Growth is great for any construction business, and in these hard times that can be very uncommon. However, some builders find that growth can be more of a curse to their business if not managed correctly. Luckily, construction technology is playing its role in helping homebuilders manage growth while maintaining some control in the process.

Rainbow Valley Design & Construction www.rainbowvalleyinc.com, Eugene Ore., knows this firsthand. The company, which was established in 1971, has experienced considerable growth through the years, evolving to become a company consisting of nine partners and 20 employees spread across two locations, and working with more than 75 subcontractors. With such growth the company found its internal structure and processes needed to keep up in order to match pace.

The University of Bath has confirmed it has signed a £16m contract with Vinci Construction UK for the design and construction of a new, five-storey teaching building.

As tipped in the Enquirer earlier this month, Vinci will build The General Teaching Accommodation building, which will house two 350-space lectures theatres other teaching rooms.

Glass walls spanning three storeys will provide high levels of natural light into a five-storey high circulation space. A ‘skywalk’ bridge will also connect the building with the main campus parade.

Marwood Events has, once again, chosen the NEC for one of its events; this time for the launch of Roofex – a new specialist event for the UK roofing industry.
This comes hot on the heels of the UK Concrete Show, which Marwood Events chose to relocate the Birmingham venue earlier this year from Coventry’s Ricoh Arena.

Event Director, Steven Callaghan, said: “We’ve identified the roofing sector as an industry badly in need of their own specialist event and we believe that Roofex will go on to achieve the same levels of success that we’ve already hit with the UK Concrete Show.

WorkSafeBC officers are assessing the operations and safety procedures for security guards who work at Canuck Security Services, after an employee was attacked and brutally beaten at a school construction site in Port Coquitlam, B.C.

“We are conducting an investigation on part of the regulations that deal with working alone or in isolation,” said WorkSafeBC Spokesperson Ally Skinner-Reynolds.

“A risk assessment is being undertaken to make sure the employer has precautions in place to minimize risk to workers when they are alone.”

Procurement of the £400m Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will start “within days” after the Supreme Court rejected objections to the 28 mile route by campaigners.

The bypass will now be bundled together with the £100m Balmedie to Tipperty road scheme and let as a single contract.

First minister Alex Salmond said work would start immediately with prior information notices to be issued this week and drilling works to commence on site next month.

Balfour Beatty and Carillion have signed a new agreement with the government which will allow banks to speed up their suppliers’ payment terms.

The two are joined by a number of high-profile UK firms, including Babcock International, Tata Steel and Marks & Spencer, who have agreed to “actively evaluate” the implementation of, or continuing support for, ‘Supply Chain Finance’.

The scheme will see Balfour Beatty and Carillion notify banks that that an invoice has been approved for payment; the bank is then able to offer a 100 per cent immediate advance to the supplier at lower interest rates, knowing the invoice will ultimately be paid by the large company.

Roof Integrated Solar Energy™ (RISE™) Inc. is accepting applications for its next Certified Solar Roofing Professional™ (CSRP) exam, which will be held Feb. 7, 2013. Applications must be received by the CSRP program office by close of business Jan. 7, 2013.

The CSRP designation is a voluntary certification for professionals who plan and oversee installation of roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) systems. The credential evaluates whether candidates have the underlying knowledge required to successfully install a roof-mounted PV system. It certifies individuals for all building types—commercial and residential.

The first initiatives will be a BIM course offering an industry-recognised qualification, and a construction-biased course from the Institute of Leadership and Management.

Grants from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will also part-fund a system to accredit work experience to help young people applying for their first construction job, and new specialist apprenticeships in areas such as facade preservation.

Under the Employer Ownership of Funding pilot, a consortium of contractors will arrange training courses with colleges and training providers, with their investment match-funded by the BIS. Firms that bid successfully to join the scheme, worth £67m in the first year, were announced last month.

As mobile-device adoption in general ramps up across the consumer and enterprise sectors, thanks to the availability of such devices as Apple’s iPad, the question on many minds in the construction industry is this: What impact will Windows 8 have on construction?

On Friday, Microsoft, www.microsoft.com, Redmond, Wash., is officially releasing Windows 8 and associated tablet devices such as the Microsoft Surface. One of the biggest discussions surrounding Windows 8 for the construction industry is focused on the ability to use the Windows 8 operating system on devices in the field. For an industry that has deep roots in Microsoft-based technology such as construction, this could make Microsoft a big contender going forward.

EDF Energy’s chief executive has insisted Hinkley Point C is “shovel-ready”, but CN has learned that the supply chain believes main construction work at Hinkley Point C could be delayed until the middle of 2013.

A source close to the project told CN that it had been told to expect main construction by the middle of 2013, but that further delays beyond that are not envisioned.