The survey shows areas currently affecting the construction trade include cost of materials, delivering on time and on budget, and lack of skilled workers.
Government figures released by The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy highlight that the ‘All Work’ construction material price index have risen by 5.1% in January 2018 compared with January 2017.
In order to prevent inflated budgets, the increase in material costs needs to be balanced elsewhere, namely by reducing man hours — which is one reason why eyes are increasingly turning to off-site building.
Richard Taube, director of design and construction at South Coast Estates, commented: “In some cases, off-site construction can speed up the building process by up to 50%.
“This obviously reduces the amount of labour needed to complete a job, potentially counteracting the escalating costs of materials.”
The controlled factory setting in which off-site construction is carried out also helps to manage the amount of wasted materials, another issue faced by the industry.
Lack of skilled workers was cited as an industry wide problem, with a reduced amount of apprentices entering into the industry. Off-site building can alleviate this problem by using timber framed construction, reducing the need for specialist trades people.
Productivity of fewer specialist workers can also be maximised by operating in an indoor environment where work is not disrupted by weather conditions.
Mr Taube concluded: “This more efficient way of working helps ensure that skilled staff are able to be fully utilised throughout a project. It also means that jobs can be completed on schedule and within budget.”
Abloy UK is proud to announce its Aperio E100 and SMARTair solutions have successfully achieved PAS 24 certification.
Posted in Access Control & Door Entry Systems, Architectural Ironmongery, Articles, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Regulations & Accreditations, Building Services, Doors, Facility Management & Building Services, Health & Safety, Retrofit & Renovation, Security and Fire ProtectionFor architects and designers looking to avoid traditional skirting boards, architraves and cornices, Renderplas offers its range of PVC plasterboard shadow gap beads for dry lining systems.
Posted in Articles, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Floors, Interior Design & Construction, Interiors, Posts, Render, Restoration & Refurbishment, Retrofit & Renovation, WallsMembers of the MCRMA, the trade association for the metal cladding and roofing industry, had an exclusive opportunity to explore and discuss the changes affecting the construction sector at the first of the association’s roadshow events hosted by Siderise at its HQ and manufacturing facility in South Wales.
Posted in Articles, Building Associations & Institutes, Building Industry Events, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Regulations & Accreditations, Building Services, Cladding, Exhibitions and Conferences, Health & Safety, Restoration & Refurbishment, Retrofit & Renovation, Seminars, WallsThe latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report shows builders’ merchants’ value sales were down -2.1% in January compared to the same month in 2023.
Posted in Articles, Bathrooms & Toilets, Bathrooms, Bedrooms & Washrooms, Bricks & Blocks, Building Associations & Institutes, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Services, Building Systems, Civil Engineering, Concrete, Cement, Admixtures, Doors, Drainage, Drainage Services, Facility Management & Building Services, Glass, Glazing, Hard Landscaping & Walkways, Interior Design & Construction, Interiors, Kitchens, Landscaping, news, Paints, Paints, Coatings & Finishes, Pipes & Fittings, Plumbing, Posts, Restoration & Refurbishment, Retrofit & Renovation, Site Preparation, Sustainability & Energy Efficiency, Timber Buildings and Timber Products, Waste Management & Recycling, Windows