Construction

A major housebuilding company has been fined £800,000 following a serious incident in which a 17-year-old apprentice was injured after falling through a collapsed temporary stairwell on a construction site in Weston-super-Mare.

The Terms of Reference for a new Building Control Independent Panel (BCIP) — formally established last week to strengthen oversight, transparency, and public confidence in the building control system across the country — have been published.

Thomas Roche, Secretary of the Business Sprinkler Alliance, considers whether the UK government’s fire safety actions thus far can be considered a regulatory success for property protection.

Trigon Fire Safety’s Karl Wallasch discusses the application of fire engineering on a smoke shaft design for a listed building’s hotel refurbishment.

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection has announced it is introducing a new membership category.

The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) is looking for additional End Point Assessors to support the development of apprentice BEMS Controls Engineers.

Howarth Timber’s Emily Green has compiled a short guide on the importance of properly specified, fitted and maintained fire doors.

Almost 1,000 young people aged 11 to 18 from across the UK have entered The Big Bang Competition.

CABE member Kabbe Njie, Principal Engineer Fire & Life Safety Systems at Heathrow Airport, discusses the growing fire risks of lithium-ion batteries in residential buildings.

Enya Zhang, a student at the University of Central Lancashire, has completed IFSM-funded research exploring the impact of coatings on wood combustion

Collaborative reporting for safer structures. Report 1197: Incorrect firestopping by a third-party certificated contractor

The 2025 Davidson Prize presents 16 exciting concepts to help solve the UK’s housing crisis.

Steve McSorley, Director at Perega, discusses the engineering challenges of a crumbling NHS estate – and what contractors may face when bringing these buildings up to date

Investment in construction is now resembling a board game, with the odds stacked against the players – but is their luck about to change? asks Peter Crush

The Building Centre and the National Retrofit Hub’s exhibition explores the barriers and solutions to retrofitting the built environment.

Northern Ireland’s Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has hosted a roundtable event in Belfast entitled ‘Plan to Improve: Pathway to Progress’. This event brought together organisations from across business, education, public sector, environment, councils and legal professions to encourage open and collaborative dialogue on the planning system.

The National House Building Council (NHBC) has backed the government’s £600m Construction Skills Package. It is also committing £100m to training programmes and encouraging people from all backgrounds to now consider a career in housebuilding.

Trade body the Property Care Association (PCA) has published a consumer guide to help householders with concerns over spray foam insulation installed in their properties.

A local authority has partnered with Duraproducts to trial its recycled plastic kerbing for both durability and safety purposes.

Digital Construction Week will return to ExCeL London on 4 and 5 June 2025. From architects to digital strategy, the speakers at this year’s event represent a diverse catalogue of knowledge in construction technology, sustainability and data-driven design.