News

The Institution of Structural Engineers’ 2021 Structural Awards Shortlist, features 53 outstanding projects worldwide. This year, sustainability will be at the heart of the judging process.

Digital twin technology is expected to lead the way in transforming our cities, saving billions in running costs and assisting towards net-zero targets.

The Building Safety Alliance, an independent industry led not for profit organisation, has been set up to provide certification for competent individuals wishing to become building safety managers, as well as a publicly accessible register of those certified by the scheme.

Time seems to be passing so quickly. Since we last spoke, I’ve had the pleasure of attending my first board meeting and my first meeting with the Engineering Council – both were engaging and eye-opening.

Architects from across the UK are being given the opportunity to shape the future of the profession, as part of a wholesale review that will modernise regulation and improve accessibility and innovation in the sector.

The draft British Standard on quality management specifically for business in the built environment sector (BS 99001 Quality management systems) is available for public consultation.

International engineering federation FIDIC (the International Federation of Consulting Engineers) has published five of its key standard construction contracts in Chinese. All five contracts are bilingual, supporting Chinese consultants and contractors to better comprehend FIDIC contracts in their interactions in international markets. 

The New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) has published its draft new Code of Practice for house builders for a four-week public consultation (closing 7 July). The New Homes Quality Code aims to address the gaps in existing protections for new-build customers.

The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has completed its suite of novation agreements and related collateral warranties with its 'switch' documents, along with updated guidance.

Off-site manufacturer Rollalong has been approved by NHBC Accepts, the industry standard accreditation scheme for the residential housing sector provided by the National House Building Council.

Developers and housebuilders warn the government is unlikely to hit its goal of 300,000 new homes built a year by the mid-2020s unless it ups its planning permission numbers.

Competitors from across Wales were awarded with gold, silver and bronze medals at an event celebrating the successes of Skills Competition Wales, a national programme recognising vocational talent in a variety of sectors, including engineering and construction.

Dublin City University (DCU) and the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics have partnered with software engineering firm, Bentley Systems, to build Ireland’s first higher education digital campus.

The government in England has launched a consultation on its updated design guide for fire safety in schools. Building Bulletin 100 (BB 100) is non-statutory guidance, which covers designing a school building to have early warning systems and evacuation routes, advises how to minimise the spread of fire and how to ensure the building structure is adequately resistant to fire, as well as requirements for access and facilities for the Fire and Rescue Services. The updated Bulletin contains guidance on compliance with Building Regulations Part B (Fire Safety), school-specific fire risks, property protection and fire safety management.

The Building Safety Bill, published on 5 July 2021, will create lasting generational change and set out a clear pathway for the future on how residential buildings should be constructed and maintained.

Building Engineer prides itself on presenting high-quality technical information and industry insight, and would like to showcase the expertise of the members themselves.

Leeds Beckett University has been working with Honeywell to create an educational series of presentations, interviews and events for the facilities management sector.

Energiesprong UK has launched an Innovation Partnership that will unlock up to £10bn to kickstart large-scale, whole-house retrofits for the country’s social housing stock. Working together with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Turner & Townsend, the partnership is a new and quality-assured framework that will play a pivotal step in delivering warmer, more comfortable, low-carbon homes at scale.

The Institution of Structural Engineers’ 2021 Gold Medal has been awarded to Paul Fast, founder of Fast + Epp, an internationally recognised structural engineering firm based in Vancouver, Canada, in recognition of Fast’s leadership in the design of architecturally expressive structures that incorporate unconventional use of materials, including hybrids of wood, steel and concrete.

The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) has joined the UK BIM Alliance Affiliate Programme to support the implementation of building information modelling in practice and provide a co-ordinated approach to digital transformation across the built environment.