Why Lean is key to the future of construction

Ever-increasing demand for faster, more cost-effective builds has left the construction industry in need of operational models that maximise margins and create competitive advantage.

Originally designed to improve efficiency in car manufacturing, the principles of Lean production are offering a solution for a growing number of construction companies.

A value-driven and people centric approach

So, how exactly can Lean benefit construction? “It’s a philosophy-based set of processes aimed at continuously delivering better quality from the customer perspective,” explains Professor of Lean Project Management at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), Christine Pasquire.

“Traditionally, construction can be very fragmented, with a whole series of contracts, sub-contracts, supplier contracts and designer contracts. But, in a Lean system, there’s synchronisation and harmony across all processes.

“The benefits are enormous. Lean can literally achieve better quality results a third quicker and a third cheaper than traditional practices. Construction companies can share and realise benefits across the entire supply chain.”

Lean construction in action

Lean has been behind a number of high-profile construction projects, including Heathrow’s Terminal 5. The airport expansion was one of the earliest applications of the Last Planner® system (LPS), which is a foundational approach for Lean construction.

“LPS is a way of collaborating and controlling production processes for greater predictability and reliability of construction production,” explains Professor Pasquire.

There are sustainability benefits to Lean construction too. “During the building of the Athlete’s Village for the 2012 Olympics in London, the project team implemented a NoWaste Lean Construction training programme. This resulted in 13% less waste production over a six month period and saved an estimated £94,000 in waste disposal costs.”

“Lean enables you to codify, collaborate, improve transparency, bring in the right people at the right time, and change your contracts so that you’re getting better sustainability benefits, as well as cost-driven solutions.”

Implementing Lean within Construction Project Management

Gaining a working knowledge of these practices can enable CPMs to develop Lean construction project delivery systems from a cost-effective and sustainable customer perspective.

Professor Pasquire agrees. “Lean is changing the way construction is carried out. CPMs will need an understanding of Lean that’ll allow them to navigate the challenges of its adoption and capitalise on its benefits.”

Online study can offer a flexible route to these skills, ideal for those looking to apply newly-aquired knowledge immediately to their real working environments. As leader of the Lean Project Production module of the Online MSc in Construction Project Management at NTU, Professor Pasquire uses simulations, videos and real-world case studies to provide an experiential demonstration of the principles in action.

“I integrate my work leading the Lean Project Management research group, so all content is based on the latest developments and findings in the field,” she says. “It’s a cutting-edge exploration into one of the most impactful working philosophies in contemporary construction.”

Visit NTU to find out more about Lean construction and how you can use it to build on your CPM career.

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BIM Level 2: Where are we now?

I hosted an event in Newcastle recently called BIM: from Confused to Comfortable, and as part of the Q&A panel, I answered the question of when the BIM Level 2 mandate would be enforced fully. I forget my exact words, but in essence I said ‘never, but it doesn’t matter. We’ve crossed the chasm and the genie is out of the bottle. BIM is getting adopted whether you like it or not. And besides the Government are a touch busy at the moment so it’s over to us’.

Perhaps I was being a bit controversial to provoke a good debate out of the other panelists. But I’ve been thinking about this a lot since and an idea keeps coming back to me. Perhaps the BIM Level 2 mandate was possibly the greatest gambit the government ever played against the construction industry’s productivity troubles.

Those who play chess will know that a gambit is a ‘calculated gamble to gain an advantage’. But the result doesn’t need to be known, it’s not about definite outcomes, it’s about gaining control and minimising the variables. The Level 2 Mandate was offered up to the industry with the idea that adopting this way of working would be the only thing that Government clients could accept as of 2016, and it will be such a great way of working the private sector will follow, in turn.

Pawn to C4.

You don’t need to look far in the industry to see that there is still a lot of work coming out of the public purse that doesn’t yet have Level 2 as a firm requirement. In fact, there is a significant on-going debate about whether Level 2 is fully defined enough for clients to ask for it as a requirement, albeit with clarification. Perhaps the BIM Task Group knew all along some would take the pawn and others would play for position and leave it where it stood?

As much as the BIM mandate is not being enforced with an iron fist, I’ve come to think the gambit has been more than effective. When government’s attempt to redirect industries with a heavy hand it can cause contraction, stress failures and a drop in productivity. We already have enough skills and diversity issues without shooting ourselves in the foot with a forced and narrow innovation agenda.

The approach put the decisions, the response, the innovation and the strategy in the hands of the industry. Some who took the bait early have tried to weaponise the standards for business advantage, others have tried to influence the technology sector into supporting our digitisation evolution and others have simply worked hard to reach a level that they can call compliant, whatever that may look like to them.

Then there’s another crowd who accepted the need to digitise, but didn’t take the standards and processes of Level 2 or even Level 1 into their businesses, perhaps sensing the mandate may not be a blunt as it first appeared. They focussed their efforts on identified weak spots or opportunities. This led to a spike in uptake of digitised snagging, laser capture of site progress, a prop tech boom and the sporadic use of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality to aid design and project marketing. These aren’t BIM to any specific level, but in the depths of the recession if anyone told you we’d have his much innovation inside a decade most people would have scoffed: because each project is unique, ten years is nothing in our game, we don’t do technology in construction, and probably some vaguely threatening comments about not trusting the cloud.

Others are yet to start, but they are starting to feel exposed by their competitors advances, and the Tender questions are getting scary. Just wait until the clients get really good at asking for what they want from BIM, the places to hide are disappearing, and not because we’re all doing Level 2, but because the genie is out of the bottle. It takes a rare client to see a 3D walkthrough of a data rich model and not ask ‘what else can we do with this?’ and ‘can I get data about my building out of this?’.

Much like a game of chess, the initial gambit gets less and less important as the game progresses, but its legacy defines so much of the game.

This is why I think we need to stop focusing so hard on which projects are and aren’t Level 2. What really matters is whether advantage has been brought to our projects and our clients by adopting BIM processes and technologies. If a client asks for BIM Level 2 as defined by PAS1192, then that’s what they should receive. If you are in a position of influence this is definitely where you should start, as you’ll have the backing of the standards, the shared knowledge of industry peers and the support of the UK BIM Alliance.

On the flip side, not delivering to Level 2 when asked to do so would erode their trust in us. If you sign up for this and spend the project trying to get out of it, you’re one of the bad guys. COBie is nothing to be scared of, and a lot of the Level 2 processes will align really well with the ISO compliance, you already have in place. I know real life and ISO aren’t always a mirror of each other, but every business is likely to have done a lot of the necessary thinking, it just needs a bit of a push on implementation BIM. If you need help with Level 2, ask, there are plenty out there, your local BIM Region is usually the right place to start, there are some truly excellent web resources out there too, and of course there are BIM consultants who are ready to work with you.

If the client doesn’t want to take the Level 2 route, this is fine, too, because there are so many more digital advantages we can bring to the table. Not doing Level 2 shouldn’t elicit any BIM snobbery as we’re all digitising together – in different way – addressing different problems at different paces, so this is a win, whichever way you look at it.

The question ‘please offer evidence of 3 previous BIM Level 2 projects’ in tenders and capability questionnaires is now proving too narrow: it’s not really showing the difference in quality and experience we need to build a great team for a project. It’s time for new questions about digitalisation, standardisation and, above all, the positive steps to bring the advantages of BIM to our projects and clients. Level 2 or not Level 2, isn’t the right question anymore.

The mandate gambit set the industry off on a number of innovation paths, some took the pawn, others didn’t, and others have realised they need to learn the rules of the game. But now when we look back in hindsight, delivering a mandate with room to wriggle and a dwindling threat of enforcement was perhaps the most positive trick ever played in our industry and, unlike chess, everyone who chooses to play the game can win. The only people who lose are those who put their heads in the sand.

By John Adams – BIM Strategy

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Can we make sustainability a priority at all levels of the construction industry?

Sustainability has become an ever-increasing priority in recent years but this month it’s rocketed to the top of the agenda following the IPCC’s dramatic report on climate change.

Published on 8th October, the report stated that the world is heading towards a 3 ֯C increase in global temperatures and that only ‘rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society’ would allow us to keep to the target of a 1.5֯C rise.

Damian O’Neill, Director at Lyons O’Neill says it’s clear that every sector needs to take a good, hard look at practice in their industry and work out what changes must be made. And that includes engineering and construction.

Sustainability in engineering and construction today should touch all areas of the sector, if we’re to make the wide-scale changes that are needed to make a tangible impact. That means from putting pen to paper right through to cutting the opening ribbon, we need to consider how we work efficiently, conserve resources and build for the future.

Engineering plays a pivotal role in the design journey and as such is critical for incorporating sustainable practices into every project. But what does a sustainable structural and civil engineer look like in practical terms? Below I outline how we can prioritise the environment at this crucial stage of the design process.

Certifications aren’t there to hold you back

Everyone in the industry is aware of environmental certifications (such as BREEAM and Passivhaus for individual projects and the ISO 1400 family for whole companies and organisations) but we need to change our attitude towards them. It may seem as if adhering to their technical specifications limits efficiency and creativity but in fact the opposite is the case. Problem-solving and generating new ways of working to meet requirements is what will stop the sector becoming stagnant and help it evolve to meet changing needs and desires. And if we want the construction industry – and, indeed, the world – to have the best possible future, we need to use set targets to raise the environmental bar across the sector.

You don’t need to wait for a client to suggest building a project to BREEAM standards to introduce the idea into the conversation. Even if the project doesn’t result in certification, discussing with a client the steps you can take towards sustainability throughout the design process is as crucial if we’re to see industry change.

New isn’t always better…

There’s a certain excitement that comes with having a blank slate to work with but, in construction, new isn’t always better. And with an ever-growing population putting pressure on land use, reimagining brownfield sites and regenerating urban areas is the future for our industry. Some of our most successful projects have involved re-purposing old spaces and structures – such as Darling House, shortlisted as a finalist in the SBID International Design Awards 2018. This project saw us convert a disused double garage plot of land into a three-storey, three-bedroom family home, filling the footprint of the compact site to create a beautiful and modern living space. And our work for Adur and Worthing council saw us develop an old car park site near the Civic Centre, to create modern office space ready for occupants in the coming spring.

In terms of sustainability, engineers and architects must also consider the longevity of their structures. We should design with the goal of maximising a building’s use, constructing it to withstand environmental and human pressures over a long time-period and considering the variety of uses it may have in the future.

…but don’t be scared of innovation

However, conserving the old doesn’t mean turning your back on innovation and it’s only by embracing the latest technological developments that our industry will meet its sustainability goals. BIM is being embraced across the sector, with the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) recently announcing the launch of a free e-learning platform designed to help Scottish construction companies understand modelling and help them integrate BIM Level 2 into their work to achieve greater efficiency and accuracy of construction. It’s this increased efficiency and accuracy which will reduce a project’s construction time, conserving precious resources and reducing environmental impact.

But it’s not just innovation in the processes of construction that we need to consider – we need to be seeking the building materials of the future. Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) is gaining traction among builders as a light weight, layered timber which allows for simple and fast onsite construction, reducing construction programmes as much as 30%. As an industry we need to be proactive in discovering and implementing a great range of new, sustainable materials whether that’s using recycled steel or timber, or a sustainable, biodegradable alternative to fibreboard. It’s not the sole responsibility of manufacturers and suppliers to innovate in this area and it’s support and demand from all levels of the industry which will drive action and research.

Consider the operational impact

The sustainable engineer must also consider the operational impact of their designs. What effect will the structure have on the surrounding environment once it’s in use and how can this be managed? It’s all very well for a building to be built with responsible methods and materials but if its use involves major disruption to the natural environment then it cannot be called sustainable.

We’ve encountered this challenge with our work at St. Nicholas SEN school, which involves the construction of a new 4FE special education needs school building on the current site. The ground drainage of the project was complex due to the steep terrain of the site and protected trees, but we were able to design an infiltration system which discharged surface water from the site to the water table, reducing urban runoff and the erosion issues which can result. Sustainable buildings are those which recognise their place in a wider system and know that no structure exists in isolation.

Collaborate and educate

Finally, as with any issue, progress relies on sincere collaboration between all levels of the construction industry and the sharing of knowledge. Site visits are a fantastic way of showing sustainable practice in action and that environmental responsibility doesn’t mean compromising on design or finish. Seeing the success others have when working sustainably inspires others to do the same. For example, we recently facilitated a site visit to Sutton Secondary School, the UK’s largest school constructed from CLT and to Passivhaus standard. This visit demonstrated the technical advantages of using innovative building materials and that working sustainably doesn’t mean completely changing your process.

We’ve gone beyond the stage where sustainability is a nice-to-have addition to a project: it now needs to be the priority, and at all levels of the construction industry. Sector-wide action springs from individual changes and every builder, architect and engineer has a powerful role to play.

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Designing the future of infrastructure

Last year saw HS2, the hotly anticipated high speed rail network linking the north and south, receive Royal Assent. After three years of intense Parliamentary scrutiny, HS2 has been rubber stamped and delivery of the railway is now a priority.

HS2 is a monumental infrastructure undertaking. The first phase, from London to Birmingham, will not be operational until 2026, with the entire route expected to be delivered in 2033. However, the economic benefits are clear, and not just for business: HS2 Ltd has launched a raft of community funding opportunities alongside the development. Designed to engage local communities in the project, the funds will help integrate the railway into the landscape of Britain.

With Royal Assent granted, the hard work begins, and 2018 is being heralded as the ‘Year of Design’ by HS2’s developers.

UK Construction Media spoke exclusively to Kate Hall, Design Director at HS2 Ltd, about the plans and how development of Britain’s largest infrastructure project is getting under way. Below is an extract from the interview, to read the full piece, please download our HS2 special here.

UKCO: This year is being heralded as the ‘Year of Design’ for HS2; can you tell me more about why that is?

Kate: Well, this is the year that all the major design gets under way. The major contractors Joint Ventures and designers are on board and now we have to deliver. There are quite a lot of things going on as part of the project, as well as the actual railway. For instance, there is a massive infrastructure undertaking in terms of construction that goes along with the main railway project.

I’ve been at HS2 Ltd for the last three years. My role is to champion design. I’ve been working on creating written standards, specifications and design guidance for the project. What I’m really proud of on this project is that we’ve written a Design Vision. It’s a simple document, we’ve said that there are three key elements to this vision: people, place, and time. We are designing for people, for everyone to enjoy and benefit from HS2.

Curzon Street Station

UKCO: Can you tell me more about the design principles that are being applied to HS2?

K: Under each element are key points:

People: Design for our diverse need; engage communities in the project; inspire excellence and creative talent.

Place: Designing a sense of place; designing spaces and places that support real quality of life; celebrating the local within a coherent national narrative.

It’s not just about branding HS2 and its construction infrastructure and plonking it in the countryside, it’s about making it really right for the location. We also want to demonstrate our commitment to the natural world, so things like environmental standards and what we’re doing to push the circular economy are important. I think these areas are really ground breaking.

And the last element is:

Time: Standing the test of time, adapting to future generations. Really thinking about that. Placing a premium on a person’s time as a customer; and also making the most of time in design, which I am also very passionate about.

This design vision gives us the whys of wanting to design differently, and build something different on the project, and what we are setting out to achieve.

The other commitment that we have delivered is a design handbook, which gives us illustrations of how we are doing things differently and trying to think about things differently.

UKCO: And how are you achieving that?

K: Firstly, we have an independent design panel on the project, now that’s not unusual, but what we have done is set up this panel right at the start of the project, from inception really.

© HS2/Grimshaw

Now this is gaining quite a lot of interest in the civil engineering sphere. While it is quite common to set up some sort of independent design review panel for major infrastructure projects, this is usually done quite far on in the process.

What we have done is looked at other major infrastructure projects, and thought about what are the best lessons we can learn from them. In any project, the later you change the design, the more expensive it is, the more disruptive it is to the project, and the less likely it’s going to happen. So if you’re going to take independent advice, then set it up really early. Which is what we did, before we even had detailed design, while we are writing the strategies, and standards, and specifications, before we’d even procured contracts!

UKCO: Can you tell me a bit more about the ‘Year of Design’?

K: We are saying it’s the ‘Year of Design’. All the main works contractors for Phase 1 were appointed last summer, we are now six months in to an 18-month stage 1 design period. At the end, by Feb 2019, they will proceed to stage 2, and there will be detailed design. So, this is the year that everybody is designing Phase I of HS2. This year is so instrumental and influential for the future of our built environment in our towns, cities and the countryside, perhaps for the next 150 years, which is why I’m so passionate about 2018, and why the team is so excited to say that it IS the year of design.

UKCO: As the infrastructure is going be part of our landscape for such a long time, you must be using a variety of advanced technologies so it is able to stand the test of time.

K: Part of this goes back to our design vision, in terms of a sense of place and sense of time, in particular, the personal time of customers. What we have done is create an augmented reality simulation, where we’ve taken the whole route of the actual journey. So, if you were sitting on the train, what would you see out of the window?

UKCO: So, using new technology is a big part of the project?

K: Yes, a huge part. Here we started with using augmented reality (AR) as part of a landscape study. If we do special scenes or planting, or even have some strategic artwork, we would use new technology to consider where to put it. We are also looking at creating landmarks, – which we know offer passengers valuable visual clues along their journey, can enhance communities and even become visitor attractions in their own right.

We’ve had such a fantastic response, using this technology, that we’ve expanded it. The AR experience we’ve developed allows you to arrive on the pavement at Euston, walk through the station, go down onto the platforms, walk onto the train, and it takes you off on the HS2 route. As you glance out of the window, you go through tunnels, and we see the impact on the customer experience.

UKCO: This technology is being used to give you some really cutting-edge design experience, then?

K: Investing in the AR has allowed us to really think about the design of the infrastructure that we are building. Tools like this allow us to bring all those facets together and look at the details, allowing us to realise that if we take a slightly different angle to an approach it becomes a much more pleasant experience for the passenger and community.

UKCO: You said it is the Year of Design and it seems to have evolved from this basic synchronicity with the launch of AR & VR and the leaps forward in technology, that you can really start to design a project right from the very beginnings of an idea, rather than going back and having people complaining this is wrong, or having to retrofit things. To actually be able to get it right, from the very start of a project, sounds like it will be very transformative for the construction and engineering industry.

K: Yes. HS2 really is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us, and for us to improve the things we do. It’s not an upgrade or extension, it’s an entirely new project, and a huge responsibility for us. I think the design legacy that we leave absolutely has to be of the highest quality, because of the impact and the length of time it will be there. That is why we’ve spent a lot of time writing the vision and strategy and working with the design team to use new tools, and to push technology.

UKCO: The way you describe it, it appears that HS2 will not just be leaving a legacy of a massive infrastructure project that you are leaving, but a legacy of how to design projects, and how to engineer for the future, rather than the traditional approach construction and engineering typically has. You have been given the opportunity to do it differently now, and do it right from the beginning, exploring different designs and technologies, and the way you build.

K: That’s right. How do you design in flexibility? Stations won’t be the same in the future as they are now, so how do you design in that flexibility, so your building isn’t redundant in 80 years’ time? It’s really great challenge for design and a fantastic creative opportunity.

It’s a really exciting year for stage I, because we are seeing a lot of what we’ve done come to fruition and become visible and tangible.

Image by Hayes Davidson / Knight Architects

UKCO: You said that 2018 is the Year of Design, I’m sure there are some exciting announcements to come out around that?

K: January saw us announcing the designers of the stations. We are about to start our rail systems procurement, another part of our design draft, and procurement of that, and we are selecting our master development partners for around Euston and Old Oak Common stations. In the spring, we will be inviting our suppliers to bid for the rolling stock. We have done a lot of work on design challenges for this, and making sure the rolling stock meets our aspirations as set out in the design vision.

So, the HS2 design process is really taking a look into the future and building the future of design.

 

Read the full interview here. First appeared April 2018.

If you are interested in finding out more about key infrastructure trends today, you may wish to attend the flagship infrastructure exhibition at the NEC in April 2019 : UKIS 2019

Click here for more information on how to register or exhibit at the UK Infrastructure Show 2019.  

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Mick George secure wind farm package

Since the official turf cutting back in September 2018, significant progress is being made on the Triton Knoll offshore wind farm project managed by lead shareholder, Innogy.

Construction specialist Mick George Ltd has now been appointed on behalf of J Murphy and Sons Ltd to complete Earthworks at the main onshore cable site off the A16 near Stickney.

The firm will be stripping the easement where the cables will be placed for this 860MW project and will have the capability to transmit renewable electricity from the wind farm to more than 800,000 UK homes per year.

This estimated £2 billion renewable energy scheme will not be without its engineering challenges. It involves the installation of more than 57 kilometres of underground high-voltage electrical export cable in Lincolnshire.

The route starts at the landfall location north of Anderby Creek, where the onshore and offshore cables connect. It runs to a new substation being constructed near Bicker, and then to the existing National Grid Bicker Fen Substation where the electricity from the offshore wind farm will ultimately connect into the grid. Both are on the outskirts of Boston

More than 300 individual directional drills – a record for a UK infrastructure project – will ensure the onshore cables can be installed without obstructing any roads, highways, rivers or drains.

Although the two-year onshore construction programme is underway, offshore activities are not expected to begin until late 2019. First energy generation could be as early as 2021. At the peak of the development, the project is anticipating upward of 3,000 employment opportunities.

Michael George, Managing Director at Mick George Ltd, commented: ‘’As a business that is well experienced in providing sustainable solutions through our waste management division, we recognise the importance of projects such as this and are excited to be involved.’’

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Delivering Homes fit for Brits: Next year’s big challenge

It has certainly been a turbulent year for the construction and housebuilding industry, punctuated by the backdrop of Brexit uncertainty, the collapse of big contractors like Carillion and stagnant housebuilding rates. As we look to 2019, we need to first consider recent sector performance, the forecast for housing starts and the socio-economic challenges caused by our shifting political landscape, UKCO speaks to Chris Stanley, Housing Manager, Concrete Block Association about the challenges ahead.

A Modest Proposal

Looking forward, housing market growth is expected to be, at best, modest; not quite the ‘Tiggerish’ predictions made by the Chancellor in the 2017 budget. The Construction Products Association have forecast 1.6% and 0.8% growth in 2019 and 2020 respectively. According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, net additional housing grew by just 2% to 222,190 units in 2018, which does not bode well if we are to reach the government’s proposed target of 300,000 new homes by 2025.

Sir Oliver Letwin’s recently published report presents insightful recommendations on how the government could facilitate an increase in the build-out rate on large sites – by increasing the variety of housing offered – and suggests the introduction of more statutory powers to local planning authorities to enable this. This is all well and good, but the trouble is in the government’s ultimately limited ability to influence in detail a housing market where delivery is largely up to the private sector.

There are signs that things are improving, but when growth is this minimal, it does not take a lot to flip into neutral. If housebuilders are lacking in confidence due to the uncertain political climate, the Housing Minister needs to provide bigger incentives. As Letwin advocates, we urgently need a more joined-up approach where there is more effective coordination between government departments, agencies and private sector operators.

Safety First

Concerns about fire-resilience and compartmentation as a result of the Grenfell tragedy is also expected to lead to conversations about how we build new housing and what materials we use.

Post-Hackitt the onus on fire-resilience is far greater. Fire safety requires that buildings are sub-divided into discrete compartments to avoid the fire spreading, but not only do we need to deliver the required standards of fire resilience from day one, designers need to have the confidence that the resilience will be maintained through the life of a product. The best way of ensuring this is by choosing a product which is intrinsically fire-resistant.

Now that a ban on combustibles in external walls has been announced by the government, I predict this will be pushed much further. Currently the ban only applies to what are considered higher risk residential buildings, namely 18m and above. But this inevitably will be extended. Timber cannot hide any longer: stick timber and CLT are both combustible. Government statistics show timber frames have more extensive fires and an academic paper published in The Structural Engineer in January 2018 (Deeney et. al.) identifies serious shortcomings in resilience of CLT.

The government and regulators will have to implement the learnings and widen the scope to deliver the fire-resilience that society assumes it is getting from the built environment. Not just for cladding, and not just for high-rise builds, but across the board, and our industry will be all the better for it.

New Frontiers

There’s no doubt that Brexit is the single biggest threat to the construction industry in 2019. Fortunately, the block-making sector is protected from much of Brexit uncertainty, in fact, this uncertainty could potentially end up working in the sector’s favour. This is because concrete blocks are a local product made from local constituents with a short supply chain. This is in stark contrast with the competitor material – imported timber.

Already the timber industry is expressing concern over supply issues, currency fluctuations and overall costs. Therefore it is likely that the most direct impact of Brexit will be increased demand for local concrete blocks from housebuilders who want to minimise costs and remove uncertainty.

Skills Shortage

Although the block-making sector is largely buffered from Brexit, not everyone is so fortunate. Another finding from the Letwin report concerned workforce; that the supply of skilled workers is one of the key obstacles to increasing the velocity of build-out rate on large sites.

We endorse what Letwin has found: to deliver more housing we need more traditionally built masonry homes if we are to get anywhere near what government is targeting. In terms of skills, he recommends the government, the CITB and the housebuilders conduct tripartite discussions to create new training programmes and models of employment. Letwin calls this an opportunity to find a solution to a problem, which of course exists across the construction sector.

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Wintringham development forges ahead

Construction has begun on a development which will see some 3,000 new homes created in St Neots, Cambridgeshire.

The project has seen Homes England, Urban&Civic and Nuffield Trusts at Oxford University working in collaboration to ensure the development gets off the ground and provides desperately needed housing in the area.

Phase one of the site comprises 1,000 new homes including affordable housing, the delivery of the first primary school, community and retail facilities and a health care provision.

The project is supported by Homes England through a ten year £26M Home Building Fund (HBF) infrastructure loan, in the joint venture with Urban&Civic and Nuffield Trusts. The project will deliver the legacy gifted by Lord Nuffield to maximise economic, environmental and social benefits, which will improve neighbourhoods and grow communities.

Local contractors, J Breheny Engineering, are currently on site, installing the initial roads, utilities and drainage systems across the first phase. Works will also include delivering an impressive cycle, a pedestrian walkway and green corridor which will run along the northern edge of the site, on Cambridge Road.

Aranee Mahadeva, Senior Specialist in Infrastructure and Complex Projects, at Homes England, said: “This project is a perfect example of Homes England working with partners to create a more resilient and diverse housing market. The £26M loan not only accelerates housing delivery but it also enables early delivery of community facilities, which will maximise the potential of a developing town.”

Tim Leathes, Development Director, at Urban&Civic, said: “We are very excited about the design for the first primary school at Wintringham, which will create an inspiring space for learning and the community, at the heart of our first phase. As well as far more practical things like putting in place future-proofed infrastructure and diverting power lines, we will also be introducing new landscaping to mark Wintringham Brook as a feature in the town and create attractive green space for people to enjoy from day one.

“Moving fast, achieving the standards is what Urban&Civic are renowned for and bringing forward all housing tenures from the outset, involves working in partnership. Homes England and the District Council are both playing a major role in expediting high quality delivery.”

New homes are due to complete next year, with the new primary school scheduled to open in September 2020, following occupancy of initial residents.

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Modular build for Homes England

Practicing what they preach, Homes England has chosen Modern Methods of Construction for its new south east office.

Homes England has confirmed offsite construction specialist McAvoy Group will create its new south east office at the new town of Northstowe in Cambridgeshire. As a leading advocate of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), Homes England is delighted to be using off-site manufacture of the two-storey building designed by architects Proctor and Mathews.

The location of the office is also of importance, with Homes England leading the long-term project to deliver 8,500 new homes in the centre of Northstowe new town.

Paul Kitson, General Manager for Homes England in the South East said: “Homes England champions MMC as a means of increasing building productivity and improving energy efficiency.

“MMC has the potential to be significantly more productive than traditional methods of construction and greatly increase the pace of delivery. It can also improve the quality of construction and help address labour and materials shortages.”

“Opting for an office built using MMC shows our strong commitment to non-traditional building methods.”

“Working with McAvoy and Proctor and Matthews Architects will enable us to create an office that allows our workforce to experience first-hand the capabilities of modular construction.”

Raymond Millar, Construction Director of The McAvoy Group added: “This project is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the potential of offsite construction and how the approach can realise an ambitious architectural design and deliver a high-quality and flexible office environment. By moving construction into a highly efficient factory environment, we will be significantly reducing the build programme, minimising disruption to local residents and offering greater certainty of completion to the highest quality standards, on time and on budget.”

The open plan building will provide a modern, purpose built office environment for Homes England’s south east team, along with meeting rooms, a breakout area, conference room and multi-use space which may be used for other events such as public consultation meetings as the Northstowe development progresses.

The development reflects Homes England’s commitment to the Northstowe new town project and to the increased pace of delivery offered by MMC. The organisation has recently tendered its first parcel of land at Northstowe, with a requirement for developers to use panellised construction on at least half of the 400 homes on site. Plans for a plot solely using MMC techniques are also under consideration.

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NIC launches new partnership programme

An important part of helping cities plan for the future is the development of long-term strategies for their infrastructure needs.

In order to facilitate this, the National Infrastructure Commission has launched a partnership programme for cities and city regions across the country, which will help local leaders develop those long-term strategies that link transport, housing and job opportunities.

Chairman Sir John Armitt said the programme would help cities “from the North East to the South West” to share knowledge and expertise as they look to improve their local transport connections.

An initial five cities and city regions have been selected to work with the Commission within the partnership, and they will benefit from expert advice as they develop strategies to improve local transport connections, unlock job opportunities and deliver much-needed new homes.

On top of this, all 45 of England’s largest cities will have the chance to share information and expertise through a series of events that will take place across the country in the New Year, hosted by the National Infrastructure Commission.

The programme follows publication of the UK’s first-ever National Infrastructure Assessment, which recommended that additional funding and powers be devolved to city leaders and Metro Mayors so they can develop long-term strategies for their area.

Chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission Sir John Armitt said: “Our cities are vital to our economy – but their ability to reach their true potential is stymied by poor public transport and traffic congestion.  The solution to this won’t come from Whitehall but from Town Halls.

“Our new partnership programme will help our five chosen cities to design plans to improve their local transport – which in turn will demonstrate the real benefits that devolving funding for the long-term will bring.

“On top of this the series of events we’ll be running across the country will give dozens of cities from the North East to the South West the chance to share knowledge and expertise.”

Established in 2015, the National Infrastructure Commission is an independent body tasked with providing clear advice to the Government on how best to meet the country’s long-term infrastructure needs. In its National Infrastructure Assessment – the first of its kind for the UK – the Commission recommends that Ministers provide new powers and £43Bn funding on top of current spending levels between now and 2040 to city leaders including Metro Mayors, to develop long-term strategies for improving transport links.

The Assessment also highlights the need for these strategies to be unlocking job opportunities and delivering much-needed new homes.

The five cities and city regions selected to work with the Commission on in depth case studies over the next year, are:

• Cities in the West Yorkshire Combined Authority area – including Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield and Wakefield.  The Combined Authority want to create an efficient and sustainable local transport system;
• Liverpool City Region – a city region whose roads are the second most congested outside London.  The city region plans to develop a Spatial Development Strategy taking in housing, planning and transport;
• Derby – who want to develop a new growth plan to improve transport, employment and housing in the area, all while also improving air quality and the city’s environmental impact;
• Basildon – who want to develop an infrastructure strategy that supports the delivery of 18,000 new homes and 20,000 new jobs by the mid-2030s; and
• Exeter – a city looking to deliver, with its strategic partners, 50,000 new homes by 2040.  The Commission will work with the City Council to develop a strategic plan taking in these new homes as well as improvements to local transport and job opportunities.

The five cities chosen today will have the chance to start this work now, and demonstrate what greater certainty over long-term funding could enable them to deliver for their residents.

As they do so, they will work alongside the National Infrastructure Commission to have access to experienced professionals who will be able to provide a fresh, outside perspective on how they might tackle local transport issues in their area.

In reaction to the news, Jacobs’ Director of Growth London and Cities, Kate Kenny, commented: “Jacobs welcomes the National Infrastructure Commission’s new partnership programme for cities and city regions across the country.”

“There are significant opportunities for working smarter with more integrated, long-term thinking across organisations and services, so that our cities and their vital infrastructure are developed holistically, maximising benefits. Connecting strategies and learning across sectors and regions will help find better and more sustainable solutions to achieving connectivity, placemaking, environmental and economic growth objectives.”

 

If you are interested in finding out more about key infrastructure trends today, you may wish to attend the flagship infrastructure exhibition at the NEC in April 2019 : UKIS 2019

Click here for more information on how to register or exhibit at the UK Infrastructure Show 2019.  

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Erith Park regeneration ends estate crime

From troubled estate to showcase development with zero reported burglaries over the last 12 months. A former council estate, which was blighted by social problems and crime for 40 years, has undergone a major regeneration with police crime prevention techniques built into its 588 new homes from the outset.

The 1970s Larner Road Estate in South-east London was widely known as a troubled estate and it presented huge challenges for police. Calls about crime often required a two-car response, a direct reflection of the level of crime and disorder on the estate.

Over the last five years, Larner Road has been transformed into Erith Park as part of a project by the UK housing group Orbit and Wates Residential.

The estate’s eight tower blocks have come down and been replaced by a low to medium rise development of apartments and houses for affordable rent, shared ownership and market sale, built into traditional street patterns.

The Metropolitan Police has reported no recorded offences of burglaries, drugs related offences, weapons, robberies or personal thefts within the boundary of Erith Park over the last 12 months. Despite the high density of the housing on Erith Park, it now has 80% less crime compared to the rest of the ward it sits within.

Key to this policing success has been the ongoing work of police officers specially trained by Secured by Design (SBD), the national police crime prevention initiative. Known as Designing Out Crime Officers, they are attached to local police forces around the UK to work with architects, developers and local authority planners to design out crime at the planning stage – long before construction begins.

SBD measures improve the physical security of buildings with robust doors, windows and locks that meet SBD standards as well as crime prevention techniques designed into the surrounding layout and landscaping. These techniques include increasing natural surveillance so strangers can be seen clearly and limiting cut-throughs and alleyways to avoid potential hiding places and escape routes.

Over the last 30 years, there have been more than one million new homes built across the UK to SBD crime prevention standards with reductions in crime of up to 87% each and every year.

Metropolitan Police Sgt Matt Coe, said: “Designing out crime on the estate has not only reduced crime but also improved the outlook for people who live here. It’s a place where people are choosing to live. Whereas before, it had a poor reputation and was poorly regarded.”

SBD Development Officer, Lyn Poole, said: “This was the first SBD development to have access control systems installed at communal entrance doorsets with data-logging providing a video and audio record of attempts or requests to enter buildings – an important potential source of evidence when investigating criminal activities.”

Built in two phases, construction on the £120M project started in March 2013 and finished in December 2018.

Caroline Field, Head of Regeneration, Orbit, said the estate’s perception in the wider community is that it’s an amazing transformation. Sometimes, on regeneration schemes, people say: ‘You may have built new homes, but it’s still the same place’. But with Erith Park, people can see the wider and deeper transformation – it’s not just window dressing.”

Paul Nicholls, Managing Director of Wates Residential, said: “Erith Park is testament to the far-reaching long term impact that design can have on creating great places where people are proud to live. What was once one of the least popular estates in Erith is now one of the most sought after.”

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Drainage products subject to illegal cartel

Two construction firms have admitted breaking competition law by taking part in price fixing for drainage products.

The CMA has provisionally found that three drainage product manufacturers have broken competition law by co-ordinating prices for customers and sharing the market, with two of the businesses – Derbyshire-based Stanton Bonna Concrete Ltd and Somerset-based CPM Group Ltd – admitting the charges. The third company, FP McCann Ltd, headquartered in Northern Ireland, is also under investigation and has not made any admissions.

In a ‘statement of objections’ the CMA provisionally finds that the companies held regular secret meetings to set up and operate an illegal cartel, running from 2006 and continuing for almost seven years. Its aim was to fix or coordinate prices and share out the market for certain pre-cast concrete drainage products in Great Britain, with the intention of increasing prices and reducing competition.

These products are used in large infrastructure projects across Great Britain, including water management, roads and railways. Typical customers include engineering and construction companies; utilities providers; and local and national government.

Throughout the period of the alleged cartel activity, the companies were leading players, accounting for over half of the market. From 2010 onwards, they held over 90% of this market.

Michael Grenfell, Executive Director of Enforcement, said: “Cartels damage competition and lead to less choice, less innovation and increased prices for customers.

“We’ve provisionally found that these three firms secretly shared out the market and colluded on prices for construction products used in many building projects across Great Britain.

“The CMA does not tolerate such practices and will use our enforcement tools to crack down on those it believes are taking part in illegal cartels.”

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HSE prosecutes engineering firm

A Worcestershire engineering company has been fined after a worker suffered a serious head injury whilst assembling a steel frame.

Following an investigation into the incident by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Quantum Engineering Developments were summoned to Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court, where magistrates heard how, on 12 March 2018, an employee was injured when a steel frame he was assembling came off two supporting battens and fell on him pinning his head to the floor. The worker suffered a fractured skull and nerve damage as a result.

The investigation by the HSE found the company did not have a safe system of work in place and there were no risk assessments for assembly work. The company also failed to provide information, instruction and training regarding the risks of working below heavy components and the precautions necessary to ensure safety. The steel frame should have been securely mounted on wheels to keep it safe when employees worked below it, but at the time of the incident it had been supported on wooden battens.

The company pleaded guilty and has been fined £16,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,687.75.

Speaking after the case, HSE inspector Alastair Mitchell said: “This case highlights the importance of assessing risks in assembly work and the need to ensure safe systems of work when carrying out tasks below heavy components.

“Quantum Engineering Developments Limited failed to assess the risks and had not instructed their employees about safe systems of work to be used. This failure led to an employee being seriously injured.”

Mr Yarranton-Green, the injured employee, stated: “I can’t even begin to put into words how this stressful and testing time had impacted me and my family.”

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£15 million funding package to fix court buildings

Court infrastructure in England and Wales is to receive a much needed security and maintenance overhaul thanks to £15 million pounds in government funding.

Announced during Chancellor Philip Hammond’s recent budget, the sum will ensure that a programme of over 170 improvement works across a number of sites will take place before the end of the 2018/19 financial year. Priorities include the shoring up of security measures and boiler and lift repair.

“We want to provide the best experience possible for the victims, witnesses, staff and legal professionals who use our courts every day,” said Justice Minister Lucy Frazer. “That is why this extra funding is so welcome – and why we’ve worked with the judiciary to make sure we spend it where it is needed most.”

In total, £4 million will go towards the preparation of capital maintenance projects including the replacement of roofs at Snaresbrook Crown Court and Winchester Crown Court. Additional improvements include new boilers at Newton Abbot, Peterlee and Plymouth Magistrates’ Courts, new windows at Barnstaple Magistrates’ Court and replacement lifts at Swansea Civil Justice Centre and Thames Magistrates’ Court.

A further £3 million is to be spent on security-related works including the installation of secure locks and panic alarms, vision panels in doors and CCTV in waiting areas where necessary. Finally, the remaining £8 million will be allocated to facilities management with a particular focus on heating and cooling in court buildings.

The announcement falls alongside the government’s ambitious £1 billion court reform programme which is bringing new technology and modern ways of working to the justice system. This includes a fully accessible online civil money claims service which gives the public the ability to make small claims online. To date, more than 37,000 claims made since its March launch.

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CIOB report explores quality in the built environment

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has launched a brand new report exploring the quality of the built environment.

‘Improving Quality in the Built Environment‘ has been authored by the Construction Quality Commission, a CIOB initiative established to identify those factors that help or hinder quality in construction. The official launch took place at a parliamentary reception attended by a number of MPs and senior industry figures.

“Quality, or rather the failure of quality, is arguably the most important issue facing the construction industry today,” began Paul Nash, Chairman of the Construction Quality Commission. Addressing delegates, Mr Nash went on to outline the focus of the CIOB report, stating: “Our research identified (…) an underlying cultural issue in the industry. Quality was being sacrificed to achieve targets.”

A CIOB Past President, Mr Nash also spoke of a key outcome of the commission’s work; the forthcoming Code of Quality Practice which will set new standards for the industry and “provide practitioners with the tools and processes needed to deliver quality on construction projects.”

“There is never an excuse for poor quality,” Mr Nash concluded.

Roberta Blackman-Woods – MP for the City of Durham and Shadow Minister for Housing, Communities & Local Government – welcomed the CIOB report, saying: “I think the work you are doing is really important and I’m glad to see that improving the quality of the built environment has gone up the political agenda.”

The Construction Quality Commission was established in early 2017, initially as a response to reported building defects that led to the closure of a number of Edinburgh schools. It was given new impetus in the aftermath of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire however.  Led by CIOB Past Presidents, the commission has worked with members and other industry bodies to identify the core issues associated with quality in construction.

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£78M Local Transport Fund announced for Wales

Some £78M in funding has been announced by Wales’ Transport Secretary Ken Skates, which will be allocated to a number of local transport projects intended on improving transport links for local people.

Active travel links, electric car charging facilities and road improvement projects will benefit from the funding which will be broken down into £26M installments over three financial years from 2018/9.

All 22 local authorities in Wales who made bids for funding to the Welsh Government, with a total of 82 applications totalling £34M, will receive an allocation from the additional in-year funding. Meaning more than 60 projects will either be partially or fully funded during the remainder of 2018/19, with these schemes also providing an additional £7.2M in match funding.

Welsh Government has worked with local authorities to ensure schemes provide good value for money and meet transport and economic priorities.

Projects included in the Local Transport Fund are the A4119 Corridor Improvement Phase 2D (Strategic Bus Priority and Interchange) in Cardiff, Cross Hands Link Road in Carmarthenshire and the Deeside Industrial Park Walking and Cycling Links.

Projects across Wales that will benefit from additional funding include:

• Cardiff, Active Travel to schools, £742,000
• Torfaen, Direct Active Travel link to Croesyceiliog Comprehensive School, £102,900
• Rhondda Cynon Taff, Active Travel Package, £640,000
• Pembrokeshire, Installation of electric car charging facilities, £168,000
• Cardiff, on street cycle hire, £796,000
• Swansea, Fabian Way Corridor (Baldwin’s Bridge), £1,800,000
• Powys, Quality Bus Provision, £1,550,000
• Monmouthshire, Abergavenny town centre walking and cycling improvements third phase, £435,000
• Newport, Newport City Centre Sustainable Transport Study, £25,000
• Flintshire, B5129 Queensferry to Denbighshire border – Bus priority and traffic management measures – £107,500
• Isle of Anglesey, Gaerwen Park & Share, £59,000
• Wrexham, Active Travel Improvements, £7,000
• Gwynedd, Llanbedr Access Road, £1,374,000
• Denbighshire, Llangollen 2020 – Pedestrian Improvement Scheme, £20,000

Transport Secretary Ken Skates said: “I’m delighted that a host of transport projects across Wales will be allocated funding from the Local Transport Fund.

“These schemes have the potential to make a massive difference to people’s everyday lives, with improvements to transport networks, infrastructure and cycle lanes making it easier to choose active and sustainable travel.

“These projects support our ambitions to provide a modern and connected transport infrastructure, whilst further boosting our efforts to encourage healthy and active lifestyles.

“This funding could also prove a shot in the arm to the Welsh economy by making it easier for people to travel for both business and leisure.”

If you are interested in finding out more about key infrastructure trends today, you may wish to attend the flagship infrastructure exhibition at the NEC in April 2019 : UKIS 2019

Click here for more information on how to register or exhibit at the UK Infrastructure Show 2019.  

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Recruitment shifts to apprentices

Infrastructure contractors are starting to see a dramatic shift towards recruitment of apprentices according to new data published by the Civil Engineering Contractors Association’s annual training and development survey.

The survey has shown a huge jump in the number of apprentices, up 40% in 2017 with numbers expected to rise by a further 32% this year. While graduate recruitment in 2017 also grew (up 37%), firms also said that they had cut programmes and expected numbers to fall by 31% this year.

The Construction Alliance says these figures indicate that the UK Government’s much criticised reforms to apprenticeships are now having an impact on the sector. Further to this, it appears that contractors are bucking the trend for the wider economy, which has seen a steep reduction in the number of apprenticeships.

Despite this boost, Construction Alliance members still report problems with the Apprenticeship Levy system, with one in three payers indicating that they were unlikely to spend their Apprenticeship Levy funds this year.

CECA chief executive Alasdair Reisner said: “Our members have battled through a lot of bureaucracy that has arisen with the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy. However these firms have also told us that they see apprenticeships as one of the best routes to bring vital new workers into the sector.

“It is great news that their efforts are now showing dividends, with a significant and apparently sustained growth in apprenticeship numbers.

“Over the coming year, CECA will be working with our members to further streamline the process, supporting members with engagement with providers and offering opportunities for smaller businesses to work together to recruit apprentices.”

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Launch of Gemini Principles to boost infrastructure

Greater data sharing could release an additional £7Bn per year of benefits across the UK infrastructure sectors, equivalent to 25% of total infrastructure spend, according to the Centre for Digital Built Britain.

The Digital Framework Task Group (DFTG) has recently launched the Gemini Principles, which bring together key voices from government, academia and industry to provide the sector with foundational definitions and values to guide the development of the National Digital Twin (NDT), an ecosystem of digital twins that are connected by securely shared data. The establishment of this structure starts to address the key recommendations in the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC)’s 2017 report ‘Data for the public good’.

This work forms part of Centre for Digital Built Britain’s remit as the national focus for the digital transformation of the built environment.

The NDT will be a national resource for improving the performance, service and value delivered by the UK’s infrastructure; delivering benefits to society, business, the environment, and the economy. CDBB has been tasked with delivering the information management framework to underpin the NDT, and a series of pilot digital twins. The framework forms an integral part of HM Government’s modern Industrial Strategy and Construction Sector Deal.

Richard Harrington MP, Minister for Business and Industry for the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, said: “Digital technology is transforming the way we manage our built environment, and this collaborative work paves the way for better data-sharing that will put the UK at the forefront of digital construction and smarter infrastructure that’s more cost effective, delivers better services and energy efficient.

“This initiative embodies the aims of the Construction Sector Deal as we boost the skills and innovation within the industry so it’s best placed to take advantage of the projected £600Bn pipeline of infrastructure projects to be delivered over the coming decades.”

If you are interested in finding out more about key infrastructure trends today, you may wish to attend the flagship infrastructure exhibition at the NEC in April 2019 : UKIS 2019

Click here for more information on how to register or exhibit at the UK Infrastructure Show 2019.  

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Supporting the Government’s Full Fibre Broadband Commitment

The UK Government has made clear its ambitions to make access to full fibre connectivity the norm for every business and residential home across the country by 2033 – an uplift from the current 5% to 100% full fibre coverage in 15 years. In this article, we speak with Mark Collins, Director of Strategy & Public Affairs at CityFibre, about how industry can support this commitment.

Government support on this game-changing investment is a welcomed intervention for those who operate in the sector and for the rest of the UK population. Moreover, there are already a number of businesses ready to make this a reality – from altnets like ourselves, Hyperoptic and Gigaclear, to the incumbent, Openreach – but they need the help of construction partners who in return will get lengthy well-paid contracts as the UK digital infrastructure is transformed.

The construction involved will be colossal, and CityFibre’s part will see us reach five million homes by 2024 and many more by 2033. To put this into scale, by expanding our network in Edinburgh we will lay over 2,000km of new fibre cabling over a four-year period.

The current UK telecoms landscape means that the UK is behind the rest of Europe, and is 35th on the global rankings list for average connection speeds; we now have worse connectivity than Madagascar. The Government’s announcement means that we are addressing the disparity. However, the question is – what can industry do to help the Government realise its ambitions and bring the whole of UK up to gigabit speed?

To make this a reality, construction companies of all shapes and sizes must respond to recently announced Government consultations and take full advantage of this opportunity. Not only will this move provide job security for thousands of skilled and semi-skilled workers, but it will also add local value to the communities across the country. Full fibre is great for business – not just for those doing the work of laying it, but also for the businesses and homes who get access to the step-change in speed and reliability that full fibre brings.

CityFibre is a digital infrastructure provider, which has existing network assets across the country and is actively expanding in over 50 towns and cities in all regions of the UK. Only last month, we announced a £2.5Bn investment plan to extend the full fibre network, meaning that we have the backing and the mandate to get the work started. CityFibre and other alternatives are growing their share of the market, bolstering confidence that the bigger picture is changing for the better. This is great news for construction firms who can benefit from up to 15 years of certainty.

With this healthy competition comes an opportunity to coordinate a strategic approach to the delivery of our networks. Both commercial and residential construction operators have tremendous scope because they are essential in delivering fibre to the premises (FTTP) and have a particularly strong opportunity on new build developments.

A study by economic consultancy Regeneris, commissioned by CityFibre, examined ten areas of the UK economy in March and showed that billions of pounds of productivity, innovation and employment benefits could be unlocked by the construction of full fibre networks over the next 15 years.

According to researchers, the UK’s business community, particularly its small and medium sized companies, could stand to benefit enormously. Access to full fibre could unlock £4.5Bn in business productivity, innovation and access to new markets in these locations; a further £2.3Bn in growth could be driven from catalysing new business start-ups; while the increased ability for companies to support flexible working could add £1.9Bn. Similarly, by expanding the range of physical services that can be accessed digitally such as e-commerce and telecommuting, the nation’s consumers and workers could reduce their carbon emissions by over 2.3m tonnes.

The UK’s homeowners and wider property market can also expect to reap rewards. With access to reliable, high speed broadband becoming ever-more important to buyers, up to £7Bn could be added to the value of homes.

Tech firms, government, investors and digital service providers have a role to play in aiding progress by making sure that construction companies and the wider supply chain make the most of the full fibre rollout.

Construction firms who have weathered the economic climate and remained sustainable have only done so by focusing on more than turnover, a business approach that we share with them. This tech will power digital development for years to come, so the contracts need to be substantial and the quality needs to be high. This should not be a job done on the cheap – full fibre will power the UK for generations to come so the construction must focus on quality, and contractors should be rewarded with decent profit margins

Similarly, we will also be looking at the wider supply chain and the payment terms they have in place because we know cash flow is incredibly important to sub-contractors. The focus should be on getting this right from the off, and that includes focusing heavily on the tendering process and listening to the needs of contractors.

And, while skills shortages continue to be a worrisome subject for construction leaders, those firms that have invested in attracting and retaining new talent to counter the ageing skilled workforce who are nearing retirement status are prospering. We want to work with them and offer contracts over sustained periods that enable them to invest in upskilling their workforce.

Upskilling in the use of digital technology, including the likes of Build Information Modelling (BIM) will be among the many asks local authority partners will require from construction firms who undertake this work.

All industry has to do now is unite and move forward as one.

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Research grant to help improve construction worker’s health

A new research project is to be conducted, which will investigate the impact of presenteeism culture and ways to improve construction worker’s health.

Loughborough University and Professor Alistair Gibb, will conduct the research after B&CE Charitable Trust awarded its 2018 Occupational Health Research award to the team.

Every year tens of thousands of construction workers suffer illnesses – including musculoskeletal issues – caused or made worse by their work. This £25,000 research award will enable Professor Gibb and his team to conduct research in to the impact of presenteeism – where people come to work in poor health relating to musculoskeletal disorders in the construction industry.

The study hopes to understand if and why people continue to come into work with musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), whether it compromises productivity and aims to help employers address underlying causes of musculoskeletal disorder presenteeism.

Commenting on the award, Barbara Dinsdale, Head of B&CE Charitable Trust, said: “We’re delighted to present this award to Professor Gibb and his team. This research study will help provide valuable insights into why workers with musculoskeletal disorders continue to go into work when ill in UK construction, and the impact this has on employers. The study may also help to inform future consideration around occupational health provision for musculoskeletal disorders.

“As advocates for the health and safety of construction workers in the UK, we very much look forward to the findings of this important research study.”

Professor Alistair Gibb, Loughborough University, said: “Occupational ill-health costs UK construction employers hundreds of millions of pounds every year and musculoskeletal disorders account for more than three-quarters of the total. A considerable proportion of that cost is believed to be from lost productivity through presenteeism and this work will make an important contribution to increasing understanding of MSD presenteeism, for the benefit of workers and employers alike.”

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TfL publishes Draft Business Plan

Transport for London has set out its plan to deliver vital improvements despite reduced Government funding and uncertain economic climate.

Publishing its Business Plan for 2018/9 to 2023/4, TfL has set out its ambition of delivering a modernised transport network together with efficiency savings, making London’s roads safer and healthier and supporting new homes, jobs and growth.

Despite an average £700M per year reduction in government funding, the subdued economy and the impact from Crossrail delay, TfL is continuing investment in modernising the network and has made major progress on efficiency savings, which are ahead of target.

Bank Station Upgrade works

The Business Plan fully aligns with the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and outlines how TfL will continue to invest in the vital transport improvements London needs,

The recent announcement by Crossrail Ltd that there will be a delay to the opening of the Elizabeth line has also meant that TfL needs to pay for the additional capital investment to fund the completion of the line and also absorb the impact of lost fare revenue. The Mayor of London and Government has agreed a financial package to cover the additional capital investment required to complete the Crossrail project, which will be repaid via London’s Business Rate Supplement (BRS) and from the Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy (MCIL).

Across the five year plan, TfL will invest in vital improvements including:

• Completion of the signalling upgrade on the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, which will add 33% capacity across the four lines by the end of 2023. TfL will also begin the modernisation of the deep Tube lines, beginning with the introduction of new longer, more spacious and comfortable walkthrough trains on the Piccadilly line from 2024.
• Continuing to progress major station upgrades to the Tube network, such as at Elephant & Castle and Holborn stations, completing work at Bank station, as well as opening the Northern Line extension to Battersea, which will support 25,000 jobs and 20,000 new homes.
• Making more stations fully accessible across London, including Finsbury Park, Hanger Lane and Wimbledon Park – meaning that more than a third of the Tube network will be step-free by 2020
• Investing £2.3Bn on transformative projects to make London’s streets safer, better places for everyone. Junctions like Old Street, Vauxhall Gyratory and Highbury Corner will be made safer for all road users and new Liveable Neighbourhoods will be created in local areas across outer London, helping cut polluting car use and encouraging walking and cycling. New high-quality cycle routes in Greenwich, Hackney and Hounslow will also be accelerated to connect communities and help Londoners to live active, healthier lives.
• Sustained investment for key transport improvements across London’s boroughs to help them deliver the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, including actions to reduce traffic, boost safety and increase active travel in their local areas.
• Continuing to make vital radical air quality and environmental improvements across London,
• Introducing fleets of new trains on the London Overground and Docklands Light Railway (DLR). From next year, construction will also begin on building an extension of the London Overground to Barking Riverside, which will support 10,800 new homes being created on one of Europe’s largest brownfield sites.
• Continuing to develop plans to build Crossrail 2 and extend the Bakerloo line, the DLR and tram networks in the next 20 years, which will support the creation of thousands of new homes and jobs across London and the south east.
• Bringing into service the Elizabeth line, which will transform journeys across London and out to Reading and Shenfield, with quicker and easier journeys and mark a step-change in accessibility with 41 step-free stations.
• Unlocking land for the development of new homes and actively making smarter use of TfL assets – including improved retail units and innovative digital advertising – to generate greater long-term revenue.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “We are pushing ahead with our ambitious plans to make London a cleaner, safer, healthier city with more affordable and accessible public transport. This is despite an average reduction of £700M per year in TfL’s funding from Government, and the financial challenges of uncertainty in the economy and the delay to the Crossrail project.

“Through our work to make TfL more efficient, including reducing its costs by £500m per year, we are continuing to transform the Tube network and taking radical action to clean up our toxic air. I’m proud that TfL fares will be frozen once again from next January, continuing to make transport more affordable for millions of Londoners.”

TfL’s Business Plan will be considered by its Finance Committee and can be viewed here.

If you are interested in finding out more about key infrastructure trends today, you may wish to attend the flagship infrastructure exhibition at the NEC in April 2019 : UKIS 2019

Click here for more information on how to register or exhibit at the UK Infrastructure Show 2019.  

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Homes England boosts housing in Coventry

Homes England is working with Coventry City Council’s planning team on proposals which will see a brownfield site transformed and turned into a much needed residential development.

Land on the former pumping station site, on London Road has been allocated by the council to unlock the brownfield site and meet Coventry’s current housing need. This is following increased demand for houses by the expansion of Coventry-based manufacturing businesses.

The Whitley pumping station is known for its Victorian historic legacy, which Homes England is keen to retain and bring back into use by working alongside the council. Homes England’s involvement in the site will help to speed up delivery of this project and ensure that the land is used to its maximum potential. The provision of a good quality residential development and enhanced green infrastructure will also benefit local communities.

Stephen Kinsella, Executive Director for Land, at Homes England added: “Our role is to ensure more people in England have access to better homes in the right places. To make this happen we intervene in the housing market to build more homes where they are needed. We accelerate delivery and help to shape a more resilient and diverse industry.

“With a strong demand for new homes in Coventry, we are keen to work collaboratively with partners to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the local community and this is an excellent example of how we are unlocking sites to meet those needs.”

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Construction output in flux

The latest ONS data shows that construction output is in flux as we come to the end of 2018. Despite a strong September easing construction anxiety, output decreased by 0.2% in October 2018 – a 1.5% drop from September.

The decline in output has been led by drops in infrastructure, public new housing and total repair and maintenance – which, up until this point, have been the crowning glories of the industry; on the other side of the coin, private new housing helped offset these decreases, by growing 2.4%. Possible worries over Brexit and political instability may have led to less forward planning on the major public sector works.

Despite the slight month-on-month decline, construction output in the three months up to October 2018 was 1.2% higher than the previous three-month period; this growth was slower than in recent months, with a steady decline being seen from a 2018 high of 3.0% growth for the equivalent series in July 2018.

A historic high level of £9,221M in the new work chained volume measure seasonally adjusted series was reached in October 2018; this represents the highest value seen since monthly records began in January 2010.

In the quarter-on quarter in July to September 2018, new orders grew by 3.4% with a strong increase in public other new work of 31.9% which help offset a 5.3% decline in housing new orders; despite this increase, levels remain below those typically seen over the last five years of new orders data.

However, positives can be taken from the rolling three-month series, which provides a more comprehensive picture of the underlying trends within the industry, compared with the more volatile monthly series. Following a marked fall in the rolling three-month series at the beginning of 2018, construction output continued to recover in the rolling three-month series to October 2018. This growth means that October 2018 represents a new historic high in the rolling three-month chained volume measure, seasonally adjusted data.

The monthly series is still 3.8% higher than its value one year ago, with the all work value of construction output at £13,970M.

Since the beginning of 2015, all new work, and repair and maintenance have followed a broadly similar pattern, with both repair and maintenance, and all new work rising steadily.

Construction output in the most recent three-month period was buoyed by September 2018’s strong performance and increased by £514M period-on-period. This was driven largely by private housing new work, which grew by £365M, and infrastructure, which grew by £215M. Significant growth was also seen in non-housing repair and maintenance, which increased by £192M in the three-month on three-month series.

The biggest month-on-month growths were seen in private new housing, which grew by £75M, and public other new work, which grew by £40M compared with September 2018.

These growths were offset by declines in infrastructure and public new housing, which decreased by £69M and £49M respectively. These, combined with reductions in private housing, and non-housing repair and maintenance outputs of £26M and £31M respectively, were the major forces leading to the overall decline.

Looking at the most recent three-month on previous three-month series, the growth seen has been steadily weakening since its 2018 peak of 3.0% in July 2018, sitting at 1.2% as of October 2018. Although new work is still increasing, the impact of these increases has been softened by a decline in repair and maintainance of 1.0% in the most recent period.

Blane Perrotton, managing director of the national property consultancy and surveyors Naismiths, commented: “Residential building has cemented its position as the construction industry’s most active sector. But its ability to defy Brexit headwinds is waning.

“New orders for residential developments shrank by a quarter between the first and third quarters of 2018.

“Britain’s housing shortage means underlying demand for new homes is strong, but even construction’s most totemic sector is subject to economic gravity.

“That downward pull dragged construction output as a whole into negative territory in October. While this is disappointing after builders’ decent run of activity over the summer, it’s symptomatic of an industry which has been starved of the oxygen of confidence.

“While labour shortages and rising material costs are all taking their toll on contractors’ margins, it’s the lack of orders and cut-throat competition for tenders that are forcing builders to bid low, and sometimes painfully low, for work.

“These are anxious times for an industry which relies more than any other on business confidence and solid investor sentiment. Both these vital ingredients have been choked off by months of Brexit deadlock, and barring some miracle in Westminster this week, the tortuous impasse is likely to continue.”

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