Building materials

Liz Varga FCABE explains how the principles of infrastructure resilience relate to the built environment

Significant cost increases and the introduction of new restrictions on professional indemnity insurance (PII) policies are causing concern.

The government’s new hydrogen strategy will determine the fuel’s future application in the construction industry, with further details to come this year.

The government’s long-awaited Heat and Buildings Strategy, published in November 2021, aims to reduce household heating and buildings emissions. Grants worth £5,000 per household will help ensure that low-carbon heating systems such as heat pumps are no more expensive to install and run than fossil fuel boilers. A total of £450m will be earmarked over the next three years for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, part of more than £3.9bn of funding for decarbonising heat and buildings.

Stuart A Johnson Consulting discusses the project management of the new Lambeth Palace Library building

The BSI has launched an identification tool that promises to bring product traceability through the built environment supply chain.

In the scramble to return buildings to use after lockdown, some operations – such as lift maintenance – were not given enough attention

Dr Brian Cox CEng FIMechE explains two of the most important measures – the introduction of Accountable Person status and Safety Case Reports – that will come into force when the Building Safety Bill becomes law in 2022.

Highly Commended: Freeman Consultancy for The Bothy Restaurant, Wentworth Garden Centre, South Yorkshire. A new restaurant building constructed on a busy Grade I-listed country house estate.

Winner: The University of Wolverhampton for the School of Architecture and the Built Environment (SoABE). A flagship project designed to preserve the site’s architectural legacy and deliver a state-of-the-art, purpose-built teaching facility.

Winner: Architectural Conservation Professionals for Turret Lodge, Co. Clare, Ireland. This derelict building has become a functioning centre for historical and genealogy family studies for the west of Ireland

Northern Ireland’s Department of Finance has launched a consultation on proposed increases in energy efficiency standards for new buildings.

Deirdre Hargey, Northern Ireland’s Minister for Communities, has approved additional funding of up to £15m to ensure stability in the region’s social housing construction sector following recent volatility in materials costs.

A new video examining the Florida bridge collapse in 2018 has been released.

Using wood in construction rather than concrete could help combat climate change, according to Gareth Mason, a Sales Director at pulp and paper company Stora Enso.

CHAS‘ Alex Minett says strong strategic supply chains are a greater priority than ever, but how can they be supported?

The Construction Products Association’s Marketing Integrity Group Chair, Adam Turk, explains how the new Code for Construction Product Information will help to make things clearer for building engineers.

Progress on indoor air quality must be backed up with sophisticated monitoring, says Ana Cross of Elta Fans

Smart home management company tado° has found that UK homes gain heat faster on hot days than European ones.

The UK government’s decision to continue recognising CE marking for a further 12 months has been welcomed by the DHF. It means that the UKCA mark will only become mandatory for goods placed on the market after 31 December 2022, rather than 2021 as previously announced.