Entries by Joe Bradbury

Mythbusting the three little pigs

We are all familiar with the fairy tale of the three little pigs; a moral-laden fable about three pigs that construct three houses from different materials. The big bad wolf blows down the first two pigs’ houses, made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig’s house, made of bricks. […]

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Will 3D printing spark another industrial revolution?

First we saw hand-production methods, with highly skilled craftsmen wielding untold knowledge and expertise over the structural properties of material and the best way to implement them within a design. Then the industrial revolution changed everything, with machinery and complex equipment trumping traditional handiwork. As the digital age ticks on and technologies such as 3D […]

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Construction begins on controversial British Navy Base in Bahrain

The Foreign Secretary attended a groundbreaking ceremony in Bahrain over the weekend to start the construction of a new Royal Navy facility. Mina Salman Port will play a central role in the Royal Navy’s ability to operate in the region, and reaffirms the UK’s determination to work with Bahrain to maintain security and stability in […]

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Is this the world’s fastest brickie?

2016 update: Whilst the below video is undoubtedly impressive and a true demonstration of skilled handiwork, many of you quite rightly pointed out that the subject is not technically a brickie, as laying a brick pathway is totally different to building a brick wall using mortar. We decided to see if anybody else was worthy of the impressive […]

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2045: A construction odyssey!

The year is 2045. The roads are full of driverless cars, artificial intelligence has reached superhuman levels and even buildings have an AI personality that runs them. What does the construction industry look like? Hewden answer that question in their latest report written by full time futurologist Ian Pearson. Ian is a full time futurologist, […]

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Industry leaders work together to raise the bar on offsite skills in construction

Employers in the offsite construction sector have signalled the importance of working together to recognise and address skills gaps if they are to capitalise on the growth opportunities available to the sector. The employers, including Skanska and Laing O’Rourke, have led five skills projects co-funded by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills’ (UKCES) Futures […]

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Planning delays result in reduced brick demand

The largest manufacturer of specialist bricks, Michelmersh have announced that there has been a fall in commercial activity due to a reducing demand for bricks. Chief Executive of Michelmersh, Martin Warner blames delays caused by planning for lower brick sales, saying that the general election in May and subsequent stamp duty increases for expensive homes […]

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New Ronald McDonald house roof in good health thanks to Sika-Trocal

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation for the families of young patients being treated in hospital. For the charity’s new-build facility at South Glasgow Hospital Campus, Sika-Trocal has supplied 600m2 of its single ply membranes as part of a high performance waterproofing system that includes a living roof and […]

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