PRESIDENT’S COLUMN British Steel invests in new
8 NSC
February 19
British Steel is investing £1.4M in a new fleet of vehicles
to support the growth of its UK distribution network.
The vehicles – 11 tractor units and 7 rigid vehicles –
will improve the ability of metal centres to supply a wide
range of constructional steel products and services to
businesses of all sizes.
Richard Farnsworth, British Steel’s Managing Director
Construction, said: “This is a significant investment in
our future which will enable us to provide an even better
service to our customers throughout the UK.
“Our regional metal centres provide customers with
a quick and convenient way of buying a wide range of
steel products and a first-class fleet is central to our
strategy of becoming the supplier of choice to this
country’s construction industry.
British Steel’s metal centres stock a range of
constructional steel products including sections, bars,
angles, channels, plate, sheet, mesh, flooring and hand
railing. They also offer a range of further processing
facilities including shot-blasting, painting and cutting to
length so products can be tailored to customers’ precise
requirements.
British Steel’s Construction business is served by a
network of metal and service centres across the UK and
Ireland. They are located in Dartford, Wolverhampton,
Redcar (Teesside), Newcastle, Stoke, Scunthorpe,
Ashburton (Devon), Cheadle (Greater Manchester),
Newport, Edinburgh, Dublin, Dundee and Lisburn.
The £140M Macallan Distillery and Visitor Centre in
Speyside has been opened as part of Edrington Group’s
£500M investment in the brand, which is considered to
be one of the leading single malt whiskies.
Designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the
distillery is said to be a striking piece of contemporary
architecture as it is cut into a slope, taking its cues from
Scottish hills and maximising aesthetic beauty while
minimising the visual impact.
The building is topped with an undulating timber
roof, which is supported by a series of steel CHS
columns. Further steelwork supports and frames the
structure’s main glazed façade.
Working on behalf of main contractor Robertson
Construction, S H Structures fabricated, supplied and
erected 600t of steel for the project. The tonnage also
included steel for the manufacturing process within the
facility, such as process tables, pipe bridges, link bridges
and flue towers.
News
Main contractors often push the limits when drafting
construction contracts for subcontract work, even
though we have perfectly good standard form
contracts in the form of NEC and JCT. I have seen pages
and pages of ‘z clauses’ inserted into NEC contracts,
and so many changes to JCT contracts that they
should really be renamed. Standard clauses designed
to protect subcontractors, though, simply vanish into
thin air.
On the other side of the table, for some
subcontractors, navigating the contractual landscape
can be time-consuming and difficult, especially when
‘standard’ no longer really means ‘standard’ and those
all-important standard clauses designed to provide
protection and a level playing field are just deleted time
and time again.
So what are subcontractors to do?
First, subcontractors should ensure that their
commercial teams are properly educated about
construction law. The place to start is knowing and
remembering the basics, and sticking with good
practice. I am unashamedly going to put in a plug for
the BCSA’s recently updated Construction Contractual
Handbook. This comprehensive Handbook aimed at
subcontractors, kicks off with a useful reminder about
the formation of contracts and carries on to cover
all the important aspects of construction law in a
compact and accessible way.
Second, BCSA recommends that subcontractors
should be aware of what onerous terms might
unexpectedly appear in their contracts and what to do
about them. The Construction Contractual Handbook
has a chapter explaining some of the most common
onerous clauses or changes that subcontractors might
come across. These might include lengthening the
payment period and inserting certain obligations
regarding time. And the checklists at the back of the
Handbook are a really useful tool to make sure that
nothing’s been forgotten.
Third, subcontractors need to maintain their
vigilance throughout the duration of the contract,
ensuring certificates are issued at the right time,
variations and any disputes are properly managed
and claims procedures are followed. Again, these are
all covered in the updated Construction Contractual
Handbook.
The Handbook also includes chapters on
construction contracts in Scotland and Ireland.
Of course, sometimes a handbook, manual or
textbook isn’t enough. As part of their membership,
BCSA members also have exclusive access to
contractual seminars and individual commercial and
contractual advice.
Negotiating contracts and juggling all the relevant
commercial matters through a job will always be a
necessary task for subcontractors. But having the
right tools and advice to hand can help to redress
the balance, and make life easier and fairer for
subcontractors.
BCSA’s Construction Contractual Handbook can be
purchased from https://www.cip-books.com/product/
construction-contractual-handbook-5th-edition
Tim Outteridge
BCSA President & Sales Director Cleveland Bridge
distribution fleet
Telford gets new six-level car park
Parking problems have been alleviated in Telford town
centre as the new Southwater multi-storey car park,
which offers 300 vehicle spaces, has now opened.
Bourne Parking (part of the Bourne Group) was
responsible for the design and construction of the
car park, which has been built adjacent to the town’s
International Centre and ice rink.
A spokesperson for the Southwater Event Group,
which owns the centre and the car park, said: “The
International Centre, Telford, as a leading national
business events venue, attracts over a quarter of a
million visitors every year.
“It is our responsibility and desire to ensure visitors
can efficiently access the venue, parking quickly and
easily, in turn making sure the centre of Telford is not
congested.”
The car park design is based around a series of
16m clear spans, which is said to maximise space and
improve access. In addition, it features “smart glass”
technology enabling the outside of the building to
change colour.
Multi-million
pound distillery
has steel columns
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