Founded in 1957, the Middle East Centre at St. Antony’s College serves as the University of Oxford’s facility for research and teaching on the Arab world including Iran, Israel and Turkey from the 19th century to the present day. The centre has been housed at 68 Woodstock Road (the former rectory of the Church of St Philip and St James, built in 1887) since 1978.
Andy Barrons from specialist structural refurbishment contractor, Construction Solutions, discusses the temporary works and RC requirements of the Camden Town Hall Annexe hotel project in Central London.
As climate change causes more extreme weather patterns, the construction industry faces new challenges with an increase in excessive rainfall resulting in flash flooding and standing water. Continued development in built up areas where existing drainage systems can be depleted, and natural infiltration is limited has prompted the introduction of Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SuDS) legislations by local authorities.
The principles behind Building Information Modelling (BIM) have been around for years, although its integration into live construction sites is still relatively new. However, as Stuart Cadge, Sales and Marketing Coordinator at GeoSLAM, explains recent developments in hardware and software are making it more accessible to even smaller firms.
Paul Lang, Chief Executive Officer at Caledonian, looks at how modular and off-site construction can help to alleviate the housing crisis in the UK.
2017 was a rollercoaster year for the construction industry and its workers. From Brexit, zero growth predictions and reports suggesting that the sector is struggling, to seemingly climbing out of a recession thanks to a surge in house-building, it’s fair to say we’ve had quite a year, says Steve Mansour, CEO of construction insurance specialist CRL.
The tail end of 2017 was not without its fair share of announcements relating to the UK house-building industry. With a raft of budget commitments to increasing new starts and aiding first-time buyers through to an industrial strategy white paper containing a sector-specific deal for construction, there’s plenty to be optimistic about as we enter 2018, says Andrew Minson of the Modern Masonry Alliance.
The use of cash retentions is commonplace in the construction industry. Some £3bn of retentions remain outstanding in the UK construction industry at any one time. With the collapse of Carillion, however, has the industry had enough? Jonathan Hyndman, Partner at Rosling King, investigates.
Here Simon Crowhen, National Sales Manager at Topcon GB, looks at the challenges facing the construction industry and the latest technologies which can help the industry to work smarter.
In recent news, The Irish Times revealed that 70% of Irish construction firms have cut exposure to the UK ahead of Brexit and have begun looking for new opportunities elsewhere in mainland Europe. Like most other industries, Brexit has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the construction industry, with the risk of currency volatility looking to be one of the industry’s main issues for longer-term projects.
