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Atkins buys US company Engineering group Atkins has acquired the PBSJ Corporation in a $280m (£178m) deal. PBSJ is an American provider of engineering, planning, architecture, construction, environmental and programme management services. PBSJ is an employee-owned firm headquartered in Florida that employs about 3,500 people. Atkins expects the acquisition to give the multi- disciplinary consultancy even more international presence and improve its technical skills. www.atkinsglobal.com


Sector output grows but demand for property dips Figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed that construction output grew by 6.6% in the second quarter of 2010. In a year-on-year comparison, output was up 5.8% on the same period of 2009. However, the RICS UK Commercial Market Survey for the second quarter of 2010 showed that demand for commercial property has dropped for the first time in 12 months. Demand slipped after a positive first quarter – particularly in London – and in the latest findings from online estate agent, Rightmove, house prices fell for the first time this year, down by 0.6% (£1,435). www.rics.org; www.rightmove.co.uk


PFI projects need scrutiny, says spending watchdog


Projects backed by the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) could find it tougher to get funding after a spending watchdog called for more scrutiny of schemes. A report by National Audit Office (NAO) found that, while the costs for projects in 2009 represented value for money, they committed the public purse to between £500m to £1bn in extra costs over the next 30 years. The NAO recommends a thorough project-by-project review of future PFI schemes ‘to apply more exacting and narrower criteria than applied to projects at the height of the crisis’. www.nao.org.uk


1920s home recreated for efficiency research


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A replica 1920s traditional- style terrace property is being


constructed at Salford University to test the energy efficiency of old housing stock. The Energy House will be constructed within a sealed three- storey testing chamber using a host of reclaimed building materials and more than 20,000 bricks from recently demolished terraced homes to make it as authentic as possible. A laboratory is being built


next to the house to control and monitor the effects of a range of external climatic conditions within the testing chamber, including rain, snow, winds and up to 80% humidity. Researchers says they will be able to accurately monitor heat loss, domestic energy usage and carbon emissions. To accurately recreate the effect


of an adjoining terrace property, main contractor ISG is building one and a half houses within the sealed chamber. The university hopes that working


closely with research body BRE and other partners will help it establish an official standard for sustainable retrofitting. Jim Parker, regional managing director of ISG, said: ‘The Energy


Salford University hopes to reveal more about heat loss in old terraced properties


House represents a landmark development in the ongoing pursuit to minimise energy consumption and reduce the environmental impact of properties within the UK.’ Britain’s least efficient


properties are predominantly those constructed prior to 1920, according to the university. These make up 15% of homes in England but account for 23% of total notional CO2 emissions.


Moreover, it says, about 70%


of the UK’s existing residential property will still be inhabited in 2050, including around two million two-up, two-down dwellings similar to that being constructed at Salford. The house should be fully


operational by the end of January 2011, when the first tranche of data will be presented at a retrofitting and sustainability conference at the university.


AECOM’s US arm acquires rival firm Davis Langdon


The American arm of consulting engineer AECOM has acquired rival firm Davis Langdon in a deal valued at $324m (£206m). Davis Langdon will continue to


‘Very Good’ verdict for new schools


A £100m cluster of new schools in Sunderland, UK, has opened. The three projects – Washington School, Castle View Enterprise Academy and St Roberts Academy (pictured) – all achieved BREEAM Very Good ratings. Washington was also awarded a Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice, reflecting its sustainability features, including solar power, biomass heating, and what is believed to be the largest green roof on an English school. AECOM and Balfour Beatty Construction worked on the projects.


operate under its own name for some time, but it will eventually officially become a global buisness within the AECOM structure. At the time of buying, Davis Langdon had 2,800 employees. The transaction is expected to close in October. The move will see Langdon’s


Asia counterpart, Davis Langdon & Seah, remain independent, but it will continue to work with AECOM’s Davis Langdon operations under an existing collaboration agreement. www.aecom.com


14 CIBSE Journal September 2010 www.cibsejournal.com


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