Opinion – Page 11
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CommentThe money’s in the ground: engineering a solution to brownfield regeneration costs
Up to 75% of the cost of construction is in the groundwork and more than £10bn is spent removing construction waste annually. Howel Morris of Rodgers Leask explains why geo-environmental and civil engineering synergy is key to saving time and money and reducing waste
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CommentConstruction industry gossip: Peaks and troughs
Passing cows are the latest hold-up on HS2 but mayor Andy Street does his best to dig the project out of the hole it’s in
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CommentIndustry transformation is complex and needs to be treated as such
MMC has taken a kicking since the House of Lords’ committee report, but the bigger picture is far more nuanced with plenty of examples of positive innovation, writes Trudi Sully
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CommentGove appears to have woken up to the housing crisis – but his solutions are half-baked
To tackle the housing crisis we need strategic leadership but this is beyond the current government, writes Brendan Kilpatrick
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CommentISG’s new chief executive has a point: doing the same thing over and over again can’t go on
Contracting and the wider industry has to get to grips with the way builders do business – beginning with the amount of money they make. Otherwise, what’s the point? writes Dave Rogers
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CommentWe are working to ensure apprentices will be our legacy
Providing young people with opportunities to earn while they learn helps to tackle the skills crisis and encourages the next generation of talent, says Dawn Moore of Murphy
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CommentOur politicians must build the foundations for carbon reduction
All political parties should make a manifesto commitment to move to reduce embodied carbon emissions in construction within two years of starting government, Will Arnold writes
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CommentWhy investing in digital awareness and skills of employees is crucial
Now more than ever, businesses need to invest in the digital awareness and skills of their staff as much as in the technology they introduce, writes Maria Hudson of Zutec
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CommentHow the Building Safety Act is changing construction (and how to keep up)
A platform design approach to manufacture and assembly offers the potential for fast, sustainable, behavioural change, says Jaimie Johnston of Bryden Wood
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CommentHow to be ready for construction’s future
As we enter an election year, our report out today underlines the need for a mindset shift, from short-term measures to a long-term vision
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CommentAre you fragile or agile? That is the question for contractors…
There are many factors at play in a contractor’s ability to withstand the vagaries of a challenging market and political and economic turbulence, writes T&T Alinea’s Iain Parker
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CommentGove’s attempt to speed up planning decisions could have unintended consequences
Rather than procedural change to drive the illusion of improvement, we should completely re-assess what planners need to be doing, argues Paul Smith
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CommentLet’s make 2024 the year we really start improving workplace culture
Construction still lags behind in terms of gender diversity. Improving the balance requires more than establishing a DEI group and a decent maternity policy, says Ceri Moyers
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CommentIs the housing crisis just too big a problem for politics to crack?
The recently published National Planning Policy Framework highlights how difficult housing reform can be. Can we expect better from the outcome of a general election, asks Simon Rawlinson of Arcadis
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CommentUnstable, dangerous and uncertain: welcome to 2024
The UK’s airstrikes in Yemen and the inflation risk from shipping disruption are a reminder of just how vulnerable our economy is to geopolitical events
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CommentThe revised planning framework is not as bad as feared - but don’t thank Gove
The new national planning policy document will still lead to fewer homes being built, even if some of the most egregious proposals around density and green belt have been watered down, says Joey Gardiner
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CommentWhy 2024 is the year to embrace circular economic models
Making cyclical construction a sector-wide objective would help meet decarbonisation objectives and strengthen supply chains, providing certainty to deliver infrastructure projects at the scale the UK needs, writes Joanne Conway
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CommentThe UK is setting the standard for energy-efficient homes – but there is still some way to go
The latest update to the Future Homes and Buildings Standard is demanding, comprehensive and will shape our industry for years, but it still gives cause for concern, writes Alan Fogarty
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CommentWhere do we go from here? Six predictions for 2024
The turn of the year is a traditional time to consider what may happen in the 12 months ahead. These industry experts share their thoughts
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CommentIntroducing prediction for designing climate-resilient infrastructure
Construction has traditionally relied on precedence to prepare for events that may affect our buildings, but the past is no longer a reliable indicator to the future, writes John Rees of COWI in the UK