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Author Archives: Adam Branson

Rise of the machines: the technology making work at height safer

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Construction News looks at the technological innovations that are helping make work at height safer How the world has changed. In October 1932, the above photograph, entitled Lunch Atop a Skyscraper, was published in a New York newspaper. It depicted eleven ironworkers sitting on a steel beam some 260 metres…

Meet the new wave of building inspectors

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The new system for registering building-control inspectors comes into force in April. Earlier this month, CN revealed worries that there will not be enough qualified staff to deal with applications. Today, CN talks to two apprentices and an experienced inspector about how they’re preparing for the change.   Ezra McKenzie,…

What is going wrong with the transformation of the building control profession?

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With less than two months to go, the new system for registering the competence of building-control inspectors appears to be in chaos. Construction News investigates How easy is it to make the move from an unregulated profession to a regulated one? When it comes to building inspectors, we’re about to…

Warm words: will an extra £6bn really help the industry hit net-zero?

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Will the government’s extra £6bn in funding turbocharge energy efficiency in buildings – or is it just another headline-grabber? Adam Branson reports Whisper it, but at long last the government might just be starting to get at least vaguely serious about improving the energy efficiency of the nation’s buildings. In…

Entering the eye of the storm: how will construction fare in the recession?

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With inflation, skill shortages and energy prices contributing to a rise in administrations, Adam Branson considers the construction industry's prospects of weathering the winter months The economic headlines just keep getting worse. In August, the Bank of England forecast that inflation would hit 13.3 per cent in October, up from…

Does technology hold the key to better cashflow?

1. Tim Embley, group research and innovation director, Costain 2. David Hancock, construction director, Cabinet Office, Infrastructure and Projects Authority 3. Marie-Claude Hemming, director of operations, Civil Engineering Contractors Association 4. Coryn Martin, project director, Quintain 5. Angus McAlpine, head of partnerships, UK & Ireland, Payapps 6. Anthony Puma, senior business development manager, Payapps 7. Gareth Simm, chief executive, HE Simm Group 8. Stuart Talbot, commercial director, Michael J Lonsdale 9. Carol Williams, Europe hub head of procurement, Laing O'Rourke

Experts assembled for a Construction News roundtable to assess whether the spread of digital payment technology might finally accelerate construction’s notoriously slow cashflow. Adam Branson reports

How experts are navigating supply-chain constraints

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In a roundtable chaired by CN editor Lem Bingley, industry experts discussed the ups and downs of ongoing supply chain constraints. Adam Branson reports

Roundtable: do modern methods equal quality and efficiency?

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A recent Construction News roundtable, sponsored by IFS, assessed to what extent modern methods of construction are poised to help the country ‘build back better’