture policy

29 October 2009
Ministers must accelerate the government’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) programme to stop the UK from lagging behind other nations, engineers said this week.
Amec fined £5M following ‘irregular payments’ on Incheon Bridge job

29 October 2009
Amec this week agreed to pay almost £5M to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) after the contractor was discovered to have recieved “irregular payments” during the construction of South Korea’s massive Incheon Bridge.
IPC leads on power

29 October 2009
Energy minister David Kidney said last week that the first energy National Policy Statements (NPS) will be published early next month.
Parsons Brinckerhoff takeover goes ahead

29 October 2009
Balfour Beatty has completed the takeover of US consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB), following overwhelming support from PB’s shareholders.
AMEC to pay £5M for 'irregular' Incheon payments

26-Oct-2009
Project management specialists Amec have agreed to pay alomst £5M to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) for: ‘irregular payments’ received between November 2005 and March 2007 during the construction of the 18.5km Incheon Bridge mega-project in South Korea.
Balfours completes Parsons Brinckerhoff takeover

25-Oct-2009
Contractor Balfour Beatty has completed the takeover of US consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff, and Nick Flew has been appointed to head its new UK and European division.
Government 'cocks-up' renewables target say energy users

22-Oct-2009
The government’s decision to commit to a 20% target for energy production from renewable sources was described as a “cock-up” according to director of the Energy Intensive Users Group, Jeremy Nicholson.
Energy NPS ready 'next month'

22-Oct-2009
The National Policy Statement for Britain’s energy needs is expected: “at the earliest possible date” in November, said energy minister David Kidney.
First IPC applications dominated by nuclear, wind and grid

22-Oct-2009
The Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) has revealed the first projects likely to use it, and the schemes are dominated by energy projects with a single road scheme.
Mott in charge of Thames Gateway Bridge revival

22 October 2009
Mott MacDonald is to lead work to revive the Thames Gateway Bridge (TGB), it was announced last week.
Road maintenance costs soar

22 October 2009
The Highways Agency has been attacked by the government’s spending watchdog for allowing rampant cost escalation in road maintenance.
Severn Barrage not likely until after 2020

22 October 2009
The proposed Severn Barrage could not be built until after 2020 and would cost significantly more than first thought, energy minister Lord Hunt said last week.
CBI: Britain needs six new nuclear stations by 2030

21-Oct-2009
The UK will miss climate change targets unless six new nuclear power stations are built by 2030, warns business body the CBI.
MPs slam "Hands-off" DfT for Metronet collapse

20-Oct-2009
MPs have been savage in questioning the Department for Transport and its apparent: “Hands-off” approach to failed tube upgrade contractor Metronet, which collapsed in 2007.
First 2012 DLR train runs

20-Oct-2009
The first new Docklands Light Railway (DLR) carriage built for the 2012 Olympic Games has been delivered to Stratford station
Metronet troubleshooter joins Crossrail manager

19-Oct-2009
Former Metronet CEO Andie Harper has joined AECOM as director of programme management for transport and infrastructure
Brown: Urgent action to prevent climate 'catastrophe'

19-Oct-2009
Prime Minister gordon Brown has urged prompt action to avert a climate: “Catastrophe” and reach a deal in the December Copenhagen summit on climate change.
Mott MacDonald to lead new Thames crossings study

16-Oct-2009
Consultant Mott MacDonald will lead the study into the new Thames crossings at Silvertown and Gallions Reach.
Feed-in Tariff must be more ambitious

16-Oct-2009
Feed-in tariffs to stimulate small-scale use of renewable energy must be raised to a 10% return for the first three years to be effective claim green campaigners today.
Maintenance remains cost issue for Highways Agency

16-Oct-2009
A new report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has criticised the Highways Agency’s Maintenance Area Contracts (MAC), which it says is responsible for cost hikes some 11% above inflation for routine maintenance.
Costain order book grows

15-Oct-2009
Contractor Costainhas increased forward orders and accrued more than £100M in cash, according to its latest trading statement.
Boris: Metronet collapse forces Victoria work halt

15-Oct-2009
A combination of the collapse of Tube upgrade contractor Metronet and fewer commuters using the tube has forced Transport for London (TfL) to abandon work to upgrade stations and postpone the much-needed Victoria tube upgrade.
Boris makes shock U-turn on Thames Gateway Bridge

15 October 2009
London mayor Boris Johnson has stunned the transport community by making a policy U-turn on the abandoned Thames Gateway Bridge (TGB) just east of the Blackwall Tunnel.
Dartford Crossing and HS1 up for sale

15 October 2009
Prime minister Gordon Brown has confirmed that the government will sell assets including the Dartford Crossing and its stake in the High Speed 1 rail link raising up to £16bn to repay government borrowing.
Severn Barrage: Not until after 2020

14-Oct-2009
Energy minister Lord Hunt has said that any Severn Barrage scheme would be unlikely before 2020, and that costs for the shortlisted schemes could rise, with connections to the National Grid alone projected to cost some £2bn.
Brown: new coal stations must store emissions

14-Oct-2009
New coal-fired power stations must include arbon Capture and Storage technology the Prime Minister Gordon Brown said this week.
Crossrail route to Gravesend secured

14-Oct-2009
The Department for Transport (DfT) has safeguarded the route of a possible extension to the Crossrail route from the planned terminus at Abbey Wood to Gravesend in north Kent.
Cambridgeshire to bid for £500M TIF cash

13-Oct-2009
Cambridgeshire has voted to bid for £500M of Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) money, despite the sole bid - for Manchester - failing in its open consultation last year.
Skanska wins £59M Thameslink viaduct job

13-Oct-2009
Skanska has won the contract to build the controversial new Thameslink viaduct over Borough Market in south London.
Boris U-turn revives Thames Gateway Bridge

12-Oct-2009
Boris Johnson has made a spectacular U-turn by reviving hopes for a new crossing of the Thames in east London to link Beckton with Woolwich.
Speedy Hire: Construction confidence 'fragile'

12-Oct-2009
Shares in plant hire specialist Speedy Hire plunged 12% this morning as the company indicated turnover would be down by close to 30% compared to last year.
Carillion sells Enviros to service debts

12-Oct-2009
Consultant Carillion has sold its environmental consultancy Enviros to Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) for £27M.
Burj Dubai "to open 2 December"

9-Oct-2009
The world’s talles building - the Burj Dubai - will open to business on 2 December as an army of workers struggle to complete the structure on time.
Atkins wins £200M roads deal

9-Oct-2009
Consultant Atkins is preferred bidder for a £200M deal to maintain Somerset’s roads for five years, beginning on 1 April 2010.
'Muddled' Boris overturns tower decision and feeds Crossrail coffers

8-Oct-2009
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has overturned the decision not to build a new 63-storey tower on the Isle of Dogs, a move described as: “muddled” by detractors, but the developer is now contributing £4M to Crossrail in the process.
Balfours shareholders approve PB takeover

8-Oct-2009
Shareholders in contractor Balfour Beatty have approved the decision to raise £353M to buy US consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff by an overwhelming majority.
Cameron: Back to 'On your Bike'

8-Oct-2009
David Cameron’s vision for a greener future echoes that of Norman Tebbit a generation ago when he called on young people to ‘Get on your bike’ by saying entrepreneurs will drag the economy out of the doldrums.
Carillion predicts strong growth

8-Oct-2009
Contractor Carillion is predicting strong growth by year end, according to a trading statement for the third quarter of 2009.
Ministers confident of resolving Shellhaven funding dispute

8 October 2009
Ministers declared last week they were confident a dispute with DP World over the funding of the £1.65bn extension of Shellhaven port in the Thames Estuary would be resolved.
Roadbuilding falls out of favour with Tories

8 October 2009
Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers this week signalled an uncertain future for road builders if the Conservatives win the next election by backing transport projects that cut car use.
Tories: massive increase in green energy

6-Oct-2009
The Conservatives will begin to construct 5GW of clean coal, start planning for new nuclear, and start the National Grid extending its network out to sea for offshore wind.
Clarke promises to cut red tape for business

6-Oct-2009
Shadow business secretary Ken Clarke has said he will cut red tape for business as part of the wider reform of Whitehall.
Osbourne pledges to cut public sector by £7bn per year

6-Oct-2009
Shadow chancellor George Osborne has outlined how a Conservative administration would cut the public purse to fund frontline services and encourage ‘saving’ to fund investment.
Tory push for training and education

6-Oct-2009
The Conservatives have promised to create 30,000 new apprentice places on top of another 10,000 university places under any new administration.
'Armchair auditors' to drive public spending efficiency

6-Oct-2009
Government will become increasingly transparent under a Conservative administration to force the public sector to work more efficiently, under new proposals.
Conservatives to: "Transform our economy" to green

6-Oct-2009
Shadow energy minister Greg Barker has promised a small number of bodies to fund trillions to make a green ‘transformation’ of the economy to low Carbon.
Conservatives can't promise Floods Bill in first term

6-Oct-2009
The Conservative floods minister has slammed the government’s progress in implementing Sir Michael Pitt’s recommendations following his report into the devastating 2007 floods, but said a Floods Bill was not certain in the first Queen’s Speech under David Cameron.
Villiers - transport budget to focus on 'sustainable' solutions

5-Oct-2009
Any new Conservative government would give the priority to those schemes that demonstrate a sustainable agenda, according to shadow transport minister Theresa Villiers today.
Norris: Adonis not to enter Tory administration

5-Oct-2009
Transport for London board member Steven Norris has said current Transport secretary Lord Adonis would be unlikely to enter a Conservative administration.
Crossrail must make: "significant savings"

5-Oct-2009
Crossrail will be under pressure to come in well under its £16bn budget under a Conservative government, NCE can reveal.
Tories - IPC out, but NPS to stay

5-Oct-2009
Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers has said the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), which opened its doors in Bristol last week, would be abolished in any Conservative government.
Crossrail approaching £1bn spend

2-Oct-2009
Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan says his company will have spent £1bn by the second quarter of 2010 and cancelling the project would be a: “huge waste”.
Network Rail wins order to expand Reading station

2-Oct-2009
Network Rail has won an order to purchase land necessary to make a significant expansion of Reading station.
Construction output nosedives

2-Oct-2009
Construction output is contracting at an increased rate, according to new data released for September.
RICS: No tender price recovery until 2011

1-Oct-2009
Tender prices continue to fall and may not start to recover until 2011, according surveyers have warned.
Floods Bill the priority

1-Oct-2009
A floods Bill is essential in this coming parliament, although new national standards to combat floods may hamper widespread uptake of sustainable drainage systems (SUDS), water engineers warn.
IPC now open for business

1-Oct-2009
The Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) has started work to an enthusiastic welcome from industry and business bodies.
White Young Green defers date for financial test

1-Oct-2009
Consultant White Young Green has deferred the date for testing whether it has broken its financial covenants to 31 October while it considers whether to raise cash via a debt for equity swap.
Cambridgeshire puts C-Charge at heart of £500M TIF cash bid

1 October 2009
Cambridgeshire County Council is poised to bring in a congestion charging scheme as part of a bid for £500M of the government’s Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) cash.
High speed rail in the spotlight

1 October 2009
Transport secretary Lord Adonis this week refused to rule out working for a Conservative government if it meant he could complete his project to build high speed rail lines.
Tube Lines in costs row

1 October 2009
London Underground has appealed to PPP arbiter Chris Bolt to step in to resolve a row with upgrade contractor Tube Line over cost forecasts. The row centres on the cost of work on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines between now and 2017.
Brown outlines innovation 'bank' and 250,000 green jobs

29-Sep-2009
Gordon Brown’s speech at the Labour Party conference included measures to fund an innovation bank and push green industries to create 250,000 jobs, as well as measures to reduce the UK’s budget deficit.
Olympics apprentices to build Crossrail

29-Sep-2009
Construction apprentices trained to build the Olympic park in east London will spill over into building Crossrail, the Olympics minister revealed this week.
Floods Bill in rocky waters

28-Sep-2009
The much-anticipated floods and water bill is in danger of being watered-down or even abandoned due to constraints of parliamentary time the minister responsible for steering the bill has revealed.
Waste dispute overshadows new nuclear

28-Sep-2009
Talks over nuclear new build are overshadowed by disputes over costs of fuel reprocessing, it has been revealed.
Changes to IPC "very damaging"

28-Sep-2009
Conservative plans to change the new Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) would be: “very damaging” to the national interest, according to the government this week.
Infrastructure Bank could fund High Speed Rail

28-Sep-2009
An Infrastructure Bank, funded through the sale of bonds or road user charging could fund a high speed rail network, according to senior government sources this week.
High Speed to relaunch Labour

28-Sep-2009
A high Speed Rail network should be part of the package of policies Labour take to the country at a general election, revealed transport secretary Lord Adonis this week.
Tyler: Parsons Brinckerhoff takeover 'transformational' for us

24 September 2009
Contracting giant Balfour Beatty last week stunned the industry by agreeing to buy consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) for £380M - Balfour’s chief executive Ian Tyler spoke to NCE.
DfT steps into Network Rail supplier row

24 September 2009
A senior Department for Transport (DfT) official this week stepped into the row between Network Rail and piling specialist Screwfast over the track operator’s procurement policies.
High speed rail must benefit North and Midlands if it is to succeed

24 September 2009
A new high speed rail network should boost economic growth in the Midlands and the North, and not simply provide a feed into London, said government quango High Speed 2 (HS2) rail director Andrew McNaughton this week.
New fund for green energy

24 September 2009
Twenty two million pounds of public money has been made available to fund new wind and tidal energy schemes to accelerate the development of renewable marine energy in the UK.
Planning commission pressed on energy and roads

24 September 2009
Highways and energy schemes are among the projects vying to be the first to come under the scrutiny of the new Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) when it launches next week, NCE has learnt.
Robbie Burns: Overground challenge

24 September 2009
Building Crossrail is much more than tunnelling under London - the majority of the network will be overground and will be designed, delivered and eventually managed by Network Rail.
London Underground seeks closure on Tube Lines' cost escalation

23-Sep-2009
London Underground has appealed to PPP arbiter Chirs Bolt to find a final figure for the work Tube Lines will carry out to upgrade the Northern, Jubilee and Victoria lines up to 2017, after deciding proposed costs are “unacceptably high”.
Glasgow's Scottish Ballet opens

22-Sep-2009
Scottish Ballet’s new £11M headquarters has opened in Glasgow, the construction managed by consultants Capita Symonds.
High-Speed Dubai Metro

18-Sep-2009
A wonderful of a trip on the Dubai Metro’s ‘Red’ line.
The Shard of Glass

18-Sep-2009
Animation of what would be the UK’s tallest building - the Shard of Glass.
The 2012 Media Centre

18-Sep-2009
Time-lapse of construction of the vast 2012 media centre, said to be the size of Canary Wharf laid flat.
Andrew Wolstenholme to manage Parsons Brinckerhoff takeover

18-Sep-2009
Former BAA capital projects director Andrew Wolstenholme will manage the take-over of consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff by contracting giant Balfour Beatty.
43-storey blocks to go ahead in London

18-Sep-2009
Appeals by both English Heritage and Westminster City Council to block the building of a 43-storey tower on London’s South Bank have been thrown-out by a judge.
Balfour Beatty to buy Parsons Brinckerhoff

17-Sep-2009
Contracting giant Balfour Beatty has stunned the City by confirming it will buy giant US consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff for £380M.
FIDIC: Copenhagen deal essential to stop poverty

17-Sep-2009
Consultants plan to write an open letter to governments attending the Copenhagen climate change summit in December, appealing for a deal which they say will help end war, poverty and starvation.
Mandelson launches low carbon construction probe

17-Sep-2009
Business secretary Peter Mandelson today launched a new review of the construction industry, to ensure it was “fit for purpose” in a low-carbon future.
Supply chain hits out at Network Rail’s attitude

17 September 2009
Members of Network Rail’s supply chain have this week slammed the rail infrastructure manager’s claims that it fosters innovation, instead describing the client as inefficient and bureaucratic.
Atkins to offer nuclear training

17 September 2009
Atkins is to start using its nuclear academy to train staff from other consultants and contractors.
High Speed Rail: New £69bn network proposed

16-Sep-2009
High speed rail pressure group Greengauge 21 has unveiled its proposals for high speed rail network - twin routes north from London to Scotland and slightly slower routes west to Cardiff, across the Pennines and from Edinburgh to Newcastle.
New low carbon lobby launched

16-Sep-2009
Consultants AECOM and WSP have joined a new lobby group aimed at positioning the UK as a the world market leader in low carbon technology.
Progress on sustainable construction

16-Sep-2009
There has been: “Good progress” in pushing a sustainable agenda in the construction industry according to a new government report.
EDF targets Hutton to advise on nuclear

15-Sep-2009
EDF Energy is in talks with former energy minister John Hutton, who had been a strong advocate for building new nuclear power stations, to use him as an adviser.
Network Rail wins backing for Farringdon overhaul

14-Sep-2009
Network Rail has won backing for the renovation of Farringdon station, which will be a key London interchange between London Underground, the £5.5bn Thameslink upgrade and £16bn Crossrail project.
New man at the top for London Underground

14-Sep-2009
Mike Brown will return to London Underground as managing director in 2010, having run Heathrow for BAA since 2008.
Cost of lending threatening good businesses

11-Sep-2009
Small businesses are under threat due to banks insisting on charges, increasing interest rates and demanding personal guarantees as preconditions for lending.
Blackfriars Bridge - London's largest public display opens

11-Sep-2009
The eastern pavement of Blackfriars Road Bridge will become London’s longest and most viewed outdoor art exhibition, when a 246 metre hoarding line running its entire length is turned into a new public art space, today.
Jarvis receive 'preliminary' offer to buy

11-Sep-2009
Shares in Jarvis have soared by 75% since Wednesday on the back of speculation that the company is to be bought.
Atkins to open nuclear training to outsiders

10-Sep-2009
Consultant Atkins will open its nuclear training academy to other companies working in the nuclear industry.
RMT warns Network Rail against 20% maintenance cull

10-Sep-2009
Maintanance job cuts at Network Rail are set to soar to more than 2500 - 20% of the workforce, according to infromation from the RMT Union.
Dartford crossing and canals for sale for £16bn government spending

10 September 2009
Chancellor Alistair Darling is planning to sell off the M25 Dartford Crossing and the UK’s canal network as part of a £16bn-plus privatisation programme.
Renewables special: Euro vision

10 September 2009
Linking national grids to form a European supergrid to promote the effective use of sustainable energy would meet our electricity needs and environmental targets at a stroke. Ed Owen takes a closer look at the proposition.
WYG faces pressure to delist

10 September 2009
Consultant White Young Green may be forced to persuade its banks to swap debt for shares to avoid breaching lending coventants, analysts said this week.
Dubai Metro opens today

9-Sep-2009
The Emirate of Dubai today opens its first mass transit metro system, although the first passenger journeys will take place tomorrow.
Government pledges to sell assets for capital spend

8-Sep-2009
The Government will sell assets in order to raise money for public spending to help deal with the recession, chancellor Alistair Darling revealed in the James Callaghan Memorial lecture today.
Regulator threatens action on 'unacceptable' West Coast Main Line

7-Sep-2009
The Office of Rail Regulation has said that Network Rail could still face action over the poor, but improving, performance on the West Coast Main Line.
Armitt joins Siemens board

4-Sep-2009
Olympic Delivery Authority chair and former Network Rail chief executive and current John Armitt has joined Siemens Holdings as an advisory board member.
45 years of the Forth Road bridge

4-Sep-2009
The Forth Estuary Transport Authority has released rarely seen video footage including time lapse photography showing how the bridge flexes to accommodate the effects of traffic and the weather.
Construction activity continues to slide

4-Sep-2009
Construction output fell 15% in the second quarter of 2009 compared to the same period last year, despite fiscal stimulus money.
Engineering increasingly regarded as desirable career

3-Sep-2009
New research has revealed a 19% increase in those who would recommend engineering as a profession to children, family or friends.
Three commissioners appointed to IPC

3-Sep-2009
Jan Bessell, Glyn Roberts and Paul Hudson have been appointed as commissioners of the newly established Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC).
Rival plans for High Speed Rail

3-Sep-2009
The proposed £34bn high speed rail link from London to Glasgow would not have the greatest environmental benefit, and ballast track would introduce additional costs, according to pressure groups this week.
High-speed line plan signals new rail era

3 September 2009
Network Rail last week published plans for a £34bn high-speed rail system linking London and the Midlands with the north west and Scotland.
White Young Green on brink of de-listing

2-Sep-2009
Consultant White Young Green may de-list from the London Stock Exchange to service its banking covenants.
Stagnant Dubai sends Halcrow profits plunging

1-Sep-2009
A massive increase in unpaid bills in Dubai has hit Halcrow’s 2008 results hard.
Crossrail powers to be devolved to Transport for London

1-Sep-2009
A draft order to pass responsibility of Crossrail from the Department for Transport to Transport for London (TfL) has been published, to complete in November.
WTC New York progress

28-Aug-2009
This set of pictures show the progress at the World Trade Centre site in New York.
Mayor pushes for high rise to fund Crossrail

28-Aug-2009
Mayor of London Boris Johnson will use new planning powers to look again at the proposed Columbus Tower, which had a planning application rejected earlier this month, which could help pay for Crossrail.
Number of science GCSEs doubles

27-Aug-2009
The number of students taking single science GCSEs has doubled since 2000, according to the latest results, published today.
1 in 5 civils contractors making a loss

27-Aug-2009
1 in 5 Civil Engineering Contractors are making an operating loss according to new research by Plimsoll.
IMechE urges push to geo-engineer for climate change

27-Aug-2009
The Institite of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) has published a 100-year study to geo-engineer the planet, using artificial trees and algae blooms to reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere and create 1M jobs.
Carillion profits up 92%

27-Aug-2009
Carillion has posted strong results, with turnover up 13% and pre-tax profits up 92%, partly from savings made in the acquisition of contractor Alfred McAlpine,
Four join to pounce on Crossrail tunnelling work

25-Aug-2009
Balfour Beatty, Beton- und Monierbau, Morgan Est and VINCI Construction have formed a joint venture company specifically to bid for the prestigious Crossrail tunnelling contracts.
Government to appoint Chief Adviser on Construction

25-Aug-2009
The Government has announced it plans to appoint a three-day per week Chief Adviser to Government on Construction.
Grontmij profits fall

21-Aug-2009
Dutch firm Grontmij has posted a 17% fall in profits for the first six months of 2009, compared to the same period last year.
Halcrow to axe 269 staff as recession bites deeper

20 August 2009
Two major consultants were this week preparing to make significant job cuts, as the recession in construction showed no sign of letting up.
Paul Finch appointed chairman of CABE

20 August 2009
The Commission for Architecture & the Built Enviroment (CABE) has named Paul Finch, former editor of NCE’s sister magazine the Architects Journal, as its new chair.
Diplomas fail on core skills and stereotyping

20 August 2009
New diploma qualifications are ineffective at teaching students the core skills of maths, IT and english, government education regulator Ofsted said this week.
Environment Agency extends frameworks

19-Aug-2009
The Environment Agency has extended by two years its National Engineering and Environmental Consultancy Agreement frameworks, which were worth £54M in 2008/9.
Crossrail sponsors Computer Science MA

19-Aug-2009
Crossrail has revealed a new collaboration with The University of York to sponsor the Master of Engineering course in Embedded Systems with £60,000 per year.
New report highlights concerns over Eco towns

18-Aug-2009
The government’s Eco-town consultation has highlighted concerns over the planning and appropriateness of plans, according to a report compiled by consultant Scott Wilson.
Barge system for Ouse flood scheme

18-Aug-2009
The Environment Agency is using barges to combat changing tides for the £11.9M Swinefleet scheme on the River Ouse.
Diplomas not: 'effective or coordinated' for teaching functional skills

17-Aug-2009
Research from the government’s education watchdog Ofsed suggests that the new educational diplomas - designed to replace A-levels and GCSEs - have not yet been implemented effectively, and teaching has suffered in Maths, IT and English.
Humber flood threat progress

14-Aug-2009
Tarmac is well underway in a £7.7M project to protect 10,500 people from Humber estuary floods.
Recession deepening for contractors

14-Aug-2009
Research from the Civil Engineers Contractors Association (CECA) has shown the recession to be deepening, with tender prices falling off a cliff, opening the door to a ‘double-dip’ recession.
Vestas closes sole UK wind turbine factory

12-Aug-2009
Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has closed its wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight - the UK’s only such factory - following a protracted and often vituperative dispute with workers protesting against its closure.
£1M for construction apprentices

12-Aug-2009
ConstructionSkills has secured £1M from the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) to support construction companies that take on apprentices who have been laid-off during the recession.
Crossrail station design contracts issued

10-Aug-2009
Crossrail has awarded design contracts for four central London stations and three key portals.
Amey lands £2.7bn deal to manage Birmingham roads

6 August 2009
Amey has pipped Vinci/Laing O’Rourke/WSP to a mega £2.7bn deal to operate and manage Birmingham’s roads for 25 years.
Staff fight on at Vestas factory

6 August 2009
A row over the closure of Britain’s only wind turbine factory has escalated this week after owner Vestas won a repossession order to clear its Isle of Wight plant of protesting staff.
Manchester waste PFI secures 23 sites

4-Aug-2009
The Viridor Laing Manchester Waste PFI consortium has had all 23 sites approved to build 36 separate plants across Manchester.
Amey wins £2.7bn Birmingham Roads PFI

4-Aug-2009
Amey has beaten a Laing O’Rourke/Vinci/WSP bid to be appointed as preferred bidder for Birmingham’s £2.7bn highways maintenance and management private finance initiative (PFI) contract.
KPMG - Government bigger threat to infrastructure than lack of finance

4-Aug-2009
Government competence to address infrastructure issues is called into question by those building the infrastructure, according to a new surveyu by KPMG and the Economist Intelligence Unit.undertaken by KPMG International in cooperation with the Economist Intelligence Unit - infrastructure providers are questioning the ability of
Sellafield to tighten designs

3-Aug-2009
Sellafield is to improve the designs for its containment following the leak of radioactive liquid in January, the Environment Agency has said.
City baulks at RPS figures

30-Jul-2009
Shares in RPS plunged 9% today as the city reacted badly to the group’s interim results, published this morning.
London businesses to pay 2p supplement for Crossrail

30-Jul-2009
Businesses in London will pay a 2p Business Rate Supplement from April 2010 to help fund Crossrail, the Greater London Authority (GLA) proposes.
Government axes 21 road schemes

30-Jul-2009
The government has axed 21 road schemes as part of its regional transport funding settlement.
Victoria upgrade to go ahead

30-Jul-2009
London’s Victoria underground station will benefit from a £695M upgrade, following approval by Lord Adonis today.
Vestas turbine dispute escalates

29-Jul-2009
The future of the UK’s only factory for producing wind turbines - the Vestas wind turbine factory in the Isle of Wight - remains in the balance, as the company maintains that production is: “too low” to remain viable.
Designs approved for Exhibition Road shared space

28-Jul-2009
Plans to transform London’s Exhibition Road have taken a step closer, as the local council cabinet has approved detailed designs to introduce a shared space along its length.
MPs slam 'reckless' Colleges programme

28-Jul-2009
The Public Accounts Committee of MPs has slammed the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for its ‘reckless’ approval of college improvements that was some £2.7bn over-budget.
TfL posts giant signalling tender

28-Jul-2009
Transport for London has issued a tender to upgrade the singalling for the London Underground ‘Sub Surface Lines’ - the Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City lines.
£1bn flows for wind power

27-Jul-2009
Banks today begin lending £1bn to construct onshore wind farms in the UK over the next three years.
Crossrail budget met by Transport Innovation Fund

24-Jul-2009
The Government’s contribution to Crossrail will be met from the bulk of allocations to the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF), it was revealed this week.
Extending Crossrail to Reading would keep it 'on track'

23-Jul-2009
Extending Crossrail to Reading, as proposed today by transport secretary Lord Adonis could give provide more funding options and keep it ‘on track’, according to the London Assembly’s Conservative transport spokesman, Richard Tracey.
MPs: Government needs chief engineer to advise

23-Jul-2009
Lack of a coherent science and engineering strategy has reduced science and engineering to: “a political bargaining chip” the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills committee of MPs said today.
Crossrail demolition progess at Tottenham Court Road

23-Jul-2009
The demolition of the Astoria Theatre on London’s Tottenham Court Road is progressing well, as these new images show.
Green cash for nuclear energy

23 July 2009
Energy is the main focus of the emissions reduction strategy intended to create more jobs.
M42 hard shoulder running saves lives

23 July 2009
Up to nine people are still alive thanks to the pilot Active Traffic Management (ATM) system which opened on a stretch of the M42 almost three years ago, NCE understands.
Constructing Excellence budget slashed

22-Jul-2009
Funding for Constructing Excellence has fallen of a cliff according to figures released by the government this week.
Morgan Est wins £21M Welsh Water job

22-Jul-2009
Morgan Est has won a £21M contract to build two new Advanced Digestion Plants for Welsh Water.
CBI: 'long and slow' way out of recession

22-Jul-2009
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) says the way out of recession will be: ‘long and slow’, and that improved banking conditions are being offset by higher pricing for risk, in response to its latest figures from the manufacturing industry published today.
Recession offers chance of £35bn reduction in energy supply investment

21-Jul-2009
Reduced energy consumption during the recession opens the door to reduce energy infrastructure investment by £35bn up to 2025, according to a new study by Ernst&Young.
Construction companies 'in distress' rises by 48%

16-Jul-2009
New research suggests that the number of companies in the construction sector that are in ‘significant financial distress’ has increased by almost half in the past year, compared to the same period last year.
IPC to start work in October

14-Jul-2009
The Infrastructure Planning Committee (IPC) will begin work in October, and begin taking transport and energy applications then in March 2010, according to communities secretary John Healey today.
Five scoop £130M Highways Agency technical frameworks

14-Jul-2009
Five groups have won 18-month frameworks with the Highways Agency to provide technical consultancy services: Halcrow; Jacobs; Mott MacDonald; an Arup/Capita Symonds/Hyder joint venture; and WSP Civil (with Parsons Brinckerhoff).
Sheffield passes £2bn transport PFI hurdle

14-Jul-2009
Three shortlisted groups - Amey, a Carillion-led consortium and a Colas-led consortium have all completed the first stage of the £2bn Sheffield transport PFI procurement process, and demonstrated financial and technical eligibility to fulfil a 25-year contract.
Mabey & Johnson prosecuted for corruption

10-Jul-2009
Bridgework supplier Mabey & Johnson, part of the Mabey Group which includes Fairfield Mabey, today appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court, charged with corruption offences and breaking UN sanctions.
Transport for London faces £1.7bn 'hole' in budget

10-Jul-2009
The London Assembly’s budget and performance committee has today claimed London mayor Boris Johnson faces a £1.7bn hole in his transport budget due to falling fare revenue.
Highways Agency launches procurement strategy

9-Jul-2009
The Highways Agency wants the industry to come up with innovative ideas in order to meet value, delivery and sustainability targets, as part of its new procurement strategy.
Barr to build 2012 basketball arena

9-Jul-2009
Glasgow-based Barr has been chosen by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to build the 2012 Basketball arena.
Galliford Try on-track for record year

9-Jul-2009
Contractor Galliford Try is due to post a record year, according to a trading statement issued to the City this morning.
£10.9bn of civils business waiting for UK firms in Europe

9-Jul-2009
UK Trade & Investment has identified £10.9bn (€12.6bn) of civils work available to UK firms in the rest of the EU.
King's Cross: The ugly duckling

9 July 2009
King’s Cross is one of the UK’s busiest interchanges, which often equates to a miserable experience for passengers. However, Network Rail is about to change all that. Ed Owen reports.
South Africa: Train Driver

9 July 2009
South Africa’s Gautrain railway will link Johannesburg with Pretoria across rocky, mountainous terrain. Ed Owen reports on the challenges faced by its engineers.
Work starts on Singapore Downtown Line

8-Jul-2009
Work to build Singapore’s £5bn Downtown Line 2 (DTL2) began last week.
Report slams 'ludicrously low' prosecution rate for construction deaths

8-Jul-2009
Measures to speed-up the prosecution of company directors involved in site deaths is just one of a series of recommendations made by former TUC president Rita Donaghy in her report into site fatalities, published today.
Costain wins £297M Sellafield job

8-Jul-2009
Sellafield has awarded contractor Costain the contract to engineer, procure, build and inactive commission Evaporator D, one of the largest nuclear projects in the UK.
25GW Wind Power connection 'to cost £10.4bn'

8-Jul-2009
Meeting ambitious targets to harness wind energy in the UK will cost some £10.4bn just to connect to the grid, according to the government.
Hochtief and Vinci win Bexhill to Hastings job

8-Jul-2009
A Hochtief and Vinci joint venture has won the contract to design and build the new 5.6km road between Bexhill and Hastings, to be procured under Early Contractor Involvement (ECI).
Highways Agency '£3.9bn over-budget'

25 June 2009
The Highways Agency’s road building programme is running up to £3.9bn over-budget according to research from the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT).
Nuclear power can’t take up renewable slack

25 June 2009
Nuclear power will be unable to meet unpredictable shortfalls in Britain’s energy needs resulting from increased reliance on renewable energy, a leading energy expert said last week.
Adaptation sub-committee appointed

23-Jun-2009
Six of the great and good have been appointed to the adaptation sub-committee on climate change including former Environment Agency chief executive Baroness Young.
EDF plays down concerns over Flamanville nuclear plant

18 June 2009
French energy giant EDF this week insisted that construction of its flagship Flamanville 3 nuclear reactor in France was “on time and on budget” amid claims that the project was running late and that costs were increasing.
South Africa to fast track high speed line

18 June 2009
South Africa’s Gautrain high speed rail line between Johannesberg and Pretoria could be fasttracked for the 2010 football World Cup, according to Bombela, the company building the project.
High speed rail plans are ‘too slow’

18 June 2009
New high speed railway lines must be designed to run trains at up to 300km/h if they are to take traffic from the roads, supporters of the proposed High Speed 2 link between London and the north said this week.
Queen rewards engineers in birthday honours list

18 June 2009
Civil engineers have once again been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
Carbon capture technology to create: "30,000-60,000 jobs"

17-Jun-2009
Developing Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology will generate up to 60,000 jobs in fields as diverse as engineering, manufacturing and procurement, according to new research published by the government today.
Unions call for control of gangmasters on UK sites

16-Jun-2009
The Unite union is calling for legislation to regulate gangmasters who exploit migrant workers in the UK construction industry.
Crossrail appoints project representative to monitor construction

16-Jun-2009
Crossrail has appointed David Bennett, currently Deputy Crossrail Project Representative, as Implementation Director, to monitor the construction phase.
CBI: Recession easing. Slightly

15-Jun-2009
Research by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) shows the recession persisting until early 2010 with slight growth, but the economy has stabilised in the meantime.
RedR launches appeal to help 300,000 displaced in Sri Lanka

12-Jun-2009
Disaster relief traing charity RedR is expecting a surge in demand following recent fighting between Tamil Tiger rebels and the Sri Lankan government, and has launched an appeal to help deal with the threat.
Crossrail gives second batch of design contracts to Atkins, Scott Wilson and Mott MacDonald

12-Jun-2009
The second series of contracts have been awarded to companies holding Crossrail design frameworks, with Atkins, Scott Wilson and Mott MacDonald the winners.
Construction sector continues to improve

12-Jun-2009
New figures for the construction sector show the industry improving but still challenging, with project starts predicted to recover in the second half of this year.
Environment Agency withdraws objection to Mersey Gateway bridge

12-Jun-2009
Construction of the Mersey Gateway Bridge is on firmer ground today after the Environment Agency withdrew its objections to the scheme and the local council rejected plans to toll the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge rather than construct a new bridge.
Apprentices help businesses ride the recession

12-Jun-2009
Apprentices body ConstructionSkills has urged employers to recruit more apprentices after it emerged that the number of apprenticeship vacancies has fallen so far this year.
Jim Crawford new boss of Thameslink programme

11-Jun-2009
Jim Crawford is to take over from Andy Mitchell as programme director for Network Rail’s £5.5bn Thameslink programme.
Transport gets new chief

11 June 2009
Civil engineers have three new secretaries of state and a new government department to deal with after a chaotic week in Westminster that saw a Cabinet reshuffle follow disastrous European and local elections for prime minister Gordon Brown.
PFI deals reach close without Treasury help

11 June 2009
Two major waste PFI deals are to reach financial close without Treasury intervention this week, according to NCE’s sister magazine Materials Recycling Week.
Prescott Lock opens to traffic

10-Jun-2009
The Three Mills Lock in east London - also known as Prescott Lock - has opened to traffic, the first new lock to be built in London for more than 20 years.
Highways Agency confirms Fiscal Stimulus project to start - in 2013

10-Jun-2009
As revealed by NCE last month, work to improve access to the Port of Immingham on the A160/A180 is expected to begin in 2013, despite being proposed by the government as a scheme to boost the economy.
Olympic Park taking shape

9-Jun-2009
The 2012 Athlete’s Village, that will house competitors during the Olympic Games and then be converted to flats in legacy, is taking shape at the Stratford site.
Hyder operating profits up 16%

8-Jun-2009
Consultant Hyder has posted recession-busting figures for the year ending 31 March 2009, with operating profit climbing by 16% to £17.4M, although restructuring costs of £9M and other costs brought the final figure down to £5M.
Government takes control of London and Continental

8-Jun-2009
The company that built High Speed 1 and renovated St Pancras station has come under government control, with the line to be opened to competition.
Mandelson - switch to low carbon offers opportunities

5-Jun-2009
Business secretary Peter Mandelson will today say that rebuilding national infrastructure - such as the national grid - is a great opportunity to move to a low-carbon economy.
CECA: e-auctions a threat to construction jobs

4-Jun-2009
Reverse auctions used to save money by local authorities could actually delay work and even force firms out of business.
Scott Wilson to design Farringdon Crossrail station

4-Jun-2009
Consultant Scott Wilson has won the £9.6M contract to design the new Crossrail station at Farringdon in central London.
Casting the die

4 June 2009
This week’s European and local elections take place under the cloud of the MPs’ expenses scandal. With a General Election guaranteed to follow within 364 days, what are the political issues exercising engineers as this crucial time? Ed Owen reports.
Crossrail awards design contracts to old favourites

4 June 2009
Consultants previously appointed to Crossrail in 2006 were again big winners last week as the first design contracts for London’s mega-rail project were announced.
Blears resigns

3-Jun-2009
Communities secretary Hazel Blears has stepped down from her post on the eve of local and European elections and an expected cabinet reshuffle.
ORR sets Network Rail efficiency deadline

3-Jun-2009
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has given Network Rail a mixed report on it past five years. It says the track operator missed efficiency savings targets, and has ordered it to produce a plan for improving performance within the next two weeks..
Network Rail launch national route utilisation strategy

2-Jun-2009
Network Rail today launched its network-wide route utilisation strategy of route forecasts.
Construction progress boosts business confidence

2-Jun-2009
Work beginning on Crossrail, the 2012 Olympic Games, the Thames Tideway tunnel and M25 widening has boosted the confidence of London’s business leaders, according to a new survey from the City law firm Pinsent Masons.
Funding squeezed for new Further Education Colleges programme

2-Jun-2009
The new chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), Geoff Russell, has admitted that more Further Education College schemes are stalled and waiting for government cash. In a letter to college principals he says construction projects must look for cost savings.
Arup/Atkins and Motts win further major Crossrail design contracts

29-May-2009
Crossrail has announced three further work package winners, in addition to Capita’s Royal Oak portal win revealed by NCE last week, with an Arup/Atkins joint venture picking up contracts for Tottenham Court Road station, and bored tunnels , while Mott MacDonald won the contract to design sprayed concrete linings.
MPs slam Boris over snow chaos

29-May-2009
MPs have slammed London Mayor Boris Johnson for his role in dealing with the February’s severe snowfall, which crippled much of the country, and caused all London buses to be cancelled for the first time in living memory.
Eco Town advertising: 'likely to mislead'

28-May-2009
A complaint against advertising for a proposed ‘Eco-Town’ at Middle Quinton, near Stratford-upon-Avon, has been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), who said advertising for the development was ‘likely to mislead’.
Capita wins Crossrail western portal contract

28-May-2009
Consultant Capita Symonds has won the contract to design the Crossrail western portal near Royal Oak in west London.
Industry outraged as fiscal stimulus cash goes unspent

28 May 2009
At least £300M set aside to fasttrack crucial transport improvements and boost the economy is languishing and remains unspent, NCE can reveal.
M25 work kicks off as financial close is reached

28 May 2009
Work to upgrade and maintain the M25 began while the ink was drying on contract documents to close the £6.2bn road widening design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) PFI last week.
Network Rail bundles into Blackfriars

26-May-2009
Network Rail started work on the £350M redevelopment of Blackfriars station today by dangling a bundle of hay from the bridge - the traditional signal to passing river traffic that headroom under the bridge may be restricted.
Adonis issues clarion call for new high speed rail lines

22-May-2009
Transport minister Lord Adonis has said high speed rail in the UK is: “Just a matter of dates” in a speech to ICE members at the Arup campus in Solihull.
BAA ask for delay to Stansted inquiry

21-May-2009
Airports operator BAA has written to communities minister Hazel Blears, asking for a delay to the public inquiry into a second runway at Stansted airport.
Thameslink boss quits project for Crossrail

21 May 2009
Network Rail’s Thameslink project director Andrew Mitchell this week moved to Crossrail to take up the post of project director.
Station over the Thames

20-May-2009
Complex structural and foundations work to build the first railway station to straddle the Thames in London is underway. Ed Owen reports from the £5.5bn Thameslink programme’s Blackfriars station.
£6.2bn M25 mega-PFI signed - official

20-May-2009
The long-delayed M25 widening PFI deal has finally been signed, as NCE predicted earlier today, with work expected to begin shortly but cost increasing from £5.5bn to £6.2bn.
London Underground turns up heat on RMT

20-May-2009
London Underground (LU) has disputed the basis for strike threats made by the RMT union, claiming proposed industria action about safety fears is actually about the sacking of a driver - for failing to follow safety guidelines.
Luddon to build new stables at Musselburgh Racecourse

20-May-2009
A project to create new stable blocks, office units and jockey facilities at Musselburgh Racecourse, near Edinburgh, has been given the ‘off’ following a three-week ground improvement contract by Pennine.
Funding finally in place for £5.5bn M25 mega-deal

20-May-2009
Sources close to the £5.5bn M25 widening PFI Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) contract expect final contracts to be signed and awarded to the Connect Plus consortium later today.
Stonehenge tunnel plan finally laid to rest

20-May-2009
Plans to build a £540M tunnel beneath the stones of Stonehenge have finally been killed off in place of a cheaper scheme which involves shutting the junction between the A344 and A303.
London mayor Boris Johnson makes developers pay for Crossrail

18-May-2009
New changes to the London Plan to make new developments pay contributions to the cost of Crossrail have been published today, with a ‘pragmatic’ get-out clause for those in financial difficulty.
New Stonehenge plan

15-May-2009
The A344 will be closed at Stonehenge to make way for a new £25M visitor centre. A previous scheme to build a £500M tunnel under the stones was abandoned in 2007.
Korean Colossus: Incheon Bridge

14-May-2009
Construction of South Korea’s 12.5km Incheon Bridge is racing to completion on schedule. Ed Owen reports from the £1bn Asian mega-project, which has relied heavily on off-site precasting and prefabrication to overcome the challenges of working above the sea.
Mott MacDonald and Alan Baxter lead the field at annual ACE Awards

14-May-2009
Winners of the 2009 Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) Engineering Excellence awards have been announced, with Mott MacDonald and Alan Baxter both picking up two gongs.
Coucher says no to bonus

14-May-2009
Network Rail chief executive Iain Coucher made a: “personal decision” to forgo his bonus from Network Rail this year - last year he received a bonus and incentive payment of around £500,000.
Crossrail faces review if Tories win next election

14 May 2009
Fears for the future of London’s £16bn Crossrail scheme resurfaced this week after the Conservatives said they could scrap it if they win the next General Election.
London mayor makes statement of intent with Isle of Dogs ground breaking ceremony

14 May 2009
Work to build London’s mega-rail project Crossrail starts tomorrow at the site of the Isle of Dogs station in Docklands.
Nakheel to pay a fraction of debts

13-May-2009
Cash-strapped Dubai developer Nakheel is to offer consultants and contractors just 65% of the money it owes them, NCE has learnt.
Liberal Democrats: major road schemes vastly more polluting than predicted

12-May-2009
Major road schemes produce 10,000 more tonnes of carbon per year than predicted, according to the Liberal Democrats.
Morgan Est in Thames Water breakthrough

12-May-2009
Thames Water linked its 9.3km ring main extension to the original 80km circular ring main shaft beneath London yesterday.
Network Rail to miss efficiency targets

11-May-2009
Network Rail has confirmed that it will not meet its efficiency targets for the period between 2004 and 2009 (Control Period 3 or CP3)
Nakheel saved by Dubai government

11-May-2009
Dubai developer Nakheel has been bailed-out by its government in a deal thought to be worth billions.
Centrica buys 20% stake in British Energy

11-May-2009
British Gas owner Centrica has bought a 20% stake in EDF’s nuclear business - formerly British Energy - for £2.3bn while EDF has reciprocated by buying a controlling stake in Centrica’s Belgian supply business SPE for £1.2bn.
New rules to combat contractor blacklisting

11-May-2009
The Government plans new regulations to prevent the secret blacklisting of union members by construction firms.
2012 Olympic Games 'on track' to be most sustainable ever

8-May-2009
The Commission for a Sustainable London (CSL) has given the construction of the 2012 Olympic park at Stratford a glowing report in its annual asessment of the ‘sustainable’ portion of the games - with a few reservations.
Capita boosts ATM with MMB acquisition

8-May-2009
Consultant Capita Symonds has announced the acquisition of Active Traffic Management specialists MMB Associates for an undisclosed sum.
Bank of England to release £50bn into economy

8-May-2009
The Bank of England has announced it will release £50bn of funds into the UK economy, in addition to keeping interest rates at an all-time low of 0.5%.
Tory axe hangs over Crossrail

8-May-2009
The Conservatives have refused to rubber stamp the £15.9bn Crossrail project, saying every existing scheme would be “subject to review” should they win the next General Election.
Recession whets US appetite for PPP

7-May-2009
The recession has prompted US interest in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), such as the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), a form of procurement the US has traditionally resisted.
Tube MD faces money worries

7 May 2009
London Underground’s next managing director faces huge financial pressures, outgoing incumbent Tim O’Toole warned last week.
Skanska revenue slips and profits slide

6-May-2009
Swedish contractor Skanska has seen turnover slip slightly from £2.6bn to £2.5bn (31.5bn to 30.8bn Swedish Kroner) while profits have slumped from £73M to £36M (878M-433M Kroner) in the first three months of 2009 compared to the same period last year.
WSP confident in 'uncertain' market

6-May-2009
Consultant WSP has revealed it expects to file returns in line with board expectations, in a management statement made today, despite ‘uncertain’ market conditions.
Vote for business could scupper Crossrail funding

6-May-2009
London’s Crossrail scheme this week faced a major setback after communities secretary Hazel Blears insisted that businesses get to vote on whether they should fund up to £3.5bn of the £16bn project.
Conditions easing in construction sector

5-May-2009
Market conditions appear to be easing for the construction sector, with market contractions slowing according to the latest data.
BAA revenue rises, despite 10% fewer passengers

5-May-2009
Airports operator BAA has announced a 15.5% increase in turnover, despite: “Challenging” market conditions of a 10% reduction in passenger numbers.
MPs and contractors unhappy with bank lending

1-May-2009
The Treasury select committee of MPs today said work needed to be done to address the worries of small businesses, who are having difficulty in securing bank lending.
Crossrail route safeguarded west to Reading

1-May-2009
The Government today safeguarded a potential extension to the Crossrail route from Maidenhead to Reading.
Blackfriars Thameslink upgrade underway

30-Apr-2009
Work to upgrade to London’s Blackfriars station is underway, with tracks taken up at the east side of Blackfriars Bridge, and a temporary ticketing hall installed.
English and Welsh waters checked for tidal power potential

30-Apr-2009
English and Welsh waters are to be scoped for their potential to host marine energy devices.
Nuclear auctions raise £387M

30-Apr-2009
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA)has sold three sites earmarked for new nuclear power stations raising £387M. Two have gone to an E.On/RWE joint venture and the third has gone to EDF.
Tories put the boot into Olympic Village

29-Apr-2009
The Conservatives have joined the condemnation of Olympic park structures, describing the Olympic Village as “woefully inadequate.”
Crossrail: Network Rail plans extension to Gravesend

29-Apr-2009
Network Rail has announced plans to extend Crossrail from Abbey Wood to Gravesend post 2019, in its Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) for Kent.
1,000 RMT workers to strike at Jarvis to protest against railway 'massacre'

29-Apr-2009
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has announced that 1,000 Jarvis workers will work to rule and stage a one hour strilke in response to plans to cut 450 staff.
Amey tipped to win rail mega-contracts

23 April 2009
Amey is this week expected to be named as the sole winner of five major Network Rail bridge inspection framework contracts.
Consultants fight Dubai clients for unpaid fees

23 April 2009
Analysts claim state backed property developer owes UK engineering firms £200M.
Further delay to £5.5bn M25 widening

21-Apr-2009
The £5.5bn M25 widening project has been delayed for at least a further week, with work now due to begin in May, and Treasury funding has still not been ruled-out.
Radio 4 boost for RedR

21-Apr-2009
Emergency engineering charity RedR will be the subject of the weekly Radio 4 appeal this week.
Metal price falls level-off, pointing to market bottom

20-Apr-2009
Metal price falls have eased in the first quarter of 2009, pointing to market recovery, according to new data.
Darling outlines budget priorities

20-Apr-2009
In a video message, Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling has pledged to help people and: “Invest in the future” in his much anticipated budget on Wednesday, while he is also expected to announce £15bn of ‘efficiencies’ in the public sector.
White Young Green moves to quell market as shares soar

17-Apr-2009
Consultant White Young Green has made the unusual move of announcing it is not in takeover talks, as its share price soars thanks to rampant maket speculation.
Centre for Cities: abandon congestion charging

17-Apr-2009
Centre for Cities, which has supported congestion charge bids by both Manchester and Cambridge for Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) cash, has made a policy U-turn and now called for the government to abandon its insistence on charging.
ICE past president Sir Kirby Laing dies

16-Apr-2009
Sir William Kirby Laing, past-president of the ICE and fourth generation of his family to run John Laing, died on 12 April aged 92.
ACE urges consultants to plead with MPs to back construction

15-Apr-2009
The Association forConsultancy and Engineering (ACE), is urging its members to write to their local MPs, urging them to demand the government backs infrastructure projects and the built and natural environment.
Jacobs appointed government's Crossrail representative

15-Apr-2009
The Department for Transport today announced that it has appointed a joint venture between Jacobs and accountant KPMG as its project representative for Crossrail.
Aktins reveals £25M Middle East 'hole' in finances

15-Apr-2009
Consultant Atkins has revealed tough market conditions, with ‘no signs’ of recovery in the UK construction market, and confidence ‘yet to return’ to the Middle East, where it revealed a cash collection hole of some £25M there.
Network Rail complete 'successful' £55M easter work

14-Apr-2009
Network Rail has returned passenger and freight services: “Back to normal” following a £55M programme of work on the network during the easter break.
UK struggling to meet renewable targets

14-Apr-2009
The UK will struggle to meet legally binding commitments to produce 15% of power from renewable sources unless resources are ploughed into wind energy, according to new research from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).
Work begins on Oxford Street 'Shibuya' crossing

14-Apr-2009
£5M Work to renovate the congested Oxford Circus crossing on London’s busiest street begins today, to create diagonal crossings designed by Atkins similar to those at Tokyo’s iconic Shibuya crossing.
Civils bucking construction downturn

9-Apr-2009
The construction industry has taken a hammering from the economic downturn, with 35% fewer project starts compared to a year ago, but civil engineering starts are up by 20%.
'2 week delay' for Network Rail's Crossrail programme partner

9-Apr-2009
The decision on Network Rail’s Crossrail Programme Partner has been delayed by ‘From a week up to a fortnight’, according to a Network Rail spokesman today.
Crossrail enabling works frameworks announced

9-Apr-2009
Crossrail has today announced the 17 firms who have secured Enabling Works Framework Agreements, following a competitive tender process.
Highways Agency to review ECI

9 April 2009
Early Contractor Involvement downgraded as the Highways Agency reviews project procurement
Downturn drives construction workers to brief encounters

8-Apr-2009
There has been a sharp rise in the number of consruction sector workers seeking secret liaisons, according to a website that arranges such meetings.
DfT announces £674M roads PFI for Sheffield

8-Apr-2009
The largest ever local authority Private Finance Initiative (PFI) deal has been announced to overhaul Sheffield’s roads.
Sellafield workers call for new fuel recycling plant

7-Apr-2009
The Unite union says its Sellafield workers approve of closing the existing Sellafield Mixed Oxide (Mox) recycling plant, as long as a new plant is built in its stead.
Industry worried about competitor activity and reduced margins

3-Apr-2009
Price cutting and falling margins have emerged as a major concerns for the construction industry says a survey carried out by the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
London Mayor storms out from MP snow grilling

2-Apr-2009
London mayor Boris Johnson has stormed out of Commons Transport Select Committee meeting, citing partisan questioning over the paralysis of London’s bus service after heavy snow in Febraury.
Transcend reveals its Crossrail programme partner team

2 April 2009
Crossrail’s £100M programme partner began unveiling the team that would manage the £16bn rail scheme this week after signing the contract for the job last Friday.
Government ‘lacks engineering advice’

2 April 2009
MPs last week savaged the government for embarking on a series of high-profile infrastructure schemes without any coherent engineering policy
Oakervee steps aside for Holden

2 April 2009
Doug Oakervee stepped down from his role as Crossrail executive chairman this week, to make way for London & Continental boss Rob Holden who took up his role as chief executive on Wednesday.
Roof lift starts at London 2012 Aquatics site

31-Mar-2009
Work is under way lifting the 2800-tonne wave-shaped roof of the Zaha Hadid and Arup designed London 2012 Aquatics Centre. The lift is considered one of the most complex engineering and construction challenges of the Olympic Park ‘big build’.
Network Rail's Crossrail partner announced 8 April

31-Mar-2009
Network Rail will announce its choice for the delivery partner for Crossrail overground sections on April 8.
£400M Crossrail delivery partner chosen - but not yet revealed

31-Mar-2009
The winner of Crossrail’s £400M project delivery partner contract has been chosen, but Transport for London has refused to reveal which bidder has won.
Crossrail boss Doug Oakervee in court on final day

31-Mar-2009
Doug Oakervee will step down from his role as Crossrail executive chairman today, but will not be in the office as he is fulfilling jury service commitments. London and Continental boss Rob Holden takes over tomorrow.
Pitt confirmed as IPC chair

30-Mar-2009
Sir Michael Pitt has been confirmed as the chair of the Infrastructure Planning Commission, following approval by MPs last week.
North west: Civils to lead recovery

30-Mar-2009
The property market might be depressed, but the North West construction industry still has grounds for optimism as recession bites.
Mann enters voluntary administration

30-Mar-2009
Contractor Mann has entered voluntary administration today.
Government launches IPC consultation

30-Mar-2009
The government has started consulting on the roll-out of the Infrastructure Planning Committee (IPC) which will decide which major infrastructure project to fast track throught he planning process.
Mandelson announces sale of UK Atomic Energy Authority

30-Mar-2009
Lord Mandelson has announced the sale of the operations of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), for an undisclosed sum.
UK consortium to bid for €5bn fusion reactor

30-Mar-2009
A consortium of fabricators Davy Markham and Metalcraft, AMEC and The Welding Institute are to bid to build €5bn vacuum sections for the international fusion project, to be based in Cadarache, France.
Crossrail delivery partner latest: £400M contract award expected today

27-Mar-2009
Transport for London’s board is meeting this morning to make a final decision on the £400M project delivery partner role, NCE understands
CECA calls for seven steps to help Civil Engineering

27-Mar-2009
The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) has written to the Chancellor Alistair Darling, asking him to adopt seven proposals to get Civil Engineering moving.
£170M for new transport infrastructure

27-Mar-2009
The government has singled-out 29 transportation projects that will receive funds to support new housing
MPs slam government engineering policy

27-Mar-2009
MPs have savaged the government for embarking on a series of high-profile infrastructure schemes, such as new nuclear build, without any coherent engineering policy.
Funding secured for Exhibition Road shared space

26-Mar-2009
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council today announced that the funding package to deliver the innovative Exhibition Road streetscape improvement project is now completely finalised. The scheme is being delivered in two phases and funding for the £18.8m second phase has now been secured.
Anna Walker to chair Office of Rail Regulation

26-Mar-2009
Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon today announced the appointment of Anna Walker as the new Chairman elect of the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) - the independent safety and economic regulator for Britain’s railways.
Local Authorities 'negligent' by investing in failed Icelandic banks

26-Mar-2009
Local Authorities that lost money when they banks that held their deposits collapsed have been labelled ‘Negligent’ by the Audit Commission today for not heeding warning signs.
Arup pushes high speed rail Heathrow Hub

25-Mar-2009
Arup has gone on the offensive to push its Heathrow Hub concept, as recent media reports suggest that the chair of High Speed 2 favours a cheaper interchange between Crossrail, the West Coast Main Line, the Heathrow Express and any new high speed line north in the London suburb of Acton.
ASCE - hidden opportunities to deal with £1.5 trillion US infrastructure deficit

25-Mar-2009
The American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE) has already posted a grim ‘D’ grade and £1.5 trillion ($2.2 trillion) infrastructure deficit for US infrastructure, but says novel ways are available to turn this deficit around.
Fury over lost College work

24-Mar-2009
Consultants this week said a funding black hole in the Learning and Skills Council’s (LSC) College Building Programme will cause redundancies and trigger a bleak end to 2009, while the Council’s chief executive has resigned over the fiasco.
Highways Agency delays £315M Mottram bypass

24-Mar-2009
The Highways Agency has delayed the construction of the controversial Mottram-Tintwistle bypass by up to four years to 2016/17.
RSPB drops wind power objections

24-Mar-2009
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) have dropped the majority of its objections to wind farms in the UK on the back of new research it has commissioned.
Dehumidification of Forth bridge cables resumes

19-Mar-2009
Work to tackle corrosion in the main cables of the Forth Road Bridge is beginning again following a winter shutdown.
RedR resumes training in Sudan

19-Mar-2009
Disaster relief charity organisation RedR has resumed its operations in Sudan, which it suspended earlier this month following the expulsion of 10 relief organisations from the war-torn Darfur region.
London Assembly: Government should plug Tube cash shortfalls

19-Mar-2009
The London Assembly’s transport committee has warned of a looming funding “crisis” which will fail to meet spiralling costs in the London Underground PPP, and calls on the government to plug the shortfall.
Government: Still no close for £5bn M25 PFI

18-Mar-2009
The Government admitted yesterday that the £5bn M25 widening PFI was yet to reach financial close, and it was “not yet determined” whether the Treasury’s new PFI funding pot would be used to plug the shortfall.
Helicopter transport for stone to repair Pennine Way

17-Mar-2009
CEMEX hired a helicopter to bring 285t of aggregate to the Pennine Way to repair an important pathway.
Hanging around Westminster station

16-Mar-2009
PPP Tube upgrade contractor Tube Lines employs a team of abseilers to maintain the cavernous Westminster station.
New terminals, infrastructure and systems to absorb demand

12-Mar-2009
Stansted expansion: Stansted airport is scheduled for a massive increase in passenger capacity following a major programme to enhance the existing infrastructure. The team responsible explains what is happening.
Contractors could face blacklisting claims

12 March 2009
Contractors that bought information on potential employees from a Midlands-based company’s database could face legal action, it was claimed this week.
Key Crossrail contract awards are delayed

12 March 2009
Award of Crossrail’s £400M project delivery partner contract was this week understood to have been delayed by up to a week following a crucial Transport for London board meeting.
Delay in £400M crossrail contract announcement

11-Mar-2009
Award of Crossrail’s £400M project delivery partner contract is understood to be delayed by up to a week following a crucial meeting between Crossrail and the Transport for London board yesterday, NCE understands.
Pitt to lead IPC

11-Mar-2009
Sir Michael Pitt has been named as the government’s choice as chair of the Infrastructure Planning Committee, which will be based in Bristol, by housing minister Margaret Beckett today.
Transcend to manage Crossrail

11-Mar-2009
The Transcend consortium of AECOM, CH2M Hill and Nichols Group has won the £100M Crossrail programme partner contract to manage the overall scheme. The £400M project delivery partner contract announcement has been delayed for up to a week.
Scott Wilson to axe 10% of global workforce

10-Mar-2009
Consultant Scott Wilson has announced it is to cut 10% of its global workforce and freeze the pay of remaining staff in response to the global downturn. Scott Wilson shares plunged in early trading.
Tories slam Labour high speed rail plans

10-Mar-2009
Conservative shadow transport minister Theresa Villiers has launched an attack on the government’s high speed rail plans, branding them: “vague aspirations” that promise no more than a service between London and Rugby.
RMT: Network Rail defer 'almost 200' engineering jobs to save money

9-Mar-2009
The RMT union says it has uncovered close to 200 examples of Network Rail deferring essential track, they say in order to save costs.
RedR suspends Darfur activity

9-Mar-2009
Engineering disaster and emergency relief organisation RedR has suspended its training activities in the Darfur region of Sudan following the expulsion of 10 relief organisations from the area.
£2bn fund to bail-out PFI

9-Mar-2009
The Treasury has announced a £2bn package to rescue stalled PFI deals by setting up a special unit to administer funds to bring those deals to financial close.
Assembly: London could have been better prepared for snow

9-Mar-2009
London could have been better prepared for freak snow that brought the capital to a virtual standstill in February, according to a new report by the Assembly’s Transport Committee.
Capita posts double-digit growth despite downturn

9-Mar-2009
Capita Group, parent company of consultant Capita Symonds has posted strong half-year results on the back of strong public sector growth.
Scott Wilson to design Indian city

9-Mar-2009
Scott Wilson has won a contract to develop a ‘perspective plan’ to look at infrastructure links along a 1500km rail freight link between India’s capital Delhi, and its largest city and major part, Mumbai, including the location of a new city.
MPs vote for airport exemptions for Planning Act

9-Mar-2009
MPs today voted to introduce a new Bill that could open the door to exempt airport expansion from the Planning Act.
Contractors complete twin Hindhead tunnel breakthroughs

5 March 2009
Completion of the UK’s longest road tunnel under land moved a step closer this week as its north and south bores broke through simultaneously beneath the Devil’s Punchbowl in Surrey.
Treasury kick start for PFI deals

5 March 2009
The Treasury this week stepped in to rescue £13bn of stalled PFI deals by financing the shortfalls through a £2bn Treasury unit.
CBI: Poor British transport hampers economic growth

17-Feb-2009
The UK's transport network is so poor it is 'undermining the long-term competitiveness of business' according to new research from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
2012 Olympic Velodrome move cost £25M

16-Feb-2009
Olympics minister Tess Jowell has revealed a huge cost increase for the Olympic Velodrome due to greater site contamination than had previously been thought.
CBI: UK economy to take further plunge

16-Feb-2009
The recession will last throughout 2009, and businesses will continue to cut investment, according to a bleak forecast by the Confederation of British Indistry (CBI) today.
Brown: Treasury to intervene in PFI shortfalls

13-Feb-2009
The Prime Minister yesterday confirmed that the Treasury would intervene to bring key PFI deals to financial close, such as the £5bn M25 DBFO.
Crossrail programme partner approved by Transport for London

12-Feb-2009
Transport for London (TfL) approved Crossrail’s selection for the project’s £100M programme partner role this week, but will delay the announcement until the choice for the £400M delivery partner is also confirmed, which is expected next month.
East London Line extension to Clapham to be built by London 2012

12-Feb-2009
The Government today confirmed a £75M extension of the East London Line (ELL) to Clapham Junction, to be completed by the time the London 2012 Olympic Games start.
East London Line phase 2 announcement expected

11-Feb-2009
A final announcement on funding for phase 2 of the East London Line (ELL) is expected tomorrow.
Atkins redundancies to hit 1000

11-Feb-2009
Atkins has confirmed that planned redundancies will reach some 5% of its global workforce in the second half of this year - up to 1000 people.
Tories pledge to tackle 'chronic' rail overcrowding

11-Feb-2009
The Conservative Party has finally released its rail review, some two years in the making, saying they would put Network Rail directly under the control of passenger groups, and reaffirmed their commitment to high speed rail lines in an 8-point plan.
New partner found for largest-ever PFI

10-Feb-2009
French firm Sodexo has stepped-in to replace Land Securities Trillium as 50% partner in the Metrix consortium, which will build the £12bn Defence Training Review site at St Athan in south Wales.
Capacity before speed at High Speed 2

10-Feb-2009
Development of new railway lines from London to the North of England and Scotland could focus on capacity rather than speed, the senior rail executive charged with developing them said this week.
Crossrail to make joint programme and delivery partner announcement

10-Feb-2009
Transport for London approved Crossrail's choice for the project's £100M programme partner role this week, but will delay the announcement until the choice for the £400M delivery partner is also confirmed, expected next month.
Environment Agency rejects 6,200 applications due to flood risk in 2007/8

10-Feb-2009
The Environment Agency objected to more than 6,200 planning applications on the grounds of flood risk in 2007/8 - a rise of 31% on the previous year, but 4% of schemes considered to be at risk went ahead regardless.
Civil Engineering market begins to bounce

9-Feb-2009
New research shows the decline in construction may be nearing bottom, but Civil Engineering displayed growth in January.
Consultants 'concerned' by Network Rail settlement

6-Feb-2009
Civil engineering consultants are 'concerned' by the prospect of huge cost savings implicit in the £28.5bn settlement made between the Office of Rail Regulation and Network Rail between 2009 and 2014.
Diploma take-up hampered by poor information

5-Feb-2009
Students are not taking the new diploma qualifications because they are not receiving the information they need to make informed choices, according to a new report.
3,900MW in new power approved

5-Feb-2009
Three new power stations have been approved for construction - each will be designed to have carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology retrofitted to them, but they will not supply combined heat and power.
Olympics: no change from £9.3bn

5-Feb-2009
Olympics minister Tess Jowell has published the 2012 Olympic Games second annual report, which indicates that the £9.3bn budget will not be revised, but costs for structures and buildings will have crept by £550M to 2012.
Network Rail put aside £2.6bn to accept 2009-2014 settlement

5-Feb-2009
Network Rail has abandoned its campaign to secure some £31.1bn to run and imporve the national rail network between 2009 and 2014, and settled for the Office of Rail Regulation's (ORR) figure of £28.5bn.
No point in spending to avoid snow chaos

5-Feb-2009
Engineers said this week that it would be uneconomic to spend millions of pounds on measures to tackle extreme weather events like the snow which crippled much of the UK this week.
McNaughton to steer High Speed 2

5-Feb-2009
Network Rail's chief engineer, Andrew McNaughton, will be seconded to the newly formed High Speed 2 company to lead investigations into new high speed lines from London to Heathrow and north.
Liberal Democrat ploy to bring airports outside Planning Act

4-Feb-2009
Liberal Democrat MP Susan Kramer has tabled a Bill that, if passed, could pave the way to bring approval for airport expansion outside the new Planning Act, and instead require Parliamentary approval.
Treasury approves TAMPs roll-out

3-Feb-2009
Transport Asset Management Plans (TAMPs) will be included in Local Authority accounting in the future, the Treasury has confirmed.
Holden takes Crossrail top job

3-Feb-2009
Rob Holden has been confirmed as Crossrail chief executive, as predicted by NCE, to take up his post in April.
Britain crippled by siberian snow storms

2-Feb-2009
Blizzard conditions have swamped much of the country with the worst snow storms for 18 years, with more snowfall expected later today.
Whitby: Do not miss green opportunities

29-Jan-2009
Companies threatening to pull the plug on the proposed London Array scheme are ignoring areas of economic growth, according to Former ICE president and Ramboll Whitbybird chairman Mark Whitby.
Scotland to outline funding for Forth bridge

29-Jan-2009
Scottish civil servants will visit chancellor Alistair Darling next week to outline new funding proposals for a second Firth of Forth road crossing.
Government scrapes through to win Heathrow vote

29-Jan-2009
The Government has won a crucial vote on whether to proceed with a third runway at Heathrow, but with a significantly reduced margin of just 19 MPs.
M25 DBFO funding hitch

29-Jan-2009
The government is coming under increasing pressure to step in to save the £5bn M25 DBFO after the Highways Agency chief executive admitted that there could be a delay in major works beginning in April.
CECA slams £6bn road plans for forgetting the North East

28-Jan-2009
Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) has slammed the government's £6bn plans for roads, as little money will go to the North East, which has been hit hard by the recession.
£137M Heysham M6 link gets green light

28-Jan-2009
The Department for Transport has approved the construction of a link road linking Heysham to the M6 motorway.
RAC slam successive governments' neglect of transport

28-Jan-2009
Transport has been sidelined by governments of both parties in the post-war years, with the average transport secretary in his or her post for just 22 months, sabotaging long-term planning says new research from the RAC Foundation.
Heavy session

27-Jan-2009
The first new whisky distillery to be built in Scotland for 30 years will open in the Spring, to supply 10M litres per year to the world.
London assembly members slam Boris' 'vanity' transport plans

26-Jan-2009
Labour's London Assembly members have slammed Mayor Boris Johnson for cancelling infrastructure projects such as the Thames Gateway Bridge, instead concentrating on'vanity' projects such as developing a replacement for the iconic Routemaster bus.
Crossrail top brass 'encouraged' by Boris Island plan

23-Jan-2009
Crossrail executive chairman Doug Oakervee said today that he was 'encouraged' by the idea of an island in the Thames Estuary to replace Heathrow, and said its construction would be a simpler than either Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok airport or Osaka's Kansai airport.
Four sites nominated for new nuclear power

23-Jan-2009
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) will nominate Sellafield, Wylfa, Oldbury and Bradwell as potential sites for developing new nuclear power stations to be built 'by 2025'.
Atkins to shed 260 in UK as recession is confirmed

23-Jan-2009
Consultant Atkins has placed 260 staff on redundancy consultation in the regions and London as a recession is confirmed in official government figures, with two consecutive quarters of decline in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Boris pledges support for engineers and surveys possible island airport

23-Jan-2009
Young engineers will have a: 'secure future' according to Mayor of London Boris Johnson today, prior to embarking on a tour of possible sites in the Thames Estuary for the proposed 'Boris Island' airport site the Mayor hopes could replace Heathrow.
Plan to build high speed line to north

22-Jan-2009
Transport secretary Geoff Hoon last week boosted hopes for the construction of a second UK high speed rail line with the establishment of a new company to develop the project.
M25 widening scheme could be delayed

21-Jan-2009
Plans for a £5bn widening of the M25 could be delayed after it emerged that financial close on the multi-billion PFI deal will not be reached until April at the earliest.
Tubular Trials

20-Jan-2009
Norway is building its first immersed tube tunnel in Oslo, as part of a plan to regenerate the city’s docks.
HIDDEN TREASURES

20-Jan-2009
Parts of west Wales remain surprisingly remote, relying on narrow, twisting roads that can be easily blocked. But the £16M Llandysul bypass will help open-up Ceredigion to access from the south and boost the local economy.
Three big decisions

16-Jan-2009
Crossrail will appoint a chief executive and both its Delivery Partner and Programme Partner contracts by the spring. Bids for these last two contracts have thrown-up some surprising partnerships. Will history and previous relationships dictate who will eventually win out?
C-charge money faces the axe

15-Jan-2009
The government’s £2bn Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) could be scrapped if local authorities fail to bid for the cash, the Department for Transport (DfT) warned this week.
Government approve Heathrow third Runway and High Speed 2

15-Jan-2009
The Government has controversially approved a third runway for Heathrow airport and a plan for a high speed rail hub there.
WCML hit by big freeze

15-Jan-2009
Sub-zero temperatures are blamed for the failure of overhead power lines.
Row over Sloane Square shared space

15-Jan-2009
London’s latest street remodelling using the 'shared space' method this week came under fire from local residents who blasted it as an 'accident waiting to happen'.
Dauncey appointed new Highways Agency financial director

14-Jan-2009
Steve Dauncey has been promoted to finance director for the Highways Agency.
Government part-funding for M25 'under consideration'

14-Jan-2009
The government is examining plans to part-fund the £5bn M25 widening PFI scheme, should the Connect Plus consortium fail to secure all the money it needs from investors.
Arup to shed up to 400 staff

14-Jan-2009
Consultants Ove Arup and Partners has confirmed that up to 400 staff will be axed in the first quarter of 2009, and has begun a 90-day period of consultation with all staff.
Astoria's final encore before Crossrail tonight

14-Jan-2009
London's iconic Astoria theatre will host its final gig tonight before demolition begins to make way for the new Tottenham Court Road station and Crossrail.
Labour back benches signal Heathrow third runway disquiet

12-Jan-2009
42 Labour back bench MPs have signalled that they oppose the building of a third runway at London's Heathrow airport, widely expected to be approved this week, citing environmental concerns.
Is the skills crisis over?

18-Dec-2008
As business falls away and engineers are forced to look for other work, will this be a shortcut to filling the skills gap that has existed for so long?
Nuclear designs under the microscope

17-Dec-2008
Designs for new nuclear power stations that could be built in this country will be under public scrutiny from today.
Government: Lessons learned from Pitt

17-Dec-2008
The Government today pledged to put measures in place to address the 92 proposals made by Sir Michael Pitt in his 'Lessons Learned' report into the summer 2007 floods.
CBI slam business rates increases

16-Dec-2008
The CBI has slammed government plans to increase business rates by 5% - in line with inflation figures from September - but now a 'freeze' on the economy, they say.
MPs slam 'stupendous incompetence' of DfT's shared services

16-Dec-2008
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of MPs have slammed the 'stupendous incompetence' of the Department for Transport (DfT) for spending £81M on shared services, designed to save £57M.
200,000km of drains to come under water company control

15-Dec-2008
200,000 km of privately owned sewers and lateral drains in England will be transferred to water and sewerage companies from 2011.
Conservatives to hold Network Rail executives to account

15-Dec-2008
The Conservatives propose making Network Rail directly accountable to passengers, and freezing executive bonuses in the event of failures or persistent delays, should they gain power in any future election.
Baker: Government 'arm-twisting' to blame for Manchester 'No' vote

12-Dec-2008
Liberal Democrat shadow transport secretary Norman Baker has criticised the government for its tactics in pushing for the £3bn Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) vote fiasco.
Manchester awaits congestion charge vote

12-Dec-2008
Manchester completed voting on whether to accept a £3bn package of transport improvements, including plans for a congestion charge, at 10pm last night, with a final decision expected around 12noon today.
Manchester says 'NO' to £3bn TIF plans

12-Dec-2008
Mancunians have voted not to accept a £3bn package of transport improvements and a peak-time congestion charge by a margin of 3.7 to 1, leaving the government's road user charging policy in tatters.
Manchester's £3bn TIF vote too close to call

11-Dec-2008
The decision to accept a £3bn package of transport improvements in Manchester remains on a knife-edge, according to the latest returns.
Crossrail design frameworks announced

9-Dec-2008
12 companies have been selected by Crossrail to work on design frameworks for the £17bn project.
Ross quits 2012 Olympic job

9-Dec-2008
David Ross has sensationally resigned from all his roles in the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Scott Wilson shows surge in revenue

9-Dec-2008
Consultant Scott Wilson has shown an 17.8% surge in turnover to £180.4M, and a 10% increase in adjusted profit to £12M for the 26 week period ending on 26 October according to the company's interim results, published today.
Critical skills shortage down to lack of apprentices and technicians

8-Dec-2008
New research from the Engineering and Technology Board (ETB) suggests that the vast majority of critical industrial skills shortages are due to lack of technicians and apprentices.
Today to be busiest ever on the Tube

4-Dec-2008
Friday 5 December 2008 is predicted to be the busiest ever day on the London Underground network, with more than 4.2M passengers expected to travel.
50 years of motorways

4-Dec-2008
The motorway is 50 years old today. To celebrate, the Highways Agency have opened the newest part of the network:The Carlisle to Guards Mill M6 extension - known as the 'Cumberland Gap'.
Heathrow third runway decision in New Year

4-Dec-2008
Transport secretary Geoff Hoon has promised parliament that a decision on whether to build a new runway at Heathrow airport will be announced in January.
Crossrail City funding wrapped-up

4-Dec-2008
City funding for Crossrail has been secured - £350M from the Corpration of London - and Crossrail will tranfer to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL) tomorrow.New Crossrail agreements
Faster payments to ease pressure on supply chains

4-Dec-2008
Pressure on small subcontractors' cashflow caused by the credit crunch was this week forcing clients and major contractors to consider speeding up payment for construction work.
Construction sector continues to contract

2-Dec-2008
The construction sector continued to contract in November, with construction and civil engineering falling at record rates, according to new research from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS).
NIGHT AT THE TRACK

1-Dec-2008
Antony Oliver takes a night time trip under ground to observe the thousands of Tube Lines workers maintaining and improving tracks, ready for the morning rush hour.
Regulator seeks assurances from Network Rail over Christmas works

1-Dec-2008
New statistics published by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) show record performance on the railways, but the regulator wants some reassurance that Network Rail, will not repeat the dramatic overruns experienced last year.
Olympic Media Centre to leave vast legacy structure

28-Nov-2008
The 2012 Olympic Games media centre will leave a vast 100m by 250m by 25m tall 'flexible' structure in legacy to accommodate an as yet uncertain role for the local borough.
Boris axes congestion charge western extension

27-Nov-2008
Just two weeks before a crucial vote in Manchester to decide the fate of the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) proposals there, London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced that western extension of the congestion charge, set-up by his predecessor Ken Livingstone, is likely to be axed in 2010.
£1bn transport fast-track schemes announced

25-Nov-2008
Transport secretary Geoff Hoon has announced the £1bn of transport schemes to be fast-tracked to help economic recovery, and part of yesterday's Pre-Budget Report.
TfL shortfall threatens Piccadilly line upgrade

25-Nov-2008
Capacity upgrades for London Underground's Piccadilly line could be hit if Transport for London (TfL) cannot find more money for tube upgrade contractor Tube Lines, the company's chief executive Terry Morgan warned yesterday.
Darling's £20bn economic plan brings £3bn of projects forward

24-Nov-2008
In what is considered to be the most important pre-budget report for more than a decade, Alistair Darling has pledged to invest £20bn in the UK economy, including a cut in VAT to 15% for 13 months and bringing £3bn of key infrastructure projects forward from 2010/11.
Manchester TIF vote 'on knife edge'

24-Nov-2008
New research suggests that the referendum to decide whether Manchester accepts the Transport Innovation Fund bid for £3bn in transport improvements and a congestion charge is too close to call.
CBI wants Darling to invest in infrastructure

24-Nov-2008
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) wants Alistair Darling to invest in infrastructure and take steps to help business cashflow to stop firms going under when he unveils his Pre Budget Report later today.
Europe to get green energy from Africa

19-Nov-2008
Funding has been secured for five huge green energy pilot schemes that will pipe clean electricity from north Africa to mainland Europe, NCE has learned.
Johnson reduces fees paid to consultants

19-Nov-2008
Fees paid to technical consultants by Transport for London (TfL) have already been reduced significantly since January, according to new information from the London Mayor’s office.
Cross party support needed for High Speed Rail, says shadow transport secretary

19-Nov-2008
Conservative transport secretary Theresa Villiers today called for cross-party party consensus to push through high speed rail plans.
Serious Fraud Office to combat corruption overseas

18-Nov-2008
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) will divert more of its resources to combat corruption overseas, its director announced yesterday.
MPs propose tightening Network Rail accountability

18-Nov-2008
MPs propose changing the way Network Rail is regulated, to give it greater financial flexibility, but also greater accountability to parliament.
Embassies flout congestion charge to the tune of £23M

18-Nov-2008
Diplomatic embassies in London are not paying the congestion charge, leaving Transport for London out of pocket to the tune of £23M.
B of the Bang designers settle out of court

17-Nov-2008
Manchester City Council has reached a £1.7M out of court settlement with the designers and contractors involved in the design and build of the ill-fated 'B of the Bang' sculpture in east Manchester.
Civil engineering consultants and contractors face bleak 2009

12-Nov-2008
Thousands of civil engineering consultants and contractors are facing redundancy because of the impending economic recession and a cut back in projects.
Environmental industry 'vital' to pull economy out of recession

11-Nov-2008
The environmental industry has launched a plan to make Europe's green industry an engine for growth for the European economy, to turn around the current downturn.
Obama faces £1 trillion infrastructure bill

10-Nov-2008
US President elect Barack Obama faces a massive bill for neglected infrastructure, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) this week.
Engineering consultants vulnerable to takeover bids

6-Nov-2008
British consultants are takeover targets in an undervalued market, city analysts and engineers said this week.
Highways Agency could fast-track more hard shoulder running

6-Nov-2008
The Highways Agency could fast-track new Active Traffic Management (ATM, also known as hard shoulder running) schemes in the New Year, and begin a larger tranche of preparatory work for further schemes. NCE believes up to 5 schemes could be pushed-through.
Next US president faces $1.6 trillion infrastructure bill

4-Nov-2008
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has called for US Congress to invest in infrastructure to boost the flagging US economy.
Only Connect

3-Nov-2008
The proposal to plug Heathrow into Britain’s high-speed rail network needs cross-party support to succeed, says Arup director Mark Bostock. Ed Owen reports.
US civil engineers choose Obama

30-Oct-2008
US engineers are behind Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, according to new research.
Hoon: High Speed Rail under 'consideration'

30-Oct-2008
New transport secretary Geoff Hoon today said High Speed Rail was on the table as a way to improve the transport system.
Construction Council: Olympics should be fast-tracked to save economy

29-Oct-2008
Chair of the newly-formed CBI Construction Council, Carillion chief executive John McDonough, said large projects such as the Olympics should be fast-tracked to boost employment and sustain the construction industry and the economy.
Eurotunnel challenged on decision to scrap fire sprays

29-Oct-2008
Channel Tunnel firm failed to install suppression system after developing prototype.
31% of accidents are in construction

29-Oct-2008
Health and Safety at work figures for 2007/8 show a decrease in the number of people killed in construction compared to the year before, but 31% of all fatal injuries are in construction.
Regulator expected to be tough on Network Rail

29-Oct-2008
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is expected to maintain its tough stance against Network Rail when it releases its final determinations for the track operators spend for 2009-2014 tomorrow, and demand that the rail operator makes more efficient use of its resources.
Leinster appointed new Environment Agency chief

28-Oct-2008
Dr Paul Leinster has been appointed chief executive of the Environment Agency and will take up the post on 1 November.
M25 DBFO deal delayed by bank crisis

23-Oct-2008
Construction firms are struggling to put together financial packages for privately funded infrastructure (PFI) projects, it emerged this week.
Britain in recession - Ernst&Young

20-Oct-2008
Research by accountants Ernst&Young suggests the UK economy is already in recession, but it will display 'weak recovery' in 2010.
Lehman collapse hits construction

15-Oct-2008
Consultant Mott MacDonald said this week that it was trying to reclaim cash owed to it by failed merchant bank Lehman Brothers. It is thought other construction firms will also be affected.
Construction businesses flock to government training service

8-Oct-2008
12,000 construction sector companies have joined the government’s training service – Train to Gain, the Learning and Skills Council claimed this week.
Tory axe for Heathrow third runway will not kill Crossrail - Villiers

8-Oct-2008
Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers this week promised Conservative proposals to axe the third runway at Heathrow would not jeopardise the Crossrail project.
Arup research High Speed alignments north of London

1-Oct-2008
Arup director Mark Bostock has said that he will begin to look at alignments north of the proposed Heathrow Hub, in anticipation of new high speed lines should the Conservatives come to power in the next election.
The Green Dream

26-Sep-2008
Sustainability is one of the catchwords of our day, and frequently misunderstood or misused. Ed Owen speaks to Pell Frischmann director of sustainability Tim Jervis about quantifying sustainability and his plan to take carbon out of the UK’s infrastructure.
Manchester TIF to 'create 10,000 jobs'

19-Sep-2008
Greater Manchester's Transport Innovation Fund public transport and congestion charging package will create 10,000 jobs, according to research published today.
Channel Tunnel fire made worse by open wagons

18-Sep-2008
Serious damage to the Channel Tunnel could have been avoided if Eurotunnel had acted on lessons from previous blazes, fire fighters and tunnel experts have claimed.
Government seeks Planning Committee chiefs

17-Sep-2008
The government has confirmed that it will fast-track recruitment to find both a chairman and chief executive for the proposed Independent Planning Committee (IPC) before the new Bill becomes law.
Highway Vision

11-Sep-2008
On the launch day of the Institution of Highways and Transportation (IHT) annual conference, its president David Tarrant has some thought provoking conclusions about the way Britain’s road network should be run. Ed Owen reports.
London Assembly demands Cross River Tram

11-Sep-2008
The London Assembly has demanded funds to build a tram network to cross the Thames linking Waterloo with Euston, with branches to Camden Town and King's Cross in the north, and Brixton and Peckham in the south.
Circling Crossrail

11-Sep-2008
At £16bn, Crossrail dwarfs the UK's other recent mega projects like Heathrow Terminal 5, High Speed 1 and the London Olympics, but is yet to appoint a chief executive. Ed Owen picks out some of the contenders for construction's biggest job.
Crossrail recruits for top job

11-Sep-2008
The race to become Crossrail chief executive has begun, with head-hunters contacting prospective candidates to lead the £16bn scheme, NCE can reveal this week.
Hard shoulder running not full answer - IHT

11 September 2008
Government plans to switch road spending to Active Traffic Management will not solve congestion said new Institution of Highways & Transportation (IHT) president David Tarrant this week.
Network Rail: regulator's analysis 'flawed'

8-Sep-2008
Rail operator Network Rail has slammed the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) for a 'flawed' analysis of projected spending over CP4 (2009-2014) control period, and asked for a further £1bn to make ends meet.
Norris plays down Crossrail speculation

5-Sep-2008
Jarvis chairman Steven Norris this week played down industry rumours that he had been appointed chairman of Cross London Rail Links (CLRL), the company set up to deliver the £15.9bn Crossrail scheme.
Hard Shoulder Running installation begins

September 2008
Work this week begins on installing £150M of technology around the ‘Birmingham Box’ to adapt the motorways for Active Traffic Management (ATM - also known as hard shoulder running).
New Year overruns hit WCML budgets

14-Aug-2008
Additional work and complications from the overruns around Rugby station over the New Year have caused Network Rail to run some £55M over budget on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) upgrade.
Rising costs jeopardise Crossrail, say RICS

13-Aug-2008
Large infrastructure projects such as Crossrail, the 2012 Olympic Games and Thameslink, risk significant budget overruns due to rampant costs increases, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
WSP win Trinidad railway job

12-Aug-2008
The Trinidad and Tobago government's infrastructure company, NIDCO, has awarded the contract to manage the construction of its new railway system to consultants WSP.
Construction sector 'routinely' exploits immigrant workers - TUC

11-Aug-2008
The construction industry has been targeted by the Trades Union Congress as one sector 'routinely' breaking employment law, and exploiting migrant workers.
Crossrail confirms Astoria compulsory purchase date

6-Aug-2008
Crossrail this week confirmed that Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) will be issued for works at Tottenham Court Road in mid-October.
Swiss style transport for 2012

5-Aug-2008
London 2012 will herald Swis-style interchanges and train reliability, Olympic Delivery Authority transport director Hugh Sumner has told NCE.
Administration costs Metronet 10% of its staff

17-Jul-2008
Tube contractor Metronet has lost 10% of its staff as a result of uncertainty caused by its collapse and subsequent period in administration, the firm’s head of civils David Sockett told NCE this week.
Insurers force agreement on flood defence package

16-Jul-2008
Ministers have this week agreed to ring-fence flood defence funding, in exchange for continued insurance cover for home owners.
Rising from the ashes

16-Jul-2008
Tube upgrade contractor Metronet is out of administration and operates within Transport for London. Its next challenge is to recruit more engineers, Ed Owen reports.
Metronet in search of talent after losing 10% of workforce

16-Jul-2008
Uncertainty caused by the collapse and subsequent PPP administration of tube upgrade contractor Metronet has resulted in a 10% decline in its staff according to its head of civils, David Sockett, this week.
Economic downturn to claim 13,000 contracting jobs

16-Jul-2008
Bleak economic results and predictions have once again pointed to a severe downturn in the contracting sector, the most pessimistic claiming 13,000 contracting jobs and 165 companies are at risk in the coming year.
Rail minister stays neutral on high speed rail proposals

15-Jul-2008
Rail minister Tom Harris this week said that new high speed rail lines could be a 'solution looking for a problem'.
More gloom for piling contractors as Simplex axes precast factory

14-Jul-2008
Another piling contractor was this week scaling back its operations in the face of the oncoming construction downturn.
25-year deal for flood defences

11-Jul-2008
The government has struck a deal with the Association of British Insurers (ABI), to maintain flood defences for the next 25 years in exchange for continued insurance cover against flooding for home owners.
Royal Assent to trigger scamble for Crossrail design work

1-Jul-2008
Royal Assent for the Crossrail Bill is expected within weeks, freeing up client Cross London Rail Links (CLRL) to begin construction of the £16bn Crossrail project.
Manchester consider TIF referendum

1-Jul-2008
Greater Manchester could take £2.8bn Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) plans to the people, and allow a referendum to decide whether to adopt congestion charging plans.
Duplicate infrastructure to cut flood risk says ICE

27-Jun-2008
The ICE this week called for more public spending to protect homes and properties from flooding.
Scott Wilson profits surge 30%

26-Jun-2008
Scott Wilson's profits have increased by £4.4M to £19.1M in 2007-8, a 29.9% increase, on turnover of £324.2M, a 24.2% leap compared to last year.
Training for Power

25-Jun-2008
The industry wants a political champion to drive the building of new high speed rail lines in the UK. Step forward, shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers. Ed Owen met her.
Crucial planning vote hangs in balance

24-Jun-2008
MPs, and not independent experts, could have the final say on the construction of essential national infrastructure projects if backbench Labour MPs revolt in a crucial vote, to take place tonight.
Network Rail to consult on new lines

23-Jun-2008
Rail infrastructure operator Network Rail has opened a consultation into building new rail lines - which could be high speed lines - along five of its most congested corridors.
Engineer to head Highways Agency

18-Jun-2008
Civil engineer Graham Dalton has been named as Archie Robertson’s successor as Highways Agency chief executive.
Highways boss to tackle inefficiency

18-Jun-2008
The Highways Agency's new major projects director Nirmal Kotecha says he will work with the Agency’s supply chain to make greater efficiencies and tackle the spiralling costs highlighted in last year’s damning Nichols report.
IN THE DRIVING SEAT

18-Jun-2008
Change has been on the agenda at the Highways Agency since last year’s Nichols Report. Ed Owen discusses procurement with major projects director, Nirmal Kotecha.
Hyping High Speed

18-Jun-2008
The rail industry is gagging to start building High Speed 2. The problem is political will, but could a new political regime be the catalyst the high speed lobby needs? Ed Owen reports.
Tories back high speed rail

18-Jun-2008
Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said this week that the Conservatives will back the development of new high speed rail lines in their election manifesto.
Full flood responsibility for Environment Agency

18-Jun-2008
Ministers are to put the Environment Agency in charge of surface water flood defence strategy in major shake up of responsibility for dealing with flooding.
Hutton wants nuclear investment for new build 'as quickly as possible'

12-Jun-2008
Business secretary John Hutton today said he wants, 'nuclear power stations built and operating as quickly as possible,' and needs companies to invest.
MPs slam 'disappointing' Department for Transport

12-Jun-2008
The Government must re-examine its policy on road pricing to deal with congestion, focus on train reliability and pay more attention to regional development, according to the influential Transport Select Committee of MPs, in its scrutiny of the Department for Transport's annual report.
DfT backs congestion charge for Manchester

11-Jun-2008
Transport secretary Ruth Kelly this week approved a £2.8bn package to revamp Manchester's transport system.
Government cold on high-speed but existing services reach record punctuality

6-Jun-2008
The jump to new high speed services has been thrown into doubt by the government, questioning high speed rail's green credentials, as existing service attain record levels of punctuality, with 89.9% of trains arriving on time in 2007/8.
Government rail demands affordable, say ORR

5-Jun-2008
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) today said the outputs the government expected Network Rail to meet between 2009 and 2014 are affordable, although Network Rail responded with 'concern' over funds.
Jarvis wins £40M Rugby remodelling

3-Jun-2008
Contractor Jarvis has won the £40M contract to remodel Rugby station
Liberals back high speed rail

3-Jun-2008
The Liberal Democrats would construct an 'extensive' high speed network, beginning with a link from St Pancras in London to Heathrow, Birmingham and Manchester if elected according to new policies launched today.
Contractors' costs rise by 1.75 times the rate of inflation

30-May-2008
Baseline costs are increasing sharply in price, according to the Civil Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA), who say costs have shot up by 7-7.75% in England and Wales, and by a staggering 10% in Scotland over the 12 months to April.
Network Rail demand answers over GE19 scare

29-May-2008
Network Rail's chief executive, Iain Coucher, has written to Transport for London's commissioner, Peter Hendy, asking for an explanation for severe delays caused by an incident at the GE19 bridge over London's Brick Lane yesterday.
Students to dump GCSEs for construction diploma

29-May-2008
More than 7,000 students are preparing to dump GCSEs and A levels this Autumn to study new diplomas in construction and engineering.
Students to dump GCSEs for construction diploma

29-May-2008
More than 7,000 students are preparing to dump GCSEs and A levels this Autumn to study new diplomas in construction and engineering.
Jack failure blamed for London rail disruption

29-May-2008
The failure of a temporary jack has been blamed for the sudden fall of debris from the GE19 bridge in London's east end, bringing rail chaos to London yesterday evening and this morning.
Engineering and construction students to dump GCSEs for diplomas

29-May-2008
More than 7,000 students are preparing to dump GCSEs and A levels this Autumn to study new diplomas in construction and engineering.
Students to dump GCSEs for construction diploma

28-May-2008
More than 7,000 students are preparing to dump GCSEs and A levels this Autumn to study new diplomas in construction and engineering.
Date set for Metronet transfer to TfL

23-May-2008
Failed tube upgrade contractor Metronet will be absorbed by Transport for London on Tuesday 27 May, it was announced today.
2012 stadium construction begins

22-May-2008
Construction started today on the London 2012 Olympic Park, as work began on the Olympic Stadium - three months ahead of schedule.
Louise Ellman appointed new transport committee chair

22-May-2008
MP for Liverpool Riverside Louise Ellman has been appointed chair of the Transport Select Committee of MPs, replacing Gwyneth Dunwoody who died suddenly last month.
7,286 to take construction and engineering diplomas in September

21-May-2008
NCE has obtained figures for the diplomas in construction and engineering, which begin in Spetember. 3,054 will take the diploma in construction, while a further 4232 will take the diploma in engineering.
Just 20,000 students to take diplomas

21-May-2008
Education minister Ed Balls today confirmed that just 20,000 14-18 year-olds have committed to taking the new diplomas, to start in September. This shows 'poor implementation' of the diploma according to the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA).
Zipingpu dam tests rock fill design as quake shakes core

21-May-2008
China's 156m tall Zipingpu dam, close to the epicentre of last week's 7.9 magnitude earthquake, became a focus for the emergency repair of 'considerable' damage this week.
LOOK & LEARN

16-May-2008
Engineering and roped access expertise give BridgeZone an edge in the bridge inspection market. Ed Owen reports.
HOW IT'S HANGING

16-May-2008
Roped access techniques were considered the least disruptive way of refurbishing hangers on the Tamar bridge. Ed Owen reports.
Government misses own congestion goals

16-May-2008
The Department for Transport (DfT) has failed to meet its targets for reducing road congestion, according to its own figures.
Fluor to build world's largest offshore windfarm

15-May-2008
Fluor has signed a contract with Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) to design and construct the 500 MW Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm, which will be the world's largest.
Nottingham pushes parking levy to ease congestion

13-May-2008
Nottingham City Council will opt for a Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) to ease congestion in the city, and use the new funding stream to extend its tram system.
Mayor drops objections to Beckton desalination plant

12-May-2008
The new Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has dropped objections to the proposed Thames Water desalination plant at Beckton.
Taylor Woodrow for Kings Cross redevelopment

12-May-2008
Taylor Woodrow have been announced as the preferred bidder for the much-needed redevelopment of London's Kings Cross station.
Construction delays blamed for Heathrow T5 fiasco

8-May-2008
British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh yesterday told a committee of MPs that construction delays were partly responsible for the chaos at the opening of Heathrow's £4.3bn Terminal 5.
Construction diploma faces further criticism

7-May-2008
The government's proposed Construction and the Built Environment diploma came under renewed criticism this week, as teaching unions expressed 'doubts and uncertainties' about many aspects of the qualification.
Blow to Manchester congestion charge plan

7-May-2008
Manchester's proposed congestion charging scheme was on a shakier footing this week after the Labour chair of the Greater Manchester Passenger Authority (GMPTA), Roger Jones was unseated by an anti-charging campaigner.
Wall of silence over construction diploma

6-May-2008
Government efforts to introduce the new construction diploma were slammed by the Civil Engineering Contractors' Association (CECA) this week as it renewed calls for the number of prospective students to be published.
Manchester Metrolink due to expand again

6-May-2008
A £500M funding package to double the size of Manchester's Metrolink tram system is expected to be confirmed by the Department for Transport (DfT) next week.
Blackfriars plan revealed

1-May-2008
Network Rail has revealed plans for the new Blackfriars station, which will span the Thames on a rebuilt Blackfriars railway bridge, part of London's Thameslink upgrade.
Fuel price rises to hit company profit margins

30-Apr-2008
Rising costs of borrowing and soaring materials prices have created a 'perfect storm' for contractors, who are facing significant losses otheir projects.
Construction's image takes a huge beating

23-Apr-2008
Construction was left reeling from a series of bad news stories last week that seemingly left its public image in tatters.
A-Plant in push for better standards

23-Apr-2008
Despite many of the great advances in health and safety over the years, construction is not yet risk-free.
Highway repairs without tears

23-Apr-2008
While Active Traffic Management (ATM) may mean less road building, our existing roads must still be maintained. And pressure to close roads for repairs for shorter and shorter periods is increasing.
TfL say Metronet is on the brink of transfer

23-Apr-2008
Metronet will exit PPP administration and transfer to Transport for London (TfL) shortly, it was announced this morning, as Mayor of London Ken Livingstone gave his approval to the schemes which will transfer the Metronet business to TfL.
Local government fails to attract the young

21-Apr-2008
A new report by the New Local Government Network suggests that councils will struggle to maintain services over the coming decade as one-third of experienced staff retire.
FLOODING THE FIELDS

18-Apr-2008
Allowing fertile farmland around the Humber estuary to flood will save 400,000 homes. Ed Owen reports.
CECA slam construction diploma 'flaws'

18-Apr-2008
The Civil Engineers Contractors Association has slammed the new Construction & the Built Environment (C&BE) diploma, due to begin in September, as many employers are still unclear of the role of the new qualification.
Veteran MP Dunwoody dies

18-Apr-2008
Gwyneth Dunwoody, the longest-serving female MP and chair of the cross-party Commons transport select committee died last week after a short illness. She was 77.
Carillion and Balfour Beatty plead leniency to OFT probe

17-Apr-2008
Both Balfour Beatty and Carillion have applied for leniency in the Office of Fair Trading's probe into price rigging in the construction industry.
£9.7M fine for Thames Water

17-Apr-2008
Ofwat has fined Thames Water £9.7M - 0.7% of the company's turnover - for misreporting information and delivering poor service to customers.
RMT move to strike

16-Apr-2008
THe RMT union has rejected a package to harmonise pay and conditions proposed by Network Rail. The decision could lead to industrial action if talks tomorrow fail.
London Underground seek less Tube risk

15-Apr-2008
The PPP Arbiter today said he would meet tube upgrade contractor Tube Lines later this week to discuss London Underground's application for a change in cashflow restraints for the next PPP control period, which begins in 2010.
Ofwat sets out its approach to 2009 price review

27-Mar-2008
Ofwat today published its guidance for companies on how it will go about setting price limits for customers' water and sewerage bills for five years from 2010-15.
Ofwat sets out its approach to 2009 price review

27-Mar-2008
Ofwat today published its guidance for companies on how it will go about setting price limits for customers' water and sewerage bills for five years from 2010-15.
Engineers vital to government security body

26-Mar-2008
Civil engineers will be 'absolutely essential' to the government's new 30-man national security forum, it was claimed this week.
Liquidated damages warning

26-Mar-2008
Liquidated damages clauses will be unenforceable if they fail to allow for delays to progress, according to a High Court ruling published last week.
Hutton calls for massive investment in nuclear

26-Mar-2008
Nothing short of a 'breathtaking' investment in new nuclear, and the skills to build those stations are needed, according to Business, enterprise and regulatory reform secretary John Hutton today.
Hutton calls for massive investment in nuclear

26-Mar-2008
Nothing short of a 'breathtaking' investment in new nuclear, and the skills to build those stations are needed, according to Business, enterprise and regulatory reform secretary John Hutton today.
Easter rail chaos avoided

26-Mar-2008
Network Rail claims to have successfully completed £75M of engineering works over the Easter Bank Holiday by using a 'major incident' style command structure to push work through without significant delay.
Easter rail chaos avoided

26-Mar-2008
Network Rail claims to have successfully completed £75M of engineering works over the Easter Bank Holiday by using a 'major incident' style command structure to push work through without significant delay.
Engineers say Darling ‘not green enough’

20-Mar-2008
Engineers and transport pressure groups this week criticised Chancellor Alistair Darling’s first budget for not being green enough despite claims it would be environmentally friendly.
Completion at Halley

17-Mar-2008
Faber Maunsell's Danny Wood has completed the season's work at the South Pole, building the British Antarctic Survey's Halley VI station.
Completion at Halley

17-Mar-2008
Faber Maunsell's Danny Wood has completed the season's work at the South Pole, building the British Antarctic Survey's Halley VI station.
Rail plans gain pace

14-Mar-2008
Consultant Atkins has unveiled three business cases for high-speed rail alignments running north from London, although none include a major hub at Heathrow, as proposed by Arup last year.
London elections put Metronet in limbo for six more weeks

14-Mar-2008
Running the failed Tube company in administration costing taxpayer £14M per week
Darling promises greater access to government contracts

12-Mar-2008
Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling promised firms greater access to government contracts in his debut budget, earlier today.
Darling promises greater access to government contracts

12-Mar-2008
Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling promised firms greater access to government contracts in his debut budget, earlier today.
Government boost for engineering

12-Mar-2008
The government yesterday pledged to boost the uptake of engineering degrees at British universities under questioning in the House of Lords.
Government boost for engineering

12-Mar-2008
The government yesterday pledged to boost the uptake of engineering degrees at British universities under questioning in the House of Lords.
MPs call for all tube maintenance be brought in-house, as Metronet failure tops £2bn

11-Mar-2008
MPs were told that the costs for Metronet's failure had reached £2bn last night, as they debated the Transport Select Committee's damning report into the tube upgrade contractor's collapse in July last year.
MPs call for all tube maintenance be brought in-house, as Metronet failure tops £2bn

11-Mar-2008
MPs were told that the costs for Metronet's failure had reached £2bn last night, as they debated the Transport Select Committee's damning report into the tube upgrade contractor's collapse in July last year.
Climate change levy ineffective, say MPs

10-Mar-2008
The climate change levy is ineffective, with any reductions in CO2 emissions coming from raised awareness through the media, rather than policy, according to a new report from the Environmental Audit Committee, published today.
Climate change levy ineffective, say MPs

10-Mar-2008
The climate change levy is ineffective, with any reductions in CO2 emissions coming from raised awareness through the media, rather than policy, according to a new report from the Environmental Audit Committee, published today.
Keller steers course for £1bn turnover

7-Mar-2008
Ground engineering specialist Keller's annual turnover looked on course to hit £1bn in 2008 as it posted a record turnover of £955.1M for the year ending December 2007.
Former Regulator slams ORR's £14M fine

7-Mar-2008
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) was labelled ineffective by its former boss this week after it fined Network Rail £14M for the New Year overruns.
Aussie worker highlights lack of vigilance on qualifications

7-Mar-2008
Firms and agencies are employing engineers without checking their education record, NCE has learnt this week.
Cutting it fine

7-Mar-2008
Network Rail must improve its project management to avoid further penalties. Ed Owen reports.
GREEN LINE

7-Mar-2008
Growth in Dubai seems to be unstoppable as Ed Owen discovers when he visits the Emirate's first public transport project.
ABOVE IT ALL

7-Mar-2008
High above Britain's railways, Network Rail's 'eye in the sky' helicopter helps protect and maintain its infrastructure. Ed Owen climbed aboard.
NDA offers sites for new nuclear build

6-Mar-2008
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has offered the use of its existing sites to the government for new nuclear build.
NDA offers sites for new nuclear build

6-Mar-2008
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has offered the use of its existing sites to the government for new nuclear build.
Civils firms braced for recession in North East

5-Mar-2008
Civils firms in the North East are braced for a tough year, despite a bumper year last year, and have pleaded with the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, to drop new regulations on red fuel for contractors, and so moderate the effects of the downturn.
Civils firms braced for recession in North East

5-Mar-2008
Civils firms in the North East are braced for a tough year, despite a bumper year last year, and have pleaded with the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, to drop new regulations on red fuel for contractors, and so moderate the effects of the downturn.
Hard shoulder running for 800km of motorways

4-Mar-2008
Transport secretary Ruth Kelly has outlined how hard shoulder running will be rolled-out across the UK to tackle road congestion, following successful trials on the M42. Special lanes for full cars could be the next development.
Thousands turn out to NCE's careers day

4-Mar-2008
More than 1,300 engineers congregated at London’s Lindley Hall last week to hear some industry heavyweights set-out their stalls and show why construction is a great place to work.
Thousands turn out to NCE's careers day

4-Mar-2008
More than 1,300 engineers congregated at London’s Lindley Hall last week to hear some industry heavyweights set-out their stalls and show why construction is a great place to work.
Stansted expansion prompts road and rail improvements

3-Mar-2008
Secretary of state for transport Ruth Kelly has demanded that the highways Agency look again into the possible widening of the M11 around Stansted airport to deal with the airport's possible expansion, and for Network Rail to bring improvements on the London-Cambridge line forward.
Stansted expansion prompts road and rail improvements

3-Mar-2008
Secretary of state for transport Ruth Kelly has demanded that the highways Agency look again into the possible widening of the M11 around Stansted airport to deal with the airport's possible expansion, and for Network Rail to bring improvements on the London-Cambridge line forward.
Hard shoulder running for 800km of motorways

March 2008
Transport secretary Ruth Kelly has outlined how hard shoulder running will be rolled-out across the UK to tackle road congestion, following successful trials on the M42. Special lanes for full cars could be the next development.
Takeover talk as Jarvis faces questions about Rugby delays

27-Feb-2008
Rail contractor Jarvis was at the centre of takeover speculation this week as it prepared to face further public scrutiny over the New Year overruns at Rugby.
What price carbon?

27-Feb-2008
Uncertainty about how the European Union emissions trading scheme will work after 2012 is creating a headache, reports Ed Owen and John McKenna.
Hutton courts US investors for new nuclear build

26-Feb-2008
Business secretary John Hutton is meeting US energy companies to discuss funding for new nuclear build in the UK.
The latest from Mali

25-Feb-2008
Catch-up with Gifford pair Mark Richardson and Rebecca Mulley, who have travelled to Mali to build a barrage across the remote Woni river.
National Grid fined £41.6M for breaching competition regulations

25-Feb-2008
Energy regulator Ofgem has fined National Grid £41.6M for breaching competition law, by restricting competition in the domestic gas meter market.
Recycled water fails to whet Dubai appetite

20-Feb-2008
Dubai's drive to reduce its carbon footprint may be limited by a local reluctance to drink recycled water, it was claimed this week.
Rail line gets funding

20-Feb-2008
Construction of an Oxford to Cambridge railway along abandoned tracks moved a step closer this week after securing £1M of government money to fund detailed route designs.
London Assembly says no to Heathrow expansion

19-Feb-2008
The London Assembly will oppose plans for a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow, after an environmental impact assessment found the expansion plans exaggerated economic benefits, and would cause Heathrow to breach European air quality standards.
London Assembly says no to Heathrow expansion

18-Feb-2008
The London Assembly will oppose plans for a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow, after an environmental impact assessment found the expansion plans exaggerated economic benefits, and would cause Heathrow to breach European air quality standards.
Arrival in Mali

15-Feb-2008
Two young engineers from Gifford have arrived in Mali to build a river barrage in a remote part of the country - read their blog here.
British firms face Dubai shut out over green codes

13-Feb-2008
British consultants said this week they could lose out on lucrative work in Dubai after the Emirate's decision to adopt United States sustainabilty standards.
The latest from down down under

12-Feb-2008
Read-up on what life is like for Danny Wood in the Antarctic's perma-day, as he begins work to assemble the Halley VI research station for the British Antarctic Survey.
£400M to transform Birmingham New Street

12-Feb-2008
Birmingham New Street station, regarded as one of the worst in the country, is to benefit from £400M in government funding to transform the site. The plans should not only improve passenger journeys, but also give the city a boost.
Balfours appoints new heads for rail and Irish divisions

11-Feb-2008
Balfour Beatty has appointed Richard Adams as its Managing Director of Balfour Beatty Rail Projects, and John Keaveney as its new Managing Director for Ireland.
Biggest ever street lighting PFI approved

11-Feb-2008
A PFI deal to replace street lighting in Hampshire, Southampton and West Sussex has been signed today, worth £225M.
Nirmal Kotecha appointed major projects head at Highways Agency

8-Feb-2008
Nirmal Kotecha has been appointed Major Projects Director for the Highways Agency, taking up the role on 14 April. He fills the void opened by the sacking of Keith Miller in February 2007, who left following severe criticism by Mike Nichols in his report into the Agency's project delivery.
Progress on developing wave and tidal power too slow

8-Feb-2008
Research and development into wave and tidal power is far too slow, according to the Renewables Advisory Board (RAB), which advises the government on green energy policy.
A bird's eye view of the main stadium's progress

7-Feb-2008
NCE has exclusive pictures of work in progress on the main Olympic stadium at the Olympic park site at Stratford, east London.
MPs to examine role of engineering in society

7-Feb-2008
MPs will launch an inquiry into the role of engineering in society to open in the spring, with particular focus on innovation and the skills base for engineering in the UK.
Tunnel war continues

6-Feb-2008
Kelly claims rail line can share space with electricity cables if brought back into use in future.
Crossrail design contract retender could happen before work starts

6-Feb-2008
Design contracts for Crossrail could still be re-tendered before construction begins, a source close to the project claimed last week.
RAIB recommends better knowledge of tunnel winds following Central line derailment

31-Jan-2008
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has released its report into the derailment of a Central line in July 2007, which occurred less than a month before Metronet, managing the Central line upgrade, went into PPP administration.
£370M to make rail stations accessible

31-Jan-2008
The government today announced a £370M package to upgrade railway stations to travel more accessible for disabled and older people and parents with pushchairs.
More cash for flood-hit areas

31-Jan-2008
Six authorities in South Yorkshire and the Midlands have been awarded £250,000 to help towards the clean-up costs from the summer floods.
Nuclear decommissioning contractors told to take on more risk

29-Jan-2008
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) must force contractors to take on more risk in order to rein-in spiraling costs, a National Audit Office (NAO) report has recommended.
£10M raised for Thames flood defences

29-Jan-2008
The Thames Regional Flood Defence Committee will raise £10M from affected councils to spend on flood risk management projects.
Turner to head climate change committee

29-Jan-2008
Former head of the CBI, Lord Adair Turner, will head the government's new Committee on Climate Change.
Infrastructure progresses at Olympic site

29-Jan-2008
Installation of new track and work on Stratford regional station is rapidly progressing at the Stratford site.
THE CLIMATE CRUNCH

28-Jan-2008
Who should be responsible for managing flood risk as climate change pushes the issue further up the political agenda?
Network Rail to award A-levels

28-Jan-2008
Network Rail has won the right to award new technical qualifications which carry a weight equivalent to A-levels.
MPs slam PPP system after 'spectacular failure' of Metronet

24-Jan-2008
The Commons transport select committee has slammed the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) system following the collapse of Tube upgrade contractor Metronet. NCE understands that the deadline to tranfer Metronet to Transport for London has been extended to April.
Green monster?

24-Jan-2008
It may have been unthinkable only a few years ago, but last week the government ushered in a new generation of nuclear power plants by using an environmental argument actually in support of their construction.
RMT demand swift transfer of Metronet to Transport for London

24-Jan-2008
The RMT Union has called for the government to hasten the transfer of Metronet to Transport for London, as the January 18 date for transfer expired last week.
£10M New Year delay caused by 'overambitious' plans

24-Jan-2008
Network Rail's chief executive admitted that plans for work at Rugby over the New Year were 'overambitious', and work was significantly affected by qualified staff failing to show up.
EU announces new climate change targets

23-Jan-2008
European President, Jose Manuel Barroso, has revealed ambitious targets to reduce EU greenhouse emissions by 20% and produce 20% of energy from renewable sources by 2020.
New Tyne tunnel to get fire sprinklers

23-Jan-2008
The Tyne Tunnel will be the first in the UK to include a sprinkler system for fighting fires, it was revealed last week.
Heavy rain triggers flood warning across the North

23-Jan-2008
The Severn estuary and parts of Yorkshire and North East England bore the brunt of bad weather this week, with 15 severe flood warnings issued on Monday.
Heathrow could grow beyond third runway and sixth terminal

22-Jan-2008
BAA confirmed yesterday that Heathrow could expand beyond a sixth terminal and during runway at a session of the London Assembly's Environment Committee.
Hutton outlines Severn barrage feasibility study

22-Jan-2008
John Hutton has unveiled the terms of reference for a feasibility study into a proposed barrage across the river Severn.
Councils rely on charging for 8% of revenue

22-Jan-2008
Councils raise almost half as much money from charging for services as through council tax, according to a report from the Audit Commission today.
Sky's not the limit for new Dubai islands

21-Jan-2008
Dubai, home to the man-made palm islands and 'World' development, has added the universe to its portfolio of artificial islands.
MPs say biofuel is unsustainable

21-Jan-2008
Biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but have a negative overall impact on the environment according to a report by the Environmental Audit Committee today.
Network Rail contractors face cuts after New Year overruns

18-Jan-2008
Rail contractors and agency staff face cuts and 'Military-style' chains of command on future jobs by Network Rail, following serious delays at Rugby and Liverpool Street station over New Year
More of summer floods caused by rivers admits EA

18-Jan-2008
More of the summer floods were caused by rivers overtopping than previously admitted, a senior Environment Agency figure has said.
Work to install new traffic management system to begin on M1

17-Jan-2008
Work begins on the installation of a new system of active traffic management on the M1 on February 4. When complete, a system of lights on slip roads - known as light metering - will regulate vehicles joining the motorway.
Operators to snub nuclear power programme plans

16-Jan-2008
Private firms will refuse to build and operate new nuclear power stations in the UK unless they are offered guaranteed returns, engineers warned this week.
Dartford tunnel to retrofit fire sprinklers

16-Jan-2008
The Highways Agency this week confirmed that it is considering retrofitting sprinkler systems in the Dartford Tunnel.
Government must move on geological nuclear storage, says CoRWM chair

15-Jan-2008
The government must commission a new study to find storage solutions for waste from new nuclear build says the chair of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), Professor Robert Pickard.
43 flood warnings as poor weather closes in

15-Jan-2008
The Environment Agency is braced for floods as poor weather batters the country today, and the rest of the week.
Watchdog slams new nuclear roll-out

14-Jan-2008
The Government's sustainable watchdog, the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC), has slammed the government's decision to build new nuclear power stations.
Engineers honoured in New Year list

4-Jan-2008
Engineers from around the country have been honoured by HM Queen for their public service in the New Year list.
Coucher demands explanations as West Coast Main Line reopens

3-Jan-2008
Network Rail's chief executive Iain Coucher has demanded a full explanation for three days of delays at Rugby, which have blocked the West Coast Main Line, from lead project managers Bechtel as the line finally reopens.
Olympic park remediation to accelerate

3-Jan-2008
Soil remediation and landscaping are to accelerate prior to construction work for the 2012 Olympic Games in East London to begin in the summer.
E-on await government approval for new power station

3-Jan-2008
Medway council has voted not to object to a two new coal-fired power stations to be built at Kingsnorth, leaving the final hurdle for approval to the government.
Everton to move to Kirkby

2-Jan-2008
Everton football club have submitted a planning application for a new 50,000-seat stadium in Kirkby, to the north-east of Liverpool, which would see the blues leave Goodison Park for good.
BAA strike averted

2-Jan-2008
A strike at some of Britain's busiest airports on 7 January has been averted, as the owner of airport operator BAA, Ferrovial, agreed to suspend the blanket closure of its final salary pension scheme.
Network Rail must make more savings - Regulator

20-Dec-2007
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has told the govenments in Westminster and Edinburgh that the funds it approved for 2009-2014 are sufficient, and Network Rail needs to make an additional £1bn in efficiencies.
Ridley backs road charging

19-Dec-2007
Former ICE President Tony Ridley has come out strongly in favour of road user charging, backing the scheme proposed by an RAC-funded group last month.
Pitt calls for more action on floods

17-Dec-2007
Sir Michael Pitt has called the summer floods a 'wake up call' and suggested that flooding should be taken as seriously as terrorism in his interim report into the summer floods, published today.
Pressure group says Stansted passenger numbers falling

13-Dec-2007
The Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) campaign, lobbying to halt a second runway at the Essex airport, has said that numbers from BAA show demand is falling at the airport.
Midlands Site waste still excessive

13-Dec-2007
Too much good quality building material is heading to the skip and not getting recycled, according to ICE West Midlands latest State of the Nation report.
England's dream

12-Dec-2007
Jerry England's reputation as a tough taskmaster is legendary. But Network Rail's new director of civils says it is just that - legend.
Who takes over now?

12-Dec-2007
Who should be made responsible for surface water flooding and its threat to critical infrastructure?
Captured carbon untradable

12-Dec-2007
Carbon capture and storage technology will be unviable unless it is reclassified as a green technology under the European Union’s (EU) Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), members of the European Parliament (MEPs) said this week.
Utilities must act on floods

12-Dec-2007
The Environment Agency says water and power companies must do more to protect critical infrastructure.
Lamp post shortage bites

12-Dec-2007
A national lamp post shortage has been triggered by PFI lighting contractors bulk-buying lighting columns, it was revealed this week.
Sustrans wins £50M public vote

12-Dec-2007
The Sustrans:Connect2 cycle path and walkway project has won the the People's £50 Million Lottery contest, which is the biggest ever award to be decided by a public vote.
Captured carbon untradable

12-Dec-2007
Carbon capture and storage technology is unviable unless it is reclassified as a green technology under the European Union's (EU) Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), members of the European Parliament (MEPs) said this week.
Carillion completes Alfred McAlpine takeover

11-Dec-2007
Carillion has completed the acquisition of Alfred McAlpine, paying 558p per share, valuing the company at £572M.
Government - Olympic budget stabilised

11-Dec-2007
The Government has completed its detailed budget breakdown for the 2012 Olympic Games, and construction costs have stabilised at the level announced in March.
Stonehenge tunnel scrapped

7-Dec-2007
The A303 Stonehenge tunnel scheme has been scrapped after transport minister Tom Harris said the £540M scheme 'cannot be justified and would not represent best use of taxpayers' money'.
Environment Agency calls on utilities to be more resilient

7-Dec-2007
The Environment Agency's report into the summer floods was published yesterday, calling on the government to make clear who is responsible for surface water.
London Underground cooling programme suspended after Metronet collapse

6-Dec-2007
Financial fall-out from the collapse of Metronet has forced Transport for London (TfL) to put its Tube cooling programme on ice, NCE has learnt.
Project risk for contractors set to fall under new Network Rail guidelines

5-Dec-2007
Network Rail could take project risk from contractors in a bid to introduce new methods of working, the track operator's new civils boss told NCE this week.
Crossrail design contracts decision due in New Year

5-Dec-2007
Vital decisions on whether design work for Crossrail has to be retendered to comply with contractors reluctance to work on a design and build basis, will be made in January, one of the project's consultants said this week.
ORR consults on its business plan

5-Dec-2007
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has launched a consultation into its 2008/09 business plan.
Cool Tube put on ice

5-Dec-2007
Metronet's failure has prompted budget cuts across the London Underground systemBy Ed Owen
Coucher sets out vision at Scott Wilson lecture

4-Dec-2007
Network Rail will deliver the government's railway spending shopping list, its chief executive Iain Coucher told a meeting at the ICE last month.
Perfect Squint

4-Dec-2007
The Finnieston Bridge in Glasgow saw off tough competition to win the 2007 Saltire award for Civil engineering, announced in Edinburgh last month.
Insurers call for 25-year flood plans

4-Dec-2007
Insureres want the government to adopt 25-year flood plans and give the Environment Agency powers to coordinate those plans, or they may not be able to continue to provide cover.
ODA issue tenders for Olympic bridge construction

3-Dec-2007
The ODA has today issued a call for tenders to build a key footbridge in the centre of the Olympic Park.
MWH acquires Dutch environmental services provider

3-Dec-2007
MWH has acquired the Syncera BV, a Dutch environmental services company specialising in water consultancy and environmental engineering.
Rowell escapes censure in Undercliff probe

30-Nov-2007
Two have been dismissed, another retired early and two more have resigned over procurement irregularities in procuring High-Point Rendel to work on the controversial £13M Undercliff Drive project.
Aberdeenshire snubs Trump

30-Nov-2007
Donald Trump's £1bn plans for an vast development and gold course in Aberdeenshire have been dashed by the local council, who have voted against the project.
Release roads cash now

29-Nov-2007
Roads Corporation needed to drive congestion charge funded spending
Metronet collapse hits subbies

29-Nov-2007
Subcontractors on London's Underground are facing a cash and workload squeeze as a result of the collapse of Metronet and the winding-up of its contracting arm, Trans4m.
Fears for migrants

29-Nov-2007
Migrant construction workers in the UK should be supported by a specially created body to help boost their knowledge and awareness of workplace dangers, according to new research for the ICE.
Calls for new agency to take charge of flood defence

29-Nov-2007
Official reports into the summer floods that killed 14 and caused more than £3bn of damage have this week slammed the lack of an agency with overall responsibility for flooding.
Tackling terrorism

28-Nov-2007
Last week Gordon Brown pledged to boost protection of infrastructure from terrorism. How will this be delivered?
Welsh LPG gas pipeline complete

28-Nov-2007
The gas pipeline linking the port of Milford Haven to National Grid's Transmission System at Tirley was completed yesterday, with energy minister Malcolm Wicks opening the project.
Opik calls for third nuclear consultation

28-Nov-2007
Lembit Opik has called for a new nuclear consultation, as British Energy announced its decision to examine sites around the UK for new nuclear power build.
RAC calls for national road user charging and huge increase

28-Nov-2007
A £45bn a year programme of new road and tunnel construction funded by national road user charging scheme is vital to avoid a UK congestion crisis over the next 30 years, according to a report by the RAC Foundation this week.
Planning Bill to save '£5bn by 2030'

27-Nov-2007
The Planning Bill will be published today, designed to ease the passage of major infrastructure projects through to the stage where building can begin.
Uncompetitive PFI bids force cuts in services, say MPs

27-Nov-2007
Bids for PFI contracts are 'not competitive', and do not give good value for money to taxpayers, resulting in cuts in services according to a new report by the influential Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today.
Thames report leap in profit

26-Nov-2007
Thames have reported interim profits up almost 50% compared to the same period last year.
RUNWAY REVIVAL

22-Nov-2007
Ground penetrating radar is being used to good effect to locate voids at Britain's airports.Ed Owen reports
GCSE students make strides in construction exams

22-Nov-2007
Young people who have excelled in the new construction and built environment GCSE came to visit One Great George Street earlier this month to celebrate their success.
Places now available to join Benevolent Fund's management committee

22-Nov-2007
The Benevolent Fund has extended invitations for at least six ICE members to compete for three places on its 2008 management committee.
Past president pulled from Cardiff event

21-Nov-2007
ICE past president and structural engineer Mark Whitby has been pulled from a joint IStructE/Royal Society of Architects (RSA) talk in Cardiff, alleging he was gagged because of his controversial views on institutions.
TfL to consider bringing work back in-house

21-Nov-2007
All Tube maintenance and upgrade work may be brought back in-house under Transport for London (TfL) when it takes over Metronet's tube upgrade contracts in the New Year, London Underground PPP arbiter Chris Bolt told NCE this week.
Weak dollar hits Middle East construction

21-Nov-2007
The dollar's reduced value has caused a global credit crunch, and contractors are paying the price
Terror plans unworkable says MoD advisor

21-Nov-2007
Terror screening methods demanded by Gordon Brown last week may be unworkable, it was claimed this week.
Brown brings pollutors into trading scheme by 2010

20-Nov-2007
Prime minister Gordon Brown is to move high polluters, including, 'offices, supermarkets, commerce and public sector organisations' into the government's emissions trading scheme by 2010.
A small issue of money

20-Nov-2007
How Metronet got into such a mess is a confusing story. Having listened to the evidence presented to parliament last week, NCE sheds some light.
Planning rules bring a halt to Gormley project

19-Nov-2007
Sculptor Antony Gormley's latest project to create a vast 50m-tall sculpture in Dublin's docklands, faces delays of up to a year after hitting problems with the City's planning rules.
Rail freight capacity feared

19-Nov-2007
Network Rail slammed for not understanding rail freight needs
Local Government wants £200M flood cash now

16-Nov-2007
The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for the flood defence cash boost promised in the summer brought forward.
In the papers today - Thursday 15 November

15-Nov-2007
The Museum of Science and Industry has revealed plans for a £54M 'museum quarter' in the city of Manchester...
MPs say Government failing on Thames Gateway

15-Nov-2007
The government is 'not up to the job' of managing developments across the vast Thames Gateway area to the east of London, MPs on the powerful Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warned today.
Passenger Focus call for 12-car trains in south east England

15-Nov-2007
Consumer watchdog Passenger Focus has responded to Network Rail's draft South London 'Route Utilisation Strategy', by demanding that it ensure commuters do not have to stand for more than 20 minutes.
£20M fine for Southern Water

14-Nov-2007
Ofwat have imposed a fine of £20.3M for deliberately reporting false customer service information up to 2005.
Lords Committee slams 'failing' Ofwat

13-Nov-2007
Lords slammed Ofwat for 'Failing to match the success of other economic regulators in introducing competition to their market,' in a report published today.
In the papers today - Monday 12 November

12-Nov-2007
The inaugural Eurostar service from St Pancras to Paris could be stopped by French strikers, a union leader has warned...
Mayor launches London Overground line

12-Nov-2007
London Mayor Ken Livingstone has unveiled the new London Overground line for London, which replaces Silverlink services.
Glasgow win 2014 Commonwealth Games

12-Nov-2007
Glasgow has beaten the Nigerian capital Abuja in the race to host the 2014 Commonweath Games.
All hands on deck

9-Nov-2007
Work to re-commission a charming 19th century Welsh railway is nearing completion.
Protect & Preserve

9-Nov-2007
With an infrastructure portfolio as vast as that of Network Rail, making sure it is up to standards is a vast undertaking.
Network Rail outlines £30bn spending plan

9-Nov-2007
Network Rail unveiled its business plan for 2009-2014 last week, outlining a £30bn spend to upgrade and improve the UK rail network.The rail operator has also promised halve the costs of running the railway by 2014.
Mentor of the year is Scottish engineer

8-Nov-2007
Glasgow-based engineer Richard McGowan has won the prestigious ICE mentor of the year award.
ICE HQ opens new disabled access lift

8-Nov-2007
One Great George Street opened its new wheelchair access lift last week, to coincide with the ICE council meeting.
In the papers today - Thursday 8 November

8-Nov-2007
British Energy, the UK's largest electricity generator, yesterday confirmed that two of its nuclear reactors would remain shut for the foreseeable future – The Times
Environment Agency boss slams Severn Barrage

8-Nov-2007
Barbara Young has questioned the value of destroying wildlife for the proposed wave power project
MPs call for Public Inquiry into Metronet collapse

8-Nov-2007
Ministers yesterday accused Metronet shareholders of corruption, and demanded a Public Inquiry into the tube contractor's collapse earlier this year.
More buses and quicker route to road pricing from Local Transport Bill

8-Nov-2007
The Government today published the Local Transport Bill, intended to give local authorities 'more flexibility', and get more people out of their cars and onto buses, and provide the legislation to implement road charging schemes easily.
Model Rail

8-Nov-2007
Embracing new technology will allow Network Rail to build and maintain its infrastructure to the highest standards.
BREAKING NEWS: Stunning Olympic stadium design unveiled

7-Nov-2007
The main Olympic stadium design was unveiled today. The completed stadium will have a unique mix of 25,000 permanent seats and a further 55,000 temporary seats that will be removed following the Games.
Ofwat approves price increases for Bristol and Dee water

6-Nov-2007
Ofwat has agreed to raise price limits for two water companies from April, but by less than the companies wanted.
Cutting water use not enough, says south east

2-Nov-2007
Water plans need to ensure plentiful supply and not simply rely on consumers to use less, the South East Regional Assembly has warned.
Clyde Arc wins Saltire award

2-Nov-2007
Glasgow's iconic Clyde Arc has won the prestigious Saltire Award for civil engineering.
Injuries at work up

2-Nov-2007
Construction remains one of the most dangerous sectore to work in, with 77 fatalities in 2006/7 according to to information from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Environment Agency to review reservoir safety policy

1-Nov-2007
The Environment Agency has recommended reservoir safety legislation be reviewed to take into account the impacts of climate change and ageing reservoirs - the average age of UK dams is 110 years.
London to Manchester high speed rail back on

1-Nov-2007
Inter-city high speed rail was this week put back on the UK transport agenda after the Department for Transport (DfT) highlighted the London-Birmingham-Manchester corridor as a possible route for a dedicated rail link.
Network Rail outlines proposed £30bn spend

1-Nov-2007
Network Rail today published its business plan for 2009-2014, outlining how it intends to spend some £30bn to upgrade and improve the British rail network.
Montreal bridge collapse: design and inspection criticised

31-Oct-2007
The official report into the fatal motorway bridge collapse in Montreal last year has revealed a catalogue of sub-standard design, construction, inspection and maintenance.
Bechtel 'could end up taking over Metronet'

31-Oct-2007
Engineers this week expected Transport for London (TfL) to ask Bechtel to run the Metronet contracts for the London Underground upgrade if it successfully brings the failed PPP back in-house.
Engineers have used computer modelling to stabilise sandy slopes surroundings a zinc oxide mine in Kazakhstan

31-Oct-2007
Essential in the production of sun tan lotion, paints, rubber and various electrical components, zinc oxide is a prized resource.
Birmingham secures £588M PFI road deal

31-Oct-2007
Ruth Kelly today announces the biggest local authority PFI package in the country, to upgrade roads in and around Birmingham.
DfT backs rail over roads to beat congestion

31-Oct-2007
Road user charging and hard shoulder running were revealed as the top Government transport priorities this week, with a north-south high-speed rail link also back on the political agenda.
Young women snub engineering scheme

31-Oct-2007
A scheme launched specifically to help young women into engineering careers in the north east has failed to attract a single applicant.
Want to make your mark in the industry? Join an ICE panel

30-Oct-2007
The Institution of Civil Engineers is looking for members to serve on both the energy panel and geospatial engineering panel.
High speed rail to Manchester mooted in Eddidngton response

30-Oct-2007
The Department for Transport has resurrected the possibility of a dedicated London-Birmingham-Manchester high-speed line in its response to the Eddington and Stern studies into the future of transport and climate change.
Government consults on road facilities

29-Oct-2007
The government has launched a consultation into new policy on the provision of roadside facilities in England.
Government rejects TIF blackmail charge

29-Oct-2007
The Government has rejected the charge that it 'blackmails' local authorities into introducing congestion charging schemes to win Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) money.
Metronet deal 'within days'

26-Oct-2007
A TfL spokesperson has dismissed any possible counter-bids for the tube contractor Metronet, and has said that TFL could strike a deal to take the tube upgrade contractor over within 'weeks or days'.
Arup consortium wins Copenhagen Cityringen metro bid

26-Oct-2007
A consortium of Arup, Systra and Cowi have won the bit to construct the Metro City Ring line, or Cityringen, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
ODA wins insurance for Olympic site

26-Oct-2007
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) today announced that it had secured insurance cover for its work to deliver venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In the papers today - Friday 26 October

26-Oct-2007
Speed cameras are to be installed on large sections of the motorway network under a government plan to reduce congestion and vehicle emissions by cutting and strictly enforcing the speed limit at peak times...
TfL bids for Metronet as Lezala is shown the door

25-Oct-2007
PPP administrators for Metronet, Ernst&Young, have received a formal offer to buy the tube upgrade contractor from Transport for London (TfL). Alan Bloom, PPP Administrator from Ernst & Young, also announced the departure of five Metronet executives, including chief executive Andrew Lezala.
Arbiter says Metronet due up to £1.07bn from London Underground

25-Oct-2007
The PPP Arbiter, Chris Bolt, has issued his initial thoughts on the Metronet Extraordinary Review, suggesting that Metronet's Infrastructure Service Charge (ISC) should be increased by £140M-£470M over the first 7.5 years of the project.
Eight hour limit for rail work

25-Oct-2007
All future Network Rail contracts will have to be complete within strict eight-hour possessions, Network Rail's chief engineer, Professor Andrew McNaughton insisted this week.
Eight hour limit for rail work

24-Oct-2007
All future Network Rail contracts will have to be complete within strict eight-hour possessions, Network Rail's chief engineer, Professor Andrew McNaughton insisted this week.
Montreal bridge collapse: design and inspection criticised

24-Oct-2007
Report exposes maintenance failures and calls for £252M a year repair spend.
Crossrail not transparent enough, says Bill Committee

23-Oct-2007
The Crossrail Bill Committee has reported on the progress of Crossrail through the committee stages, and concluded that the public do not know enough about how the project will affect them.
Thames Water customers have no appetitie for tunnel, says consumer watchdog

22-Oct-2007
The Consumer Council for Water has questioned the affordability and acceptability of the proposed £2bn Thames Tideway tunnel.
Ofwat demands 25-year plans

19-Oct-2007
Ofwat wants water companies to write 25-year plans explaining how they will deal with climate change.
Second new water company appointed for new development

18-Oct-2007
Ofwat has appointed its second new company since privatisation to supply water and sewerage services to domestic customers.
Livingstone insists Crossrail 2 and East London Line extensions will go ahead by 2010

18-Oct-2007
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has assured member of the London assembly that the extension of the East London Line to Clapham and construction of the second Crossrail line, from Chelsea to Hackney, will go ahead despite the vast sums secured for Crossrail 1.
Mouchel rebrands as profits soar

18-Oct-2007
Consultant Mouchel Parkman's this week reported a 23% increase in pre-tax profits in 2006/2007 to £33M and announced that it would be dropping the Parkman name to become simply Mouchel Group.
Engineers value flexible working over pay

17-Oct-2007
Almost one-third of British civil engineers would take a pay cut in exchange for more flexible working conditions, according to new research conducted by the Times newspaper and EPC Global.
Crossrail to be rushed through parliament

16-Oct-2007
Transport for London has today confirmed that it will take sole ownership of the Crossrail Bill once it attains Royal Assent, and that transport secretary Ruth Kelly will rush the Bill through Parliament in the next session.
Mouchel rebrands as profits soar

16-Oct-2007
Mouchel Group's profits have soared by 23% to £33M in the year to July 31 2007 according to its annual report, released today.
Pick of the papers - Friday 12 October

12-Oct-2007
German utility RWE is in talks with Britain's largest operator of nuclear power plants, British Energy, about building nuclear power stations in the UK. British Energy says it is in talks with more than 10 companies about building reactors if given the go-ahead by Government, with Eon another likely suitor - The Guardian
Burst pipe brings chaos to north London

12-Oct-2007
A 36-inch water main has burst in Maida Vale, north London, flooding 50 properties and bringing chaos to rush hour traffic.
Welsh Water plead guilty to supplying water unfit for human consumption

12-Oct-2007
Welsh Water yesterday pleaded guilty at Caernarfon Magistrate's Court to supplying water unfit for human consumption.
ICE celebrates engineering excellence

11-Oct-2007
The annual ICE awardswere presented at One Great George Street last week, recognising excellence in engineering in a number of categories.
West Midlands State of the Nation report sets climate change agenda

11-Oct-2007
West Midlands homeowners and buyers can do more for themselves with better information to make 'greener' choices, the ICE West Midlands has said. The ICE West Midlands' State of the nation report on climate change was revealed last week, to coincide with the end of Ed Gardiner's year as regional president.
Brown gives Crossrail the green light at last

11-Oct-2007
Prime Minister Gordon Brown finally gave the £16bn Crossrail project funding approval last week, after two days of intensive negotiations secured a £350M contribution from the City of London Corporation.
Crossrail - for engineers, the hard work starts now

11-Oct-2007
London's geology, and the extensive tunnelling that already exists in central London will make building Crossrail's central section an especially challenging civil engineering task.
Constructing Crossrail is going to be a massive engineering challenge

11-Oct-2007
Real momentum has built up behind London's Crossrail scheme now that Government has confirmed the funding package for the £16bn project.
Thames Water unveil £64M sewer scheme

11-Oct-2007
Thames Water have unveiled details of a new £54M sewer scheme in West Ham, East London.
Accident investigators release progress report into Grayrigg disaster

5-Oct-2007
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has released its progress report, listing the progress of its investigation into the derailment at Grayrigg, Cumbria, on 23 February 2007, highlighting further potential lapses by Network rail.
In the papers today - Friday 5 October

5-Oct-2007
Thousands of construction contractors face fines and a potential loss of business for failing to file their tax returns under a new HM Revenue and Customs scheme.
Crossrail is go

5-Oct-2007
The Prime Minister today confirmed that the Crossrail scheme will go ahead, with work to start in 2010, to complete in 2017.
In the papers today - Thursday 4 October

4-Oct-2007
Aircraft noise causes much more annoyance than previously thought, according to a study for the Department for Transport...
Current consultants fee levels unsustainable says ACE boss

3-Oct-2007
Consultants must resist client pressure, stand their ground and push for higher fees, according to Association of Consulting and Engineering (ACE) chief executive Nelson Ogunshakin.
In the papers today - Wednesday 3 October

3-Oct-2007
Tensions between the Competition Commission and the Civil Aviation Authority are set to resurface today with the publication of a Commission report on the proposed charging regime for BAA's three London airports...
Ofwat announces new water company

3-Oct-2007
Ofwat has approved a new water and sewerage company - SSE Water - the first new company to offer both services since privatisation.
Northern Ireland triumph in Telford trophy

3-Oct-2007
On Thursday 6 September, the 22nd Thomas Telford Trophy took place in Northern Ireland, with a winning result for the home team.
Crossrail funding complete

2-Oct-2007
The final piece of funding needed to give the £16bn Crossrail project the go-ahead has been secured. A formal announcement is expected by the Government next week.
MALAYSIAN VISA FIASCO

2-Oct-2007
A diplomatic incident was narrowly avoided at the FIDIC conference when 25 Nigerian delegates were initially denied visas to visit nearby Malaysia on a FIDIC social event.
Crucial Crossrail funding vote expected today

2-Oct-2007
The City of London Corporation is expected to take a vote today on whether to provide extra funding towards funding Crossrail.
Duncan pledges to cut red tape for businesses

1-Oct-2007
Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Alan Duncan has pledged to remove 'needless regulations' for businesses under a Tory administration.
New nuclear power central to government strategy

27-Sep-2007
Construction of a new generation of nuclear power stations is central to the government’s ‘green’ energy strategy and will start as soon as new planning laws allow, secretary of state for business John Hutton said this week.
Secrett rules out London airport plans

27-Sep-2007
London Development Agency (LDA) board member Charles Secrett this week vowed to use his position to block new airports or expansions to existing airports in London.
In the papers today - Thursday 27 September

27-Sep-2007
Global warming can be halted by plumbing a gigantic array of pipes into the depths of the oceans, according to two of the world’s leading environmental scientists...
Metronet did not need to collapse says industry - Early performance review could have saved contractor

26-Sep-2007
Tube contractor Metronet’s slide into administration could have been prevented in July had the PPP arbiter not delayed his recommendation that London Underground (LU) should pay the contractor up to £1.07bn for additional works.
Rail industry report reveals shocking lapses in inspection, leading to Grayrigg disaster

23-Sep-2007
Last week, Network Rail and Virgin issued the findings of their inquiry into the tragic Grayrigg derailment. The report made for troubling reading, revealing a cascade of negligence they say is directly responsible for the tragedy which resulted in the death of 84-year-old Margaret Masson and injuring 22 others.
In the papers today - Friday 21 September

21-Sep-2007
Crossrail was on a knife-edge today as the Government ordered London businesses to pay more for the project...
Young: only approved housing will be insured

21-Sep-2007
The Environment Agency is to join forces with the insurance industry to ensure that only housing developments that it approves are eligible for cover against flood damage.
ORR praises Network Rail, despite Grayrigg

20-Sep-2007
In its fourth annual review of the rail network, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has praised the progress of Network Rail, in particular its safety record, despite the Grayrigg disaster, which killed 84-year-old Margaret Masson.
ACE: all parties should pay for project mistakes

19-Sep-2007
The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) is to launch a campaign to outlaw joint and several liability and will call for legislation to make all parties in construction projects proportionally liable when things go wrong.
FIDIC: banks need to be vigilant with world wide corruption

19-Sep-2007
Incoming president of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) John Boyd has called on banks to be extra vigilant when dealing with accounts in countries where corruption is prevalent.
Olympic sailors shortlisted

19-Sep-2007
Five contractors were today shortlisted to build the London 2012 sailing facilities at Weymouth and Portland.
OFWAT to review price limits on two water companies

17-Sep-2007
Water regulator Ofwat is to review price increases that can be charged to customers by Bristol Water and Dee Valley Water.
Passing the Buck - Poor industrial relations lay at the heart of the Grayrigg rail crash

14-Sep-2007
Last week, Network Rail and Virgin published the findings of their inquiry into the tragic Grayrigg derailment in February. The report was troubling to read. It revealed a cascade of failures which investigators say was directly responsible for the tragedy, which resulted in the death of 84-year-old Margaret Masson and injuries to 22 others.
ICE hits the headlines

14-Sep-2007
Recent events have propelled the ICE into the national news agenda over the past month, promoting engineering and its value to society.
ICE reveals flood fears for east England

14-Sep-2007
The ICE East of England (ICEEE) group has issued its response to the government’s East of England regional plan, warning that extensive new build will increase the chances of flooding to new and existing settlements.
Mid Kent Water accounts for carbon

14-Sep-2007
Mid Kent Water has developed a new 'carbon costing' tool to better judge its carbon footprint
World Bank plan is risky

13-Sep-2007
World Bank plans to devolve decision-making powers to borrowing countries will jeopardise the quality of its projects, international consultants warned this week.
Engineers demand cable- stayed bridge for Forth road

12-Sep-2007
Transport Scotland’s decision last month to keep its options open on whether to build a bridge or tunnel as a replacement for the Forth Road Bridge has prompted local engineers to mobilise and press the case for a new cable stayed bridge.
Contractors are nearing the end of a three-year programme to plug disused mines in the Cheshire town of Northwich

11-Sep-2007
Northwich means two things – salt and subsidence – and the two are linked. People have mined the salt below Northwich since Roman times, makingthe mining companies rich,but creating huge cavities under the ground into which the modern town could suddenly sink. Salt was mined for more than 2,000 years at Northwich, rightup until 2006.
Green groups boycott nuclear consultation

10-Sep-2007
A coalition of green goups, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have decided to boycott the Government's nuclear consultation, as they feel it had, 'already made up its mind on the issue of nuclear power'.
RMT workers strike again

7-Sep-2007
Eight hundred RMT workers will strike next week over the sacking of one colleague.
RIBA and ICE to share north east offices and resources

6-Sep-2007
Architects and engineers in the North East are develop a closer working relationship by sharing resources and offices
Contractors increase council presence

5-Sep-2007
Six of the newly elected ICE Council members are contractors, according the results published by the ICE. The influx will boost the number of contractors on Council to 11.
Inspection failures led to Grayrigg Pendolino crash

5-Sep-2007
Network Rail boss can offer no explanation for incomplete track inspections
Minneapolis DOT reveals plans for I-35

5-Sep-2007
The Minneapolis Department of Transportation (DOT) has revealed its proposal for a replacement to the I-35W bridge, which collapsed suddenly last month (NCE 9/16 August).
Pakistan collapse leaved 10 dead, many injured

5-Sep-2007
Construction quality under investigation after 100m section of new structure fails
Minneapolis bridge collapse exposes inspection failures

4-Sep-2007
INADEQUATE INSPECTION regimes failed to spot fundamental and catastrophic structural weaknesses in Minnesota's devastated I-35W bridge, structural specialists said.
Scott Wilson shares rally from bumper order book

4-Sep-2007
Scott Wilson has announced a record order book, with new project wins of £265M.
Metronet auction by end of month

3-Sep-2007
Formal expressions for Metronet are expected towards, “the end of September” while investment bank NM Rothschild places a value on the tube contractor, according to a spokesperson for administrators Ernst&Young.
Hull to review emergency plans in aftermath of floods

30-Aug-2007
Flood stricken Hull will review its emergency plan following the recent floods, which affected 23,000 homes in the city.
Metronet: materials store caused Tube derailment

14-Aug-2007
DERAILMENT OF a Central Line commuter train between Mile End and Bethnal Green last week was caused by unsecured materials falling onto the track, according to Metronet, the company maintaining the line.
Getting ready to grow again

24-May-2007
Markets - Plans to expand Dubai's Jebel Ali Port tenfold in three decades are now being turned into reality, reports Ed Owen.
Latest crime spree is a sign of the times

5-Apr-2007
News
Network Rail spends now to get Thameslink later

5-Apr-2007
News
OFT offers olive branch to rms in bid-rigging scandal

5-Apr-2007
News
A slip of the tongue

29-Mar-2007
The rise in on-site fatalities makes it essential that foreign workers are aware of health and safety issues
Green light for Woolwich Crossrail station

22-Mar-2007
News
Shock rise in site deaths down to language barrier

22-Mar-2007
News
Getting Grayrigg back on track

8-Mar-2007
Grayrigg recovery - NCE gained exclusive access to the Grayrigg site to witness how engineers are reconstructing the line following the railway disaster.
Health and safety charges could follow train derailment

1-Mar-2007
News
Maintenance lapses led to Grayrigg points derailment

1-Mar-2007
News
Sand blasting could have triggered Aldgate collapse

22-Feb-2007
News
The big debate goes on

22-Feb-2007
Energy White Paper - Last week's ruling in the High Court has thrown Britain's nuclear future into doubt. Or has it? Ed Owen reports.
Inspectors needed to tackle Dubai's poor safety record

15-Feb-2007
News
Mayor demands review to settle Tube PPP overspend

8-Feb-2007
News
Oxford/Milton Keynes rail link to get regional backing

8-Feb-2007
News
Wave goodbye

8-Feb-2007
Flooding - Cleveleys' refurbished promenade is also a ood defence, reports Ed Owen.
Housing could be moved to escape rising Thames

1-Feb-2007
News
Consultants accused of disaster aid arrogance

25-Jan-2007
News
New buildings need to reect climate change, say experts

25-Jan-2007
News
Rage against the machine

25-Jan-2007
Why motivates the vandal to attack infrastructure and how can it be protected?
Anger over civil engineers' absence from skill shortage list

18-Jan-2007
News
Emma and the Parisians

18-Jan-2007
Paris A86 - Chronic congestion in the French capital is being tackled through the construction of an usual double-deck tunnel. Ed Owen reports from Paris.
I won't dump Thameslink for Crossrail, says rail minister

18-Jan-2007
News
World Bank's bid system failing developing countries

18-Jan-2007
ICE news
Multiplex faces defeat in High Court battle

11-Jan-2007
News
Putting in the ground work

14-Dec-2006
Analysis - Engineers are bypassing major charities and aid organisations to carry out localised relief work, says Ed Owen.
Bribe culture

9-Nov-2006
Are some British companies taking bribes to win contracts abroad?
Crossrail's cost crusader

9-Nov-2006
Crossrail - As Crossrail gets controversial Ed Owen talks to the man in charge, former ICE president Doug Oakervee.
Backbench rebellion over Woolwich station U-turn

2-Nov-2006
News
Lack of skilled workforce is industry's biggest headache

2-Nov-2006
News
Authorities failing to get to grip with asset plans

26-Oct-2006
News
Environment Agency flood data on River Nene 'flawed'

26-Oct-2006
News
Row over axed Woolwich Crossrail station deepens

26-Oct-2006
News
Tension in the treetops

26-Oct-2006
Lough Key walkway - An unusual tensioned deck cable stay structure forms a new walkway across Ireland's Lough Key park, as Ed Owen discovers.
Government axes 'value for money' Crossrail station

19-Oct-2006
News
Masterton returns to scene of Sri Lanka's devastation

19-Oct-2006
ICE news
Bridge collapse will happen again without investment

12-Oct-2006
News
No more monkeying around for intrepid duo

12-Oct-2006
TWO INTREPID young civil engineers from Glasgow have successfully driven from London to the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator for charity.
The drip drip effect

12-Oct-2006
Overview - Is the water industry heading for an infrastructure spending crash in 2010? Ed Owen reports.
Water industry warns of 2010 crash

12-Oct-2006
News

NCE AT THE HEART OF THE INDUSTRY FOR 40 YEARS

New Civil EngineerEd Owen

New Civil Engineer
Ed Owen