Industrialised Delivery and Workforce Capacity Identified as Key to Progressing MMC in Ireland
The fourth MMC Ireland National Conference highlighted industrialised construction as essential to solving the country’s housing shortage. Ministers James Browne and Marian Harkin pledged government backing, emphasizing procurement reform, pipeline certainty, and workforce upskilling. Speakers stressed that standardised, panel‑based systems can deliver volume without sacrificing design quality. The event marked a shift from pilot projects toward scalable, repeatable delivery across the Irish construction sector.
Kick-Starting Conversations About Mental Health: New Charter Focuses on System Change
The Mindflow Charity will unveil its new Mindflow Charter at a CIOB‑hosted event in Manchester on May 12. The charter seeks to embed mental‑health best practices into construction sites, positioning wellbeing alongside physical safety. Leveraging football’s cultural reach, CEO Trevor Steven aims...
Timebomb Jobs: The Activities Most Likely to Delay Your Project
Buildots’ analysis of 102 international construction projects reveals that certain trades—especially sprinkler branches, steel‑frame system walls, and raised access flooring—take nearly twice as long as scheduled to complete the final 20% of work. The study, covering 40 activity types and...
Excel ‘a Starting Point, Not the Destination’ – Rethinking Data Management
Construction firms continue to depend on Excel for critical project data, despite its known inefficiencies. A recent webinar of nearly 200 delegates revealed that 45% of respondents still store data in spreadsheets, while 25% use disconnected systems. Industry experts from...
Retentions Ban: Fine in Theory, Unclear in Practice
The UK Department for Business & Trade is consulting on a ban of retention payments in construction contracts, preferring an outright prohibition (Option A) over mandatory protection measures (Option B). A majority of respondents support reform, citing retentions’ negative impact,...
‘Sustainability Is for the Client and Design Team to Consider’
The latest Construction Management commentary highlights three core industry discussions. Geoffrey Shaw argues that sustainability should be driven by clients and designers, not construction managers, who must focus on cost, quality and schedule. Thames Water’s Roselyn Unegbu stresses that transparency...
Driving Modern Professionalism with Higher CPD Standards
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has rolled out a refreshed Continuing Professional Development (CPD) framework that requires members to log a minimum of 25 hours each year. At least 12 of those hours must be allocated across four core...
CPD: Delivering Projects with Modular Construction
Modular construction is gaining traction in the UK as a response to tighter program timelines, labour shortages and sustainability mandates. By manufacturing modules off‑site and assembling them on‑site, projects can cut durations by 30‑50%, improve quality through ISO‑9001 factory controls,...
AI Tools Help Document Those Responsible for Mid-Project Delays
Construction managers who ignore AI tools for mid‑project changes face longer delays and higher dispute risk, according to PlanRadar’s 2026 Construction Survey of 1,728 professionals. Nearly three‑quarters receive approvals late, and one‑quarter see an extra month added to timelines per...
Inadequate Planning Causes Three-Quarters of Errors by Value, Contractor Study Shows
A joint CITB‑GIRI study of 25 UK construction projects worth about £942.5 million (~$1.2 billion) found inadequate planning responsible for three‑quarters of error value. GIRI’s error‑reduction training prevented roughly £92.6 million (~$118 million) in losses, a 9.8% reduction of total project value. The programme...
Women in Construction Apprenticeships Have Tripled Since 2018: Now We Need to Retain Them, Says CITB
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) reports that women starting construction apprenticeships have risen from 1,450 in 2018 to 2,410 in 2025, effectively tripling the entry pipeline. Completion rates also grew, with female graduates increasing from 340 to 910 over...
Stop Hiring for Confidence, Start Hiring for Capability
Michelle Carson argues that construction firms still prioritize confidence and polished presentation over genuine leadership capability. While on‑site talent is quickly recognized for diagnosing issues and adapting in real time, promotion decisions often shift to superficial proxies such as linear...
Sizewell C Skills Programme Delivers Employees and Social Value
Construction firms including Willmott Dixon, Morson Group and HW Martin are hiring graduates from the Sizewell C Introduction to Construction Skills Bootcamp. Launched in March, the program, funded by the Department for Education and Norfolk and Suffolk councils, offers industry‑recognised...
MCIOB Develops Own AI Software for SMEs Using AI
Steve McKenna, director of the SME contractor Gemstone, used Anthropic’s Claude Code to create Construction AI, a full‑featured, multi‑tenant SaaS construction management platform. The system boasts over 700,000 lines of code, 186 secured database tables and 596 API routes, delivering...
Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans: What You Need to Know
The 2025 Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) Regulations introduce Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (rPEEPs) for high‑rise residential blocks in England. Buildings with two or more domestic units that are at least 18 metres tall, seven storeys high, or over 11 metres...
How Barratt Redrow Is Building the UK’s Biggest Net-Zero Carbon Neighbourhood
Barratt Redrow has teamed with utility specialist GTC to deliver Cosmeston Farm, a 576‑home development in Penarth that will become the UK’s largest net‑zero carbon neighbourhood. The scheme combines networked ground‑source heat pumps, rooftop solar, home batteries and a smart...
Working with the Value Chain Is Key to Innovation
Morgan Sindall is leveraging early supply‑chain collaboration to drive construction innovation, targeting waste reduction, carbon cuts and faster project delivery. Its 10‑tonne Carbon Challenge has eliminated 62,671 t CO₂e since 2021 by integrating low‑carbon materials and greener fuels. The firm is...
Autodesk Forma Building Design Goes Live After Beta Phase
Autodesk has taken its Forma Building Design platform out of beta and made it generally available. The cloud‑based tool lets architects create geolocated sites, generate facades, floor plans and unit layouts, and run daylight, sun‑hour and carbon analyses during the...
Three Weeks Left to Determine Information Management’s Future
Digital construction professionals have until May 3 to comment on draft revisions to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. Over 300 comments have been logged for Part 1 and more than 100 for Part 2, with the British Standards Institution urging constructive feedback and alternative proposals....
BSR Unveils Plan to Speed up Remediation Approvals
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has unveiled a comprehensive plan to accelerate external remediation approvals for higher‑risk buildings in England. A dedicated multidisciplinary team will mirror the regulator’s Innovation Unit, while a recruitment drive will cut individual caseloads from about...
CIOB Launches Industry-Wide Survey to Review CDM Regulations
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has opened an industry‑wide survey to collect construction professionals’ views on the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015). The questionnaire seeks insight into how CDM 2015 is interpreted, applied and enforced across...
HSE Launches Consultation on RIDDOR Changes
The Health and Safety Executive has opened a consultation on proposed revisions to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). The changes aim to clarify ambiguous definitions, modernise the list of dangerous occurrences, and broaden who can...