Construction and Infrastructure

Winston Churchill said, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” Rob Harris investigates the Linbeck Group, a company that has adopted innovation as one of its organizational core policies and has included in its journey new tools and processes through “Virtual Design and Construction”.

Construction spending in the US was up slightly more in August than had been expected, driven by an increase in public sector construction funded by federal money.

According to figures released by the Commerce Department, total construction spending rose to $811 billion, up 0.4 percent from July, on a rolling 12 month basis. The picture is still quite bleak, however, compared to a year ago when construction spending reached $902 billion in the 12 months leading to August 2009.

A public-private partnership (PPP) project for police facilities in the Canadian province of Ontario has been awarded to German-owned HOCHTIEF Concessions.

Its subsidiary HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions North America has been contracted to design, build, finance and maintain a total of 18 provincial police facilities.

HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions has a 50 percent stake in the project company Shield Infrastructure Partnership. Over the 30-year term of the agreement, the project has a contract volume of C$412 million. The investment volume is C$117 million.

Landing the World Cup brought some difficult decisions for the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) when planning the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project. Project manager Alex van Niekerk outlined these to John O’Hanlon.

Olayan Descon is continuing to expand its industrial construction and maintenance capabilities to support the industrialisation of Saudi Arabia. Muhammad Naveed talks to Gay Sutton about the latest move: to provide end-to-end engineering, procurement and construction services.

Commercial director of Haw & Inglis Civil Engineering Francis Chemaly tells Jane Bordenave how the company has developed over the past 12 months and what the future has in store.

Cape Town-based Haw & Inglis is one of South Africa’s foremost civil engineering firms, with 25 years of experience in the field. The company has particular expertise in road and highway construction and has been instrumental in developing the country’s infrastructure.

Around 2,500 jobs have been saved at troubled UK social housing group Connaught, after specialist construction group Morgan Sindall acquired the majority of its assets and contracts.

Connaught, which carries out essential maintenance and repairs to homes, called in administrators to its main social housing unit after government cuts caused contract deferrals, leading to financial difficulties.

Administrator KPMG had warned of potential redundancies among Connaught's 10,000 staff.

Around 2,500 jobs have been saved at troubled UK social housing group Connaught, after specialist construction group Morgan Sindall acquired the majority of its assets and contracts.

Connaught, which carries out essential maintenance and repairs to homes, called in administrators to its main social housing unit after government cuts caused contract deferrals, leading to financial difficulties.

Administrator KPMG had warned of potential redundancies among Connaught's 10,000 staff.

San Francisco is the home of construction makeovers, and one contractor in particular, GCI General Contractors, has taken it to a fine art, as Alan Swaby learns.

Anyone familiar with the geography of San Francisco will know that with water on three sides, there is precious little opportunity for new buildings to be erected. As such, the construction industry in the city itself is focused on renovation and refurbishment.