London 2012 Olympic Games
Introduction
The 2012 Olympic Games in London represents a major opportunity for stainless steel and our industry. The budget for the construction of the 30 venues alone is £2.4 billion and this is dwarfed by the spending on related transport infrastructure projects, totalling some £17 billion. Amongst this spending there are many opportunities for the use of stainless steel.
The BSSA will continue to add relevant stainless steel related news articles to this area of the website whenever possible. This can be viewed under the lastest news section below.
The Olympics is organised by two bodies that are responsible for the preparation and staging of the Olympic Games; the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. These are discussed in more detail further down the page.
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Business Network
As a way of encouraging businesses to compete for contracts a Business Network has been launched (www.london2012.com/business) which contains all of the current and future London 2012 opportunities. By registering for ‘CompeteFor’ companies can register their product and services so they can be matched to contractor’s requirements. Further information can be viewed at the bottom of this page.
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Latest news
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The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA)
About the ODA
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is the public body responsible for developing and building the new venues and infrastructure for the Games and their use post 2012. The ODA has its headquarters in Canary Wharf, together with the London 2012 Organising Committee and it is led by John Armitt (Chairman) and David Higgins (Chief Executive). One of the key responsibilities of the ODA is building the Olympic Park, where much of the action in 2012 will take place.
The ODA’s work is underpinned by five priority themes: health and safety, sustainability, design and accessibility, equality and diversity, and legacy.
A delivery partner (CLM) has been appointed to work with the ODA to project manage the venues and infrastructure programme for the Games. More details on the schedule for building the Park are available in the Olympic Park section and can be viewed by clicking here.
The ODA is also responsible for:
- Building new permanent venues – Permanent works to existing sports venues, like Eton Dorney and Weymouth and Portland
- Planning and delivery on both transport infrastructure and services to support the 2012 Games projects
- Converting the Olympic Park for long-term use after the Games
- Making sure the project sets new standards for sustainable development.The ODA is planning Games-time and long-term use together to make sure the area will be regenerated, leaving housing, schools and health facilities for the local community after 2012 alongside world class sports facilities.Legal statusThe ODA was established by the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act, which received Royal Assent in March 2006. The Act was passed to ensure the necessary planning and preparation for the Games can take place. It allows the ODA to:
- Buy, sell and hold land
- Make arrangements for building works and develop transport and other infrastructure
- Develop a Transport Plan for the Games, with which other agencies must co-operate, and make orders regulating traffic on the Olympic Road Network
- Be the local planning authority for The Olympic Park area
- As a public body, the ODA is accountable to Government, the GLA and other stakeholders for its workTo visit the ODA website click here
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The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG)
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for preparing and staging the 2012 Games. LOCOG is led by Sebastian Coe (Chair) and Paul Deighton (Chief Executive) and is based in Canary Wharf along with the Olympic Delivery Authority.
By the time of the 2012 Opening Ceremony around 100,000 people will be working on the Games – including 3,000 staff, up to 70,000 volunteers and a large number of contractors.
What is LOCOG responsible for?
LOCOG is responsible for staging a memorable Games in 2012 with the aim of delivering the best possible Olympic and Paralympic Games experience for everyone involved, ensuring a real legacy, and inspiring people to join in.
As well as staging the 2012 Games, LOCOG will also be responsible for staging a series of test events in the year before the Games; recruiting and training volunteers; and overseeing the four year Cultural Olympiad leading up to the Games.
Where does the money come from?
Funding for the Organising Committee comes mainly from the private sector. A total of £2 billion will be raised from sources including sponsorship, broadcasting rights and selling merchandise. The London 2012 brand needs to be closely protected to ensure that these funds can be raised.
Legal status
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Limited is a company registered in England and Wales, with its registered office at One Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5LN and registered number 05267819.
To visit the LOCOG website click here
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Construction Products Association (CPA)
The voice of the industry
The Construction Products Association represents 85% by value, of all manufacturers and suppliers of construction products in the UK, including 24 of the largest companies in the industry, as well as 43 sector trade associations. Collectively, the industry provides 20% of goods manufactured in this country. It acts as the voice of the construction products sector representing the industry wide view of its members.
CPA Facts
The construction products industry is at the heart of the UK economy, providing essential materials for our homes, schools, hospitals, offices, roads and railways.
Every year the industry:
- Has an output of more than £40 billion
- Exports in excess of 10% of outputAccounts for:
- 4% of the UK’s Gross Domestic Product
- Employs more than 650,000 people in almost 30,000 companiesEveryone who belongs to one of the 43 trade association members is a member of the Construction Products Association and can have complete access to the CPA’s information.To visit the CPA website click hereThe CPA’s Olympic Liaison Group (OLG) is open to members and non-members who have registered to receive regular updates about Olympics Projects. The group also meets when there are key developments to report and to discuss how the industry can most effectively input into this major construction programme.For more information about the Olympic Liason Group click here
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The Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
The BERR (Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) held a conference recently on the 2012 Olympics in which a number of useful facts came out of it.
The majority (70%) of the money that will be spent on the Olympics by the Olympics Delivery Authority (ODA) and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) will go through the normal main contractor and sub contractor supply chains. Some 30% will be spent through an online business network, which is a matching service that will bring together contractors and potential suppliers.
Even with the big contracts, most of the money will filter down to Tier 3 suppliers, many of whom will be SME’s. A Tier 1 supplier is a main contractor, such as MacAlpine, the Tier 2 suppliers are their sub-contractors, such as Watson Steel and Tier 3 suppliers are suppliers to the sub-contractors.
By no means all the money for the Olympics will be spent in London and the South East either. The bulk of it will be spent in the other regions and even geographically remote areas such as Scotland and Northern Ireland will benefit to the tune of billions of pounds.
The London 2012 Business Network has just been launched. Its website: www.london2012.com/business contains comprehensive information on current and future London 2012 business opportunities. In time, it will show every contract that the ODA places, with whom and for how much.
By going onto the London 2012 website and clicking onto ‘CompeteFor’ companies – particularly SME’s will be able to register their products and services so that they can be matched with contractor’s requirements.
Warning: Companies registering will have to give information about their quality control systems, health and safety policies and equal opportunities policies etc, as well as their products. This may seem daunting, but help and advice is available from the regional Business Link organisation. The ODA and LOCOG insist that this information will be needed in supply chains for all Olympic contracts.
To summarise:
1. Go to the log on screen for ‘CompeteFor’ by clicking here
2. Register your business profile and be automatically matched with games-related opportunities
3. Be short listed for opportunities to become part of the London 2012 supply chain.
4. For more information contact the CompeteFor Help Desk on 0845 217 7804
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What is actually being built?
The majority of the buildings will be at the Olympic Park in the Lower Lea Valley near Stratford in East London. This will include the Olympic Stadium, the VeloPark, Aquatics centre and various arenas for Basketball, Handball, Fencing and Volleyball.
The Olympic Village will be built next to the Park and will home approximately 17,000 athletes and officials. After the games the village will provide housing as part of the legacy of the Games.
The Olympic Park
The Olympic Park will be built on a 500-acre site at Stratford and contain nine venues:
- The main 80,000 seat Olympic Stadium will host the athletics;
- The Aquatics Centre with a capacity of 20,000 will include two 50m swimming pools and a diving pool;
- The Hockey Centre will comprise two stadia with capacities of 15,000 and 5,000;
- The VeloPark will include the Velodrome and the BMX track;
- The Olympic Multi-Sports Arena will combine four sports arenas in one building hosting Fencing, Volleyball, Basketball and Handball.For more information on plans and getting ready the Olympic Park click hereTransportWork is already underway on Games-related transport improvements, in particular the rail network, that will leave long term benefits for east London.Significant projects include:
- Major improvements will be carried out to the Stratford Regional Railway Station which, given it’s proximately to the Olympic Park, will be the hub of most travellers to the Games;
- A completely new station will be built at Woolwich Arsenal which will be at the end of the extension to the DLR;
- High Speed 1 began operating between St Pancras and mainland Europe in November 2007. The Olympic Javelin , a 12 carriage air conditioned train will run between St Pancras, Stratford and Ebbsfleet stations using part of the CTRL;
- Over £900 million will be spent on the East London Line to open up connections to the Olympic Park. With extensions at both ends of the line, connections will be made with the DLR, the Jubilee and District Line and the North London Line as well as the National Rail Network.
- London is currently implementing its ‘ibus’ initiative, which is a state of the art-automatic vehicle location system and a comprehensive communication system will be introduced.For more information on transport click hereTo view other Olympic related sections just click the appropriate link below:
- Culture
- Technology
- Security
- Ticketing
- Accomodation
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Where stainless steel might be used?
There will be many opportunities for stainless steel during the Olympics such as:
- Opportunities for use in external applications such as cladding and roofing, for internal fixtures and fittings or structural applications including bridges and walkways
- In everyday street furniture such as handrails, seating and lighting columns
- Extensions to the railway network
- Reinforcement for concrete
- Catering equipment such as cookers, refrigeration, counters etc.
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A sustainable Olympic Games
Being sustainable means providing for peoples’ current and long term needs, improving quality of life while ensuring a health and thriving natural environment. London put sustainability at the heart of its bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, framed by the concept of ‘Towards a One Planet Olympics’. This was derived from the WWF/BioRegional concept of ‘One Planet Living’ which encapsulates the challenges facing us in stark and compelling terms; If everyone in the world lived the same lifestyle as we do in the UK, we would need three planets’ worth of resources to support us. As the most high-profile event in the world, the Games will give us the chance to show how changes to the way we build, live, work, do business and travel could help us to live happy and healthy lives, within the resources available to us.
Social, economic and environmental sustainability – and the One Planet Living concept remain central to the vision for 2012. A PDF document has been produced which brings the vision up to date and forms the basis for how London 2012 Games and our partners intend to achieve a sustainable Games. It sets out:
- The achievement so far;
- Details of key commitments and targets; and
- The challenges that still face the ODA
The Plan can be viewed from the related publication section on the sustainability page by clicking here
London 2012 shares a commitment to maximise sustainability through the phases of the Games – building the venues and infrastructure, staging the Games themselves and then long into the future – focusing on five main sustainability areas:
- Combating climate change
- Reducing waste
- Enhancing biodiversity
- Promoting inclusion
- Improving healthy living
For more information these five areas click here
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