Kristiansund Opera and Cultural Centre

Kristiansund Opera and Cultural Centre will house Norway's oldest opera, dating back to 1805. Furthermore it is intended to be the new cultural power centre of Kristiansund, the capital of the region of Nordmøre, and a landmark to the entire region. 

Apart from the opera the new cultural centre will house a ballet centre, library, college centre, conference rooms, a restaurant, and a café. The task has been to integrate two existing buildings, one of them the former Folkets Hus, in the new and create a vibrant urban space around the building by connecting the cultural centre with the pedestrian streets, squares and a nearby park. 



Kulturkvartalet, as the project made by C. F. Møller Architects is called, unites the different cultural functions in a dynamic and creative environment, centred round the main concert hall. The concert hall has been designed to offer sublime acoustics and super flexible theatre settings. 

"Working on the project has been a very inspiring process so far. We have clearly sensed the tradition and pride, that the project is founded on," states partner Klaus Toustrup. 

The other first prize in the competition for the Kristiansund Opera and Cultural Centre goes to the Norwegian firm Space Group in collaboration with the London firm Brisac Gonzales for their project "Silencio". 

The two winning teams will now go into a clarification process before one of the parties is entrusted with the task.

The other participants in the contest were: Snøhetta AS, Jarmund / Vigsnæs AS Architects in collaboration with Wingårdh Arkitektkontor AB and a team consisting of Nordplan, 70 ° nord architecture, and Mestre Waag Arquitectes. 

The inauguration of the Kristiansund Opera and Cultural Centre is planned to take place in 2013.

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 images / information from C. F. Møller Architects

Gorgeous Treehotel in Sweden

A Treehotel in Sweden which opened this month has been attracting the attention of tourists and local citizens alike. Set in the pristine surroundings of the forests of the country, the hotel is actually a series of prefabricated treehouse units which have several sustainable features incorporated in it.

The hotel is located just miles away from the Artic Circle, which is a favourite with tourists visiting the country. The hotel looks as if it is hanging with the support of adjoining trees, while actually it is supported by them. 

The hotel units will be accessible by rope bridge, with each one of them providing accommodation for two, with a double bed, kitchenette and roof terrace.

Rio Tinto to expand western Australia operations

Mining giant Rio Tinto has announced the $200m expansion of its iron ore operations in Western Australia.

The cash injection will be used to fund dredging contracts as part of early works on the expansion of the Cape Lambert port (CLB), supporting the Pilbara operations' overall capacity increase by 50 percent to 330 million tonnes a year.

The dredging will be completed as part of the proposed construction of an additional 1.8km, four-berth jetty and wharf at Cape Lambert to increase its current annual capacity of 80 million tonnes by a further 100 million tonnes.

Rio Tinto chief executive Iron Ore and Australia Sam Walsh said the dredging works would help ensure that subsequent decisions on the expansion of operations could be implemented as quickly and efficiently as possible.
"Rio Tinto has a proven track record of managing large-scale iron ore expansion projects, and this decision should be seen in that light. It is important at this stage that we advance this process in an orderly manner, and this decision does that," Mr Walsh said.
The company’s decision to forge ahead with plans to expand came after Australia’s labour government backed down on plans to introduce a “super tax” on mining profits, reducing its headline rates from 40% to 30%.
Rio Tinto had put all of its operations in Australia under review following the announcement of the super tax.
The move ultimately led to the resignation of Kevin Rudd as prime minister, and the appointment of Julia Gillard as Australia’s first ever female prime minister.
"While the Australian Government's decision to abandon its Resource Super Profits Tax in favour of the proposed Minerals Resource Rent Tax was a major step forward, we remain cautious over what legislation will finally be in place."
The dredging works are dependent upon a number of government and other approvals, most notably that of the Robe River joint venture partners with regard to the Cape Lambert port.
by CW Staff 




http://www.constructionweekonline.com

Concrete Chain Saws

A concrete saw  is a power tool, that is made for cutting concrete, masonry, brick, asphalt, tile and other solid materials. The concrete saws are powered by gasoline, hydraulic or pneumatic pressure or electric motors. The significant friction generated in cutting hard substances like concrete usually requires the blades to be cooled to prolong their life and reduce dust. Blades are either abrasive or diamond tipped. These concrete saws can be either hand-held, mounted on a stand, or wheeled by hand or motor. 

DIAMOND CHAINS

Concrete saw blades are considered to be one of the strongest blades made, as they are associated with the toughest and deepest cutting jobs. These are available in different thickness and width variant. The concrete saws are best for professional users, and suits drainage contractors, plumbers & gas fitters, car wreckers, hire companies, concrete contractors, demolition work etc. You can find various well known brands like Target, Husqvarna, MK Diamond, Partner, Makita, Dewalt, Core Cut, ICS & Imer for concrete chainsaws.

Benefits of Good System of Roads

• Roads are essential for the economic development of a country. For speedy transportation of commodities a good network of roads is essential.

• Road mileage has nowadays become a symbol of prosperity and advancement of a country.

• During emergencies such as accidents, the injured person can be rushed immediately to a hospital through a good system of roads. In such cases only a sufferer can understand the value of good system of roads.

• A good network of roads enables villagers to transport their commodities to the market speedily and easily.

• A good system of roads helps in the growth of trade and other economic activities all over the country.

• During floods and droughts, the basic commodities can be efficiently rushed from the other parts of the country through a good system of roads.

• A good system of roads serves as a feeder line for other modes of transport and thus helps indirectly in their development.

• For the efficient functioning of the country’s defence force, a good system  of roads plays a vital role.

Safety experts: constant monitoring is vital

Why Tension Membrane Structures?

The semi-translucent nature of fabric structures is what makes them a favourite with engineers and architects looking for roofing systems to cover large areas, such as sports stadia or terminals. Fabric structures help in increasing the sustainability quotient of a building in more ways than one. The fabric allows for entry of natural light, while cutting down the transmission of heat. The high reflectivity of the membrane makes it an ideal alternative to glass as a roof glazing system. 

Tension membrane structures are usually reinforced using either PVC /Polyester or PTFE based coatings. This makes the fabric structure perform well from the fire performance perspective too. For example, a tension membrane structure with PTFE coating is rated non combustible as per ASTM 136, making them completely safe. Additionally the inert nature of the fabric aids in self-cleaning, a characteristic which makes them perfectly suited for application over large areas. The dependency on artificial lighting is vastly reduced.

The unique properties of light reflectance and transmission also offer exciting possibilities for lighting after dark. Directing lights under the canopy to reflect off the underside is a great way to use uplighters, but more even lighting can be achieved under the fabric by shining lights down on the fabric from above.The thermal insulation achieved with a single layer of either PVC/Polyester or PTFE membrane with a typical weight of around 1200gm per sq metre and a U value of approximately 4.5 W/m2K, is more or less similar to that of glass. White is mostly the preferred colour when it comes to tension membrane structures. This is because with dark coloured membranes, the absorption of heat is very high. Dark coloured membranes can also re-radiate heat. White is therefore the preferred choice in the case of tension membrane fabrics. 

Cost Engineering and Quantity Surveying

 Cost Engineering and Quantity Surveying have similar and highly overlapping functions. Quantity Surveying relates more to building design and construction, while Cost Engineering relates more to engineering projects and processes. However Cost Engineers and Quantity Surveyors commonly work in both areas. Cost Engineering and Quantity Surveying differ primarily in the route taken to professional qualification, not to any substantive difference in the two professions. Project Management overlaps both Quantity Surveying and Cost Engineering in the project cost management area to some degree but most Project Management functions are quite different from those of Cost Engineering and Quantity Surveying.


The following document summarizes the conclusions of discussions held at ICEC International Congresses and endeavors to compare the similarities and differences between the three professions, in terms of cost management matters only. A definition of entire scope of Project Management activity is not intended, nor should it be inferred, from this document. 




Cost Engineering (CE) and Quantity Surveying (QS)
Functions.


To provide independent, objective, accurate, and reliable capital and operating cost assessments usable for investment funding and project control.


To analyze investment and development for the guidance of owners, financiers and contractors.


CE and QS include:

• - estimates of capital or asset costs including development costs;
• - estimates of operating and manufacturing costs through an asset's life cycle;
• - risk assessment and analysis;
• - trending of scope and cost changes;
• - decision analysis;
• - financial analysis (eg, net present value, rate of return, etc);
• - project cost control;
• - appraisals of existing assets;
• - project analyses, databases, and benchmarking;
• - planning and scheduling;
• - siting studies, etc.;
• - productive and investment needs assessment;
• - facility management needs assessment;
• - project feasibility and budget assessment; 
• - cost management;
• - procurement management;
• - contract administration;
• - whole-life appraisals;
• - quality audits;
• - value management;
• - dispute resolution.

These are typical functions of the CE or QS but not all practitioners in the field perform all of these functions. Many specialize in a limited number of these functions.


The CE or QS provides information by:

•  estimating costs and analyzing risk,
• - trending and controlling costs and assessing design, and
• - documenting costs.

These are interdependent and feed back to each other. They include:

• - analyzing cost,
• - assessing design,
• - assessing risks,
• - trending costs,
• - advising clients,
• - managing cash flows,
• - preparing feasibility analyses, and
• - assessing life-cycle costs.

www.icoste.org/