Our 783 Mile Challenge

Can you go the distance for better Mental Health?

For the duration of September, Moortown Group are encouraging their staff to take part in a fitness challenge to raise money for a local Mental Health charity called Mind in Bradford, as a way of increasing more awareness in the construction industry.

As a company wide challenge, we’re asking our workforce to take part in small teams of 4-6 people and clock up some mileage to hit our collective target of 783 miles! This distance encompasses the total of miles travelled via our 30 live sites, starting from Redcar and ending in Croydon.

The teams must agree how they’ll add their distance to the target, whether it be done by running, walking, hiking, swimming or biking.

Our Just Giving page can be found here for our chosen charity, Mind in Bradford. Let’s get moving for mental health!

Large Project Win

Image courtesy of Kier.

Project Win: New Prison in Full Sutton

Following the recent announcement of Kier’s successful bid to build Britain’s newest ‘smart’ prison next to HMP Full Sutton in Yorkshire, we are delighted to share our participation in this exciting new project.

For this development, our initial scope of works includes:

• Deep primary drainage
• 8 Precast attenuation tanks
• Tarmac haul roads

Located in East Yorkshire, the prison will be sustainably built using several innovative solutions. The local area will also benefit from the creation of many construction jobs for the duration of the build, with hundreds more once the new prison opens.

As part of the New Prisons Programme, this category C prison is the third out of six to be built.  The new prison will provide over 1,400 modern prison places with the aim of getting more offenders into jobs when they are released. This purpose built prison will  offer classrooms and workshops, allowing prisoners to learn new skills in order to help reduce the chances of them re-offending.

We look forward to commencing works this autumn.

Apprentice Diaries – Kian Barrett

Kian Barrett joined the Moortown team as an Apprentice Engineer in August 2021, working on a live project at Carlton Hill Student Accommodation in Leeds. He’s currently in his second year attending a Level 4 Civil engineering course at Leeds College of Building.

Read on to hear Kian’s thoughts!

Why does this vocation appeal to you?

I wanted an opportunity to learn the trade and be able to earn a wage at the same time. My family have always worked in construction, and it has given me the confidence to go into the trade myself. I have heard a lot of positive feedback from various people working in this industry and this has inspired me to pursue a career in engineering. When I discovered Moortown Group offered apprenticeships I didn’t waste any time and rang them up to see if they were taking on any new apprentices. It wasn’t long till I attended an interview and started work soon after that.

What is the work culture like?

“The work culture is great, I like it a lot here. We have a great set of lads on site and the work is done to a high standard.”

“I enjoy having the ability to set work out for the workers on site. This gives you a huge boost when you come to work, knowing that you are part of the team that has been chosen to complete the work.”

“I enjoy learning new things, and an apprenticeship definitely gives me the opportunity to do so.”

What skills have you learnt? 

Firstly, I was setting out at the start of my apprenticeship which I picked up quite quickly. This was using EDM technology. As I got a few weeks in, there was an opportunity to learn how to set out rotating lasers for different levels. This was hard at first as it is a bit complicated to get your head around, but I am pleased I am continuing to expand my skillset.

What are your future aspirations?

• I really hope I get the top grades at College so I can improve my future prospects.
• I hope to progress into a Site Engineer role.
• Maybe one day I’ll be able to pass on my knowledge in this role to someone younger than me and help them pursue a career in construction.

We look forward to following up on Kian’s progress on his apprenticeship journey.

Training up – Mental Health First Aiders

Last month, we were delighted with the success of several members of our team who gave up their time to learn and educate themselves in training to be Mental Health First Aiders. It’s certainly been a hot topic over the last couple of years and has thankfully started many conversations in how to approach and improve people’s wellbeing, especially in the work place. 

To date, 25% of our total workforce are qualified Mental Health First Aiders, as part of a new initiative that our business has decided to support and act upon. The health and wellbeing of our employees is very important to us, and we’re committed to helping our employees with their mental health and wellbeing by funding the necessary training for our employees. We have taken further steps to signpost across all our offices and sites who the MHFA’s are, contact information and how to seek support. 

     

We have been thrilled by the quality and format of training provided by Roulstone Training that was delivered over a 2 day period, by the very inspirational Lynn Forsyth – a brilliant raconteur to say the least. We look forward to having you back in the near future. 

Needless to say, the impact of Covid has compounded many existing problems, and you don’t have to look far to see the evidence of this in all areas of life. When we just focus on the construction industry alone, a large amount of research and statistics from a combination of sources have revealed the shocking extent of extremely poor mental wellbeing. For these reasons, we felt it was essential in demonstrating a proactive mindset that was willing to embrace change in this stigmatised field. 

The following statistics from the Mates in Mind charity organisation, cites the following information:

• Male site workers in construction are 3x more likely to commit suicide than the average UK male worker.
• A third of construction workers now suffer with chronic anxiety.
• Reluctance to seek professional help among UK construction
• workers is leading to increased alcohol consumption, nonprescription drug use and even self-harm according to a new major study in December 2021.
• Mental health issues are the top reason given for sick days in the UK. Last year more than 17 million working days were lost as a result of stress, anxiety, or depression, according to the HSE.

 – https://www.matesinmind.org/news/mental-health-in-uk-construction-the-statistics 

• Mates in Mind, is a charity established in 2016 and formed with the support from the British Safety Council, also offers mental health training to the UK industry.
• It has built a community of more than 185 supporter organisations, reaching more than 187,000 individuals across the sector.
• We signed up to be a Mates in Mind Supporter earlier in the year so that our business could access a range of resources designed to help us implement their guidance.

It is thought perhaps one of the reasons why construction is much worse than other industries, is due to the nature of the business. Being that there is a heavy focus on subcontracting and diversity of SMEs within the supply chain. This combination evidently makes it harder to identify those that might be suffering from poor mental health, and therefore adds to slipping under the radar as unidentified.

If we hope to learn and become better at handling mental health scenarios, then doing things differently will kick-start change in the right direction. By doing the same old things and expecting different results not only undermines the challenges of improving mental health but frustratingly makes things worse. No one is exempt from poor mental health, but checking in and talking with others can, and does, have the power to save you.

If nothing else, we hope this post will inspire other businesses in the construction industry to provide culture-appropriate wellbeing initiatives that suit their people, because they genuinely care for their employees and want to be part of the positive change in responding to poor mental health and wellbeing.

Tarmac: The effect of high temperatures

Why does tarmac melt?

Given the extreme high temperatures lately, everyone has been effected one way or another whether it’s trying to go from A to B by rail or road. The government advice has been to stay at home if possible and avoid travelling in order to reduce further risk to vehicle tyres on tarmacked roads. 

Tarmac is viscoelastic, meaning it can transition back to liquid when it’s hot enough, despite being strong and sturdy for the most part. The average temperature at which tarmac starts to soften is at around 50°C. 

With current rising temperatures in the UK and around the world, it is inevitable that the tarmac will soften and melt. The weight of heavy traffic severely impacts the roads causing ridges and further danger to other drivers, especially when the air cools and the tarmac hardens again making it brittle. With ground temperatures being much higher than air temperature, roads frequently reach over 50°C.

Can we build better?

Edgar Purnell Hooley, a Welsh inventor, was one of the first to create the product tarmacadam in 1902 which later became very popular as it was extremely smooth. Since then, many materials and ingredients found within tarmac have been upgraded and evolved into modern asphalt concrete and bituminous surface treatments to help protect the surface longer. 

The cost of asphalt and tarmac varies considerably, with asphalt often being the cheaper option and is more commonly used on our motorways. But not all our road surfaces are made from the same type of asphalt or tarmac which is why melting can vary so much. When the air temperatures outside is 25°C, asphalt in the sun has been measured at 51°C. 

Melting tends to only affect the top layer, better known as the surface course layer and this is normally between 3-5cm thick. On heavily trafficked roads, you would typically find three layers: a surface course layer, a binder course layer (about 7cm) and a base layer (10-15cm thick). But on country lanes, which carry less traffic, you’re likely to find only two asphalt layers.

With this in mind, the road industry introduced a new asphalt specification in 1995, allowing asphalt surfacing’s to be made using polymer modified binders. This is so that the softening point of the asphalt is raised to around 80°C instead. In the UK, it is estimated probably less than 5% of all the road surfaces contain polymer modified asphalt. 

The grade of bitumen binder used to make the asphalt is the main contributing factor in how quickly the surface will soften. Harder paving grade bitumen’s are resilient which allows for the asphalt to better withstand high temperatures.

From country to country, you will find a huge variation in quality of product due to the design and build parameters that have been applied. Consequently, any weather extremes are able to cause huge damage to our roads, but planning ahead for such eventualities is essential.

References

https://metro.co.uk/2022/07/17/at-what-temperature-does-tarmac-melt-17013226/

https://www.precisioncivils.co.uk/blog/what-is-tarmac-made-of/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23315384

Apprentice Diaries – Cameron Osguthorpe

Studying a course in Construction and Built Environment T Level at York College, Cameron Osguthorpe is a Trainee Engineer that has already been with Moortown Group for nearly a full year. He has 1 more year left to complete his apprenticeship before he graduates from this course. Read on to hear Cameron’s thoughts on his journey so far and why he chose a career in the construction industry.

Why did you choose this vocation?

“I chose this line of work because I liked the fact it would be very hands on, and it meant predominantly working outside and less time in an office environment. I also wanted to be able to mix with a variety of people so that I could learn as much as possible on site “.

“Construction appears to be an industry that will always be in demand, and that brings some level of stability and security that my skillset will always be needed”.

What skills have you learnt? 

• Learned how to use Topcon Total Station
• Learned to use rotating laser levels
• Learned how to set out

What are your future aspirations?

• To get a degree in Civil Engineering
• To learn and develop my management skills
• To improve my setting out skills and learn more instruments

What has it been like working at Moortown Group?

“I joined Moortown Group in August 2021, and have had the pleasure of working on the University of York’s project which is a huge student accommodation project with contractor Grahams. 

“I enjoy the responsibility of my role very much, and the work you carry out is unlike any College work that’s given to you. It is a good mixture of technical and practical work. Everybody is friendly and helpful. It feels great to be learning skills whilst getting paid.”

We’re looking forward to supporting Cameron in his next chapter at Moortown Group.

Project Win – Harrogate Hydro

We are delighted to share another recent project win for ISG and Harrogate Borough Council. The Hydro Leisure Centre is located in the Jennyfields area of  Harrogate and will be undergoing a large refurbishment totalling £11.8m of works.

Our works will include the new pad foundations, lift pit and the extension of the ground floor slab. Further alterations will be made to the existing drainage, and there will new drainage installed to accommodate the new layout.

The project will develop the existing building into a modern and energy-efficient two-storey extension, with a new entrance, cafe and reception area. Other features inside the Hydro include a new 400 sqm fitness suite with sauna and steam rooms and much improved changing area facilities. There will be demolition to the existing entrance creating space for a larger cafe and reception area on the ground floor. There will also be an area for new bicycle storage and six electric vehicle charging points.

This win comes shortly after the success of starting works at the Knaresborough Leisure Centre last month, as part of a huge overhaul of upgrading these public facilities and making them fit for purpose, as well as significantly more energy efficient. Through careful energy monitoring and control systems, these measures invested by Harrogate Borough Council have so far included the installation of solar panels and various insulation improvements in order to halve the carbon footprint generated.  These actions come as a result of the bid won by the Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) public sector decarbonisation scheme.

The works for this multi-million pound refurbishment project will be completed by April 2023.

Upgrading Leisure Facilities

At the start of the month, we commenced works on a new site in Knaresborough for Harrogate Borough Council and Alliance Leisure working alongside ISG. The existing Leisure Centre in Knaresborough town is receiving a substantial upgrade as part of a £28m duo project win for ISG.

The project consists of a new-build leisure and wellness centre that will provide a six-lane 25m pool, sauna and steam room. There will also be new fitness suite and café, along with a much improved outdoor play area, with electric car charging points and a bicycle storage area.

Our works package includes:

• Bulk excavation
• Foundations
• Fabrication of reinforcement cages
• Drainage

Restoration Project Complete

Moortown Group started works on the restoration project for York Guildhall back in September 2019 and last month the job achieved completion.

The £21.7m construction will see the building stabilised through major underpinning and protected from water damage with the aim of giving it a new burst of life, located in the heart of the City.

     

The project is a mixture of Grade I, II* and II listed buildings built around the 15th century hall and riverside meeting room. Previously, the Guildhall had only received minimum repair works since the WW2 bombings in 1942 that caused severe damage to all these buildings.

This project has required a delicate and thorough approach to fulfil and deliver extensive works to this historic building. The redevelopment of the Guildhall will allow for new spaces for community use, high quality office space, a café and a new riverside restaurant.

     

Existing issues on the site included things such as significant structural problems with the riverside tower which were subsiding and cracking. Moortown took the lead with the groundworks, RC frame and the external works.

With the location of this site being logistically very challenging alongside the River Ouse, it meant careful planning and operations to use the river in order to erect an on-site Tower Crane and provide access for deliveries. This would otherwise have proven impossible via road and allowed for the reduction of many road deliveries into a heavily pedestrianised area.

     

Project Manager, Rob Henderson from VINCI Construction UK, commented they were thrilled with the professional service delivered across all aspects of the project.

Membership with Mates in Mind

    

We are delighted to share we’ve recently enlisted as a new member of Mates in Mind. Mates in Mind is a leading UK charity raising awareness and addressing the stigma of poor mental health. They promote and lead on the development of positive mental wellbeing within the workplace with a particular focus on construction, as well as related sectors including transport, logistics, manufacturing, and others. Mates in Mind aims to provide clear information to employers about the available support and guidance on mental health and wellbeing, and how they can address this within their organisations.

After a very tough couple of years in the pandemic, support services like these are in great demand. We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. Mental ill health can strike at any time and can affect people from all walks of life. Construction work has a variety of pressures from tight contracts to long hours, time away from loved-ones and managing budgets, not to mention the added stresses of the pandemic and now the rising costs of supplies.

Although things are improving, stigma still exists around mental ill health. As a society, we don’t tend to know how to take care of our mental health like we do our physical health. This means that people may not know how to support a friend, family member or colleague experiencing a mental health issue, or where to go for support with their own mental health.

Many organisations have already taken steps to support their workforce and provided varying levels of mental health guidance. Things such as Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a training course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue. It won’t teach you to be a therapist, but it will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and even potentially stop a crisis from happening. Recognising warning signs of mental ill health, and develop the skills and confidence to approach and support someone whilst learning how to empower them and access the support they might need for recovery.

There is such high value in being able to understand how to support positive wellbeing and tackle the stigma, as Mental Health statistics show that construction is shockingly higher than the national average. As a Mates in Mind Supporter, we’ll be able to have access to a range of resources, training and support, designed to help our organisation.