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Working at heights of up to 3,600 ft on a rugged Scottish mountainside is all in a day's work for a Kubota mini excavator.

The 5 tonne KX161-3 machine is a key member of the maintenance team at the Glencoe Ski-Mountain Resort in Argyll. Set amidst some of the most stunning scenery in Scotland, the centre attracts 30,000 skiers each season.

Normally found working at ground level, the mini has proved to be the ideal tool for a variety of jobs at the ski resort, from trench digging to repairing damage to roads and paths during the off-season.

It's also used to move pieces of heavy equipment around in its buckets, including fetching new electric motors needed for the resort's seven ski lifts and taking the old ones away.

The standard specification machine was supplied by local Kubota dealer, Young Plant Sales, of Doune, Perthshire.

It is equipped with a pin-type manual Quick Hitch for the speedy fitting of three different sized buckets and a ditch cleaner. Like all new Kubota minis, from 1.5 to 8 tonnes, it has the unique 'ANTI-THEFT' security system fitted as standard equipment. This is based on an individually programmed key for each machine, incorporating an immobiliser system, that replaces the former universal starter key.

As the company that operates the ski resort has a policy of being environmentally friendly in everything it does, it chose the rubber track version so as to avoid any damage to the ground's surface.

Said operations manager, Bob Munro: “The Kubota is a handy piece of equipment that's not heavy enough to chew up the mountainside but robust enough for the jobs we need it for.

“As well as being used for a host of general maintenance jobs throughout the year, we plan to put it to work clearing snow this winter. With its excellent stability it has no difficulty in driving up and down the mountainside, and it’s easy to operate.”

Added Brian Young, managing director of Young Plant Sales: “It's pretty unusual for us to supply a machine that spends all its working life on the side of a mountain. We are confident that with its proven reliability the mini will be able to withstand everything that a tough Scottish winter can throw at it.”

Kubota is the world leader in mini excavators and provides the largest range of minis available from a single manufacturer. Customers can select from 18 base models, spanning the weight range from 850 kg to 8-tonnes, and including the widest choice of the increasingly popular zero tail swing machines.

Sales have continued to increase significantly, further boosted by the incorporation of a unique key-based 'ANTI-THEFT' security system – the first and still the only one fitted as standard by a mini excavator manufacturer.

Kubota mini excavators have a legendary reputation for quality, performance, reliability and excellent resale values, together with unbeatable support from a nationwide network of specialist dealers, and their versatility makes them the ideal tool for many different applications and end-users, from civil engineering to landscaping and plant hire companies to owner operators.

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Hydropath will be displaying its range of patented water conditioning products at PHEX 2007 this November on Stand 19 in Chelsea. Taking centre stage will be the Hydroflow HS38 that provides a simple and cost effective solution to preventing limescale without the use of chemicals.

The HS38 patented water conditioning system is unique as it removes limescale by transmitting randomly varying electric fields into the water and the entire plumbing system. The result is the production of nuclei everywhere in the water system. This causes limescale to form in suspension, which is then washed away with the flow. The treated water is normally able to dissolve existing scale in a few months.

The HS38 is suitable for use in most domestic and small commercial applications including combination boilers, condensing boilers, open vented systems and instant water heaters. The unit is simple to install, simply clipped onto the exterior of the pipe without the need for plumbing or incision. The HS38 also benefits from low running costs of only 90 pence a year, does not require any ongoing maintenance, has a 1 year ‘fit for purpose’ warranty and 3 year guarantee.

Two power supply options are available for the HS38; including a built-in supply, which needs to be wired in, or a plug-in style transformer that uses a mains power supply. Hydropath technology is recommended by British Gas and installed as an OEM by leading boiler manufacturers. It can be purchased from independent plumbing merchants and larger retailers such as Travis Perkins and Plumbing Trade Supplies (PTS) and online from Plumbworld.

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From October 2006, new Fire Safety Legislation will require many building owners, managers and facility managers to ensure that any work carried out within their premises must include fire stopping when appropriate. Tradespersons, will find that it will become common practice to prove that they have an extensive knowledge and training on passive fire protection products and systems, as there will be an increasing need for accredited passive fire installers. With legal litigation on the increase many building owners and managers are insisting on detailed written certification of the work carried out by the trades person.

The Nationwide Association of Passive Fire Installers and Specifiers, ‘NAPFIS’ has recently been established to offer an accreditation process to all trades people involved in the construction industry. The NAPFIS Certificate, will ensure that as a carpenter, plumber, electrician or decorator you have an obligation to ensure that a variety of projects are completed to the highest possible fire standards. Examples of essential fire protection, include doors on fire escapes or corridors, which must be upgraded to the recognised standard, pipe-work that pass through fire-walls, and that all light fittings and trunking need to be also fully fire protected. With the risks of injuries and fatalities in a fire and the danger of a possible prosecution by the building owner, many contractors need to show that every effort has been made to minimise the risks and self-certification will become mandatory in the industry.

With a NVQ level 2 certificate and greater knowledge of fire protection, many NAPFIS certificate holders will have an ideal opportunity to increase their earning potential on existing and future projects whilst also learning how passive fire protection systems are installed to fulfil the requirements of the Reform Order and Risk Assessment.

The new Passive Fire Training Centre is located in Dover, Kent, and tradesmen will have an opportunity to experience, hands on demonstrations on the do’s and don’ts of passive fire protection. Early indications are that a number of the training courses are filling up fast, so to avoid any disappointment contact now on 01304 210721.

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A Treasury minister has told a House of Commons select committee that he would consider representations from the building industry that presented a case for tax incentives to encourage the construction of energy-efficient commercial and public buildings.

The representations are required urgently in advance of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Budget, expected sometime during March. The invitation to make submissions came from the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, John Healey MP, when he appeared before the Environmental Audit Committee to give the Government’s views on the Stern Report on the Economics of Climate Change.

The minister was responding to an MP’s question on whether the Government’s decision last December to use the stamp duty regime to encourage the building of zero-carbon homes could be followed by tax incentives in respect of commercial and public buildings.

Hambleside Danelaw Ltd, the environment award-winning building products manufacturer, has made submissions on the issue to the select committee and the Stern review. The Group also met Mr Healey last October to discuss the matter. Its proposals focus principally on reshaping the Industrial Buildings Allowance regime to incentivise sustainable development in the non-domestic building sector.

Robin Jeffery, Hambleside’s vice-chairman, said: “It is really encouraging that the select committee took up Hambleside Danelaw’s case for new tax incentives to encourage sustainable development. I urge others in the industry to respond to the minister’s invitation to submit representations in advance of the Budget. Given that non-compliance with the energy efficiency provisions in the Building Regulations remains a huge issue, we need a fresh approach.”

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The Ancon-sponsored award for ‘Best Craftsmanship’ at the 2006 Brick Awards has been won by Irvine Whitlock for their outstanding work on the West Elevation of St. Pancras Station, London; a project on which Ancon Building Products supplied them bespoke stainless steel brick support and restraint fixings.

“The finest evocation of brickwork they had ever seen” and “craftsmanship of the highest order” were just two of the judging panel’s comments in praise of the complex faÇade which features 45 moulded stone and red rubber brick arches. The arched masonry is restrained by more than one thousand special two-part wall ties designed to accommodate vertical and lateral movement.

The prestigious award was presented to the contract manager at Irvine Whitlock, Barry Johnson, by Ancon’s Lisa Kilby.

Lisa said of the awards,

“Ancon chose to sponsor the Craftsmanship award as it celebrates the skill of bricklaying.”

“The standard of the short-listed entries was extremely high. Each project serves as an excellent advertisement for the talent in our Industry and for the use of Brick; an attractive and sustainable cladding option.”

“The quality of Irvine Whitlock’s work on the winning entry is truly exceptional. I was very pleased to present the award, on behalf of Ancon, to one of our clients. We are very proud at Ancon to have St. Pancras Station in our 2006 project portfolio.”

Geoff Irvine, Managing Director of Irvine Whitlock said,

“Irvine Whitlock enjoys a good working relationship with Ancon. We respect each others expertise and share construction knowledge. Our staff work closely on a project-by-project basis and have collaborated on many high profile developments. St. Pancras Station is a perfect example of how our partnership can deliver spectacular results in the built environment, on time and in budget.”

The project was also voted ‘Supreme Winner’ and went some way to earning Irvine Whitlock their third 2006 Brick Award ‘Specialist Brickwork Contractor of the Year’.

For more information please contact Ancon Building Products on 0114 275 5224 or visit www.ancon.co.uk.

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Estimation’s QuoteMaster quotation management module now incorporates advanced tools for managing Net Price Agreements (NPAs), increasingly used by suppliers to fix prices on key items for a pre-agreed term.

QuoteMaster provides an interface between the supply chain and Estimation’s Central Price File of materials used throughout Estimation’s software as well as to their Estimating and Procurement modules. This enables contractors to quickly prepare a list of materials, and then submit it electronically to suppliers as a request for quotation.

QuoteMaster interfaces to everyday tools such as Microsoft Excel and Word, into which suppliers can enter their prices for the contractor, so any need for proprietary item or vendor codes is eliminated. This also means there is no need for special product data or software. This overcomes the headaches from lack of industry wide unique product references.

As quotations are returned by suppliers, these are imported electronically into QuoteMaster, where the inbuilt adjudication screens assist the contractor in making easy comparisons and adjudicating between quotes received from multiple suppliers.

Once the contractor has finalised the choice of supplies, QuoteMaster posts the Net Prices from the supplier into the Estimation software, ready to be used when preparing estimates and raising purchase orders.

To make life even easier, Net Price Agreements are stored, ready to be refreshed at any time. So as the current agreement is drawing to a close, it is quick and easy to resend the Request for Quotation to suppliers and refresh the Central Price File with their latest Net Price Agreement.

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Global building solutions company, CEMEX, have provided an eco-friendly paving solution for a new housing development in Cambridge. The ReadyPave™ Uni-Ecoloc permeable paving system has been installed in the courtyard and parking areas of the traditionally designed houses and apartments in the village of Brampton.

The site, which was formerly a car dealership, suffered from large amounts of surface water. To address this situation, developers Campbell Buchanan specified a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS), which would filter the surface water to the ground and nearby River Ouse in an evenly distributed manner. The ReadyPave™ Uni-Ecoloc system also negated the need for costly soak-aways, whilst providing an aesthetically pleasing and robust surface. The main driveway was constructed using grey ReadyPave™ Uni-Ecoloc blocks with parking bays in a contrasting Brindle colour.

ReadyPave™ Uni-Ecoloc is a fully interlocking system, which provides the inherent strength that is ideal for vehicular access and tight manoeuvring areas. It has voids which are filled with granular material to provide filtration to the ground below.

ReadyPave™ Uni-Ecoloc can be machine installed in clusters for larger commercial areas but the system is increasingly being specified for housing developments where sustainable drainage is becoming an important consideration, particularly in light of last summer’s drought orders in the South East.

A brochure detailing the entire ReadyPave™ range is available on request by calling 0870 240 3030, or you can visit the CEMEX website at www.cemex.co.uk for information on a wide range of building materials.

CEMEX manufactures a wide range of building materials including Block Paving, Architectural Masonry and Dense and Lightweight blocks, as well as a wide range of Concrete Roof Tiles and associated fittings.

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When office interiors specialist, Vision Business Interiors, wanted new flooring for the showroom in Derby, there was only one company in the specification process. The company recommends the Gerflor range of flooring products to its customers, so it was an excellent opportunity to show Vision’s faith in the quality of the product by laying it in the main entrance hall, through the middle of the showroom to the back and into the toilets.

“We chose a number of Gerflor products to show the versatility and choice of the range,” explains owner Gordy Smith. “This included Creation Wood, Metallica, Creation Mineral and Tarasafe Ultra. The main criteria was that it had to be hardwearing and withstand the constant foot traffic from our customers.” The result is two-fold – Vision has a resilient flooring which satisfies requirements in terms of aesthetics and durability as well as a physical portfolio of Gerflor products in-situ.

Creation is a synthetic, decorative, flexible, antistatic, abrasion group T floorcovering, available in strip form, with bevelled edges which enhances the floor whilst still providing the required toughness. Tarasafe Style/Ultra slip resistant floorcovering was installed in the toilet area. Metallica is a compact calendered floorcovering reinforced with a glass fibre grid. All products offer strength and wear resistance, coupled with extremely high visual appeal to enhance the appearance of Vision’s showroom.

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