 Martin Clarke awarded OBE in Queen's Birthday Honours List
17 June 2013
We are delighted to announce that Martin Clarke, Chief Executive of British Precast has been awarded an OBE by the Queen in the Birthday Honours List 2013 for services to industry. Martin has worked tirelessly and made an immeasurable contribution to the concrete industry and it is fantastic this dedication has been recognised with the top-most honours.
A big congratulations to Martin Clarke, OBE!
Australian Little Book of 100 Advantages of Precast now available
13 June 2013
The Australian Little Book of 100 Advantages of Precast Concrete is now available; the tenth country to publish a national version of the 2007 British Precast book. Click on the image to download.
British Precast Annual Review & Safer by Competence
06 June 2013
The 2013 Annual Review booklet has been published by British Precast. This Review covers recent British Precast activities as well as achievements by ourselves and our members.
Please download a copy by clicking on the image to the left. To order a hard copy please email info@britishprecast.org
We have also released our latest Safer by Competence leaflet which covers the benefits of demonstrating competence for industry, employers and employees. Please click on the image to view.
Sterling Services' Rational House Project
06 June 2013
British Precast members Sterling Services have been busy completing a number of precast jobs with the Rational House product. Rational House is a combination of a modular design, off site manufacture of the precast facade and the inner pre-insulated, light gauge steel cassettes support structure which eliminates site scaffolding and enables a fast track site programme. For more information on Sterling Services' projects, please visit their website.
British Precast Golf Day
30 May 2013
British Precast will be holding our annual Golf Day for members and guests on Tuesday 25 June 2013 at the championship Hawkstone Park course in Shrewsbury. The day includes 18 holes with lunch, three-course evening meal and prizes for the competitions which will take place throughout the day. Spaces are limited so be sure to book now for a fantastic day out!
For more information please click here.
PRECAST2013
30 May 2013
British Precast held its annual exhibition and conference on Thursday 23 May 2013 at King Power Stadium, Leicester. It was a fantastic day with over 400 delegates in attendance. The event included external safety demonstrations by CEMEX & Linde, the British Precast AGM, PFF Code of Practice Launch and Best Practice Awards Lunch.
We welcomed a number of prominent and international guests, including Judith Hackitt CBE, Chair of the Health & Safety Executive, who launched the Precast Flooring Federation's Code of Practice.
PRECAST2013 also celebrated the best of the industry with the Best Practice Awards. We congratulate the winners below and encourage even more entries next year:
- Concrete Targets Scheme: Stanton Bonna Concrete, H+H UK, Forticrete, Brett Landscaping, Marshalls PLC, Sandtoft Roof Tiles, Quinn Building Products
- Outstanding Contribution to Health & Safety: Glenn Regan (Forticrete), Stephen Carr (Spiroll Precast Services), Darren Palmer (CEMEX), Ian Kenning (CPM Group),
Gran Rowe (Stanton Bonna Concrete)
- Associate Member Sustainability Champions 2013: Lafarge Tarmac, CSM (UK), BASF
- Health & Safety Award 2013: Hanson Formpave
- Runner Up: Aggregate Industries
- Highly Commended: Stanton Bonna Concrete; Sandtoft Roof Tiles
- Sustainability Award 2013: Hanson Building Products
- Runner Up: Forticrete
- Highly Commended: Brett Landscaping; Sandtoft Roof Tiles
- Project Award 2013: Decomo UK, Thorp Precast
- Joint Runner Up: SCC & CPM Group
- Highly Commended: Sterling Services
- Innovation Award: Buchan Concrete Solutions
- Runner Up: PCE
- Highly Commended: Thorp Precast
We'd like to thank all those who attended and all of our supporters for making this day possible. We look forward to making PRECAST2014 on 1 May even bigger and better! For a full report of PRECAST2013, including more photos, please see click here.
Press pack available here.
PRECAST2013 - The Final Countdown
16 May 2013
With just a week to go to Britain's biggest precast concrete event, arrangements are well in-hand for PRECAST2013 which takes place on Thursday 23 May at King Power Stadium, Leicester. We have some great speakers and a record number of exhibitors lined up for the EXPO. There are a few delegate and Awards Lunch spaces still available (attending the exhibition and seminars is FREE) so register now to avoid disappointment!
For further information and booking details please see the latest BPCF Newsletter here.
100 Things You Didn't Know About Concrete
16 May 2013
Responding to a request from the Concrete Society Midlands group for a late replacement speaker , Martin Clarke of British Precast volunteered an off the cuff subject “One hundred things you didn’t know about concrete until tonight” and then spent the next 4 weeks at his busiest time of year wondering what to say to a group of well-informed concrete specialists. With the help of the ACI LinkedIn group, colleagues and forty years of experience he began to put together a compilation that seems likely to form the backbone of the next Little Book of Concrete, at least that’s the hope. In the hour available he reached the end of part 1 covering 20 topics and was delighted with the audience response. Parts 2-5 to follow. The presentation covers global and local topics and is made available here as a downloadable pdf.
If you have a contribution to make on little known aspects of concrete please send them to martin.clarke@britishprecast.org
IOC drops 2012 marketing ban for British Precast firms
09 May 2013
British Precast welcomes the decision by the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne to allow precast suppliers to the London 2012 Games to promote their involvement under the Supplier Recognition Scheme.
Earlier this year, almost a fifth of firms who had made applications for Olympic marketing licences had been rejected. However, with the support of the British Olympic Association, licences have now been granted to eight British Precast member firms and they will now be allowed to promote their work on the London 2012 Olympic Games.
For further information on this decision please click here.
The fantastic contribution and work by our members can be viewed in our review.
Precasting the 2012 Olympics
07 May 2013
Precast concrete played a major role in the 2012 London Olympic Games. Martin Clarke, Chief Executive of British Precast, looks back on the versatility and various uses of precast at the Games in this article published in Concrete Magazine.
Besser Company at PRECAST2013
26 April 2013
British Precast Associate Members Besser Company will be exhibiting at our EXPO on May 23rd.
Mike Munro, recently appointed International Sales Manager at Besser Company will be at PRECAST2013 with the latest news and products. He commented “Besser recognize the value in supporting the associations that support our industry. Our commitment goes beyond a monetary investment, it involves Besser staff committing their time and talents to association activities”.
A letter from Kevin L Curtis, President and CEO of Besser Company can be downloaded here.
For further information, please visit: www.besser.com
Twitter: @BesserCompany
Skype: Michael.munro3
BP Training Courses Update
26 April 2013
British Precast are pleased to announce the following courses taking place this year at our Leicester training centre:
The courses are run by G&S Training Services and offer IOSH approved health and safety qualifications.
See Events Calendar for further information and to book your place now.
Hope Construction Materials at PRECAST2013
18 April 2013 
Hope Construction Materials are the latest company to sign up to the EXPO at PRECAST2013. Hope have also joined British Precast as our latest Associate member.
Hope Construction Materials MD for Cement Mike Cowell comments "Hope has an important part to play in the British precast concrete industry so becoming an associate member of the Federation is a natural choice. We look forward to meeting members and supporting British Precast on May 23rd”.
Martin Clarke of British Precast added “We saw Hope make a big and popular splash at The Concrete Show earlier this year so we are delighted that they have joined – we look forward to close ties with all their supplying businesses – cement, readymix and aggregates”.
Hope became Britain's leading independent cement producer in January 2013. For more information on Hope Construction Materials please visit their website.
100 Things About Concrete
17 April 2013
Martin Clarke, CEO of British Precast will be giving a talk for the Institute of Concrete Technology on '100 Things About Concrete You Didn't Know Until Tonight' on Tuesday 14 May 2013.
Martin will speak about little known aspects of concrete, including properties highlighted in the global best seller 100 Advantages of Concrete. He will also address issues on the future of the concrete industry.
Further information and booking details can be found here.
PRECAST2013
15 April 2013
Our annual exhibition PRECAST2013 is just over a month away. PRECAST2013 will take place on Thursday 23 May 2013 at King Power Stadium, Leicester. We have a busy schedule of events including the EXPO, safety demonstrations, seminars, the AGM and the Best Practice Awards Lunch.
We are also delighted to welcome Judith Hackitt CBE , Chair of the HSE, and Patrick Declerck, President of BIBM, who will be our key-note speakers and awards presenters at the Best Practice Awards Lunch. Judith Hackitt will also be launching our Precast Flooring Code of Practice on the day. For more details of PRECAST2013 please click here.
Attending the exhibition is FREE, simply register online. Tickets for the awards are only £30 +VAT so please book and help us celebrate the best of the precast industry. Fill in the booking form to at the link above or register online.
It is certain to be an exciting and fascinating day so be sure to visit us on Thursday 23 May!
BIBM Congress 2014
09 April 2013
An early reminder from our European Federation that the BIBM Congress 2014 will be held from May 21-24 in Istanbul, Turkey.
The Congress will include an exhibition whilst the conference programme is scheduled to cover topics ranging from sustainability and fire to market developments and challenges for the precast concrete industry.
British Precast enjoys a productive and close alliance with our European counterparts BIBM and we look forward to strengthening our relations with the international precast industry at this event.
For more information on the BIBM Congress 2014, please visit the website.
Concrete Magazine Articles
04 April 2013
Concrete Magazine has published two articles by Cliff Billington of J & P Building Systems, British Precast Associate members.
The Olympics posed new challenges for the precast industry, for both large and small Companies. Cliff Billington offers a couple of examples of how such challenges were met to give improved efficiency and buildability, without making headlines.
A recent article in Concrete proposed a new method of supporting beam on columns, and suggested that the usual way of support was by corbels. The response from Cliff Billington confirms that the UK precast industry has come a long way since corbels were the norm.
Please click on the links above to view the articles.
Precast Flooring Federation Code of Practice
28 March 2013
The Precast Flooring Federation has published in March 2013 their latest Code of Practice for the Safe Installation of Precast Concrete Floors and Associated Components. This document and the mandatory site audit scheme linked to it, will be launched by the Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Executive at PRECAST2013 on May 23rd. All clients, contractors and designers choosing precast concrete floors should specify the use of the code of practice as a means of meeting their obligations under the CDM regulations. This audited code of practice is one of many Raising the Bar initiatives covering health and safety, sustainability and quality.
Please visit the PFF website to download the Code of Practice
Ecobuild 2013
27 February 2013
Ecobuild is nearly here! British Precast is hosting a Concrete and Masonry Village at the UK's most influential building exhibition which takes place from 5th to 7th March at the ExCeL Arena London.
Key themes of the Village this year will include the British Precast "Raising the Bar Scheme", Responsible Sourcing, and the 150 years lifespan of concrete and clay products. We are excited to be at Ecobuild alongside some of our member organisations and product association groups.
This year, Ecobuild features more speakers, attractions, conferences and seminar sessions than ever before. It is a fantastic opportunity for our organisations to showcase their latest innovations and developments. Visit British Precast at Stands N1440, N1540 and meet our members at the Concrete and Masonry Village. To register for your FREE ticket, please visit www.ecobuild.co.uk/register.html
eFurb article by Hafiz Elhag
27 February 2013
Hafiz Elhag, Sustainability Manager at British Precast has had an article published in the latest issue of eFurb Magazine. 'The Precast Concrete Sector and the Carbon Challenge' looks at the initiatives made by British Precast to address the increasing pressure on the concrete industry on carbon emissions and sustainability. To view the article, please click on the link above. For more information on the Sustainability Charter, visit www.bpcfcharter.com or contact Hafiz Elhag,
Raising the Bar Shortlisted for Climate Week Awards
25 February 2013
British Precast is proud to announce that our ‘Raising the Bar’ initiative has been shortlisted for the Climate Week Awards - Best Campaign Category. British Precast have worked hard to improve sustainability for the whole precast industry and we are delighted that the effort by us and of our members has been recognised by the ClimateWeek Awards.
 ‘Raising the Bar’ is going up against campaigns from The Times, Size of Wales and Zero Carbon Hero. The winners will be announced at Climate Week launch at the House of Commons, Monday 4th March 2013.
For more information on Raising the Bar and the Sustainability Charter, please visit www.bpcfcharter.com or contact Hafiz Elhag, Sustainability Manager at British Precast.
Find out more about Climate week at www.climateweek.com.
57th BetonTage - Anglo-German Summit
1 February 2013
British Precast - or Britische Fertigteile as we are now known in Germany - has published its firstbilingual publication to coincide with Britain being the 2013 guest country at next weeks 57thBetonTage in Neu Ulm, Germany. BetonTage is the biggest concrete event in Europe with 2000 delegates. BPCF President Andy Dix will be joined by Professor Jacqui Glass and Martin Clarke in showcasing the UK industry.
 
Full details at www.betontage.com.
The brochure can be downloaded here.
PRECAST2013
25 January 2013
British Precast are pleased to announce PRECAST2013 will be held on Thursday 23rd May 2013 at King Power Stadium, Leicester. The theme for this year will be ‘The Road to Sustainability – Safety, Environment and Skills.’
Last year's exhibition was a great success and we hope to build on this by making PRECAST2013 the best one yet. Book your ticket now to avoid disappointment!
Bookings are now being taken for the EXPO area at PRECAST2013 along with lunch places and speaking slots via our booking form.
The awards sponsors rosta is now complete. We thank them all for their support and look forward to a successful event.
British Precast Olympic Achievements
25 January 2013
The tremendous contribution of British Precast members to the 2012 Olympics is recorded in this new review . Free hard copies can be ordered from info@britishprecast.org or to download click here.
Creative Concrete design by British Precast members
2 January 2013
Happy new year from all at British Precast! We are pleased to start this new year with a story of an innovative use of concrete from our members Edenhall Concrete.
British Precast member Edenhall Concrete’s subsidiary Mass Concrete has created an unique design using concrete wall panels.
The vibrant design was cast into the textured concrete wall panels to varying depths, with some elements jet-cut and others debossed. The ornamental effect of blooming cherry blossoms was created in a pink Perspex to mirror the soft leather seating and to add a further punch of colour to the restaurant overall. Bespoke LED light fittings add sparkle and intensify the effect.
Mass Concrete cast and installed 30 panels in Portland mid-gray, sized 1,500 x 1,000mm.
Further information can be viewed here
British Precast at Ecobuild 2013
18 December 2012
Ecobuild 2013 is only a few months away and here at British Precast we are well underway with our preparations for the Concrete and Masonry Village! 
Ecobuild gets bigger and better every year. It will be a fantastic occasion for our member organisations and product associations who will be joining us to showcase their products and services to key senior business players from the building and construction industry – both in the UK and further afield.
Ecobuild will take place from 5 – 7 March 2013 at the ExCeL Arena, London. British Precast are pleased to host our members in the Village and provide this unrivalled marketing opportunity for organisations to build valuable business contacts.
For more information visit: www.ecobuild.co.uk
Safety and Health Awareness Day
30 November 2012
In line with our members’ ongoing commitment to raising health and safety standards, a Safety and Health Awareness Day (SHAD) was held at Stanton Bonna, in conjunction with the Health and Safety Executive, on 21st November 2012. A number of vital issues were addressed and British Precast also briefed delegates on our latest initiatives, including Raising the Bar, and the PFF Code of Practice. We received positive feedback from our delegates and thus British Precast will continue to lead the industry on health and safety issues within the precast concrete industry.
Pipe Lifter Chosen for CPIA's 2012 Edition
20 November 2012
British Precast is pleased to announce that our product association group Concrete Pipelines Systems Association (CPSA)
has been recognized again for its innovative concrete pipe lifter solution, in the Construction Products Association 2012 edition of Construction Products Innovation and Achievement (CPIA).
The pipe lifter is one of only 18 products nationwide selected for this year’s publication and is one of only nine products to make the Health, Safety and Security category.
Dr Hafiz Elhag, CPSA Product Association Manager
For more information on CPSA, please visit the website
5th Annual Report of the Sustainable Concrete Forum
5 November 2012
British Precast is pleased to announce the publication of the 5th Annual Report of the Sustainable Concrete Forum – available here as a download.
The Forum brings together the key trade bodies in the UK cement  and concrete industry. In addition to British Precast this includes MPA covering cement, aggregates and readymix , CSMA for the cementitious slag sector, UKQAA for flyash, BAR for steel reinforcement and CAA for concrete admixtures. Martin Clarke of British Precast commented “this report marks the penultimate year of the reporting period for our first sector strategy. We will now move into our 2020 roadmap period with fresh challenges ahead whilst reporting on 2012 outturns as soon as we can in 2013. For British Precast this report builds on our Sustainability Matters report published in May [download here] – readers can readily see where progress has been made and where more is needed."
BPCF 2012 Creativity in Concrete Award
1 November 2012
British Precast are pleased to announce the winner of the 2012 Creativity in Concrete Award; Niall McLaughlin Architects who designed the façade for the Olympic Village block N15. The precast concrete cladding system produced by British Precast member Techrete replicated the Parthenon Marbles.
The runners up for this award are Thorp Precast who created the Luton Aquatics Centre. Thorp designed an impressive structure with large cantilevering boards sat upon slender and discreet supports.
The press pack is available to download in Publications.
Magazine of Concrete Research
23nd October 2012
British Precast is supporting a precast special edition of the Institution of Civil Engineers renowned Magazine of Concrete Research to be published in 2013.
The calling notice for papers can be downloaded here
Papers are invited on a range of topics including;
 Production technology improvements
Deconstruction and re-use of concrete components.
Resource efficiency issues.
Design for manufacture in theory and practice.
BIM – its application in precast design, manufacture
and construction.
Intelligent precast – the use of sensors and RFID technology.
Lean manufacturing techniques; Carbon profiles of precast.
Developments in moulds; Fibres or rebar for precast?
Self-compacting, self-consolidating concrete and the effect on
Precast quality and productivity.
High performance precast concrete.
Improving precast systems in seismic areas –
current research and
case studies.
To submit an abstract or full paper visit www.editorialmanager.com/macr For further information and full journal guidelines please contact;
Margaret Tomlinson T: +44 20 7665 2453; E. margaret.tomlinson@icepublishing.com
The most sustainable solution - refurbish or rebuild?
23nd October 2012
When assessing the future of any building or structure where a major change is being planned – perhaps an extension or widening, an energy upgrade or a change of use, the question whether to refurbish, add or rebuild must be faced up to early on. The best sustainable solution might seem to be to upgrade and refurbish however increasingly this assumption is being questioned. Demolish and rebuild, by allowing a redesigned services infrastructure and a reengineered structure can be the optimal solution. A new briefing from BIBM summarises the position for the precast industry and its supply chain – download here - and provides a number of case studies. More case studies are needed and can be sent to martin.clarke@britishprecast.org
FP McCann Box Culverts to form mammal crossing on major Cambridgeshire development
22nd October 2012
FP McCann has recently supplied precast concrete box culvert units to a major development on the outskirts of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Peterborough Gateway will become a 240 acre distribution and manufacturing park creating up to 8,000 jobs.
The first phase of construction involves a dual
carriageway access road into and through the site and as
part of the initial works to open up the site adjacent to
junction 17 of the A1(M), a mammal and reptile crossing
is being installed. The area of land where the new road
access is to be built is a special area of conservation (SAC).
In order to maintain a crossing from one area of woodland
to another, parallel box culvert tunnels are being joined in line
to run under the road.
In total FP McCann has supplied 50 standard individual units measuring 2100mm wide x 600mm high x 2000mm long weighing approximately 9 tonnes each. Included in the twin culvert run are four end units and two special box culverts containing vent holes.
The full story can be viewed here
If you have a story that you would like featured on our homepage please contact Matthew Curtis
CE Marking Seminar
17th October 2012
British Precast are hosting a CE Marking Seminar for members and non-members on the morning of Wednesday 31st October.
The BPCF CE marking guidance document will be launched at the event with sessions on the document and details of individual product and accessories’ requirements, BSI will present CE marking from the perspective of a provider for third party registration, Trading standards will discuss their views on policing of the new marking requirements and Duncan King of the CPA will present the CPA’s views and guidance note.
The event is free of charge to British Precast members, £150 + VAT to non-members.
Roofing Tile Alliance members are entitled to a 50% discount.
See Events Calendar for further information and to book your place now.
Safety and Health Awareness Day
17th October 2012
British Precast are pleased to announce the 3rd Safety and Health Awareness Day (SHAD) which will be held on 21st November 2012 at Stanton Bonna, Stanton By Dale, Ilkeston.
The event will demonstrate practical advice specific to those working within the precast industry. The HSE have provided speakers to address a number of topics including:
Slips, trips and falls
Safe Loads
Silica and respiratory protective equipment
HAVs
Safe working at height
See Events Calendar for further information and to book your place now.
Stowell Concrete welcomes Dr Liam Fox MP to discuss how to Get Britain Building
10 October 2012
Former Cabinet Minister Dr Liam Fox MP took a tour of Stowell Concrete in his North Somerset constituency on 5th October. He had responded positively to a letter from owner Vince Stowell urging support for the Get Britain Building campaign. Dr Fox visited for 90 minutes which allowed a wide ranging discussion on current issues with Vince and Martin Clarke of British Precast, with further dialogue planned.
Prestressing Summit
9 October 2012
As part of the British Precast Safer by Competence programme, the Prestressing Summit was held on 8th October 2012 at the Hilton, Leicester.
BPCF are committed to helping those in the precast concrete and construction industry raise standards and reduce risk across the sector. Health and safety is always a vital issue and this Prestressing Summit refreshed delegates of best practice in key areas.
BPCF continue to be at the forefront of making the changes to benefit the industry. Our latest initiatives Raising the Bar and the PFF Code of Practice were introduced at the Summit.
British Precast Supporting raft of new Qualifications
04 October 2012
Following a meeting of our Safer by Competence Task Group today British Precast is asking members to support the ratification of seven new QCF qualifications by OFQUAL - the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation . The following have been prepared by Proskills for the sector and are ready for submission
QCF Certificates In:-
· Wire tensioning for the prestressed concrete industry
· Manufacture of reinforcing for precast concrete operations
· Curing system operations for the precast and prestressed concrete industries·
· Mould building for the precast concrete industry
· Unloading and packaging for concrete operations
. Operations of in-situ concrete plants for prestressed and precast concrete operations
QCF Diploma in:-
· Loading Shovel Operations for the Precast Concrete industry
Already approved are the QCF Certificate in Prestressed and Precast unit manufacturing operations and the QCF Diploma in Stockyard Operations for the precast and prestressed concrete industries.
We now need letters of support from member manufacturing companies to submit to OFQUAL – a collective letter of support from BPCF is insufficient under OFQUAL criteria. For a template letter please email martin.clarke@britishprecast.org
15th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
02 October 2012
Martin Clarke of British Precast was a speaker at a Special Session of the 15th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering in Lisbon on 28th September when he presented on behalf of BIBM. The session was held to mark the conclusion of the 3 year SAFECAST project which examined precast connection performance in seismic regions.
He spoke about the importance of the precast industry across Europe illustrated with past and present projects. He positioned seismic performance of masonry and concrete at the heart of the sustainability challenge facing the industry in significant parts of the world, and drew attention to the legal and moral responsibilities of the concrete industry around the world for the performance of its products and systems. Tribute was paid to the global leadership shown by the PCI and its members in understanding and reporting on earthquakes and precast performance, and he also acknowledged the work of the C&CANZ and Precast New Zealand in their research and investigative work both pre and post Christchurch. He welcomed the SAFECAST report and the start of a new EC funded project SAFECLADDING for which BIBM was providing the Secretariat.
SAFECAST Special Session speakers at the 15th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering in Lisbon on 28th September 2012
L to R:
Professor Michael Fardis University of Patras, Greece
Martin Clarke of British Precast, Board member BIBM
Professor Giandomenico Toniolo, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Professor Marco Menegotto, University of Rome, Italy [chairman]
Dr Paolo Negro, Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Ispra, Italy
Professor Matej Fischinger, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
The SAFECAST report can be downloaded here: http://elsa.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/LBNA25377ENN.pdf
Previous SAFECAST papers can be accessed here: http://www.safecastproject.eu/
The presentation from the Special Session can be downloaded here
Prestressing Summit
19 September 2012
As part of the British Precast Safer by Competence programme, we are pleased to hold a Prestressing Summit at BPCF in Leicester on 8th October 2012.
The aim of this Summit is to review the areas of prestressing that can impact adversely on safety and quality. Our two Associate members Spiroll and EKC who provide the current course will be refreshing your awareness of best practice in all the key areas. The HSE and the National Skills Academy who accredit the course will also be joining and contributing during the day. British Precast will brief on our latest initiatives including Raising the Bar and the PFF Code of Practice.
See Events Calendar for further information and to book your place now.
Concrete Sustainability Course
19 September 2012
The Mineral Products Qualifications Council will be delivering a three-day course for the QCF Level 4 Award in Sustainable Concrete, taking place in October and November at British Precast, Leicester. This course will provide delegates with information on the importance of sustainable concrete and the impacts associated with the construction and concrete sector.
See Events Calendar for further information and to book your place now.
SuDSsource DVD's Now On Sale
19 September 2012
British Precast are pleased to announce that the set of 3 DVDs from the 2012 National SuDSsource conference "Getting on with SuDS" is now available at £120 per set including p&p.
Please note that the DVDs are Dual layer DVDRs and may not play on older DVD players
The DVD covers footage of the whole conference proceedings, the details of which can still be viewed at www.sudssource.org
Click here to download the form to order your copy now!
BPCF 50th Anniversary Document Published Online
08 August 2012
As British Precast start to look towards our centenary, we are pleased to publish our original 50th anniversary document (celebrating the precast industry from 1918-1968) online.
To download this fascinating historic document, please click here.
United Kingdom chosen as guest country for the 57th Beton Tage
31 July 2012
The United Kingdom has been chosen as the guest country at one of the world's major concrete events; Beton Tage
The event held in Neu-Ulm, Germany, will be held between 5 - 7 February 2013.
The flyer can be viewed here
Contractual Training Courses at BP Training
27 July 2012
BP Training, in partnership with the Institute of Construction Specialists, have announced they will be delivering two contractual training courses in September, at the BP Training Suite in Leicester;
- Introduction to Contracts - 19th September 2012
- Obtaining Payment - 26th September 2012
Full course outlines, costs and booking information can be found here
StruSoft announce new Training Course
25 July 2012
StruSoft have announced that they will be running the Revit 2012 - FEM-Design connection training course on 26th September 2012 at the Swedish Trade Council in London.
Further information can be found here
SEO & Social Media Course - September 18th 2012
20 July 2012
BP Training will be holding a brand new course "Why SEO & Social Media are vitally important to your business" on September 18th.
Delegates will learn how to drive traffic to their websites and how to utilise social media to its full potential for their specific business.
The half-day course costs £75+VAT (including lunch) and is available in both morning and afternoon sessions.
For further details and booking information please click here
Selling Concrete Products Workshop - September 24th 2012
19 July 2012
After the success of the first workshop, British Precast are pleased to announce the return of 'Selling Concrete Products', to their training facility in Leicester on Monday 24th September 2012.
Delegates will learn how and who to target when promoting their own concrete products to clients and specifiers, all in an informal and interactive environment.
British Precast members are entitled to a generous discount, with the full day course costing just £160+VAT (Non-Members £275+VAT)
For further details and booking information please click here
Delta Bloc UK contribute to new £35 million infrastructure project
19 July 2012
Delta Bloc UK have supplied and installed a replacement road restraint system in the central reserve of the M25 as part of a £35 million Motorway Service Area (MSA) project.
The key selection driver for Balfour Beatty was the unique benefit DELTABLOC® safety barriers provide in terms of speed of installation and certainty of programme in a period of traditionally predictable poor weather. Installation outputs are usually much higher than equivalent cast in-situ concrete step barrier systems.
The full story can be read here.
UK Contractors Group Promote Construction In New Website
 12 July 2012
The UK Contractors Group (UKCG), the trade association who represent over 30 leading contractors in the UK, have launched a web page featuring a fantastic short video of why construction is the key to the economic growth of Britain.
Take a look at www.ukcg.org.uk/future
Stanton Bonna's charitable donation as workplace accidents fall
27 June 2012
A Stanton Bonna Health & Safety campaign has reduced accidents by three quarters while also rewarding the workforce and a charity that helps sick youngsters.
The ‘near miss and hazard’ scheme run by the pre-cast concrete manufacturers, based at Stanton-by-Dale, near Ilkeston, has now been running for six years.
Click here for the full story
Structural Precast celebrated in SPA's latest release
20 June 2012
The Structural Precast Association have released the Summer 2012 edition of SPANEWS. Click here to view.
Innovative Manchester Metrolink platforms win top construction award
19 June 2012
The modular platforms being used in the expansion of the Manchester Metrolink tram network have won the prestigious Project Award at the 2012 British Precast Awards.The annual ceremony celebrates the use of precast concrete in the construction industry, recognising those suppliers and projects seen to be delivering the highest levels of quality, innovation and efficiency.
Instead of building each tram stop platform individually on site, MPT – a consortium of Laing O’Rourke, VolkerRail and Thales, has created a design for the platforms to be factory-made in sections, then delivered and simply lifted into position. The modular platforms are already in use on the current line extensions and will be incorporated into future expansion plans.
Click here for the full story.
Andy Dix elected new President of British Precast
15 June 2012
Andy Dix, Managing Director of Charcon Construction Solutions Ltd, has been elected President of the British Precast Concrete Federation, the trade body for concrete products in the UK. He takes over for the period 2012-14 succeeding Steve Parker, Managing Director of Buchan Concrete Solutions.
Andy Dix started his career in mechanical engineering, joining Marshalls PLC in 1982. Having worked in commercial, sales, production and finance roles he became Managing Director of its subsidiary companies in 1994.
Andy is chairman of the Precast Flooring Federation, part of British Precast, and has sat on the Board of the International Prestressed Hollowcore Association. In 2002 he set up a paving and construction materials company subsequently selling to Aggregate Industries in 2005, joining the company to run the structural concrete business. He is now Managing Director of Charcon Construction Solutions Ltd, an AI joint venture. He also mentors students and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.
At the May 17th AGM of British Precast Andy Dix thanked Steve Parker for his outstanding contribution to the business over three challenging years. He dedicated his period in office to continuing to make the industry as safe as possible with a view to universal zero harm and to increasing membership of qualifying companies who could meet British Precast Raising the Bar standards. He urged member companies to increase their individual and collective marketing activity through British Precast and its product groups to beat the competition.
British Precast Chief Executive Martin Clarke welcomed Andy Dix to the position of President, adding “Andy and I have a shared vision of where the concrete products industry should be going. We have a strong Council to work with and a great young staff team in Leicester to make it happen.”
Pictured; Steve Parker (left), Andy Dix (right)
British Precast Unveils New Training Suite
British Precast is proud to announce the opening of our brand new training suite in Leicester - BP Training. The suite will be used to offer a broad range of courses, seminars and events to support the skill sets required by the sector. The first full courses began running at the beginning of February and can be seen by visiting www.bptraining.co.uk.
Our air-conditioned training facility can support 15 delegates classroom style or up to 30 theatre style. The suite will also be available to hire at a very reasonable price for our members.
For further information or to enrol on the courses please contact info@bptraining.co.uk or call
0116 253 6161.
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Sustainability and Precast Concrete Cladding
British Precast Membership Prospectus
