Success recognised at the 2013 Construction News Awards... Van Elle is delighted to announce that it recently won the ‘Specialist Contractor of the Year’ category at the 2013 Construction News Awards, which took place on 11th July at Grosvenor House Hotel in London. Around 1200 delegates attended the awards event, which attracted entries from across the UK. Van Elle were described by the judging panel as “A specialist ground engineering company with a clearly defined vision and strategy. Van Elle’s approach to behavioural safety and training and pragmatic problem-solving ethos sets it apart from others in this sector.” “The winners of the Construction News Awards 2013 represent the very best of an innovative, dynamic industry that builds everything from breath-taking towers that change the skyline, to schools hospitals and roads that change people’s lives. These companies are leading the way in adopting a more sustainable, collaborative and responsible approach to construction. Congratulations to all the winners; they are a fantastic reflection of the huge contribution that construction makes to the economy, the jobs market and wider society.” Rebecca Evans, Editor Message from our Chairman... Welcome to the Autumn edition of our newsletter. Summer seems to have passed quickly and I am sure that we are all thankful for the good weather we have experienced. Since February we have seen a marked increase in construction activity resulting in our forward orders standing at their highest level since 2007. Our enquiry levels are at an all time high and we are confident that our continued growth will be sustained. In order to meet the demand for our services we have invested over £3 million in new plant and equipment including a Soilmec R625 rotary bored piling rig, 2 Colmar RRVs, 2 Klemm 709s, 2 BSP top-drive hammers, 2 Movax side-grip hammers and a Soilmec SF50. We have also purchased a new 6.5 acre yard in Kirkby in Ashfield which will enable us to increase production of our Smartfoot ® precast modular foundation system and to expand other areas of our business too. Having carried out and successfully completed work on some of the UK’s largest and highest profile rail projects in recent years, Van Elle have built an excellent reputation in this busy sector and our Rail Division is growing fast. Other high value contracts have also been secured across the UK, whilst further substantial projects are currently being negotiated. Much of our recent financial investment has been in specialist rail plant, increasing our ability to meet ever-more demanding programmes, growing our service offering and ultimately, reducing costs for piling, anchoring and nailing projects for OHLE, gantries, platform extensions, signal bases and embankment stabilisation. Our recruitment process continues with staff numbers having increased considerably over the past three months bringing new exciting opportunities to existing and new staff alike. One of the highlights of the year so far was being crowned the Construction News Specialist Contractor of the Year for 2013. This award is the crème de la crème of the construction industry and we are very proud to have won it. Not only does it recognise our standing in the industry, but it also reinforces the fact that the people we employ are the best in their field, points which are backed-up by our position in the new CN100 table shown on the back cover. We are four months into our new financial year and have made an encouraging start, with the expectation that we will exceed our turnover and profit forecasts for the financial year. These are exciting times for our company and we are actively exploring a number of avenues and ventures both here and abroad in order to increase our market share. More news on this in our Winter edition. Finally, I hope you enjoy reading our latest newsletter and we look forward to updating you on our progress in December. Michael Ellis - Chairman Meeting clients’ rotary needs... Having recently invested in some of the most innovative and capable equipment in the ground engineering market today, Van Elle has continued this theme with the purchase of a new Soilmec R625 rotary bored piling rig. This superb, powerful rig has the ability to drill up to 50m deep and 2.1m in diameter through some of the most difficult ground conditions the UK has to offer. Ideally suited to installing piles for housing through to those required to support large structures in other sectors or to form contig/ secant piled retaining walls, this rig increases Van Elle’s capability to include even larger rotary bored piles within its impressive list of services. Continued on the back page... Did you know... Distinctly Dali-esque in design, the Crooked House as shown above was built in 2004 and is a major tourist attraction in Sopot, Poland. www.van-elle.co.uk The design was inspired by the drawings of Polish artists Jan Marcin Szancer and Per Dahlberg, and it is actually part of a shopping complex and not a house at all. TheVanElleGraph Housing Special Autumn 2013 01773 580580 [email protected]www.van-elle.co.uk
Transcript
Success recognised at the 2013
Construction News Awards...
Van Elle is delighted to announce that it recently won the ‘Specialist Contractor of the Year’ category at the 2013 Construction News Awards, which took place on 11th July at Grosvenor House Hotel in London. Around 1200 delegates attended the awards event, which attracted entries from across the UK. Van Elle were described by the judging panel as “A specialist ground engineering company with a clearly defined vision and strategy. Van Elle’s approach to behavioural safety and training and pragmatic problem-solving ethos sets it apart from others in this sector.”
“The winners of the Construction News Awards 2013 represent the very best of an innovative, dynamic industry that builds everything from breath-taking towers that change the skyline, to schools hospitals and roads that change people’s lives. These companies are leading the way in adopting a more sustainable, collaborative and responsible approach to construction. Congratulations to all the winners; they are a fantastic reflection of the huge contribution that construction makes to the economy, the jobs market and wider society.” Rebecca Evans, Editor
Message from our Chairman...
Welcome to the Autumn edition of our newsletter. Summer seems to have passed quickly and I am sure that we are all thankful for the good weather we have experienced. Since February we have seen a marked increase in construction activity resulting in our forward orders standing at their highest level since 2007. Our enquiry levels are at an all time high and we are confident that our continued growth will be sustained. In order to meet the demand for our services we have invested over £3 million in new plant and equipment including a Soilmec R625 rotary bored piling rig, 2 Colmar RRVs, 2 Klemm 709s, 2 BSP top-drive hammers, 2 Movax side-grip hammers and a Soilmec SF50. We have also purchased a new 6.5 acre yard in Kirkby in Ashfield which will enable us to increase production of our Smartfoot® precast modular foundation system and to expand other areas of our business too. Having carried out and successfully completed work on some of the UK’s largest and highest profile rail projects in recent years, Van Elle have built an excellent reputation in this busy sector and our Rail Division is growing fast. Other high value contracts have also been secured across the UK, whilst further substantial projects are currently being negotiated. Much of our recent financial investment has been in specialist rail plant, increasing our ability to meet ever-more demanding programmes, growing our service offering and ultimately, reducing costs for piling, anchoring and nailing projects for OHLE, gantries, platform extensions, signal bases and embankment stabilisation. Our recruitment process continues with staff numbers having increased considerably over the past three months bringing new exciting opportunities to existing and new staff alike. One of the highlights of the year so far was being crowned the Construction News Specialist Contractor of the Year for 2013. This award is the crème de la crème of the construction industry and we are very proud to have won it. Not only does it recognise our standing in the industry, but it also reinforces the fact that the people we employ are the best in their field, points which are backed-up by our position in the new CN100 table shown on the back cover. We are four months into our new financial year and have made an encouraging start, with the expectation that we will exceed our turnover and profit forecasts for the financial year. These are exciting times for our company and we are actively exploring a number of avenues and ventures both here and abroad in order to increase our market share. More news on this in our Winter edition.
Finally, I hope you enjoy reading our latest newsletter and we look forward to updating you on our progress in December.
Michael Ellis - Chairman
Meeting clients’
rotary needs...
Having recently invested in some of the most innovative and capable equipment in the ground engineering market today, Van Elle has continued this theme with the purchase of a new Soilmec R625 rotary bored piling rig. This superb, powerful rig has the ability to drill up to 50m deep and 2.1m in diameter through some of the most difficult ground conditions the UK has to offer. Ideally suited to installing piles for housing through to those required to support large structures in other sectors or to form contig/secant piled retaining walls, this rig increases Van Elle’s capability to include even larger rotary bored piles within its impressive list of services. Continued on the back page...
Did you know...
Distinctly Dali-esque in design, the Crooked House as shown above was built in 2004 and is a major tourist attraction in Sopot, Poland.
www.van-elle.co.uk
The design was inspired by the drawings of Polish artists Jan Marcin Szancer and Per Dahlberg, and it is actually part of a shopping complex and not a house at all.
Van Elle’s success over recent years has been as a result of and has led to significant investment being made in the latest rigs, the development of new products & techniques and a branching into new sectors and specialisms. All of this growth brings with it the requirement for increased maintenance areas, production facilities, storage room and the ability to house the additional office staff. To this end, the company has recently purchased a 6.5 acre site in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire with a new purpose-built casting facility ideal for the production of Smartfoot® precast ground beams and VeMech piles. The offices are currently being refurbished, there are multiple maintenance and fabrication sheds and plenty of space to store our ever expanding fleet and consumables. Located only a few hundred yards down the road from the head office, it is ideally situated, offering easy access to the M1 and A38.
The Smartfoot® Precast Modular Foundation system is cost effective
providing strength, accuracy and speed like no other foundations...
Ideal for a wide range of structures including domestic dwellings, hotels, hospitals, MOD barracks and commercial units, Smartfoot® is extremely versatile and sustainable using only as much concrete and steel as is required to carry the loadings. This unique and innovative system is based upon proven post-tensioning technology. Both NHBC and National Building Control approved, Smartfoot® is particularly suited to reclaimed and brownfield sites and areas affected by land gases. Minimum site preparation is required, greatly reducing or eliminating landfill tax and uniquely, where ground conditions prove good enough, it can be installed directly onto the ground without the need for piles. As the UK’s leading independent geotechnical engineering company and with the largest portfolio of services and products of any company in the sector, Van Elle also offer the complete package, including piling, where required.
The Benefits of Smartfoot®
Manufactured under strict quality controlled conditions.
Once tensioned, it acts as a single unit.
Rapid on-site construction.
Minimal site preparation.
Can be installed with or without piles.
Sustainable & environmentally friendly.
Excavations and offsite landfill taxes significantly reduced.
Complete in-house design and installation package.
Strong, durable & versatile.
Unlike competitor’s systems, every beam is designed bespoke for that location, on that plot, on that site.
Ideal for semi-permanent structures as can be installed, de-stressed at a later date and re-installed in a new location.
Completely dry so no deliveries of wet materials to site.
Effect of weather greatly reduced as lifts can only be affected by high winds.
Ideally suited to modular structures.
Cost effective.
From starting the design to installation on site can take as little as 7 days.
Installed by professional full-time employees of Van Elle.
Design: A bespoke and fully automated design package is used to produce the most efficient foundation design possible, sending a casting schedule for each beam to our factory upon completion.
Manufacture: Smartfoot® is manufactured in steel moulds ensuring repetitive engineering tolerances and the very highest quality finish.
Installation: Beams are lowered into position and high-tensile steel cables are post-tensioned to lock the structure together effectively creating a raft.
Please see the Van Elle
website at www.van-elle.co.uk
for the full Smartfoot®
brochure.
Site Investigation
Drilling & Grouting
Ground Anchors & Soil Nails
Piling
Restricted Access Piling
Smartfoot® Precast Modular Foundations
Geotechnical Design
Develop your knowledge of Ground Engineering
with the 2013 Specialist Contractor of the Year
Following an extremely successful delivery of CPDs so far in 2013, Van Elle are pleased to offer all contractors, engineers, developers, universities and industry bodies, the chance for one of our extremely knowledgeable and experienced team members to visit your office and provide an hour long introduction into the world of innovative site investigation, ground stabilisation, restricted access piling, open site piling, embankment stabilisation and the Smartfoot® precast modular foundation system. Having already carried out more than 50 CPDs across the UK in 2013, why not let us demonstrate how the development of innovative, sustainable and value engineered solutions are benefitting the industry and helping to reduce the impact upon the planet. With an average feedback score of 4.8/5 and the opportunity to ask questions or discuss specific issues or solutions, then what better way for your team to spend an hour, learning about this challenging and interesting sector and having lunch on us? If you would like to arrange for us to come along to your offices and give a CPD certified presentation or if you wish to attend one of our regional breakfast seminars, please contact Carol Perez on Tel: 01773 580580 or e-mail: [email protected]
Following much economic
unrest over recent years,
Van Elle are regularly called
upon to assist in stabilising
the UK…
Van Elle are more than just a piling and ground beam specialist. We are also one of the largest and most experienced ground stabilisation contractors in the UK offering drilling & grouting, soil nail and ground anchor solutions. Over many years of operating in the grouting market, the company has earned an enviable reputation for providing value engineered solutions for the consolidation of abandoned mineral/mine workings, shafts, sewers/drains, tunnels, culverts, adits, basements and solution features. Our continued investment in new rigs and equipment coupled with our bespoke software packages, enable us to accurately quote and provide the most efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly solution every time.
We work on projects of all sizes regardless of where in the UK they are located. Our engineers have a wealth of knowledge and are happy to discuss and offer advice on specific projects and likely solutions.
Our large fleet of rigs and skilled operatives means we can install ground/rock anchors, soil nails and tie rods in all types of ground conditions and most types of access conditions. These techniques are suitable for roads, rail, ports, commercial, utilities and residential. The rigs range from 3t to 30t making us extremely versatile - work can be carried out from scaffolds, within tunnels, on steep embankments and over quarry walls and retaining walls. Ground (or rock) anchors are used to retain structures and slopes in all forms of construction. The type and size of the anchor along with its construction method depends on ground conditions, loading and accessibility. Anchors can be used for temporary or permanent works. Soil nailing is used to stabilise existing slopes and walls and to allow for slope cutting and steepening for applications such as road widening. We use the technique in virtually all ground conditions, simply adapting the construction method to suit site conditions. Soil nailing is usually used in conjunction with a system of meshing on the face of the slope and/or guniting (sprayed concrete). Soil nails can be used for temporary and permanent solutions. Our rigs are capable of installing tie rods for stabilisation of bridges and other structures. Ties can be installed horizontally or inclined through masonry, fill, concrete, & natural soils.
Van Elle supporting the community…
In keeping with Van Elle’s long standing commitment to supporting the communities in which we work, Van Elle have recently become the main sponsor for one of the country’s top Sunday league football teams… Kirkby Town FC. Having won all 34 games last season in the Nottinghamshire Sunday league, with the support of Van Elle, KTFC are hoping for a similar level of success in the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 seasons in the premier division. Currently employing many local people and with the new concrete manufacturing facility soon to open only a few hundred yards down the road from the ground, we are very excited to be able to play a part, such as this, in the local community, supporting many of the town’s very talented youngsters.
KTFC (in orange) en-route to beating Queen Adelaide FC in their first game of the 2013/2014 season, 5-2.
Top: Drilling anchors over a harbour wall. Right: Drilling nails and anchors on the M1.
Construction News Top 100 Contractors…
For the 6th consecutive year, Van Elle has topped the tables for sector performance. With turnover up nearly £4m on the previous year and the growth for the financial year ending April 2013 looking to have been equally as healthy, the UK’s largest privately owned ground engineering contractor is in a great position as the geotechnical market and economy as a whole gain in strength. Van Elle’s profits to April 2013 are up a further 30% on the figures shown below and much of this growth is as a result of the company’s diversification into specialist sectors and the efficiency gains from the many new modern rigs in the fleet and the investments we have made in training and staffing levels.
* RESULTS FOR PERIOD 1 AUGUST 2011 TO 31 DECEMBER 2011
Did you know …… The Dancing House was built on a vacant riverfront plot where a 19th century townhouse had once stood; destroyed during the bombing of Prague in 1945. The neighbouring house was co-owned by Czech ex-president Vaclav Havel who ordered the first architectural study and supported the building.
Chesterfield Junior Blues U7s not so blue…
Van Elle’s long standing Group IT Manager, Gavin Long, having recently completed his FA level 1 coaching certificate, has been appointed coach for the Chesterfield Junior Blues under 7s. In their first game of the season, they played Barlborough under 7s and enjoyed a close fought match with lots of goals. “I couldn’t have been more proud to see the lads putting in so much effort and having such a great time whilst playing for the first time together”. Gavin Long, Van Elle Group IT Manager
10 10 0 Rock and Alluvium 13.7 13.8 -0.7 -0.6 -0.3 -4.4 30/06/12
Morris are dancing all the way
Van Elle’s new Soilmec R625 has recently completed the first phase of its first project for one of the UK’s leading regional house builders; Morris Homes.
The project, Vista on London Road in Peterborough, was split into 2 phases with the contiguous piled retaining wall being constructed first, followed by the bearing piles for the new homes.
Situated on an incline, there were two roads above the site which first needed to be retained prior to the digging-out for the new properties. Ground conditions were demanding and precluded a CFA technique being proposed so Van Elle looked for the next most cost-effective solution and rotary bored met all of the project requirements. Having recently taken delivery of the new Soilmec R625, this site presented the challenging ground conditions that this rig was meant to deal with… and it did, admirably. The piles for the contig. wall were approx. 10m deep with temporary casing down to the top of the 1-1.5m thick limestone band which the piles had to penetrate. Depending on localised ground conditions, piles were top filled via controlled placement if the bores were dry or tremie pour if the bores were wet. The retained height of the wall was approximately 3-4m. In all, there were 118No. 600mmØ rotary bored piles in the wall and the second phase consists of a further 196No. 450mmØ CFA bearing piles.
