Technology

From coronavirus safeguarding to injury prevention, the ‘internet of things’ is gaining traction among the industry’s tech adopters – and its proponents insist it will soon become an essential tool in driving down costs

The ‘internet of things’ is one of the many buzzy phrases thrown around conferences and meeting rooms,…

It has been heartening to hear renewed commitment to the Construction Sector Deal from government ministers since December’s general election. But what might this support mean over the course of this parliament? A lot has changed since the sector deal was launched in July 2018, and the related Transforming Construction…

Seeing is believing at the contractor’s mixed-use London scheme, where cutting-edge augmented and virtual reality is integral to works planning

Project The Broadway Contract value £400m Client Northacre Design and build contractor Multiplex Architect Squire & Partners Start date November 2016 Completion date December 2021 In September last year, Construction…

Last month the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) announced £6.02m in funding for two research projects that promise to tackle the high carbon footprint of cement. As part of its industrial fuel-switching programme, BEIS awarded £3.2m to a project led by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) to…

As the construction industry continues to wrestle with its "productivity challenge" at a macro scale, the government has sought to improve national economic growth through improving wellbeing in poorer areas and narrowing productivity gaps regionally. The new catchphrase in prime minister Boris Johnson’s government is "levelling up", in response to…

Causeway Donseed explains the benefits its monitoring system can bring to construction sites

At the start of last year, software solutions provider Causeway announced it had acquired biometrics specialist Donseed in a move that enhanced the range of products the company was able to provide to its clients. According to Phil Brown, chief executive and…

The government’s pledge to “accelerate the delivery of gigabit-capable broadband”, as set out in December’s Queen’s Speech, will have been warmly welcomed by many – despite the lack of commitment in terms of timescales. The news promises relief for the countless UK communities that have struggled to leave the digital…

Richard Robinson, freshly appointed chief executive of consultancy Atkins in the UK and Europe, and formerly chief operating officer at HS2, argues technology can not only grow his firm’s business but also jump-start flatlining productivity

“I say to my staff: ‘If you wonder whether we do something, assume we do, and…

Construction News gets a first-hand experience of how a new innovation has been designed to alleviate pain and stress while laying new roads

When I was told I could see a demonstration of an exoskeleton road-laying device, I was anticipating something futuristic, robotic and over-engineered. But the innovation that has the potential…

The UK construction industry is being crippled by a reputation crisis. From divisions over HS2 and continued concerns about Crossrail delivery, to a deepening productivity problem, construction and engineering is under constant scrutiny from media, policy makers and the wider public. The impact this perception of the industry is having…