1. 10 things you need to know about Jeremy Corbyn and the built environment
With left-winger Jeremy Corbyn appointed as leader of the opposition, what impact is he likely to have on the government agenda on issues such as house building, infrastructure projects, nationalisation, and energy policy? Read more…
2. Bricklaying robot SAM – On your site for £330,000
A New York-based robotics company has created the world’s first commercially available brick-laying robot – available to order for $500,000, or £330,000. The bricklaying machine is called SAM, or semi-automated mason. Read more…
3. 1960s Bricklaying robot discovered in British Pathé archive
Following CM’s story about SAM, footage of a “robot” – the Motor Mason – dating from 1967 and uploaded to YouTube by newsreel archive British Pathé, revealed a very similar machine. Read more…
4. Level 3 BIM: Sorting fact from fantasy
2016 is now only a few months away and the ethos of fictitious BIM overachievement has re-emerged, spurring on bold claims of some having already achieved BIM Level 3, says David Shepherd, BIM manager at Lend Lease. Read more…
5. Laing O’Rourke in £57.5m Europe loss as DfMA projects hit problems
Reliance on “Design for Manufacture and Assembly” on three loss-making UK construction projects was a contributor to a £57.5m pre-tax loss (£53.1m post-tax) in Laing O’Rourke’s Europe Hub, according to its results to 31 March 2015. Read more…
6. ‘Terracotta’ roofing PVs launched at BRE demo house
New Taiwanese building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) that mimic traditional roofing tiles made their debut at a demonstration house at the BRE’s Innovation Park in Watford. Read more…
7. Welcome to baroque world of 3D printing
Technology used to build what’s being described as the world’s first 3D printed room, a highly ornate Baroque-inspired structure made of faux-sandstone printed blocks, could be used on restoration projects imminently, says the project’s lead designer. Read more…
8. Client satisfaction dips as 60% of construction projects are delivered late
Figures compiled by BIS, CITB, Constructing Excellence and Glenigan show that the industry’s ability to deliver on time fell from 45% in 2014 to 40% this year. The peak recorded in the 15-year history of the survey was 58% in 2007. Read more…
9. Are you ready for the top table, asks Chris Chivers
The empty boardroom seats are waiting for talented chartered members to fill them, new president Chris Chivers tells Elaine Knutt, as he lays out his aspirations for the year. Read more…
10. HS2 starting gun fired with prospect of accelerated boost to midlands
Contractors around the world were invited to bid for the first £11.8bn tranche of civils work on HS2 with the publication of the pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) in the Official Journal of the European Union. Read more…
Top in Management
We need to fight forced labour with transparency
Victoria Ball and Steve Nichol of law firm Trowers and Hamlins on the implications of the Modern Slavery Act in the wake of the recent CIOB report, Modern Slavery: the Dark Side of Construction. Read more…
Top in Agenda
Foreign Acquisitions – troubled waters ahead
With capacity under pressure and Tier 1 contractors showing signs of vulnerability, overseas competitors are scenting an opportunity to gain a foothold in the UK. Read more…
Top in Comment
Skills shortages hurting construction output – and quality
Mark Wakeford, joint managing director at Midlands contractor Stepnell, on the increasing impact of a declining skills base in construction. Read more…
Top in international
London 17th in Lloyd’s global ‘cities at risk’ list
The world’s 301 largest cities have a total of $4.6 trillion at risk from man-made and natural disasters over the next 10 years, according to a new report by the London insurance market, Lloyd’s. Read more…
