Floor fitters and home owners alike will be all too familiar with the curse of squeaky floorboards. Time after time the culprit is the fasteners; nails working loose over time, leading to expensive callbacks and customer dissatisfaction.

While it’s well known that screws provide a tighter grip power by pulling the boards together, fitting 6mm plywood to underlay has long presented a dilemma. The conventional 25mm timber screws used to fasten flooring carry a risk of damaging underfloor electrical cables or puncturing water pipes, with potentially dangerous and costly consequences, however the alternative use of 19mm nails can cause the plywood subfloor to lift from the floorboards.

Construction products manufacturer Simpson Strong-Tie has developed an affordable solution to the problem, which enables floor fitters to opt for the superior holding power of screws now with the groundbreaking new collated MTHZ19E underlayment screw.  Designed for the Quik Drive auto-feed screw system, the MTHZ19E allows fast and secure underlayment to subfloor installations, with a sharp point for fast start and a trim head for a neat finish. This new shorter length alternative to traditional flooring screws prevents the tip from protruding through the floor boards when fixing 6mm plywood, making it a safer way to fix 6mm plywood to subfloors.

The MTHZ19E can be used to fix to timber joists, or to fix to steel up to 0.9mm thick – for example in the installation of computer flooring, and can be easily removed and reapplied if access required to pipework at a later date. Nailed floorboards are notoriously difficult to remove intact.   While nail guns traditionally provide speed of fastening, they can produce inaccurate results and an inconsistent finish. The Quik Drive system provides a neat finish, with a flush consistent counter sink. And its ergonomic upright installation option will protect your knees and back, with no need to bend or crouch.  Quik Drive features a square drive for improved connection between bit and screw ensuring smoother drive. Nibs under the screw head help countersink into plywood giving a flush finish preventing floor coverings from settling in countersink recesses, and the intricate high low thread has been designed for stronger grip in timber and help prevent floor squeaks.

“In a competitive market client satisfaction is key to gaining repeat business. We all know that nailing is quicker however, I think this short term gain can be costly in the long run” explains Simpson Strong-Tie National Fasteners Sales Manager Natalie Dixon.
“Our flooring clients have told us many times over the years that a shorter collated screw is desperately needed and certainly preferable.
I have been told this issue with snagging a water pipe may not be initially visible. It can leak for days or months or even more causing substantial damage and costs in leak detection. Certainly now avoidable. Penetrating an electrical service pipe could be life threatening. Suddenly, squeaky floorboards may be the least of concern!
“So how do sub-contractors justify the time and slightly extra cost of a screw fixing when it is often the subby that is working on the tightest of margins with little room for error? We understand this is vital to our customers.
“Other collated systems can have up to 10% of the screws in a strip fail. It’s costly, fiddly and an interruption to getting the job done and moving on to the next. Our tests showed that Quik Drive and the MTHZ19E screw had very few (if any), failed screws. Much less than one screw in 50 in fact.”
“Simpson Strong-Tie is a global leader in construction products and we simply do not put our name to anything less than excellence. Knowing the product development that has led to this release – I have no problem standing behind this product with 100% commitment and understanding that it will save our customers time and money.”

The MTHZ19E screws are collated on flat tape, which is different to the usual Quik Drive collation, so there is also a brand new QDBPC19EF Quik Drive 19mm flooring screw attachment available to run the screw through; precision-engineered and is manufactured to the highest standards for guaranteed quality, performance and reliability.

Less torque. Less time. More fastening.

 

Demand for our MTHZ19mm Quik Drive System is already very high. Call Natalie on 07971147961 for information on your nearest stockist or to book a demonstration.

www.strongtie.co.uk

 

 

CLICK TO VEIW THE VIDEO

Students at ETH zurich have used innovative technology to create an extremely lightweight pavilion using bamboo. The project demonstrates the possibilities of digital fabrication combined with natural construction materials such as bamboo — a rapidly renewable and high-​quality raw material. Bamboo can be compared with hardwood species, but due to its hollow core, is extremely light-​weight and elastic. It is for this reason that bamboo has been used for centuries in earthquake-​prone areas of Asia.

Visually reminiscent of the arch of a gothic cathedral, but based on state-​of-the-art technology, the digital bamboo pavilion was designed and built by ETH zurich students of the MAS in architecture and digital fabrication (masdfab).  The students used bamboo to create a pavilion weighing just 200 kilograms (440 lbs). Spreading in three directions to cover a total area of more than 40 square meters (430 square feet), its minimal supports contribute to the ethereal nature of the structure. This design-​to-fabrication process depends on digital technologies, using purpose-​made digital design tools to generate this ultralight yet complex structure in earthquake-​prone areas of Asia.

More than 900 bamboo poles have been connected through digitally designed joints and manufactured with sub-​millimetre accuracy in high-​strength nylon and stainless-​steel using 3D printing technologies. Digital fabrication enables all parts to be generated automatically and developed to meet all mechanical requirements. This included not only the complex geometry and structural specifications for each joint, but also the tolerances required for the non-​standard assembly of this natural material. Added to these connections are hinge plates, cables, and anchors — resulting in a total of 379 connections and a very large number of small parts.

The five-​meter-high (16 ft.) pavilion creates protective shade with precise and detailed textile panels that extend the intrinsic pattern of the structural elements. With this in mind, the students designed elements to be 3D printed using a recyclable, UV-​resistant, and malleable plastic onto a lightweight Lycra textile. 3D printing locally reinforces the base material, transforming it into bespoke resistant and flexible shading panels.

‘The construction system developed for this project aims to reduce the logistical effort in construction, demonstrating how advantages of digital fabrication contribute to a more sustainable building culture,’ explains marirena kladeftira, doctoral student at the chair of digital building technologies, who is researching the potential of 3D-​printed connections for innovative and sustainable space frame structures for architecture.

The team behind the project says that this approach could be used wherever bamboo is available and produced in a cost-​effective manner. Furthermore, the design-​to-construction process developed for the bamboo pavilion could even be applied to other materials. Thanks to the modular design, the structure can be assembled and disassembled extremely quickly.

The digital bamboo pavilion was assembled on-​site at the Zurich architecture centre (ZAZ) in just 48 hours in summer 2020, before being disassembled in the same short time. Though the project is no longer on exhibit at the ZAZ, the team hopes that it may soon go on tour including a prolonged stop at the ECC exhibition in Venice, in marinades’ gardens from may to October 2021.

 

Source: Design Boom

The £7.6m community assessment unit will deliver a new type of healthcare and is designed to help reduce emergency admissions. It will also ensure older patients can return home more quickly and with an appropriate care plan in place.

The handover marks the completion of the project delivered by Shrewsbury-based firm Darwin Group, specialists in offsite construction.

Despite the operational challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) has continued to work on this project which will be managed by the its community services division, supported by health partners across the borough.

The new community assessment unit

This major investment will see the introduction of 21 new community beds, including nine single rooms, with a further six assessment chairs.

It comes as the community team has developed new ways of working which focus on encouraging patient enablement and independence.

Silas Nicholls, chief executive of WWL, said: “The handover is an important milestone for the project to deliver what will be a vital component in our ability to provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

“The community assessment unit will help ease the pressure on admissions, particularly in the winter months, and meet the needs of our ageing population in terms of providing additional support for those patients where hospital admission can be avoided and the appropriate care plan for recovery in their own home or residential setting.

“It has been an immense task to deal with the demands of the Covid-19 pandemic, but our community, support staff and Darwin Group have shown incredible commitment and resilience to reach this stage and we are delighted to formally take possession of the unit.”

Alan Davidson, healthcare director at Darwin Group, said: “We are proud to have been able to work with the trust and to deliver such high-quality ward accommodation. Not only will this provide much-needed additional patient accommodation and storage space for the whole site, but we have also future-proofed the building so it can be added to vertically if needed, giving the trust a potential solution to address future service demand.

“Our site team’s management of health and safety and our use of modern methods of construction have allowed us to work without interruption and deliver the project during national lockdowns, while meeting social distancing requirements and industry best practice. We are really pleased at how our team has pulled together to complete this project and overcome all challenges ensuring the safety of each other and everybody involved with the project.”

Philip Bliss, divisional medical director for community services, added: “The community assessment unit is a new venture for WWL. It is the first purpose-built, community-focused unit on the RAEI site, dedicated to the holistic assessment and treatment for some of the more frail and elderly patients coming through our services.

“It is very much focused on a reablement approach, to allow patients to return to their own home environment in a safe and supported manner. This will enable patients to make the most of their potential to continue to live an independent and fulfilling life.”

The unit is on the site of the former pathology lab and will have links physically and operationally to the hospital. It will be officially opened next month.

by Womble Bond Dickinson

 

The construction industry was quick to adapt and carry on working in 2020, but it continues to struggle with labour levels. And this is a problem that’s not going away any time soon as, due to Brexit and the new immigration system now in place, we are likely to see a reduction in the number of available EU national workers – workers which the industry has traditionally relied upon.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that up until now more than nine per cent of the UK construction industry workforce have been EU nationals, with that rising in London to account for 30 per cent of construction workers.

Many EU nationals have now returned to their home nations to be with family and to cut the cost of living. New immigration rules are set to be extremely challenging with regard to the sector’s recruitment process and migrant worker eligibility in 2021, meaning it is likely to be more difficult to get these workers back to the UK.

The impact is two-fold. An increased labour shortage could affect the ability of companies to deliver projects on time or to take on new work, and it’s likely that the cost of labour will go up, both in terms of wage levels and also taking additional costs of recruitment and training into account.

While it seems the construction sector is frequently calling for additional Government support to bridge the skills gap, there are some practical steps that employers and contractors themselves can take to mitigate the long-term risks.

Brexit-proof your recruitment process

The new UK points-based immigration system kicked in on 1 January 2021 and it’s highly likely that this will reduce the number of lower skilled workers coming to the UK. Increased bureaucracy, and lead times, around the new points-based immigration system will create delays in the short-term. Get your recruitment process Brexit-compatible by understanding and implementing new visa criteria and processes, and be prepared to factor longer recruitment lead times into project planning.

Keep up-to-date on Government guidance

It’s important to keep on top of the latest Government guidance on matters such as health and safety. Encourage consistent use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and ensure the team feels safe. This will not only encourage productivity and minimise absence due to sickness or injury, but is also likely to have a positive impact on staff retention in a competitive market place.

Reflect on lessons learned during the pandemic

Take time out to understand the lessons learned by the sector during the pandemic. Some construction companies have found that by carefully planning and reorganising their programmes and how some jobs are carried out, and by being more focused on critical path activities, work could still be carried out efficiently and effectively, even with fewer than normal workers on site.

The post-pandemic rise in technology take-up and use has changed the way manual roles are carried out too. For example, some companies are carrying out site inspections with drones, allowing for safer remote-working and more efficient processes. Drones are also being used for 3D modelling, volume measurement and topographical surveys, and are predicted to fulfil an essential role in construction companies of the future, from planning to build. This in itself means a new set of skills is now required for the industry.

Similarly, there has been increase in the use of offsite, modular construction during the pandemic, which again requires a development in design skills and logistics expertise.

Look to youth

Figures released by the Office of National Statistics in October 2019 show there were 334,332 skilled construction and building trade workers aged between 50 and 64 and 44,681 over 65 in the UK – most of whom will typically be expected to retire over the next 15 years.

Meanwhile, the industry is struggling to attract young people. This is not a new problem: in 2018 it was widely reported that construction had, for the first time, dropped out of the top 10 career choices for people aged 22-29. According to YouGov Omnibus research in 2015, only three per cent of young people aged between 18-24 have recently searched for a job in the construction industry.

Construction firms do still have the opportunity to take advantage of Government incentive payments for the hiring of new apprentices, though this scheme only applies to apprentices hired before March 31 2021.

Perhaps, then, it will fall to the construction industry itself to do more to appeal to young people, or the skills shortage might never be fully bridged and critical skills that need to be passed on to a new generation of workers could be lost.

Embrace equality, diversity and inclusion

It is also worth broadening the scope of which parts of society future workers could come from to help improve the number of workers and breadth of skills in the industry.

Women remain under-represented in construction: in Q2 2020, there were 1.9m men in the industry in the UK compared with 289,000 women. Research by Microsoft reveals that in the UK, girls have a five-year window between 11 and 16 when they are really interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) after which their interest drops.

The industry also under-employs BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) groups. Exact levels of BAME employment in construction vary according to different sources, though one report suggested around 7.4 per cent of construction workers identified as BAME.

Figures released by the Government’s Ethnicity Facts and Figures Service in 2020 took a different approach, and analysed the percentage of ethnic groups that work in each industry sector. While 7.7 per cent of surveyed White British people worked in construction, the figures were lower for Asian (3 per cent), Indian (3.8 per cent), Black (4 per cent) and Pakistani & Bangladeshi (2.5 per cent) groups in the UK.

With the UK’s pool of talent more diverse than ever, it is important that companies make a conscious shift towards diversifying their workforce now.

Become UK industry champions

The sector needs to inspire the workforce-of-the-future by engaging with schools, colleges, industry leaders and training bodies to shake up the traditional image of the construction site and wider construction industry. Apart from the digitalisation of the industry, the sector is encouraged to recruit younger generations and minority groups to help fulfil future skills needed.

About re:build Britain

There are significant challenges for the construction sector in 2021 – but huge opportunities as well. We have launched our re:build Britain campaign to help companies in a number of sectors to navigate the next year, and beyond, successfully. Our key focus sectors will include: construction, built environment, free ports, energy and connectivity & digitalisation.

The campaign is kicking off with construction. There are major risks presented by delay and disruption, including materials shortages, contract disputes and staff shortages, and we are here to help you avoid or mitigate those risks.

However, there are huge opportunities as well – construction will be the beating heart of any economic recovery. Throughout our re:build Britain campaign we will offering grounded and practical advice to make sure your business is in the best possible shape to prosper.

After examining delay and disruption, we will look at risk and regulation, commercial and city, people and skills, modern methods of construction, digitisation and future trends.

We have launched the campaign with an easy-to-read guide to mitigating the effects of delay and disruption, which you can download here.

Source: FE News

Land at the rear of Bexhill Road in Bulverhythe is the proposed site.

A spokesman said: “The scheme will provide a range of much needed quality housing including a significant number of affordable homes for local families.”

Cllr Andy Batsford, lead councillor for housing and homelessness, said: “We are thrilled to have submitted this exciting planning application to build 192 much needed new homes for the town.

“It’s our intention that as many homes as possible will be built using modern methods of construction so as to help minimise the scheme’s carbon footprint and to get homes built quickly.

“We believe that this development will help demonstrate how high quality and energy efficient housing can be provided for local families whilst minimising any impact on climate change. The application submitted follows extensive consultation with local residents and wider stakeholders which started over 12 months ago.

“We have been awarded up to £6.9m in government funding to remove the barriers to developing the site, which is a huge benefit to the town. Although the site is currently classified as Flood Zone 3b, we have undertaken extensive flood modelling which we believe demonstrates that the site is suitable for housing development. The flood defences that we will employ will not only protect the new homes but will also protect the existing houses and businesses on Bexhill Road and beyond that might otherwise flood.”

He added: “We intend this to be a high-quality development which will provide much needed new homes to help meet our housing crisis. We hope to create a sustainable community where families want to live and which makes a positive contribution to the local area.

“We are looking at how to encourage sustainable transport solutions on the site, including electric vehicle charging points and car clubs. We aim to ensure the development will be pedestrian and cycle friendly.

“There will also be wider benefits, including the replacement of redundant sports pitches to Sport England standards, ecological enhancements and much needed training and employment opportunities while the houses are being built.”

 

Source: Hastings Observer

Contour Crafting’s 3D concrete printing technology. Image via CC Corp.

 

A project carried out by the Tsinghua University’s School of Architecture has successfully constructed a 3D printed concrete bookstore in Shanghai’s Wisdom Bay Innovation Park.

The bookstore is due to open to the public at the end of January, and was printed on-site in three weeks, project lead He Yuting told the Global Times.

The building, which will reportedly be China’s first 3D printed concrete bookstore, is the latest in a string of structures based at the innovation park that have been designed and built using additive manufacturing.

3D printing in Wisdom Bay

Built on the former site of a wool textile mill, the Wisdom Bay Innovation Park has been named Shanghia’s first popular science park. Here, more than 300 companies from across the globe engage in 3D printing, intelligent micro manufacturing, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI) robotics projects. Wisdom Bay is also reportedly home to the world’s only 3D printing museum.

In 2019, a 26.3 meter-long and 3.6 meter-wide concrete bridge, hailed the world’s largest at the time, was completed and installed in the park. The project was also carried out by Tsinghua University, which 3D printed the concrete components in 450 hours.

Constructing the bookstore

The project team used “fiber concrete” as the 3D printing material to construct the bookstore in order to resist compression and earthquake effects. Equipped with an underfloor heating system, the building has a floor space of 30 square meters and is able to accommodate 15 people at any one time.

The team printed the structure in three parts. The main outer round wall was printed in-situ, while the roof and the remaining part of the outer wall were printed separately. Now that the printing of the bookstore has been completed, it will be decorated before opening to the public at the end of January.

A new chapter for concrete 3D printing

Concrete 3D printing is being increasingly utilized within the building and construction sector, in many cases providing a cheaper, faster, and low-waste alternative to conventional construction techniques. Optimizing the concrete printing process has been the subject of several recent and ongoing research projects, as has the development of new concrete compositions suitable for rapid additive manufacturing and innovative printing methods.

The US Governent’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has previously demonstrated the potential military applications of concrete 3D printing in partnership with Texas-based construction firm ICON, while concrete specialists QUIKRETE and Contour Crafting Corporation (CC Corp) have partnered for the automated construction of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings in Los Angeles using CC Corp’s concrete printing technology.

Facilities dedicated to the advancement of concrete 3D printing have also sprung up, including 3D concrete specialist Vertico’s new concrete printing facility in Eindhoven which is designed to accelerate its commercial and architectural building applications. Elsewhere, the American University in Dubai announced plans to establish a scientific research center for 3D printing concrete buildings in collaboration with Dubai-based 3D printing service bureau, 3DVinci Creations.

 

Source: 3D Printing Idustry

 

 

 

L-R Scott Bibby of CoreHaus; Sarah Slaven of Business Durham; and Cllr Carl Marshall of Durham County Council

Innovative modular housebuilder, CoreHaus, is opening its first UK manufacturing site at a County Durham business park as part of its scale-up plans.

CoreHaus has secured its new 20,000 sq ft unit at Jade Business Park, in Murton near Seaham, and recruited a highly skilled team to start production of its unique modular homes, which have already been successfully trialled in the North East of England.

CoreHaus will now be able to expand production and perform a greater scope of work including the assembly of steel frames that are central to its modular homes. The company’s five-year plan will see CoreHaus producing 1,000 modular homes a year, resulting in more than 100 people working across the business.

Managing director of CoreHaus, Scott Bibby, said: “With such a great facility situated in the heart of the North East and at such a competitive rate, it made perfect sense to set up our manufacturing site at Jade Business Park.

“County Durham has a highly skilled and rich labour market which we have already begun to take advantage of. This has allowed us to employ a diverse, highly competent and experienced team from the surrounding area which will allow best practice from multiple industries to be deployed into our products.

“As a social enterprise the generation of social value is highly important to us. The support from Business Durham and the Council has been fantastic so far, we look forward to strengthening this relationship and building upon it further in the future.”

CoreHaus is a joint-venture company between Newton Aycliffe based Carlton & Co Group, the parent company behind North East based Homes by Carlton, and national social enterprise Fusion21, specialists in public procurement for the built environment based near Liverpool.

CoreHaus homes appear much like any traditional build. They differ to both standard brick-built homes as well as other modular designs because of the way they are constructed and assembled. CoreHaus is a flexible combination of being part modular, with a standard, engineered core, that can be configured to meet customer requirements.

Scott Bibby added: “We have been really pleased with the interest and early demand shown for our innovative product. The concept was successfully piloted with Homes by Carlton at a site in County Durham last summer and we are now looking to work together on other new housing developments across the region.

“We’re also talking to local authorities and housing associations. Several have already told us they love the flexible, high-quality nature of the product. It is quick to build, easy to adapt and has a low-carbon footprint.”

Sarah Slaven, Interim managing director at Business Durham, said: “It’s fantastic that CoreHaus have chosen to open their first UK manufacturing site at Jade Business Park, joining Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems Europe in the first phase of the park. “

Cllr Carl Marshall, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “We are delighted to welcome CoreHaus to Jade Business Park.  As the economy continues to feel the impact of Covid-19 it is vital we support economic growth and job creation.  Creating high quality facilities to encourage businesses to move to the county is key to generating new opportunities for County Durham residents.  We look forward to welcoming further businesses to this premier development in the near future.”

 

 

 

 

Shearwater Energy, which describes itself as a UK-based hybrid clean energy company, is developing a wind-small modular reactor and hydrogen production hybrid energy project in North Wales. Shearwater says it has selected the SMR (Small Modular Reactor) technology being developed by NuScale and has signed a memorandum of understanding with the US company to further collaboration in advancing the proposed project.

The project would provide 3 GWe of zero-carbon energy and is also expected to produce over 3 million kilograms of green hydrogen per year for use by the UK’s transport sector, “ensuring full utilisation of the energy produced”, Shearwater said. The company has submitted a proposal to the UK government and the devolved governments of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Under the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding), Shearwater and NuScale will generally explore opportunities for the combined generation of nuclear power based on NuScale’s leading SMR technology, offshore wind energy and hydrogen production at sites in the UK, with a flagship opportunity being explored at Wylfa on Anglesey. As international renewable energy portfolios grow, this collaboration highlights the increasing momentum and need for more flexible and reliable low-carbon energy generation.

NuScale’s assessment of the UK supply chain concluded that more than 75% of the content of a NuScale plant could be sourced within the UK, Shearwater said.

“Combining low-carbon generating technologies enables us to achieve similar performance characteristics to large thermal plants without the high cost, long construction time and environmental legacy,” Shearwater CEO Simon Forster said.

“When fully developed, an SMR-wind plant at Wylfa will provide 3 GW of reliable, zero-carbon electricity at a fraction of the cost of a conventional nuclear power station with surplus energy generation focused on the production of hydrogen to support the transport sector’s transition to low-carbon fuels. Power generation at Wylfa could begin as early as 2027,” he said.

 

 

John Hopkins, chairman and CEO of NuScale Power, added in the same statement: “NuScale looks forward to demonstrating the innovative features of our SMR design, and how our load following capability is a perfect complement to Shearwater’s offshore wind project as the country seeks to meet its clean energy goals.”

The UK recently announced plans to expand offshore wind capacity by 2030 and invest in SMR development to meet net-zero carbon emissions goals by 2050.

A Shearwater-NuScale wind-nuclear energy system will provide reliable, load following power to overcome intermittency and grid stability issues, Shearwater said. Additionally, the green hydrogen it produces will support industry, transport, power and homes “providing a further opportunity for decarbonisation and affordable energy security”, it said.

In August last year, NuScale became the first SMR developer ever to receive design approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NuScale says that its first power company customer will be breaking ground in 2023 in the US state of Idaho.

Its SMR design – the NuScale Power Module – is a pressurised water reactor with all the components for steam generation and heat exchange incorporated into a single integrated unit. The company said in November last year that, following value engineering efforts using advanced testing and modelling tools, it had concluded that the unit could generate 77 MWe (gross) per module, or about 924 MWe for a 12-module power plant. The increased power output comes without any major changes to the NPM technology.

Source: World Nuclear News

 

Data may well be the new oil, but the ability to interpret it properly is the oxygen for any business. Rob O’Connor reports on an insightful webinar on how digital transformation can help the UK build back better in the post-Covid recovery.

The vital importance of digital transformation to enable the construction industry to help the nation build back better as part of the post-Covid recovery emerged as the major theme of the first Infrastructure Intelligence webinar of the year on Friday 15 January 2021.

The special business webinar, Data – the foundation of construction transformation, in partnership with Atkins, gathered together a hugely influential panel of industry big-hitters to discuss the importance of data and its key role in construction transformation. Hosted by Infrastructure Intelligence editor Andy Walker, a top line up of panellists was led by Atkins UK CEO Richard Robinson. He was joined by Mace chief executive Mark Reynolds, Alison Atkinson, CEO at the Atomic Weapons Establishment and Stephen Dance, the director of commercial advice and delivery at the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.

Together, they outlined why the power of data is transformational at every level and essential if the industry is to make the improvements the nation is striving to achieve. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the construction sector to think differently, embrace digital and accelerate its transformation to a more technological driven and digital industry and the webinar reflected on this during an insightful and informative 90-minute session.

Building on the conclusions of a successful industry roundtable held on this issue last October, the panel drilled down into the debate about data, access to data and the importance of sharing data, as part of an illuminating discussion on how the industry can realise the full potential of construction’s digital transformation.

Richard Robinson, Atkins UK CEO, said: “Digital transformation is not a new topic, but it’s more important than ever before. The Covid crisis has underlined the need to stimulate the economy and our industry has a crucial role to play in building back better. However, our industry’s productivity has been pretty flat for over 20 years, compared to a 20% rise in productivity in other industries. So, it’s clear that a huge digital transformation is required across the industry, but the sector has made huge strides, especially in the last 12 months.

“We’re well on the way to creating a common data environment, sharing information right across the supply chain and leveraging data will help us transform construction on a day-to-day basis.” Asked how he saw data impacting decision-making around infrastructure delivery, Robinson said: “I think, put simply, we’ll be able to actually do some decision making. It would enable us to make decisions on a minute-by minute basis, rather than weeks or months as has previously been the case. It would help the industry work faster, cheaper, and much more effectively for everyone.”

 

 

Looking positively to the industry’s emerging and future workforce embracing the digital transformation, Robinson said: “We’ve noticed that graduates are focussing very much on climate change. That means access for the industry to recruit new data scientists is changing at pace – and that bodes very well for the industry and society as a whole.”

Mark Reynolds, Mace chief executive, said: “Some say data is the new oil and if the past ten months are anything to go by, that’s certainly true. No matter what we do, how we do it, or at what stage of the process, data is essential to make better decisions, learn and build a knowledge database.”

Covid had made a difference to industry forcing it to work differently, said Reynolds. “It took the coronavirus pandemic to get our teams and clients to realise the real value of data and what can be achieved if you think enterprise and data – it has been transformational,” he said.

“It’s providing us with information to make better decisions, seek areas for lower costs, drive efficiency, improve safety, quality and productivity which will allow us to pay higher salaries and create a more attractive industry,” Reynolds  said. “The power of data is transformational at every level and essential if the industry is to make the improvements we are all striving to achieve,” he said.

Alison Atkinson, CEO and managing director at the Atomic Weapons Establishment pointed out that data security is obviously paramount and described data as “the oxygen of any business”. “Data, and the ability to interpret it properly, is the oxygen of any business. The reliability of business data coming through is vital, and there’s a need to achieve consistency right across the industry,” she said.

“It’s still about people who interpret data and produce fantastic outcomes – and there’s a huge opportunity to link the digital savvy of today’s established and emerging engineers with upgrading the skills of current decision makers,” Atkinson said.

Stephen Dance, director of commercial advice and delivery at the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, said that digital transformation provided a “massive opportunity” for the industry to help the nation build back better as part of the post-Covid recovery.

“When the economy is in deep trouble – which it is – and we want to build our way out of trouble, then we’ve got to look at the whole issue of companies that have been unproductive and have maybe procured in the wrong way,” he said. “We need to look at the whole lifecycle of buildings – from carbon, cost, modern methods of construction – and at the heart of that has to be the way we use and measure data,” said Dance.

“From a sustainability standpoint, it’s important we use the data technology to help us build back better and greener. Without breaching people’s personal data, I would like to see data become free for the common good – and I’d like to see information shared as benchmarks for best practice,” Dance said.

Commenting on the webinar, Infrastructure Intelligence editor Andy Walker said: “There is no doubt that senior decision makers and clients across the infrastructure sector want to see digital innovations from the design, engineering and consultancy sector to help support their organisations and it’s abundantly clear that data will be a crucial part of this change.

“The panellists at the webinar have done the industry a real service by sharing their insights and thoughts on how construction’s digital future will unfold and crucially what that will mean for those that work in the industry and also those that experience that work. Full marks too to Atkins for taking a leadership position on this crucial issue for the sector.”

Click here to watch a recording of the “Data – the foundation of construction transformation” webinar.

Source: Infrastructure Intelligence

Support for all of those involved in the housing market, from renters and buyers to builders, and measures to help the construction industry to work safely during the pandemic, has led to an increase in the number of completed homes, new housebuilding figures show.

The official statistics show 35,710 homes were started in July to September 2020 – a 111% increase when compared to the previous quarter – while, 45,000 homes were completed in the same period, representing a 185% increase on the previous quarter.

Today’s figures reflect the housing and construction industry’s resilience and measures they have taken to keep building sites open, in line with public health advice.

 

 

Housing Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:

“Today’s figures show that the number of new homes developers have started building have more than doubled compared to the previous quarter and the number of completed homes has almost tripled.”

“This reflects the government’s commitment throughout the pandemic to support industry to enable construction sites to remain open and operate safely.”

“We extended planning permission deadlines and flexible working hours on sites so that builders, architects and developers have been able to continue working, while following public health advice.”

“In turn this has protected millions of jobs, from builders, through to estate agents and carpenters.”

“The housing industry is key to our economic recovery, which is why we’re investing £12 billion in affordable housing, providing £400 million to build more homes on brownfield land, and investing £7.1 billion for a new National Home Building Fund over the next 4 years, unlocking up to 860,000 homes.”

 

Source: Property Notify