Long reads

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 people seven years earlier. Thankfully,…

The football season may be drawing to a close for Manchester City Football Club, but inside the Etihad Stadium, a new challenge is on the horizon. Since 2023, contractor John Sisk has been building a new North Stand, adding 6,000 seats to increase the total capacity to 61,000 – making…

 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 need more women in construction.…

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 you because you arrive before…

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 clarity. But there are signs…

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 regeneration scheme in April 2022,…

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 inhaling – silica – could…

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 fester. But for one day…

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 growth since August 2023. David…

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. Chiefly this was seen through…