Data
Whole-life carbon
Whole-life carbon: Prestige offices
Using the example of a building in the City of London, Gareth Roberts of Sturgis Carbon Profiling explains how new European standards for whole-life carbon assessment can make big savings
Tracker
The tracker: Staying put
Construction activity stayed static last month, with increases in the non-residential and civil engineering sector indices failing to lift them from negative territory, according to Experian Economics
Lead times
Lead times: January-March 2012
Lead times remain extremely low across all trades, with any bottlenecks being absorbed by the pre-construction programmes of contractors eager to win work. Brian Moone of Mace reports
Spotlight: Impact of archaelogical work
The prospect of finding historic artefacts beneath a site is more likely to strike a developer with fear than excitement. But the real danger arises when it isn’t planned for, says Brian Moone
Building intelligence
Building intelligence Q4 2011
The private sector is showing tentative improvements and infrastructure is going strong, but with little public money available the outlook for the sector still looks downbeat. Experian Economics reports
Market forecast
Market forecast: Spring hasn’t sprung
Fears over the eurozone crisis may be subsiding, but construction is still in for a miserable year, with £5.4bn less work than 2011
Market forecast: That sinking feeling
Construction output looks set to fall by 5% in 2012 as new work dries up and the UK, like the rest of Europe, slips back into recession. Peter Fordham of Davis Langdon, an AECOM company, reports
Cost update
Economics: Infrastructure biomass energy
?The biomass sector is gaining momentum and should prove easier for construction firms to break into than either off-shore wind or nuclear energy. Simon Rawlinson of EC Harris and John Busby of Arcadis examine this emerging market
Cost update: Q4 2011
The downward trend in last month’s consumer inflation figures is reflected in falling material prices and a slowdown in construction costs. Peter Fordham of David Langdon, an Aecom company, reports
Business barometer
New year cheer continues
February orders down on January but improved confidence in the market remains
Sustainable reports
Whole-life carbon: Prestige offices
Using the example of a building in the City of London, Gareth Roberts of Sturgis Carbon Profiling explains how new European standards for whole-life carbon assessment can make big savings
Procurement costs
Procurement update
With pressure on the construction industry to drive down costs for clients, how can strategic procurement be used to deliver required savings? Simon Rawlinson of EC Harris looks at the options
Procurement refurbishment
When budgets are tight, refurb can seem the ideal solution. But how do clients and contractors allocate risk and manage outcomes? Simon Rawlinson of Davis Langdon looks at the options
