Founded by Max Farndale 1947 - 2018
On Thursday 29 June more than 950 hand-picked students from schools throughout the country and their careers advisors and teachers attended the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation’s Big Construction Tour, which returned for its third year.
Students spent the day visiting some of the country’s biggest construction sites and developments and being introduced to the wide variety of opportunities available in the building and construction industry.
In midst of a nationwide construction skills shortage, this was an excellent way for students to learn the value of a career in the building and construction industry. It also provided a chance for the students to make valuable connections with industry leaders which may open doors to their future careers. Some employees even advised the students of current vacancies in their team and encouraged them to consider applying.
The Big Construction Tour 2017 was held in a number of regions around New Zealand including Auckland, Hamilton, Cambridge, Tauranga, Rotorua, Hastings, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill.
| A BCITO release || July 10, 2017 |||
Engineering is a technical business with the specialised skills of engineers needed on projects all over the world.
Demonstrating the right qualifying titles at home and overseas is a necessity to working in this global industry, but titles should not hinder qualified engineers.
The presidents of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), Peter Wong and Engineers Australia's John McIntosh have taken steps to simplify the transfer of equivalent Australian and International titles and qualifications by renewing a longstanding agreement of mutual recognition last week.
The agreement was signed as part of celebrations at the CIBSE Australia and New Zealand 30th Anniversary function at the Melbourne Aquarium.
CIBSE ANZ chair, Paul Angus, said there is a mutual respect for the integrity of the registration process that both institutions adhere to. "This agreement gives our members equivalent footing in Australia and oversees,” he said.
Likewise, qualified Engineers Australia members will find gaining the international equivalent titles of IEng, CEng or EngTech simple through CIBSE.
Members of either Institution wishing to gain equivalent qualifications must apply though the host Institution.
Meanwhile, Thai Nguyen, a mechanical engineering (Hons) student of the University of New South Wales and Simon Green, a graduate building services rngineer from Arup specialising in mechanical engineering design have taken top prizes for the CIBSE ANZ Young Engineers Awards.
Thai was announced Mark Griffin Memorial Award – Student of the Year, having completed an outstanding brief for a sustainable retrofit of an old office building.
The Awards called on entries from engineering students from 17 Universities around the region; open to anyone studying BSc, BEng or MEng in Australia and New Zealand. It is part of CIBSE ANZ’s strategy to nurture and reward the brightest young engineering minds, directing their skills towards solving some of the industries greatest challenges.
The 2018 competition will re-open for entries in November 2017.
| A CCN release || june 22, 2017 |||
Simon Dyne General Manager Regional Business North Island, says that emphasis on new technologies is important for developing our future roads, which will need to meet the needs of diverse road users following a number of major incidents involving trucks and cyclists on New Zealand roads over the past two years.
“As a company, we want to prevent unnecessary deaths or injuries on our roads. We want our people, and every road user they interact with, to return home safely every day,” Mr Dyne says.
Fulton Hogan has also joined forces with Dutch company, Heijmans, who have developed a product called Bikescout. By using radar technology and LED indicators in the road surface, Bikescout helps improve the safety of cyclists by warning drivers when cyclists are approaching and how fast they are travelling.
Fulton Hogan is currently testing Bikescout on Hutt Road in Wellington. It has been installed near a two-way cycle lane in front of a Caltex Station. The high traffic volume and speed that road users are travelling in this area creates a high risk zone for cyclists.
“The roads within the communities we work in require new technologies that promote the safety of all road users. We are looking for further opportunities to utilise the capabilities of Bikescout within New Zealand and Australia.”
Decisions on how cycle ways, footpaths and shared use paths are incorporated into a road or bridge project are determined by New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).
“While working on NZTA projects, we ensure that any worksites we control remain safe for cyclists and pedestrians to use. We are proud to be involved with projects that make New Zealand roads safer for both cyclists and pedestrians.”
Fulton Hogan is currently trialling a new safety measure on the Papanui Parallel cycle project. The company has retrofitted one of their trucks with a 360 degree camera and side rails to help prevent the risk of cyclists going under the vehicle. These features increase the safety of both the cyclists and truck drivers using the road.
In Auckland, Fulton Hogan constructed the Onehunga Foreshore Bridge, which includes a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists. This project provides the Onehunga community with safe access to new coastal parkland, beaches, a new recreational loop, and the Waikaraka cycleway.
Incorporation of separate cycleway infrastructure has been involved in many Fulton Hogan projects such as shared use pedestrian and cycle paths on the Tauranga Eastern Link, the Waikato Expressway, the Christchurch Southern Motorway, and the SH16 Lincoln Road Interchange which also included an extension and improvements to the North-western cycleway.
“Evidence suggests that successful transport networks incorporate a number of modes operating as seamlessly as possible. As road builders for more than 80 years, we are excited to be involved in exploring new frontiers for bike safe design and construction,” Mr Dyne says.
| A Fulton Hogan release || June 14, 2017 |||
Auckland Airport has today announced the details of four new transport projects as part of its longer term plan to improve travel around the airport over the next three years.
Adrian Littlewood, Auckland Airport’s chief executive, says, “We have a 30-year plan for developing Auckland Airport and as part of the plan, ensuring that passengers, staff and crew can easily access all parts of the airport precinct remains a priority. These new transport projects are an important investment in our infrastructure that will help to improve the way public transport users, motorists, pedestrians and cyclists move around our airport precinct.”
Auckland Airport’s new transport projects include:· upgrading Nixon Road by October 2017 to provide a new route to Auckland Airport’s Park&Ride on Verissimo Drive without the need for drivers to use the main intersection that connects the domestic and international terminals at Tom Pearce Drive and George Bolt Memorial Drive;· improving traffic flows and improving public transport access to the domestic terminal by Christmas 2017 through the provision of more space for buses on the terminal forecourt and a new and separate access road for taxis and buses;· construction of an iconic new gateway bridge over George Bolt Memorial Drive by the end of 2018 for pedestrians and cyclists to connect “the Quad” hotel and commercial precinct with the airport terminals and take cars off the main road network; and· implementing a transit lane system across the airport precinct between December 2017 and 2020 for buses and high occupancy vehicles.
“These new projects will help improve traffic flows and travel times around the airport, and help our transport network accommodate the increasing number of buses that will travel to and from the airport in the future.”
“Our new gateway bridge will be a spectacular sight as you enter and leave Auckland Airport to the north towards the city. Designed by architects Warren and Mahoney, the suspension bridge features a 40 metre high concrete mast that is inspired by the form of a huia feather with a white light tipped column and Māori motifs. It will be an urban beacon and precinct marker that will be visible across the airport, both during the day and at night. The bridge will also significantly improve the walking and cycling experience between our commercial precinct and the terminals.”
“This new investment in our precinct’s transport infrastructure also supports the ongoing and collaborative efforts of the New Zealand Transport Agency, Auckland Transport and Auckland Airport to improve travel times to and from the airport.”
“It also builds on other improvements we have made to our precinct’s transport infrastructure in the past year.”
In the first half of the 2017 financial year Auckland Airport fast-tracked a number of planned roading and transport upgrades on its transport network:· upgrading the Puhinui Road roundabout to help improve the eastern access to the airport from State Highway 20B/Puhinui Road;· adding 1,400 more car parks to our Park&Ride facility, mostly for use by staff working at the international terminal to remove staff traffic from the inner airport roads;· upgrading the traffic light phasing and lane configurations at the airport’s George Bolt Memorial Drive and Tom Pearce Drive intersection to improve traffic flows;· updating the lane configurations at the airport’s George Bolt Memorial Drive and Laurence Stevens Drive roundabout to improve traffic flows; and· developing new traffic management plans for use when the airport roading network is particularly busy.
“Auckland Airport is planning a number of additional infrastructure projects to upgrade our transport network and further improve journeys around the airport precinct. These will be announced in due course,” says Mr Littlewood.
| A n Auckland Airport release || June 01, 2017 |||
This year's top carpentry apprentice slogged through four years of university before he realised he was never going to get the job he wanted, where he wanted it writes Alexia Russell in Newsroom today.
Chris McLean took up the tools instead and couldn't be happier about his future in construction. Now he is trying to get school leavers to take a step back before applying for their student loan, asking them to spend 10 minutes on the Government's job website researching their future.
| Read the full story on Newsroom || May 31, 2017 |||
LEADING European farm machinery manufacturer, CLAAS, who are represented throughout New Zealand is significantly increasing its research and development capacities with the construction of a new test centre at the company’s headquarters in Harsewinkel, Germany.
Due to open early next year, the €15 million facility will merge several test laboratories at the site into a single, state-of-the-art complex.
The new complex will boast 8,000 square metres of floor space – the equivalent of about 40 full-size tennis courts – and more than 200 individual workstations and laboratories.
The centre will enable CLAAS to test the performance and reliability of components for its high-performance combine harvesters, forage harvesters and tractors under a wide range of operating and climatic conditions.
It incorporates a number of energy-saving innovations, including the use of 300 kilowatt electric drive units to test transmission components instead of diesel engines.
A heat recovery process will eliminate the need for a conventional heating system during winter, while a water system with heat exchangers fitted to the underfloor radiators will provide cooling in summer.
| A Claas release || May 10, 2017 |||
Dutch inventor of self-healing concrete named finalist for European Inventor Award
Munich/Delft, 21 April 2015 - Buildings and structures made of concrete that can "magically" seal and fully repair cracks caused by tension? What may have seemed a utopian scenario just a few years ago will soon become reality, thanks to the invention of microbiologist Hendrik "Henk" Marius Jonkers (50). His vision: to develop a bionic approach that improves the tensile strength and eco-friendly properties of concrete. The Dutch researcher set out to develop the bio-concrete of the future - with limestone-producing bacteria that can survive in a concrete structure for up to 200 years, and which "awaken" when damage occurs, enabling them to heal the cracks. In Europe, where concrete makes up 70 per cent of infrastructure, Jonkers' ground-breaking innovation promises to reduce the costs of concrete production and maintenance, as well as curb resultant carbon dioxide emissions. For his outstanding invention, Jonkers has been named a finalist for the renowned European Inventor Award of 2015 in the Research category. The 10th edition of the annual award will be presented by the European Patent Office (EPO) at a ceremony on 11 June in Paris.
"Hendrik Jonkers' bacterial concrete extends the life of bridges, streets and tunnels and opens up completely new perspectives for concrete production," said EPO President Benoît Battistelli, announcing the European Inventor Award finalists. "This forward-looking innovation is a successful combination of microbiology and civil engineering - two sciences that are unlikely collaborators at first glance."Jonkers exploits regenerative properties of nature
Henk Jonkers' passion for diving and camping was the spark that ignited his career: it began with studies in marine biology at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. After completing his PhD in September 1999, he began to focus his developmental work on the observation of bacterial behaviour. He first experimented with limestone-producing bacteria as a research assistant at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen. Self-healing octopus tentacles or plants that create new organisms with offshoots served as inspiration for Jonkers' invention. An expert in bacterial behaviour, he continued his career in 2006 at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences at Delft University of Technology. Jonkers' research agenda in Delft focused on finding a solution to transfer the self-healing properties of natural organisms to a man-made building material, concrete.Self-healing agents encapsulated for over 200 years
To heal cracks in the concrete, Jonkers chose bacteria (Bacillus pseudofirmus and B. cohnii), that are able to produce limestone on a biological basis. The positive side-effect of this property: the bacteria consume oxygen, which in turn prevents the internal corrosion of reinforced concrete. However, the bacteria do not pose a risk to human health, since they can only survive under the alkaline conditions inside the concrete. Based on these findings, Jonkers and his team of researchers developed three different bacterial concrete mixtures: self-healing concrete, repair mortar, and a liquid repair system. In self-healing concrete, bacterial content is integrated during construction, while the repair mortar and liquid system only come into play when acute damage has occurred on concrete elements. Self-healing concrete is the most complex of the three variants. Bacterial spores are encapsulated within two-to four-millimetre wide clay pellets and added to the cement mix with separate nitrogen, phosphorous and a nutrient agent. This innovative approach ensures that bacteria can remain dormant in the concrete for up to 200 years. Contact with nutrients occurs only if water penetrates into a crack - and not while mixing cement. This variant is well-suited for structures that are exposed to weathering, as well as points that are difficult to access for repair workers. Thus, the need for expensive and complex manual repairs is eliminated.Sustainable prevention method could revolutionise concrete production
In recent years, bacterial concrete was subject to endurance tests under various external conditions on a dedicated testing building in Breda, the Netherlands. Plans are in place to launch the self-healing material on the market this year. Jonkers' invention has the potential to significantly reduce maintenance expenses for bridges, tunnels and retaining walls, which currently cost EUR 4 to 6 billion each year in the EU alone. Jonkers is now working on an alternative bacterial encapsulation technique. Compared to the present particle coating methodology, this technique would make it possible to cut production costs of bacterial concrete by an additional 50 per cent. Whereas production costs for conventional concrete amount to EUR 80 per cubic metre, a cubic metre of self-healing concrete would cost between EUR 85 and EUR 100 with the new encapsulated healing agent. With significantly lower repair and replacement costs over the lifetime of a building, this minimally higher investment would quickly pay itself off for all concrete structures.Additional resources
Read more about the inventorView the patent: EP2247551
Future bio-concrete as a sustainable construction technology
Super-bacteria are the answer: Jonkers' ground-breaking solution is one of many green innovations in the building sector currently under development. Bio-concrete of the future has the potential to lower carbon dioxide emissions released in Europe during construction and modernisation projects, both affordably and sustainably.
On April 24, New Zealand and Vietnam have launched a New Zealand-funded 3.8m USD initiative to reduce dam related flooding in Vietnam.
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray McCully joined Mr Ha Cong Tuan, Vietnam’s Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, in Hanoi, April 24 to launch the five-year project, which focus on dam safety for the 1000km long Ca River in Vietnam.
At the launching ceremony, Mr McCully said: “New Zealand is sharing its expertise in water engineering and natural hazard management to help Vietnam address its development challenges”.“Our support will help Vietnam effectively assess dams most in need of repair, coordinate dam owners with officials and communities, as well as upgrade the training curriculum for future water managers”, he commented.
The project aims by 2021 to halve the death toll from flooding on the Ca River and reduce associated economic losses by 30%. Vietnam has been known as a country affected fiercely by climate change which the government is seeking way to cope with.
Vietnam has more than 7000 dams, which are used for irrigation, electricity and drinking water. In the past 10 years there have been 43 unplanned water releases or dam failures, sometimes harming downstream communities.
The Vietnam – New Zealand Dam Safety Project is funded by the New Zealand Aid Program and will be implemented by Vietnam’s Thuy Loi University, New Zealand’s Damwatch Engineering and GNS Science.
Speaking at the launching event, Mr Ha Cong Tuan confirmed: “The event plays as stark example of our two country partnership (Vietnam – New Zealand). After 30 years of development, Vietnam has turned from a poverty country to the one can produce enough to meet the domestic demand. Vietnam government acknowledge the importance of agriculture development and invested significantly to facilitate agriculture infrastructure.”
“Vietnam highly appreciates effective partnership with countries including New Zealand. We established a Comprehensive Partnership in 2009. Vietnam have received large amount of investment from New Zealand in food safety, agriculture, disaster management... The Dam Safety project is among the most important cooperative activities between two nations”, Mr Ha Cong Tuan pressed. On behalf of Vietnam’s leaders, Mr Ha Cong Tuan pledged to boost the project’s speed and effectiveness.
The New Zealand Aid Programme in Vietnam is focused on supporting agriculture, education and disaster risk management. It will invest NZD$ 27m over 2015 – 2018.
Phase One of the Vietnam – New Zealand Dam Safety Project (2012 – 2015) developed a hazard assessment method tailored to Vietnam, which will be rolled out in Phase Two. New Zealand also provides disaster risk management training for Vietnamese officials through its scholarship programme, and provided emergency relief of NZD$ 250.000 following the severe flooding in central Vietnam in late 2016.
New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully is visiting Vietnam on 24 and 25 April. This follows Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Pham Binh Minh’s successful visit to New Zealand in November 2016.
| A HanoiTimes release || April 24, 2017 |||
Another year has gone by, and Autodesk has been working hard to bring you innovative CAD features to help you design the next aerodynamic bike, energy-efficient building, high-speed railway, or anything else you can dream up.
In this latest release of AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, you’re able to:
Check out the full AutoCAD 2018 Preview Guide to learn more about the new features, how to access them, and why we think you’ll love them.
If you’re on an AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT 2017 subscription license or maintenance plan, you’ll get all your updates as they become available, right in the Autodesk Desktop App. Just accept the update, and you’ll be up and running with the new features immediately. If you have any issues of updating your latest version, please do not feel hesitate to contact CADPRO Systems, our dedicated team is always there to help.
Subscribe Now: Take advantage of 25% OFF* by purchasing the latest release of AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 2018.
Follow this link for more information CADPRO Systems
| A CADPRO Systems release | Wednesday 5 April 2017 |||
New Zealand’s construction and building sector needs more recruits. The Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) is launching a major campaign next week to attract new apprentices and demonstrate the possibilities of a career in the trades.
Kicking off on 10 April in Auckland, the Not Your Average Tradie Road Trip will see a group of talented BCITO apprentices spending four weeks visiting different regions, helping out community organisations, charities, and schools with building woes.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to show people what a career in the trades offers, while also supporting our local communities,” says BCITO Chief Executive Warwick Quinn.
“New Zealand is in the midst of a skills shortage,” says Quinn. “Our community groups, schools and charities are feeling this too – with many buildings desperately in need of maintenance and updating.
“With skills in high demand, the cost of construction can be out of reach for many community organisations. At BCITO we have a group of exceptionally skilled apprentices across multiple trades in the industry and this is a wonderful opportunity to showcase a range of careers in construction while also giving something back to communities.”
After leaving Auckland, the road trip will visit Tauranga, New Plymouth and Wanaka before heading back up to Auckland.
The tradies will be carrying out work at a number of locations including dedicated spaces for at-risk youth, a health and social services provider, a surf club, schools and will also be working with Habitat for Humanity.
“Everybody deserves a decent place to live”, says Habitat for Humanity New Zealand Executive Director Conrad LaPointe. “However, in New Zealand, and especially in Auckland, this is becoming increasingly hard.”
“Because of demand, the cost of labour and materials are rising and many people are finding themselves needing some extra help – that’s where we come in,” says LaPointe.
“A simple, decent home is the foundation for a better life. We know the work we do makes a real difference. We are struggling to keep up with the demand for our services and it is wonderful to have some BCITO apprentices helping us out with our latest project.”
“Thousands more apprentices are needed to fill the demand in the building sector,” says Quinn. “According to Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment forecasts, one in five new jobs created between 2016 and 2019 will be in construction.
“These numbers show the building and construction sector is an excellent career option,” says Quinn.
“Today, many young New Zealanders expect more from their chosen career. They are looking for job security and for work with a purpose, something that offers a social good. The trades are a fantastic example of this – we build the environments our communities live, work, and play in, we are looking forward to making a difference on the road trip.”
Follow the action at BCITO.TV
| A BCITO releaese || April 03, 2017 |||
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
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