CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 | WWW.CONSTRUCTIONMANAGEMENT.CO.UK
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026
ART DECO
ART DECO DREAM
MCLAREN RESTORES A 1930s ARCHITECTURAL GEM
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Contents News
04 News in pictures 06 News: The devolution revolution and sector retention rates 10 Data: How new orders affect construction output
Opinion
12 Victoria Hills PM’s message on technical careers a chance to highlight sector’s diversity 13 Feedback: Readers’ views
Technical
16 Brettenham House Why McLaren needed heritage skills to transform this art deco property
Profile
22 Mace’s Matt Burley on 100 New Bridge Street in London 26 Ola Obadara FCIOB, City of London Corporation, talks AI
Global
30 The World Bank and building safety
Digital
32 Digital Construction Awards 2027: call for entries 34 The hurdles facing construction when it comes to data and insight
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CPD
36 Materials management plans
Legal
42 Claiming a variation when specifications change
People
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44 Construction salary trends report 48 Call for CIOB academia members to showcase their research with Construction Management
One to watch
46 Oscar Anderson, construction apprentice with Berkeley Group
Community
50 Kier prison project, tackling skills challenge, plus more hub news
Diary dates
36
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58 Highlights including site visits, webinars and a CIOB quiz night
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BLENHEIM PALACE
n News
Blenheim Palace set to unveil restoration The two-year £12m restoration of Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire – overseen by specialist conservation contractor DBR – is due for handover next month. The prominent statue of Britannia can now be seen standing atop the palace and the Great Court’s columns are exposed, allowing visitors to see the recognisable view of the 300-year-old landmark. The project’s main focus was restoring a substantial section of the Great Hall roof of the building, including the attic timbers and ceilings below.
HS2 honours Brunel family legacy
HS2
HS2 has installed a blue plaque 40m underground, marking the spot where the high-speed railway passes beneath the tomb of the Brunel family. The two tunnel boring machines constructing the Euston Tunnel between Old Oak Common and central London travel underneath Kensal Green Cemetery. HS2 chief executive Mark Wild joined Katherine McAlpine, director of the Brunel Museum, and engineers from Skanska Costain STRABAG at the ceremony. 4 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026
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McLaren project director Robert Gibson on going ‘hell for leather’ at Brettenham House, p16
Pioneering prisoners
Digging up a world record
Housebuilder Vistry has become the first major UK housebuilder to join the award-winning Prisoners Building Homes (PBH) programme, launching a pilot at its timber-frame manufacturing facility in Warrington. Three members of the team will work at the facility.
VISTRY GROUP
JCB has set a new world land speed record of 406.320mph with its hydrogen-powered JCB Hydromax. The car recorded the average speed based on two runs across the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah America. It was driven by wing commander Andy Green OBE. The car was made at the company’s engine factory in Foston, Derbyshire.
JCB
Time to get snap happy
HBC sparks fresh ideas for children’s health
WILLMOTT DIXON
SHEFFIELD CHILDREN’S NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
Contractor HBC Construction has completed the £17m new home of the National Centre for Child Health Technology (NCCHT) in Sheffield, known as The Spark. The project was delivered in partnership with Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and aims to create innovative healthcare technologies. The building is targeting a BREEAM Excellent rating.
Willmott Dixon is asking the public for everyday examples of reuse and repair to highlight the issue at this month’s British Science Festival. They are running a photo contest called Inspire Change in partnership with the British Science Association and the University of Southampton. Selected entries will be displayed at the festival from 16-20 September. This will sit beside a commissioned sculpture made entirely from reclaimed metal by Hampshire artist Darren Allsopp (pictured).
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Construction awaits impact of Burnham’s devolution revolution The new prime minister’s plans for decentralising power has been well received by the industry, but CIOB warns implementation will remain crucial, says Phil Clark The construction industry has offered measured support for new prime minister Andy Burnham’s initial focus on devolution and skills to support the sector since he took up his new role in July. Burnham pledged to decentralise power to let local leaders “improve public transport, build homes and create jobs” on his first day and announced new plans to introduce new technical education pathways for 14-year-olds in his second week in post. CIOB welcomed this focus from Burnham, saying a focus on devolving skills funding and local decision making would improve local decision making. CIOB chief executive Victoria Hills said: “There has long been a strong case for devolving more skills funding and decisionmaking to combined and local authorities, as well as empowering mayors to work closer with local employers, educators and trainers to tackle local skills gaps. Regional leaders are best placed to understand local demand and the skills required to deliver priorities like retrofitting, housing and infrastructure.”
Andy Burnham became the new prime minister in July
However, they warned that it was crucial that further devolution from the former Manchester mayor was properly implemented. Head of policy and public affairs UK David Barnes said it risked failure without the “right resources, expertise and importantly accountability”. “These need to go hand in hand to make it successful,” he said. Barnes said recent attempts by the government to tackle the crisis in construction skills by increasing technical training places had struggled due to a shortage of capacity and expertise. He said: “Have we got enough teachers that have the skills and competence to do this training? If they’re people who have worked in the construction industry, why would they go into it? They’ll probably earn more money in the construction industry because the pay [in training and teaching] is poor.” Burnham also announcement a ministerial reshuffle in the days after taking up his post. For ministerial posts covering key policy areas for construction industry there are a mixture of new and existing faces with a new construction minister in post – Blair McDougall – mixed with some relatively familiar faces. Matt Pennycook remains housing minister and Baroness Smith
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There has long been a strong case for devolving more skills funding and decisionmaking to combined and local authorities Victoria Hills, CIOB
continuing to hold the skills portfolio. It is unclear who holds the brief for safety – this is likely to be either Florence Eshalomi or Sally Jameson. CIOB’s Barnes said the clearest change since Burnham had started was “in tone” rather than in policy to date but that the industry would have a better picture of his longer terms plans and more detailed policy plans and proposals when the Budget is announced on 28 October. He added that the industry was facing significant legislation in the coming months and years, from bills
covering housing and payments to a new strategy impacting construction professionals. Before Burnham became prime minister, industry leaders urged him to commit to the government’s 10-year infrastructure plan. In an open letter signed by 28 leading built environment bodies and companies, including CIOB, the sector warned “now is not the time to go back to square one”, and that infrastructure investment is “key to meeting many of the UK’s challenges”. ●
Legislative and policy timetable Bill/strategy
Timetable/status
Commercial payments bill A ban on retentions, a statutory 60-day maximum payment term for large firms paying smaller suppliers and extending powers to investigate late payers.
Targeted to come into force in late 2026/27 Retentions ban will undergo two-year transition window followed by one-year run-off period for pre-existing contracts. Full enforcement 2029/30.
Planning and infrastructure bill Plan to simplify planning consent process for major infrastructure and housing schemes.
Act received royal assent last December and expected to be rolled out in the next year.
Social housing bill This legislation aims to empower local authorities to scale up social housing construction.
The bill was introduced to parliament in May and is expected to be rolled out to local authorities in 2027.
Professions strategy The government is drawing together a professions strategy as part of its aim to establish a single construction regulator. This was a key recommendation from the Grenfell Tower inquiry.
Construction bodies are currently providing evidence ahead of the planned release of the strategy in spring 2027.
MP for East Renfrewshire Blair McDougall is the new construction minister
New and returning ministerial appointments Blair McDougall, construction minister
MP for East Renfrewshire since July 2024, McDougall holds a joint ministerial role across the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the business department. Prior to entering politics, he worked as a political strategist, campaigner, speechwriter and special adviser in the governments of prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He served as the campaign director and head strategist for the unionist Better Together campaign during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
Kanishka Narayan, AI minister
The MP for Glamorgan took up a new cabinet level post as AI minister after serving previously in a junior level for the role. This is jointly based in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. Narayan previously worked in the civil service and as an investment banker at Lazard before becoming the first Wales’s first ethnic-minority MP.
Angela Rayner, housing secretary Rayner returned to the post she had held under Kier Starmer until she resigned last September. She will oversee national housing strategy, planning reform, regional devolution, and local government finance. A former trade union rep at Unison, she was first elected as MP for Ashton-under-Lyne in the 2015.
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Due to retentions withheld against them by their clients, contractors are currently withholding on average 74% from their own supply chains
Average retention rates for tier 1 contractors released
74
Build UK has published the first data on its members’ retentions rates since new reporting requirements came in last year. By Phil Clark The ban on retentions in the Commercial Payments Bill will not only address the issues with payment but encourage collaboration and require the sector to manage quality in a more effective way Jo Fautley, Build UK
The average rate of retention withheld by tier 1 contractors is 2%, according to new figures by industry body Build UK. The body is collating data from its 41 member companies and non-members since new reporting requirements for such information were introduced by the government last year. The 2% figure just covers Build UK members and the group said it was committed to tracking and benchmarking this data in future. The average retention rate is calculated by dividing the sum of retentions withheld by the sum of gross payments made under qualifying construction contracts during the six-month reporting period and multiplying it by 100.
The data also shows that due to retentions withheld against them by their clients, contractors are currently withholding on average 74% from their own supply chains, absorbing the remaining 26% themselves. Build UK said this demonstrated “the significant impact of retentions on cashflow at all tiers of the construction supply chain”. Three contractors retention-free Three contractors in the analysis – non-Build UK members Eurovia, Colas and Ferrovial – do not use retentions which the body said was down to the sectors they work in. Retentions are not typically used in road or rail contracts. The government has proposed
Data also shows the average time taken to pay invoices has reduced from 45 days to 29 days
to withhold retention payments in construction as part of the Commercial Payments Bill which is currently progressing through Parliament. Build UK has been benchmarking its members and the wider industry on payment performance since 2018. This data shows the average time taken to pay invoices by contractor has reduced from 45 days to 29 days, and the percentage of invoices paid within 60 days has risen from 82% to 96% during this period. Build UK deputy chief executive Jo Fautley said: “The ban on retentions in the Commercial Payments Bill will not only address the issues with payment but encourage collaboration and require the sector to manage quality in a more effective way.” Paul Beeston, Construction Leadership Council Industry sponsor for business model reform, said: “Build UK’s benchmarking provides an important baseline against which progress can be measured as the industry evolves its commercial practices.” ●
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How new orders are impacting market change in housing and industrial The UK sectors generating genuine growth can be identified when comparing new orders with construction output, explains Barrett Harris Private new orders provide an early indication of future construction activity because they measure the value of contracts awarded before work starts on site. However, the figures are reported in current prices and are not adjusted for inflation, meaning that increases in value do not always reflect growth in real activity. Comparing new orders with construction output helps reveal the sectors and regions that are generating genuine growth, and which are being driven primarily by rising costs. With inflation rising in recent years, it is important to
interpret this data with caution, as apparent increases in the value of new orders may reflect rising costs rather than genuine growth in construction activity. London remains the UK’s largest market for private new orders, generating £13bn in 2025, almost a quarter of total activity. Commercial construction continues to dominate, with new orders reaching £9.3bn, up 72.6% since 2016. However, these figures should be treated with caution. New orders are recorded in current prices and therefore include the impact of inflation. For context, the BCIS All-in TPI rose by 48% between 2016 and 2025, indicating that part of the
observed growth reflects rising construction costs, not just an increase in real activity. Beyond general inflation, the cost of new orders has also climbed due to regulatory and specification changes including sustainability, fire safety and evolving tenant requirements. The UK’s South East (£6.1bn) and North West (£5.1bn) are the next largest markets, with similar broadbased prospects; some growth in housing and commercial, but the most pronounced structural shift is the surge in private industrial construction. Since 2016, industrial new orders have significantly outpaced inflation in Wales
(+1331%), North West (+165%), South East (+149%), Yorkshire and the Humber (+124%) and South West (+101%). Even allowing for inflation and Wales’s relatively low starting point, the scale of industrial growth is striking. Demand for warehouses, logistics facilities, advanced manufacturing and data centres has become one of the most important drivers of construction activity across several regions. The regional pattern across the UK is equally clear. The North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, and Wales have long established industrial bases and are benefiting from investment linked to manufacturing, logistics networks, ports and renewable energy supply chains. In these regions, growth in new orders appears to have outpaced inflation over the period. In contrast, private housing new orders have generally underperformed, reflecting higher borrowing costs, affordability pressures, softer demand, planning constraints and tight viability. Only three regions recorded growth between 2016 and 2025: North East (+54.6%), Scotland (+28.7%) and South-East (+16.1%) The regions rely on different engines for growth. London and the South East are driven by commercial work; the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, and Wales by industrial expansion; Scotland by both housing and industrial activity. The West Midlands stands out as the only region with a substantial fall in total private new orders since 2016 (28.1%).
Structural changes
New orders tell us where future work may emerge. Construction output, by contrast, shows where projects have actually progressed into delivery with an adjustment for inflation. Comparing the two provides a clearer picture of the structural changes taking place across the industry. Figure 2 shows that industrial new work output has grown markedly, commercial activity has contracted and private housing has struggled to gain momentum.
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The BCIS All-in TPI rose by 48% between 2016 and 2025, indicating that part of the observed growth reflects rising construction costs
Industrial new work output is the clearest point of alignment between orders and delivery. Rising from £5.96bn in 2016 to £9.01bn in 2025, a 51.1% real-terms increase. This growth mirrors the surge in industrial orders across Wales, the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, the South West and the South East. Despite London’s large value of commercial new orders in 2025, national commercial new work output has fallen sharply. Commercial output fell from £37.9bn in 2016 to £23.2bn in 2025, a 38.8% decline, despite being adjusted for inflation. This could suggest the heavy concentration of commercial development in London and the South East, or that most of the growth seen in the new orders data reflects the increased cost of development, not overall growth in the sector. Private housing new work output sits between these two extremes. It has remained essentially flat, rising only from £39.8bn in 2016 to £40.6bn in 2025, a 2.0% increase. The brief post pandemic rebound in 2021-2022 faded quickly, and output returned to mid-2010s levels. This mirrors the UK’s regional new orders picture, which showed a lack of new activity. Taken together, new work output and new orders data suggests a construction market where different sectors have grown at different speeds since 2016 and encountered different pressures and drivers. Overall, the combined evidence from new orders and output points to a sector shaped by varied regional and sectoral dynamics, with industrial, commercial and housing activity each following distinct trajectories rather than a single uniform trend. Barrett Harris is a senior economic analyst at Turner & Townsend.
1. 2025 regional private new orders value (including inflation) since 2016 Scotland
£3,161m
North East
£1,812m
North West
£5,057m
Yorkshire & the Humber
£2,643m
West Midlands
£3,119m
East Midlands
£2,885m
Wales
£2,387m
East of England £3,719m
South West
£3,385m
South East
£6,137m
£13,037m
London
2. Construction new work output (volume) by sector, 2016-2025 comparison Private housing
Private Industrial
Private commercial
2016
2025
2016
2025
2016
2025
£39,775m
£40,565m
£5,959m
£9,007m
£37,863m
£23,186m
2.0%
51.1%
-38.8%
SOURCE: BCIS TENDER PRICE INDEX
New work output and new orders data suggests a construction market where different sectors have grown at different speeds since 2016
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Victoria Hills CIOB
Top of the class: construction should welcome PM’s message on technical careers Andy Burnham wants an education system that values the ‘hard hat’. This is a chance for construction to promote its diverse career paths, writes Victoria Hills A few weeks ago our new prime minister said: “I want an education system based on parity between academic and technical, which gives all young people a clear path in life. [We] will value the hard hat every bit as much as the graduation cap.” I was delighted to hear him say that, publicly and clearly – and very timely, coming just before many students received their exam results. However, in my ideal world the prime minister would have gone
further and made the case for construction without inadvertently perpetuating the stereotype that those who end up in hard hats fell into a career, rather than pursued a position in our industry. Our work at CIOB to professionalise the sector provides professional pathways for all current and future experts. We are proud of the diversity of the hundreds of different routes into construction and those who choose a career in construction
We are proud of the diversity of the hundreds of different routes into construction
can find themselves either working their way up on the tools or studying one of the many disciplines that make up this important industry. Our inclusivity is our superpower. Therefore it is vital to keep all routes open while ensuring new routes are offered so we can welcome more people into the industry. This is where we require an understanding of the industry’s needs among policymakers – and our research suggests that there are a number of things that can be done. Survey data from earlier this year tells us that construction careers are still not routinely included in careers advice offered to young people. This obviously means that many are missing out on the incredible range of opportunities on offer in the built environment. We still need to have conversations about diversity and inclusion, partly to shift away from outdated perceptions that all roles are physically challenging and site-based, but also to carry on addressing the under-representation of women and other groups in the construction workforce. The changes to funding and to vocational education that will be coming from government need to ensure that courses are accessible, both financially and geographically, with support to recruit the teachers we need and engage with employers. Those of us already in the industry know that construction can provide incredible careers, but it will take us all working together – professional bodies, educators and academics, companies and employers, politicians and policymakers – to deliver the real and lasting change we want to see. ● Victoria Hills is CEO of CIOB.
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Feedback
A selection of readers’ comments about news and issues in the industry from across the CIOB community and social media
It should be the main contractor’s responsibility to train apprentices, not the little ‘trade contractors’ many of whom employ apprentices merely to obtain work Anthony Callaghan
CM In response to Rod Sweet’s article: Meet the prisoners building homes Garrett Fitzgerald
BELL GROUP
This is a fantastic scheme and something that the Labour government should be looking into rather than just letting criminals be released early without any plan for them. Construction is a good source of work for male criminals and this could also be used for female prisoners in the future. This can assist with the shortage of workers we currently have in the construction industry. Really enjoyed this podcast.
Apprentice numbers are threatened by the cost burden on SMEs
CM
CM In response to Craig Bell’s article: Subsidising declining apprenticeship numbers just isn’t the answer Alan Chapman
I agree that the problem has been caused by failed government policies and lack of foresight. However, the shortage of young people wanting to work in our industry is not confined to the UK. I retired about 20 years ago and moved to Spain to build my dream home. I was the third generation of my family to work in the construction industry, but I will be the last as none of my children or grandchildren are interested. My Spanish and German friends tell me there is a lack of young people entering the industry in their countries. Perhaps the government should consider lowering the retirement age and reducing taxation for those people
who work in essential industries like construction. We need policies that encourage young people to want to have careers that benefit society.
Nigel Thomason
This is 20 years too late. Bring back the technical colleges and staff them with tradespersons (probably retired). This is the UK’s last chance, before the people with the existing skills just die out.
Anthony Callaghan
A very good and considered article, which I totally agree with. May I add that it should be the main contractor’s responsibility to train apprentices, not the little “trade contractors” many of whom employ apprentices merely to obtain work. Long-term benefits must be invested in, with no early payback.
In response to Nicky Roger’s article: Skills charity to launch workforce competence platform Nicholas Everett
Ever since Harold Wilson changed the age of majority the building industry has never been able to produce training that equals the original five years’ apprenticeship. You have got to start thinking outside the box to train people properly or no one will be viewed as “being competent” any more. Then we will depend on self-taught geniuses who know everything, but actually very little. I spent my whole life in building, but I still came up against something new. Even with my five-year apprenticeship! Share your views on the latest industry issues by posting comments online at www.constructionmanagement.co.uk or by emailing the editor at constructionmanagement@atompublishing.co.uk
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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
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McLaren restores an art deco dream Transforming London’s 1930s Brettenham House into top-class office accommodation has required high-quality heritage skills from contractor McLaren. Kristina Smith visited the site
he views from the terrace on the ninth floor of Brettenham House are breathtaking. Located by the River Thames to the north of Waterloo Bridge, the 1932-built art deco building sits at an elbow of the river where it curves east towards the City, and south past Westminster. This vista is one of the “wow” factors that developer Helical hopes will woo companies looking for location and character – as well as the pre-requisite BREEAM Level 5, WELL Platinum, EPC A and Nabers 5* ratings. “This is a beautiful historic building that has been brought back to its former glory, in a prominent location”, says Matt Redgrove, senior development executive at Helical. “The expectations of the market have heightened post-Covid because businesses need to attract their staff back into the office.” Main contractor McLaren Construction and its specialist mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) contractor Grant Walker Engineering are delivering the transformation. Where once Brettenham House’s roof housed
T
all the building’s main plant, the redevelopment sees the new plant equipment shoehorned into the building’s cramped basement spaces, which includes stone vaults. While the experience of standing on the roof terrace feels like riding the deck of a grand ocean liner, the multi-level collection of spaces in the basement – packed with plant at every turn – feels more like the engine room of a ship. “We have gone hell for leather down here and it’s been tricky,” says McLaren project director Robert Gibson. “It’s a proper warren.” Finalising the design of the plant area is the main reason behind the completion date moving backwards, says Redgrove. Initially announced as March 2026, completion took place in August 2026. “The programme was provisional, knowing we still had design work to do collectively with the subcontractor,” says Redgrove. “The challenge of the job is fitting all that top-end kit in a basement that wasn’t originally designed for it. But it’s what unlocks this whole asset and the value that you see at the top.”
A unique building Brettenham House, which was built in 1932, is a steel-framed building with reinforced concrete ribbed We typically slabs. Sitting between Lancaster do two-stage Place to the east and the lowerdesign-build level Savoy Street to the west, because it the building is not listed, but is a gives us the most certainty building of merit within the Savoy Conservation Area. as a client – The redeveloped building will and we benefit provide 128,726 sq feet (net internal from the area) of office space and a retail unit contractor’s on the ground floor. In addition to expertise the nine stories above the ground Matt Redgrove, Helical floor level at Lancaster Place, there are three below that. As well as the relocation of plant, and the installation of new building services and windows throughout, McLaren’s £90m cut-and-carve contract involves significant structural works including the construction of new pavilions and terraces on the top floor; the removal of two lift shafts, added after the original construction; and the installation of four new cores, threaded through the existing steel frame, one for an escape stair, one with five lifts and Restoration work two containing a lift each. on the Lancaster The building’s two impressive Place elevation of marble staircases have been fully Brettenham House CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 | 17
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Brettenham House, which was built in 1932, is a steel framed building with reinforced concrete ribbed slabs
One of the two restored marble staircases in the art deco building
restored. Meanwhile, sections cut out of the ground and lower ground floor on the west side have created a three-storey atrium, installing a new oak-clad staircase and a glass-block clad feature wall around a lift shaft, which will be lit up. This intervention provides a connection between the entrances on Savoy Street and Lancaster Place. Helical placed key packages before the main construction contract: GKR for scaffolding, early stone restoration works with PAYE, replacement of punched windows with Crittall – the building’s original window supplier – and Propak for larger format windows on the lower and upper floors. Incorporating a temporary roof over the whole building, GKR’s package was immense, requiring 8,200 sq m of scaffold and 4.2km of platforming. The main contract was tendered competitively moving into a two-stage procurement process with McLaren, whom Helical engaged towards the end of RIBA Stage 3 of the design. “We typically do two-stage design-build because we feel it gives us the most certainty as a client in terms of what we’re aiming to deliver,” says Redgrove. “Also, it gives us the most opportunity to benefit from the contractor’s expertise and know-how.” McLaren operations director Neil Smith picks out three areas where McLaren was able to significantly influence the design: the build-up of 18 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026
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Technical n
In this new world of fireproofing and fire-rated strategies, there are not enough tested solutions. By converting to brickwork, it increased our options
Brettenham House redevelopment l Development manager: Helical l Refurbishment architect: Buckley Gray Yeoman l Main contractor: McLaren Construction l Construction cost: £90m l On site: September 2024 to August 2026
Robert Gibson, McLaren
the ceilings, wall construction in the basement and the core walls. The original ceiling design was a Fermacell system which, as well as being quite deep with its two layers of fireboard, would have needed penetrations for fixings through it which would not have met the requirements for a tested solution for fire protection. “On the upper floors, most of the services are exposed, sprinklers for example need to be fixed back to the primary structure, so you end up with penetrations for sprinkler supports that would breach the solution,” explains Smith. McLaren’s alternative solution is a 12mm minimum thickness fire spray, pre-installing hangers for the services. This reduced the ceiling build-up depth from 300mm to 110mm, with a small void above through which the wiring runs, giving a better floor-to-ceiling height. The team used full-scale mock-ups of office bays to check the fire protection design, which was checked by BRE. “The mock-up process included how we finished it, with all the trades feeding into that at the same time,” says Lindsay. In the basement, blockwork walls dividing compartments would have required wide windposts which created problems in getting the plethora of services through them, says Smith. “We came up with a bespoke solution of introducing concrete spandrel panels on top of steel beams, which enabled us to
Stone detective work Restoring, replacing, sourcing and installing Brettenham House’s beautiful Portland Stone skin has required plenty of detective work, says Mark Goldman, director at stone consultants Harrison Goldman. As well as digging into architectural magazine archives, the firm carried out a full condition survey. Driven by a combination of the need for repair and restoration, and the client’s and architect’s aesthetic requirements, Harrison Goldman specified a programme
of careful cleaning, replacement where necessary and sourcing stone for new elements of the building on the top floor. The specification requires dirt to be removed, but the weathering or patina on the stone to be retained. Stone removed as part of the high-level remodelling has been recut and reused by stone mason PAYE for the indents to replace damaged stone. Meanwhile, quarry visits have helped select exactly the right pieces of stone from Albion
Stone mines in Dorset, which has been used for the new level 9 pavilions, ground floor areas and entrance on Savoy Street. Two stone City of Westminster crests, which sit above the Lancaster Place entrances, have also been restored by artisans, using faded colours so as not to look brand new, and gold leafing. The Duchy of Lancaster crest on the southern end of the building was restored around 2012 during earlier restoration works, says Goldman.
Subcontractors: l Demolition: Deconstruct l M&E: Grant Walker Engineering l Insulation, plastering: David Andrews l Lifts: Kone l Windows: Crittall and Propak l Scaffolding: GKR l Stone restoration: PAYE l Internal blockwork: Swift Brickwork l Ceramic tiles / marble columns: WB Simpson l Joinery: Atlantic l Screeding: Birch l Concrete: Getjar l Firestopping: SBS and LDD l Painting and decorating: ADS l Architectural metalwork: Steel Arts l Raised Access Flooring: TATE
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The M&E plant has been relocated to the ‘rabbit warren’ basement
move the services closer together, running through openings,” says Smith. McLaren switched the material for the core walls from drywall to blockwork to increase its choice of tested solutions for fire protection. “This new world of fireproofing and fire-rated strategies has got us to a place where there are not enough tested solutions,” comments Smith. “By converting to brickwork, it increased our options.” Working within constraints McLaren received a letter of intent in May 2024 and started work on site in September 2024. As the building was being stripped out, it had conducted 3D heat-map surveys, to work out what the exact position of walls and ceilings was and how that differed from those assumed in the design. “Until we exposed everything, we couldn’t know exactly what was there,” says Smith. “It was about getting the building stripped back and
then we could design the MEP to fit.” Down in the basement, 3D modelling showed that everything would not quite fit as intended. “We had to remove some of the concrete floor screeds. We were trying to find four inches in places,” reports Gibson. Equipment that had to be accommodated in the basement includes two 20,000-gallon water tanks, one for the sprinkler system and another for grey water which will be re-used for flushing toilets. McLaren has also installed a new substation and two air source heat pumps, located in the lowest part of the basement, by the bottom of Savoy Street. When CM visited site in mid-July, the basement building services installation was still in progress. At
ground floor level, glass blocks were being installed to create the feature wall by the new stairs while the door frames to the two entrances on Lancaster Place, refurbished on site, were waiting for the four 4m-high steel-cored, bronze-coated doors to arrive from D Wilson Architectural Metalwork in Birmingham. These will be eternally open, with revolving doors to be installed in the openings. Further up the building, McLaren has worked from floor 7 down to floor 1 on the fit-out, finishing floors 4 and 5 early for the marketing suite. Levels 4 and above have outside terrace space, while levels 1, 2 and 3 have bleacher staircases, designed to accommodate company gatherings. Fit out on floors 8 and 9 started later since these levels required
Until we exposed everything, we couldn’t know exactly what was there. When the building was stripped back, we could design the MEP to fit Robert Gibson, McLaren
Finishing work on the fit-out of the upper floors
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extensive structural modification, with partial demolition of the plant room, the construction of the steel-framed, stone-clad pavilions and addition of a mezzanine floor at level 9. Client requirements Smith says the long-standing relationship between Helical and McLaren has helped in navigating changes efficiently: “There has been a very open dialogue between all parties. If there’s a client requirement we can move into doing that very quickly. We don’t get involved in bureaucracy and it does not always cost money to change things.” A case in point is the handrails on the two marble staircases, says Linden. McLaren’s subcontractor Steel Arts proposed that rather than
replace the 180m of metal handrail with a wooden one, they could be refurbished, which led to cost savings. One pleasing discovery, when the carpet was removed from the staircases, was the remnants of mosaic indents in the nosing of the stairs. These were beyond repair, so reclaimed marble from walls in the building was reused to create new indents. It is details such as this that Helical hopes will help attract tenants to the renewed building when it is officially launched to prospective tenants. Redgrove is looking forward to stepping out onto the terrace, cocktail in hand, to celebrate that moment. “The CGIs don’t do that view justice,” he says. “When you actually stand there, it’s really spectacular.” ●
View from the roof, looking east towards Blackfriars and the City
CV: Robert Gibson, project director, McLaren l McLaren project director Robert Gibson was always going to work in construction. His father was a joiner who became “David Wilson’s right-hand man” at David Wilson Homes in the 1970s. l Having studied 18 months of an architecture degree, Gibson realised it wasn’t for him and switched to an HNC in Building Studies at Peterborough Regional College. l With a 40-plus-year career that has taken him from site engineer through planning and programme management onto a variety of senior roles for contractors and developers, Gibson says that he was “pulled out of semi-retirement” – he had previously been national construction director at McCarthy Stone for a year - by McLaren’s managing director for London and the South, Darren Gill, whom he had worked with at Bouygues, to join the Brettenham House team in April 2025. l Gibson enjoys mentoring young people through the early days of their careers, teaching them the importance of communication and how to work with people. “It can still be an aggressive environment,” he says. “They need the passion and the drive.”
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The Mace project director leading complex commercial retrofits For our latest project leadership interview, CM speaks to Mace Construct’s Matt Burley, project director for a major retrofit job in central London, about the complexities of reshaping an ageing commercial building into a sustainable, modern workplace Tell us about your most recent project. What were the biggest technical challenges and how did you approach them? What made 100 New Bridge Street unusual was balancing the project’s sustainability ambitions with the practical realities of retrofitting an eight-storey 1990s office building. We retained and reused 85% to 90% of the existing structure, but substantially remodelled the building. We removed the existing core, infilled an atrium, added two extra floors and reshaped the building to make it much more spatially efficient. One of the major technical challenges was integrating a completely new MEP installation into the retained structure. Early in the project we had to decide whether we should accept the limitations of the original risers or undertake structural alterations to optimise the services strategy. We went for the latter. This was one of the most extensive prefabricated MEP strategies Mace has delivered on a refurbishment project. We installed around 46 prefabricated riser modules, ranging from single-storey to triple-storey units, which were slotted into the
retained structure. The programme saving from that approach was between eight and 10 weeks. The facade strategy was also tricky. We retained one facade while constructing three new facades which use a unitised aluminium glazed system, with GRC cladding from levels two to level eight. Retrofitting a modern facade onto an existing structure is much more complicated than on a new-build project because the retained building behaves differently structurally. You are constantly dealing with movement and deflection that don’t follow the same rules as a completely new structure. There were other complexities related to the project’s location. 100 New Bridge Street sits on isolation springs above the Thameslink, some of which had to be replaced during the project. The Fleet Sewer runs beneath the basement, while utilities and access rights affected several elevations. The building is an island site with only one meaningful delivery route so the vast majority of materials had to come via New Bridge Street, which is a Transport for London (TfL) red route. To make the logistics work,
we had to negotiate the temporary suspension of a bus stop so it could operate as our loading bay. A tower crane positioned at level eight This was one became the project’s single pick point of the most for the façade panels, steelwork and extensive prefabricated major MEP components. Those negotiations with TfL MEP strategies were absolutely critical. Without Mace has delivered on a the bus stop suspension and refurbishment traffic arrangements, the projects logistics strategy simply would not project have worked. Matt Burley, Mace
What are the key skills and experience you need for this type of project? The biggest skill is communication and, importantly, understanding how to communicate with different stakeholders. On a project like this, you are dealing with structural engineers, MEP specialists, facade consultants, transport authorities, utilities providers, all with different priorities. My own background is in architectural engineering, which gave me an appreciation of both architecture and engineering disciplines. That becomes essential on a project where decisions are constantly connected, like
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PROJECT LEADER PROFILE
on 100 Bridge Street where our structural solution and prefabricated MEP strategy were closely interlinked. That ability to understand different viewpoints and align them towards a common outcome is probably the most important skill on a complex retrofit project. How have you found getting to grips with a major industry issue like sustainability? The industry is changing very quickly, particularly around sustainability and circularity, and the key is continuous learning. One example on this project was steel reuse. Early on, we made a conscious decision that we wanted to incorporate reused steel into the scheme. Initially there was discussion around removing steel from the building, reprocessing it and reinstalling it. In practice, because of programme constraints, we took 30 tonnes of steel from the building and supplied it back into the reuse market, while
CV: Matt Burley MCIOB l Jan 2018 – present: operations director, Mace l Aug 2009 – Dec 2017: project manager, Kier Group Education l 2007-2011: Loughborough University, Architectural Engineering & Design Management, Engineering l Chartered Construction Manager (MCIOB)
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A before, during and after of 100 New Bridge Street in London, Matt Burley’s most recent project
sourcing 30 tonnes of reused steel from a stockholder for the project. That approach may not make the same headlines as reusing the existing steel from the building, but it is still following circularity principles. Within Mace, we are fortunate to have specialists who are working on leading-edge projects involving steel reuse, material passports and circular economy principles. I make a point of spending time with those teams, visiting projects and understanding how those approaches work in practice. Tell us about an industry innovation you’ve seen recently that really excites you. On 100 New Bridge Street, we trialled a system that uses QR codes and WhatsApp groups to communicate directly with operatives. During site induction, workers scan a QR code and join a controlled communication group. Key updates – access changes, safety alerts, major works – are then issued directly to everyone on site through short daily messages. We are now looking at how that could evolve into a more integrated platform that combines site inductions, permits, emergency information and daily communications into a single system. A single point of access where operatives can manage everything from one platform.
Make sure you understand the other person’s viewpoint, rather than trying to push your own agenda Matt Burley, Mace
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given that has helped you as a construction project manager? Make sure you understand the other person’s viewpoint, rather than trying to push your own agenda.
It is easy in construction to become focused purely on what you need to achieve and then try to force decisions through. But projects work much better when you understand what everyone else is trying to achieve as well. That advice has shaped the way I approach leadership and stakeholder management throughout my career. What made you want to become a CIOB member and how has it helped your career? For me, CIOB membership provides both recognition and a valuable learning platform. It is brilliant for the construction industry to have a body taking responsibility for pulling together all the knowledge and skills you need to develop your career. Through the magazine, online resources, industry updates, CIOB is always highlighting issues that will be relevant to a challenge on your project. This gives you enough information to build understanding and then points you towards further learning. That kind of accessible knowledgesharing is hugely important in a fast-changing industry. I also think professional recognition matters. Becoming a CIOB member means being assessed by peers within the industry rather than simply passing an academic exam. That credibility is valuable both internally within businesses and externally with clients and stakeholders. We’re in an industry where learning never really stops. CIOB provides a strong framework for continuing that professional development throughout your career. ●
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The ‘AI optimist’ running construction in the City of London In CM’s latest client profile, Will Mann talks to the City of London Corporation’s Ola Obadara FCIOB about the challenges of construction in the Square Mile, plus her passion for technology
la Obadara FCIOB oversees one of the most diverse and exciting construction portfolios in the UK. As group director for property projects at the City of London Corporation, her work encompasses projects ranging from municipal buildings to new-build social housing, schools, green spaces and famous bridges. At any one time, she has responsibility for between 40 and 50 capital projects. “We are a quite unique organisation,” Obadara says. “A lot of people think the City is just the square mile, but we look after green spaces like Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest. We’ve got the Barbican Arts Centre, the Guildhall School of Music… and the City’s bridges through the City Bridge Foundation. “It’s an absolutely lovely portfolio and I’m quite privileged to be able to deliver these projects.” Obadara will be CIOB’s next president in 2027 and is one of the institute’s client champions. Through this network, she hopes to pass on ideas and best practice to other clients, along with her “passion” for embracing technology and AI.
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A centuries old institution At her office in the Guildhall, Obadara heads the City of London Corporation’s Property Projects Group, reporting to the City Surveyor, a post whose origins date back to 1478. “The first City Surveyor was Edward Stone, and we’ve had some notable figures over the centuries,” she says. “Robert Hooke was appointed after the Great Fire of London in 1666 and played a major role in rebuilding the City. Horace Jones designed the Guildhall and the markets. The role has a distinguished history.” Obadara says her work is “mainly on the development side” and she describes her role as “the construction lead for the City of London Corporation”. “My remit covers demolition, refurbishment and new-build projects,” she explains. “The Property Projects Group is a multidisciplinary construction team, and we deliver the City’s capital build programmes.” Obadara’s diary includes regular meetings with contractors, consultants, planners, developers, her own team and internal clients,
It’s an absolutely lovely portfolio and I’m quite privileged to be able to deliver these projects Ola Obadara FCIOB, City of London Corporation
for example, the City of London Police. Governance is another significant part of the role. “The City of London Corporation has 125 elected members, and at least once a week I’m presenting reports or project updates to committees or project boards,” she says. Obadara also meets regularly with senior executives in the contractors and consultants delivering City projects. “I think it’s really important to build that relationship at that senior level, in case there are any blockers at site level or design level. “I still love going out on site,” she adds. “I started my career in a site cabin when I was working as an architectural assistant. Whenever I get the opportunity to visit projects and appreciate the amount of effort that’s going into delivering them, that’s the best part of my day.” Construction in the City Outside observers might think the Square Mile has unique construction challenges, but Obadara says the City has similar pressures to other clients. “We’re not immune to statutory body delays – we recently had
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Ola Obadara will become the next CIOB president in 2027
hold-ups due to the Building Safety Regulator – and we’re also affected by construction inflation, labour shortages and material shortages,” she says. Working in one of the world’s busiest commercial districts inevitably creates logistical challenges, but Obadara thinks contractors generally do a decent job. The Corporation has its own Considerate Constructors Scheme and awards, with Bam, Erith, Getjar, Mace and Skanska among the 2026 gold winners. “We recognise contractors who exceed our City code of conduct for how they manage safety, planning, stakeholder management, site environment and cleanliness,” Obadara says. The Corporation is pushing sustainability through a circular economy working group and works with the Romulus initiative, which connects neighbouring authorities and other recycling networks to maximise the reuse of construction materials. “It’s like an eBay for construction materials,” Obadara explains. “Contractors can source reclaimed products that can be reused on their projects.” One high profile example involves reclaimed granite from the Embankment, which has been reused for a seating installation at St Paul’s Cathedral. CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 | 27
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We’re trying to keep pace with AI and construction innovation, but I’m not sure we fully understand yet how best to deploy it Ola Obadara FCIOB, City of London Corporation
Obadara’s remit covers demolition, refurbishment and new-build projects in the City of London
replacing people with humanoid robots, we should take a step back and rethink how we build around the technology that’s available.” Obadara says her own AI use extends to Copilot at present. “If I’m trying to find the last time a particular type of building was designed or constructed, or what something cost, I could spend hours searching for that information. Copilot can gather it really succinctly,” she says. But she sees the possibilities of AI as almost “limitless”. “Is it going to be used for putting tenders together? You can, for example, scan drawings and pull out a bill of quantities. Will it be used for assessing tenders, if you’re a client?” Does she think there are ethical concerns if contractors begin submitting AI-generated tenders? “Things are moving rapidly, but I think the answer is no,” Obadara replies. “Most people are using large language models simply to search for information.” But there is a challenge for clients, she believes, in ensuring they are not left behind by technology. “That’s why collaboration with contractors and consultants is so important,” Obadara says. “We’re trying to keep pace with AI and construction innovation, but I’m not sure we fully understand yet how best to deploy it. We need to help each other understand how we adapt to this new technology.” ●
CV: Ola Obadara FCIOB l Jan 2018-present: City of London Corporation, director of property projects l 2008-2018: Bupa, head of property, various development and construction roles l 2006-2008: Stuart Brown Partnership, construction project manager l 2005-2006: Capita, project manager l 2001-2005: Jacobs, architectural assistant Education l 2014: Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Real Estate Management Programme l 2002-2004: University of Westminster, MSc Project Management for Construction l 1996-2000: London South Bank University, Bachelor’s degree, Architecture l CIOB trustee and senior vice-president l Board Member London South Bank University
CIOB
Clients can lead on tech Obadara’s major interest area is technology and she describes herself as an “AI optimist”. “As clients, we’re at the top of the project hierarchy, defining success and aligning outcomes, but where I think we really need to focus is collaboration around research, technology and the adoption of AI,” she says. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for construction professionals to improve what we do and how we deliver. For clients, that means shorter programmes and reduced costs. “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say AI and technology will be one of the most transformative developments in construction since computers first came along.” She recently attended the Construction Humanoids Conference and left wondering whether the industry is asking the right question. “I’m not saying there’s no place for humanoid robots on construction sites,” she says. “I think they’ll do a fantastic job scanning, programming and snagging. But not every robot in construction has to be humanoid. “I use a dishwasher as the example. When the dishwasher was invented, nobody built a humanoid robot to stand there washing and drying dishes. Somebody invented an entirely different system for washing dishes. “Rather than trying to replicate how labour works on site by
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Why the World Bank is interested in building safety A panel of experts including Dame Judith Hackitt and a World Bank representative will probe different building safety regulations around the globe at an upcoming CIOB webinar. Rod Sweet explains he Grenfell catastrophe and subsequent cladding crisis still embroiling the UK has echoes and variations around the developed world, which call into question the efficacy of governments’ approaches to building safety regulation in recent decades. To shed light on the topic, CIOB will hold a webinar featuring leading international experts on 14 September, entitled Building Safety Regulation in a Changing World: Global Lessons for Reform (see box, right). Speakers include Professor Kim Lovegrove, board member of the International Building Quality Centre (IBQC), who led the development of the first International Model Building Act (IMBA) published in February this year and backed by CIOB. Performance-based code revolution Soon after the IMBA was published, Kim Lovegrove told CM that the act, drawn from good practice tested in countries around the world, can prevent harm arising from what he called the “performance-based code revolution” – where contractors are allowed to bypass the prescribed route to getting building consents but use that leeway to cut corners on safety. “There’s been a very strong emphasis in the past decade on
JASMINKO IBRAKOVIC | DREAMSTIME.COM
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building codes, understandably, but there’s been an under-emphasis on the umbrella legislation that calls up the code,” he said. “The performance-based code revolution gave applicants the discretion to not use the prescribed route to getting building consents. But often there isn’t the managerial or overarching regulatory infrastructure to ensure that the freedoms
Homes destroyed in Antakya, Turkey by the devastating earthquakes of February 2023
afforded by performance-based building codes are not abused.” Accordingly, the act emphasises risk classification first, moving from there to accountability, oversight and enforcement. Why is the World Bank interested? Also speaking will be Jayashree Srinivasan, regulatory specialist at the World Bank Group.
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Buildings that fail during earthquakes, floods, storms are a primary cause of disaster debts. And they fail disproportionately where regulatory frameworks are absent or not enforced Jayashree Srinivasan, World Bank Group
Srinivasan leads on the topic of building regulation for the World Bank’s Business Ready – or B-Ready – programme, a global health check on 101 countries scoring them on multiple factors deemed to foster an effective and sustainable business environment. Asked why the World Bank was interested in building regulations, she told CM: “This is a question we get asked many times. Building regulations sit at the intersection of nearly everything the World Bank cares about: protecting lives, managing climate risk, enabling private investment, and supporting sustainable urban growth. “How a country builds its cities today really determines the safety and prosperity of its people for generations to come. And the scale of this is enormous. We hear the statistics all the time; 70% of the world’s population is expected to live in cities by 2050, and most of the buildings that will house them have not yet been built. So the question is not whether construction happens, of course it will happen, but whether it happens safely.” ‘Stronger codes save lives’ She added that building safety failures often contribute to countries needing World Bank assistance. “Buildings that fail during earthquakes, floods, storms are
a primary cause of disaster debts. And they fail disproportionately where regulatory frameworks are absent or not enforced. If you take the Turkey 2023 earthquake, structures that had stricter requirements like hospitals and schools generally performed well, whereas less regulated buildings collapsed. So, stronger codes and effective compliance saves lives. “Building regulations are also central to the business environment, and this is where our assessment of Business Ready 2025 comes in. It measures the quality of building regulation frameworks,
70 the percentage of the world’s population who are expected to live in cities by 2050
public services that deliver them, and efficiency of firms. We did this for 101 countries. “This framework rests on a balance. Regulations should protect social interests like safety and sustainability, which allows firms to invest efficiently. Where permitting is transparent and predictable, it attracts formal investment. Where it’s opaque and burdensome, construction moves into informality and we get buildings that are never inspected against any code at all. “In short, building regulation is a safety issue, a climate issue and also an economic issue, all at once.” ●
Building Safety Regulation in a Changing World: Global Lessons for Reform The webinar will take place 12pm-2pm on Monday 14 September and will feature the following
Dame Judith Hackitt DBE, advisor on building standards for the UK and Australian governments, chair of the Independent Review of Building Regulations & Fire Safety, a report commissioned by the UK government
Professor Kim Lovegrove, board member of the International Building Quality Centre (IBQC), who led the development of the first International Model Building Act (IMBA) published in February
Jayashree Srinivasan, regulatory specialist at the World Bank Group and topic lead in the World Bank’s Business Ready Project
Victoria Hills, chief executive of CIOB
To learn more about the seminar and to register, visit events.ciob.org
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Digital Construction Awards 2027: get your name on an Oscar It’s time to start preparing your entry for the built environment’s premier digital awards ahead of the 30 October deadline he Digital Construction Awards 2027 are now open for entries – and the deadline to get your submission in is just two months away on 30 October. The awards celebrate best practice and reward innovation in the application of BIM, information
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management and digital technology in the built and managed environments. There are 16 categories in total, meaning wherever you are in the supply chain, there will be a category to suit you. We have continued to refine entry requirements in response to feedback from entrants and our judges. Please read the
The ‘brightest and best of the sector’ will be recognised at the awards next year
criteria carefully when choosing which categories to enter. The shortlisted entrants will be revealed on 11 January 2027. The trophies will be awarded to the winners at a gala dinner in front of 400-plus of the sector’s leading lights on 17 March at the Marriott Grosvenor Square in London.
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It’s our great privilege to stage the digital construction Oscars. We look forward to welcoming the brightest and best of the sector to the biggest night of the year on 17 March next year Karolina Orecchini, Digital Construction Week
Partners for the awards are CIOB, Digital Construction Week (DCW), Construction Management and Digital Construction Plus. DCW event director Karolina Orecchini said: “It’s our great privilege to stage the digital construction Oscars. We look forward to welcoming the brightest and best of the sector to the biggest night of the year on 17 March next year – that’s right, St Patrick’s Day. The clock is ticking for entries, so start work on them asap.” CM digital editor Justin Stanton added: “As ever, we look forward
to seeing the entries highlighting the great work being undertaken in the built and managed environments. To give your entry the best chance of making the shortlist, read our top 10 tips for drafting a compelling entry.” ● To find out more about the awards, head to digitalconstructionawards.co.uk. To become an awards sponsor, email Karolina Orecchini at korecchini@divcom.co.uk. For entry queries, email Justin Stanton at justin.stanton@ atompublishing.co.uk.
The trophies will be awarded at a gala dinner in front of 400-plus professionals
16 different ways to win Category
2026 winner
Delivering Asset Management with Digital
One Creative Environments/Plymouth CAST
Best Application of Technology
AtkinsRéalis/Sellafield
Best application of AI
NavLive
Delivering Sustainability with Digital
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Solving Design Challenges with Digital
Mynydd Isa Campus | Arup/IESVE
Digital Collaboration of the Year
United Utilities Enterprise/IAND
Digital Construction Champion of the Year
Dr Anne Kemp OBE
Digital Construction Project of the Year
The Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities at the University of Oxford | Laing O’Rourke
Digital Consultancy of the Year
Drone Surveying
Digital Contractor of the Year
McLaren Construction
Delivering Health and Safety with Digital
Quin Pod, App and Tag | Quintessential Design
Improving Productivity with Digital
Hinkley Point C workpacks | BYLOR JV
Digital Rising Star of the Year
Emine Taylor-Unlu | Balfour Beatty Vinci
Digital Team of the Year
Digital asset delivery | Heathrow Airport
Information Management Award
Project Colin | RLB Digital
Product Innovation Award
Auro Door | Harmony Fire
Top 10 tips for a compelling entry
To improve your chances of winning an industry Oscar, read and pay heed to the following tips l Study the criteria closely. You cannot resubmit an entry from the 2026 event. Your entry must focus on work carried out in the UK or work for the benefit of the UK industry. l Make sure you’re entering the correct category. l Review who won last year and read about their winning entries to understand what caught the judges’ attention. l The entry form sets out the story that your entry needs to tell. Answer the questions and provide the information requested. l Take the time to draft a formal entry rather than simply uploading content from marketing collateral: your entry will be all the better for this. l Use clear, plain English. Construction is awash with jargon, but please avoid using too much of it in your entry. l Be mindful that, as experienced and knowledgeable as the judges are, they may not have heard of your firm or project before. Provide the necessary context. l In most categories, the outcome of the work that your entry focuses scores double in the judging phase, so make sure you share detailed results of your work. l Get a colleague to proof your entry before you submit it. Ensure everything makes sense.
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Construction remains ‘data rich but insight poor’ Use of disconnected systems to analyse project data may limit the value of construction companies’ technology investments, research by CM and Access Construction suggests
constructionmanagement.co.uk
onstruction businesses are investing more and more in digital tools, but many are still relying on manual processes and fragmented data, leaving decision-makers struggling to turn information into meaningful insight. That’s according to the latest Construction Management survey, carried out in association with Access Construction. It found widespread use of dashboards and reporting platforms across the industry, however, many organisations continue to depend on spreadsheets and disconnected systems to analyse project data, limiting the value of their technology investments. More than four in five respondents (83%) said spreadsheets remain one of their primary tools for analysing data, while half continue to rely on manually produced reports. At the same time, 29% said
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they frequently feel overwhelmed by the volume of dashboards and data available to them. Alex Boury, general manager at Access Construction, said the results reflected an industry that has invested in technology without fully addressing the quality and accessibility of the underlying data. “Despite its reputation of being ‘behind the times’, it’s clear that the construction industry hasn’t underinvested in technology,” he said. “Firms have bought dashboards and reporting layers, but bolted them onto data that still lives in spreadsheets and disconnected systems underneath. “You end up with a fancy window into fragmented and messy data. That’s why 83% are still analysing in spreadsheets despite all the tooling available to them. Dashboards are only ever as good as what is feeding them.”
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The percentage of respondents who still use spreadsheets as their primary tool for analysing data
Data preparation remains a major productivity drain The survey also highlights the significant amount of time construction professionals spend simply preparing information before they can make decisions. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of respondents said they spend more than three hours gathering and preparing data before it is ready for analysis. Respondents identified manual data gathering and analysis as the biggest obstacle to generating useful insight, with 56% selecting it as their primary challenge. Boury said the amount of time being lost should concern businesses. “The number that should worry every construction leader is that 72% of respondents are spending more than three hours preparing data before they can make a decision, and a third are losing more than six,” he said. “Construction leaders are spending their week rebuilding a picture the system should hand over to them in seconds.” The issue of fragmented systems The survey also points to the continuing challenge of disconnected information across construction businesses. More than three-quarters of respondents (76%) said departments either frequently or occasionally work from different systems and data sources. Meanwhile, 38% identified the absence of a single source of truth as one of the biggest barriers to generating meaningful insight. Boury said that this fragmentation has direct commercial consequences. “Only 15% of firms are working from a unified system, and 76% say their departments routinely pull information from different sources,” he said.
83
How do you currently review and analyse your organisation’s data? (Select all that apply) Spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets, etc.)
82.69% 50%
Manual reports Data visualisation tools (Power BI, Tableau, etc.)
35.58% 33.65%
Custom-built tools 17.31%
ERP system We don’t regularly review data
7.69%
Do different departments in your organisation work from different systems and data sources? Yes, frequently Occasionally Rarely No, we use a unified system Not sure
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
SOURCE: CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SURVEY, NOVEMBER 2025 ( n=104)
Firms have bought dashboards and reporting layers, but bolted them onto data that still lives in spreadsheets and disconnected systems underneath Alex Boury, Access Construction
“In construction that’s particularly dangerous, because the gap between what finance sees and what the site sees is where margin quietly disappears. A single source of truth is the difference between catching a job losing money while you can still act, and finding out at final account.” AI interest outpaces adoption While artificial intelligence continues to attract attention across the construction sector, the survey suggests practical adoption remains at an early stage. Just 6% of respondents said they currently use AI to generate actionable business insights from their data. Most organisations remain in the exploratory phase, with 43% saying they are investigating how AI could support their business. Boury said that improving data management should come before wider AI adoption.
“There’s a lot of enthusiasm about AI in these results, but only 6% are actually using it for insight,” he noted. “AI can’t generate a trustworthy insight from data scattered across five systems and a dozen spreadsheets. Instead, it’ll just produce confident answers from incomplete inputs. ‘Garbage in, garbage out’ still applies. Get the single source of truth right, and AI starts being genuinely useful.” Overall, the survey paints a picture of an industry that has made significant progress in digitising its operations, but continues to wrestle with fragmented information and labour-intensive reporting processes. About the survey and respondents Construction Management and CIOB received responses from 105 built environment professionals for the survey. ●
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What you will learn in this CPD Key components of an effective materials management plan (MMP) How MMPs support the CL:AIRE DoWCoP framework Why MMPs can reduce costs, lower carbon emissions and improve project delivery
CPD: Materials management plans
Steve Dyke MCIOB analyses the benefits of materials management plans and sustainable reuse of excavated materials under the CL:AIRE DoWCoP framework
K construction is under growing pressure to deliver projects more sustainably while simultaneously reducing waste, lowering carbon emissions and controlling escalating development costs. Developers and contractors are increasingly expected to demonstrate responsible resource management alongside regulatory compliance. While the CL:AIRE Definition of Waste: Development Industry Code of Practice (DoWCoP) is often associated with the movement of materials between sites, many of its greatest benefits are realised on brownfield developments where
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excavated materials are reused entirely within the same site planning boundary. Whether soils are being regraded, processed, treated or relocated to engineered fill areas, a materials management plan (MMP) provides the framework for demonstrating that those materials remain a valuable resource rather than becoming waste. A significant opportunity lies in the management and reuse of excavated materials. Traditionally, large volumes of soils and made-up ground generated during construction projects have been disposed of as waste, often at substantial financial and environmental cost. This
An MMP provides the framework for demonstrating that excavated materials remain a valuable resource rather than becoming waste
led to the development and now widespread adoption of DoWCoP, which has transformed the way excavated materials are managed across the UK construction sector. At the centre of this framework is the MMP. When properly implemented, an MMP can significantly reduce landfill disposal, minimise imported fill requirements, improve project sustainability credentials and generate major commercial savings. For many projects, effective materials management is a core component of successful construction delivery rather than simply an environmental add-on.
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1. Prevention
For many projects, effective materials management is a core component of successful construction delivery rather than simply an environmental add-on Understanding the CL:AIRE DoWCoP framework DoWCoP was developed by CL:AIRE in collaboration with the Environment Agency and industry stakeholders to provide a clear framework for the reuse of excavated materials. Under waste legislation, excavated soils and made ground can automatically become classified as waste once removed from their original position. Once classified as waste, materials become subject to extensive regulatory controls covering storage, transportation, treatment, permitting and disposal. The DoWCoP framework provides an alternative route whereby materials can remain
Avoid creating waste. Plan to reduce materials use and extend asset life so the material is not generated.
outside waste regulation provided certain conditions are met. In simple terms, the framework allows excavated materials to be reused as a resource rather than discarded as waste. To comply with DoWCoP, materials must satisfy several key principles: l The material must be suitable for use; l The use must be lawful; l The material must be required for a specific purpose; and l The material must not pose unacceptable environmental or human health risks. Since its introduction, the DoWCoP framework has become firmly established across UK construction and brownfield redevelopment.
2. Preparing for reuse Check, clean, test and repair materials, so that products or components can be reused for their intended purposes.
3. Recycling Process waste materials into new materials or substances for the original or other purposes.
4. Other recovery
Legislative context While the DoWCoP framework is not legislation, it provides an industry-recognised framework for demonstrating compliance with the wider legislative requirements governing the management and reuse of excavated materials. Projects operating under the DoWCoP should also consider the requirements of:
l Environmental Protection Act 1990 – establishes the legal framework for waste management and the duty of care relating to controlled waste.
l Waste (England and Wales)
Regulations 2011 – implement the Waste Framework Directive
Recover value from waste through other processes, including energy recovery.
in England and Wales and set out the legal definition of waste, waste hierarchy and associated obligations.
l Waste Framework Directive
(2008/98/EC) – provides the overarching European legislative framework from which UK waste legislation has been derived and introduces key concepts including waste prevention, recovery and by-product principles.
l Waste Duty of Care Guidance –
published by the UK government, providing practical guidance on meeting legal obligations when waste is produced, transported or managed.
The Waste Hierarchy, as set out in the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011, from most (1) to the least preferred option (5)
5. Disposal Dispose of waste safely to landfill when prevention, reuse or recycling are not appropriate.
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An MMP is typically prepared during the pre-construction phase and evolves throughout the project as further information becomes available
Materials management and sustainable remediation One of the most significant opportunities presented by an MMP is its ability to support sustainable remediation. Historically, contaminated soils were frequently excavated and disposed of to landfill, even where treatment or engineering solutions could have made them suitable for reuse. Modern remediation increasingly focuses on retaining materials within the development wherever it is safe and technically appropriate to do so.
The MMP should include robust procedures for recording material origins
Examples include: l Soil stabilisation using hydraulic binders. l Bioremediation of hydrocarbon-impacted soils. l Soil washing technologies. l Physical screening and segregation. l Validation and reuse beneath engineered cover systems. These approaches reduce waste generation while preserving valuable natural resources and lowering the embodied carbon associated with importing replacement materials. Viewed in this context, an MMP becomes much more than a compliance document – it becomes a practical tool for delivering sustainable remediation and circular economy principles.
What is an MMP? An MMP is a project-specific document that sets out how excavated materials will be managed, assessed, tracked and reused during construction works. The plan demonstrates that materials are being reused in a controlled and sustainable manner rather than being discarded as waste. An MMP is typically prepared during the pre-construction phase and evolves throughout the project as further information becomes available from site investigation, earthworks operations and validation activities. The level of detail required will vary depending on the scale and complexity of the development, but a compliant MMP generally includes: l Site and development information; l Description of proposed earthworks; l Estimated material volumes; l Ground investigation and testing data; l Materials classification; l Proposed reuse locations; l Tracking and verification procedures;
l Contingency measures; and l Validation and record keeping procedures. The MMP effectively becomes the operational framework governing how materials are managed throughout the construction process. MMPs on brownfield sites Many MMPs are prepared for projects where every tonne of excavated material remains within the site boundary. This is particularly common on brownfield developments where remediation works require soils to be excavated from one area of the site before being reused elsewhere as part of the permanent development. Examples include: l Relocating suitable soils from foundation excavations into landscape bunds. l Reusing validated made ground beneath roads and hardstanding. l Excavating contaminated soils for treatment before returning them to engineered fill areas. l Processing demolition arisings into reusable aggregate. l Regrading development platforms
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Effective materials management supports wider industry objectives around achieving net-zero carbon and embedding circular economy principles using site-won materials. In these situations, the materials have been excavated and moved from their original position. Without an appropriate management framework, there is a risk they could be considered waste. An MMP provides the documented justification demonstrating that the materials have a clear purpose, are suitable for their intended use and are being managed in accordance with the DoWCoP principles. Why MMPs are important One of the primary drivers behind the adoption of MMPs is the significant cost associated with offsite disposal. Landfill tax rates increase annually, while disposal capacity in some regions has become increasingly constrained. In addition to landfill charges, projects must also absorb: l Waste transport costs; l Gate fees; l Loading and handling costs; l Environmental permitting requirements; and l Programme impacts associated with disposal logistics. By enabling materials to remain on site for beneficial reuse, an MMP can dramatically reduce these costs. On large earthworks projects, the commercial savings can be substantial and may significantly influence overall project viability.
Effective earthworks planning includes consideration and recording of stockpile locations
Supporting sustainability objectives Construction remains one of the UK’s largest consumers of raw materials and producers of waste. Reusing excavated materials plays a major role in reducing the environmental impact of development by cutting the volume of material sent to landfill, reducing demand for virgin aggregates, limiting vehicle movements and fuel consumption, and lowering the carbon emissions associated with transporting waste and imported fill. Effective materials management also supports wider industry objectives around achieving net-zero carbon, embedding circular economy principles and demonstrating strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. In addition, it can contribute towards BREEAM and other sustainability assessments while promoting more responsible and efficient use of natural resources.
Increasingly, clients and public sector bodies expect demonstrable sustainability performance as part of procurement and project delivery, as a result of the Procurement Act 2023. In addition, the availability of disposal facilities and imported aggregates can create programme risks for construction projects, particularly during periods of high development activity. Where projects rely heavily on offsite disposal, delays can occur due to limited landfill availability, haulage shortages, regulatory restrictions, or capacity limitations at treatment facilities. An effective MMP reduces dependence on external waste infrastructure and allows contractors greater control over earthworks operations and material logistics. For developers, contractors, regulators, insurers and investors,
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Key components of an effective MMP 1. Site investigation and materials characterisation A successful MMP relies heavily on a robust understanding of site conditions. Ground investigation Left: Neomthe dataThe provides economic zone is for technical basis being built from determining whether scratch over more materials are suitable Right: Riyadh for reuse. at night: Egis is On brownfield sites, project managing the investigation should four lines of the not simply Riyadh Metro identify contamination. It should seek to characterise the site sufficiently to maximise opportunities for beneficial reuse. Early understanding of contaminant distribution, geotechnical properties and earthworks balance can significantly reduce disposal requirements and improve project economics. Typical investigations may include: l Soil sampling and laboratory testing; l Chemical analysis; l Geotechnical testing; l Ground gas assessment; l Leachability testing; l Asbestos screening; and l Contamination risk assessment. The extent of investigation should be proportionate to the complexity and risk profile of the site. Insufficient site investigation remains one of the most common causes of MMP
failure. Unexpected contamination encountered during construction can quickly undermine reuse strategies and result in programme delays and increased disposal costs. 2. Materials classification and suitability assessment Materials proposed for reuse must be demonstrated as suitable for their intended purpose. This assessment typically considers both environmental suitability and geotechnical performance. For example, soils intended for landscaping may require different assessment criteria than materials proposed for engineered fill beneath roads or structures. Reuse applications can include general fill, landscaping, earth bunds, formation and capping layers for roads and other infrastructure, noise attenuation bunds, and site regrading works. The intended reuse must be clearly defined within the MMP. 3. Earthworks planning On many brownfield projects, earthworks and remediation become intrinsically linked. Materials may require temporary stockpiling, screening, crushing, stabilisation or remediation before they
become suitable for reuse elsewhere on the site. The MMP should clearly document these processes together with the associated verification requirements. Effective earthworks planning is essential to maximise reuse opportunities. This includes consideration of excavation sequencing, temporary stockpile locations, segregation of material types, moisture management, weather impacts and material balancing across the site. Close coordination between environmental consultants, earthworks contractors and site management teams is critical. 4. Tracking and traceability One of the most important requirements under DoWCoP is the maintenance of a clear audit trail. The MMP should include robust procedures for recording material origins, volumes, testing results, stockpile locations, material movements, reuse destinations and validation activities. Accurate record keeping demonstrates that materials have been managed in accordance with the approved strategy. Increasingly, projects are adopting digital tracking systems to improve traceability
The MMP should include details of ground investigation and testing data
environmental compliance is now a major consideration. A properly implemented MMP demonstrates that excavated materials are being managed responsibly and in accordance with recognised industry guidance. Robust documentation can also provide important protection in the event of future regulatory scrutiny or legal challenge. Verification and challenges The reuse of materials under DoWCoP does not end once earthworks are completed. Verification and validation are essential to demonstrate that the works were carried out in accordance with the MMP. Typical validation evidence includes photographic records, earthworks records, material movement logs, as-built drawings, validation sampling results and, where applicable, certification for imported materials. This information is often incorporated into final verification or validation reports submitted to regulators or planning authorities. A defining feature of the DoWCoP framework is the requirement for oversight by a qualified person (QP).
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The QP is an independent competent specialist who reviews the MMP and confirms that it complies with the requirements of the DoWCoP. The QP does not supervise the works directly, but provides an independent declaration confirming that the proposed materials reuse strategy is appropriate. Projects operating under DoWCoP generally require the QP declaration to be completed before material reuse activities commence. Despite the benefits of the DoWCoP framework, implementation challenges remain common across the construction industry. One of the most frequent problems is the late consideration of materials management during project design. Where earthworks and remediation strategies are developed too late, projects often miss opportunities to maximise reuse and minimise disposal. Thus, early engagement between project stakeholders is essential. DoWCoP compliance also relies heavily on accurate records. Missing testing data, incomplete movement logs, or poor validation evidence can create compliance risks and potentially invalidate the reuse strategy. Projects should establish clear document control procedures from the outset. Furthermore, failure to segregate materials correctly on-site can compromise reuse opportunities. Mixing clean and potentially contaminated materials can lead to increased disposal requirements and additional testing costs. Site teams must understand the materials management strategy and maintain strict operational controls throughout the site work.
Changing ground conditions Unexpected contamination or variable ground conditions remain a significant challenge, particularly on brownfield developments. The MMP should therefore include contingency procedures covering unexpected contamination discoveries, additional testing requirements, temporary quarantine procedures, and alternative disposal routes where necessary. Projects that achieve the greatest success with MMPs typically adopt several common best-practice principles: l Develop the MMP early during project planning; l Integrate earthworks, remediation and construction strategies; l Undertake proportionate and targeted site investigation; l Maintain strong communication between all project stakeholders; l Implement robust tracking and record-keeping procedures; l Ensure site personnel understand the materials management strategy; l Review and update the MMP throughout the project phase; and l Engage experienced environmental and earthworks specialists. Materials management should be viewed as an integral part of project delivery rather than a standalone environmental exercise. As landfill costs continue to rise and sustainability expectations intensify, the ability to manage materials efficiently will become increasingly important across the sector. For developers, contractors and consultants, effective materials management is no longer simply good environmental practice, it is a fundamental requirement for successful project delivery. ● Steve Dyke MCIOB is managing director of Grounded Environmental.
CPD Questions Materials management should be viewed as an integral part of project delivery rather than a standalone environmental exercise
1) What is the primary purpose of a Materials Management Plan? a) To secure planning permission b) To demonstrate how excavated materials can be reused without becoming waste c) To classify all excavated materials as hazardous waste d) To replace ground investigation requirements 2) Which organisation developed the DoWCoP framework? a) CIRIA b) HSE c) CL:AIRE d) ICE 3) Which of the following is a key benefit of implementing an MMP? a) Increased landfill disposal b) Reduced material traceability c) Lower disposal and haulage costs d) Elimination of validation requirements 4) What is the role of the qualified person (QP) under DoWCoP? a) To supervise excavation works on site b) To independently review and confirm MMP compliance c) To transport excavated materials d) To approve planning applications
To test yourself on the questions above, go to www. construction management.co.uk/ cpd-modules
5) Why is accurate record-keeping important under DoWCoP? a) It removes the need for testing b) It replaces environmental permits c) It provides an auditable compliance trail d) It guarantees planning approval
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Leon Harris Decipher
‘Our client has changed the windows spec. Can we claim a variation?’ In our latest Contract Clinic, a contractor building a housing project has been told by the client to change the windows specification. Leon Harris assesses whether this is a variation
THE QUESTION We’re part-way through a residential project in Bolton and the client has decided they no longer want the original windows specified, but instead want an enhanced specification. Is this a variation under our JCT Minor Works Contract and can we claim?
THE ANSWER The request sounds straightforward enough, but from a contractual perspective it raises an important question: does changing the window specification constitute a variation under the JCT Minor Works Building Contract 2024? The answer is often yes, but establishing entitlement, and recovering the associated cost and time, is not always as simple as it may appear. Variations – an everyday reality Change is an inevitable feature of construction. Client changes, value engineering and supply chain issues can all result in alterations to the original scope of work. However, under the JCT Minor Works Building Contract 2024, not every instruction issued during the works will necessarily constitute a variation. Nevertheless, instructions relating to additions or
omissions of work or changes to the specification generally do. On that basis, an enhanced window specification will likely be a variation under the contract. But how can that variation be assessed and what other aspects need considering? The importance of defining scope The fundamental test is whether the requested change alters the contractor’s contractual obligations. Satisfying the test requires a comparison between the instruction and the original contract documents, including drawings and specifications. If the replacement window specification introduces requirements not included within the agreed scope, the contractor may have a valid entitlement to additional payment and, in some circumstances, additional time. On many smaller projects, however, scope definition is less robust than on larger schemes. As a result, disputes concerning whether a change is genuinely additional work remain common. Informal instructions – a common source of dispute One of the recurring issues on projects operating under minor
works contracts is the prevalence of informal instructions. A client may raise a change during a site visit or project meeting Client changes, value and ask the contractor to proceed immediately. Concerned about engineering programme implications and and supply maintaining positive relationships, chain issues contractors often comply before can all result receiving a formal instruction. While in alterations to the original understandable, this can create scope of work significant commercial risk. Leon Harris, Without a clear documentary Decipher record, establishing entitlement can become considerably more difficult. Good contract administration remains the best defence. If a formal instruction has not yet been issued, contractors should confirm the request in writing, and seek confirmation from the contract administrator as soon as possible. Cost is only half the story When discussing variations, attention is often focused on additional cost. However, the programme implications can be equally significant. A change in window specification may introduce longer manufacturing lead times, revised shop drawings, additional approvals or procurement delays. What at first appears to be a simple product substitution can quickly affect the critical path of the project.
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for contract clinic? Email @ Question construction-management@atompublishing.co.uk
CONTRACT CLINIC
A failure to assess critical time implications may leave a contractor exposed to delay damages even where the delay stems directly from an instructed change Leon Harris, Decipher
need to be priced and recorded. In reality, they are commercial events capable of influencing project profitability, programme performance and contractual relationships. For employers, contractors and contract administrators alike, the lesson is straightforward. Where the works change, the contractual consequences should be assessed immediately, not months later at final account stage.
Where completion is impacted, contractors may also need to consider whether a claim for an extension of time should accompany the valuation of the variation. A failure to assess critical time implications may leave a contractor exposed to delay damages even where the delay stems directly from an instructed change. Valuation starts with evidence The JCT Minor Works Building Contract 2024 encourages parties to agree a price before the work proceeds. Where existing contract rates are applicable, they may provide a basis for valuation. In other cases, a fair and reasonable assessment will be required,
supported by evidence. Typical considerations include: l Labour costs; l Material price differences; l Plant costs; l Sub-contractor costs; l Overheads and profit; and l Direct loss and/or expense. Too often, valuation is postponed until the end of the project. By then, records may be incomplete, personnel may have changed and recollections of events may differ significantly. As always, contemporaneous records remain one of the most effective tools for avoiding later disputes. The bigger picture Variations are sometimes viewed as administrative processes that simply
A change in window specification may affect the overall schedule of the project
Conclusion In the Bolton example, a change to the window specification would likely meet the contractual definition of a variation under the JCT Minor Works Building Contract 2024. Whether entitlement is successfully recovered, however, depends largely on how the change is instructed, recorded and valued. Effective contract administration, and prompt assessment of cost and time impacts are key. The maintenance of robust contemporaneous records remains at the heart of successful change management. In an industry where change is unavoidable, managing it properly can make the difference between a straightforward commercial adjustment and a protracted final account dispute. ● Leon Harris is a consultant at Decipher.
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High salaries but higher expectations Construction professionals remain confident about their career prospects despite economic uncertainty, but the latest salary survey from Construction Management suggests employers will need to offer more than competitive pay to keep people satisfied. Nicky Roger reports onstruction professionals continue to enjoy strong salaries and remain optimistic about their career prospects, despite ongoing economic uncertainty, AI-driven change and concerns over future workloads. The findings come from the second Construction Management Salary and Market Trends Survey, which paints a picture of a wellpaid, confident workforce whose expectations increasingly extend beyond salary alone. More than three-quarters (76%) of respondents said they were either
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very or somewhat confident that construction management jobs would remain available over the next five years. While this represents a slight drop from the previous survey, when confidence stood at more than 85%, it remains a notably positive result given the wider backdrop of changing government policy, AI development and uneven workloads across parts of the industry. The survey also highlights the seniority of those responding. Around half earn at least £70,000 a year, while more than one in five (21.6%) report salaries exceeding £100,000.
Compared with Construction Management’s 2024 salary survey, respondents are noticeably higher earners. The estimated average salary has increased from around £70,000 to almost £78,000, driven largely by growth in the highest salary bands. The proportion earning between £100,000 and £150,000 has more than doubled, rising from 6.8% to 14.8%, while those earning more than £150,000 has increased from 2.9% to 6.8%. However, the survey authors caution against interpreting this as evidence of a sharp rise in salaries across the industry. Instead, it reflects a respondent base weighted more heavily towards experienced, senior professionals than the previous survey. Even so, respondents continue to earn significantly more than national construction averages. ONS data suggests median salaries for many professional construction occupations sit between £55,000
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Read the full report at construction management.co.uk/ salary-survey-2026
People are looking for more than just money. A lack of recognition or a clear route to promotion is often what prompts a move Claire Hodgson, V7 Recruitment
and £65,000, while the most common salary band in the survey was £70,000-£79,999. Money isn’t everything Despite relatively high earnings, satisfaction with pay is far from universal. The survey also found a clear relationship between earnings and satisfaction; respondents earning more than £100,000 consistently reported the highest satisfaction levels across every sector, while those earning below £40,000 were significantly less positive. Perhaps more revealing, however, is that salary is no longer the only factor shaping how professionals view their jobs. Holiday entitlement emerged as the highest-rated employment benefit, attracting the strongest satisfaction scores across the survey. Health and wellbeing benefits also performed well, with around seven in 10 respondents expressing satisfaction. By contrast, work-life balance and personal development remain areas where employers have further work to do. Around six in 10 respondents said they were satisfied in each category, but approximately four in 10 expressed some level of dissatisfaction. The findings suggest that career development opportunities, flexibility and wellbeing are increasingly important components of the employment package.
Stable careers The survey also points to a relatively stable workforce. More than four in five respondents (81%) are permanently employed, while only one in 10 identify as freelance or self-employed – a lower proportion than might traditionally be associated with construction. At the same time, however, the demographics continue to reflect some of the industry’s long-standing challenges. Men account for 87% of respondents, with women making up just 12%, highlighting the sector’s continuing gender imbalance. The workforce also skews older. More than half of respondents are aged over 50, with 35% in the 50-59 age bracket and a further 17% aged between 60 and 65. The figures reinforce concerns around succession planning and attracting younger professionals into management roles as experienced workers approach retirement. The value of professional membership Professional membership also appears to influence attitudes towards the future. Almost 71% of respondents are CIOB members, most holding MCIOB status. Respondents cited improved professional recognition, increased knowledge, stronger networking opportunities and greater visibility in the job market as the most valuable outcomes of membership. CIOB members were also more optimistic about future employment prospects than non-members. Members were more likely to express confidence that construction management jobs would remain available over the next five years, while non-members were more likely to report having little or no confidence.
70% 81% are members of CIOB
are in permanent employment
29% are project managers
The survey’s overall findings resonate with recruitment experts. “The confidence figures stack up with what we’re seeing,” says Claire Hodgson, divisional director of construction at V7 Recruitment. “Construction managers are central to keeping projects moving, coordinating subcontractors and dealing with issues on site, so it’s not a role I can see being replaced by AI. “The £70,000 salary figure feels accurate, as pay has risen a lot over the past five years and expectations are still increasing due to competition for experienced people and the cost of living. “Generally speaking, though, people are looking for more than just money. A lack of recognition or a clear route to promotion is often what prompts a move, so companies with a proper development plan tend to retain people better.” ● What type of organisation do you work for? n Main contractor 41.67% n Client 13.44% n Consultant 16.94% n Architect 1.88% n Specialist contractor 8.33% n Housebuilder 4.57% n Other (please specify) 13.17%
Career satisfaction n Very satisfied 26% n Somewhat satisfied 43% n Somewhat dissatisfied 20% n Very dissatisfied 11%
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One to watch
Oscar Anderson, construction apprentice with Berkeley Group, started his apprenticeship in January 2024 and is working towards TechCIOB. Nicky Roger speaks to him
Tell us about your role. My role as a construction apprentice involves ensuring that the site is compliant with health and safety and quality assurance, and ensuring that the team are fully prepared with equipment and materials prior to the commencement of Milton Keynes East. What attracted you to the property industry? I started within the industry as a number of my relatives have worked within construction and it has always appealed to me due to the fact that every day is different, and you get to experience working in and outside of an office environment. I began working with a roofing contractor in London and applied for the Berkeley apprenticeship programme after a family member made me aware of the scheme. The best thing about being an apprentice? The best part is that I am given the space to learn and grow at a pace that feels comfortable. It is also a great opportunity to be able to gain a qualification while also gaining real-life work experience. I enjoy being part of a team to get prepared and set up for the beginning of the build programme, as I am able to see the project from the very start.
What do you find challenging about it? The challenging part can be finding the right balance between studying and participating in the activity taking place on site. Every day is so different, therefore it requires you to be adaptable and react to deadlines. What’s the biggest misconception people have about working in construction? A lot of people don’t understand how much work goes into a project. They might visually see the building work taking place, but they are completely unaware of the other departments that are a huge part of the process such as land and planning, commercial and technical etc.
original site team and setting the foundations for the future of the site will have a good impact on the business.
I enjoy being part of a team to get prepared Any advice for someone and set up for considering a career the beginning in construction? Be a sponge! Embrace the of the build unknown and all of the learning programme Oscar Anderson, Berkeley Group
experiences; don’t ever be afraid to ask questions. ●
What comes next after your apprenticeship? Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? I would like to continue with site management and focus on applying the skills I have learnt into my role. I would also like to explore the option of gaining additional qualifications further down the line. I can see myself progressing my career at Milton Keynes East and applying my apprenticeship knowledge and skills into a more senior position. As this project is the largest in terms of land size, it would be great to work on Milton Keynes East and see the site progress. I think being a part of the
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Calling CIOB academia members: promote your work on CM A new channel on CM’s website is highlighting the valuable research carried out by CIOB members in higher education
rom social value and safety to sustainability and EDI, CIOB academia members are producing valuable research that can help shape the future of construction. Now Construction Management has a dedicated academic articles channel where CIOB members working in higher education can share their work with CM’s 45,000 email newsletter subscribers, 80,000 monthly website users and 78,000 social media followers. The channel is a great way for CIOB academia members to raise the profile of their research, share new thinking and connect with construction professionals across the built environment industry and in universities. Each research paper published includes a precis article allowing readers to get a high-level understanding of the issue before downloading the full document. Examples of research published on the channel already include: l Social value and construction projects: can it be measured
F
Construction Management now has a dedicated academic articles channel on its website
The channel is a great way for CIOB academia members to raise the profile of their research, share new thinking and connect with construction professionals
practically by FM clients? A study by Dr Terence Lam MCIOB from Northumbria University, which provides a measurement framework for clients assessing social value when procuring construction projects on university estates l Can virtual reality help build a more sustainable construction industry? Research by Don Samarasinghe MCIOB from Massey University indicates that VR-based training can play an important role in preparing the construction workforce for emerging sustainable technologies.
l Why EDI and workforce integration should be embedded into construction projects every day. Two pieces of research by Florence Phua FCIOB, challenging assumptions that EDI is a “soft” issue and argues that workforce integration is now critical to delivering safe, high-quality construction. ● Visit our academic articles channel to see the latest articles: www.constructionmanagement. co.uk/academic-articles. To submit an article, email construction-management@ atompublishing.co.uk.
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KIER
A project like this illustrates how much collaboration happens across the industry and how it’s possible to successfully drive forward work on rehabilitation
Kier prison project a ‘win-win’ for rehabilitation CIOB visited the social value programme at HMP Channings Wood Construction can play a vital role in reducing reoffending by creating genuine employment opportunities for prison leavers, according to Kier, as work continues on the £200m-plus expansion of HMP Channings Wood in Devon. The contractor recently welcomed CIOB chief executive Victoria Hills and CIOB president Paul Gandy to the Category C prison to showcase the social value initiatives being delivered alongside the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) project. The visit centred on Kier’s Hard Hat Ready programme, part of its wider Making Ground initiative, which prepares prisoners for careers in construction after release. Hills and Gandy met prisoners who had completed the course to
discuss how it had changed their outlook on employment and the barriers they still face in entering the industry. Hard Hat Ready provides participants with construction industry knowledge and helps prepare them for Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) requirements, with the aim of improving employability and supporting successful reintegration into society. Kier says 56 prisoners at HMP Channings Wood have graduated from the programme. Across the business, Making Ground has supported people with convictions since its launch in 2020, offering employment support and Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL)
Kier’s social value programme is part of the wider HMP Channings Wood expansion CIOB chief executive Victoria Hills and CIOB president Paul Gandy (both centre)
opportunities through Kier and its supply chain. The project at HMP Channings Wood includes two four-storey, energy-efficient T60 houseblocks providing 494 additional prison places, alongside a new education and jobs workshop designed to equip prisoners with practical skills before release. The expansion is due for completion by the end of 2027. The visit also highlighted the industry’s wider skills agenda. Gandy met Kier’s graduate construction managers to discuss career development, mentoring and professional progression, while Hills explored opportunities to strengthen collaboration between Kier and CIOB on chartership, professional development and social value initiatives. Hills said: “A project like this illustrates how much collaboration happens across the industry and how it’s possible to successfully drive forward work on rehabilitation, employability and, more broadly, closing the skills shortage. “My biggest takeaway was the scale of the huge, untapped potential for the construction sector. Kier has demonstrated there is a win-win. We’d like to see much more of this and I have written to the Minister of State for Prisons to continue the conversation.” ●
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Antia wins APM student of the year CIOB Tomorrow’s Leaders representative recognised
Building Brum and CIOB panel tackles sector skills challenge
CIOB
Talks focused on how industry, education providers and government can join forces
Industry leaders came together at a recent Building Brum and CIOB event to discuss how the construction sector can secure the workforce needed to deliver the UK’s pipeline of housing, infrastructure and regeneration projects. Hosted by Howells and chaired by Ellie Jenkins of Akerlof, the panel featured Ray O’Sullivan of Caddick Construction, Rebecca Young, head of skills and inclusion (supply chain) at HS2 Ltd, Helen Collins, chair of the Mayor of the West Midlands’ Homes Taskforce and principal and managing director, Midlands, head of UK Living and Affordable Housing at Avison Young, and Dav Bansal of Howells. The discussion focused on how industry, education providers and government can work together to tackle skills shortages across the West Midlands. Collins highlighted the significant public investment coming into the region and the opportunities created through devolution, but said success depends on having the
skilled workforce to deliver projects, stressing the need to connect investment with people and skills. O’Sullivan warned that an ageing workforce makes attracting new entrants increasingly urgent, while Bansal said construction must do more to showcase the breadth of careers available and improve opportunities for graduates entering the profession. Young highlighted HS2’s experience in developing diverse talent pipelines, saying closer collaboration between employers, education providers and government will be essential to meeting future workforce needs. Apprenticeships, mentoring, T Levels and work placements all featured prominently during the discussion, with panellists agreeing skills commitments should be embedded throughout project supply chains. They also concluded modern methods of construction should complement, rather than replace, traditional skills as the industry works to meet future demand. ●
HS2’s Rebecca Young called for closer collaboration to address skills shortages
O’Sullivan warned that an ageing workforce makes attracting new entrants increasingly urgent
CIOB Tomorrow’s Leaders representative Kufre Usen Antia (above) has been named the Association for Project Management North East Student of the Year 2026, recognising his contribution to student leadership, professional development and collaboration between academia and the construction industry. Antia recently completed an MSc in Construction Project Management with BIM at Northumbria University. Alongside his studies, he represented emerging professionals through CIOB Tomorrow’s Leaders and founded Northumbria Construct, an initiative connecting students and early-career professionals with employers, professional institutions and industry. The initiative supports students’ transition into professional practice through technical seminars, webinars, site visits, networking events and industry discussions. Antia said: “Northumbria Construct was founded on the belief that students should not have to wait until graduation before becoming active participants in the construction profession.” In July, Antia also led a team of Northumbria University students on a visit to the Eastern Green Link 1 project, giving them first-hand insight into the delivery of major infrastructure and the realities of managing a live construction project. Antia said the award had strengthened his commitment to supporting emerging professionals. “My next priority is to expand collaboration with employers and professional institutions, increase access to technical learning and live-project exposure, and support more students and early-career professionals,” he added.
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EXCEL HOME DESIGN
The challenge was finding the right balance between respecting what was already here and creating something that works for the future
Back to the future: modern needs in heritage setting Russell Everett MCIOB, director at Excel Home Design, shares the challenges of creating a modern showroom in a church Excel Home Design recently launched its new headquarters and showroom at St George’s Church in Tonyrefail, marking the completion of a project that combines heritage restoration with contemporary residential design. The opening event in June provided an opportunity to showcase not only the completed building, but also the approach behind it. One of the primary challenges was working with the church’s original
fabric. The bath stone windows, a defining feature of the building, required full restoration. This involved repairing the stonework while retaining the original window detailing, ensuring the building’s architectural identity remained intact. Alongside this, the roof structure required repair and reinforcement to meet modern standards while still respecting the existing form. These works were essential in stabilising the building before any internal
Russell Everett MCIOB
reconfiguration could take place. A more complex challenge was creating a fully open-plan layout suitable for a working showroom. This required reconfiguring the internal structure and introducing concealed steelwork to support the new spans. For me, the project was about more than the physical transformation of the building; the challenge was finding the right balance between respecting what was already here and creating something that works for the future. It was important to retain the character of the church while introducing a space that allows clients to properly experience what’s possible in their own homes. For Excel, the project reinforces the principle behind its ‘Designs for Living’ approach. Whether working within the constraints of a historic building or a residential extension, the construction process must ultimately support how the space will be used and experienced. At St George’s Church, that approach has been realised through a combination of careful restoration, considered engineering and a clear design philosophy. ●
Congratulations to all new chartered companies (since January 2026) AFT Global UK Anthony Dever Construction ARPG Eco AYP Solutions Brownhirst Joinery BSN Group Construction Clan Contracting Contract & Commercial
Resources Pty Counties & Capital Consulting Creedy Cubitt Theobald Deacy Construction Deeley Construction Devon Contractors DR Consultancy Services
J P Dunn Construction JB Construction1 Kimpton Ltd Morgan Consult & Advisory NCC Commercial Services t/a Cyson Cymru Ovolo Building Consultancy PGR Group
Pilbeam Construction Services ResidentialSurveying.co.uk Specialist Flooring Group Stonebond Group The Blue Iris Partnership Thomas Callum Associates Trexara
WHL Projects Wilkinson Cowan Partnership Woodlands Construction Interested in becoming a chartered company? Find details at www.ciob.org/ company-membership
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Construction skills pilot in Torbay inspires more programmes CIOB Tomorrow’s Leaders representative behind new initiative in Devon Paul Griffiths, senior project manager at AtkinsRéalis, chair of the Build Torbay Operational Group and CIOB Tomorrow’s Leaders representative for the Exeter Hub, has helped develop a new initiative in Torbay, Devon. The Foundations for Work: Industry Skills Experience pilot aims to promote careers in construction and create pathways into employment, training and apprenticeships. It was developed by the Build Torbay Operational Group, chaired by Griffiths, in partnership with South Devon College, Jobcentre Plus, Eat That Frog, Build Torbay partner organisations and local employers. Build Torbay is a Torbay Councilfunded initiative that brings together construction employers, education providers and industry partners to inspire future talent, support local
business growth and maximise the social value created through the area’s regeneration programme. The three-day programme engaged 12 participants through practical trade experiences, employer engagement activities, site visits and tailored progression support. Participants gained first-hand insight into construction careers, developed an understanding of workplace expectations and explored the range of opportunities available. The pilot aimed to support Torbay residents facing barriers to employment while helping the construction sector attract, develop and retain its future workforce. Following pilot’s success, further programmes are being developed to support more Torbay residents into employment within the sector. ●
Paul Griffiths, AtkinsRéalis
Low-carbon alternative to concrete beam-and-block flooring to launch Polibeam will help ‘prepare sector for next wave of embodied carbon legislation’ Roger Carter, Polibeam Construction professional Roger Carter is seeking to challenge one of the industry’s most carbonintensive materials with a new engineered alternative. Polibeam, created by Bow Gill and being brought to market by Polibeam Ltd, is an alternative to concrete beam-and-block flooring incorporating preinstalled insulation. The product is the first of its kind to secure a
patent globally and its Agrément Certificate is pending. “We believe the industry needs products like this as it moves away from relying on carbon-intensive concrete,” said Carter. “Our system provides a practical, lower-carbon alternative that helps reduce waste while preparing the sector for the next wave of embodied carbon legislation, particularly in areas such as social housing.
The world needs an alternative to unsustainable concrete and we believe this is it.” Polibeam comes as a prefinished beam pre insulate and drops into position and can carry the same load as concrete. “There will be some reticence,” acknowledged Carte, “but it’s similar to moving away from copper piping in heating.” Visit www.polibeam.co.uk
n NEWS IN BRIEF CIOB Member training day helps future trades
JRS Training, through its ongoing partnership with The King’s Trust, gave a group of young people the opportunity to gain practical bricklaying experience on a live construction site at Gunwharf Quay in Portsmouth. Delivered in partnership with MGroup, CBRE and Landsec, the initiative saw all participants successfully pass the course. JRS Training managing director, James Owen MCIOB, delivered a talk on health and safety.
MCIOB takes alternative route to PhD
Ben Hall is challenging traditional education routes after gaining entry to a PhD through his professional experience and industry qualifications. Hall, who started his career as a groundworker before progressing into construction management roles, is studying for a PhD in Management by portfolio online with the Swiss School of business. His admission was based on more than 20 years’ industry experience, an NVQ Level 7 in Senior Construction Management and his CIOB chartership. He is completing the doctorate alongside his work as a project manager. “You can be hands-on and reach the pinnacle of education,” said Hall.
Free event for aspiring professionals
Students, graduates and aspiring construction professionals are invited to a free CIOB networking event in Birmingham this autumn. Constructing Careers: Paths into the Industry, supported by Kier, takes place at STEAMhouse on 19 October and will feature a panel discussion on routes into construction, career pathways and experiences of working on live projects. Employers including Kier, AtkinsRéalis, Sisk, Winvic, Tilbury Douglas, Colemans, STRABAG and Cundall will all be in attendance.
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Construction culture addressed in free book Digital version collates 22 years’ worth of experience Andy Pritchard MCIOB, founder of consultancy Constructing Culture and a past CMYA award winner, has released Going for Gold: Constructing Project Managers as a free PDF for the industry. The 64-page book distils lessons learnt over 22 years delivering construction projects, covering planning, programme management, recovering delayed projects and developing workplace cultures that support successful delivery. Each of its 13 chapters concludes with practical actions that readers can apply immediately. The book also highlights the cost of poor project performance, arguing that relatively small delays can have significant financial consequences on major projects. Pritchard believes many of the industry’s challenges stem not from a lack of technical solutions, but from organisational culture. “The industry’s problem was never that the answers are hard,” said Pritchard. “It is that the culture stops us using them. That is also why it is free. You cannot fix a culture problem from behind a paywall.” While the digital edition is available free of charge, all royalties from the paperback version will be donated to the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, supporting the emotional, physical and financial wellbeing of construction workers and their families. To download the free PDF, visit https:// constructingculture.co.uk/ book
CIOB trustee helps students tackle live retrofit challenge Chris Keast leads collaborative project, which demonstrates how industry and higher education can help future professionals Building surveying students at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) are gaining hands-on experience of retrofit through a long-running collaboration led by lecturer and CIOB trustee Chris Keast. Keast, principal lecturer and programme manager in NTU’s School of Architecture, Design and Built Environment, has overseen a four-year partnership with the Mining Remediation Authority, the public body responsible for managing the legacy of Britain’s historic coal mining. Over the past year, undergraduate and postgraduate students have used the authority’s headquarters in Mansfield as a live case study, developing proposals to improve the building’s environmental performance through retrofit measures to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency. Their recommendations were presented to representatives from the authority. Keast said the project helps
prepare students for careers in a sector facing growing demand for sustainability skills. “This collaborative project has given students a unique opportunity to engage directly with the sustainability agenda at a critical moment where there is a significant skills shortage across the surveying and construction sectors,” he said. Claire Streather, facilities coordinator at the Mining Remediation Authority, said the organisation values the fresh perspective students bring. “It’s always great to hear fresh ideas from the students to help make our building more sustainable for the future. We’re already discussing some of the ideas put forward this year.” The partnership demonstrates how collaboration between industry and higher education can equip future professionals with the practical skills needed to deliver the UK’s retrofit ambitions. ●
Undergraduate and postgraduate students worked together on the proposals
It’s always great to hear fresh ideas from the students to help make our building more sustainable for the future
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In association with
Construction fights back against tool theft James Murdoch MCIOB on the creation of Kynekt, the tool theft prevention app and CIOB’s new partnership It’s 6.30am, a typically freezing Tuesday morning up north in November. I walk out to my van, coffee mug in hand, mentally prepping for the day’s schedule. I press my key fob. Nothing happens. Then I see it, and my stomach drops. My heavy steel side door is bent completely double, peeled back like a tin can. The lock has been punched through the panel. I peer inside under the hollow glow of the interior light. My stuff’s gone. Every single bit of it. For most UK tradespeople, this isn’t a hypothetical nightmare; it’s an inevitability. A van is broken into every 19 minutes in the UK, costing the industry billions, while 78% of tradespeople have experienced tool theft. But as I stood there staring at the wreckage of my livelihood, the breaking point wasn’t just the theft itself. It was what came next: the insurance claims trap. Like most subcontractors, I assumed my insurance policy was my safety net. Instead, it felt like I was being punished twice. I was asked for original receipts, serial numbers and proof of ownership for tools I’d bought years earlier. Who keeps a paper receipt for a combidrill that’s been bouncing around a jobsite for years? The result was a disaster. My claims
were rejected on technicalities. Weeks disappeared while I filled out forms instead of earning a living. I lost thousands in rejected claims, but even more in income because I simply couldn’t work. Determined to fix a broken system, I built the solution I wished I’d had: KYNEKT ID. The mobile-first inventory platform acts as a secure digital passport for your tools and equipment. Instead of scrambling for paperwork after a theft, users upload, validate and link their assets to their identity before anything goes missing. If the worst happens, the app generates an insurance-ready report at the touch of a button. But I didn’t stop there. I wanted to hit thieves where it hurts most: their wallets. Once tools leave your van, they’re usually gone. The thought of your hard-earned equipment being sold while you’re left unable to work is infuriating. Trackers alone aren’t enough if they’re quickly found and removed. That’s why my team developed K|TRAK – discreet GPRS tracking hardware that can be fitted to everything from power tools to plant machinery. It doesn’t just show where your equipment is in real time.
Kynekt acts as a secure digital passport for tools and equipment
By solving my own experience, I wanted to give other tradespeople a way to protect their livelihoods
Through the Kynekt app, users can remotely disable stolen assets. If a tool leaves a designated geo-fenced area, its power can be shut down, turning an expensive asset into nothing more than dead weight. Equipment theft has been treated as an unavoidable cost of doing business for too long. By solving my own experience, I wanted to give other tradespeople a way to protect their livelihoods before the worst happens. Don’t wait until you’re standing in front of a smashed van door. Registering your tools, creating a digital inventory and adding tracking where it matters most can make the difference between getting back to work quickly and facing weeks of disruption. ● Find out more at https://kynekt.id
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tackle the fuel poverty crisis while helping to reduce the borough’s carbon footprint. nmartin@ciob.org.uk
2026
Diary dates
Highlights of the CIOB Calendar for the coming month Site visit: Gorse Ride Redevelopment Project 8 September, 2pm-4pm, Wokingham Come and join CIOB Reading Hub with Katherine Jones (social value manager) at Wates and experience a fabulous site tour of the Gorse Ride Redevelopment Project. The regeneration of Gorse Ride is one of the council’s flagship housing projects and will see 249 new modern homes built on the site, a massive 74% of which will be affordable homes to meet growing local demand. The phased regeneration will take place over a number of years. All the new homes have been designed to be energy efficient with high levels of insulation and low-carbon innovations such as air source heat pumps. This helps
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026
ART DECO
ART DECO DREAM
MCLAREN RESTORES A 1930s ARCHITECTURAL GEM
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Site visit: The Folkestone Leas Lift 10 September, 4.30pm-6pm, Folkestone The Grade II-listed Leas Lift is one of only three water-balanced lifts remaining in the UK. The restoration work involves bringing the lift back into operation, developing a new upper station area and extending the former cafe. Once complete, the Leas Lift will once again become a tourist destination, as well as hosting exhibitions, community engagement and events at the newly renovated Lower Station. blawrence@ciob.org.uk Battle of the Brains 10 September, 6pm-10pm, Newcastle Join CIOB for Battle of the Brains, sponsored by EDEN ENERGY – a lively and engaging quiz night designed to bring together members of CIOB and NAWIC for an evening of friendly competition and networking. Teams will go head-to-head across a range of rounds. Prizes and bragging rights await the winners! Tickets are sold individually – teams of up to six
Switchboard: +44 (0)20 7490 5595 Editor: Will Mann will.mann@atompublishing.co.uk Managing editor: Phil Clark phil.clark@atompublishing.co.uk Production editor: Mary Ann Haslam Art editor: Heather Rugeley Community editor: Nicky Roger nicky.roger@atompublishing.co.uk Advertising manager: Dave Smith david.smith@atompublishing.co.uk Commercial manager: Susan Cook susan.cook@atompublishing.co.uk Credit control: Eva Rugeley eva@atompublishing.co.uk
people can be formed on the night or booked together. dmoore@ciob.org.uk Rise of the Robots: “How Robots and AI are Tools for our Future” 15 September 12-1pm online This webinar will explore the growing role of AI, robotics and automation within the construction industry. The session will examine how emerging technologies are expected to transform project planning, design, construction processes, and site management, with a focus on improving productivity, safety, quality, and sustainability. Current applications and future developments will be discussed to demonstrate how AI-driven tools and robotic systems can help construction professionals address industry challenges and deliver more efficient projects. nmartin@ciob.org Re-visit: Brighton Seafront Arches 24 September 10.30am-12.30pm A chance to tour the Madeira Terrace seafront arches and promenade in Brighton in the second phase of restoration. Mackley has been appointed by Brighton & Hove City Council to restore Madeira Terrace, a
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Grade II*-listed 865-metre-long stretch of seafront arches and promenade on Madeira Drive in Brighton. The project includes the refurbishment of 28 of the arches. Works include dismantling all cast iron elements for shot blasting and repairs, followed by painting and reassembly. CIOB visitors will learn about the dismantling of the arches and the complex process involved in removing the Victorian structure. They will also be able to observe elements of the structure being reassembled and see some of the challenges faced by the team. latkins@ciob.org Return to HS2: Calvert to Greatworth Project 25 September The A422 Compound near Brackley is a key hub within EKFB’s Calvert to Greatworth section of High Speed Two, supporting major earthworks and infrastructure delivery. This visit offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at a live construction site, including a project overview and guided tour led by EKFB Project Director Tony Wehby FCIOB, alongside senior leaders from EKFB and HS2. skearns@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
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