More Focus – Page 240
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FeaturesDeath of a dream: Dubai
Dubai’s boom fed a lifestyle of fast cars and luxury flats that construction professionals could never have dreamed of back home. But now, as grim reality sets in, many expats are finding that redundancy is also done very differently in the Gulf
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FeaturesThey have not been moved
After twenty-five strikes in 16 days, has the government's intervention done enough to stop unrest from paralysing more UK sites?
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FeaturesNo biomass, no turbines, no solar panels. Is Passivhaus the way to zero carbon?
The German Passivhaus standard is winning admirers in the UK, many of whom argue that its simple approach to low-energy building is far more practical than the Code for Sustainable Homes
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Features
Building pathology: Schools windows
Cheap fixes are the wrong approach to installing manually operated windows in schools. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans explains some of the pitfalls and suggests how to avoid them
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FeaturesSchool toilets: Bog standard
If the government is to stand a chance of meeting its school building target, it will need to use standard specifications and designs for a range of elements – starting with the loos
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Features
The tracker: How low can we go?
Activity levels fell for the 10th month in a row, the rate of decline headed towards a new low, and don’t even ask about employment prospects
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Features
Atrium glazing
One of the key features of the new £23m state-of-the-art learning facility at the North Glasgow College Campus is its large central atrium which allows natural daylight to penetrate into the building
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Features
Low flow taps
Douglas Delabie has uprated its Tempo Stop basin tap to make it more water efficient
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External light fittings
Lighting manufacturer Erco has launched the Powercast range of projectors and floodlights for use in outdoor applications such as accent lighting on signage through to floodlighting of facades and atriums
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Lockable sockets
MK Electric has launched a range of lockable switches and sockets suitable for applications where control of supply is necessary such as public areas and schools and colleges
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Features
Illuminated bollards
Zumtobel has launched the BEGA 7785, a lighting bollard that also doubles up as a seat
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FeaturesCladding panels
Cladding panels from Marley Eternit have been used on the Donaldson College in Linlithgow, Scotland’s national school for deaf and speech-impaired children
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FeaturesExpat survival guide to Ukraine
As Europe's second largest country, Ukraine is decent place to take your career, but be prepared for it all to be lubricated by torrents of cheap vodka
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FeaturesOxford blues: burrowing under Queen's College
Adding an extension to Queen’s College required a delicate juggling act, as site access, potentially unstable foundations and history itself put the contractor to the test
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FeaturesMace's Stephen Pycroft: 'I don't do interviews'
Thirty years in construction, 16 at Mace – more than four of them as chief executive – but Stephen Pycroft has never given an interview… until now. Emily Wright talks to him about sale rumours and why he’s not sunning himself in the Bahamas
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FeaturesAdapting to recession: 19 ways we've changed
Building's graduate advisory panel on how to adapt to working in a recession
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FeaturesCranes: victory for the Safer Skyline campaign
Last week, the HSE finally caved in to Building’s demand for a national register of checks on tower cranes. Sophie Griffiths asked some of those who supported our two-year campaign for their reaction
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Green cement: an industry revolution?
Cement produces more carbon dioxide than the whole of the aviation industry. But now there’s a variant that actually absorbs greenhouse gases
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Features
Lead times: November 08 - January 2009
Unsurprisingly, a weak economy has led to a reduced workload for many contractors, a few of whom are dropping lead times to a level not seen since 2003