CM Nov-Dec 2025

HOW IT WILL IMPACT

SOCIAL HOUSING CLIENTS AND CONTRACTORS

Edge London Bridge reaches new heights

Edge has announced the topping out of its new 27-storey office development in London. The project is being delivered by Mace as main contractor and is due for completion next year. Located adjacent to London Bridge Station, the 260,000 sq ft development has been designed by Pilbrow + Partners and is targeting BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Platinum certification.

BAM partners with Eden Project to champion nature recovery

John Wilkinson, BAM UK & Ireland’s COO, and Dan James, development director at the Eden Project, have announced a collaboration aiming to place ecological renewal at the heart of the built environment. Both organisations said the partnership will provide an opportunity to reimagine the built environment as a space where nature is celebrated.

Willmott Dixon’s Clare Francis on what construction recruiters want, p46

HS2 progresses with final Birmingham tunnel breakthrough

HS2’s tunnel excavation between London and the West Midlands has been completed, marking a significant milestone for the project. To celebrate the achievement, workers at the site adorned TBM Elizabeth – named after 19th-century philanthropist Elizabeth Cadbury – with flags after the breakthrough at Washwood Heath.

Construction workers take on a resilience challenge

Construction workers on Costain’s Gallows Corner Flyover project have been testing their resilience, one block at a time, during a recent mental health and wellbeing session on site. Delivered by mental health consultant Ghitta Basson, the workshop encourages participants to reflect on their personal resilience by using wooden blocks to build a structure that represents their current mental health.

JCB celebrates 80 years

Throwback image of former JCB employee John Wheeldon, released to celebrate the company’s 80th anniversary. Wheeldon is pictured in 1948 on an early product, the Major Loader. The company was founded on 23 October 1945 by the late Joseph Cyril Bamford in a small lock-up garage in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire.

Bobcat loaders take on the French Alps

Bobcat loaders have helped Chez Gaston, a family-owned restaurant in the French Alps, remain open for the first day of the ski season. The equipment, including an S550, an S130 and an L85 articulated wheel loader, has been used to keep access routes clear despite heavy snow.

Awaab’s Law: ‘act now’ to meet new requirements

Professor Michael Parrett FCIOB urges contractors and social landlords to prepare or risk reputational damage.

By Cristina Lago

Social landlords and contractors “must act now” to ensure their systems, training and resources meet the new legal duties introduced by Awaab’s Law, an expert has warned.

Professor Michael Parrett FCIOB, a consultant building pathologist and author of a new RICS consumer guide to help manage damp and mould, said that contractor readiness “will be key” to comply with the regulations.

“Clear communication channels, escalation procedures and evidence-based reporting must be in place to demonstrate compliance,” Parrett told CM “Failure to prepare risks not only reputational damage but also potential regulatory intervention.”

The first phase of Awaab’s Law focuses on damp, mould and other emergency hazards. It is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died in 2020 of health complications linked to mould exposure at his Rochdale home.

The law will expand its scope in 2026. By 2027, it will apply to almost all Housing Health and Safety Rating System category 1 hazards, except for overcrowding. Failure to comply can result in fines, regulatory enforcement and legal action.

Checklist for contractors and social landlords to review and update policies

● Ensure that repair and complaints policies specifically include statutory timeframes for damp and mould investigations and remediation. Policies should show clear escalation pathways for urgent cases.

● Strengthen frontline training.

● Train housing officers, call handlers and repairs teams to

spot health-critical signs of damp and mould, categorise risks correctly and trigger immediate inspections.

● Audit contractor capacity: confirm that contractors and in-house teams have the skills, materials and resources to deliver both short-term safety measures and permanent

building pathology solutions.

● Establish monitoring and evidence systems: implement robust record-keeping, photographic evidence and follow-up checks. Systems must provide audit trails proving that landlords acted within statutory deadlines.

● Engage proactively

‘A real improvement opportunity’ “Social landlords and their contractors should have already reviewed their repair policies, workflows and capacity ahead of Awaab’s Law coming into force,” Parrett added. “This includes training frontline staff to identify signs of risk to health, strengthening diagnostic processes and ensuring contractors are equipped to deliver effective, lasting repairs.”

Rachael Williamson, director of policy, communications and external affairs at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said that the first phase of Awaab’s Law demands “faster and more consistent action on damp, mould and other serious hazards”.

“Residents must be able to trust their landlord to act quickly and effectively – which depends on clear systems, good communication and strong supply chain relationships, backed by the right data and resources,” Williamson told CM.

“CIH will support housing professionals with guidance and shared learning to embed the regulations in practice. This is a real opportunity to improve services and rebuild trust between residents, landlords and contractors.” ● You can learn more about Awaab’s Law in this issue’s CPD on damp management. Turn to page 18.

with tenants: introduce proactive communication about progress, expected timescales and prevention guidance. Transparency will reduce complaints and demonstrate compliance.

Source: Professor Michael Parrett FCIOB

Mark Farmer: AI ‘blind spot’ threatens construction’s professional services

Modernise or Die author spoke at this year’s CIOB Sir James Wates lecture in central London. By Cristina Lago

Industry veteran Mark Farmer has urged construction leaders to face the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence (AI) on the sector’s white-collar workforce, warning that the industry is “missing a trick” by focusing too narrowly on trade skills shortages.

Delivering this year’s CIOB Sir James Wates lecture, the author of the landmark 2016 Modernise or Die report argued that while the debate around the lack of tradespeople is well known, professional services must stand against an equally profound challenge.

“It would have been easy to talk about the shortage of bricklayers and carpenters,” said Farmer. “But I felt there’s a blind spot here. We’re missing a trick around what

Mark Farmer believes the industry is ‘missing a trick’

AI means for professional services in our industry.”

A disruption beyond site trades Farmer set out a picture of accelerating technological disruption where white-collar roles, such as quantity surveyors, architects or project managers, are increasingly exposed to AI-driven change.

He noted that while digital tools have been present in construction for decades, their impact has been gradual and often undermined by adversarial business models. BIM, he said, had failed to live up to its promise largely due to cultural resistance rather than technological limitations.

By contrast, AI represents a step change: “We’re not talking incremental, marginal stuff here: we’re talking about massive changes in how we will do our jobs.”

There is a clearer benefits case to using AI in the right context than perhaps there ever was with BIM

Mark Farmer

Farmer added that research suggests professional services are among the sectors with the highest potential for AI-led disruption.

Big contractors, such as Balfour Beatty and consultancies like his own, are trialling AI tools for data analytics, scheduling and knowledge management.

“The power of AI is exponential. Every day, things are coming forward that are new, that are more powerful and have a massive implication around use cases,” he said, adding that, unlike previous digital shifts, AI offers a direct financial incentive. “There is a clearer benefits case to

using AI in the right context than perhaps there ever was with BIM.”

While some fear widespread unemployment as a result of AI use, Farmer said early adoption suggests AI is being used to increase efficiency rather than eliminate jobs.

Business models under pressure

The founder of the Cast consultancy suggested that the traditional “people for hire” model used by consultancies may be destabilised as AI takes on the bulk of low-value tasks.

Professionals, he added, may increasingly be required to act as certifiers of technology-led outputs, shifting their value-add from delivery to assurance. “The real question is: what does the 20% of high-value professional input look like when the other 80% can be automated?” he asked.

This, he stressed, creates urgent challenges for training and regulation. “We are going to see a requirement for different skills. It’s going to be less about technical domain knowledge and more about technological literacy, critical thinking and integrated knowledge,” Farmer said. He called on professional institutions to accelerate reform of CPD and competence standards to prevent large parts of the workforce from being left behind, and for new competencies (particularly AI literacy, critical thinking and integrated knowledge) to replace traditional siloed training. ●

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Inflation indices: one size does not fit all

The early stages of cost estimation should include scenario planning for a range of inflation uplift rates, explains Sam May

With inflation having peaked at levels not seen for a generation, selecting the right cost escalation measure is critical in construction cost planning. The index used can significantly influence projected budgets and viability.

Driven by global and domestic factors, construction costs are 37% higher than in January 2020. The Ukraine conflict raised prices for energy-intensive materials like steel and cement, while labour shortages and industry wastage have pushed wages up. This volatility means

accurate inflation forecasts are more important than ever.

In real estate, inflation uplifts often use in-house tender price inflation (TPI) forecasts or indices such as the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) All-in TPI. For larger schemes, professional judgement plays a crucial role as market dynamics can shift significantly due to economies of scale and project peculiarities like the procurement strategy and mix of uses.

Infrastructure projects differ due to their scale and long timelines. Forecasting construction indices

long-term is difficult as providers like BCIS don’t forecast that far ahead. Therefore, general economic indices such as Consumer Price Index (CPI) are often used for long-term modelling. CPI is familiar, official, defensible and often linked to government funding for projects.

Figure 1 shows CPI and CPIH to be stable compared to construction indices, suggesting practicality in benchmarking and financial planning. Meanwhile, BCIS’s All-in TPI saw high inflation early on, but since 2021, the Infrastructure Output Price Index and Civil Engineering TPI

have been more volatile. Civil Engineering TPI had nine quarters of year-on-year changes over 9% from 2021 Q3 to 2023 Q3, while CPI had only three, and CPIH none. However, CPI measures household consumption rather than construction costs, which figure 2 suggests have risen faster. Uplifting with CPI alone would lead to forecasts that underestimate onsite cost pressures, increasing the risk of budget overruns. Risk allowances on costs before uplifts dampen this, but the threat of overruns remains.

Figure 2 compares CPI with project-specific costs across two

Recent inflation has had immediate visibility on cost schedules and remains a concern in the construction industry

periods. In the earlier period, CPI rose just under 10%, while gas-oil and steel rose 38.1% and 26.1% respectively, with cement the only input not to outpace CPI.

Since 2021, gas-oil surged 137.6%. Plant and cement grew 33.1% and 45.9%, while labour and CPI both increased around 28% whereas steel inflation eased. The Infrastructure Projects Authority’s Cost Estimation Guide advises tailoring inflation methods to each project and many projects are already exploring a “resource-based” approach. Key inputs – labour, materials, plant, overheads and profits – are forecasted and then weighted according to project cost plans.

This bespoke method offers a detailed reflection of the pressures contractors face on the specific project and offers a comparison to the traditional approach. This is particularly useful during economic disruption, when commodity prices spike due to supply chain shocks or geopolitical events.

One limitation, however, is that these indices are often developed in-house and may lack the legal weight of official statistics, potentially introducing litigation risk. In these cases, professional judgement remains essential.

Recent inflation has had immediate visibility on cost schedules and remains a concern in the construction industry. The early stages of cost estimation should include scenario planning for a range of inflation uplift rates that are well-considered, have a combination of data analysis and subjective judgements. This helps assess how much uplift can be tolerated and its impact on return on investment and overall project viability.

Sam May is an economist with Turner & Townsend.

Figure 1: Quarter on year percentage change in various inflation indices since 2015 Q2

since January 2020

Figure 2: Comparison of CPI and different resource prices between the period January 2016 – January 2021 and January 2021 – August 2025 (most recent data point)

What can construction take from the party conference season?

CIOB policy chief Eddie Tuttle reflects on the key messages from Labour and the Conservatives during the autumn conferences

I mentioned in the September issue that CIOB’s Policy and Public Affairs Team were planning for party conference season.

As in previous years, our planning led us to meetings with politicians, stakeholders and organisations where we felt we could have the greatest impact. As members expect, we aim to deploy our resources as effectively as possible and our in-person visits focus on the party of government and the official opposition.

But as party conference season ends (at the time of writing), here’s my round-up of 2025’s events.

Labour pledge

We were at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool where, inevitably, construction and housing

were a major part of a pledge to “renew Britain”, as highlighted in Sir Keir Starmer’s keynote speech. The housing secretary, Steve Reed, reiterated the Government’s commitment to housebuilding through his “build, baby, build” slogan. This chimed with the New Towns Taskforce final report, published in September, which identified 12 locations for potential designation as new towns and recommendations on how they should be delivered.

CIOB President, Paul Gandy, was busy across the conference, speaking at CIOB events and participating in others hosted by City & Guilds.

We hosted three events, working in collaboration with some of our sister professional bodies and sector

Construction and housing were highlighted in Sir Keir Starmer’s keynote speech

trade associations to strengthen our message. We teamed up with the FMB, RIBA, RICS and the RTPI to deliver two roundtables focusing on the skills gap and the capacity needed if the Government is to reach its 1.5 million homes target.

We also raised the issue of quality and safety, and made the case that quality should not be sacrificed in pursuit of targets.

Tory stamp duty pledge

A few days later, at the Conservative Party conference, their theme was ‘resetting’ the Conservative brand and re-establishing their credibility. Interestingly, there were fewer announcements on housing policy than many of us expected, beyond their traditional argument that homeownership should be aspirational and accessible. The only headline-grabbing housingrelated announcement was a pledge to abolish stamp duty on primary homes in England and Northern Ireland.

The only headlinegrabbing housingrelated announcement was a pledge to abolish stamp duty on primary homes in England and Northern Ireland

Eddie Tuttle, CIOB

The CIOB’s main event during this conference was supporting the business reception, alongside a number of other organisations, at which shadow chancellor Mel Stride spoke. It was a packed event and a good opportunity to sense the direction of travel on housing and construction policy development.

As ever, we met with a broad range of policymakers across both conferences, covering local constituency matters, regional business needs and larger public policy issues. We will continue many of these conversations as policies emerge and change and will, of course, continue making the case for construction. ●

Eddie Tuttle is director of policy, research, and public affairs at CIOB.

Feedback

A selection of readers’ comments about news and issues in the industry from across the CIOB community and social media

CM

‘Construction cannot cope with requirements of 1.5 million new homes target’

Former Mace director Mike Reader MP believes the pace of delivery will be important to achieving the government’s new homes target, but says this “must not come at the expense of quality”.

John McGee

With increased taxes, national insurance, shortages of labour in the construction industry and materials including concrete, I would suggest that this target is not achievable for the government.

This is another one of their b***s*** moments where people with no construction background are trying to impress people that they will achieve their goal, but the construction industry cannot

CM

‘Everyone must take responsibility for safety’

Alana Paterson, chair of the IPAF International Safety Committee and head of health, safety and environment at Taylor Woodrow, discusses the importance of empowering the

cope with the requirements. We have heard that 10 new towns are to be built – but there is no mention of road/infrastructure works, shops, retail, leisure facilities or increasing expenditure for doctors, dentists, or hospitals to cope with this situation.

They need somebody with a good construction background to make promises about delivery, not people who stick their hand in the air and think of a silly number.

workforce to call out safety risks in powered access.

Chris Soffe, CIOB past president and non-executive director at Gleeds Always have thought there would be a very interesting study versus the US construction industry where the general contractors are firmly given sole

The government has pledged to deliver 1.5 million new homes by 2029

They need somebody with a good construction background to make promises about delivery, not people who stick their hand in the air and think of a silly number

John McGee

responsibility for safety and their track records on safety incidences and breaches positively or negatively affect their insurance premiums by some considerable margin! Any takers?

GCR

‘ICE know they screwed up’: Korean detainees’ lawyer on chaotic raid at Georgia battery plant

Atlanta-based lawyer Charles Kuck speaks to GCR editor Rod Sweet about the detention of 316 South Korean engineers and technicians.

@patchin1

These are highly educated, very proud Korean engineers; why would any of them want to come back helping the US build a factory?

@charliesimar7541

Wow! I used to work internationally as an engineer. If I were caught up in that kind of situation, I would never go back, and I would share my story widely!

CM

Did you know my father?

A CM reader is hoping to connect with anyone who remembers working with Steve Donoghue at Kinnear Moodie.

Steve Donoghue Jnr

I’m trying to find information about my father, Steve Donoghue, who used to work for Kinnear Moodie in a supervisory role in London and Suez in the 1970s and 1980s. His last post was in Selby putting a service tunnel under the River Ouse. If you have any information, please drop me a line at sdcconstruction2@gmail.com.

Share your views on the latest industry issues by posting comments online at www.constructionmanagement.co.uk or by emailing the editor at construction-management@ atompublishing.co.uk

The Future of Digital Construction Report 2025

A new study looks at the key issues that will shape digital construction in the coming years, in partnership with Digital Construction Week and MCS Rental Software. Justin Stanton analysed the research

This year’s Digital Construction Week (DCW) featured a ‘Crystal Wall’, which invited delegates to future-gaze by writing down their hopes and fears about the digital construction sector, to mark the event’s 10th anniversary.

These comments, along with some analysis from industry experts, have been pulled together in an in-depth study, The Future of Digital Construction Report 2025.

AI, data and design were among the most popular keywords in

The majority of the answers highlight an energised and engaged sector that understands how it can change the wider built environment for the better

the nearly 140 messages written on the Crystal Wall at DCW (see word cloud illustration).

The Crystal Wall posed three questions:

l What challenge should the industry solve in the next 10 years?

l What’s the next big innovation for the built environment?

l What will the industry look like in 2035?

The majority of the answers highlight an energised and engaged sector that understands how it can change the wider built environment for the better.

The next challenge

Nearly half of the comments written on the Crystal Wall addressed the first question of what challenge should be addressed in the next 10 years. Skills and HR issues accounted for nearly a third of all the answers to that question. Some answers were more targeted than others; one attendee wrote: “Teach university students what they actually need to know.”

One attendee called for the gender pay gap to be addressed while another highlighted the need to tackle talent retention by focusing on women after raising families.

The lack of clearly defined roles, job titles and career paths in digital construction led one attendee to plea for career growth to be addressed “when we don’t know

what jobs will look like”. Another attendee had a particular beef with architects: “Teach architects about data or all the innovation will be wasted.”

Data and sustainability were the next most common themes among answers to the first question. Attendees want the industry to simply get on and start sharing data and managing big data. One attendee called for the standardisation of data to use for operations and facilities management.

Among sustainability topics, two attendees called for the industry to focus on circular construction, while another called for “true net zero, not just offsetting”.

It’s no surprise that AI was also a popular topic, but comments weren’t entirely in its favour. One attendee warned of the “AI takeover”.

Another more positive attendee wrote: “Achieve the human-AI symbiosis to improve safety, efficiency and collaboration.”

The next big innovation

A quarter of the answers to the second question – the next big innovation – inevitably focused on AI. One attendee proposed “AI-led structural design”, while another suggested “automatic model validation with AI”.

As with the first question on the Crystal Wall, there were answers

In association with

Industry experts: what will digital construction look like in 2035?

Paul Drayton of Laing O’Rourke

Embracing MMC and DfMA will dramatically improve safety, quality and working conditions while mitigating delivery risks. The pace of project completion will be astonishing.

Brett King of Procore

More connected, more accountable and truly data-driven – with every asset carrying a living digital record from day one. Leaders will be those who embrace transparency and collaboration, not just tech.

Michelle Zompi of RLB Digital Busy as ever, but possibly not hugely different on the face of it. We will still be building core infrastructure, but more aligned to our sustainability goals. We may approach some of that infrastructure differently,

so autonomous-drivingonly roads. The biggest difference will be the shift to a client-driven approach as more and more owners become strategic in how they want to collate and control their data and their information.

Nick Thomson of MCS Rental Software

Hyper-connected, lowcarbon and surprisingly creative. AI will be embedded in most operations, from the equipment fleet to project planning, which will eliminate inefficiencies, while humans focus on innovation, design and relationships. Projects will be circular by default, with materials tracked and reused endlessly. Think less “hard hats and paperwork”, more “headsets and collaboration”.

It’s intriguing to note that information management was the direct focus of just two comments overall –as many as construction in space. And the golden thread was mentioned just once to the second question that warned against AI. One attendee wrote: “AI will take people’s jobs.”

Sustainability-related topics were also popular here, with attendees proposing “integrated renewable energy”, “low-carbon emission materials” and “net zero buildings”.

The internet of things (IoT) was identified by several attendees; one wrote: “IoT that empowers users not just facility managers.”

While one attendee put forward automated operations as the next big innovation,

another highlighted the following development: “Putting humans back into digital; models must develop so they can be humancentred in their approach to design and safety. Where are people in BIM models?”

The industry in 2035

AI was also the most popular theme among answers to the third question of how the industry will look in 2035. One attendee forecast “more AI, less human activity”, while another dug deeper: “Individual AI agents working beneath an AI-enabled construction workforce.” Another attendee suggested: “More machine learning due to better data quality.”

One attendee forecast “more women in construction”, while another wrote: “BIM will just be the norm.”

“Every building has a digital twin from day one,” suggested one attendee. Another forecast more

automation, making the industry more pro-active and more efficient. Some attendees focused on well-worn industry issues; “no more disputes,” wrote one very hopeful attendee, while another suggested: “We finally fixed the procurement problem.”

Some attendees regarded the future with resignation; “same with a bit more evolution,” wrote one attendee, while another bemoaned: “10 years is still not enough to change this industry.”

It’s intriguing to note that information management was the direct focus of just two comments overall – as many as construction in space. And the golden thread was mentioned just once, although compellingly so: “The golden thread will apply to all buildings.” ●

To read the full version of the Future of Digital Construction Report 2025, visit https://bit.ly/46WbmOl

CSCS Smart Check: Transforming Compliance and Safety on Construction Sites

By Sean Kearns, CSCS Group Chief Executive

Ensuring a competent, qualified workforce has always been central to safe construction and to CSCS’ mission. Today, that responsibility is more critical than ever under the Building Safety Act, which places a legal obligation on employers to ensure that workers hold the right skills and training for their roles.

Enter CSCS Smart Check, the industry’s digital solution for real-time verification of CSCSlogoed cards, ensuring workers have the appropriate skills and training for their roles.

Acting as a ‘border control’ for site access, Smart Check allows employers, site managers, and gate operatives to instantly validate a worker’s CSCS card, occupation, and core

qualifications. Whether accessed via an API for existing site access and induction systems, a mobile app, or CSCSSmartCheck.co.uk, Smart Check ensures that only appropriately qualified personnel are on site.

This isn’t just convenience - it’s compliance. Under the Building Safety Act, it is no longer sufficient to assume someone is qualified because they hold a card. It has to be the right card, with the right training and qualifications within it.

Smart Check provides realtime, auditable evidence that workforce competence aligns with legal obligations. For highrisk projects, this verification can be the difference between regulatory compliance and significant liability.

While Smart Check sits at the heart of verification, it also works alongside the My CSCS app, which allows workers to store and maintain their digital records of training and development. However, the focus for contractors remains clear: Smart Check is the operational tool of choice, giving them instant confidence that their workforce meets the required standards.

The benefits extend beyond individual compliance. Data captured through Smart Check provides site-level and programme-wide insights into who is qualified, where skills are concentrated, and how training is being applied. Contractors like Mace, Balfour Beatty, and Wates are already using the Smart Check API to streamline audits, reduce risk, and enhance workforce managementall while meeting the stringent requirements of the Building Safety Act.

In an industry where workforce mobility is high, roles are dynamic, and regulations are tightening, Smart Check represents a step-change in competence management. It moves construction from

"Under the Building Safety Act, it is no longer sufficient to assume someone is qualified because they hold a card. It has to be the right card, with the right training and qualifications within it"

an outdated model of static compliance - checking a card visually at a gate at the start of a project and photocopying itto a digital, secure and scalable system that ensures the right people, with the right skills, are on the right sites at the right time.

For employers, integrating Smart Check into site protocols is no longer optional - it is a practical, real-time solution for legal compliance, site safety, and operational efficiency.

For the industry as a whole, and alongside My CSCS, it is the foundation of a safer, smarter, and more accountable construction workforce. Find out more about CSCS Smart Check: CSCS.uk.com/ SmartCheck

What you will learn in this CPD

The categories of mould hazards

The legislation and standards relating to mould and damp Practical guidance for construction professionals

CPD: Awaab’s Law and damp management

This CPD explains the new requirements introduced by Awaab’s Law and how construction professionals can effectively address moisture problems. By Daniel Docking

The initial phase of Awaab’s Law has come into force, placing a new statutory duty on social housing providers to investigate and repair damp and mould hazards within strict timeframes.

The legislation, introduced through the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023, was named in memory of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who tragically died in 2020 of health complications linked to prolonged exposure to household mould.

Its purpose is clear: no tenant should be left in unsafe living conditions where damp and mould can compromise health and safety.

Subsequent phases of the law will expand its scope. In 2026, requirements will extend to other serious hazards such as excess cold or heat, falls, structural faults, fire safety, electrical risks and hygiene issues. By 2027, Awaab’s Law will apply to almost all Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) category 1 hazards, except for overcrowding.

There are also plans to extend these duties to private landlords

through the forthcoming Renters’ Rights Bill, although an implementation date has not yet been confirmed.

For construction and housing professionals, Awaab’s Law is more than just a policy change: it is a legal framework that directly affects how projects are specified, how remedial works are managed and how responsibility is shared between clients, consultants and contractors.

Dampness is not a minor defect. It has the potential to compromise occupant health and, if left unchecked, can accelerate timber decay and undermine building integrity.

The deadlines set by Awaab’s Law mean that for occupied properties, management must be delivered with both urgency and competence. For construction professionals, this reinforces the need to get design and commissioning right from the outset, so that homes are resilient to damp and mould, long before statutory deadlines ever come into play, but equally to have a prepared plan for if it fails.

This reinforces the need to get design and commissioning right from the outset, so that homes are resilient to damp and mould

The technical risks associated with poor indoor air quality are widely recognised, even if the extent of their health impacts continues to be debated. What Awaab’s Law makes clear is that uncertainty is no longer an excuse for inaction, as the issue is now tied directly to statutory duties. Professionals must be able to diagnose and remediate moisture problems competently, while also building resilience into projects from the outset. Quick cosmetic fixes will not suffice. Only a joined-up approach that combines timely action with thorough investigation and durable remediation will achieve compliance and protect tenants.

Hazard categories

Dampness within homes can arise from many sources and affects both modern and older properties. Everyday activities such as drying clothes indoors, cooking without effective extraction, or taking long showers without adequate ventilation release large amounts of moisture into the air. Where ventilation and moisture management are insufficient,

Emergency hazards, such as mould in a child’s bedroom where exposure could rapidly worsen respiratory illness, must be investigated within 24 hours

relative humidity can remain consistently high. This creates conditions in which mould can establish and grow, even before condensation becomes visible on cold surfaces.

Awaab’s Law adds legal urgency by defining two categories of hazard, namely emergency and significant hazards.

Emergency hazards, such as mould in a child’s bedroom where exposure could rapidly worsen respiratory illness, must be investigated within 24 hours of the landlord becoming aware of the problem. The area must be made safe and remedial works started within the same 24-hour period. Where the home cannot be made safe in this timeframe, the landlord is required to provide suitable alternative accommodation at their expense.

Significant damp or mould hazards are serious, but not instantly lifethreatening. A common example is mould in a bathroom. These must be investigated within 10 working days of the landlord becoming aware of the potential hazard. A full property report prepared by a competent surveyor must be provided to the landlord within three working days of the investigation’s conclusion.

If a significant hazard is confirmed, the area must be made safe, even with temporary measures, within five working days of the investigation’s conclusion. Full preventative works must begin as soon as possible and

within 12 weeks, and all repairs must be completed within a reasonable period without unnecessary delay.

Simply cleaning visible mould from surfaces does not meet the full requirements of Awaab’s Law to satisfy deadlines, leading to superficial treatments rather than durable solutions.

Meeting these deadlines is challenging. Unlike many other types of home repairs, which can often be resolved by replacing a single faulty part, damp and mould problems rarely have one simple cause. Proper remediation requires diagnosis, specification, mobilisation of materials and coordination between multiple trades.

These processes are not a quick fix and there remains a wider lack of understanding outside the industry of the time and expertise required to deliver them properly. This creates a real risk that unqualified companies may be brought in

Simply cleaning visible mould from surfaces does not meet the full requirements of Awaab’s Law. Cosmetic treatments may give temporary relief, but unless the underlying cause is diagnosed and repaired, whether that is a building defect, a ventilation shortfall or a lifestyle factor, the mould will return and statutory duties will remain unmet.

One important caveat is that Awaab’s Law does not apply where damp or mould has been directly caused by a tenant interfering with ventilation systems. For example, if a resident blocks or disconnects a

ventilation fan and this leads to damp conditions or mould growth, the statutory timeframes for investigation and remediation do not apply.

By contrast, moisture generated through normal day-to-day living, such as cooking, bathing or drying clothes, remains the landlord’s responsibility to manage through adequately designed and maintained ventilation. This raises an important question for the industry: how can landlords and contractors engage with tenants so that everyday actions, such as keeping vents clear, support rather than hinder the prevention of damp and mould?

Practical guidance

Professionals should approach moisture problems in two linked phases. The first is design and construction before occupation, when ventilation and moisture management systems must be built in and proven. The second is during occupation, where compliance under Awaab’s Law requires landlords to investigate hazards quickly, communicate clearly and remediate effectively while working with residents.

Design and construction before occupation

The best way to ensure compliance with Awaab’s Law is to reduce the risk of condensation and mould from the outset. Consultants should specify details and systems that manage moisture generated

Legislation and standards

Awaab’s Law operates within the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023 and sits alongside other housing and construction duties. Under the HHSRS, damp and mould can be category 1 hazards that trigger a legal duty to act where conditions present a significant health risk.

The Building Safety Act 2022 reinforces accountability and competence, expecting those involved in remediation to evidence skills and decisionmaking. The Construction Design and Management Regulations apply whenever remedial works fall within the definition of construction activities, requiring proper

Awaab’s Law adds legal urgency by defining two categories of hazard, namely emergency and significant hazards

planning, coordination and management.

Supporting these obligations are technical standards and professional guidance. The Management of Moisture in Buildings – Code of Practice British Standard 5250:2021 sets out best practice for managing moisture, including condensation control, ventilation and specification.

The Joint Position Statement 2022 on the Investigation of Moisture in Traditional Buildings (JPS22) by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, Historic England and the Property Care Association stresses proportionate, holistic diagnosis

by normal daily living once a tenant moves in.

In traditional properties, this may include vapour-permeable materials. In modern homes, it typically involves correctly sized and commissioned mechanical extract ventilation in kitchens and bathrooms, effective background ventilation, careful insulation and junction detailing to limit cold surfaces, and robust rainwater management. Eliminating thermal bridges and ensuring continuity of insulation are also essential.

Project managers and contractors should deliver these works with quality assurance built in. This means verifying that ventilation ducting discharges externally, airflow rates

that considers age, design and occupancy. Government guidance on the health risks of damp and mould reinforces these requirements. Additionally, the government’s Decent Homes Standard requires all rented homes to be free from serious hazards and to provide safe, healthy living conditions. Although it initially applied to the social housing sector only, it will also extend to privately rented homes once the Renters’ Rights Bill comes into effect. Compliance is not just about meeting deadlines, but about applying recognised standards consistently and competently.

meet design intent, trickle vents and air bricks are unobstructed, and moisture-resistant materials are applied as specified.

Commissioning records and sign-off should be retained so landlords and consultants can rely on an evidence trail. Getting this right before occupation reduces in-occupation complaints and makes Awaab’s Law deadlines more achievable.

Conducting an investigation

As set out in Awaab’s Law, emergency hazards must be investigated within 24 hours, while significant hazards must be investigated within 10 working days. The priority at this stage is ensuring

Full preventative works must begin within 12 weeks

that investigations are carried out by a competent professional who can distinguish between condensation, penetrating damp, rising damp and other defects. This is not a superficial inspection of visible mould, but a structured assessment of the building fabric, ventilation provision and patterns of occupation. Investigations should follow the processes set out in BS 5250 and the JPS22. A full property report, prepared by a competent surveyor, must then be provided to the landlord within three working days of the investigation’s conclusion.

Completing a diagnosis

Surveyors must distinguish between condensation, penetrating damp or rising damp and must identify whether timber has begun to decay or shows signs of insect activity. This stage must be carried out by trained and qualified professionals. If landlords fail to appoint competent specialists, they remain responsible for non-compliance under Awaab’s Law.

In the long run, poor diagnosis or ineffective remediation is more costly, as the underlying problem will persist, tenants will continue to be at risk and further works will become unavoidable. Landlords should therefore carry out due diligence in advance and have established relationships with damp and moisture specialists. Having the right expertise in place enables timely mobilisation, avoids repeat costs and reduces the risk of statutory deadlines being missed.

In-occupation compliance and post-construction remediation

Once a dwelling is occupied, the focus shifts to tenant rights’ and

Once a dwelling is occupied, the focus shifts to tenant rights’ and landlord duties under Awaab’s Law

landlord duties under Awaab’s Law. Investigation and diagnosis are part of this duty, forming the process by which landlords identify hazards and determine the correct response. If an emergency hazard is identified, such as mould in a child’s bedroom, remedial works must begin within 24 hours. If the investigation only identifies a significant hazard, the landlord must ensure the area is made safe within five working days of the investigation’s conclusion, and that full preventative works begin within 12 weeks.

Post-construction remediation may include repair of defects that emerge in service, upgrades to ventilation where performance in use is below design intent, insulation improvements at cold spots and correction of rainwater disposal. Drying out periods may be required and hidden timbers should be inspected if there is suspicion of ongoing decay. Monitoring can confirm that relative humidity and internal temperatures are within a healthy range.

In the long run, poor diagnosis or ineffective remediation is more costly, as the underlying problem will persist, tenants will continue to be at risk and further works will become unavoidable

Landlords should also provide residents with practical advice on managing moisture, such as ventilating when drying clothes, opening vents and using lids on pans when cooking. Clear communication is vital to ensure that ventilation systems are used correctly and remain operational. Where fans are disabled or blocked, landlords may not be bound by statutory timeframes, but the underlying relationship with tenants still requires sensitive handling to avoid disputes and to support long-term compliance. This set of procedures ensures that every part of the process, from first tenant complaint through to post occupancy monitoring,

is coordinated between clients, consultants and contractors.

Digital tools for monitoring and compliance

Digital monitoring systems can help landlords and contractors manage risk in occupied homes and provide evidence of compliance. Sensors that measure relative humidity and temperature can give early warnings of conditions that favour condensation and mould. These technologies are an asset when installed, calibrated and interpreted correctly. However, they should not be relied upon

Useful resources

l The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (Awaab’s Law)

l Social Housing Regulation Act 2023

l Housing Health and Safety Rating System

l Renters’ Rights Bill

l Building Safety Act 2022

in isolation, as poorly placed or uncalibrated devices can give misleading results.

When integrated into a wider moisture management strategy, digital tools can provide reassurance to tenants, support landlords in demonstrating compliance and help maintain healthier homes over the long term. Their role is likely to become even more significant if duties are extended to private landlords through the forthcoming Renters’ Rights Bill. l Daniel Docking is a technical manager at the Property Care Association.

l Construction Design and Management Regulations

l BS 5250:2021

l Joint Position Statement 2022 on the Investigation of Moisture in Traditional Buildings

l Government guidance on the health risks of damp and mould

l Decent Homes Standard

Surveyors must distinguish between condensation, penetrating damp or rising damp

CPD Questions

Under Awaab’s Law, what is the maximum timeframe for a landlord to act where this is confirmed as an emergency hazard?

a) 24 hours

b) 5 working days

c) 10 working days

Following an investigation into a significant damp or mould hazard, what must a landlord provide within three working days of the investigation’s conclusion?

a) A short email note

b) A full property report prepared by a competent surveyor

c) A list of contractors available for the works

Where a significant damp or mould hazard is confirmed, within what maximum timeframe must full preventative works commence?

a) Four weeks

b) Eight weeks

c) 12 weeks

Which of the following is an example of an emergency hazard under Awaab’s Law?

a) Mould growth in a bathroom

b) Mould growth in a child’s bedroom

c) Condensation on window glass

Why is cosmetic cleaning of mould ineffective in ensuring compliance with Awaab’s Law and long-term safety for residents?

a) It doesn't improve ventilation rates

b) The mould will reappear and underlying structural or health risks remain

c) It doesn't prevent condensation in the short term

To test yourself on the questions above, go to www.construction management.co.uk/cpd-modules

Structural Steel Design Awards 2025

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Introduction

Since 1969, the Structural Steel Design Awards have showcased excellence in modern steel construction. This year’s shortlist continues the tradition

Jointly sponsored by the British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) and Steel for Life and celebrating their 57th year, the 2025 Structural Steel Design Awards (SSDA) have once again highlighted and rewarded many of the best examples of excellence, ambition and innovation in our built environment.

The entries this year reflect the wide geographical spread of steel’s appeal for a variety of projects, which include prestigious office schemes, beautifully designed footbridges, large industrial buildings and complex sculptures.

The judges assessed each project for excellence in architecture, engineering, fabrication and sustainability, as well as the value each scheme added to its local community.

Twenty-one projects made the shortlist, from which judges presented six awards, six commendations and three merits.

The SSDA’s cross-industry judging panel includes chairman Professor Roger Plank alongside Sarah Pellereau representing the Institution of Structural Engineers; Chris Nash, Bill Taylor and Oliver Tyler representing the Royal Institute of British Architects; Richard Barrett and David Chapman representing the steelwork contracting industry; Brogan MacDonald and Emily McDonald representing the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Steel’s green signal at Moorgate

Occupying a previously vacant City of London plot, 21 Moorfields spans an important underground station with an architecturally detailed exposed steel frame

ccommodating

ADeutsche Bank’s London headquarters, the 17-storey 21 Moorfields project required some complex engineering to create a structural steel frame that spans the full width of Moorgate station, a distance which is equivalent in length to the wingspan of a jumbo jet.

Maximising the project’s footprint, the eastern façade (along Moorgate) cantilevers out over the Elizabeth Line ticket office with a seven-storey, fully exposed perimeter truss creating a signpost to the building’s main entrance.

The cantilever is created by a combination of tripod supports and a series of bowstring

The eastern façade (along Moorgate) cantilevers out over the Elizabeth Line ticket office

A project of global significance with an immensely challenging site above the operational rail interchange and new station box. The elegant solution underplays the complexity involved in the design and sets a new benchmark SSDA judges

trusses, measuring 25m-long and each weighing 70t.

Using the capacity of an existing slab, which is also the station roof, the structural design features six 7m-deep ‘launching trusses’, which are up to 55m in length.

Built above the rail assets, the trusses created a temporary support for the floors during the construction programme, while in the completed scheme, they accommodate the building’s first floor and main entrance, as well as a mezzanine (second floor) within their depth. Below the trusses, the existing slab supports a basement, at ground floor level, for the building’s back-ofhouse and plant equipment areas.

During construction, each truss facilitated the build-up of a 10-storey steel box section mega arch, which in turn enabled the installation of the concrete floor slabs and the remaining steel frame.

The mega arches are integrated into the building’s cores, only exiting on to the floorplates at levels 7 to 10, thereby minimising the number of columns to only six within each of the 100m-long x 60m-wide floorplates.

The structure continues upwards in a more traditional beam and column design to level 17. Incorporated into these floors are terraces and set-backs, which satisfy a number of rights to light issues, and historical sight paths to St Paul’s Cathedral.

Detail shot of the eastern façade cantilever structure

Before any steelwork could be erected on site, a piling conundrum had to be solved as there are a number of assets below ground, including six London Underground lines, two Elizabeth Line tunnels and a ticket hall, as well as a major sewer. This meant locations for any new piles were extremely limited and their installation required a significant amount of temporary steelwork.

A total of 16 piles, each 2.4m or 1.8m in diameter and 60m-long were threaded between the numerous under-site constraints.

Once the piling had been completed, the project team were able to reuse much of the temporary steelwork to support the launching truss installation, which contributed to cutting the carbon footprint of the building.

Each truss/arch system is connected and founded on a pile at each end but, because of the limited locations, the spacing between each truss and the shape of each arch varies. The piles and their locations have consequently

Award: 21 Moorfields, London

Architect: WilkinsonEyre

Structural engineer:

Robert Bird Group

Steelwork contractor:

William Hare Limited

Main contractor:

Sir Robert McAlpine

Client: Landsec

Consultant: Gleeds

dictated the column lines for the entire superstructure.

“Structural steelwork was selected for its ability to meet the complex demands of the site. It allowed for lightweight and stiff long-span solutions that minimised the number of columns and foundation points required to achieve the development’s potential,” explains Chris Papanastasiou, UK structures division lead for Robert Bird Group.

“Steel’s versatility enabled significant architectural expression without compromising on size or weight, ideal for integrating bespoke structural elements like transfer structures and launching trusses.” ●

Steel serves an indoor winner

Topped with an undulating roof, inspired by the shape of wooden tennis rackets, the Indoor Tennis Centre is the latest addition to The All England Lawn Tennis Club’s facilities

Located across the road from the main All England Club estate, the steel-framed Indoor Tennis Centre (ITC) accommodates six indoor courts and six outdoor courts, members’ family room and bar, changing facilities and a basement car park.

Part of the All England Club’s long-term development masterplan and replacing an older facility, the ITC building is topped with an iconic double-curved undulating steel roof.

According to Hopkins Architects, the undulating profile of the roof follows the space in which tennis is played, with high points over the

centre of the nets (to account for lobs) and a reduced height over the runoffs around the court perimeters.

Overall, the roof measures approximately 110m-long x 50m-wide, with the latter incorporating the clear 38m spans required by the tennis courts.

The geometry of the roof was constrained both internally by the playing volume requirements and externally by planning limitations on height, together with a desire to minimise the internal space to reduce the heating/cooling requirements.

“This resulted in a very limited zone for the structure, which naturally lent itself to a series of tied steel arches that provide strength

and spanning ability without bulk, ensuring the elegance of the roof,” says Cundall partner David Rivers.

“The use of the tied arches creates a balanced system that in turn reduces the forces applied to the supporting concrete frame, contributing to its sleek aesthetic while helping to reduce embodied carbon.”

The tight tolerances, achievable with steelwork, also suited these goals, while the ability to fabricate millimetre-precise sections ensured that the geometry of the roof, over each of the six courts, remained consistent.

According to steelwork contractor Billington Structures, the geometry

Award: AELTC Indoor Tennis Centre, London

Architect: Hopkins Architects

Structural engineer: Cundall

Steelwork contractor:

Billlington Structures Limited

Main contractor: Willmott Dixon

Client: The All England Lawn Tennis Club

and length of the curved spans, coupled with the aesthetic requirements for squared corners, meant the arches had to be formed with fabricated box sections (typically 500mm x 300mm sections). With varying degrees of curvature, the arches are connected together by a series of secondary beams.

A lot of workshop precision was needed to ensure each curved beam was identical and fabricated to the required high level of quality.

The long spans necessitated a splice, but to avoid the need for onsite welding at height, a hidden connection detail was developed. This allowed the members to be bolted together in thirds and

The ITC, distinguished by its graceful doublecurvature roof, is beautifully finished and an outstanding addition to the estate. Exposed structural steelwork enhances the interior, creating a striking and welcoming volume. Exemplary coordination between disciplines ensured refined detailing, resulting in a building of clarity and elegance SSDA judges

maintained the appearance of one continuous steel member for each arch.

The building’s stability system has been discreetly designed and includes two movement joints, incorporated into the building’s length to manage thermal effects. There is cross bracing, hidden in the roof structure, which acts in combination with local portalisation and lateral connections to the concrete cores.

The All England Club said: “This ambitious project aimed to deliver the best possible internal playing conditions, while providing a dual-purpose facility that meets both its year-round and Championships needs.” ●

The roof incorporates the 38m spans required by a tennis court

Reuse and remodel

A new steel-framed office space, created within an existing warehouse, demonstrates how inner city industrial buildings can be reconfigured with minimal material use

Commendation: 25A Vinery Road, Cambridge

Architect: Owers Warwick Architects

Structural engineer: Cambridge

Architectural Research

Main contractor: PB Doyle

Client: Vinery Mews Ltd

A former storage warehouse in the centre of Cambridge has been carefully and creatively converted into a two-storey office space with the aid of steel construction.

Surrounded by neighbouring properties, access to the site was limited and so the steelwork members had to be fabricated and delivered to site in small sections.

The confined site also lacked the space for a traditional façade retention system, and so the steel frame was designed with a dual function, so that during construction it provided the necessary temporary propping.

New support columns were inserted against the existing façades to provide lateral restraint. Once in place, they allowed the existing roof to be removed in a controlled sequence to make way for the new lightweight structure.

Produced by the BCSA and Steel for Life in association with Construction Management

Gigafactory is fully charged with steel

Helping to deliver a significant increase in UK electric vehicle battery production, a gigafactory in Sunderland has set new benchmarks in modular and efficient construction

Expected to manufacture batteries for 100,000 vehicles annually, AESC UK’s Sunderland gigafactory is housed within a huge steel frame covering an area equivalent to 23 football pitches.

The project forms part of a wider £1 billion partnership between Nissan and Sunderland City Council to create an electric vehicle hub, envisaged as the world’s first EV manufacturing ecosystem.

Set to employ more than 1,000 staff, the factory will utilise 100% carbon neutral energy, aligning with AESC UK’s global sustainability commitments.

Working on behalf of main contractor Wates Construction, Severfield fabricated, supplied and erected a significant tonnage of both hot and cold-rolled steelwork for the main frame and its associated structures.

According to Wates, the race to deliver the UK’s first gigafactory meant there was no blueprint for this project: “They needed a partner of choice, and Severfield stepped in.”

The challenges around a facility of this nature included a client who needed to procure materials as late as possible in order to incorporate the latest technologies.

1,600 steel frames, fitted with MEP components, were manufactured offsite for the project

“Due to the nature of the product and the ever-changing technology required in battery manufacture, our main challenge was managing and incorporating the constant changes from both the process design and the related mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP),” says Severfield project manager James Massheder. With around 14,000km of mains cabling within the building, the installation of the MEP was initially going to require a major installation programme.

However, an innovative approach was used, whereby 1,600 steel frames were manufactured offsite, fitted with the required MEP and

Award: AESC UK, Sunderland

Architect: Tetra Tech | RPS

Structural engineer and steelwork contractor: Severfield plc

Main contractor: Wates Construction

Client: AESC UK

This ambitious and nationally significant project hosts AESC’s cutting-edge production facility. Covering a huge area and with battery production technology evolving even as the building was being erected, the whole project team responded to the challenge with impressive speed and flexibility

SSDA judges

then delivered to the project to be installed along with the main frame’s steelwork.

A first in Wates’ experience, this offsite prefabrication approach is said to have eliminated more than 500,000 hours of working at height from the project.

Spanning the majority of the steel-framed facility and creating the required column-free spaces, the building includes a series of large fabricated roof trusses, which are supported by perimeter columns with flange thicknesses exceeding 90mm.

The steel frame also supports manufacturing equipment that creates substantial imposed loads. During the design phase, this required meticulous planning and robust structural solutions to the steelwork.

Additionally, stringent deflection limits were imposed on the project’s long-span floor beams in order to

uphold the structural integrity and the required performance standards.

Other steelwork design challenges that had to be overcome included the limited availability of locations for vertical bracing. This was solved with an innovative engineering solution that maintained stability, both during construction and in the completed building.

Fire engineering was another critical consideration, involving the careful selection of steel member sizes and the application of intumescent paint to meet rigorous fire rating requirements, while ensuring structural safety and operational functionality.

To maintain an efficient construction programme, up to 50 truckloads of steel were delivered to the site each week.

Initially, the steelwork was transported from Severfield’s factory at Thirsk in North Yorkshire, nearly 200 miles from the site. To cut journey times, a temporary assembly facility was established at Pallion shipyard in Sunderland, which saved the project approximately 38t CO2 ●

Up to 50 truckloads of steel were delivered to site each week

Just the ticket

Incorporating a green wall, a seven-storey BREEAM ‘Excellent’ commercial building has been constructed above an Elizabeth Line ticket hall

Commendation: 65 Davies Street, London

Architect: PLP Architecture

Structural engineer: Arup

Steelwork contractor: BHC Limited

Main contractor: Multiplex Construction Europe Ltd

Client: Grosvenor

Positioned on the edge of London’s prestigious Mayfair district, 65 Davies Street is an over-station development offering 19,800m2 of high-quality office space across the six upper floors. The building is located directly above an underground station and, consequently, its design had to address unique technical challenges in terms of efficiency and acoustic performance.

Acoustic bearings were installed at every connection point between the station and the new steel superstructure to provide the necessary isolation. The building’s structural column grid was developed to align with the station box below, creating an efficient and lightweight solution.

This included a tight and regular column spacing around the building’s perimeter and large spans within the floorplate’s centre. Every column position had to be developed and verified against the Elizabeth Line construction team’s design model.

Produced by the BCSA and Steel for Life in association with Construction Management

Steel goes back to school with Quakers

Emerging from the post-Covid outdoor learning landscape, weathering steel has created a sculptural pavilion canopy to span a teaching and performance space at an Irish grammar school

Commissioned as a legacy project to mark Friends’ School Lisburn’s 250th anniversary (in 2024), steelwork has been used to create an outdoor educational and performance space, which is both functional and an artwork in its own right.

Supported by a series of iroko hardwood-clad steel posts, the pavilion’s undulating design draws

its inspiration from the school’s heritage by deconstructing the eight-pointed Quaker star to form the distinctive roof profile.

The use of weathering steel for the canopy provides a weatherproof, zero-maintenance finish with the material’s characteristic rusty appearance, creating an aesthetic structure that sits comfortably with the surrounding

Weathering

red-brick school buildings.

During the early stages of the project’s design, the team collaborated with the school and its pupils, conducting workshops with music and arts students to understand their preferences.

During the fabrication stage, a competition for technology students was held at main contractor Fabrite’s factory. Pupils were invited to

Imaginatively conceived, with full involvement of the school and its leadership, and thoughtfully delivered, this deceptively simple canopy exemplifies the remarkable potential of weathering steel no matter the scale. The clearly legible folded plate structure creates an elegant form that maximises the pedagogical value of the project and provides a new focal point on the campus SSDA judges

Award: Friends’ School Lisburn, Northern Ireland

Architect: Studio idir Architects

Structural engineer: Eamson

Main contractor: Fabrite

Client: Friends’ School Lisburn

design a perforation for the canopy backdrop, with the winning design, featuring five children holding hands, used in the finished structure.

“Working with the design team was a real pleasure, as they were focused on the needs of the school from the start, and I was impressed with how they engaged with us throughout the different stages of the project,” says Friends’ School Lisburn principal Stephen Moore.

“Pupils of all ages and abilities have been interacting and enjoying the structure.”

From a structural engineering point of view, the project presented unique challenges due to its scale and complex shape.

The non-linear geometry required careful consideration of load paths and the distribution of forces across the structure. To address these challenges, the team constructed a precise 3D model of the canopy and utilised finite element analysis, which is a computerised product used to predict loads, forces and other physical effects on a structure.

Local students designed a perforation for the canopy backdrop, featuring five children holding hands

The model helped the design team ensure structural integrity, while minimising material usage to achieve an optimised, lightweight and aesthetically pleasing form.

“It was challenging to hold on to the purity of the original design,” says Studio idir Architects’ Aisling Rusk.

“In practical terms, it was very hard to present the structure in the usual two-dimensional plans and elevations, because it just wasn’t envisaged in that way. It took a lot of meetings and model sharing to agree where the structure would sit and how the rainwater would run off the roof without compromising the clean lines.”

Weathering steel’s unique properties made it challenging to fabricate and assemble. Close cooperation between the designers and the steel fabricator ensured the structural elements were transportable and easily assembled on site.

To help with the erection process, the connections between the steel crown and the raking columns were designed to provide temporary stability, while the structure was being installed.

The performance space is positioned so as not to disturb the site’s mature trees, which now surround it, offering additional shelter. ●

Truss solution for overstation site

Sat above an underground rail tunnel and a ventilation shaft, the design and construction of a 10-storey City office scheme had to overcome a number of unique challenges

Commendation:

101 Moorgate, London

Architect: Orms

Lead Designer: Mott MacDonald

Structural engineer: Waterman Group

Steelwork contractor: BHC Limited

Main contractor: Mace Group

Client: Aviva Investors

Spanning over a busy City of London station, 101 Moorgate has created approximately 21,300m2 of office space and 882m2 of ground floor retail. The building features a double-height reception area, a mezzanine level business lounge and multiple private and communal roof terraces that offer city views.

The challenging site constraints required the design and construction of a series of storeyhigh steel trusses. “Structural steelwork provided a cost-effective solution to the challenge of working with the load limits on the top of the station box and clear spans over the rail infrastructure,” says Waterman Group director Andrew Sherlock.

Steel’s Severn crossing in the faithful city

Connected to the National Cycle Network, a new river crossing in Worcester has created a sustainable commuting option for the city’s northern neighbourhoods

Part of the local council’s commitment to deliver fully accessible, active travel infrastructure in locations that most need it, the Kepax Bridge provides a much-needed connection across the River Severn.

The 145m-long cable-stayed pedestrian and cycle bridge, which is named after the 19th century Kepax Ferry that once operated nearby, is already a local landmark.

Its ‘hockey stick’ deck alignment allows the structure to integrate with riverside pathways, while elevating

key sections of the bridge above flood-prone areas.

The bridge’s eastern approach begins in the historic Gheluvelt Park, where its deck initially parallels with the river before curving westward to span the Severn. Anchored by a 29m-tall, A-shaped pylon, the slender steel structure is supported by a series of cables (spaced at 12m intervals) and piers.

“Structural steelwork was selected because it was well-suited to the segmental cantilever erection method used for constructing the

The cable-stayed pedestrian and cycle bridge has a ‘hockey stick’ deck alignment to avoid flood-prone areas

bridge over the river,” explains James Hartland, principal bridge engineer at Jacobs.

“All of the components were lifted in from above, with a small pontoon used to provide access for bolt tightening. This approach helped minimise disruption to recreational river traffic and protected the sensitive ecology of the area.

“Steel also enabled faster and more flexible assembly of prefabricated elements, which were split into manageable pieces for delivery due to access constraints.”

Award: Kepax Bridge, Worcestershire

Architect: Moxon Architects Ltd

Structural engineer: Jacobs

Main contractor: Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd

Client: Worcestershire County Council

The use of steelwork is said to have brought several other key benefits to the scheme. Its speed of erection helped shorten the construction programme and reduce associated risks, particularly important given the persistent threat of flooding.

Another benefit was the material’s adaptability, which allowed the fabricators to craft the steel sections into the required complex form. This geometry-driven design is shaped by numerous constraints including current and future flood levels, gentle gradients and ecology. Steelwork enabled a refined structural form that responded to all of these in an elegant and efficient way.

The client’s brief for the bridge was to connect communities and encourage sustainable transport. As a public infrastructure investment, the design represents good value over its 120-year design life. It anticipates increased flooding due to climate change and it will remain resilient and operational even in the worst conditions.

With minimal interference to the sensitive river landscape, the structure uses traditional materials sparingly and robustly (concrete below flood level and steel above).

The design, which includes a slender deck and an efficient structural configuration, is said to contribute to minimal embodied carbon.

Finished in a dark blue-green hue, the bridge mimics the palette of its

The sweeping mast-supported deck structure for this foot and cycle bridge visibly demonstrates its clear load paths at a suitable scale in the landscape. It is clearly well-used in providing a new public crossing of the wide floodplain of the River Severn SSDA judges

natural surroundings, while its ribbed soffit highlights the structure’s sweeping geometry when viewed from below.

The 4m-wide crossing, which features a slip-resistant walking surface, has been designed to comfortably accommodate both leisure users and commuters. Meanwhile, a crafted parapet, composed of inward-leaning stainless-steel rods, provides safety for cyclists and pedestrians along the deck.

Councillor Marc Bayliss, cabinet member for Highways and Transport at Worcestershire County Council, says: “The bridge is iconic and the natural beauty of the city is really visible from it. The contractors did a fantastic job and I would like to say thank you to everyone who has made the vision a reality.” ●

Steel’s speed of erection helped reduce the risk of flooding affecting the build programme

Steel exhibits long-span qualities

Structural steelwork has provided an efficient solution for the expansion of ExCeL London

Commendation: ExCeL Phase 3, London

Architect: Grimshaw

Structural engineer: CampbellReith

Steelwork contractor: Severfield plc

Main contractor: McLaren

Construction Group PLC

Client: ExCeL London

Originally opened in 2000, the third phase of construction at ExCeL London has extended the facility by a further 215m (the building is now 820m-long), delivering an additional 40,000m2, which includes 12,000m2 of ground floor exhibition space and 9,500m2 of conferencing accommodation on the uppermost level.

A series of steel trusses, positioned at first-floor level and roof, span the width of the extension and form the required column-free spaces. Adding some complexity to the scheme, the upper level of steelwork cantilevers 13m over the adjacent Royal Victoria Dock. The feature maximises the available floor space, while avoiding any loadings being imposed on the historic dock wall.

Produced by the BCSA and Steel for Life in association with Construction Management

Steel rides high with Porsche Sculpture

A complex sculpture, supporting six Porsche sports cars, is an exemplary application of steelwork efficiency and design selection of six valuable cars, suspended from an intricate and complex steel sculpture, provided one of the highlights of the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

AContaining 40t of steelwork, the Porsche Sculpture was installed to commemorate 75 years of the German manufacturer’s sports cars.

Standing 25m-tall, the cantilevered structure included three interconnected hoops and six spars that supported the Porsches, which ranged in age from a 1951 model up to and including a contemporary car.

Designed, fabricated and installed within a tight 28-week delivery timeframe, the structure presented numerous challenges.

“The technical challenges were all related to the complex geometry and achieving the required aesthetic quality. The central hub is a dodecahedron that needed to interface with 12 tubes of two different diameters,” explains Diales Associate Director Bruno Postle.

“The hub required the necessary strength to transmit all of the loads,

while also being buildable with all interfaces positioned at the correct angles and locations. It also needed to look good.”

Steelwork was the natural choice for the sculpture as no other material could provide the same combination of strength, affordability and adjustability.

Steel’s ability to be reworked allows it to be shaped into the necessary complex forms required for the sculpture. While alternative materials

The sculpture, which displays a number of original Porsche sports cars on cantilevered arms, exemplifies the extraordinary flexibility of steel as a material. It is a visually exciting, dynamic form that has been cleverly engineered, carefully detailed and skilfully fabricated – the result of a true team effort SSDA judges

Award: The Porsche Sculpture at 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed

Artist: Gerry Judah Ltd

Structural engineer: Diales

Main contractor:

Littlehampton Welding Ltd

Client: Goodwood Festival of Speed

could theoretically have been used, they would not have provided the same strength and would be vulnerable to impact damage, while lacking the adjustability needed to create the required forms.

Another engineering challenge was developing a stable cantilevered structure, with a low mass distribution at height, that would manage dynamic response.

Dynamic loads, such as those produced by gusts of wind, will introduce twisting forces to a structure if its centre of mass and stiffness do not coincide.

Variable thicknesses of the structural elements (20mm plate at critical junctions, tapering to 4mm plate in less stressed areas) optimised the weight and distribution of the sculpture.

The sculpture was fabricated in Littlehampton, only 15km from the installation site. The compressed timeline required concurrent design and fabrication, with late design changes needing to be implemented during the production process.

Once the fabrication process was complete, the entire sculpture was trial assembled in order to make sure every part fitted together exactly. It was then disassembled and transported to site.

The hoops, which were too big to be delivered to site as complete pieces, arrived onsite in three sections. The spars, with the

longest measuring approximately 16.5m-long, arrived pre-assembled in single pieces.

Once they were at Goodwood, the sections were re-assembled, using a custom-designed rigging system and two cranes, which were required to complete the precise positioning of the sculpture’s steel elements.

To maintain the structural stability throughout the erection programme, the base and hub were installed first, then the spars with their pre-attached vehicles and finally the suspended hoops.

After the festival, the sculpture was disassembled in the reverse order of assembly. It is now in storage, awaiting its next festival appointment. ●

An engineering challenge was developing a stable cantilevered structure that could handle dynamic loads

Steelwork efficiency

An efficient steel-framed design has created a seven-storey Dublin commercial development

Commendation: Two to Four Wilton Park, Dublin

Architect: Henry J Lyons

Structural engineer: Arup

Steelwork contractor: Severfield plc

Main contractor: John Sisk & Son

Client: IPUT Real Estate Dublin

Located in a historic Dublin area, close to the Grand Canal, Two to Four Wilton Park is a commercial office scheme, separated into three blocks, with each featuring a full-height atrium. Open-plan floorplates have been created by positioning all of the columns along the perimeter or around the atria.

The building required a total of 5,000t of structural steelwork, with one of the most challenging aspects being an 8m-wide double-height opening between two of the blocks. The upper levels are formed with cellular beams (used for services integration) supporting a metal decked composite flooring solution.

The positioning and sizing of the beams’ openings were optimised to align with key mechanical and electrical routes, thereby reducing the need for secondary penetrations.

Produced by the BCSA and Steel for Life in association with Construction Management

Outstanding offices

Achieving some of the highest wellbeing and environmental credentials, the Worship Square development has replaced two energy-inefficient buildings with a single high-quality modern office block

Commendation:

Worship Square, 65

Clifton Street, London

Architect: Make Architects, jmarchitects

Structural engineer: Heyne Tillett Steel

Steelwork contractor:

BHC Limited

Main contractor and client: HB Reavis

Sat next to a new public square in the South Shoreditch Conservation Area, the ninestorey Worship Square office scheme was designed to be highly efficient in terms of cost, space, materials and emissions.

The design brief set out embodied carbon targets that were more than 50% lower than the UK Green Building Council baseline and 18% lower than the 2030 Greater London Authority aspirational benchmark. The

project has achieved BREEAM ‘Outstanding’, WELL Platinum and NABERS 5.5* ratings.

Much of the steel frame, which is erected around a centrally positioned concrete core, is left exposed within the completed scheme, creating a modern industrial-looking interior.

Aligning with the project’s sustainable approach, steelwork contractor BHC, used recycled and renewably produced steel for all of the columns and beams.

Bridge checks in at hotel estate

Spanning a busy highway, an iconic steel bridge provides a safe connection between two parts of a private estate

Merit: Manor Farm Bridge, Somerset

Architect and structural engineer: Dyse Structural Engineers

Steelwork contractor and main contractor: Beaver Bridges Ltd Client: Emily Estates

The 33m-long Manor Farm Bridge links two parts of the Emily Estate (home of the award-winning Newt boutique hotel) in Somerset, providing access across the A359 for farm traffic, residents and visitors alike.

The structure was designed and fabricated with complex curved steel girders, which were fitted with architectural steel fin cladding, a pedestrian handrail and a concrete anti-cracking road surface.

To allow the structure to be transported from Beaver Bridges’ Wigan fabrication yard, it was manufactured in 12 dismountable sections. Once on site, the bridge was fully assembled and then lifted into place using a 600t-capacity crane.

The bridge should require minimal maintenance during its lifespan as it has been painted offsite with multi-layer anti-corrosion protection.

The six SSDA 2025 national finalists

l The Rainham Riverside Belvedere, London

l Edenica, 100 Fetter Lane, London

l Island, 17-27 John Dalton Street, Manchester

l Palmerston Court, London

l Pennyburn Bridge, Northern Ireland

l Skelton Grange EfW, Leeds

Historic makeover

Top class

The Spectra building is the largest and most flexible building on the University of Hertfordshire’s Hatfield campus

Merit: Spectra, University of Hertfordshire

Architect: ADP

Structural engineer: AECOM

Steelwork contractor: Elland Steel Structures Ltd

Main contractor: Morgan Sindall Group

Client: University of Hertfordshire

Formed with a composite steel frame, Spectra has brought together the university’s numerous STEM faculties into one multi-functional building.

The design of the five-storey building creates four separate teaching zones, divided by full-height atriums, feature

Part of the restoration of the Grade II* listed Barmouth Viaduct’s metallic spans have been replaced with new replica steelwork elements

Merit: Barmouth Viaduct Metallic

Spans Replacement, Wales

Structural engineer: Tony Gee and Partners LLP

Main contractor: Alun Griffiths (Contractors)

Client: Network Rail

Carrying a single-track railway line over the Mawddach Estuary in North Wales, the 760m-long Barmouth Viaduct has now reopened following an extensive restoration programme.

The five metallic spans (the remainder of the viaduct is timber-framed) have been meticulously replaced with new steelwork elements.

Using the existing foundations, the new structure required a large number of bespoke steelwork details and complex connections (detailed to look like Edwardian rivets) in order to replicate the original viaduct.

The new steelwork sections were delivered by rail across the existing timber viaduct.

Bespoke gantry cranes were developed to run along the top of the new bridge during the steelwork installation programme. This method ensured no lifting operations were carried out beyond the footprint of the structure and thereby avoiding unnecessary disruption to the marine environment.

stairs and central open-plan collaboration spaces.

The regular column grid, lack of transfer structures, robust vibration resistance and flexible floorplates have created an adaptable structure ideal for modern education and research hubs.

The upper floors accommodate offices, IT laboratories, dark rooms, simulator suites, clean rooms, wind tunnels and robotics workshops, while the ground level houses workshops, with an internal crane and a strong floor.

The majority of the steelwork, which is exposed throughout the completed building, was sourced from Electric Arc Furnace production facilities, providing a low carbon content to the primary frame.

Kitchin Hill Dickinson LLP

‘Our

client says we haven’t made a valid application for payment’

This month’s contract clinic comes from a vexed contractor whose client failed to issue a payment – on the grounds that the application was not valid. Adam Kitchin looks at the options available

THE QUESTION

We’re fitting out a new office in the Midlands for a recruitment company. We submitted an application for an interim payment, to cover our costs, payment to be made on account. We made it quite clear this was an application for payment in accordance with the contract. The employer failed to issue a payment or pay less notice and did not pay the sum applied for. They now claim that our application wasn’t a “valid application for payment”. What can we do?

THE ANSWER

You could commence adjudication proceedings and argue that in the absence of a payment notice or pay less notice, the application for payment became a payee notice in default and the amount in the application (the notified sum) was therefore payable by the employer. However, you may need to respond to an argument from the employer that the application for payment was invalid.

There are many “technical” arguments that have reached both adjudication and the courts over whether or not an application is a valid application on a technicality.

This is not an uncommon scenario. There are several requirements for an application for payment (AFP) that must be followed. If these requirements are not followed, then the AFP could be deemed to be invalid.

Requirements for applications for payment

The Construction Act, and the Scheme for Construction Contracts (if the Scheme applies to your contract) set out the key requirements for valid AFPs and those must be met to ensure any AFP is valid and capable of generating an entitlement to payment. They include:

l The sum that the payee considers is due or was due at the payment due date.

l The basis on which that sum was calculated.

l Notification to be given in accordance with the contract.

l The AFP should be clear and free from ambiguity.

There is also a requirement under paragraph 2 of the scheme to calculate the amount applied for as the value of the works carried out, less any sums paid at the point of issuing the AFP.

There are several requirements for an application for payment (AFP) that must be followed. If [they] are not followed, then the AFP could be deemed to be invalid

Payment on account and a recent case

The more unusual aspect in this scenario is that payment on account is being applied for.

In a recent case, 1st Formations Ltd v Lapp Industries Ltd [2025] EWHC 1526 (TCC), the court looked at whether the AFP for a payment on account was valid. In this case, the contractor stated that the sum due was £341,854.32 (including VAT), but the payment “requested on account” was £100,000 plus VAT. In addition, the sums were stated as provisional “subject to any agreed adjustment following assessment”. The paying party argued that the AFP was ambiguous and not in substance, form and intent an interim application for payment under the scheme.

The court disagreed. The court in that case adopted a “commercial” and “common sense” interpretation of the AFP, concluding that it was obvious that the contractor had made a clear application for payment. Any other approach, in the court’s view, “would be to fall into the trap of nice points of textual analysis or arguments which seek to condemn the notice on an artificial or contrived basis”.

In particular, the court said:

1. The contractor had complied with

A recent case has reinforced the court’s approach in supporting the adjudication process

the provisions of the scheme, in setting out the difference between the amounts determined in accordance with paragraph 2 of the scheme, but had requested a lesser sum than it was entitled to, “on account”, in the context of negotiations over the final account. The court decided that this did not invalidate the AFP.

2. The claim for a lesser sum did not render the AFP ambiguous or not in substance form and intent, a valid application for payment.

3. Whilst the court recognised that the due date for payment as stated in the AFP may have been erroneous, this did not invalidate the AFP.

4. The reference to the sums claimed being “provisional”, the AFP included a detailed valuation that, given that information was awaited from the electrical subcontractor and in the context of final account negotiations, did not ultimately invalidate the AFP. While every case will turn on its own facts, this recent decision reinforces the court’s approach in supporting the adjudication process, particularly when dealing with arguments which seek to invalidate applications for payment (or indeed notices) on technical grounds. ● Adam Kitchin is an associate at Hill Dickinson LLP.

Golden years: Kori Construction expands on later life schemes

The rapid rise of the care home market has catapulted Kori Construction into double-digit growth. Nicky Roger reports on the firm’s success

The care home and later living market is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the UK: investment into care homes has reached record volumes, with £4bn in transactions over 12 months to mid-2025; occupancy in private care homes reached 88% in 2024, the highest since 2019; while the value of care home projects in the pipeline is £1.5bn.

One chartered company has been riding this wave of growth. Kori Construction is a Corby-based expert construction contractor

specialising in construction services for developers, occupiers and funders nationally. Last year it saw its turnover grow from £54m to almost £70m thanks to its multiple projects in the care and later living sector, building care homes and retirement living apartments.

This growth sees the business currently seeking planning permission to build a new office, alongside undertaking a historical restoration of Corby’s second-oldest building. It has also branched out into multi-room developments, with the construction

Christ Church Apartments in Leatherhead is Kori Construction’s largest project to date

of a 100-bed hostel almost complete and is currently on site delivering its second life sciences scheme, which comprises the transformation of an existing warehouse into CL2-ready laboratory and office space.

“Our work comes predominantly from repeat clients,” says Jordan Connachie, managing director. The company has provided several projects for Birchgrove, Care UK, Porthaven Care Homes, Barchester Healthcare, Cinnamon Care Collection Avery Healthcare, Artisan Care, Abora Developments and Oakland Care.

Value engineering a showcase project

Kori Construction’s showcase project is Christ Church Apartments in Leatherhead, Surrey, for Birchgrove. This £23m project comprised the design and construction of 62 high-quality one- and two-bedroom apartments designed specifically for people in later life. The development, which has a total GIFA of 6701m2, features three two-storey linked-detached buildings constructed above a basement car park. Residents enjoy a range of onsite amenities, including a restaurant, licensed bar, wellness suite with a gym and various multi-purpose spaces.

Externally, the development boasts landscaped gardens, with shaded seating areas and a versatile bowling green for outdoor activities.

This project is Kori Construction’s largest scheme to date and was also the first retirement living scheme it completed and led to securing two further projects with this client, equating to £40m worth of work.

“This project was also a success from a pre-construction perspective,” says Scott Bartlett, Kori’s construction director. “We were appointed by the client through a two-stage process to support the development of the design and to carry out a comprehensive value engineering exercise, which involved exploring and pricing two options. As the client had already secured planning

consent for the scheme, we were brought in to assist with pricing the planning consented scheme.

“In parallel, however, we undertook a significant value engineering exercise to produce an alternative, more commercially viable option. This required close liaison with the local planning authority to navigate amendments and adapt the consented design accordingly.

“We progressed both options concurrently, developing the design and pricing each scheme, to give the client flexibility while awaiting planning approval on either option.”

“A key lesson learnt from this project during construction was the importance of logistical planning and proactive neighbour engagement when working on a constrained site with limited space and close proximity to occupied residential properties,” adds Bartlett.

Christ Church Apartments features 62 oneand two-bedroom apartments for people in later life

The value of care home projects in the pipeline is £1.5bn 1.5

A key lesson learnt from this project was the importance of logistical planning and proactive neighbour engagement

Scott Bartlett, Kori Construction

“To manage material movements efficiently and safely, we employed a dedicated gateman and implemented a tightly controlled delivery schedule. Materials were delivered on a just-intime basis to avoid congestion, and the gateman played a critical role in minimising disruption to traffic and maintaining pedestrian safety.

“We also recognised the value of maintaining strong relationships with neighbouring residents throughout the project. Regular newsletters, home visits and open lines of communication with the site team helped build trust.

“Key environmental features at Christ Church Apartments include the full installation of air source heat pumps (ASHP), eliminating reliance on fossil fuels and enabling a fully electric, low-carbon solution for heating and hot water. Local materials and suppliers were used wherever possible to minimise transport-related emissions and strengthen the local economy. In addition, the scheme incorporates extensive soft landscaping and biodiverse planting throughout the site, enhancing ecology and promoting resident wellbeing.”

Social value and digital platforms

Kori Construction develops an outline social value action plan on every scheme using the Thrive online software platform. This proprietary framework that draws from the Impact Evaluation Standard is designed to help organisations

In the past 12 months, we have welcomed several new directors and managers into CIOB membership, which helps demonstrate our commitment to professional development

Elaine Kendall, Kori Construction

measure and value their social value activities.

“We then proposed an initial target per project of social and local economic value to deliver to the local community, through local job creation, skills development, and meaningful community engagement,” says Elaine Kendall, head of sustainability.

“The Thrive Social Value Software also enables us to monitor sustainability performance and support long-term strategic planning. We can measure, value audit and report the output of our social value activities and contribution made to society on every project, which includes engaging with young people to encourage them to consider a career in construction.

“Through data capture and Power BI reporting, we now have greater visibility over training compliance across the business and can identify individual role-specific development needs. This analysis is helping us build a comprehensive career progression framework.

“In the past 12 months, we have welcomed several new directors and managers into CIOB membership, which helps demonstrate our commitment to professional development.”

The contractor has also made significant investments in digital platforms to enhance onsite safety, compliance, and quality management.

It uses InnDex as its core health and safety platform. “This digitises inductions, RAMS approvals and permits ensuring that every operative is fully briefed before turning up to work on our site,” says Bartlett. “The platform also streamlines near-miss and incident reporting, enabling us to capture and act on data in real time. This has contributed to measurable improvements, including a reduced Accident Frequency Rate (AFR) and an increase in near-miss reporting, which helps us proactively address risks before they escalate.”

Kori Construction is adopting Procore as its integrated project management platform, providing

a single location for drawings, RFIs, submittals, and site diaries. Its mobile-friendly interface ensures that site teams have live access to the latest information, reducing errors caused by outdated documents and improving programme certainty.

“ProcurePro revolutionises how we manage our subcontractors by centralising all relevant information and communications into one digital platform,” Bartlett explains.

“This unified view allows us to track subcontractor availability, performance and compliance in real-time. We are also developing a Digital Lakehouse and employed a Data Architect to provide realtime data dashboards using Power BI, enabling both immediate local interventions and strategic business decision-making.

“These digital platforms are a key driver of our lean management approach, which is currently being trialled in full on our Fir Court Road, Taverham project for Abora Developments. The adoption of digital applications significantly reduces paper usage and eliminates duplication across processes. This enables us to run streamlined, compliant workflows that save time, cut waste and improve project delivery.”

Commitment to ethics and quality

It was Kori Construction’s commitment to the high professional and ethical standards in construction that motivated it to seek chartered company status.

“We became a CIOB member company because we wanted to demonstrate our CIOB membership provides an internationally recognised mark of professionalism,” says MD Connachie. ●

Willmott Dixon on what construction employers want

Kicking off our new series featuring insights from major employers, Clare Francis, head of recruitment at Willmott Dixon, tells CM that even in a digital age, the ‘human element’ remains critical to the company’s hiring process

What are the top three qualities you look for in a candidate when recruiting?

For us, it really comes down to three fundamental qualities. First and foremost is a “can do” approach –that willingness to roll up your sleeves and tackle challenges head-on.

Construction is an industry where no two days are the same, so we need people who see obstacles as opportunities rather than roadblocks.

Integrity is equally crucial. We’re building structures that will stand for generations, and that requires people who do the right thing.

Whether it’s safety standards, quality workmanship or honest communication with customers, integrity underpins everything we do.

Finally, we look for candidates who are genuinely open to listening and developing further. The construction industry is evolving rapidly and even the most experienced professionals need to stay curious and adaptable.

We want people who actively seek feedback, embrace new ways of working and are excited about growing throughout their careers with us.

Does a candidate’s membership with a professional body make a difference? Why?

Absolutely, it does make a positive difference. When we

see that a candidate maintains membership with a professional body like CIOB, RICS or ICE, it signals several things to us. It demonstrates they take their profession seriously and are committed to upholding the standards and conduct of that profession.

It also shows a dedication to ongoing development – staying current with industry changes, regulations and best practices.

That commitment to continuous learning aligns perfectly with our values at Willmott Dixon.

What technical or “soft” skills do you see as most lacking among applicants?

On the technical side, we’re seeing a gap in digital skills, particularly around building information modelling (BIM) and other construction technology platforms.

The industry is becoming increasingly digital and, going forward, we’ll need people who can blend these emerging digital capabilities with traditional engineering and construction expertise.

It’s not an either-or situation – we need professionals who are equally comfortable reading technical drawings and navigating sophisticated digital models.

In terms of soft skills,

The industry is becoming increasingly digital… we’ll need people who can blend emerging digital capabilities with traditional engineering and construction expertise Clare Francis, Willmott Dixon

communication and people management abilities are critical. Yet we often see candidates who haven’t had enough opportunity to develop these.

Construction projects involve coordinating large, diverse teams and maintaining productive relationships between ourselves, customers, consultants and our supply chain.

The ability to motivate people, resolve conflicts and communicate clearly across different levels and specialisms is a major factor in project success.

What are the most difficult roles to recruit for at the moment? And why do you think that is?

Many roles in construction are extremely competitive to recruit for right now, as companies across the sector are competing for talent with proven industry experience.

We’ve been talking about a skills shortage in construction for well over a decade, so this isn’t new – but it does mean we all need to think differently.

Clare Francis believes that ‘construction is fundamentally a people business’

We need to look outside the sector for people with transferable skills and support them in gaining relevant experience, while also investing in entry-level training programmes to build the pipeline for the future.

Hundreds of the best jobs in construction. Recruitment news and insight. CIOBJobs.com

Creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s essential for attracting the breadth of talent we need Clare Francis, Willmott Dixon

If I had to identify specific roles, I’d say estimators and planners are particularly challenging. There simply aren’t enough of these to meet demand.

These are critical roles that require both technical knowledge and strategic thinking, so building that talent pool is essential for the industry’s sustainability.

Are you doing anything different to attract or retain talent?

We’re extremely proud of our management and leadership development programmes at Willmott Dixon, which include a dedicated women’s leadership programme.

As I mentioned, we need to attract new talent into the industry to address the skills shortage, and this absolutely includes more diverse candidates. Currently, 33% of our workforce are women, but our aspiration is to reach 50/50.

Creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s essential for attracting the breadth of talent we need. ●

The full version of the article is available online.

Are you looking for top construction talent? Want to get ahead of the competition? Contact Sophie Holland at CIOB Jobs.

BIMplus is now CM Digital

In response to the increasing focus on information management and digitalisation among digital construction professionals, BIMplus has rebranded as CM Digital.

The same award-winning BIMplus editorial team will be creating the same high quality content, including interviews, project case studies, and news about the latest digital construction developments.

www.constructionmanagement.co.uk/digital-construction

CIOB Community

CIOB Ireland Awards recognise people and projects

Talented people from across Ireland and Northern Ireland’s construction industry were celebrated at an awards ceremony in September

Dublin’s Croke Park played host to CIOB’s dedicated awards ceremony for Ireland and Northern Ireland, the largest CIOB awards ceremony for the two countries in recent years.

Scores of prestigious industry awards were handed out to individuals and teams making a significant impact in the sector, including Team of the Year, Open Recognition and the coveted

Mark Farmer awarded honorary CIOB fellowship

The industry veteran has been presented with his honorary fellowship

Rising Star award.  Among the evening’s winners and recognised individuals were Joanne White, who was the Open Recognition Award Winner, from Co. Monaghan, Ireland.

White is the founder of Women in Construction Ireland (WICI), an independent consultancy organisation promoting gender equality within the construction industry. Meanwhile, CPAC Modular scooped Team of the

Mark Farmer has been awarded an honorary CIOB fellowship. Farmer was presented with the honour after he delivered the annual CIOB Sir James Wates lecture in London in September. Farmer, the author of the landmark 2016 Modernise or Die report and founder of Cast Consultancy, in his lecture urged

construction leaders to face the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence (AI) on the sector’s white-collar workforce, warning that the industry is “missing a trick” by focusing too narrowly on trade skills shortages.

He was presented with his honorary fellowship by CIOB president Paul Gandy.

Scores of prestigious industry awards were handed out to individuals and teams making a significant impact in the sector

Year for its delivery of the country’s first permanent modular school at Lucan in Dublin. The school spans 3,600 square metres over two floors and features 24 classrooms.

Faye Kennedy was announced as the Rising Star Winner. Kennedy is a project engineer at Sanofi and an active member of the CIOB community. As a Tomorrow’s Leaders Champion, she represented CIOB at the Girls in Engineering and Construction Summer Camp at Atlantic Technological University, Sligo. She also earned the CIOB Excellence Award for her exceptional academic performance in the BSc (Hons) in Construction Management & Engineering programme at South East Technological University. Gold sponsors for the event were ICW Europe, Jan Janssens & Company and Quigg Golden Solicitors. ●

Sponsored by

Congratulations to new CIOB members and fellows

More than 90 construction professionals were welcomed into the CIOB Community in September in a ceremony at Drapers Hall in London

Morning graduation

New fellows

Adam Chrichton

Nicola Collas

Paloma Hermoso

William Smith

New members

Roqaya Abou Klaib

Adebusola Ateloye

Ben Bennett

Jose Antonio Berrio

Fernandez-Caballero

David Callaway

Marc Cobby

Louis Cox

Wayne Dickinson

Phil Fouche

Jake Freeman

Adam George

Leonard Greeff

Niaz-Ul Islam

Shakir Kikomeko

Livia Kudina

Ravindran Shantha

Kumara

Liyanage Doń

Takura Mavera

Jonathan Mills

Umair Kham

Mohammed

Christopher Murphy

Elizabeth Odunaike

Alin Pilat

Sheldon Roberts

Antonio Santos

Triguero

Neil Smuts

Graham Stroud

Paul Stubbs

Greg Utley

John White

Mark Williams

Daniel Wilson

Smita Yamgar

New company members

Glosscalm Ltd

New Technical members

Mason Lockwood

Amba Mistry

Akeem Seriki

Thomas Taylor

Afternoon

ceremony

New fellows

Ian Davies

Liam Hanlon

Mark Johnston

Stuart Vicary

New members

Aneesh Abraham

Tokunbo Adegbuyi

Bidemi Akin

Kalivati Bakan

Corey Bedford

Natalie CarterBaggott

Amid Choudhry

Sean Colley

Michael Davids

Jack Fleming

Daniel Fordham

Mark Francis

Martin Glazebrook

Paul Glennie

Steven Golus

Scott Griffiths

Scott Hammond

John Harte

Paresh Hirachand

Oliver HoulihanFoster

Lee Johnson

Sara Kazemi

Hasib Khan

Ali Khan

Rachel King

Philip Latcham

Adam Leatherdale

Ewen MacRae

Luca Mazzetta

Steven Moss

Tom Moxon

Derek Murphy

Jack Norris

Olunkunle Olujide

Justin Rautenbach

Cameron Reed

Daniel Roscoe

Antonio Sarracino

Daniel Shakeel

Mark Skillington

David Wilson

Craig Wynn

CIOB apprentice of the month

Henry Allen, management trainee with Borras Construction and L4 construction quantity surveying technician

Which technological advances in the sector are you most excited about? More software systems that speed up construction processes in management, such as an electronic takeoff; onsite items like drones, so we can monitor site progress; and more efficient systems is what I’m looking forward to.

What was your favourite project to work on over the course of your apprenticeship?

At university, I took part in a team exercise – “build a bridge” project. I learnt lots about structures and how loads need to be spread as well as presentation skills. On the job, I really enjoyed my rotation in estimating. I priced a full refurbishment of a golf clubhouse, which was really interesting and challenging. Again, more presentation skills learnt in presenting to directors and adjudications.

What do you think is the most important issue facing the industry at the moment? The economy. Over the

past few years since Covid and between changing governments, there is a lot of uncertainty. Finding work now for main contractors is probably the hardest it’s been. Clients don’t have the money to afford big works at the minute, so there’s such a lack of tenders and enquiries. When they do come, all the contractors are tendering so cheaply and competitively, so they win the work, which has a knock-on effect for everyone else’s profit margins. It’s so hard to get a market strategy.

What was your biggest challenge during the apprenticeship?

When I was having to balance work as well as End Point Assessment. I was having to complete my assessments while also sorting out my portfolio of evidence and getting the presentation sorted and simultaneously pricing three jobs worth about £1.2m.

What are your future career ambitions?

My goal is to achieve my degree and then begin surveying my own projects, working on big jobs and gaining lots of experience. My long-term goal is to have my own construction company, starting off small in private residential work and eventually building it up. I really like fit-outs and refurbs, so I’d love to push that into high-end jobs.

Is cultural safety the missing ingredient in building safety?

Meet the CIOB Paul Dockerill Award winner 2025

Award 2025

Chartered company celebrates Top 50 Apprenticeship

AB Building & Electrical recognised at the House of Lords

A toolkit designed to help deliver safety behaviour has won its creator a prestigious CIOB Award.

Kabbe Njie has been awarded The Paul Dockerill Award, recognising his groundbreaking work on cultural safety in the built environment.

Njie, a principal fire and building safety engineer at Kier Group, was in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster, determined to make culture part of the safety system. He designed BSM2 ( Building Safety Management and Method) - a framework that helps organisations transform values into structure and safety into behaviour.

He has since developed a Resident Culture Code Toolkit, co-designed with residents, building safety managers, housing officers and fire professionals. It will provide visuals, checklists, reflective questions and a simple model to help residents and safety leaders speak the same language about safety.

Njie said: “Cultural safety is about reforming how we think and act, not just what rules we follow. Grenfell showed that without openness, trust and accountability, even technically compliant systems can fail.

“As residents often tell me, they want to feel listened to as much as protected. The lesson is clear: without psychological safety and curiosity, compliance will always fall short.”

Chartered Company AB Building & Electrical has been named one of the UK’s top 50 apprentice employers by the Department of Education.

David Batterton MCIOB, director at AB Building & Electrical, attended an event at the House of Lords in September, which celebrated its long-standing

This award is not just about me. It reflects the collective effort to build safer, more trusted homes and communities

Kabbe Njie

The 53-year-old entered his project to the CIOB’s The Paul Dockerill Award, a £10,000 fund to honour the legacy of a built environment sector visionary. Dockerill had an immense passion for building safety, skills development and improving fire safety in the UK up until his death in November 2022.

Speaking about his award, Njie said he is “deeply honoured and humbled”.

“This award is not just about me,” he added. “It reflects the collective effort to build safer, more trusted homes and communities. It is also about strengthening capacity and capability across our interdependent disciplines and building the depth and breadth of competence needed at every level. Cultural safety is about openness, accountability and creating environments where people can speak up without fear, and where professional curiosity is encouraged to challenge assumptions.”

Njie plans to invest the £10,000 award fund into pilots, mentoring, CPD and further research. ●

commitment to training and supporting young talent in the construction and electrical trades.

Batterton said: “It was a real privilege to represent our team at the House of Lords. This recognition reflects the dedication of everyone involved in our apprenticeship programme.”

The business, founded in

2002 by Tony Batterton and Stewart Shaw, has built a strong reputation in the social housing sector and is especially recognised for its electrical testing and compliance work. The company has trained more than 40 apprentices to date, each supported by experienced mentors.

‘It’s proof you can build a career around your values and still be taken seriously’

Construction professionals celebrate achieving fellowship status

Kent student achievements marked with awards

Five construction professionals have been recognised for their learning achievements in the CIOB Maidstone Hub Student Awards

The awards are given annually recognising outstanding students on construction courses in Kent colleges. This year’s winners were Ritchie Bell, Lilli Johnson, Cheryl Corcoran, Ayse Dourmoush and Lisa Jenner.

Bell was studying for Level 4 –Quantity Surveying Technician – HNC Construction at MidKent College. Transitioning from a background in supply chain materials management, he was praised for “embracing a steep learning curve” as well as for developing innovative systems for client service.

Johnson, trainee assistant at Countryside Partnerships, also at MidKent College, was studying for Level 4 Construction Site Supervisor – HNC Construction. She was recognised by the college for her persistence and determination and acting as an ambassador for women in the industry.

Corcoran was nominated by

Bexley College for her “extraordinary resilience and dedication in her HND Quantity Surveying programme”. She balanced the demands of academic life with the responsibilities of being a single parent and working parttime as a property developer.

Orpington College student and apprentice site manager with Galliford Try Ayse Dourmoush overcame some academic challenges on her HNC Construction Management (Construction Site Supervisor) course, which prompted her college to recognise her determination, resilience and commitment.

HNC Construction Management student Lisa Jenner balanced her studies with a full-time job as project manager for Southern Housing (housing association)and parenting her young child with special needs. Her tutors said her approach to challenges was “nothing short of extraordinary”. ●

Three members of the CIOB Exeter Hub Committee celebrated achieving fellowship recently, all graduating at the Drapers Hall ceremony in London.

Nicki Collas, deputy director of the Future Hospital Programme at the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, said achieving the post nominals has been “a career defining moment”.

“There is, of course, a sense of responsibility in using my influence to contribute to the industry and wider society but that, in turn, is a source of huge motivation for me,” she told CM. “I am at the stage in my working life where I want to encourage and support others to find their place in our amazing sector, and promote the importance of becoming professionally qualified to others.”

Adam Crichton, construction director with Whitebox Construction Management also achieved fellowship, something he said was a long-standing aspiration. He said: “It recognises my contribution to the construction sector and allows me to showcase my commitment to industry and professional standards. The designation sets me apart from peers within the industry and will lead to

new opportunities for me and the company.”

Crichton and Collas’s fellow committee member Paloma Hermosa, head of sustainability at Ward Williams Group, also graduated with FCIOB. She said: “Becoming a fellow of the CIOB honestly feels a bit overwhelming… in the best way. When I moved to the UK and made a complete career change, I never dreamed I’d come this far. My path into construction wasn’t straightforward; it’s been full of twists, leaps of faith and moments of doubt. That’s why this recognition feels so personal, it’s a reminder that the risks, the long hours, the times I felt out of place, have all added up to something meaningful.

“For me, it’s not just about career milestones, but more about the people I’ve met, the teams I’ve led, the students I’ve taught and the small ways I’ve tried to make the industry fairer, greener and kinder. It’s proof that you can build a career around your values and still be taken seriously.

“Mostly, I feel proud, but also humbled and grateful; proud of how far I’ve come, grateful for everyone who’s walked beside me, nudged me forward and believed I could do more.”

New ways to learn

One year ago, CIOB Academy updated its course content to give members new methods of learning and to improve current pathways to success

Learning offerings were redesigned to help users thrive, with a focus on interactivity, inclusivity and delivering insights.

If you are neurodivergent, learning in a second language, or prefer to listen rather than read, this new approach allows you to study with confidence and make progress toward your professional goals. Increased interactivity makes learning more engaging.

Static presentations are a thing of the past; CIOB Academy now has new methods of learning to ensure courses are actively engaging learners:

l Activity-by-activity voice-overs which you can follow at your own pace.

l Interactive quizzes and tasks make learning more dynamic.

l Expert-led videos deliver critical insights.

l Case studies ensure knowledge is

relevant to the latest legislation.

l Webinars provide a forum for questions and answers.

l Clear, accessible text is suitable for all reading levels and backgrounds.

These new methods of learning are built into structured learning pathways, which initially help you to ensure your understanding of foundational knowledge before assessing your industry findings.

From workshops on the Building Safety Act 2022 to focused sessions exploring the intricacies of JCT Contracts, you will gain a strong understanding of construction legislation and best practice.

Courses evolve with your feedback Built into every course is a survey collecting feedback and learner input, allowing the academy to review content

Built into every course is a survey collecting feedback and learner input, allowing the academy to review content regularly. Sections that do not meet expectations can be pulled offline and revised

regularly. Sections that do not meet expectations can be pulled offline and revised, ensuring courses remain relevant, effective and tailored to the needs of construction professionals.

Learning which is accessible to all Accessibility is central to everything we do at CIOB Academy. By ensuring that courses cater to neurodiverse learners, those with reading difficulties, or those who speak English as a second language, we are opening our doors for more people than ever before to develop their skills and grow their careers.

As the Academy continues to expand its learning offerings, it intends to develop courses fully in other languages, opening courses to those around the globe. From example, Arabic courses, which will begin full development next year.

Start learning your way

The CIOB Academy continues to improve its learning offerings, with constant attention being paid to delivering innovations to our audience. Whether you are overseeing compliance, managing a site, or seeking to understand new legislation, CIOB Academy’s distance learning courses are built to help you succeed at your own pace and in a way that’s right for you. l

Explore our updated courses today. You can access this article by Sara Brown, CIOB Academy Senior Training & Qualifications Manager, and all our resources online at www.ciob.org/blog.

2025

Diary dates

Highlights of the CIOB Calendar for the coming month

Your Contract. Your Cash Flow. Your Control.

6 November 6pm-8.30pm, Wokingham

Two guest speakers will cut through the jargon around legal essentials of managing cash flow in construction projects.

Cesare McArdle Partner at Herrington Carmichael and Ben Ramsay, ops director at Francis Construction, will unpack key contractual provisions, bust common myths about what the law really allows and share practical advice on protecting your position. With real-world examples of what can go wrong – and how to fix it – you’ll leave with clear, actionable insights to strengthen your contractual strategy and keep projects on track. Register at CIOB Events

North East Construction Conference

7 November 12pm-7pm, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Gateshead

CIOB North East England’s inaugural conference offers access to critical CPD topics and network in one hit.

A variety of experts representing different sectors of the industry will discuss legal updates, JCT Contracts, Retrofit and Building Safety amongst many others. Contact: dmoore@ciob.org.uk

From Hard Hats to Firewalls: Building a Secure Future with AI

12 November 9.30am-1pm, Bury St Edmunds

The CIOB Ipswich and Norwich Hub Committees deliver a dynamic and thought-provoking event exploring the rapidly evolving role of AI across the construction industry – from operational benefits and legal implications to cybersecurity and education.

This session brings together a panel of expert speakers who will explore the opportunities, challenges and practical implications of AI in the industry: Tony Crowley, Frank Jennings and John Greenwood. Contact: scatherall@ciob.org

Switchboard: +44 (0)20 7490 5595

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Audit period: July 2022 to June 2023

Reimagining Student Living –

The Purdown View Passivhaus Revolution Bristol

25 November 8.30am-10.30am, Bristol

Discover how the University of West England’s Bristol’s Purdown View is setting a new benchmark for sustainable student accommodation.

As the UK’s largest certified Passivhaus development, this £80m project delivers 900 net-zero rooms, combining cutting-edge design, wellbeing-focused spaces, and groundbreaking energy performance. Join us to explore how this game-changing model is shaping the future of university estates and scalable, fossil fuel-free living.

Attendees will hear directly from JLL and project partners about the challenges and triumphs of delivering large-scale Passivhaus student housing.

Register at CIOB events

Site visit: Wecock Farm Passive Housing Site Visit 9 December 12pm-2pm, Waterlooville

Join CIOB for this valuable site visit led by DM Habens Ltd. The Wecock Farm (Bunting Gardens) project is a pilot scheme for Portsmouth City Council, built to

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the Passivhaus standard. It uses a “fabric first” approach to drastically reduce heating and cooling needs, resulting in lower energy costs, a reduced carbon footprint and improved air quality.

The tour will be led by the DM Habens Ltd team: Sean Morge MCIOB senior contracts manager, Rory Kennedy MCIOB contracts manager and Andrew Parsons site manager. It will start with a 45-minute talk on the project followed by a tour of the construction site.

Contact: ghawkes@ciob.org

Edinburgh Dungeon Experience 18 December 3pm-4.30pm

Join CIOB at Edinburgh Dungeon. Step into the Edinburgh Dungeon and experience 70 minutes of live-action storytelling, eerie special effects and terrifyingly good fun – all while mingling with fellow graduates across the built environment sector.

You can also expect a spine-tingling tour of Edinburgh’s darkest history, live actors and the infamous Drop Dead ride, networking with fellow grads and industry reps – in costume or not! Contact: dburns@ciob.org

For a full list of events and to register visit www.ciob.org/events.

Construction Management is published monthly by Atom Media Partners. The contents of this magazine are copyright. Reproduction in part or in full is forbidden without permission of the editor. The opinions expressed by writers of signed articles (even with pseudonyms) and letters appearing in the magazine are those of their respective authors, and neither CIOB, Atom Media Partners nor Construction Management is responsible for these opinions or statements. The editor will give careful consideration to material submitted – articles, photographs, drawings and so on – but does not undertake responsibility for damage or their safe return. Printed by Precision Colour Printing. All rights in the magazine, including copyright, content and design, are owned by CIOB and/or Atom Media Partners. ISSN 2755 8649