JCB to hire 400 employees as production surges
JCB is recruiting more than 400 additional UK shop floor employees in preparation for a surge in production, the company announced today (27 January).
Go-ahead for City of London office development
The City of London Corporation has given the green light for plans to deliver a 30-storey office-led development in the City Cluster.
Has BIM taken over the construction industry?
Parm Bhangal, managing director at Bhangals Construction Consultants discusses BIM and how deeply it has established itself in the world of construction.
Construction contract award values fall by 5% in 2020
Construction contract award values reached £57bn in 2020, only a slight decrease of 4.7% on the previous year.
Building confidence with accurate project costing
Construction is playing a leading role in the UK’s economic recovery but in an uncertain world, accurately forecasting costs and keeping them on track can be tricky. With new opportunities on the cards, forward-thinking firms are using digital technology, including estimating software, to win more tenders and improve the profitability of projects, as Andy Day, estimating, take off & surveying software consultant from Access Construction, explains.
Modular construction: Providing an agile solution
Recent events have resulted in the construction industry coming under unprecedented scrutiny – construction materials, practices and, most of all, safety are under the spotlight. Jackie Maginnis chief executive of the Modular & Portable Building Association (MPBA), discusses how Modern Methods of Construction can respond to help provide a solution.
Kier lands £64m Fitzalan High School in Cardiff
Kier has been chosen by Cardiff Council to deliver the £64.3m Fitzalan High School in Cardiff which will provide teaching facilities for 1,500 schoolchildren.
Mott MacDonald appoints new associate climate advisor
Mott MacDonald has appointed Nikki van Dijk, a chartered environmentalist, as associate climate advisor in its UK water and environment business.
Bouygues appoints new MD for Wales and South West
John Boughton, former deputy managing director at Willmott Dixon, has joined Bouygues UK as regional managing director for Wales and the South West.
Construction: Digital collaboration and the new competitive advantage
Integrated Collaboration Platforms like Revizto are helping to challenge the idea that rework and waste are an inevitable part of complex construction projects.
Drone surveying a London landmark
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been used to undertake a survey of the Lloyd’s building’s external façade in the heart of the City of London. Russell Cole, leader of façades UK at Arup, discusses this challenging project and the potential of drones in surveying dense urban areas.
Steel company fined after worker fatally injured by 400kg balcony frame
A steel company has been fined £50,000 after a worker was fatally crushed by a 400kg metal balcony frame.
Homes England CEO steps down
Nick Walkley will step down on 28 February after joining the Homes and Communities Agency as chief executive in March 2017.
Case study: Bregenz Festival stage Rigoletto
SCIA Engineer assists the design and engineering of the “head with a boom” structure for the Bregenz Festival in Austria.
New-build housing: A question of quality?
The issue of quality control has existed in the housing market for many years, Darren Graham, marketing manager at Viewpoint, explores technology’s role in new-build housing quality.
Energy modelling for low carbon buildings
Hollis has seen a significant increase in the number of developers requesting advice on ESG implementation, this is likely to continue as we see governments introducing post-pandemic green recovery plans. Richard Masters and Katherine Beisler at Hollis explain more.
Kier bags £200m TfL tunnel maintenance contract
Kier Highways has landed a £200m maintenance and management contract for Transport for London’s (TfL) road tunnels and pumping stations.
Roofing supplies firm fined £20,000 after workers fall from height
A roofing supplies firm and its director have been handed fines after two workers fell from a tower scaffold, sustaining serious injuries.
New director appointed to deliver HS2 project
EKFB, the civil engineering joint venture of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial and BAM, has appointed Peter Bimson as project director.
Cementaid’s Everdure Caltite System makes the Floating House possible
The Floating House on the River Thames at Marlow has been made possible by Cementaid’s Everdure Caltite System Hydrophobic and Pore-blocking Ingredient (HPI) for membrane-free, truly waterproof structural concrete.
Construction materials supplier acquires Northumbrian Roads Limited
Aggregate Industries has acquired Northumbrian Roads Limited, a road surfacing and highway maintenance contractor with two large asphalt plants in the Port of Tyne and the Port of Sunderland.
Now is the time for timber: Looking ahead to 2021
With current events moving so rapidly, it’s hard to make predictions about what the future holds for the construction industry. Nevertheless, Andrew Orriss from the Structural Timber Association gives his views on the key priorities for the timber and MMC sectors in the coming months.
HS2 unveils designs for Water Orton viaducts
HS2 has revealed new designs for two viaducts near the village of Water Orton in Warwickshire to create new green public spaces.
Scotframe earns ‘NHBC Accepts’ assurance mark
Scotframe has become one of the first timber frame specialists in the UK to secure the NHBC Accepts mark for its Valutherm PLUS build system.
Transforming systems through data and digital twins
The Planning London Datahub harnesses digital twin technology to make close to real-time planning information accessible to all 36 Greater London planning authorities. Will Squires, associate director of digital at Atkins, explains its development and the endless possibilities it could open up.
Sisk bags BtR tower in Birmingham
John Sisk & Son has been appointed by Moda to deliver the redevelopment of Ludgate Hill Car Park in Birmingham into new build-to-rent (BtR) towers.