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.

How will Brexit affect the construction industry? Two views:

The opening shots have been fired. Brexit is the big political issue of the year, and perhaps the decade. For those of us here in the present, it is going to be a busy few weeks in the run up to the EU referendum. Party loyalties will be tested to the limits. Industries will hold views. Businesses within those industries will hold competing views. Individuals within those businesses, within those industries will hold their own views, all often contrasting. Arguments based on reason, on attachment to tradition, on patriotic necessity, on economic planning, on their children’s future, and every other factor that influences us will compete for our opinions. www.nstraining.co.uk investigate.

As with every other industry, the construction industry has a variety of views on the prospect of Brexit, and I think it necessary for us to have views at our disposal before making our own decision. Here are thoughts from both the ‘in’ and ‘out’ EU camps:

In:

A survey by Smith & Williamson recently found that only 15% of construction executives favoured a UK exit from the European Union. A massive vote of confidence in favour of remaining part of the EU. The chairman of the property and construction group at Smith & Williamson, Mark Webb echoed the thoughts of quite a few commentators from the construction sector, when noting the reasons for favouring the UK remaining within the EU:

when considering that the key components of the sector are also cornerstones of the EU, access to labour and flexible working, it is less shocking. The survey highlights the concern within the industry that should a Brexit happen there is a very high likelihood of access to labour declining as margins are squeezed.

– Access to labour is essential for the construction industry, the worry of a Brexit from the EU seems to be rooted in access to labour. Renegotiated treaties following such a decision, may well take years, may well require drawn out negotiations, and may result in much less ease of access to labour. Simon Thomas, Managing Director of Asset International, writing for Huffington Post similarly focused on the necessity of labour to fill the skills gap in construction in the UK:

The first major issue is access to labour, without which the construction industry would be unable to function. The industry relies heavily on foreign workers to fill both skilled and non-skilled job roles, and always has done.”

A core principle of the EU is the right of free movement, which makes immigration between member states relatively easy and stress-free. For the construction industry, this provides a vital resource. An EU exit would mean that foreign workers would find emigration to the UK much more difficult. It’s logical that in this scenario those skilled individuals will instead take the easy option and cast an eye toward France, Germany, or Spain, where the right of free movement would remain intact.

– As a key resource, ease of movement for labour – a fundamental value of the European Union, unlikely to be curbed – the construction industry is unlikely to back a British exit from the European Union. As it stands, the construction sector is set to bounce back from a slow few quarters, and so demand for labour is likely to grow, which means either free movement from EU members is going to be a greater necessity, or the UK is going to have to invest in training (hi, we’re North South Training!) up a huge number of British workers to fill the gap.

Out:

Clearly the consensus from the construction industry is that the UK should remain within the EU. But dissenting voices are vital to any consensus. It challenges our assumptions, it engages on a deeper level, and it strengthens or weakens positions, until we come to a better understanding of the issue. When I see a figure of 85% in support of a position, I want to know the arguments against, because strength in numbers is not automatically an indication of truth.

Lord Bamford, the Chairman of JCB is a dissenting voice. He is convinced that a Brexit could cut the costs of bureaucracy so much so that any additional costs of leaving the EU would be easily covered. Bamford also rubbishes the ‘scare mongering’ of those who insist it would make trade far more difficult with other European nations, because he insists it is in everyone’s interests to trade openly and freely:

I think it would be, because I really don’t think it would make a blind bit of difference to trade with Europe. There has been far too much scaremongering about things like jobs. I don’t think it’s in anyone’s interest to stop trade. I don’t think we or Brussels will put up trade barriers.

– Further, he claims the red tape imposed by Europe can often make it easier to trade with those outside the EU:

It’s a burden on our business and it’s easier selling to North America than to Europe sometimes.

– Lord Bamford’s belief that similar trade deals with the EU in the event of a British exit will likely remain similar for the sake of the interests, seems to be echoed by Parliament’s own recent briefing:

If the UK wished to remain in the single market but outside the European Economic Area (EEA), like Switzerland, it would probably have to accept certain EU rules by arrangement. Whether these would include the free movement of people would depend on the outcome of UK-EU negotiations.

Most studies on the impact of migration on the UK economy have found weak or ambiguous effects on economic output, employment and wages on average

On the other hand, if the UK were to negotiate a relationship with the EU similar to the EEA states or Switzerland, it might find that it did not have any greater scope to control EU immigration to the UK than it did as an EU Member State.

You are going to hear a lot of contradictory arguments across industries, across unions, and across businesses on the benefits of staying or leaving the European Union. When an opinion appears strong, a contrary view will break it down, and vice versa. Ultimately it is up to us as individuals to weigh the arguments, and come to a rounded decision. On a personal level, I am in the 1/3 of voters who have not made a decision, and remain open to persuasion from either side. One thing is for sure, it’s going to be a spectacularly complex, information packed few months until the referendum arrives.

Written by Jamie Smith, Marketing Manager at www.nstraining.co.uk

 

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“HS2 already changing Britain,” says chairman

The chairman of HS2 has said that the project is already changing the way private investors, as well as local and central government plan for the future in Britain.

But David Higgins said HS2 must also help change the way we deliver infrastructure in this country as soon as we can reap the benefits for future projects such as Hinckley Point.

Mr Higgins made his comments in a speech in Manchester marking the second anniversary of the launch of his first report in the city.

In that two years, he said, not only had the concept of re-balancing the British economy taken root, people were beginning the process of making it a reality, helped by the moves towards devolution.

Local authorities and enterprise partnerships not just in Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds, but also in the North West, the East and West Midlands, and Yorkshire were using HS2 not just to re-think their transport systems, but also how they attract private investment to their areas – and business has responded.

They were taking responsibility for transforming both their local economies and the overall balance of the national economy.

Companies such as Burberry in Leeds, HSBC in Birmingham, Interserve in Solihull are beginning to recognise the benefits of the extra connectivity and capacity that HS2 will deliver – as are potential investors elsewhere.

The potential for that transformation is outlined in a report published by HS2 today – HS2: Changing Britain.

The report also outlines how HS2 is already changing the perceptions and ambitions of the next generation quoting Cheshire East councillor, Rachel Bailey, as saying that it is already having a tangible effect in Crewe:

“That difference is being felt in schools because it is helping to lift pupils’ horizons, particularly on skills.”

But Sir David also challenged the UK infrastructure industry to learn the lessons of construction elsewhere and become more streamlined in its approach.

A series of factors, he said, made the UK industry less cost effective: a history of stop/go which prevented firms investing in skills, innovation and technology; fragmentation leading to multiple overhead costs plus a lack of co-ordination between design and construction.

HS2, he said, was determined to adopt a new approach which would bear down on those factors and transform the way we deliver infrastructure in this country, without compromising HS2’s strategic objective to re-balance the British economy.

That approach would include:

  • early contractor involvement to drive innovation and efficiencies in design and methodology
  • adopting enabling works contracts to clear the line of route ahead of the main civils works
  • incentivising companies to out-perform
  • adopting techniques new to this country such as linear construction, which uses the newly constructed route as a supply chain access

“As a twenty year project we have no excuse not to become more streamlined in our approach and not to innovate.”

Sir David said the lessons learnt from applying this approach to Phase One would be then be transferred to Phase Two.

You can view the report here.
You can read the speech here.

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Modular home factory to open in Leeds

Legal & General Capital (LGC) has today announced the launch of its modular housing business, Legal & General Homes, which will seek to modernise the home building industry by providing modern, precision engineered factory manufactured houses through its new factory in the North of England.

The UK’s housing supply is in crisis. This is a chronic production problem; we simply don’t supply enough houses to meet the demand by customers, both young and old. The UK has an annual output of around 130,000 homes, with a requirement for 250,000. Legal & General is aiming to build thousands of modular houses to help tackle this long term problem.

Legal & General Homes has signed a long-term lease with Logicor on a 550,000 sq ft warehouse in Sherburn-in-Elmet, 15 miles east of Leeds, representing the largest modular homes construction factory in the world. Initially employing 400 to 500 local people, it expects to deliver its first houses from the factory in June. The customer response to our modular housing has been extremely positive from a wide range of developers.

Paul Stanworth, Managing Director of Legal & General Capital, said: “Sustainable, durable modern materials and proven technology will enable us to create high-quality homes meeting a wide range of housing needs and help solve the UK’s housing crisis. Modern modular housing in the UK has so far been restricted to the top end of the market: the scale of our Sherburn facility will enable many more people to benefit from new, environmentally-friendly construction techniques which have already become mainstream in Europe.”

A flexible, cost-effective solution, it will produce high quality homes tailored to meet customers’ designs and needs, ranging from 20-storey apartment blocks to rows of terraced, semi-detached and detached houses. The technology has been proven right across Europe, including countries such as Austria, Germany and Scandinavia where off-site manufacturing of housing is increasingly common place. Time spent building on site will be reduced by more than 70%, compared to traditional techniques, manufacturing sections in advance and delivering them to the site to be installed.

Tom Ground, Chief Executive of Legal & General Homes, commented: “Legal & General Homes aims to deliver a new solution to the problems we face in the UK, addressing the shortage of suitable, affordable and sustainable housing by manufacturing higher quality, energy efficient, lower cost housing.”

Legal & General Homes will not have the typical defects associated with house building by using cross laminated timber and automated technology to remove shrinkage, cracking, wet trades, plaster jointing and nailing – reducing repair costs as the building settles. Its homes will be precision engineered in order to make them energy efficient, great to live in, and better for the environment than traditional homes.

Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (The LEP) commented: “I am delighted that The LEP was able to play a significant role in securing Legal & General’s investment into Selby. The confidence shown not only brings over 400 jobs to the area, it highlights the strength of the City Region’s workforce within the manufacturing sector and underlines our attractiveness to international investors due to our location at the heart of the UK which ensures easy access to both domestic and global markets.”

“The investment, which is the second in the region by Legal and General in the last 12 months following the joint venture with Scarborough Group at Thorpe Park, will also see The LEP and Legal and General work together to help meet the region’s growing housing demands.”

Leader of Selby District Council, Cllr Mark Crane, added: “This is a real vote of confidence in the Selby district as a great place for business investment. Our transport links, the availability of affordable business space, and the quality of life here in Yorkshire all contribute to the growth potential of our area. This isn’t just about jobs, this is about housing too and we’re excited by the products that will be made at this site. We’ve been working with Legal & General for some time now, and we’ll continue to do so, to finalise plans for this major investment in the Selby district.”

Charlie Howard, Managing Director – UK, Logicor, said: “We are very pleased to lease this building to L&G Homes. The Big555 is the UK’s largest readily available warehouse, located in Sherburn Distribution Park which provides strategic access to Yorkshire, the North West, the North East and the Midlands.”

As one of the largest UK property investors, with significant volumes of patient long-term capital under management, Legal & General has identified high quality housing stock as a key asset for society and wants to work with the Government, local authorities, housebuilders, social housing providers, charities and other specialist organisations to create more housing stock in the UK. It recently announced the launch of a Build to Rent partnership with PGGM, through which it will invest £600m into building purpose built private rental housing across the UK, providing over 3000 homes.

Our Mortgage Club provides large scale distribution of mortgages. In 2015 the Club completed £46bn of mortgage lending, with around one in five new UK mortgages going through it. It is part of the company’s Housing Partnerships Division, which includes Legal & General Surveying Services who managed over 490,000 mortgage valuations and surveys in 2015, and Insurance which provides a full range of protection products for homeowners, tenants and landlords.

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“Government will drive renewables sector off cliff” warns CECA

A stark warning has been issued by the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) that unless the Government amends its current approach towards the renewables sector, the industry will “fall off a cliff”, resulting in job loss and lack of growth.

The warning came as a response to the Scottish Affairs Committee inquiry into renewable energy.

CECA say that renewables play a vital role in industry growth, and that there is currently over £300m of civil engineering activity per annum in the Scottish renewable energy sector alone, which is responsible for directly employing 3,000+ workers and supporting over 11,000 jobs. Backing up this statement, recent research published by the Scottish Government indicated that renewable energy generation alone in Scotland produces enough power to supply the equivalent of every household in the country.

CECA Chief Executive, Alasdair Reisner said “CECA has long argued that the UK Government must commit to a long-term energy strategy based on a diverse energy mix that does not deter badly-needed investment to enable a safe and secure energy supply.”

“The UK Government’s policy of removing support for the renewables sector is extremely disappointing, as the sector had been making substantial progress towards cost efficiency during the lifetime of this Parliament.”

“Policy changes to date will lead to substantial job losses within the industry and its supply chains. If those skills are lost, the challenge of rapidly reskilling the sector will be extremely costly.”

“We call on the UK Government to reassess its approach to the renewables sector, adopt an evidence-based approach to renewables policy, and recognise the role it must play in providing the diverse energy portfolio the country needs.”

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How conflict influences architecture

Cities are busy, hectic and diverse places. When groups of different people are forced to live in close proximities, conflicts can understandably arise. How does architecture influence these conflicts and what role does it play in preventing them?

Metropolises are becoming centres for ethno-national and religious conflicts. However, architecture can make a distinct contribution to the problem through its own spatial understandings and practices as well as strategic planning and building policies. These issues are increasingly urgent and need to be addressed in view of the conflicts that we witness today.

Dr Wendy Pullan, Head of the Department of Architecture, Cambridge University and Director of the Centre for Urban Conflicts Research, will deliver the 2016 RIBA East Spring Lecture ‘Architecture and Urban Conflict: How do they connect?’

Across the world, cities are increasingly becoming centres for ethnic and religious conflicts. Although conflict is a subject that has preoccupied sociologists, geographers and political scientists, architecture is a relative late-comer to the debate. There is a clear advantage to a multidisciplinary approach, yet architecture makes a distinct contribution.

Destruction and devastation present unique opportunities to radically rethink our environment. Strategic planning and building policies can be found to enhance particular political views. Architecture is fragile, yet architects have the power to instigate change. This lecture will address these issues, focusing on work done by the Centre for Urban Conflicts Research at the Cambridge Department of Architecture.

Dr Wendy Pullan received the Royal Institute of British Architects‘ inaugural President’s Award for University-Led Research for work on Conflict in Cities.

The ‘Architecture and Urban Conflict: How do they Connect?’ Talk is part of a series of events based around the subject of the RIBA Exhibition ‘Creation from Catastrophe – How architecture rebuilds communities’, which explores the varying ways that cities and communities have been re-imagined in the aftermath of natural or man-made disasters.

Book your tickets here.

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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 printing ever improve, is the construction industry on the brink of yet another industrial revolution?

Development of 3D printing actually began in the 1980’s, however it wasn’t until around 2010 that the technology experienced a paradigm shift in opinion regarding its usefulness. Initially considered ‘newfangled,’ expensive and improbable to take off, the process of 3D printing soon began to grab the attention of avant garde architects, designers and progressive construction professionals worldwide.

The pros

In contributing to the built environment, 3D printing has thus far been used to create small, complex components to be implemented in a hybrid design of new and old methods and even to ‘print’ entire buildings. Chinese materials firm Yingchuang New Materials recently produced 10 3D-printed buildings in just 24hrs, using a custom-built printing machine that outputs layers of construction waste mixed with cement. See video below:

With government aims to end the housing crisis within a generation, could 3D printing exponentially shorten the ETA?

Other technologies that are rapidly developing within the sector are also abetting a future that will lean heavily towards 3D printing. Industry-wide use CAD and the rise in usage of building information modelling (BIM) in particular will enable greater use of 3D printing, as much of the information necessary to create a building via computer aided manufacturing will exist as a result of the design process.

3D printing would allow faster and more accurate construction of complex structures and components, whilst simultaneously lowering labour costs and waste production. It might also enable construction to be undertaken in harsh, dangerous environments previously unobtainable by a human workforce – expanding our horizons.

The cons

As well as a wealth of positives, there are equal concerns regarding a 3D printed future. Systemised construction has never been highly successful in the UK. There was a brief boom in panelised systems for high-rise apartment blocks and pre-fab housing following the Second World War, but frankly they were ugly, lacked character and were plagued with condensation problems.

Printers could also pose a threat to the existing workforce, reducing employee numbers throughout the industry, as ostensibly the 3D printer could do the majority of the work.

Read more: Construction begins on Europe’s largest floating solar farm
Watch: How London’s skyline will evolve if the 250 high rise towers planned or underway in the capital go ahead as planned!

Currently, only a limited number of materials can be used, since the same printer might not be able to print the required multiple materials to deliver the rich and diverse built environment we all need to thrive. In addition, utilising the technology on a building site would require expensive and complex equipment, and whilst it is possible to envisage using some simplified version to manufacture specialist components on a more industrial scale, it remains debatable as to whether the method would offer an attractive return in comparison to bricks and mortar.

The bigger picture

Obviously 3D printing has infinite potential in a wide variety of areas outside of construction, such as creating clothing, instruments, prosthetics, art, food, tools and – controversially – weaponry; to name but a few examples. As it becomes easier for businesses to transmit designs for new objects around the globe via the medium of internet, the need for freight services, manual skills and traditional manufacturing and transport techniques might deplete massively. This would result in an entirely different culture; a society free from import and export which could ultimately make or break entire global economies.

American economist and Nobel Prize winner Michael Spence says “the world we are entering is one in which the most powerful global flows will be ideas and digital capital, not goods, services, and traditional capital. Adapting to this will require shifts in mind-sets, policies, investments (especially in human capital), and quite possibly models of employment and distribution.”

Rome wasn’t built in a day but perhaps one day it could be printed in one. We just may be on the brink of the next chapter in our commercial and industrial history, will you say “viva la revolución” or do you stand as a proud Luddite, protecting our current way of life against the influx of technology that could serve as a blight to us as a species?

What are your thoughts on 3D printing? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Construction begins on Europe’s largest floating solar farm

Construction work has started on what will be the largest floating solar farm in Europe. Located at the Queen Elizabeth II reservoir near London, the project is part of a greater effort by Thames Water to source a third of its energy from renewable methods by 2020.

Once completed in March, the floating array will boast the impressive accolade of being the second largest of its kind in the world.

In excess of 23,000 panels will be floated on the surface of the reservoir water, generating enough electricity per year to power the equivalent of around 1,800 homes. Once complete, the finished array will cover around a 10th of the reservoir’s surface area – roughly the same area as eight Wembley-sized football pitches.

Thames Water has confirmed that the renewable electricity produced by the 6.3MW floating array will be used to power a water treatment centre nearby.

Energy Manager, Angus Berry said “Becoming a more sustainable business is integral to our long term strategy and this innovative new project brings us one step closer to achieving our goal – this is the right thing for our customers, the right thing for our stakeholders and most importantly the right thing for the environment.”

The installation will require over 61,000 floats and 177 anchors to keep the array above water and in situ, and is been delivered by solar energy company Lightsource.

Chief Executive at Lightsource, Nick Boyle commented that as an increasing number of industries quite rightly turn their attention to lowering their carbon footprint, the solar industry will need to develop new skills in order to ensure that future projects deliver maximum efficiency.

“There is a great need from energy intensive industries to reduce their carbon footprint, as well as the amount they are spending on electricity and solar can be the perfect solution. Therefore, constantly evolving new skill sets to ensure that all of our projects deliver maximum energy generation over the lifetime of the installation” said Nick.

Floating solar farms are considered an efficient way to maximise renewable energy generation in areas where land is scarce, by using the normally redundant surface area on reservoirs and lakes.

The largest floating solar array is currently under construction on a reservoir in Japan. Once completed, it will provide enough clean electricity to power nearly 5,000 households.

Advocates of the approach argue it can also reduce evaporation from reservoirs, while the cooling effect of the water is said to help improve output from solar PV cells.

News of the floating array follows the recent announcement that wind turbine towers are set to reach heights of up to 170m – almost as high as the Gherkin in London, in the near future. This shows that in the world of energy, renewables continue to power ahead in terms of growth and innovation.

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Wind turbines set to reach mega heights with new techniques

Wind turbine towers are set to reach heights of up to 170m with new construction techniques and materials, according to wind power engineering specialists K2 Management. Tower heights have grown steadily over the last decade as operators seek stronger wind speeds higher up in the atmosphere.

Based on work with various clients across the globe, K2 Management believes new technology developments like modular concrete structures mean turbine heights are likely to soar to up to 170m in the coming years – higher than London’s ‘Gherkin’, and almost as high as the Eiffel Tower. This compares to the tallest towers of 150m at present. There has been a 48% increase in average hub height since 1999, and based on its experience in the industry and its partnerships, K2 Management has insight on how to manufacture hybrid tower concepts up to 170m.

According to K2 Management wind resource experts, a 3 MW turbine located in a forest area for example, with an average wind speed of 6 meters per second, will meet 13 percent more wind speed if the turbine height doubled from 70 to 140 meters. Annual energy yield prediction would increase by almost 30 percent because of less surface aerodynamic drag and the viscosity of the air.

Therefore, going up to 170 meters from 70 meters will boost energy yield prediction by 35 percent on average. The more complex the terrain – for instance forests, hills, mountain, buildings – the larger the impact is in using taller turbine towers.

K2 Management CEO Henrik Stamer says “170m towers could become a common sight in the near future in markets like the USA and Germany as part of a new renewable skyline. We expect to see more of these mega designs as we help our clients get the most out of their wind projects.”

Through its network of experts across the globe, K2 Management possesses a unique vantage point overlooking the wind industry, allowing for a view into emerging trends. The Company is able to draw on this wide breadth of experience to identify ways of making wind projects more efficient.

Stamer adds: “As a company that is at the global cutting edge of technology we are helping push the limits of the wind industry in terms of power generation efficiency, cost-effectiveness and return on investment; and these new mega wind turbine towers are a case in point.”

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VIDEO: How London’s skyline will evolve if…

…the 250 high rise towers planned or underway in the capital go ahead as planned!

Watch video below:

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World’s largest concentrated solar plant opened in Morocco

Morocco has launched the first phase of the largest concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in the world. When fully operational, the plant will produce enough energy for more than one million Moroccan households.

Inaugurated officially by His Majesty Mohammed VI of Morocco, the solar plant underlines the country’s determination to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, use more renewable energy, and move towards low carbon development.

The three-plant Noor-Ouarzazate CSP complex called NOORo expects to achieve over 500 megawatts (MW) installed capacity, ultimately supplying power to 1.1 million Moroccans by 2018. It is estimated that the plant will reduce the country’s energy dependence by about 2 and half million tons of oil, while also lowering carbon emissions by 760,000 tons per year.

Concentrated solar power is such a promising technology that the International Energy Agency estimates that up to 11 percent of the world’s electricity generation in 2050 could come from CSP. This is especially true in the Middle East and North Africa, a region with abundant solar resources and high hopes of eventually helping to meet the E.U.’s demand for energy.

“With this bold step toward a clean energy future, Morocco is pioneering a greener development and developing a cutting edge solar technology,” said Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, World Bank Country Director for the Maghreb, “the returns on this investment will be significant for the country and its people, by enhancing energy security, creating a cleaner environment, and encouraging new industries and job creation.”

Despite the potential of CSP, relatively high technology costs, when compared to fossil fuel alternatives, deter utilities from investing. Concessional and public financing were key to lift this project off the ground. The Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy, the government agency focused on the country’s solar ambitions, secured over $3 billion needed for the Noor-Ouarzazate complex from the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), European financing institutions and the World Bank.

“This launch shows that the low-cost, long-term financing provided by the CIF can serve as the spark that attracts the public and private investments needed to build massive CSP production facilities at an attractive cost for countries interested in developing solar energy,” said Mafalda Duarte, Head of the Climate Investment Funds.

Trailblazing projects on the African continent, like the Noor solar plant, are proving the performance of CSP. As well as the environmental benefits, the plant results in new, local jobs, and can lead to a high-performing sustainable energy economic sector for Morocco.

Yacine Fal, AfDB resident representative in Morocco, said “Noor solar complex is part of the innovative operations of AfDB in the energy sector in terms of financing and technology. It stands to serve as an example for Africa and the world about how to create effective pathways to greener and more inclusive economies through renewable energy”.

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