Guard Industry and Osmose.Europe, both leading suppliers of wood preservative technologies, announced that they have entered into an agreement whereby Osmose Europe has been granted exclusivity to supply Guard Industry's Woodguard products into the manufacturing sector of the UK. Terms of the agreement are confidential. 

The WoodGuard range of products is a next generation product designed to protect wood against water, stains and dirt, tackling the main causes of deterioration. It is available in clear finish (woodguard) and in a coloured finish (woodguard color) to protect and enhance beauty of wood whilst providing high level protection from UV rays.

Both parties will continue to supply the market with their respective portfolios of preservative products that offer numerous important benefits to consumers, contractors, and builders.

CEMEX UK’s Cyclist Safety campaign which raises awareness of the dangers posed to cyclists riding alongside LGVs (Large Goods Vehicles) was displayed prominently outside the entrance of The King Power Stadium in Leicester as part of the PRECAST2012 industry event last Thursday. A collaborative effort was organised by British Precast the Leicester-based trade body for concrete products with participation from the Mineral Products Association, CEMEX UK, Leicester City Football Club and Leicester City Council. The event supports the national campaign “Cities fit for Cycling” . The key aim of the Cyclist Safety campaign is to prevent collisions between cyclists and Large Goods Vehicles (LGVs) by raising awareness from both sides on how to cycle and drive safely. The police were also on hand giving vital advice to all delegates on road safety.

CEMEX UK brought along two large vehicles, fitted with additional features aimed at cyclists and encouraged them to climb aboard and see the “cabs-eye-view”, to educate them about the potential dangerous blind spots for the driver surrounding the lorry. Cyclists from the local area attended during the day and the demonstrations were found to be a real eye-opener with visitors noting that the blind areas around the lorries are far larger than one would imagine.

Lonza Wood Protection's DRICON fire retardant treatment is protecting the oak lining used in a beautiful award-winning home at Boreraig, on the Isle of Skye. The building, inspired by the blackhouse, a traditional style of Highland architecture, was designed by architect Neil Stephen of Dualchas Building Design to reflect the local landscape and heritage and to be a quiet and restful retreat for its Buddhist owner.

The house, facing a lochan and with views across the island, is lined throughout with oak-faced ply vacuum-impregnated with the DRICON fire retardant, creating a clean, minimal and attractive finish. The oak-finished panels spring open to reveal concealed shelves and storage areas to maintain the minimalist feel of the design. The wood was supplied by the timber contractors and shipped to Lonza Wood Protection for pressure-treating with the DRICON treatment before being returned to the site, ready for use.

While researching an article for the paper version of a sister magazine of this title, Ecclesiastical and Heritage World, I came across the story of St Andrew's Church in Boxford, Berkshire. Its main claim to fame is that it contains what is thought to be the oldest working Saxon shuttered window in the country. Equally interesting to me is the fact that, when its tower fell down in 1657 it fell into the garden of "a prominent local Quaker named Oliver Sanson, who was in the middle of an on-going feud with the rector, Jacob Anderton, over the payment of tithes," according to David Nash Ford's Royal Berkshire History.

Mr Sanson refused to let the church have the pieces of masonry back, so new material had to be used, making the tower distinct from the rest of the church, which was medieval (except for the Saxon bit).

West Yorkshire-based Marshall Commercial Development Projects (Marshall CDP) has agreed a £35m funding package with Royal Bank of Scotland Corporate & Institutional Banking (RBS CIB). The deal will provide on-going credit and help finance two commercial real estate development opportunities in Manchester and Warrington.

Based in Elland in West Yorkshire, Marshall CDP is the development arm of the Marshall Construction Group, which also includes Marshall (Building Contractors) Ltd and Marshall (Joinery) Ltd. The group employs 212 staff across the UK, with an annual turnover of £111m in 2011.

Marshall CDP specialises in developments within the commercial sector, including in- and out-of-town retail schemes, offices, industrial premises and leisure schemes throughout the UK. It also holds a strong portfolio of land which it has set aside for future projects.

Contractor Bowmer & Kirkland has been fined £280,000 for the 2009 collapse of a tower crane in Liverpool that left the operators paralysed.

Structural engineer Bingham Davis, which has since ceased trading, was also found culpable and fined a nominal £1,000.

Inadequate foundations was determined as the cause.

A 79m-high Wolff 500B luffing jib tower crane toppled on 6 July 2009 while making a lift during construction of an apartment block and hotel on the Kings Dock Mill site in Liverpool’s Chandlers Wharf. Operator Iain Gillham, a 53-year-old father of four, fell from his cab onto the roof of the apartments and was left paralysed from the waist down.

Villagers are worried about the safety of children after plans were announced to demolish a quarry site.

Concerns have been raised after a cement factory in Barrington, which closed four years ago, has said it will not be brought back into production.

CEMEX UK has announced there is no economic case to re-start production at its cement plant in Barrington and will demolish the facility.

Tony Fletcher, chairman of Barrington Parish Council, told the Weekly News, that once the factory is pulled down, villagers fear the ongoing security at the site maybe stopped. He said: “We didn’t expect it to re-open in view of the economic state, especially in the building industry at the moment.

Augus College’s engineering team is world-class - and that’s official!

The team won a first place at the inaugural UK-wide Engineering Construction Award event held recently in London, for pioneering work in delivering the design and draughting modern apprenticeship for the North Sea oil and gas industry.

The Angus College entry, sponsored by Korean-based global power-plant designers and constructors Doosan, won the Best Training Provider category.

Angus College principal John C Burt congratulated the team for their success, and also all of those involved in the college in delivering and supporting the design and draughting programme.

TrustMark, one of the leading Trade Association bodies for the Building and Construction Industry, has received a staggeringly high volume of web traffic since the beginning of this year. This emphasises a need for local roofers, who want to become a Redland Select member, to become accredited with TrustMark.

The new consumer website Myredlandroof launched last year, as the first of its kind on the market. It has the main objective of becoming the number one search facility for homeowners looking for a local trusted roofing contractor in their area.

In order to appear in the reputable online search database of Myredlandroof, roofers must belong to one of the main Trade Association bodies; TrustMark is one of these and is a not for profit organisation, licensed by the government.

Europe’s largest engineers’ body has appointed five industry experts to head up new sector-focused, global communities of engineers.

Recognising that demands on engineers and technicians have changed, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is prioritising five key sectors: Built Environment; Design & Production; Energy; Information & Communications; and Transport.

The sectors provide a focal point for engineers and technicians from all disciplines to find relevant communities, events and information.

IET Head of Sectors and Communities, Steve Perry, said: “The work of engineers and technicians has never been more important, and it’s vital that the IET supports the good work that they do.