All Economics articles – Page 11
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FeaturesSpecialist cost update: Envelopes
Roofing: In our latest round-up of works packages, Paul Wootton of Gardiner & Theobald says 20% growth is still expected over the next five years
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FeaturesCountry focus: Germany
Germany, traditionally the motor of European construction, has stagnated for a decade. Now it’s sputtering back into life – but will the credit crunch kill it? John Atkins of EC Harris reports
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FeaturesThe tracker: Bottoming out?
The indications are that there’s still a way to go before we’re out of the woods, but there are small signs of improvement, reports Experian Business Strategies
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FeaturesCost analysis: Sustainable schools
The government’s target is to make schools zero carbon by 2016. Sean Lockie and Ian Butterss of Faithful + Gould and BRE’s Anna Surgenor look at the costs involved in upping their green grades
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Features
Cost update: September 2008
The downturn’s effects become evident as inflation escalates for consumer, input, output and materials prices, says Peter Fordham of Davis Langdon
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FeaturesProcurement: Retail delivery
The successful fitting out of a major retail scheme owes a lot to effective retail delivery management. Simon Rawlinson and Nick Clare of Davis Langdon lift the lid on the processes involved
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Features
The tracker: The bumpy road
Despite wider financial turmoil, most industry sectors held their position this month – although cracks begin to show when the regions are examined more closely, says Experian Business Strategies
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FeaturesCountry focus: France
President Nicolas Sarkozy’s honeymoon period may be at an end, but France is weathering the credit crisis relatively well and the construction industry is still a bastion of the economy, reports Patrick Leniston of EC Harris
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FeaturesCost model: Airport terminals
UK airport operators need to make substantial investments in infrastructure to prepare for continuing long-term demand for domestic and international flights. Simon Rawlinson of Davis Langdon reports
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FeaturesMarket forecast: Cut-throat times
Soaring materials costs have driven up building costs and tender prices, but the economic slowdown is set to apply the brakes. Peter Fordham of Davis Langdon reports
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Features
The tracker: Going down
Materials prices are rising and enquiries and orders are dropping. Experian Business Strategies predicts that this is just the beginning of a further decline in the construction industry
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FeaturesSpotlight on steel
Rocketing steel prices have affected a wide range of industries – not least construction, says Brian Moone. How far are availability problems implicated in the price rises, and will contractors’ lead times be affected?
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FeaturesSpecialist cost update: Services
Luxury residential and public sector projects are keeping the M&E, ICT, lifts and escalators markets buoyant but the rising costs of materials are starting to have an effect.
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Features
Lead times May-July 2008
Four packages have gone down this week and four have gone up, as the downturn pushes from one end and the steel shortage from the other. Brian Moone of Mace reports the numbers
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FeaturesChina in detail
Rising inflation is forcing the Chinese government to restrict foreign investment in development, but strong – albeit slightly slower – economic growth is bound to continue. Investors who are patient and flexible will be rewarded, says Simon Baxter of EC Harris
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Features
Is China’s boom over?
With Olympic-driven development about to end and inflation rising, is growth going to slow?John Ward of the Centre for Economics and Business Research analyses the macroeconomic picture, and overleaf EC Harris looks at the recent past and likely future of construction in the People’s Republic
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FeaturesSustainability housing standards
Now that the Code for Sustainable Homes is mandatory for all new housing in England, housebuilders must set relevant targets and identify cost-effective ways to meet them. Simon Rawlinson of Davis Langdon reviews the latest thinking on low-carbon design features
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FeaturesCost model: Office refurbishment
A slowdown in the office market combined with an increasingly prominent sustainability agenda is creating opportunities for refurbishment specialists. Simon Rawlinson and Max Wilkes of Davis Langdon discuss how to maximise a building’s value with a well-targeted refurbishment programme
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Features
The tracker: End of the party
As enquiries fall sharply, it is beginning to look as though construction’s long, long boom may be coming to an end at last. But, as always, the picture is more complex than the headlines suggest. Experian Business Strategies reports
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FeaturesCountry focus: Russia
With spending on construction rising rapidly and the Winter Olympics on the horizon, Russia is a happy hunting ground for building opportunities. Just beware the risks involved, says EC Harris’ Mike Pearce