Features

As contractors are increasingly being asked to consider embodied carbon and retrofit of commercial buildings, Construction News and Mitsubishi Electric brought together a group of those working in the field to hear about the issues involved On the panel Matthew Arnold, building performance manager, ISG Anisha Mayor, head of sustainability,…

Will imminent reforms boost or hinder take-up among construction firms of HMRC’s research and development tax credits scheme? David Prosser investigates Will construction companies miss out on valuable incentives designed to encourage innovation under a shake-up of the research and development (R&D) tax credits scheme? His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs…

Cladding contractors have a crucial role to play in remediating potentially unsafe high-rise buildings – but they are beset by a variety of problems impacting their ability to implement solutions. Keith Cooper investigates  The precise financial cost of removing unsafe cladding from residential blocks is still one of the great…

There are many reasons why the industry needs to improve its data gathering and sharing. Construction News and Quickbase brought together key members of the industry to explore the issues involved On the panel 1 Daniel Cook, chief executive, Active Building Centre 2 Peter Sutcliffe, head of technical practice -…

It’s widely accepted that more standardisation and better use of digital solutions could help construction become a more efficient industry, but there are barriers standing in the way. Construction News and IFS gathered a panel of experts to examine what’s stopping us On the panel 1 Scott Tacchi, head of…

As construction professionals and legal experts digest the real-world implications of the Building Safety Act, what are the big unanswered questions? Nobody needs reminding that ongoing building safety reforms are aimed at avoiding a repeat of the dreadful events of June 2017, when 72 people died in a devastating fire…

The official system to investigate construction accidents is failing both victims and the industry Kayla Boor had just left her four-year-old son at school and was walking along the street when a pallet of bricks fell onto her from a building site crane. Two days later, the recently engaged woman…

The digital marketplace is hard to navigate, so how are construction firms ensuring they invest wisely in technology? Construction companies, faced with the need to adopt digital technologies to keep pace in a fast-changing world, will inevitably come up against a vast range of options. AI, drones, wearables… it’s a…

Are high upfront costs and a lack of clarity on work pipelines behind a recent spate of high-profile setbacks in the modular construction sector?  In the 1989 Hollywood movie Field of Dreams, a ghostly voice whispering “If you build it, they will come” inspired Kevin Costner’s character to turn his…

Did the government waste tens of millions of pounds extending the lives of construction firms that were beyond saving? Three years ago, as unprecedented social and economic restrictions were introduced to battle Covid, then chancellor Rishi Sunak set the tone for a huge package of emergency government support for business.…