News

The Construction Leadership Council has released guidance for sites operating during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Circulars for Parts L and F and introducing new Parts O and S and updated or new Approved Documents are available.

Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG) Kew and the Museum of Architecture (MoA) have launched an international design competition to create three treehouses across RBG Kew’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of a larger Treehouses at Kew exhibition that will run from April to October 2023.

I feel my year in office is flying by; I’m now getting ready to chair the Association’s AGM later this month, where we will discover who will be joining the board in June and who will be the next Vice-president.

UCEM, in collaboration with the Climate Framework, has released a free Energy and Carbon in the Built Environment course. It explores how net-zero carbon can be achieved through optimised building design, sustainable material selections, and efficient construction.

The annual drinking water quality report, published by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), shows drinking water in England and Wales is safe, reliable and meeting the DWI’s stringent high standards. However, it also shows many properties can still be affected by lead pipes, mostly found in older homes, and lead solder, which some plumbers are using illegally.

A group of 12 young professionals from the built environment and construction sector have formed an alliance to make sure the voices of the next generation are heard in creating an inclusive industry that is fit for the future.

As part of a national Compliance Plan for Scotland, this consultation seeks to obtain the views on the development of a new Compliance Plan Manager role within the building standards system which will apply to specific high-risk building (HRB) types, the definition of these HRBs and the level of fines where work is not carried out in accordance with the regulations.

The CIC has urged young construction Industry professionals to share what they would like the industry to look like in 2050. Will Arnold, CIC 2050 Group Chair, says; “The 2050 Group acts as a conduit between current and future leaders of the profession, and we intend to use the survey results to set a vision for our work over the next two years.”

HMRC has announced changes to the aggregates levy. Legislation will be amended to ensure all borrow pit aggregate dug for use in construction will be taxed under the levy. The HMRC will explore the scope to replace specific exemptions from the levy with a general one for aggregate extracted unavoidably as part of a construction project.

NBS’ annual Digital Construction Survey (formally BIM Survey) has revealed that 80% of respondents think adoption of digital technologies is delivering a better-built environment, with 75% agreeing that it offers sustainability benefits.

The National Digital Twin programme and partners produced a film and interactive app for COP26 showcasing the role of connected digital twins in adapting to the climate emergency.

The new EN1004-1 product standards will ensure all mobile access towers comply to create a safer working at height environment, and came into force in November 2021.

The Engineering Brand Monitor report focuses on STEM secondary school teachers’ knowledge and understanding of engineering and the extent to which they feel able and are motivated to provide related careers guidance and activities to their students.

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.

NHBC, the UK warranty and insurance provider for new homes, has launched the 2022 edition of its technical standards

Manufacturers of construction products will need to start sharing their data digitally to support a safer and sustainable construction industry.

Arup has welcomed a fresh intake of apprentices and newly qualified graduates to support its Nottingham team’s work on a wide range of major projects. Two recently recruited apprentice technicians and two new university graduates are now part of the 100-plus strong city team. Four further Nottingham-based apprentices have also recently completed their part-time degrees with the company.

Have you set gaining environmental professional registration as a goal for 2022? If you apply evidence-based environmental and sustainable thinking in your role, gaining environmental professional registration will allow you to demonstrate your expertise and boost your credibility as a recognised environmental professional. Becoming registered helps you to build your knowledge further through CPD and allows you to connect with a network of professionals working across many disciplines.

In the previous issue of Building Engineer, I gave an update on key areas of progress the Association has made towards its strategic objectives; you can read more about this in the annual report on page 38. As we start the new year, I want to introduce you to some of the next steps and highlight key new initiatives for 2022.