Newcastle based Northern Construction Training Group are celebrating after signing an exciting new contract with Tyne Metropolitan College, which follows a successful partnership in 2011-12.

The one year contract will give up to 40 students aged 16-18 the opportunity to complete the Level 2 Diploma in Bricklaying or Joinery from September 2012.

When it comes to adopting a technology solution, never underestimate the importance of usability. In the construction industry, software solutions meant to make workflow easier and faster, along with mobile devices designed to connect disparate processes, can make a big impact on a company’s bottomline. Of course, this is only true if the technology is adopted by the right people and in a timely manner.

When adopting a project-management solution, the technology must be user-friendly enough to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. After all, if using a device or a software solution is more difficult for a user than the “old way,” the company will not experience an optimal level of ROI (return on investment).

In the United States, the national flood-control infrastructure is aging and its structural health is deteriorating; the system comprises more than 5,600 km of levees, and 43 percent of the U.S. population lives in counties with levees designed to provide some level of protection from flooding; some of these levees are as old as 150 years; in 2009, the American Society of Civil Engineers Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gave the condition of the nation’s dams a grade of D, and levees a grade of D-minus; an dam-strength experiment in the Netherland helps engineers collect data to validate new suite of technologies for assessing the health of levees and dams

Civil engineers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute were part of an international research team that collapsed a full-scale dike this week in The Netherlands. The test dike was embedded with advanced sensors and traditional measurement instruments, and results of the study are expected to help validate powerful new technologies for monitoring the health of aging flood-control infrastructure.

The BYOD (bring your own device) trend has hit construction. But there are many questions contractors need to consider before sending field workers to the jobsite with their personal devices to use for business purposes. For example, when following BYOD, how do you deploy software to the field when workers are using a variety of different platforms and devices?

The answer to this question, and more, will depend on each individual organization. But, for those interested, there are cross-platform mobile applications and software designed specifically for the construction industry.

Home Group has selected 10 firms to operate on its Northern Region framework, including Galliford Try, Seddon and Keepmoat

Wins for Galliford Try, Seddon and Keepmoat in £100m housing framework

The contract has a minimum value of £76m, and may rise to about £100m.

Mr Lushington was previously senior engineering underwriter at Allianz Global Risks, and has over 25 years’ experience in the construction and engineering market.

In his new role, he will be based in London and will report to Max Benz, underwriting manager construction, international property, at XL.

For steep-sloped roofing systems, aesthetics plays a major role in roofing decisions such as whether to use tile, slate, painted metal, asphalt, or wood shingles or shakes. However, for commercial low-slope roofing, aesthetics is much less important than these more critical issues:

Keeping water out of the building
Prolonging roof life
Protecting roof warranties
Meeting building codes for fire, R-value, wind and drainage
Serving as a platform for rooftop equipment

Around £150 million of packages have been unveiled in Scotland's draft budget for 2013-2014 which should provide a boost to the construction sector.

The country's finance secretary John Swinney presented the ideas to the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh and said that the idea was to support the industry and "inject growth into the economy".

Have you decided on electrical training or you are considering your career options?  Whatever decisions you are about to make, it can be helpful to read the comments of those who have begun their electrical training.  They can paint a picture of what it is like to train with OLCI.  And that can help you decide if it’s right for you too.

Christian Simpson took the ‘Become a Fully Qualified Electrician’ course from OLCI.  Before enrolling he ‘was made redundant from Ikea and wanted a change in career’.  Christian wants to get qualified in the trades as he has ‘a business and need to be qualified to improve the business, and educate employees and health and safety on site’.  Christian chose OLCI as he ‘saw them on the internet and they said they could cover all my needs in my current situation of studying around work’. 

Kier has beaten one other bidder to a £9.2m sports facility project for East Berkshire College

Kier beats rival bidder to £9m East Berkshire College contract

The contract, which is estimated to have have a gross cost of £16m, is for the design and construction of a new sports facility, entrance and street for the college.