‘Contractors Need Strong Client Direction to Deliver Sustainable Schools’
The UK Department for Education (DfE) has introduced new design standards that embed net‑zero targets, holistic sustainability principles, and mandatory whole‑life carbon reporting for all school projects. Richard Taylor, the DfE's regional head of construction delivery, highlighted the Little Reddings Primary School in Bushey as a proof‑point, where Morgan Sindall employed timber panelised construction, ground‑source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels. The project’s performance data, captured through the DfE’s Building Performance Evaluation process, validates the standards and showcases the role of modern methods of construction (MMC). Taylor stresses that strong client direction and collaborative relationships are essential to scale sustainable school delivery.
What Will Surging Copper Demand Mean for UK Construction?
Copper demand is set to surge as the global energy transition fuels growth in data centres, electric vehicles and renewable power, pushing demand up 81% between 2025 and 2040. Construction will remain a major consumer, accounting for roughly 23% of...
Futurebuild 2026: Connecting Ideas with Delivery
Futurebuild 2026 returns to ExCeL London from May 12‑14, centering on the theme Connect to bridge policy, technology and on‑site practice. The three‑stage programme—Materials and Buildings, Energy, and Placemaking—targets the sector’s toughest pressure points, from low‑impact materials to renewable energy...
Major Regeneration Scheme Sees First UK Use of Lower-Carbon Calcined Clay Concrete
A mixed‑use regeneration project at Brent Cross Town in North London has become the first site in the UK to use lower‑carbon calcined clay concrete. Contractor Midgard installed a permanent suspended slab in a 200‑unit build‑to‑rent building, substituting 30% of...
Understanding and Trust: Wearable Safety Technology
Wearable safety technology—smart helmets, sensor‑enabled vests, exoskeletons—is becoming more visible in UK construction, with pilots at Willmott Dixon and Skanska showcasing potential to reduce strain and detect fatigue. Yet adoption stalls because workers lack knowledge, training programs omit the technology,...
Video | National Highways Lower 25t Gantry From Prince of Wales Bridge
National Highways, together with Amey and Denholm Industrial Services, has lowered a 25‑ton gantry from the Prince of Wales Bridge onto a barge for recycling, marking the first removal since the bridge opened in 1996. The gantry, which has served...
Defining an Information Manager’s Role and Responsibilities
Ireland has published a formal framework defining the information manager’s role across four seniority levels, from assistant (€39,974, about $43,600) to lead/principal (€132,450, about $144,400). The guidance ties the role to ISO 19650 compliance and the nation’s Project Ireland 2040 infrastructure plan,...
Costain Uses Robots to Print 90 Concrete Bases for Teesside Captured CO2 Pipeline
Costain, A E Yates and Hyperion Robotics are 3‑D printing 90 high‑strength concrete bases for a 1.3 km carbon‑capture pipeline across Teesside. The robotic process eliminates formwork, reduces concrete and steel use by 40% and cuts emissions up to 50%, while delivering bases...
Developers Have Six Months to Prepare for the Building Safety Levy: Here’s What You Need to Know
From 1 October 2026, the UK’s Building Safety Levy will apply to new residential developments, requiring full payment before a completion certificate is issued. There is no transition period, so developers must assess liability, factor local authority rates, and integrate the levy...
How Insurers Can Use Structured Information for Project Risk Evaluation
A new NIMA Information Management Initiative working group will launch Project IIRIS, a two‑year effort to create a framework and tools that let insurers evaluate construction project risk using structured data. The initiative will define insurer information requirements, develop a...
Five Lessons Construction Must Learn to Build a System that Flourishes
Sam Stacey’s new book *Brunel’s Bees* argues that construction must evolve from a project‑centric model to a learning system that continuously retains knowledge and improves. He outlines five lessons—treating construction as a system, building learning capacity, integrating design‑build‑operation, focusing on...
Video | Brabazon, the Anatomy of a New Town
YTL Developments is transforming the former Filton Airfield, a historic aerospace hub north of Bristol, into a new mixed‑use town called Brabazon. The 450‑acre site will host 6,500 homes, a 20,000‑seat arena, a 15‑acre park, schools, offices and its own...
CIOB Launches Its First Degree to Train Next-Gen Construction Leaders
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has launched its first Level 6 BSc Integrated Degree Apprenticeship in Design, Construction and Management, delivered in partnership with De Montfort University. The programme blends online academic study with on‑the‑job training, allowing apprentices to earn...
Mental Health in Construction: Improvements Are Welcome, but There’s Still Work to Be Done
The construction and demolition sector is grappling with a mental‑health crisis, with CIOB research showing 90% of members under high stress and 84% experiencing high anxiety. In 2024, 355 skilled construction workers died by suicide, one of the highest industry...
Construction Has a Data-to-Decision Problem
New research by Newcastle University’s DICE Lab, based on interviews with 14 leading UK contractors, finds that despite widespread adoption of digital twins and dashboards, construction firms still make decisions at the project level rather than enterprise‑wide. The study identifies...
Barratt Redrow Targets Circularity Boost with Materials Exchange
Barratt Redrow, the UK’s largest housebuilder, has rolled out the Nexus ReGen materials‑exchange platform across its national portfolio. The system’s Project DataPoint feature will capture heavy‑construction material data, enabling consistent reuse, waste reduction, and compliance reporting. Deployment begins this month, with...
Kier Promotes Internally for National Frameworks Strategy Lead
Kier has promoted Alexandra Smith to national frameworks director, succeeding long‑time executive Deane Hudson who is retiring after a 39‑year tenure. Smith, who joined Kier two years ago as senior business development manager for the London & Thames Valley region,...
My CEnv Career: ‘Without Client Trust, You Can’t Achieve Anything’
Mania Alabadla, a chartered environmentalist at AtkinsRéalis, reflects on two decades of sustainability evolution in construction. She moved from architecture to sustainability after earning LEED accreditation and a master's in sustainable design, now embedding environmental principles across design, construction and...
When the Founder Becomes the Bottleneck: Why Construction Leaders Struggle to Grow Their Business
Construction firms that hit the $1.25‑$3.75 million turnover mark often stall because the founder remains the sole decision‑maker. Greg Wilkes explains that this “founder trap” creates bottlenecks in pricing, site issue resolution, and client management, limiting scalability. He argues that growth...
The Value of Apprenticeships for Social Mobility and Regional Growth Is Real. So What’s Holding Businesses Back?
Construction apprenticeships are a proven driver of social mobility and regional growth, yet the sector cannot meet demand. Seddon received 2,694 applications for just 20 apprentice positions, highlighting a massive talent pool. Structural issues—project‑based work, low margins, and uncertain pipelines—make...
The Construction Gender Gap Is a Leadership Problem
The construction sector in the UK still sees women at only about 15% of the workforce, yet their representation in senior leadership is far lower. The article argues the gap is not a pipeline problem but stems from how leadership...
A World-First Global Law for Building Defects
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is endorsing the International Model Building Act, the first global legislative template aimed at curbing dangerous building defects. Developed by the International Building Quality Centre and backed by experts such as Dame Judith Hackitt,...
Stop Rework in Its Tracks
Rework imposes a hidden financial burden on UK construction, costing roughly £5 bn (~$6.3 bn) annually and representing 5‑12% of contract values, sometimes rising to 30%. The majority of rework—up to 70%—originates from design‑related errors, amplified by poor communication and manual, paper‑based...
How Wage Growth Is Driving Construction Cost Inflation
Construction cost inflation is now driven primarily by rising labour expenses, with wages climbing 6.4% in 2025—double the pre‑pandemic rate. While the BCIS Materials Cost Index eased to a 2.6% annual increase, it remains 43% above pre‑COVID levels. A shortage...
Powered Access Survey: Identifying Construction’s Priorities
Construction Management’s 2026 Powered Access survey of 115 senior professionals reveals that safety remains the dominant priority when selecting and using powered access equipment. Ground conditions (65%) and inadequate training (60%) are the top‑rated hazards, driving demand for stability‑enhancing and...
Building Safety Regulator Reports Batching Scheme Progress
The Building Safety Regulator’s batching pilot, launched in September 2025, is delivering faster assessments, averaging four weeks across new‑build, remediation and refurbishment applications. In the latest 12‑week Gateway 2 update, 284 decisions were made with a 67% approval rate, covering 12,975...
Court Extends Building Safety Liability Across Contractor Groups
The Technology and Construction Court issued a landmark ruling in Crest Nicholson v Ardmore, expanding Building Liability Orders (BLOs) under the Building Safety Act. The judgment enforced a £14.9 million (≈$19 million) adjudicator’s award and, for the first time, introduced an anticipatory...
Nearly Half of Builders Report Job Delays Amid Worsening Skills Drought, Reveals Survey
The Federation of Master Builders and the Chartered Institute of Building report that 49% of UK small‑and‑medium builders are experiencing project delays because of a deepening skilled‑labour shortage, up from 61% earlier in the year. One in five firms have...
Dowds Group Takes Aim at Talent Crisis with Landmark Benefits Package
UK engineering firm Dowds Group has unveiled a comprehensive employee benefits package designed to combat the construction talent shortage. The scheme offers 41 days of annual leave, enhanced parental and carers’ leave, six months of enhanced sick pay, private healthcare...
Members Invited to Go Behind the Build at Rugby School
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is offering members a guided tour of the Houlton Primary School in Rugby, a £12 million (~$15 million) Passivhaus‑certified project built with cross‑laminated timber (CLT). The school’s timber frame is nearing completion and features high‑performance windows,...
Government Streamlines Major Projects Portfolio
The UK Government will cut its Major Projects Portfolio from 200 to 80 projects on 1 April, aiming to simplify governance and boost accountability. The move is presented as a way to deliver better value for taxpayers by concentrating specialist support...
Warm Homes Plan: Can Housing Retrofit Meet Future Demands?
The episode breaks down the UK Government’s Warm Homes Plan—a £15 billion initiative to retrofit up to five million homes, provide zero‑interest loans for solar and heat‑pump installations, and tighten landlord duties to lift half a million families out of fuel...
‘It’s Time for a National Campaign to Highlight Construction Careers’
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) surveyed 2,000 UK youths aged 16‑24 and 2,001 parents, finding that two‑thirds of young people view construction positively but only 30% would actually consider a career. While three‑quarters of parents say they would support...
The Next Step in Smart Plant: Excavators that Record and Analyse Near Misses
Sumitomo Heavy Industries and NEC are creating an AI‑driven system that automatically extracts near‑miss video clips from hydraulic excavators and generates detailed safety reports. The extraction model, trained on SHI’s excavator data, identifies risk scenes, which NEC’s generative‑AI engine then...
New Boss for Gleeds Amid Crew Change Targeting Key Markets
Gleeds announced that chief operating officer David Johnson will assume the chief executive role on 6 April, succeeding long‑time leader Graham Harle, who will become a non‑executive director. Brian McArdle will step into the COO position while Andy Ellis moves to UK managing...
‘No More Energy Bills’: Housebuilder Adopts Finnish Timber System Touted as Better than Passivhaus
Oakmont Contracting has partnered with Finnish firm Talo to adopt its four‑decade‑old panellised timber system for new UK homes. The off‑site method promises to cut construction time by roughly half and eliminates traditional concrete foundations. Talo’s dry‑kilned Nordic timber delivers...
Morgan Sindall Starts Passivhaus Scheme at Cambridge University
Morgan Sindall Construction has broken ground on the Owlstone Croft Passivhaus student housing scheme at Queens’ College, Cambridge. The £34.4 million (~$44 million) project will deliver 13 new homes with 60 bedrooms and refurbish existing Blocks A and B to add 87...
Digital Piling Map Set to Improve Foundation Design and Circularity
The Federation of Piling Specialists (FPS) has unveiled a nationwide digital geotechnical data map that visualises completed piling projects via ArcGIS. By aggregating member‑submitted datasets, the tool lets designers compare past schemes, assess ground conditions and curb design uncertainty. It...
Ex-Offenders to Help Build Affordable Homes in Cheshire Initiative
A new partnership between Cheshire Police, Crime Commissioner Dan Price and the Prisoners Building Homes (PBH) programme will employ probationers on community orders to construct affordable, low‑carbon housing. The initiative expands PBH beyond incarcerated individuals, targeting the county’s roughly 3,000...
Contractors that Ignore Psychosocial Risks Will Feel It in the Bottom Line
Construction firms are facing a hidden financial drain as psychosocial risks drive absenteeism and turnover. In the UK, a quarter of the 40 million lost workdays last year were mental‑health related, while Australia’s mental‑health claims cost the economy $10.9 bn. Studies show...
Rail Workers Struck by Wagon Let Down by Comms Failure, Investigation Finds
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) concluded that a communication breakdown caused two track workers to be struck by a rail‑mounted wagon near Port Glasgow station on 15 March 2025. The crane operator relied on a radio instruction that never...
Late Payment Reform Toughest in over 25 Years, Government Says
Britain's government has introduced the toughest late‑payment reforms in the G7, tightening rules for large firms dealing with small suppliers. A new 60‑day payment cap and a statutory interest rate of 8 % above the Bank of England base rate will...
Future Homes Standard Launched with Solar Mandate
The UK government has unveiled the Future Homes Standard, mandating solar panels and clean heating for most new homes in England, with implementation slated for 2028. The policy promises up to £830 (approximately $1,050) annual energy‑bill savings per household and...
BSI Publishes PAS 1958 and Digital Twin Standards
The British Standards Institution (BSI) has released two new standards for the built environment. PAS 1958 provides a consolidated framework that maps existing data and information standards, stemming from the government‑backed BridgeAI programme aimed at accelerating AI adoption among SMEs....
Midlands College Builds Retrofit Training Houses
South & City College Birmingham has opened two purpose‑built retrofit training houses, funded by the West Midlands and Warwickshire Local Skills Improvement Plan and the WMCA. One house replicates a typical 1930s terraced home, while the other showcases modern, energy‑efficient...
Quin Wins Digital Innovation in Health, Safety and Wellbeing at the Digital Construction Awards
Quintessential Design’s Quin system – comprising the Quin Pod, Quin Within App, and Quin Tag – won the Digital Innovation in Health, Safety and Wellbeing award at the 2026 Digital Construction Awards. The solution embeds motion and impact sensors in...
BYLOR JV Wins Digital Innovation in Productivity at the Digital Construction Awards
BYLOR JV, a partnership between Bouygues Travaux Publics and Laing O’Rourke, captured the Digital Innovation in Productivity award at the 2026 Digital Construction Awards. The joint venture tackled the complex material‑management demands of Hinkley Point C’s heat‑sink pump house by...
RLB Digital Wins Information Management Best Practice at the Digital Construction Awards
RLB Digital’s Project Colin won the Information Management Best Practice award at the 2026 Digital Construction Awards. The solution tackles the chronic problem of fragmented construction documents by treating individual data pieces as the primary building blocks. It creates a...
Trimble Announces Tekla 2026 Updates
Trimble introduced the Tekla 2026 software suite, embedding AI-driven drawing generation, cloud‑based project settings, and tighter integration with Trimble Connect. The update adds simultaneous model and drawing editing, an out‑of‑tolerance layout manager, and a natural‑language drawing assistant preview. Tekla Structural...
Willmott Dixon Continues with Sypro Contract Management
Willmott Dixon has renewed its contract with Sypro for another five years, extending a 14‑year relationship. The Sypro platform, used on 244 projects, digitises risk management, communication and governance across NEC, JCT and bespoke contracts. The renewal underscores the contractor’s...