Features | Construction News

Juggling responsibilities: The pitfalls involved in making buildings safer

James Wilmore — Fri, 09 May 2025 09:25:00 +0000

With a mountain of cladding remediation work to get through, CN asks how contractors can ensure their work avoids contributing to fire risks A fire at an East London residential block last August was a grim echo of the Grenfell Tower blaze, which killed 72…

The post Juggling responsibilities: The pitfalls involved in making buildings safer appeared first on Construction News.

Data dig: female apprentices, falling workloads and local heroes

CN Staff — Fri, 02 May 2025 07:57:46 +0000

FEMALE APPRENTICES The increase in the number of women completing construction apprenticeships since 2018 has increased by 67 per cent, according to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), with a 2023/24 total of 2,420. Lucie Wright, head of careers strategy at the CITB, said: “We…

The post Data dig: female apprentices, falling workloads and local heroes appeared first on Construction News.

The remote-control crane breaking the boundaries of traditional construction

Contributor — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 10:25:36 +0000

Why do we expect tower crane operators to work at height in cramped, swaying cabs? There is another way. Kristina Smith investigates It is pretty rare to have a close-up encounter with a tower crane operator on a construction site. “Most people won’t even know…

The post The remote-control crane breaking the boundaries of traditional construction appeared first on Construction News.

Inside the BSR bottleneck: part two

Charlotte Banks — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 10:01:21 +0000

High-rise residential development has virtually ground to a halt since the Building Safety Regulator took on full powers. In the second instalment of a two-part series, Charlotte Banks explores whether change is on the horizon The roll-out of the gateway two system has been dogged by delays and poor…

The post Inside the BSR bottleneck: part two appeared first on Construction News.

Inside the BSR bottleneck: part one

Charlotte Banks — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 09:52:52 +0000

High-rise residential development has virtually ground to a halt since the Building Safety Regulator took on full powers. In the first instalment of a two-part series, Charlotte Banks explores the problems When Leeds City Council approved plans for three new residential towers on the Dyecoats…

The post Inside the BSR bottleneck: part one appeared first on Construction News.

The dangers of silica dust

Ian Weinfass — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 09:00:04 +0000

The mortal danger to construction workers from silica dust is getting worse Stonemason Stuart Johnson would come home from work “absolutely covered in dust”, his wife Carol recalls. “It was just part and parcel of the job.” Stuart was unaware that the dust he was…

The post The dangers of silica dust appeared first on Construction News.

Construction Products Reform Green Paper: meeting the standard?

Contributor — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 06:00:30 +0000

Former government chief construction adviser Paul Morrell detects more than a touch of politics in the government's long-awaited Construction Products Reform Green Paper “Always remember,” said a friend well used to the territory as I arrived for my brief spell in Whitehall, “that the primary…

The post Construction Products Reform Green Paper: meeting the standard? appeared first on Construction News.

ScaffEx hails opportunity

Charlotte Banks — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 09:45:57 +0000

The NASC’s inaugural event featured talks on opportunity, pricing and technology in scaffolding Walking around Belfast, you won’t see much scaffolding on the buildings. Construction started on only five major buildings in 2024, and many of the city’s grand, ageing edifices have been left to…

The post ScaffEx hails opportunity appeared first on Construction News.

Data dig: pay hikes, output growth and critical conditions

CN Staff — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 12:29:21 +0000

PAYING UP Construction sector wages increased by 6 per cent in the year to November 2024, the latest Office of National Statistics data shows. This was a decrease on the 6.9 per cent rise in the 12 months to October 2024, but still the highest…

The post Data dig: pay hikes, output growth and critical conditions appeared first on Construction News.

Data dig: margin woes, activity growth and VC tech winners

CN Staff — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 10:45:10 +0000

MARGIN WOES Forty per cent of Northern Irish contractors reported worsening profit margins in 2024, in the latest Construction Employers Federation (CEF) Survey. CEF chief executive Mark Spence said: “Our Construction Survey’s results reflect a period of increased challenge during the second half of 2024.…

The post Data dig: margin woes, activity growth and VC tech winners appeared first on Construction News.