Category: Technical
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Precision pouring: how digital surveillance boosts concrete quality
New digital surveillance technology is proving its worth in improving concrete quality assurance, as well as advancing safety and sustainability, writes Mott MacDonald’s Sudarshan Srinivasan. A wide range of digital technologies such as sensors, data acquisition systems, data analysis and decision-making tools are being implemented in large infrastructure projects. However, there are challenges to be…
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Baxall’s learning curve on Islamic faith school
It’s the unique characteristics like this that have made this project an exceptional one, along with early engagement with the whole project team. By liaising with the DfE, our client, the school and the whole supply chain, we have been able to collaboratively create a project that we can all be proud of, and that…
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Digitising rebar’s chain of custody
On the Euston HS2 project, the Mace Dragados JV has used cloud technology to track rebar compliance – and deliver higher quality and safety standards. CM reports. “On HS2, there are stringent standards for material procurement and supply, which include product conformity, responsible sourcing certification and BREEAM criteria, necessitating a robust chain of custody,” says…
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Could graphene be the future of concrete?
Graphene was discovered by researchers at the University of Manchester in 2004, a super-strong material that is just one atom thick. Its strength and thermal conductivity mean that its potential applications seem almost endless, with applications in electronics, composites and coatings, biomedicine, energy and sensors to name but a few. But there are many versions…
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Three concrete technologies to watch
Construction wants to improve its productivity and sustainability – and these emerging concrete technologies could be central to that. Self-stressing concrete Arriving in the UK from Latvia is a chemically self-stressing concrete, which contains a patented combination of three admixtures and steel fibres. Called PrīmX, the concrete has been developed by Primekss to be both…
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What’s in the new RAAC Playbook?
RAAC is the reinforced version of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC). The lightweight cementitious material is ‘bubbly’ in appearance and typically reinforced by steel bars or mesh to enhance its structural strength. RAAC planks were widely used in construction across the UK from the 1950s until the mid-1990s in roofs, floors and walls of buildings such…
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Tackling Germany’s crumbling infrastructure – Construction Management
But then, on 6 November, something else collapsed: Germany’s coalition government. Tensions bubbling among the ruling Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Free Democrats (FDP) boiled over when SPD chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his FDP finance minister, Christian Lindner, leading to mass resignations of FDP ministers. View the original article and our Inspiration here
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On site with the UK’s first remote controlled tower crane
Contractor: WinvicCost: £80m+Form of contract: JCT Design and Build with amendmentsClient: Crown Student LivingArchitect: ECE WestworksEngineer: MeinhardtProgramme: 153 weeksCompletion: November 2025 (targeted) SubcontractorsConcrete frame and groundworks: MidwestFacade: HansenMEP: HighadmitPods: Offsite SolutionsPiling: VolkerFF&E: DeanestorRoofing: Advanced Roofing View the original article and our Inspiration here
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Elevators in skyscrapers: key design and installation considerations
As buildings get taller, what does that mean for elevator design and installation? KONE’s Sascha Brozek looks at the construction challenges of fitting elevators in tall buildings. Ultra-high-rise buildings can contain thousands of people, all of whom will need vertical transportation. The expectation is that this will be rapid, smooth and quiet, but we also…