Building News is an information portal for all professional building specifiers. Here you can find all of the latest construction news from around the UK and the rest of the world.

Britain sees increase in number of high-rise buildings

Driven by a growing population and intensifying urbanisation, the construction of high-rise buildings has increased considerably in recent years – more high-rise buildings are now being constructed than at any other time. Across the UK as a whole, there are currently over 270 existing high-rise buildings and structures, of which around 70% are in London. The UK has just 17 high-rise buildings over 150m (492ft.) in height and just one building – The Shard in London – over 300m.

High rise

Unlike other international cities, London is considered ‘low-rise’ for a global city and financial capital of the world; with the pace of high-rise development way behind other global cities. However, in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of high-rise buildings proposed and approved for construction in the UK. The UK development pipeline currently stands at around 500 buildings, of which over 85% are planned in London, while the rest are clustered in key cities such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Salford.

In terms of end-use sector, around 70% of high-rise buildings currently under construction or under consideration across the UK are primarily residential, but with an element of mixed-use, e.g. retail, community or leisure.

In London, the high-rise market is being driven by the buoyant private housing sector, especially at the top-end of the market, and resurgence in demand for commercial property. The concept of high rise living has changed and the majority of high-rise residential tower blocks in UK cities are now being developed as luxury accommodation, targeting a very different demographic and being developed with a mixed-use element incorporating leisure facilities, concierge services, restaurants and retail.

Key factors affecting the development of high-rise buildings include cost, space efficiency, wind & seismic considerations, structural safety, risk challenges both on site and in completed buildings, speed of elevators, new building materials to potentially replace steel and concrete and damping systems. In addition, significant technical and logistical factors include pumping and placing concrete at extreme heights, and craning and lifting items to extreme heights.

Hayley Thornley, Research Manager at AMA Research says “Going forward, the high-rise construction market is set to continue to grow, with the ever-increasing demand for housing. However, there are concerns about too many projects aimed at the luxury end of the market, which is not matched with housing demand. In addition, the uncertainties surrounding the EU referendum may influence some high-rise schemes, with many projects in the pipeline forecast to exceed stated completion dates.”

The proportion of mixed-use schemes in the high-rise buildings pipeline is set to grow, with around 18% of developments either under construction or proposed with a mixed-use function. In the office market, rising take-up, low availability of grade-A space and increasing rents in cities such as Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds and Edinburgh, is helping to boost output in the commercial office sector and has led to more speculative building.

Sustained growth in the private rented sector (PRS) is also driving the development of high-rise housing, with increasing financial backing from both domestic and foreign institutional investors. Student accommodation also forms a small, but significant proportion of high-rise building development with a number of schemes currently in planning.

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History of construction pt 1: Engineers demonstrate cantilever system in 1887

In this series of short articles, buildingspecifier will delve into the history of construction, considering how technologies and old schools of thought have helped shape the built environment we all live and work in today.

The picture above, found on www.rarehistoricalphotos.com, shows project engineers from 1887 demonstrating the cantilever principles of the world famous Forth Bridge in Scotland. The weight of the central section of a cantilever bridge is transmitted to the banks through diamond shaped supports. Representing the weight in the middle is engineer Kaichi Watanabe, one of the first Japanese engineers who came to study in the UK. The other two men, Sir John Fowler and Benjamin Baker, provide the supports. Fowler and Baker represent the cantilevers, with their arms in tension and the sticks under compression, and the bricks the cantilever end piers which are weighted with cast iron. The action of the outer foundations as anchors for the cantilever is visible in the placement of the counterweights. These are the men that designed the Forth Bridge, which still stands proud to this date.

The bridge itself was built in 1890 and boasts the impressive full length of 2,528.7m, with its longest span being 520m.

Cantilever bridges originated in the 19th century when people began to start thinking laterally about how they could ultimately build longer bridges. Engineers learned that by including many supports throughout the design, any load would be distributed evenly throughout the entire structure, allowing them to build longer and more structurally sound bridges.

Engineers such as Fowler, Baker and Watanabe (pictured above) helped to push the construction and engineering sectors forward, allowing them to flourish and become the amazing industries they are today.

Which methods of construction do you think should be in our next instalment of historical highlights? Let us know in the comments section below!
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INFOGRAPHIC: Creating a more cost-effective construction project

INFOGRAPHIC2

Infographic created by PrebuiltML, a construction takeoff software provider

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Cross-party MPs call on Government to support small builders

A cross-party group of MPs has urged the Government to introduce a new ‘Dedicated Strategy for Small Housebuilders’ to reverse the decline in the number of new homes built by small builders, which has plummeted to just 2,500 today from 12,000 in 1998.

Describing the new proposals, the MPs leading the report said ‘We have many legitimate disagreements with each other on many aspects of housing policy, but on this we are agreed: we cannot solve the housing shortage without smaller builders.’

‘An Inquiry into Support for Small Housebuilders’, supported by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), calls for a ‘Dedicated Strategy for Small Housebuilders’ which must address the key challenges holding housebuilders back, including:

  1. Limited access to finance: MPs are calling for a Government backed guarantee on loans to small housebuilders, who are more reliant on financing than bigger builders with large reserves of cash.
  2. Action against businesses that pay their suppliers late: The report asks for a strengthened prompt payment code with a new “three strikes and you’re out” rule targeting big businesses who repeatedly pay late.
  3. More help to increase apprenticeships in the building trade: Large businesses paying the new apprentice levy must prioritise transferring their levy to small, rather than large, businesses, helping to increase apprenticeship opportunities in the building trade.
  4. Remove barriers to building on small sites: Government must use the revised NPPF to streamline the planning process for smaller firms.

Robert Courts MP, Chair of the APPG, said “Government action has started to address some of the needs of small builders but we must leave no stone unturned to truly unlock the housing market.

“A new, dedicated strategy for small housebuilders would be an important step in achieving this. This needs to centre on a positive package of measures that removes some the biggest barriers for small builders including the inability to access finance and reducing the cost of developer contributions like the Community Infrastructure Levy.”

Catherine West MP, Vice Chair of the Inquiry, said “The current state of the UK housing market leaves no doubt that there is huge potential for small builders to make a vital contribution to building the homes we need.

“Our report sets out a series of proposals that will enable small builders to scale up, grow and build more which will help relieve the housing shortage.

“The simple truth is that the UK cannot expect to build the homes we so desperately need unless smaller builders are backed. Giving small builders the keys they need could result in tens of thousands of urgently needed homes being built up and down the UK.

“This will help create jobs, stimulate economic growth and provide the homes the UK need.”

FSB acts as the secretariat for the APPG and supported them on the inquiry.

Mike Cherry, National Chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said “Small housebuilders will welcome the cross-party effort to shine a light on the very real challenges that are holding them back from playing their part in building the homes the UK needs.

“It is vital that the Government does not turn a blind eye to the findings of this report and commits to creating a dedicated strategy aimed at giving small homebuilders the finance, skills and support they need to help fix the broken housing market.”

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One in three British construction firms reliant on migrant workers

A major CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) report into migration and the construction industry has revealed that a third of firms employ migrant workers, saying they have comparable skills to British workers and are more readily available. Some employers (22%) also said they have a better work ethic. But only 1% of firms said they specifically look to recruit migrants.

The large-scale, GB-wide research, by CITB, IFF Research and the Institute of Employment Research at Warwick University, is the first to bring together the views of construction firms, employment agencies and migrant workers. Researchers conducted over 600 interviews to provide a detailed and up-to-date picture of the role migrant workers play in the construction industry.

Over a third of employers who employ staff from outside the UK say they do so because there are not enough skilled applicants from the UK, rather than for cheaper labour. The issue is magnified in London where one in two employers say they are ‘very dependent’ on migrant workers, compared to around one in six in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The study dispelled some common misconceptions around migrant pay, skills levels and occupations. It showed that only 1% of employers say that migrants are cheaper and that the majority of non-UK construction workers are skilled, with over two-thirds holding a construction-related qualification. Two-thirds of employment agencies reported that migrant workers have similar skills to their UK counterparts.

Professor Anne Green who carried out the research at Warwick University’s Institute of Employment Research, says “The UK construction sector relies on migrant labour alongside UK workers to meet demand. This is especially the case in London. Migrant labour plays a key role in offering flexibility for the sector to respond in a timely fashion to project requirements. This means that the future immigration policy matters, as does training of UK workers.”

The research also showed that while the largest number of migrant workers (22%) are general labourers (22%), there is a wide spread across many skilled areas such as architects (15%), carpenters/joiners (13%), plasterers (13%), bricklayers (11%), and directors/managers/supervisors (9%). A similar spread of occupations was reported by non-UK workers themselves.

The workforce is still mainly British, however, with only 1 in 8 construction workers born outside the UK. One in 15 or 140,000 overall come from the European Union (EU). The majority come from Poland (39%) and Romania (26%) and is largely London-based.

The research found that three-quarters of migrant workers surveyed expect to be working in the UK in 12 months’ time, with only 1 in 20 expecting to move abroad, and over half expecting to work in the UK until retirement.

Recruitment agencies reported that EU nationals are more commonly placed than non-EU migrant workers and two in five agencies are expecting staff shortages due to Brexit. One quarter of employers reported at least one impact of Brexit on their company to date, with the most common being increased costs (12%), followed by project delays due to uncertainty and a lack of client investment.

London-based construction firms were more likely to report impacts because of Brexit including a lack of client investment (23%), project delays (19%) and staff shortages (13%).

Steve Radley, Director of Policy at CITB, says “Our detailed look at migration labour in construction illustrates how it gives employers the flexibility to respond rapidly to a range of skill needs. It shows that the construction workforce is still largely home-grown but migrant workers play a critical role, particularly in major projects and in London.

“While most firms are not reporting an impact from Brexit, those who employ migrants are concerned about the future availability of EU workers. But with over three quarters of construction workers expecting to stay in the next 12 months, we have breathing space to adapt to any changes in migration policy. While construction employers work with government on its future approach, we will support them to find new and better ways to attract, train and retain the workforce they need.

See the full report here.

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Constructing the future: spaceports

According to the UK Space Agency, the government aims to enable Commercial Spaceflight from UK spaceports by 2020. As privatised commercial space travel moves closer towards becoming a reality, buildingspecifier takes a look at what role the construction industry will play in delivering spaceports throughout the country.

What is a spaceport?

A spaceport (or cosmodrome) is a site for launching and receiving spacecraft. The word spaceport, and even more so cosmodrome, has traditionally been used for sites that are capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary trajectories.

Major spaceports often include more than one launch complex, which can be rocket launch sites adapted for different types of launch vehicles. For launch vehicles with liquid propellant, suitable storage facilities and, in some cases, production facilities are necessary. On-site processing facilities for solid propellants are also common.

A spaceport may also include runways for takeoff and landing of aircraft to support spaceport operations, or to enable support of HTHL or HTVL winged launch vehicles.

Making UK spaceports a reality

So the UK has set its sights upon being the best place in Europe for space flight operations, now it is time to put its money where its mouth is. After all, sending humans and satellites into space requires effort, money, dedication and sacrifice.

The target to deliver commercial space flight from UK spaceports by 2020 is equally as dependent on the construction industry as it is on scientific and technological advancements. Without cutting edge sites being constructed or repurposed for the purpose of space travel, there will be no space travel. In order to tackle this issue, the UK Space Agency is offering grant funding of up to £10 million (possibly even more in exceptional cases) to encourage those wishing to develop spaceport operations. Proposals must be submitted by joint enterprises, consisting of at least one potential UK spaceport and one small-satellite launch or sub-orbital flight operator. Applicants need to propose a business plan on how they intend to launch small satellites or sub-orbital flights, including space tourism, microgravity flights or spaceplanes, from the UK by 2020. All applications for this funding must be submitted by 28 April 2017.

Once completed, the new Spaceflight Bill will expand further upon the regulatory framework for building and operating spaceports on British soil.

Mike Pocock is a planning law expert from Pinsent Masons, an international law firm which specialises in the energy, infrastructure, financial services, real estate and advanced manufacturing and technology sectors. He commented “The space industry represents a huge opportunity for the UK, with potentially significant economic benefits.
“The reality of spaceflight from the UK is closer than many think, and there is currently momentum to develop a number of ‘spaceports’ which will be critical infrastructure if the UK is to be able to send satellites as well as, potentially, space tourists into space.”

“Applications for grant funding by potential spaceports and operators were made earlier this year to UK Space, and the results of these are expected later this summer. The timing of the announcement in the Queen’s Speech therefore could not be better. These are exciting times for the UK space industry.”

In an interview with the BBC, Chairman of umbrella group UKSpace Richard Peckham, said “The UK Space Industry faces an incredibly challenging time as the country navigates its way out of the European Union.”

“For the UK industry to thrive in this new environment, it is essential that the whole sector: government, academia and industry, continue to work in partnership with a steady focus on innovation and growth, with government ready to procure and promote British products and services.”

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10 shocking construction projects that almost happened

From building a colossal pyramid over Tokyo Harbour to covering Manhattan with a giant dome, Planet Dolan list ten of the most shocking construction projects that almost happened!

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Construction apprenticeship starts reaches record high

Construction apprenticeship starts in Great Britain are at a record high, according to figures released by the Construction Industry Training Board.

Since 2012 the figure of those joining a construction apprenticeship has continued to rise steadily each year from 17,528 in 2012 to 26,195 in 2017, a rise of 49%. This is the highest figure since the present way of recording apprenticeships began in 2003.

Recent figures for England show apprenticeship starts have dropped by a quarter across the whole economy during August to November 2017, from 155,600 to 114,380. Construction apprenticeships saw a marginal decline of just 150 starts, from 10,900 to 10,750.

The figures suggest that construction has bucked the overall trend in apprenticeships following the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy.

Up to £10,250 of CITB grant funding is available to employers for every apprentice they employ. And with CITB research released last month predicting that over 158,000 new workers are needed in the next five years, there is no better time to encourage people to join the industry.

Mark Noonan, Industry Relations Director at CITB, said “Construction has faced a challenging time with Carillion’s unfortunate liquidation, but the industry response has shown how committed employers are to helping to develop young talent.

“While the overall picture for apprenticeship starts looks good at the moment, there is no room for complacency. We now need more employers to step forward to offer apprentices places so that they can start a rewarding career in construction and help build a better Britain.”

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Government commits to further support for neighbourhood planning

More communities across England will be able to get free access to expert advice and guidance to help make their neighbourhood vision a reality, Housing Minister Dominic Raab has announced.

A £23 million fund – being delivered by Locality and Groundwork – will help local groups to develop a neighbourhood plan. These plans give local people a say in the development of their area, including where homes, schools and businesses should be built, how they should look and what infrastructure is needed to support them.

Community groups will be able to access a range of free help including financial support and latest planning expertise from trained professionals, to guide them through the process of preparing a neighbourhood plan.

Housing and Planning Minister Dominic Raab said “Neighbourhood plans are a powerful tool to help communities shape their local area, making sure the right homes are built in the right places.

“It’s vital that communities have the right support and advice available to help deliver a plan that meets their own ambitious aspirations. That’s why I’m making £23 million available that will help more groups to do this.”

Over 2,300 communities across England have started the process of neighbourhood planning, with 530 plans approved in local referendums.

Previous government support has helped around 7 out of 10 of these communities progress their plans, with 365 neighbourhood plans finalised using support provided by the government.

The maximum grant available has also been increased by £2,000 to £17,000, helping communities to access more resources to develop a plan for their area.

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