The return of the Executive has brought fresh opportunities for the Construction Employers Federation to directly engage on the industries behalf and recently a CEF team met with three Executive ministers. They included Infrastructure Minister John O’ Dowd MLA who emphasised that DfI is positioning itself as the enabling department within the Executive’s ambition for economic growth. The Chairs of CEF’s Civil Engineering and Housing Committees, Leo Martin and Martin Mallon, shared their experience of the mounting pressures caused by prolonged underfunding of vital infrastructure underpinning t ..read more

Specialist plant machinery attachments manufacturers Hill Engineering will debut two new products at Hillhead 2024. Hill’s stand will showcase their new-version 20-tonne Tefra Connect coupler and Tefra Connect display unit as well as a Tefra quick-hitch for a JCB 3CX, a 20-tonne Tefra Tilt coupler, a 35-tonne Tefra, and a 13-tonne bucket and thumb combination. The Tefra Connect is the new way to connect hydraulic tools automatically, while retaining the ability to also use standard attachments when required – a revolutionary new coupler that can connect any hydraulic work tool safely and autom ..read more

Gas Networks Ireland has announced that Irish Tar & Bitumen Suppliers (“Irish Tar”) is the first company in its industry to switch from powering parts of its operations with heavy fuel oil (HFO) to using a combination of both natural and renewable gas – significantly reducing their carbon emissions by almost one third, overnight. Over the course of its 86-year history, Irish Tar has become one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of high-quality bituminous road binders for the road construction and road maintenance industry in Ireland.  Through its partnership with Gas Networks ..read more

Husqvarna Construction is launching their lightest and most compact demolition robot ever. The new DXR 95 adds a fifth model to the company’s diverse range of high-quality demolition robots, giving its customers a huge productivity boost in confined spaces. As a partner for construction professionals all over the world, Husqvarna Construction can now offer a demolition robot that is both powerful and easily portable. The DXR 95 packs a strong punch, thanks to a high-efficiency powertrain delivering 9.8kW of power and 250 bar of pressure to the end-of-arm tool. Yet, weighing in at around half a ..read more

CASE Construction Equipment have upgraded their mid-sized wheel loader range, with the launch of an eighth model. The all-new 651G Evolution fills a gap between the 621G and the 721G. Based on the parent model, the 621G, the new loader is said to offer improved loading performance for class-leading levels of productivity. The larger 721G, 821G and 921G Evolution models have also been upgraded and now boast increased tipping loads and bucket dump heights, further improving productivity for customers. This additional performance has allowed CASE to offer a new range of higher-capacity rehandling ..read more

As the Editor of Plant and Civil Engineer Magazine, I pride myself on providing straightforward commentary. Serving as THE voice of the industry in Ireland, I oversee the compilation of all content. While I’m still relatively new to the role, having been on the job for a year, I’m thoroughly enjoying the experience and the opportunity to engage with industry experts who continuously enhance my understanding of the machinery I cover. So, if you haven’t already put me on your circulation and contact list for your news and views, please do so now – my contact details are below. The truth is that ..read more

So much for COP28 pledges! My previous edition comment focused on the genuine commitment, not just to talking about change, but to taking tangible actions to make change happen. Since then, in the UK, both Sunak and Starmer have watered down their commitments. The Irish Government has made pledges too, and I’m not aware of any back-down there. Nevertheless, in its most recent report, the Irish EPA says: “Ireland will achieve a reduction of 29 per cent in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 compared to a target of 51 per cent,” adding “The first two carbon budgets (2021-2030) will not be me ..read more

Glenigan, one of the construction industry’s leading insight experts, has released the April 2024 edition of its Construction Index, showing Northern Ireland as the strongest performing region in the UK for Project-Starts, 28% up on this time last year. The Index focuses on the three months to the end of March 2024, covering all underlying projects, with a total value of £100m or less (unless otherwise indicated), with all figures seasonally adjusted. It’s a report which provides a detailed and comprehensive analysis of year-on-year construction data, giving built environment professionals a u ..read more

NI Water has awarded an ECI (Early Contractor Involvement) contract to progress designs for the much-needed upgrade of three Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) around the North Foreshore area of Belfast Lough to an integrated team comprising local contractor, GRAHAM; civil designer, Stantec and process contractor, MWH Treatment. Working collaboratively with NI Water and its project managers from Belfast-based RPS, the appointed team will strive to develop innovative, efficient and sustainable solutions for the extensive upgrade of the Whitehouse, Greenisland and Carrickfergus WwTW within their ..read more

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