Leading construction and infrastructure player Aggregate Industries has achieved international recognition from the Concrete Sustainability Council (CSC), receiving a Gold Certificate, the highest standard for supply of aggregates, at Glensanda, the largest granite quarry in Europe, making the company the first in the UK to receive the global certification.
The CSC was formed in 2016 with the aim of creating a global certification system to show that a company is sourcing cement and concrete in an environmentally, socially and economically responsible way. By creating a certification system for responsibly sourced concrete, the CSC promotes and demonstrates concrete as a sustainable building material to enable informed decisions in construction.
The CSC certification system is recognised by leading green building standards, such as BREEAM or the German DGNB system, to score in the responsible sourcing criteria.
Glensanda, located in the centre of a peak in Morvern Peninsula, near Oban on the West Coast of Scotland, is a unique site, as it is only accessible by sea and is renowned for being one of the most efficient mineral extraction operations in the world. Not only is Glensanda one of Europe’s largest resources of consistently high quality, durable granite, it is also one of the largest single quarry operations in the world.
Trevor Burton, Environment & Sustainability Manager at Aggregate Industries UK, said: “Achieving this certification further highlights our commitment to sustainability and it is great recognition of the work done by the teams at Aggregate Industries. The Gold Standard is only awarded to companies who want to use the planet’s resources with care, which is why this is very important to us as a company, as sustainability is one of our core values.”
About Aggregate Industries UK
Aggregate Industries UK is a leading company in the construction and infrastructure industries. It produces and supplies a wide range of construction materials including aggregates, asphalt, ready-mixed concrete and precast concrete products. It also produces, imports and supplies cementitious materials and offers a national road surfacing and contracting service.
It prides itself on best practice in sustainability having become the first company to be certificated to BES 6001, The Framework Standard for the Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products, developed by the BRE (Building Research Establishment). Aggregate Industries UK is a proud member of the LafargeHolcim Group.
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When you think of renovating or building a house, waterproofing might not be high up on your agenda.
But stop for a minute and consider that waterproofing is like a building’s envelope. It wraps around it, keeping it dry and forming a protective layer that prevents mould, cracks, structural damage and peeling walls. Suddenly the topic becomes more important.
So, how do you go about protecting your house from water? Especially when the foundation lies below the water table or is in a wet climate where groundwater accumulates fast. Keep reading – you’re about to find out.
A Systematic Approach
Let’s start with the basics first.
By their nature, foundations are sunk below ground where water is in high concentration – making it an ongoing threat. Fortunately, this kind of water intrusion is usually preventable. You need to look at the potential for water to move and then reduce it through sound design and execution.
When evaluating how well water can move and how you can reduce this, you need to look at three elements of your overall foundation structure:
· Drainage
· Exterior wall protection
· Interior wall protection
By checking each element you’re adopting a systematic approach – analysing and then controlling every part of the whole. You’ll isolate what’s causing the problem and have the best chance at dealing with it effectively.
Drainage
Proper drainage diverts water away from the building you’re trying to protect. Depending on your construction, different drainage tools and techniques need to be utilised and you may use one or more of the following:
Interior Drain Tile. A perforated pipe that’s surrounded by gravel, a drain tile provides a storage facility for accumulated water under the floor.
Exterior Drain Tile. The same concept as interior drain tile, it provides a water storage facility at the bottom of exterior walls.
Sump Crock and Pump. The crock is a collection point for the groundwater from the interior drain tile. Its sump pump is used to direct the water to a drain or away from the house.
D&A Well and Exterior Sump Pump. Much the same as an interior sump crock and pump, this type of drainage system is used only in extreme cases. It draws water reaching the foundations away to stop it from penetrating the walls.
Surface Drainage. Any system that allows runoff to move away from the house quickly so that less moisture reaches the foundation wall. This could be as simple as positive grading (building a slope to move water away), or as complex as downspout extensions (an add-on to your gutters).
Exterior Wall Protection
Exterior wall protection is the biggest component of foundation waterproofing.
The first thing you need to do is make sure the wall itself is solid, with no cracks or utility pipe penetrations that allow water to enter the interior.
Thereafter, you need to apply a waterproofing membrane that’s completely resistant to moisture on the wall’s surface.
Added Protective Measures. Protection boards can be placed above the membrane to protect it from roots or rocks. Damage from general backfill (the soil that’s returned after excavation and foundation laying and wall casting) is prevented that way too.
You may need to add other protection components to waterproofing membranes if you want to insulate your basement to conserve energy. In colder climates, this is usually required by local building codes.
Waterproofing Materials. These come in two basic forms: spray-applied substances and sheets that you have to physically apply.
The most commonly used material is rubberised asphalt, available in peel and stick sheets and a spray. In the case of the sheets, a thin film of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polythene on the exposed side allows for easy handling.
The sheet and sprayable versions are both sensitive to ultraviolet light, so they must be covered and protected if exposed to sunlight at any time. The sprays tend to be water-based, making them safer but more vulnerable to freeze damage before the curing is complete – so they might not be suitable if you’re in extreme cold.
Solvents and Sprays. Solvent-based asphaltic emulsion is still some people’s first choice, although it’s seen less frequently. This emulsion is heated to make a sprayable liquid or applied with hand trowels and sometimes it’s mixed with glass fibres too. These fibres boost its resistance to shrinkage and cracking.
Sprayed rubber and polythene sheet membranes are other options. Sprayed rubber is popular as it can be installed three days after a wall is cast and applied at low ambient temperatures. Builders who choose polythene sheets say they find them especially easy to apply.
Building a Barrier. Sheets containing bentonite clay between two layers of geotextile or cloth are relatively common, although they’re seen more often in the United States than the United Kingdom. Mined bentonite clay expands and becomes a thick gel when it gets wet.
Water can’t penetrate the clay barrier and doesn’t make it through to the foundation wall. Bentonite is simple and safe, but the drawback is that it doesn’t do anything to prevent the movement of water vapour.
Alternatively, you might want to put vapour barriers under your floor slabs. These are sealed against the foundation wall’s base or footing and prevent radon gas or water vapour from getting inside. If your home is in a particularly wet area, these barriers can be a major help.
Interior Wall Protection
Interior wall protection methods are affordable and usually easy to execute yourself, so don’t neglect them when planning your waterproofing.
Sealants to Stop Moisture. Use waterproof sealants around doors and windows in your basement to stop moisture leaking in, and fill and coat any cracks that appear. Avoid just painting over a problem, making good aesthetically doesn’t detract from dampness underneath.
Crack Checks. The simple process of checking for cracks regularly should be a priority. With everything in building, foundation waterproofing included, you should always deal with a smaller issue sooner, rather than a larger issue later.
By adhering to the principles of foundation waterproofing a building is protected from the ground up, and the chances of damp, mould and other water-related problems are largely mitigated. Cutting corners here is never advised as it can lead to even greater costs in the long run.
The short version: don’t skimp out on waterproofing!
Continue ReadingPeel L&P’s Liverpool Waters has welcomed two new customers to its King Edward Triangle site, demonstrating the versatility of the space available with recreational axe-throwing business, Hatchet Harry’s, and car hire service, Easirent recently moving into the city centre location.
For Hatchet Harry’s, this space marks the organisation’s third venue having launched in 2019 and seen significant growth, with existing locations in Newcastle and Glasgow, and its largest in terms of floor space. Taking out a five-year lease of 3,389 sq. ft of space, the team cites the city centre location as the reason for choosing King Edward Triangle as its base.
Easirent has taken out a five-year lease of 3,421 sq. ft of space at King Edward Triangle, for its eight team members. The move marks a relocation for the business, moving its team in Bootle to Liverpool city centre in order to better serve its clients, as well as providing an opportunity to be closer to the cruise terminal, supplying car rental to visiting passengers. This office will form the organisation’s 26th location, with the Royal Liver Building as its headquarters.
Jack Beadle, managing director at Hatchet Harry’s said:
“We have seen Liverpool’s visitor economy grow over the last few years so for us, it seemed a perfect fit. We are popular with stag and hen dos, so the city centre location means we will be within walking distance of night life and other leisure facilities, which is great.
“Liverpool Waters hit all of our criteria when looking for new locations and we know that the area will be growing a huge amount more over the next few years which can only help our business grow.”
Liza Marco, asset manager at Liverpool Waters, part of Peel L&P, said:
“We are incredibly proud of the diverse range of businesses that we have across Liverpool Waters, all of whom are at different stages of growth. Whether they’re just starting out or expanding, these businesses demonstrate the versatility of the space that is on offer and the range of possible uses. All of this plus the flexible lease terms and city centre location, make it a great place for any business. We’re delighted that these new customers have chosen to join the King Edward Triangle community and look forward to seeing them grow here at Liverpool Waters.”
If you’re interested in finding out more about available space at Liverpool Waters, visit www.liverpoolwaters.co.uk/spaces/.
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If you have a pipeline with a lot of issues, stopping your operations just to fix the problems can be costly. You might have to suspend work for some time until the leaks or clogs are repaired. As a result, money is going down the drain while the services are indefinitely suspended.
Fortunately, lots of companies can offer you repair and maintenance services without the need for downtime. Some of the pipeline intervention services are done by experts who are knowledgeable in fixing the issues in the fastest possible time. Some will offer you reliable and specialized services that will cover your needs. Here are some of the things to expect during repair operations.
What You Can Benefit from the Experts
Other Services that May Help
Technologies such as line plugging and hot tapping help if repairs, maintenance, and modification work. These technologies allow the operators to isolate the pipes’ problem into a single section and bypass other parts. As a result, they can complete leak repairs without losing products or shutting down the entire system.
Line Plugging and Stopping
This is the method of safely isolating a section of the pipeline to modify a pressurized system. Owners may do isolation for several reasons, including installing a new valve, repairing a damaged part of the pipe with corrosion, ruptured line repairs, separation of compressors, and line re-routing. If you think that these apply to your company, you can ask your contractor if this is the best method. You may also request for plant alterations, roadways, and tying new sections of pipelines if you are trying to modify your system.
Plugging Techniques
While your system is under pressure, the pros will insert a plug head through a hot tap. There’s often a temporary valve assembly created so that the plugging head can quickly go through. After the plugging head sets into the pipe, they remove the pressure into the isolated area, and this is done by equalization fitting.
Completion Mode
After the changes have been made, the plugging head is removed. The line is equalized, and there’s a retraction on the plugging head. The temporary valve is also removed after the work is done. A completion plug is fitted into the place of the temporary valve while removing the equipment.
About Pipeline Pigging
Many companies use pipeline pigging technique to perform maintenance, inspection, cleaning, and dimensioning in many systems. The “pigs” or tools used are usually made up of rubber or polyurethane open-cell foam. You can read more about how pigging works when you click here.
One of the intervention services done for leak repairs is to insert a pig launcher in your pipeline’s rear. The calculation is done when multiplying the cross-sectional area of the back of the tool and its tail’s applied pressure.
Most experts can insert a pig that has a large enough diameter to cover the interiors. The size will cause a kind of interference that will remove the debris and clear the dirt along the device’s way. Some of the factors considered ineffective cleaning include the speed, flow rate, temperature, pressure, and debris volume. When the tool runs its course throughout the pipe, it is captured in the end by a receiving station. This section safely removes the pig since it is contained in an isolated shut-off valve.
Do You Have to Pig your Pipelines?
Many companies see their pipelines as a very efficient system when it comes to transporting gases or liquid across many districts in their area. These systems are significant commitments for some stockholders since they protect the goods, water, or gas that are precious investments. Maintenance must regularly be taken to get the maximum performance when it comes to deliveries.
If you are in charge of maintaining a new pipeline, the pigging can be beneficial if you want to check their capabilities. For most states, the system should be able to meet the designated maximum allowable operating pressure, which can be tested using the pigs. The lines’ interior is filled with water during the testing phase, and the liquid is removed after a successful hydrostatic trial.
Other benefits that you can get with the pigging method are removing rusts, moisture, scale, and other accumulated debris inside your pipeline. The tools can also remove debris from construction and ensure that the interiors are dry.
A Final Word
These are just some of the methods used by many major pipeline companies to repair or maintain their systems. You must talk to the right people about what you need to assist you with your needs. Note that these projects should not be undertaken lightly. It would be best to have experienced professionals who have the right tools to complete the job most efficiently and safely. The experts will tailor their approach based on the results that you wanted to see.
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13 July 2020
Leading construction and infrastructure player Aggregate Industries has achieved international certification from the British Standards Institution (BSI), receiving the ISO 45001 Standard in Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, after demonstrating its company-wide commitment to proactively working to protect its employees.
ISO 45001 is the world’s first International Standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S), providing a framework to increase safety, reduce workplace risks and enhance health and wellbeing at work, enabling an organisation to proactively improve its OH&S performance.
Mike Belson, Health and Safety Director at Aggregate Industries UK, said: “Achieving this certification gives us a great sense of pride as it further shows our commitment to putting health and safety first in all that we do as an organisation. We are proud to have a strong health and safety culture, whereby our employees are encouraged to take an active role in their own OH&S.
“Looking ahead, we will continue to work hard to further reduce workplace incidents and ensure our colleagues can return home safely each day.”
This follows on from Aggregate Industries’ successful certification early this year from the BSI of ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems, after demonstrating its company-wide commitment to energy efficiency.
For further information on Aggregate Industries, please visit www.aggregate.com
Continue ReadingIt’s not easy for construction companies to keep track of employees when they’re out on site or in the field.
Work practices can be subject to manipulation and abuse, leaving a company out of control, so it’s vitally important that construction companies find a way of ensuring best practice when it comes to time and attendance.
Sean Quinn, founder of time and attendance software company, TimeKeeper, believes that digital construction timesheet apps are the best means of both retaining control of employee timesheets and adherence to company procedures.
He said: “When you’re busy building your business – and particularly when building is your business – it’s vital that you keep your eye on the ball and, for most companies, the answer is going digital.
“One way to do this is to utilise a digital construction timesheet app. These apps are used by businesses across the UK and Ireland and can help with many aspects of running a construction company: from ensuring the health and safety of employees, to streamlining payroll and invoicing.
“We have identified seven ways in which a digital construction timesheet app can benefit construction companies in today’s market.”
1. No more manual timesheets
Paper is becoming something of a major commodity these days, but regardless of the environmental factors, paper timesheets can be notoriously inaccurate – and that’s when they’re filled in at all.
“The traditional time and attendance systems certainly served their purpose,” said Sean, “but we’re in a digital age now and the technology is there to improve work practices and processes. In addition to being more time consuming, paper timesheets can also make it harder to track accurate details of when your employees or contractors are on site.
“Paper based timesheets make it easier for workers to cover for each other when they’re not there. A digital timesheet app can help a company to eliminate this problem by creating a digital, paperless audit trail, ensuring both accurate timekeeping and optimal working practices.
“A construction timesheet app is also very versatile in that it can be adapted to suit both multiple workers on a building site, by allowing everyone to clock in through one device – an Android or iOs tablet, for example – and for individual workers, who may be travelling to jobs.”
2. Eliminate ‘buddy clock-ins’
When employees are working on sites, it can be difficult for companies to monitor procedures, such as clocking in. A construction timesheet app not only tracks where employees are, it also provides the administrator with the added option of facial recognition, which verifies that every clock-in is legitimate.
“Every construction company boss wants – and needs – to know where every employee is at any point in time,” said Sean, adding: “and, more importantly, that they’re doing what they are supposed to be doing.
“Every boss, for example, knows that, given the opportunity, some employees will clock in for a work colleague. Traditional time and attendance systems have meant that employees could easily fool the system by clocking in for their colleagues, but, with a digital timesheet app, the problem is eliminated since the app’s use of facial recognition will alert the administrator of any buddy clock-ins that may be going on.
“The app also enables bosses to check in throughout the day to watch where employees are going during the working day, so there’s no need to call the site manager to check if an employee is in.”
3. Job costs & profitability can be monitored
Labour costs can make or break a business, so it’s important for any construction company to ensure that job costings and outlay are exact and accurate.
“A digital timesheet app enables you to track data in real time by removing inaccurate costings and unrealistic timings,” added Sean, “and, since the app automatically keeps track of the time spent on each job, it’s easy to see – and to monitor – if the time spent has been profitable for the company.”
4. Payroll & invoicing can be streamlined
A digital timesheet app can have an effect on many aspects of the running of a construction company in today’s market. In addition to monitoring both employees’ work practices and profitability, it can also bring many administrative benefits to both employer and employee.
“By providing administrative staff with the ability to run real-time timesheets,” said Sean Quinn, “employee time entries and employee leave can both be easily managed, making both payroll and invoicing much more streamlined and seamless, and enabling a company to run smoothly, efficiently and economically.
“The app also allows employees to access the web portal (or app) to check their weekly timesheets or review their remaining leave, meaning that administrative staff won’t be getting asked the same questions week in, week out.”
5. Health & safety practices can be improved
The fact the app enables bosses to monitor where employees are during the day isn’t just a matter of ‘Big Brother’ though. Having a digital app helps to reinforce good working practices for employees by allowing a company to know that employees are where they are supposed to be and not involved in something unsafe.
“Negative working methods can be detrimental to any construction company’s reputation,” continues Sean, “and to its bottom line, so the fact that the app can monitor employees’ behaviour is of benefit to the business and can provide peace of mind with regard to the company’s reputation in the marketplace.”
6. Safety can be reinforced with geofencing
Building sites are notoriously dangerous for those who aren’t involved in the construction industry, so it’s vitally important that construction companies ensure that only employees on a site or at a location can clock in or out.
“A digital construction timesheet app enables a company to configure geofences for jobs so that only an employee can gain access to a location by clocking in or out. All the company has to do is to specify an address for a job and a distance that the employee must be within and the app handles the rest!”
7. Contact is immediate and available at all times
Very often in the construction industry, the details of a job can be changed at the last minute, so it’s very important that contact can be made between management or administration and those who are out on sites. A timesheet app which is perfect for the construction industry ensures that employees can be quickly alerted by both email and mobile push notifications before they even begin their shift, ensuring clear lines of communication and removing any potential for errors or omissions.
Employees can also take pics on site or add notes and signatures to a job that can be viewed in real time from the company’s offices.
“Clear lines of communication are important in any industry,” said Sean, “but they’re vital in the construction industry since the majority of the employees are working on multiple locations across a wide area.
“A digital timesheet app means that contact between those on and off sites can be made easily and quickly, and that information or images can be transferred between different locations in no time at all. This ensures that errors are kept to a minimum and that no time or energy is wasted on work for which the details may have been changed.”
If you run or work at a construction company that wants to level up your time and attendance practices, why not sign up to our 14 day free trial at www.timekeeper.co.uk.
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