Category: Technical
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Stadium building: what makes a winning project?
There are plenty of stadium projects in the pipeline, including Newcastle United’s proposed Leazes Park Stadium, Manchester United’s New Trafford Stadium, plus new venues at Oxford, Luton and Peterborough. There are major expansions and redevelopments planned and underway too, such as the addition of 20,000 seats at Leeds United’s Elland Road and an upgrade to…
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How to make industrial buildings MEES-ready
Non-domestic buildings will soon need to meet more stringent energy efficiency ratings by law. Stuart Byles from fit-out and refurbishment main contractor Pexhurst explains why compliance is important for both landlords and tenants. Installing PV panels can also lighten the load on the finite supply from the energy grid (Image: Pexhurst) In a bid to…
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Circular construction: putting theory into practice
Adopting circular economy principles means changing mindsets and ways of working, but it needn’t be difficult, writes Mott MacDonald’s Tom McDonald. Using concepts, such as designing for disassembly and modular construction, offer opportunities for innovation in the construction sector and encourage designers to think differently about their work, leading to more sustainable and efficient building…
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How performance-based fire engineering can maximise safety and functionality
The tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire, which claimed the lives of 72 people in 2017, put fire engineering in the headlines for all the wrong reasons and has led to significant changes in the sector with the Building Safety Act. When undertaken correctly, fire engineering can mitigate fire risks through design to offer protection…
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The steel super sheds: inside construction’s booming logistics sector
The rapid rise of internet shopping has led to growing demand for distribution warehouses, which in turn are getting bigger and quicker to build. Martin Cooper reports on structural steelwork’s largest UK market. Encompassing parts of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, the area has excellent transportation links, being close to the M1 and M6 motorways. This…
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The steel super sheds: inside construction’s booming logistics sector
The rapid rise of internet shopping has led to growing demand for distribution warehouses, which in turn are getting bigger and quicker to build. Martin Cooper reports on structural steelwork’s largest UK market. Encompassing parts of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, the area has excellent transportation links, being close to the M1 and M6 motorways. This…
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Skanska goes green on Victoria retrofit
With a maths teacher for a mum and a QS for a brother, construction seemed a good fit for Ben Ford. A work placement with John Sisk confirmed this proposition. “I thought ‘this is the perfect combination of everything I want to do’,” he says. Sponsored by Costain through a master’s degree in civil engineering…
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In pictures | Walter Lilly completes major renovation of Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace in south London (Image Wright & Wright Architects / Hufton+Crow) Walter Lilly has completed the first significant refurbishment of Lambeth Palace in more than 70 years – a £40m infrastructure and reservicing project aimed at improving accessibility and sustainability across the historic site. The works were carried out while maintaining the operation of…
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Building the Natural History Museum’s Urban Nature Project
The Natural History Museum’s new Urban Nature Project is a biodiversity project like no other. Will Mann meets the Walter Lilly team who helped bring it to life. The life-size bronze cast model of a diplodocus (Image NHM) The Natural History Museum (NHM) is one of the UK’s most visited museums – and this year…
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‘Forever chemicals’: 7 reasons construction needs to know about them
Environmental expert Steve Dyke MCIOB from Churngold Construction explains why ‘forever chemicals’ are fast becoming a mainstream issue for any developer and contractor involved in demolition, earthworks, or remediation. As our sector strives for net-zero and circular-economy goals, POPs and PFAS present a paradox. Disposal to landfill should be the last resort, so management of…