Due to be completed in 2023, Park East is a £95 million residential development in Erith, delivered by Orbit Housing Association in partnership with the London Borough of Bexley. The project will offer 320 new homes built, of which 20% are for private sale, 24% Shared Ownership and 56% for
Glenigan, one of the construction industry’s leading insight experts, releases the April 2023 edition of its Construction Index. The Index focuses on the three months to the end of March 2023, covering all underlying projects, with a total value of £100m or less (unless otherwise indicated), with all figures seasonally
Kingspan Group, the world leader in high-performance insulation and building envelopes, has further demonstrated its commitment to decarbonising the built environment, unveiling its lowest-ever embodied carbon raised access floor panel Kingspan RMG600+ — designed specifically for UK & Ireland’s commercial office industry – as part of the group’s new Lower
To raise awareness of asbestos exposure and mesothelioma during Global Asbestos Awareness Week in April National charity, Mesothelioma UK has launched a new ‘Don’t Let the Dust Settle’ campaign to call time on asbestos by raising awareness of the dangers of asbestos exposure and the asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma. The campaign
Nottingham-based civil and structural engineering firm Howard Ward Associates (HWA) has bolstered its team with the hire of two new engineers. Claudia Henry joins as a structural engineer and Rob Morley as a principal engineer, increasing the company’s team to 16. The new recruits come following a sustained period of
Energy efficiency requirements, guidelines for domestic hot water hygiene, and individual wishes of building owners are just some of the challenges that design consultants face in their daily business. In order to support them effectively and sustainably, Taconova has developed a new service and technology portfolio for designing efficient heating
In a move to further John F Hunt’s ambition to grow market share in London’s commercial sector, the firm has confirmed Simon Wilkinson will be joining their senior team from the beginning of April. The appointment follows a string of recent acquisitions including the company’s strategic acquisition last month of
GLP, the leading global business builder, owner, developer and operator of logistics real estate, data centres, renewable energy and related technologies, has signed a 15-year lease for a 135,000 SQ FT warehouse at G-Park South Normanton. GLP completed G-Park South Normanton as a forward funded project with NFU Mutual at
City Plumbing, the UK’s leading plumbing and heating merchant, has partnered with technology firm, Vericon Systems, to bring a series of new tools to the market, helping private and social landlords remotely monitor and manage heating systems using real-time data. Vericon uses a universally compatible piece of telematics hardware, called
The lack of workers in the construction industry is a big problem that will need creative solutions from business leaders, government officials, and teachers. If nothing is done, this shortage could hurt the industry and the economy for a long time. Some Issues That Affect Labor Shortage Lack Of New
BDC 321 : Oct 2024
Due to be completed in 2023, Park East is a £95 million residential development in Erith, delivered by Orbit Housing Association in partnership with the London Borough of Bexley. The project will offer 320 new homes built, of which 20% are for private sale, 24% Shared Ownership and 56% for rent in order to accommodate a mixed tenure community. As a London Borough, purchasers, if eligible, may take up to a 40% equity loan with the Help-to-Buy scheme for the private sale properties. There are a number of one and two-bedroom apartments available, all decorated in a modern and stylish fashion. The development offers landscaped urban gardens and green spaces for its occupants to relax and unwind in. Moreover, easy access to local shops and amenities and excellent transport links to the city are also available, creating a connected community in the south-east corner of Greater London. In terms of engineering services on Park East, the main contractor required an experienced engineering consultancy that could provide value for money. Whitecode Consulting has expertise in all areas of MEPH design and provides advice from initial concept and through the design stages to project completion, making this firm the obvious choice. Whitecode joined the project in July 2020 to provide Wates with MEPH services to RIBA Stage 5, as well as MEPH installation drawings and record drawings for the new-build apartments. The Whitecode team collaborated with planners, architects and other consultants to deliver high quality building services design whilst providing the client with technical expertise throughout the project. Whitecode’s designs have ensured that the apartments on this project will offer the highest standard of comfort for Park East’s residents. This stylish mixed-use development has invigorated the local area, and the presence of Whitecode Consulting’s designs has ensured that occupants can live in comfort for years to come. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Glenigan, one of the construction industry’s leading insight experts, releases the April 2023 edition of its Construction Index. The Index focuses on the three months to the end of March 2023, covering all underlying projects, with a total value of £100m or less (unless otherwise indicated), with all figures seasonally adjusted. It’s a report which provides a detailed and comprehensive analysis of year-on-year construction data, giving built environment professionals a unique insight into sector performance over the last 12 months. Heading into Q.2 2023, the April Index shows construction-starts continuing to slide on a downhill trajectory. Similar to the February and March editions of the Index, project-start performance remained frustratingly slow across the sector throughout Q.1, amid eye-watering price inflation and intense economic uncertainty. This protracted period of depression is emphasised through a massive 46% decline during the Index period, compared to last year’s figures, as climbing interest rates keep public and private investors cautious about committing to new projects. Commenting on the findings, Glenigan’s Economic Director, Allan Willen, says, “Poor construction performance in the three months to March is disappointing but unsurprising, with a continued slowdown in project-starts reflecting the UK’s stagnant economic situation. Despite the Chancellor’s confirmation that we are not entering a recession in last month’s Budget, the UK economic outlook remains weak. Investor and consumer confidence is at a low ebb which has, inevitably, stalled private sector activity. “Public sector starts have also disappointed, reflecting capital under-spending by a number of government departments during the last financial year. However, the Chancellor also used the Spring Statement as an opportunity to bring forward some of these underspent funds to the new financial year. This is potentially good news for those contractors specialising in critical infrastructure, where this money will likely be committed, helping to boost the industry through greater investment in mega-projects and transport upgrades throughout the rest of 2023.” Taking a closer look at sector verticals and UK regions… Sector Analysis – Residential Residential construction experienced overall decline in the three months to March as starts fell 39% to stand 51% lower than a year ago. Private housing performance was particularly weak, finishing 39% down against the preceding three months and by half compared with the previous year. Social housing also dropped back, with work starting on site falling 41% against the previous three-month period, plummeting 52% on 2022 levels. Sector Analysis – Non-Residential The value of starts across non-residential sectors fell by a third (-33%) during the three months to March, finishing 42% lower than 2022 figures. Overall performance was weak, with all verticals experiencing a decline against the preceding three-month period. Industrial project-start performance was especially poor, with project-starts weakening 50% during Q.1 to stand 64% lower than a year ago. Retail also fared poorly, with the value of project-starts falling back 32% against the preceding three months and 48% against the previous year. It was a similar story for offices, stumbling on a previous flurry of activity in Q4 2022. The value of underlying project-starts fell back 32% during Q.1 to stand 40% down on a year ago. Health project-starts also slipped back abruptly, declining 36% against the preceding three months to stand 42% down on the year before. Hotel & leisure and community & amenity also decreased 44% and 5% against the preceding three months, to stand 40% and 19% down on the previous year, respectively. Education starts fell down 5% against the preceding three months but increased a modest 4% on 2022 levels. Civils work starting on-site dropped 28% against the preceding three months to stand 29% down on a year ago. Infrastructure starts dropped 43% against the preceding three-month period, down 49% on the previous year’s figures. However, in a rare bright spot amid the overall gloom, civils general decline was partly offset by utilities activity, which only declined 3% in Q.1 2023, but finished 23% up on a year ago. Regional Analysis Regional performance was poor, with project-starts weakening across all areas of the UK during the three months to March. Yorkshire & the Humber suffered the heaviest fall, declining 57% during Q.1 to stand 65% down on a year ago. It was a similar story in the South East, with the value of project-starts decreasing 48% against the preceding three months and remaining significantly down (-52%) on the previous year. Faltering on its strong performance in recent months, project-starts in the North East experienced a sharp fall against both the preceding three months (-46%) and previous year (-41%). London and the South West weakened against the preceding three months, falling back 28% and 24%, respectively. Both regions were down on the previous year, remaining 42% and 31% lower than a year ago. Some areas of the UK fared even worse, including Scotland where the value of project-starts fell 48% against the preceding three months to stand 56% down on a year ago. This was also the case in the East Midlands, West Midlands, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the North West which all crashed compared to both the preceding three months and previous year. To find out more about Glenigan and its construction intelligence services click here. 2023 sees Glenigan celebrate its 50th anniversary, commemorating half a century of delivering the highest-quality construction market intelligence. To find out more about its services and expertise click here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Kingspan Group, the world leader in high-performance insulation and building envelopes, has further demonstrated its commitment to decarbonising the built environment, unveiling its lowest-ever embodied carbon raised access floor panel Kingspan RMG600+ — designed specifically for UK & Ireland’s commercial office industry – as part of the group’s new Lower Embodied Carbon (LEC) range. The materials and construction phase of buildings is responsible for 11% of all global energy-related carbon emissions. These emissions are known as embodied carbon. Reducing emissions in the built environment is critical to limiting warming to 1.5 ºC by 2050, as laid out by the IPCC. Kingspan’s new RMG600+, developed by its Data & Flooring division, has -3.04kg of CO2e (A1-A3) showing a 57% reduction in embodied carbon (A1-C) when compared to the standard range*. Independently assessed by One Click LCA, this advancement from Kingspan to reduce embodied carbon in raised access floor panels, can be attributed to several key factors including the procurement of low-carbon steel, a focus on renewable energy and the use of a minimum of 86% recycled material. The low-carbon steel used in Kingspan’s New RMG600+ is produced using an electric arc furnace (EAF) that uses electricity, as opposed to coke used in a traditional blast-furnace, as its energy source. Additionally, the EAF production process uses 90% recycled steel. The new product is of part of a groupwide decarbonisation strategy which includes Kingspan’s commitment to Net Zero Carbon manufacturing by 2030, a 50% reduction in carbon intensity in its primary supply chain, the introduction of an internal carbon charge of €70/ tCo2 and the investment in H2 Green Steel – a company pioneering the manufacture of steel using hydrogen instead of fossil fuels. “Existing buildings and construction are responsible for 39% of annual energy and process -related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions globally. At Kingspan we aim to contribute to a net zero carbon built environment by minimising our climate – related impacts across our value chain, with the launch of our new Kingspan RMG600+ as part of our Lower Embodied Carbon range.” says Debra Smith Kingspan Data & Flooring’s Divisional Head of Sustainability. As part of its ten-year Planet Passionate sustainability strategy and science-based targets, Kingspan is committed to developing solutions that will reduce the carbon footprint of buildings. Two of the targets in Planet Passionate will directly impact this by 2030: Net Zero Carbon manufacturing by 2030 and a 50% reduction in carbon intensity in its primary supply chain. Donagh Nolan, Kingspan Data and Flooring’s Divisional Operations Director adds: “We have been manufacturing for 120 years and this is one of those truly important advances, which we think will be transformative both for our business and for our clients’ projects. As part of our broader sustainability commitments, we continuously enhance and upgrade our products. To deliver this, we employ a dedicated team of expert BIM (Building Information Modelling) engineers, advanced technical professionals, sustainability experts and manufacturing specialists.” Embodied carbon in materials is however only part of the solution to dramatically reducing carbon in buildings. This can only be achieved by developing products which not only save on the operational day-to-day carbon emissions of a building, but also save on carbon during manufacturing and offer options for recycling. Kingspan is focused on creating products that deliver carbon reductions for buildings on all of these fronts. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
To raise awareness of asbestos exposure and mesothelioma during Global Asbestos Awareness Week in April National charity, Mesothelioma UK has launched a new ‘Don’t Let the Dust Settle’ campaign to call time on asbestos by raising awareness of the dangers of asbestos exposure and the asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma. The campaign will focus on sharing information about asbestos and mesothelioma, and will launch on 3 April 2023 to coincide with Global Asbestos Awareness Week which runs from 1-7 April. Asbestos is estimated to kill more than 200,000 people per year globally and exposure to asbestos is responsible for nine out of ten mesothelioma cases. Asbestos is the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK each year, as more than 5,000 people die from asbestos-related cancers. More than half of those deaths are from mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining that covers the outer surface of some of the body’s organs, most commonly of the lungs or abdomen, for which there is no cure. Up to 60 per cent of patients die in the first year after diagnosis, and just over five in 100 survive their mesothelioma for five years or more. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, the UK has the highest rate of mesothelioma deaths per capita in the world. The cancer has a long latency period of 15-45 years, with some prolonged cases of 60 years before symptoms show. Despite its use being banned, asbestos remains in many UK buildings. The HSE estimates that between 210,000 and 400,000 buildings in the UK contain asbestos. Other sources say that there are about six million tonnes of asbestos, spread across approximately 1.5 million buildings – the most asbestos per capita in Europe. Freedom of Information requests in 2022 revealed that 81 per cent of schools reported asbestos was present in their buildings, with more than 90 per cent of hospital buildings containing asbestos. The ‘Don’t Let the Dust Settle’ campaign is demanding that the Government heeds the two key recommendations of the Work and Pensions Committee inquiry into the management of asbestos. In 2022, the Committee recommended the creation of a central digital register of asbestos and a commitment to the phased removal of asbestos over the next 40 years, prioritising schools and hospitals. For more information on the campaign and to find out how to show your support, visit www.mesothelioma.uk.com/dontletthedustsettle or follow and share the social media posts on Mesothelioma UK’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. The campaign is being supported by a wide range of individuals and organisations including politicians, healthcare providers, support groups, cancer charities, asbestos removal firms, trade unions and more. Rt. Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP, Chair of House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee said: “The 1999 ban on using asbestos didn’t make it a thing of the past. It’s still in our buildings and causes over 5,000 deaths per year. This risk from asbestos will increase in coming decades, as we retrofit buildings to meet net zero targets. To prevent needless deaths and suffering, we need to act decisively, and finally make asbestos history. We need a central register so that we know where all the asbestos is and in what condition it is. We also need to set a timeframe for its safe removal, prioritising the highest risk asbestos from settings such as schools and hospitals. The clock is ticking.” Nick Maskell, Chair of Mesothelioma UK and Professor of Respiratory Medicine at University of Bristol commented: “It’s very difficult to have to tell a 50-year-old with a young family that his work during a summer whilst still at school is probably why he has developed mesothelioma. That there isn’t a cure, and his life expectancy is less than 12 months only makes the situation more devastating. The UK has the highest incidence of mesothelioma in the world with as many as 2,700 people diagnosed per year, illustrating that asbestos is a very real and present danger. We need to call time on asbestos because with a better plan to protect people, we know that mesothelioma is largely preventable.” Jane Hunt MP for Loughborough said: “Our heavy use of asbestos in the past has left the UK with a painful legacy of suffering and fatal diagnoses. So, I am extremely proud to have the national Mesothelioma UK charity in my constituency, providing specialist care and support to patients and families affected by mesothelioma – a devastating cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. I will do all that I can to support their mission for a future without mesothelioma by calling time on asbestos. Together we will not ‘let the dust settle’ on this issue.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Nottingham-based civil and structural engineering firm Howard Ward Associates (HWA) has bolstered its team with the hire of two new engineers. Claudia Henry joins as a structural engineer and Rob Morley as a principal engineer, increasing the company’s team to 16. The new recruits come following a sustained period of growth in 2022, with growing workstreams from Midlands contractors under major construction frameworks, and a surge in housing and renewable energy projects. HWA has secured a pipeline of work for 2023 with a Gross Development Value of over £400m in the East Midlands and nationally and is continuing to expand its team this year to facilitate its growing portfolio. HWA director, Dan Bailey, said: “Our strategy over the last 12 months has been to diversify our client base and the sectors we operate in and our efforts in delivering that strategy have really started to come to fruition. HWA is experiencing a welcome time of significant growth and innovation which is great following a challenging time for the industry. “We are working with incredible clients, old and new, on really impressive, innovative schemes and the growing demand for our services has led to us expanding the team at all levels. “Rob and Claudia join us at an exciting time and their passion and expertise is a real asset to our team and will enable us to expand our offer and portfolio further. “Likewise, we feel it is just as important to invest in the next generation of engineers and our year out student, Jakub, has gained valuable experience over his time with us which we are sure will benefit his studies. “We’re a close-knit business with a supportive and progressive culture and myself and the rest of the team are really pleased to be welcoming new people to the company.” Claudia, who studied Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nottingham and is a graduate member of IStructE, has already become a valuable member of the team delivering building designs for the wider HWA team. Rob has over 25 years of consultancy experience and has worked with some of the HWA team previously. He will add further expertise to the reporting and structural assessment side of the business, whilst carrying a substantial depth of knowledge of building and design projects. The HWA team are currently working on significant student residential projects nationwide, multiple care projects across the North West, Midlands and East Anglia, and a number of public sector and housing projects across the Midlands. The engineer is also a specialist in renewable energy, assisting providers in delivering projects which included 35,000 solar panels in 2022, and in 2023 that number will more than double. HWA specialises in structural and civil engineering, along with a range of complementary services including geotechnical, environmental, flood risk and highways consultancy. It also has particular expertise and experience in undertaking structural investigations. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Energy efficiency requirements, guidelines for domestic hot water hygiene, and individual wishes of building owners are just some of the challenges that design consultants face in their daily business. In order to support them effectively and sustainably, Taconova has developed a new service and technology portfolio for designing efficient heating and domestic hot water systems, just in time for ISH 2023. Starting with the basic assessment, through the selection of suitable technology to commissioning and maintenance: with the new Taconova “TN Comfort System” and the individual consulting services, practical tools and new intelligent system solutions in the field of centralised and decentralised heat interface units it offers, designers and housing associations receive the exact support they need in every project phase. Plan – Tech – Care: Visitors to the Taconova stand at this year’s ISH were able to find out first-hand what this means from the international Taconova team of specification consultants. “We have upgraded this year, especially in the area of heat transfer and domestic hot water heat interface units, with products and services that innovatively continue the company’s system idea. This includes our ‘TN Comfort System’,” explains Patrick Freudenreich, Consultant and Project Business Team Leader at Taconova. “With the system and the ‘Plan – Tech – Care’ segments, we effectively and sustainably facilitate our customers’ daily work.” Plan: Personal consultation even before the project begins “Plan” stands for personal consultation before or at the beginning of a new project. This segment includes a whole range of services and advice. “When it comes to designing and planning efficient heating and domestic hot water supply, we, as specification consultants, are there for our customers right from the start. We are their personal contact and support them during the initial phase of design,” says Patrick Freudenreich. “Furthermore, we help them select the appropriate technology.” Practical online tools, such as the Taconova Configurator, offer designers additional assistance in this project phase, and all important product and system data sheets can also be accessed online. In addition, Taconova is working on a new, comprehensive training programme on all aspects of efficient heating and domestic hot water supply. Tech: Technology for comfortable and efficient heating The “Tech” segment of the “Comfort System” comprises Taconova’s proven and new system solutions from the system technology sector, which includes Taconova’s centralised and decentralised heat interface units, solar and storage loading stations. As ready-to-use and space-saving complete solutions, they have always simplified and accelerated design and installation. In everyday use, they guarantee reliable operation, reduce maintenance to a minimum and optimise energy costs. In particular, the latest devices and system solutions from Taconova can be easily and conveniently integrated into the building management system, which means they can be maintained and optimised remotely, providing designers, installers, and housing associations with particular convenience. “In this segment, too, we offer technical support and assistance in the selection of suitable products and systems as specification consultants,” adds Patrick Freudenreich. Care: Reliable After-Sales-Service After the tender means before the installation: even after the design has been completed and the appropriate technology has been selected, Taconova remains at the customer’s side to provide support if needed. “Our ‘Care’ segment is about providing excellent support,” explains Patrick Freudenreich. “Behind this is everything that concerns the after-sales area. In concrete terms, this means that we also help our customers personally during commissioning and maintenance if required and offer remote support via ModBus interfaces.” At www.taconova.com/en/comfort-system, designers, architects and housing associations can discover the numerous advantages of the Taconova Comfort System and contact the specification team directly. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
In a move to further John F Hunt’s ambition to grow market share in London’s commercial sector, the firm has confirmed Simon Wilkinson will be joining their senior team from the beginning of April. The appointment follows a string of recent acquisitions including the company’s strategic acquisition last month of RKD, a highly respected engineering consultancy that has an impressive track record in some of London’s most recent high-profile projects. John Hall, Chairman of the Group, commented, “We are seeing a growing demand for specialist contractors, not only to advise and engage in the repurposing of existing buildings but to take on far more substantial and complex packages, ranging from demolition up to and including the entire concrete frame & core. We are growing a highly experienced team to meet that demand and Simon’s depth of knowledge fits perfectly with the Group’s ambitions”. Simon Wilkinson started his career as a surveyor in the late 70’s for John Laing Construction on the final phase of the Barbican Arts Centre. A mid-career change saw him take on a more front-end role with engineering consultants Oscar Faber a few years before their acquisition by AECOM. Wates Construction then came knocking where he was tasked by the then COO, Dave Smith, to help shift the balance away from the company’s reliance on the public sector. Wilkinson confirmed he will continue to support the Claritas Group in a reduced role to further develop their brand in construction management and traditional contracting. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
GLP, the leading global business builder, owner, developer and operator of logistics real estate, data centres, renewable energy and related technologies, has signed a 15-year lease for a 135,000 SQ FT warehouse at G-Park South Normanton. GLP completed G-Park South Normanton as a forward funded project with NFU Mutual at the end of 2022, developed by Clowes. It forms part of the development within Castlewood Business Park, just north of Nottingham, which totals over 1.5 million SQ FT of warehouse space and is home to a range of top-tier tenants including Co-op Food, Alloga and Parker Knoll. The site is located in the logistics hub of the East Midlands, directly accessible from the A38 dual carriageway which links to J28 of the M1. It is part of a large strategic cluster of logistics space around J28, with access to the West Midlands market and the east coast ports, and within easy reach of major cities including Nottingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham. The region also benefits from a vast, highly-skilled labour pool in the surrounding community. The warehouse has been developed to high specification, including 12 dock level doors, 4 level access doors, 12.5m eaves and 50m yard depth. The development has obtained a BREEAM Very Good and an EPC A rating. Adrienne Howells, Senior Development Director at GLP, commented: “G-Park South Normanton Castlewood is another important step in our ongoing commitment to the Midlands – one of the UK’s major logistics hubs. We’re continuing to invest in the region to provide high-quality, strategically located, sustainable logistics space to our growing pool of top-tier customers. Using a forward funded model for this project demonstrates the breadth of our skillset as we find inventive ways to increase our capacity at pace, given the high levels of demand and constrained supply in the market.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
City Plumbing, the UK’s leading plumbing and heating merchant, has partnered with technology firm, Vericon Systems, to bring a series of new tools to the market, helping private and social landlords remotely monitor and manage heating systems using real-time data. Vericon uses a universally compatible piece of telematics hardware, called the Boiler Control Module (BCM), that can be connected to each boiler in the housing portfolio. From here, data is centrally collated in real-time to continually monitor the health of the heating system. As well as allowing customers to monitor system efficiency, the technology notifies housing providers of the fault code when detected, allowing the right engineer with the right part to be sent to complete the repair. “By working with Vericon we’re able to help social housing providers and local authorities take a more proactive approach to the mitigation and prevention of mould and damp at a time when such a solution is critically needed,” said Dave Griggs, Managing Director of Spares at City Plumbing. “As a specialist in plumbing and heating supplies and an advocate for new technologies, City Plumbing is actively developing and supplying solutions that give its social housing customers the tools they need to improve their homes. This latest collaboration with Vericon is just one in a series of digital tools and partnerships designed to enhance diagnostics and servicing.” Through real time monitoring, housing providers are in complete control, being first to know about potential issues with heating systems before the residents may even be aware of them. To measure temperature and humidity and alert housing providers of potential mould and damp issues within a property, Vericon has also developed the MultiDot. By gaining valuable insights from this aggregated data, landlords can conduct preventative maintenance, take early action, and advise residents on how best to avoid humid conditions that can lead to mould. “Using the latest in technical innovations and smart devices, social landlords and housing associations can more effectively maintain heating health in their properties, ensuring a healthier environment for their residents and preventing costly maintenance issues by identifying problems before they become severe,” added Jorden Guest, Marketing Manager for Vericon Systems. The partnership between Vericon and City Plumbing comes at a time when the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) is calling for housing providers to respond swiftly to the sector-wide damp and mould issue. Following the inquest into the tragic death of two-year old Awaab Ishak, the RSH published a report revealing between 40-80,000 social homes in England have serious category-two damp and mould hazards. With Vericon’s monitored and connected technologies, providers can tackle boiler faults quickly and efficiently and identify homes at a high risk of mould. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The lack of workers in the construction industry is a big problem that will need creative solutions from business leaders, government officials, and teachers. If nothing is done, this shortage could hurt the industry and the economy for a long time. Some Issues That Affect Labor Shortage Lack Of New Workers There need to be more workers in the construction industry right now, which is causing big problems for the industry. This shortage is caused by several things, such as the lack of new workers entering the industry. One of the biggest problems caused by this labor shortage is employers competing for workers. This increases wages and makes it hard for construction companies to find and keep skilled workers. This can cause construction projects to cost more because companies may have to pay higher wages or offer other perks to entice workers. However, the construction industry may be the lucrative vocational path of an electrician. The sector can never do without an electrician. No building or structure can serve its purpose without electrical installation that may give it “life.” An electrician is a highly specialized profession where vacancies are everywhere. Some young people may think that working as laborers in the construction industry is hard work that doesn’t pay well and that the job doesn’t offer much chance of moving up in their career. It’s not accurate for all occupations. The construction industry may have its cycles of growth and decline. Still, there’s always an available job for almost everyone who needs one. It may look uncertain. That’s why some people think twice about joining the workforce. In reality, however, many construction industries offer work opportunities every day. There’s always a vacancy to fill in, even for the “not-so-specialized” construction industry jobseeker. Aging Workers Another reason why there’s a massive labor shortage in the construction industry right now is that workers are getting older. Many workers are getting close to retirement age, and not enough younger people are joining the field to replace them. As these older workers leave the workforce, there will be a big hole that won’t be easy to fill. When experienced workers leave the industry, they take valuable skills, knowledge, and expertise that are hard to replace. Also, the aging workforce is making it harder to find skilled workers because older workers have developed specialized skills that are hard for younger workers to pick up. This lack of skilled workers can cause projects to take longer, cost more, and have lower quality because less-experienced workers may not be able to do the same level of work. It’s why most human resource units made it mandatory for leaving workers to train younger ones before their application for retirement or separation from service is granted. Furthermore, various programs that include apprenticeships ensure the transfer of technology or skills. These turnover activities are made so that there’ll be a smooth transition and continuity of workloads, even if the most trusted worker is about to leave the workforce. Economic Stability The construction industry is a growing industry that is reportedly to grow by 6.1%. But many firms need help finding people to work and take construction jobs when the economy is doing well. When the economy is strong, there may be more demand for consumer goods and services. It can increase wages in other industries, making them more appealing to workers. This makes it harder to find workers in fields like construction, where wages might be less competitive. A strong economy can also make more people want to jump from one construction project to another, looking for better wages. It can make the labor shortage even worse. With more construction projects, companies may find it hard to have enough skilled workers to finish their projects. It’s why governments and key construction industry persons must constantly review their policies and development plans. They need to ensure a balance between capital and labor and between industries. These initiatives may help the labor shortage in the construction industry. The Bottom Line You may attribute it to the advancement of technology, where many new workers want to work with gadgets and devices rather than capitalizing on manual labor. Still, the boom in the construction industry offers more opportunities for new workers, especially for the highly-skilled individual. The insights here are just a few of those labor shortage causes in the construction industry. Some are on the links in this section, so it’s best to browse some of them to know whether you’re entering the industry. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
