Technology

The British Standards Institute (BSI) has recommended residential projects using modular construction designate an MMC adviser, in new guidance hailed as a “major step towards wider adoption” of volumetric housebuilding. Published on Tuesday (29 April), PAS 8700:2025, which was developed in collaboration with industry, aims to encourage the use of…

Administrators for a collapsed modular contractor have said there are “insufficient funds” to distribute to supply chain creditors, while the firm’s secured creditor has only received a fifth what it was owed. Sheffield-based IDMH, trading as Lighthouse, went into administration in April last year with the loss of 113 jobs…

Don't miss your chance to have your innovation recognised at this year's TechFest Awards. Powered by Construction News and sister title New Civil Engineer, the TechFest Awards 2025 spotlight the most groundbreaking projects, teams, and innovations driving digital transformation in the built environment. They exist to recognise and reward those…

Turnover and profit each fell last year at offsite manufacturer Merit Group Services, although the firm hopes to see long-term growth from its investments in research and development (R&D) and automation. The Northumberland firm posted turnover of £79.8m for the 12 months ending 30 June 2024. This was down 10…

Problems with a new digital system have hindered Building Safety Regulator (BSR) staff from accessing applications, its director has admitted. Philip White, director of building safety at the Health and Safety Executive, told Construction News that IT issues delayed the regulator from processing applications. Other key problems included difficulties in…

There are just over two weeks left for the industry to help shape the design of a British Standard for inclusive personal protective equipment (PPE). The British Standards Institute (BSI) consultation on its new standard is seeking feedback on its current ideas. Katherine Evans, mining geologist and founder of Bold…

Offsite specialist Merit Holdings has insisted its future is “tremendously exciting” despite a huge drop in pre-tax profit in its latest full-year results. Pre-tax profit at the Northumberland-based firm plunged by 72 per cent from £8.4m to £2.3m in the 12 months to 30 June 2024. Its turnover fell 8…

Technology is changing. And so is Construction News. Our editorial team has been using artificial intelligence (AI) behind the scenes for some time now to summarise long reports and data as part of our research process, as well as produce some illustrations. But we have not used it to produce…

Councils across the UK have abandoned projects involving modern methods of construction (MMC) amid issues around cost and quality, a UK parliamentary committee has heard. Many councils now have a “pretty negative view” of MMC projects and have done away with them entirely, Anna Clarke, director of policy and public…

The government will allow hydrogen-powered diggers, mobile cranes and other construction machinery to operate on public roads. Transport minister Lord Peter Hendy told Parliament that the Labour government would move ahead with the law change, which was first proposed in 2024 by the previous Conservative administration. Hydrogen-powered non-road mobile machinery…