Category: Opinion
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Off-grid: how energy infrastructure impacts construction projects
Contractors must engage with grid operators early to avoid delays in their developments, writes Barrett Harris. Image: Dreamstime Among the several challenges facing UK construction, getting a quick connection to the electricity grid is fast becoming another hurdle to overcome. Recent soaring demand for connections has put the grid under significant pressure, with backlogs leading…
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Making unsafe buildings safe again: the realities of cladding remediation
Facade specialist Kris Zakrzewski MCIOB reports from the front line of construction’s most complex projects Image: Dreamstime Cladding remediation on higher-risk buildings (HRB) is one of the greatest challenges facing the industry today. As a senior project manager working on facades, I witness firsthand how these schemes place pressure on every stage of delivery. Delays often…
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Why CPD is essential to foster public trust in the construction industry
Institute members must be up to date with the latest regulations to ensure the highest standards in the built environment, writes Eddie Tuttle. Image: Dreamstime In the coming weeks, the CIOB’s policy and public affairs team will review the outcomes of party conference season, which is currently in full swing. We’ll also examine a forthcoming government…
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Why McAlpine is rethinking quality control
The construction industry should effectively utilise non-compliance reports if it wants to improve approach to quality control, writes Tony Smith. Some site teams, averse to using NCRs, may opt for their own remedial works, such as cutting out and recasting the affected section of concrete. If this is done without following the NCR process, and…
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Talking business at the party conferences
Eddie Tuttle shares a sneak preview of CIOB’s busy diary during the annual political party gatherings. The final details of our events are still being confirmed at the time of writing but we will, of course, invite the relevant ministers to participate, including the minister for industry, Sarah Jones, and the minister of state for…
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Achieving net zero requires widespread BREEAM adoption
Construction professionals committed to sustainability must adopt performance benchmarks and set science-based targets, argues Barrett Harris. The UK construction sector has a pivotal role to play in achieving the nation’s net-zero target by 2050. However, a comparison of national and construction-specific greenhouse gas emissions reveals a stark contrast. Between 1990 and 2023, the UK reduced…
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Achieving net zero requires widespread BREEAM adoption
Construction professionals committed to sustainability must adopt performance benchmarks and set science-based targets, argues Barrett Harris. The UK construction sector has a pivotal role to play in achieving the nation’s net-zero target by 2050. However, a comparison of national and construction-specific greenhouse gas emissions reveals a stark contrast. Between 1990 and 2023, the UK reduced…
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The power of project data: a contractor boardroom view
Contractors should be collecting data on every site, writes Paul Gandy. You can use that information to run your project, and your business, better. Using historic project data, AI tools can identify performance trends, predict likely outcomes and flag early warning signs Paul Gandy, CIOB president View the original article and our Inspiration here
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‘The hardest thing was admitting I had a problem with my mental health’
A selection of readers’ comments about news and issues in the industry from across the CIOB community and social media. (Image: Tinnakorn Jorruang, Dreamstime) CM People: How to support good mental health in construction site teams Considerate Constructors Scheme’s Desiree Blamey shared good practices for tackling mental health and highlighted the progress being made across…
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Construction must embrace digital if it wants to overcome stagflation
While all construction firms will see the same change, they will affect packages or elements differently, depending on the labour intensity of the work involved. For instance, internal walls and demolition are more labour-intensive than vertical transportation and façades, which incorporate a significant material component. View the original article and our Inspiration here