Month in numbers

15

The percentage of construction employers who give female workers more than the statutory 18 weeks maternity pay. The national average is 27%.

This is one of the reasons why there are so few women in construction, argues Sonia Gurjao of the University of Reading in her report “The Changing Role of Women in the Construction Workforce”, published by the CIOB.

The industry is focused on recruiting young women, but is overlooking the issue of retention, says Gurjao.

HSBC improved its retention rates from 30% to 85% after implementing full pay for 26 weeks maternity leave and Bovis Lend Lease introduced similar measures after an employee proved the cost benefits.

To read the research go to www.ciob.org.uk/resources/research

84

The highest ever BREEAM score, awarded to Scottish Natural Heritage’s office development in Inverness, making it the “greenest” building in Britain.

Architect Keppie Design and lead contractor Robertson Property have delivered a scheme with a carbon output of 8kg/m2 per year. The offices also feature natural ventilation throughout (with the exception of the IT server room) and a water consumption rate of less than 6.4m3 per person, per year.

BREEAM has been used to assess the environmental performance of both new and existing buildings for more than a decade. The assessment covers a number of topics, from energy use to the type of materials used to transport infrastructure and overall management policy with managers using the assessment system to help in the development of action plans.

100m

The figure, in pounds, which has been quoted as the value of the Olympic delivery partner contract awarded to the CLM consortium just over a month ago.

However, recent news has suggested the highly-publicised project is more likely to be worth a sum closer to £200m with salaries alone accounting for around 40% of that total.

The CLM team includes Laing O’Rourke, Mace and CH2M Hill International, triumphed in a competition with American giant Bechtel to secure the deal. It has now begun in earnest to organise the £5.2bn programme of works planned for the 2012 London Olympics.

The contract’s true value will not be known until further down the line; how CLM performs in meeting certain milestones will influence the final payment.

1.2bn

The number of pounds already spent by the government on its Building Schools for the Future programme, from preferred bidder stage onwards.

Total funding for the 15-year plan will result in the government ploughing £45bn into a construction project that encompasses rebuilding every secondary school in England, a total of 3,500 in all. Around 350 schools in more than 30 local authority areas are already in the programme, representing three waves of investment to be delivered over the next three years.

However, it promises to be a challenge for Tim Byles CBE, who was recently appointed new chief executive of Partnerships for Schools, the company delivering the investment programme: so far, only nine councils have announced preferred bidders.

21bn

The estimated cost in dollars for New York’s World Trade Centre projects, of which there are 29 in all. The three most important projects, the skyscrapers set to join the previously-unveiled Freedom Tower, had their designs showcased in the Big Apple last month.

Two British firms, Foster & Partners and Richard Rogers Partnership, have played a central role. Foster has designed Tower 2, which, at 380 metres, will be the next tallest structure on the site after Freedom Tower, while Roger’s block, Tower 3, will rise 350 metres.

Tower 4 – designed by Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki – was also revealed. This will stand at 280 metres. Construction begins next year.