New innovation partnership targets construction supply chain

Businesses from all parts of the construction supply chain are set to benefit from a new collaboration between the Construction Innovation Hub and UK Construction Week (UKCW), in a move designed to boost take up of innovation in the industry and realisation of the Government’s sector deal ambitions.

The Construction Innovation Hub will sponsor the UKCW Innovation Zone at this year’s show. An innovation advisory board made up of construction clients, contractors and consultants has also met to shape how innovation is placed at the heart of this year’s event. It will assist in scrutinising the latest projects, products and technologies being pitched for the new Innovation Zone.

Arbiters from Willmott Dixon, Luton Airport, Bryden Wood, Mace, TfL, The Princes’ Foundation, Castle Planning and the Hub will decide what will appear in the Innovation Zone and will also choose the winner of UKCW’s Innovation Award 2019, which will be announced on the second day of the show.

Keith Waller, Construction Innovation Hub programme director says:

“UK Construction Week is fast becoming one of the most essential industry events of the year. At the Construction Innovation Hub, we are eager to reach out and engage with all stakeholders within the built environment. This will be crucial to our success in the coming months and years.

“By partnering up with a key event like UK Construction Week, we want to give visitors the chance to experience first-hand the Hub’s vision of a transformed construction sector. We will share how we are planning to use digital and manufacturing technologies to help build smarter, greener and more efficient buildings much faster and cheaper than we currently do, and how players – big and small – from right across the construction sector, and its supply chain, can get involved.”

Nathan Garnett, UKCW event director says: “Scratch the surface, and you find that the construction industry is actually one of the most innovative industries. It is full of examples of new ways of working, sustainable products, collaboration and continually evolving technologies. We want our visitors to experience this first-hand, to talk to others who are leading by example and to boost uptake of these significant new developments.

“That’s why working with the Construction Innovation Hub is an ideal partnership from our perspective. We chose innovation as a theme for this year’s UKCW and the Hub’s support helps us to deliver on that message. The Hub has a four-year mission to drive change and that is exactly what we want to achieve through our event.”

The Hub brings together expertise from BRE, the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and the Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB) to help implement the strategy. Funded by UK Research and Innovation through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, the Hub is driving collaboration to transform the way buildings and infrastructure are designed, manufactured, integrated and connected within the built environment.

Looking to the future of construction the Hub is also supporting MOBIE’s design challenge. This is aimed at young people aged between 11 and 16 years of age and it is encouraging them to design a 21^st century home.

Registration to UK Construction Week is now open. The show takes place at the NEC, Birmingham from 8-10 October 2019.

 

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Controversial flood protection plan wins vote in Kendal

A £16million flood protection plan in Kendal has survived the second round of voting despite controversial tree felling proposals.

South Lakeland District Council’s (SLDC) flood protection plan for Kendal has survived a second vote. The controversial plan would see around 500 trees chopped down along the riverbanks, new defence walls being built, and glass walls along the riverside.

During Storm Desmond four years ago 2,150 homes flooded and it is estimated that every year 1,500 homes and 1,100 businesses faced a 20% chance of being flooded in the Cumbrian market town. The new vote was held after the Development Management Policies Development Plan Document (DPD) was formally adopted by the council.

A spokesperson for SLDC said: “The planning committee’s original resolution took full account of the relevant DPD policies and their wording has not changed subsequently. But formal adoption of the document has changed the status of those policies.”

“It has been decided to refer the application back to committee so that members can consider their original resolution in the light of this change. This is purely procedural, but will mean that the community can be reassured that everything has been properly taken into account when making this important decision. Referring this back to committee has had no impact on the timescales for the flood defence works.”

The council plans include the planting of 3,600 trees to compensate for the loss of trees along the River Kent, improvements to footpaths and cycling paths, new recreational spaces and road improvements. Reports from the council on phase 1 of the scheme predicts a net gain for biodiversity.

Campaigners have also raised concern over how the plans will affect the town’s appearance and heritage hotspots. The proposed phase one development would protect 227 homes, 71 businesses, and 80 public facilities along the river, according to the Environment Agency.

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Investment to increase cycle spaces at railway stations

A £6.8million investment will create new cycle spaces at railway stations to encourage train commuters to travel by bike.

Cycling and Walking Minister Michael Ellis has announced an extra 2,300 cycle spaces to be built at 48 stations across England, enabling commuters to cycle directly to the station and lock up their bike securely. The investment is part of the Cycle Rail programme, now been backed by over £40 million from the Department for Transport.

The Cycle Rail programme has already tripled the number of cycle parking spaces at more than 500 stations, bringing the total to over 80,000. This includes the creation of integrated cycle hubs at key railway stations, including at Hove, where 150 additional bike spaces with secure key card access and CCTV have been provided, alongside cycle maintenance, hire and repair business.

Micheal Ellis said: “Cycling to your nearest station and catching a train to work is a great way to keep healthy, reduce emissions and help make our towns and cities vibrant places to live.”

“But to make this a reality, I know that the right infrastructure needs to be in place. This latest investment will see many more stations become accessible for cyclists, so that greener travel options – whether as part of a longer or shorter journey – become the norm.”

The investment includes financial contributions from wider station development projects, including the Chisholm Trail cycle route in Cambridge and 280 additional spaces being provided for ongoing improvement works at Chatham station in Kent. The fund forms part of increased government commitment to greener transport.

This includes a commitment to end the sale of new conventional diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2040, investment in hybrid trains, the doubling of investment in cycling and walking since 2010, along with the £2.5 billion Transforming Cities Fund which will develop innovative public transport schemes in some of England’s biggest cities. Recently, National Bike Week raised awareness of cycling routes and encouraged people to take up cycling as a healthier, greener way of commuting.

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Welsh Government improves empty properties to create new homes

Around 120 empty properties in Anglesey and Gwynedd are being refurbished by the Welsh Government to fight the housing crisis.

Up to 120 properties are being refurbished through grants and loans to tackle the problem of long term vacancies and improve the quality of housing stock in the private rented sector. The homes are being leased with affordable rent for ten years.

This investment is part of the Welsh Government’s Targeted Regeneration Investment programme, £100 million of funding over three years to support regeneration projects, supported by an estimated further investment of at least £60 million from other organisations and businesses. Recently, Gwynedd locals converted an empty barbers shop into six one bedroom flats on Bangor High Street thanks to a Welsh Government Targeted Investment Regeneration grant and a Houses into Homes loan – as well as support from Gwynedd Council.

Gwynedd Council Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Craig ab Iago said: “We are pleased that the positive work being carried out here in Gwynedd to transform empty properties into homes has been recognised as an example of good practice.”

“This particular project sees an empty building on the high street in Bangor being put to good use. It offers much needed one-bedroom flats as part of continued efforts to ensure a suitable mix of affordable homes for Gwynedd residents.”

The Welsh Government’s overall regeneration strategy will invest £800 million between 2014 and 2023. This includes around £250 million from the Welsh Government supported by more than £550 million from other organisations and businesses.

The Welsh Government has confirmed its commitment to providing affordable homes and revitalising Welsh high streets. They also hope to provide local construction jobs and opportunities for housing projects in towns and cities.

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European builders lead the way in robotisation

European construction companies are leading the way in the adoption of robotisation, according to a new report from ING.

According to the new report, there are 1.2 robots per 10,000 workers in the construction sector in Europe, higher than the US, which has 0.2 and China which has 0.1.

The report found that there is also a significant difference within Europe when it comes to robotisation. The Netherlands and Belgium score highly, with 1.5 robots per 10,000 workers while Germany and the UK score fairly low with 0.8 and 0.3 robots respectively.

Maurice van Sante, senior economist at ING said: “European builders are frontrunners when it comes to robotisation. However, there is still variation between European countries. The Netherlands and Belgium score highly compared to the UK and Germany. High wage costs in these countries mean that robotisation is more likely to be financially attractive. In the last few years, building production has also grown faster in the Netherlands and Belgium, which meant there was room for new investments, including robots.”

Despite European construction companies leading the way, construction continues to lag behind the manufacturing sector. There are approximately 160 robots (per 10,000 workers) in EU manufacturing compared to 1.2 in construction.

Furthermore, the report found that a European employee in the construction sector has almost €10,000 in machinery, compared to over €55,000 in the manufacturing sector, 5.5 times as much.

Maurice van Sante adds: “Robots may be able to perform various activities in construction, but high investment costs are an issue. Compared to manufacturing, not all construction activities can be carried out in a factory building which means that the transport of robots from one construction site to another, continues to be a challenge.”

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Building a skilled, digital workforce

Digital construction is at the forefront of the UK’s overarching Industrial Strategy. With an abundance of digital solutions available to streamline project management and workflow, which measures can be taken to assure there are sufficient skilled employees to use them and secure the construction industry’s future?

Attracting younger generations

At present, it is estimated that 22% of the construction industry’s current workforce is over 50 and 15% is over 60; startling figures which are indicative of the industry’s ageing workforce. Therefore, as time progresses it is becoming more crucial to identify potential avenues which will attract pools of young people to fill the emerging skills gap.

According to a Redrow report, 52% of young people disregard a career in construction, either because they are simply disinterested or completely unaware of what a career in construction entails. This statistic needs explicating, as it could infer that the current construction industry skills shortage is perpetuated by the multiple misconceptions and misperceptions which have been rife in the industry for a long period of time.

The industry has made significant progression over the past decade, yet the majority of young people unfortunately associate construction with muddy hi-vis vests, dust and little opportunity for development. A misrepresentation that is almost as shocking as the statistic mentioned above: what is it going to take to let young people see how enterprising, innovative and ‘digital’ the construction industry is?

Technology is used throughout our everyday lives, transcending age groups. Even though the construction industry is no exception, it is still perceived as relatively low-tech.

Start with secondary schools

Whilst architecture university degrees are prolific in the education of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and other digital construction solutions, this trend is by no means concurrent with secondary schools. The reasons for this are not necessarily to do with a matter of choice or preference; UK schools are under pressure to offer students – at GCSE particularly – the sought-after STEM subjects which are at the foundation of an industrial, corporate world.

Even though STEM subjects open-up multiple opportunities for young people, the same sentiment applies to the construction industry. For example, digital construction is part of the UK’s wider Industrial Strategy, where the creation of software such as BIM has generated jobs requiring a high level of technical education and skills which form the base of ‘STEM careers’.

An example would be the use of augmented reality across construction projects. Although the technology is in its early stages, augmented reality (AR) is radically changing the building process, described as a way to visualise, manage and coordinate data throughout a building’s lifecycle. AR creates a virtual 3D structure of a building, providing important data about each component that can be accessed pre, during and post construction. Therefore, as this working method continues to develop, complementary skillsets will have to be nurtured within client organisations to ensure the software can be operated and utilised efficiently by Operations and FM teams.

Digital construction in action

A few years ago the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) developed ‘Craft Your Future’, a programme for 12-14 year olds which is integrated into the computer game Minecraft. Designed to encourage young people to consider careers in city planning, construction management and more, ‘Craft Your Future’ is a virtual solution which gives young people crucial insight into the real-time operation of a construction project.

Whilst ‘Craft Your Future’ may be playing a vital role in addressing the future skills gap and labour shortages, the industry in its present state has more pressing concerns. It is widely known that throughout the industry there is a reluctance to adopt digital solutions. Bodies such as the UK BIM Alliance – which GroupBC is a patron of – educate companies on the benefits of digital construction and aim to ensure a common approach amongst vendors. However, much needs to be achieved to counteract this unproductive cultural stalemate if the industry is to embrace modern methods of working, such as off-site manufacturing.

Recent initiatives such as reverse mentoring programmes, offered by the likes of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering – in which the more ‘digitally-experienced’ workers are helping senior colleagues transition to digital processes – are softening the alien transition from one way of working to another. As such, these will hopefully provide them with a better understanding of the business benefits of digital technologies.

The initiatives outlined above are just a small portion of the many programmes that are being developed to realise the industry’s digital future. For this reason, the industry would do well to continually develop programmes such as these, headed by inspirational industry specialists who can showcase the excellence, worth and opportunities in digital construction to people of all ages and abilities. Not only will this help close the skills gap, it will ensure construction businesses have enough highly-skilled workers to steer the construction industry into its digital chapter.

Article submitted by Erica Coulehan, Content Marketing Manager at GroupBC

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Final stage of £1M Parkeston pumping station overhaul underway

Work is set to get underway on the final stage of a £1M scheme to refurbish a vital pumping station in north-east Essex.

Located at the lower end of the Ramsey/Dock River, the Parkeston pumping station near Harwich, helps to protect homes and businesses in the area from the risk of flooding and is currently undergoing a two-year overhaul.

Jackson Civil Engineering is undertaking the largest and final stage of the work – the replacement of the debris screen, the concrete river banks and a footbridge. New piping will also be installed for emergency pumps, should they be needed. The pumps can lift up to three tonnes of water a second, so the station needs to have a debris screen to ensure they do not get blocked with vegetation and rubbish.

Environment Agency project lead Robert Brown said parts of the structure had been deteriorating due to age and need replacing: “The work will ensure the pumping station can provide the best possible level of flood protection to the low lying areas of Parkeston and Ramsey.

“Without the weed screen the pumps would block and the water levels would rise significantly until they reached the lowest point of the railway embankment.
“We have also been reviewing our emergency plans for the site. In the unlikely event the site has a problem we can set up large temporary pumps. Currently, this would involve closing the railway line, so we are installing permanent pipework to allow the railway to continue to operate.

“The Ramsey/Dock River cannot naturally flow into the Stour estuary so all of the water, including flood water, needs to be lifted up by the pumps into the estuary.”

The work will start in early June and last for around 18 weeks.

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