PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
8 NSC
Mar 20
Taziker Industrial has retracked four sections of the Big
One rollercoaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach as part of
the amusement park’s redevelopment programme.
After over 26 years in operation, the tracks were
rebuilt and refitted to give passengers a smoother ride
experience.
Taziker undertook this major refurbishment during
the 2019/20 offseason; with the track sections being
removed from the structure on 6 November 2019 and
successfully refitted on 3 February 2020.
The company said that it initially performed a 3D
scan using Trimble SX10 scanning equipment, which
allowed key components to be modelled. A temporary
support frame was then created so the new tracks
could be assembled in one 45m length.
Jarrod Hulme, Taziker Managing Director said, “As
a local company, we’re so pleased to have been chosen
to work on this iconic structure. Blackpool is such
a famous seaside resort, visitors flock here in their
millions every year. The Big One can be seen for miles
around and is known around the globe for being the
world’s tallest rollercoaster when it was first erected.”
Alex Payne, Technical Director at Blackpool Pleasure
Beach said, “The Big One track replacement is always
extremely challenging in terms of matching geometry
between existing and new track sections, but thanks to
the level of detail involved in the planning and execution
of the work, it has been a relatively seamless project.”
The Big One was originally designed by Arrow
Dynamics, an American manufacturing and
engineering company. When the Big One was opened
to the public in 1994, at 71m-high, it was the tallest
rollercoaster in the world. Today it is still highest in
the UK.
Cleveland Bridge’s Bridge Rehabilitation Team will
deliver a seven-month maintenance programme on
Nottingham’s iconic Trent Bridge, which includes
the application of 120m2 of gold leafing to the bridge
fascia.
The company will also paint all steel and cast-iron
elements of the bridge, covering more than 11,000m2,
along with replacing a small number of damaged
cast iron parapet components and completing some
stonework repairs to the piers and abutments.
In addition to enhancing its cosmetics, the painting
of the bridge, which is adjacent to Nottingham Forest
FC’s City Ground, provides ongoing resistance to
corrosion and degradation of the structure, securing
the long-term load-carrying capacity of the bridge.
Jim Mawson, Head of Operational Delivery at
Cleveland Bridge said: “We are very proud to be
awarded this prestigious refurbishment project for one
of the UK’s most iconic city centre bridges.
“Working in close collaboration with the city and
county councils, our rehabilitation team will apply its
extensive experience to extend the lifespan of Trent
Bridge, including having the honour of applying the
highly-recognisable gold leaf that greets commuters
and visitors to the city as they cross the river.”
News
Sorry to start on a
gloomy note, but I’m
dismayed to read on
a regular basis that
main and specialist
contractors are going
under or in difficulty.
These are long-standing
companies whose
expertise and skills
are a great loss to the
construction sector, at
a time when skill shortages are becoming more
obvious and when we need to attract a new and more
diverse set of people into the industry. This mirrors the
economic uncertainty and challenges of recent times
with a softening in activity and delays in investment
for large construction projects. Looking back to the
start of 2018, the steel sector and others warned the
Government about “the Carillion effect”; that the true
ripple effect on the industry as a whole would not be
felt until 12 to 24 months down the line, I think we are
seeing this play out now.
We must focus on financial due diligence, good
housekeeping and contract management. We must
stand back on receiving an enquiry and think about
whether we want to work for that company. What is
the financial standing of my client, perhaps I can get
advance payments, offer a retention bond or have
monies set aside in trust in an escrow account or
project bank account? Can I get credit insurance for
the main contractor (and if not, why not?) Who is the
main client on the project? When are payments due?
Will payments flow through properly and when will my
retention be released? These are the sort of questions
and assessments for a go/no-go decision and it’ll
probably avoid having to face the aggravation of
sorting it out after cash has left the business.
BCSA members can of course take advantage of
free legal and commercial advice as well as the trade
association lobbying government and industry on
their behalf on the commercial issues they are facing.
On a brighter note, over 3% growth is forecast in
the steel sector for industrial buildings in 2020, and
over 6% in commercial offices. Annual increases are
anticipated and the total UK consumption of structural
steelwork is expected to grow to 925,000t by 2022,
with power and infrastructure making significant
contributions to the sector.
The Conservative Party made quite few promises
during the General Election campaign about
regeneration and infrastructure projects, it’s time to
deliver on these promises. I’m encouraged to see a
clearer focus on our industry. The Construction Sector
Deal, and the Crown Commercial Service are now
rolling out the Framework for Construction Works
and Associated Services across both central and local
government departments and healthcare trusts.
Although I think it’s a missed opportunity not to
mandate the use of project bank accounts.
The steel sector is (always) well-placed to take
advantage of new opportunities in the private
and public sector, particularly around offsite
manufacturing. The need to balance offsite
manufacturing, carbon reductions and total asset
lifecycle costs has moved up the agenda.
Independent studies consistently show that
steel is the most cost-effective framing solution for
multi-storey construction in the UK market. Steelframed
buildings can be easily adapted and avoid
costly and environmentally harmful demolition and
redevelopment. Its inherent adaptability and flexibility
also mean that future changes or extensions – even
vertically – can be carried out with minimal disruption
and cost. Steel isn’t a cost, it is an investment.
Tim Outteridge
BCSA President
Steelwork contractor
goes on rollercoaster ride
Chemical company’s new offices rise up
Steelwork erection is nearing completion for
new offices for chemical giant INEOS’s INOVYN
ChlorVinyls business at Runcorn.
Following a competitive tender process, INOVYN
appointed BAM Construction, whose North West team
is making good progress on the £23M new facility.
The steel frame for the four-storey structure is being
fabricated, supplied and erected by Billington Structures.
Designed by Glasgow-based architects Michael Laird,
the building will accommodate 475 employees.
BAM says it has a strong track record in the industrial
sector having built both the new headquarters for INEOS
in Grangemouth, and an advanced manufacturing
centre for Unilever in Port Sunlight.
Ian Fleming, BAM’s Regional Director, said: “We’ve
got an experienced team and a strong track record
working for major clients like INOVYN, but this build is
a challenging one so we will need to bring these qualities
to bear. We know the people who come to work here will
appreciate these attractive new office conditions which
will really transform their old working environments.”
Contractor named
for Trent Bridge
rehabilitation
scheme
/Construction#Temporary_works
/Construction#Temporary_works
/Construction#Steel_erection
/Paint_coatings
/Corrosion_of_structural_steel
/Bridges
/Construction
/Single_storey_industrial_buildings
/Multi-storey_office_buildings
/Healthcare_buildings
/The_case_for_steel#Offsite_fabrication_for_precision_parts
/The_case_for_steel#Offsite_fabrication_for_precision_parts
/The_case_for_steel#Economics
/The_case_for_steel#Flexibility_for_changing_times
/Construction#Steel_erection
/Fabrication
/INEOS_Headquarters,_Grangemouth,_Stirlingshire
/INEOS_Headquarters,_Grangemouth,_Stirlingshire