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13/05/2013 08:11
Skanska divests interest in five social infrastructure projects in the UK
Skanska divest its share of three school projects and two street lighting projects in the UK for GBP 22 M, about SEK 220 M. The buyer is the Skanska Pension Fund (Skanska UK’s main pension scheme) and the transaction will be recorded in the second quarter of 2013.

Skanska held 45-53 percent equity in the three school projects, Bristol (45.5%), Essex (52%) and Woodlands (53%) and 50 percent equity in the street lighting projects in Surrey and Croydon. Skanska will retain an indirect 7-8 percent share of the three school projects for the Local Education Partnership commitment. Two of the projects, Bristol and Essex, are in full operation, with the remaining three still under construction. Skanska UK will continue to manage and carry out construction, maintenance and operation services on these projects.

Skanska Infrastructure Development is a leader in the global Public Private Partnerships (PPP) market. The business unit invests in, develops and operates roads, hospitals, schools, power plants and other social infrastructure in partnership with the public sector.
08/05/2013 09:44
Bouygues Construction wins a €38 million contract for photovoltaic power plants in Thailand
Bouygues Thai and Bouygues Energies & Services, two subsidiaries of Bouygues Construction, have signed a contract worth around $50 million (approx. €38 million) for the design, construction and maintenance of three photovoltaic power plants in the Tak and Sukhothai provinces of north-east Thailand for Soleq Solar Thailand, a solar energy producer.

In all, the three solar farms will be equipped with more than 100,000 photovoltaic panels over 60 hectares and will deliver annual production of approximately 45 gigawatt-hours (GWh), equivalent to the annual consumption of the households in a Thai city of 90,000 people. Each site will have peak power of 10 megawatts (MW).

Bouygues Energies & Services and Bouygues Thai will be responsible for operating and maintaining the solar farms for a period of 5 years.

The design and construction works, which will involve 450 people onsite at peak periods, will begin next month. Handover is scheduled for the end of 2013.

With rapidly growing energy needs, Thailand is one of the most promising markets in Asia for the renewable energies sector. The country's government has set itself the target of covering 25% of the territory's energy consumption with renewable energies by 2021.

Bouygues Construction won the contract by emphasising the complementary nature of its specialist design-build skills and its energy operation and maintenance services. Its experience in Asia, where it has been active for several decades, was also a decisive factor.

The Group is currently engaged on building several large residential complexes in Thailand, as well as the country's highest skyscraper, which will stand 314 metres tall.
02/05/2013 12:27
Mayfield Floors celebrates double award win
Specialist flooring contractors for the local authority sector, Mayfield Floors is celebrating its success after winning two coveted environmental awards. The business picked up a Gold Award and the prestigious Contractor of the Year Award at the national Recofloor Awards 2013, which were held recently at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Warwickshire.

Open to flooring contractors, companies and distributors, the annual Recofloor Awards recognises those businesses that have made an outstanding contribution to the Recofloor vinyl take-back scheme. This scheme - which was established by flooring manufacturers, Altro and Polyflor - aims to ensure waste vinyl flooring is recycled and diverted from landfill.

Throughout 2012, the Recofloor scheme successfully recovered over 450 tonnes of waste flooring, including uplifted vinyl flooring and post-installation offcuts. This material has since been recycled and used to manufacture new flooring as well as traffic management products such as traffic cones and road sign bases.

Mayfield Floors, which works with customers across the UK, received the Recofloor Contractor of the Year award as a result of its exemplary efforts in communicating the environmental benefits of the scheme to both fitters and clients. It also received its third consecutive Gold Award for collecting 15.5 tonnes of vinyl flooring waste for recycling.

Speaking of the double award win, Anthony Francis, Managing Director at Mayfield Floors, said: “As a business, Mayfield Floors is committed to offering products and a standard of service that sets the business apart. This includes going above and beyond to find new ways to reduce our environmental impact and to increase wider environmental awareness.

“We’re delighted that our efforts as part of the Recofloor scheme have been recognised with these two awards. We look forward to building on that as we continue to champion the need for more sustainable products and working practices across the flooring industry.”
02/05/2013 08:20
NEW BUILDING FOR BRANDENBURG STATE GOVERNMENT TO BE BUILT BY STRABAG AS PPP
After a more than four-year bidding process, the Brandenburg State Office for Property and Construction (BLB) has awarded the contract for the planning, construction and operation of a government building in Potsdam to STRABAG Real Estate GmbH (SRE), the German project development subsidiary of STRABAG SE. The project will be executed as a public-private partnership (PPP) over a period of 30 years, not including the nearly two-year period of construction. The contracts were signed on 15 April 2013.

The Brandenburg state government has spent the past few years pursuing the goal of concentrating all state ministries at two central locations in Potsdam. The new finance ministry building that was officially opened in 2010 was also realised by SRE as a PPP. The building currently being planned at Henning von Tresckow Street is intended for the approximately 460 workers of the Ministry for Labour, Social Affairs, Women and Family as well as the Ministry of Environment, Health and Consumer Protection. The five-storey complex with around 10,000 m² of usable area is being built by Ed. Züblin AG, financing is provided by Deutsche Kreditbank AG. The total construction and financing costs amount to about € 57 million.

“The PPP building will concentrate the two ministries at a single location. Currently, they are housed in multiple properties and partly at different locations,” explains Volker Bargfrede, commercial managing director of BLB. He adds: “The concentration will make work easier for the staff and will lead to infrastructural synergies. We look forward to a constructive and cooperative working relationship with STRABAG Real Estate and Züblin.”

The building structure comprises three inner courtyards, opens in different directions through large gate-like breaks, and offers engaging views inside. The complex is divided into 15 units which will be used by both ministries and is flexible enough to be adapted to changing demands at any time. An area for expansion, which will initially be provided with a staff parking facility, is included in the design. The project also features forward-looking building engineering with an energy-efficient adiabatic cooling system, approximately 1,000 m² of solar panels, and a low primary energy demand of just 50 kWh/m² a year.

Given the long lead of the PPP project, STRABAG is very satisfied with the contract conclusion: “Over the more than four-year bidding and negotiations phase, all parties worked in a very cooperative and solutions-oriented manner to make this project possible. We are pleased to be able to make a further contribution to the reorganisation of the government buildings in Potsdam,” says Hans Peter Haselsteiner, CEO of STRABAG SE.

Construction is scheduled to begin in autumn of this year. Following completion in mid-2015, STRABAG Property and Facility Services GmbH will handle building operations over a period of 30 years at a value of about € 25 million.
01/05/2013 08:24
Veidekke to build final stage of Hagebyen at Fornebu
Veidekke Entreprenør has entered into a contract with Veifor AS to build the third and final stage of Hagebyen at Fornebu in Bærum municipality. This entails that all 345 residential units in the project are in production. The total sales value of the residential units is around NOK 1.7 billion.

The first units in Hagebyen went on sale in October 2011. One and a half years later, more than 250 units have been sold and sales revenue exceeds NOK 1 billion. The first residents will move in after the summer.

""The success in selling Hagebyen is unique, even in today's housing market. It suggests that we are building homes people want, and that they have discovered Fornebu's unique combination of sea, scenery and central location,"" says Anders Holmlund, project manager for builder Veifor AS.

""Veidekke Entreprenør is one of Norway's most experienced home builders. This has been proven in stages one and two. We are very pleased that we will be completing the Hagebyen project in cooperation with them,"" says project director Jørgen Stavrum with Fornebu Utvikling.

Stage three consists of seven buildings. There will be 114 flats ranging in size from 47 to 105 square meters and nine terraced houses 134 square meters in size across three floors. All units will have a private balcony or terrace with garden. Hagebyen is being developed by Veifor AS, of which OBOS Fornebulandet and Veidekke Eiendom each own 50 per cent.
26/04/2013 08:55
Skanska to build a pipeline for concentrate transport in Chile
Skanska has been awarded a contract to build a pipeline for concentrate transport in Antofagasta, Chile. The contract will be carried out by a special purpose company formed by Skanska Chile and Conduto, a local company. The total amount of the contract is USD 112 M, about SEK 720 M, of which Skanska’s share is 60 percent, amounting to a total of USD 67 M, about SEK 432 M. The customer is Minera Escondida Ltda (BHP Billiton), and the order will included in order bookings for Skanska Latin America for the first quarter 2013.

Skanska will be responsible for the pre-construction and construction of a pipeline for concentrate transport, to move minerals from Escondida Mine (170 kilometer from Antofagasta City) to Coloso Port.

Work has started and is estimated to be completed in the first quarter 2014.

Skanska Latin America is one of the region’s leading contractors. Operations focus primarily on engineering, construction, operation and maintenance services for the international oil & gas, energy and mining industries. In 2012, with about 13,000 employees, had revenues of around SEK 8.2 billion.
23/04/2013 13:20
BOUYGUES CONSTRUCTION SIGNS ITS FIRST CONTRACT IN MYANMAR WORTH €74 MILLION
Dragages Singapore Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, in joint venture with SPA Project Management Pte Ltd, has been awarded a €74 million contract (USD 94.6 million) by Thanlyin Estate Development Ltd to design and build the second phase of Star City, a prominent residential estate featuring 4,980 apartments, car parks and communal facilities located along the Bago River in the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar (former Burma).

The Dragages Singapore led joint venture combines the development expertise and local knowledge of SPA Project Management Pte Ltd with the large-scale international construction experience of Bouygues Construction. The joint venture will undertake the engineering and construction of 3 blocks of 8 storey buildings, and 2 blocks of 12 storey buildings totaling 114,000 m2 of gross floor area together with associated infrastructure.

Thanlyin Estate Development Ltd and SPA Project Management Pte Ltd are part of Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd, a leading business corporation with real estate, agriculture and automotive dealership interests in Myanmar listed on the Singapore Securities Exchange Trading Limited (SGX-ST).

Work is planned to start at the end of April 2013, and the project is due to be completed less than three years later (in thirty three months).

More than 500 staff and workers will be employed on the project and will be trained to modern construction techniques. Know-how transfer will be one of the key factors to success of the project, as part of the contribution of the joint-venture to the development of this emerging country. The construction project is subject to final approval by the Myanmar Government.

This is the first contract of Bouygues Construction in Myanmar following the opening of the country and the suspension of international economic sanctions

This new contract illustrates Bouygues Construction's dynamic growth in the Asia Pacific region. The Group has progressively grown its business through successes in building and civil works, mainly in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Korea and Vietnam. The Group is currently involved in a number of large-scale design and construction projects, most notably the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal Building and Express Rail Link in Hong Kong and the SportsHub in Singapore.
22/04/2013 13:04
Mansell secures further contract at RAF Brize Norton
Mansell, a Balfour Beatty brand, has secured a second contract at RAF Brize Norton to design and build a new aircraft flight simulator building. The appointment follows the successful completion of a munitions store on the site in June 2006.

Works involve the demolition of existing building infrastructure and utilities, service diversion and construction of the new steel-framed simulator building within the secure line of the airfield. The project will be built to BREEAM excellent rating.

Once complete the building, which is being constructed on behalf the RAF’s training provider New Thales, will be used to train service personnel at the RAF’s largest station.

The award contributes to Mansell’s growing portfolio in the defence sector, having recently completed a number of contracts through the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Aspire framework and a helicopter flight simulator building for the Royal Navy at Yeovilton.

This experience, teamed with Balfour Beatty’s aviation experience at Heathrow and Gatwick Airports, will be used to manage the interface with air traffic and the airbase’s rigorous security measures, which is used for deploying UK troops worldwide.
22/04/2013 09:15
BASF and Atlas Copco join forces to drive sprayed concrete innovation
BASF and Atlas Copco have signed an agreement to cooperate on sprayed concrete technology and expertise for tunneling and mining, following the sale of BASF’s MEYCO Equipment business to Atlas Copco.

“BASF’s expert knowledge in chemical solutions for sprayed concrete together with Atlas Copco’s global expertise in underground tunneling and mining equipment will drive the optimization of sprayed concrete application,” said Daniel Ruckstuhl, Vice President and head of BASF’s Global Underground Construction business. “The cooperation between the two market leaders creates a globally unmatched partnership to further develop sprayed concrete chemistry and equipment technology. This joint effort is formed to enable high performance solutions supporting safety and cost and time efficiency in tunneling and mining projects . We are pleased to announce this cooperation and look forward to working together,” he added.

The demand for high quality, durable sprayed concrete which offers greater safety and reduces health risks and negative impact on the environment in tunneling and mining is ever increasing.
18/04/2013 14:18
Veidekke to build eco-flats in Stockholm
Veidekke Entreprenad has been commissioned by Veidekke Bostad to build 110 flats in Stureby south of Stockholm. Both the production process and the flats will be environmentally certified with the Nordic ecolabel. The value of the contract is SEK 170 million excluding VAT.

Interest in the flats has been high among younger and older home buyers, as well as families and singles. 65 flats have been sold, and sales are increasing in the project located in idyllic Stureby three kilometres south of Stockholm.

Both the building process and the flats are certified according to Nordic ecolabel requirements in terms of the environment, energy and climate. This includes energy-saving measures, district heating, sound insulation and customized ventilation and materials to prevent allergies. Veidekke in Sweden also developed the first residential block in the Nordic region that was awarded the Nordic ecolabel in 2011.

Veidekke will build a total of eight four-story buildings with flats ranging from one to five rooms, all with either a large balcony or private patio. Construction will start in early May, and the first residents will move in in the autumn of 2014.
18/04/2013 08:41
Royal HaskoningDHV wins major tunnel contract for Brazil’s largest port
International consultancy, engineering and project management firm Royal HaskoningDHV has been contracted for an immersed tunnel of more than 500 metres for Brazil's largest seaport in Santos. The contract is worth 5 million euro.

The tunnel will directly link the cities of Santos and Guarujá located on either side of the fairway leading to Brazil's most important port.

The advice provided by the engineers was instrumental in the decision by authorities in São Paulo to opt for an immersed tunnel. A bridge was ruled out because of the costs and the adverse impact on the city. The tunnel will relieve the burden on the existing passenger ferry services and significantly reduce driving time for freight vehicles, that must currently make a detour of 50 kilometres when travelling to and from the port.

First for Brazil
The technology required for immersed tunnels is highly developed in the Netherlands and has been used for projects in the Netherlands including the Second Coen Tunnel (Amsterdam), the Second Benelux Tunnel (Rotterdam) and two tunnels in the route of the HSL-Zuid high-speed rail link. Immersed tunnels are also under construction at various other places in the world. The Brazilian authorities (via the government agency DERSA) selected the experienced Dutch engineers because this is the first such tunnel in Brazil. Royal HaskoningDHV will lead the design process and oversee its content.

Tunnel expertise
Royal HaskoningDHV and Witteveen+Bos have been partnering in major international tunnel projects for 25 years in a partnership called Tunnel Engineering Consultants (TEC). Current immersed tunnel projects include the Fehmarnbelt between Denmark and Germany (19 km tunnel), the Busan-Geoje Link in South Korea (3.4 km), the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Link in China (6 km) and the Coatzacoalcos tunnel in Mexico (1.5 km).
17/04/2013 12:47
NORMA Group promotes diversity and signs the Charter of Diversity
NORMA Group, a global market and technology leader for engineered joining technology, signed the Charter of Diversity in March 2013. With its signature, NORMA Group commits to promoting diversity across the company. “Its international and diverse workforce is a characteristic of NORMA Group. We can only be economically successful if we identify and make use of the existing diversity. It is therefore important to create a workplace that is free of prejudices. We want all employees to feel appreciated and enjoy equal opportunities - irrespective of their sex, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or beliefs, disability, age, sexual orientation and identity,” says Werner Deggim, CEO of NORMA Group.

The Charter of Diversity is a corporate initiative under the patronage of the German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel. The initiative wants to advance the recognition, appreciation and utilisation of corporate diversity in Germany. By signing the Charter, companies commit inter alia to a corporate culture that is characterised by mutual appreciation and the respect of each individual.

“Promoting diversity is an important corporate goal for 2013 and beyond,” says Stephan Koenig, head of Human Resources at NORMA Group. “The diversity of our workforce with their different skills and talents creates opportunities for innovative and creative solutions. The exchange with colleagues in other countries and regions, for instance, strengthens the intra-cultural diversity of NORMA Group.”

Aletta Countess of Hardenberg, general manager of the Corporate Charter of Diversity for Germany (Charta der Vielfalt e.V.) says: “We are very pleased to welcome NORMA Group among the over 1,400 signatories of the Charter of Diversity. We are also delighted that NORMA Group will participate in the first German Diversity Day, a national day of action on 11 June 2013. We welcome NORMA Group and look forward to a lively dialogue.”
12/04/2013 13:59
EFKON AWARDED MAJOR ORDERS IN GERMANY & MALAYSIA
Austrian EFKON Group headquartered in Graz/Raaba, one of the leading companies in intelligent transportation and tolling solutions, reports two new large orders in Germany and Malaysia with a value in the double-digit million euro range.

The company received a follow-up order for the delivery of On-Board Modules for the satellite-based truck tolling system in Germany. An On-Board Unit (OBU) is a device that is installed in a vehicle to ensure the automatic payment of toll charges in an electronic toll collection system. The German truck tolling system is one of the largest traffic telematic projects in the world. EFKON AG, one of the main suppliers of the German truck tolling system, has delivered communications equipment for toll collection and equipped mobile toll enforcement vehicles with intelligent systems. The company also developed portable toll enforcement solutions in Graz which are currently being employed very successfully nationwide in Germany.

In addition to Germany as well as other European countries, South-East Asia is another important market for EFKON. In 1999, the Austrian technology company made its market debut in Malaysia with the delivery of the key technology for a nationwide electronic toll system. In March, EFKON succeeded in landing another large order in Malaysia comprising the delivery of 250,000 electronic toll collection units (OBUs). These intelligent devices are mounted on the inside of the windshield and allow for automatic, electronic toll collection in moving traffic without requiring the vehicle to stop. These OBUs also contain an interface to smart cards making it possible to capture parking, bus and rail transportation information in a multi-modal transport landscape in addition to the actual toll collection.

All of these tolling systems are developed at the company’s headquarters in Graz/Raaba at the EFKON Group’s main development site. The Austrian toll specialist is especially in demand internationally: in 2012, the company attained an export ratio of approx. 90 %.
11/04/2013 12:24
Mansell awarded £12 million Euston Road student accommodation block
The Wellcome Trust has appointed Mansell, a Balfour Beatty brand, as their delivery partner for a new £12 million student accommodation block at 200 Euston Road, London. Construction of the seven-storey project at Bentley House will be completed in time for the 2014 student intake.

The scheme involves demolition of part of the existing building behind a retained façade and construction of a 171-bed accommodation block along with associated external works, services, lifts and ancillary areas. Once complete the building will be certified with a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating.

To protect the architectural heritage of the building, bricks removed during demolition will be salvaged, cleaned and reused where possible, with new material matched to the original as closely as possible.

Situated within close proximity to an area of high pedestrian footfall and heavy traffic, sensitive demolition techniques and sophisticated logistics planning will be used throughout the duration of the contract to avoid disruption. An innovative piling solution, which will complete prior to the start of demolition works, will facilitate the seamless transition between an old and new sub-station.

This latest contract award draws on Mansell’s considerable expertise in listed building conversion and structural alterations, adding to their extensive student accommodation portfolio.
11/04/2013 10:23
New contracts for Veidekke's railway department
Veidekke Construction's railway department has been awarded a new contract from the National Rail Administration in connection with fireproofing in the Oslo tunnel. The contract is for the construction of a new smoke ventilation facility and has a value of NOK 140 million excluding VAT. In only a short period, Veidekke's railway department has been awarded contracts for almost a quarter billion kroner. This is the second major contract the National Rail Administration has awarded Veidekke for work in the Oslo tunnel in just a short period of time. Just before Christmas a contract worth NOK 96 million was signed for the installation of a new fire water main through the entire Oslo tunnel. In addition, Veidekke was also awarded a smaller contract for preparatory work which is currently starting at Høvik station. ""It is particularly pleasing that Veidekke's railway department has made its mark in the competition for these contracts, as the traditional maintenance and renovation market for railway technology has greatly reduced appropriations for the current year. With these contracts we are ensured continuous operation and a good basis for our continued focus on the exciting railway market"", says head of department, Jarle Røe. In short, the contracts in the Oslo tunnel involve establishing approx. 4 km of new 200 mm stainless steel water pipes with outlets every 100 metres, in addition to three pumping stations. In addition, 49 fans at 150 metre intervals are to be supplied, including associated high and low voltage installations.
09/04/2013 09:07
NCC to build housing units in Copenhagen for SEK 379 million
NCC has been commissioned to construct housing units and a parking garage at the Port of Copenhagen. The customer is Marmormolen P/S and the contract amount is SEK 379 million. The order will be registered in the second quarter of 2013.

The project comprises a total of 33,000 square meters divided into 14,000 square meters of housing units and a 19,000-square-meter parking garage.

This is the first housing units to be built in the new Nordhavnen city district and the 128 units will be characterized by high-quality material and design. Efficient energy consumption and sustainability will be the focus of the project.

“I am delighted that NCC once again has been given the opportunity to demonstrate that we have what it takes to build exciting cutting-edge projects in terms of design and function,” says Martin Palmquist, in charge of NCC’s construction operations in eastern Denmark.

NCC was assigned the turnkey contractor and Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects has designed the housing units.

Project planning has been initiated and the project will commence after the summer, with delivery scheduled for August 2015.
05/04/2013 12:41
Mansell adds to education portfolio with contract award of £6.2 million Corby Technical School
Mansell, a Balfour Beatty brand, has started work on a £6.2 million contract to construct the new Corby Technical School for the Brooke Weston Trust under the Government’s Academies Framework. The two-storey build will include a sports hall, technology area, library and theatre. The design includes glass-fronted classrooms and will cater for 475 pupils. The new facility will be completed by the end of the year.

To mark the contract award Mansell held a sod cutting ceremony with an engraved model JCB and stainless steel shovel presented to Sir Peter Simpson, the Chief Executive of the Brooke Weston Trust. The school pupils and staff were also given a site tour.

Ian Taylor, Managing Director of Mansell’s operations in the East Midlands, said: “I am very excited to be able to deliver such a high profile project that will give local young people fantastic opportunities to establish their careers in the technical industry. I look forward to delivering this specialised facility on time, within budget and to an extremely high standard.” Sir Peter Simpson said: “This is a momentous day in the history of Corby Technical School. This new school building has been designed to allow you to explore every inch of your technical abilities. It represents the great investment in schools in the Corby area and will add to the already impressive group of secondary schools in the town.”

Mansell recently refurbished an existing teaching building, the Firdale Centre, to accommodate pupils before they move into the new free school. This building will be demolished when the pupils move into the new facility.