Firstly, if you’ve got to the stage where you are thinking about making the first hire for your company, a huge congratulations is in order. After all, we don’t need to remind you about all of the damning statistics that do the rounds about new companies, and how many of
Vivalda, the UK’s largest distributor and fabricator of architectural cladding systems, has welcomed the Government’s intention to ban the use of combustible materials on all high-rise developments. Announced by housing minister James Brokenshire at the Conservative Party Conference, the new building regulations will be introduced for external wall systems banning
When you are choosing a material for your new construction project, it is important that you think about the benefits of the different types. One of the most popular building materials for construction projects recently is steel. This is because steel is a very durable and cost-effective material. In this
Technology has impacted every corner of our lives at a pace so rapid it’s sometimes hard to keep up. The construction industry is no exception to that, and the sheer number of tech solutions on offer to companies can be daunting It’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff,
Firstly, if you’ve got to the stage where you are thinking about making the first hire for your company, a huge congratulations is in order. After all, we don’t need to remind you about all of the damning statistics that do the rounds about new companies, and how many of them fail during the first years of operation. However, when it comes to that first hire, you might need to talk yourself round to the idea. This is the point in your company’s life where suddenly, you are responsible for someone else. The success of your business, or lack of it for that matter, could have a monumental effect on someone else. This is probably the reason so many myths about the early recruitment process are doing the rounds. Following on from the above, let’s now address some of these misconceptions and highlight the real truths about making that elusive first hire. Myth #1 – You’re not ready for your first hire This is something that a lot of young companies tell themselves; they fool themselves into thinking that they are just not ready for a first hire. Of course, there are times where this isn’t the case, and this is something that we will look at shortly. However, you need to remind yourself that there is only so far you can go with the DIY approach. Your time is limited; you might work as many hours as physically possible, but this is capped. As soon as you hire someone, your output can be doubled. It’s this impact what you really need to think about; you need to assess just how much more value someone else will bring, not about the salary that you are now going to have to pay out. Myth #2 – You are ready for your first hire To play devil’s advocate, some businesses are the opposite as above. They think that they are ready for their first hire on day one and unless they have huge budgets, this is seldom reality. Unfortunately, not all businesses are a success. You need to realize that there is a time to make a hire and if you still don’t have a steady stream of paying customers, taking on someone too early is a risky strategy. Myth #3 – You have to start with permanent employees Following on from the previous two points, there is a midpoint. We are now in the gig economy age; meaning that temporary work is more fashionable than ever before. A quick look at immediate start jobs London from Staff Heroes shows just how developed this market is, and there’s nothing stopping you from tapping into it. A lot of skilled workers are looking for temporary work, for personal circumstances, and by opting for this route you don’t have to commit to a full-time salary. To suggest that your first employee should be a permanent member of staff is ridiculous. Myth #4 – You have to pay top dollar for the best employees Does money play a part in the recruitment process? Of course, it does. Fortunately, there are other ways that you can play the recruitment game to your advantage. Being a young start-up, you need to prove your worth somehow, and offering the likes of flexi-time and smaller benefits can make you attractive for some people. Whether or not you will get the best in the business is another matter, but if you can show you will treat people well you might be surprised at the number of candidates who turn to your role.
Vivalda, the UK’s largest distributor and fabricator of architectural cladding systems, has welcomed the Government’s intention to ban the use of combustible materials on all high-rise developments. Announced by housing minister James Brokenshire at the Conservative Party Conference, the new building regulations will be introduced for external wall systems banning plastics, wood and other products that include combustible materials found in some aluminium composite panel systems. However, Vivalda’s managing director, Ben Jayes, is calling for further clarification on whether the ban would apply to any material in wall construction from the internal face of the wall through to its external face, as first proposed. He said: “For months now, we’ve been calling for a much more robust approach from the regulators, who should treat all proposed cladding systems as a single, integrated product; not a group of unrelated sub-components. For this reason, we decided last year to supply only A1 and A2 products to all high-rise building projects. The devil is certainly in the detail where complex cladding systems are concerned. Specifiers and contractors want clear and robust guidance on cladding safety – that’s why we’re pushing for the regs to include complete systems, fixings, insulation and all.” “A total ban on all combustible materials on high rise developments is still the gold standard for which we’re lobbying. Whatever the government concludes on this issue, we think the industry needs to take action and set new, unrivalled standards of building quality for all cladding systems used on tall buildings.”
When you are choosing a material for your new construction project, it is important that you think about the benefits of the different types. One of the most popular building materials for construction projects recently is steel. This is because steel is a very durable and cost-effective material. In this article, we are going to discuss the benefits of using steel when designing a building. Make sure to keep reading if you’d like to find out more. Cost Effective Although steel might not be extremely cheap to buy, you will find that it is a very cost-effective way to construct a building in comparison to others. This is often because it is a recycled material and it lasts a long time, so you don’t need to worry about investing in more any time soon. On top of this, steel is lighter than other materials, so it won’t cost as much to transport it and you’ll even save on fuel costs. Durable Steel is a very strong metal and it can last a very long time. The strength of the material also means that it can stay standing when it comes to extreme weather conditions. You don’t need to worry about heavy snow or wind knocking your building down. The steel building company armstrongsteel.com emphasise on their website that they are made to withstand any extreme weather and are also “non-combustible so it’s unlikely they will be destroyed by fire”. Environmentally Friendly Building materials often cause problems when it comes to keeping the environment safe and so it is important to choose a material that is eco-friendly. This is why steel is a great material to use because it is actually often made from recycled metal. Steel is very recyclable so make sure to use it if you are looking for a building material for your project. Adaptable If you are looking for a building material that is adaptable then you should think about using steel on your next project. Steel can be used for many different projects and is often used on large scale projects that need walls to be repositioned or altered. Having an adaptable material is very important so consider this carefully if you are unsure about which route to take. Design The final benefit of using steel as a building material is the fact that steel buildings can be designed to look great. Steel buildings do not need to have columns and so they often have a lot more space to include other great features. This gives designers the freedom to come up with something brand new and so it is a very good material to work with. Final Verdict If you are thinking about choosing a material for your next big construction project, you should think about choosing steel. This is because of the many great benefits such as the fact that it is extremely durable, it is great for creative design and it is very environmentally friendly. Make sure to invest in some steel if you want to create something really amazing on your next project.
Technology has impacted every corner of our lives at a pace so rapid it’s sometimes hard to keep up. The construction industry is no exception to that, and the sheer number of tech solutions on offer to companies can be daunting It’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, and to figure out what’s just a flash in the pan and what’s worth investing your money in. In this blog, Advantage AHCI aims to help you do exactly that – as they tell you about the five technologies which will change the construction sector forever. Drones When a camera is attached to one of these aerial vehicles, it allows for site managers and teams to not only receive real-time progress updates but also to check for and monitor health and safety hazards they may not have otherwise been able to spot. So significant is their anticipated impact that US start-up company, Skycatch, have made supplying drones to construction projects their primary focus. Furthermore, from a marketing perspective, being able to use drones to capture time-lapse footage of schemes being constructed is a brilliant calling card for surveyors and agents. 3D printing 3D printing has already made a big splash, but many people believe that we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of its capabilities. One Chinese construction company has started building houses using a giant version of the technology, spraying layers of cement and construction waste to create them. Many in the industry are convinced that this could, eventually, help to solve the global housing crisis – reducing the time and costs involved with building new homes. AR & VR (incl. BIM) Augmented and virtual reality are already revolutionising many sectors, but their effect on the world of construction is set to be huge. Thanks to this advanced technology, construction managers will be able to oversee every element of a project on as granular a level as necessary – aiding with health & safety, co-design, digital job guidance, progress monitoring and more. Additionally, BIM (building information modelling) is already making waves in the construction industry, providing contractors, developers and professional teams with the ability to conduct virtual walk-throughs of projects. It’s started to replace traditional blueprints and is slated to transition from 3D to 5D in the very near future. Carbon nanotubes Engineers have created this incredibly thin, lightweight material which – contrary to what you might think – can be used to add greater strength and density to metal, wood and glass. Despite being only a nanometre (one-billionth of a metre!) in thickness, the carbon walls which the tubes create have the highest strength to weight ratio of any material on earth. This could streamline the construction process at breakneck speed, making buildings faster and easier to erect. Smart H&S gear From responsive clothing to “smart” hard hats, PPE has had a 21st-century makeover and is now poised to keep on-the-ground teams even safer. The “Smart Helmet” is a piece of wearable tech from Uvex which is equipped with special lenses, 4D augmented reality and more – meaning that its wearers can be warned of potential hazards, and be given detailed information about their surroundings.
