17 December 2013

Build a house in 4 hours plus download latest CAD & BIM app for specifiers

Howard Chapman, Buildingtalk Editor, writes… House building news this week: latest ONS statistics show that new residential construction orders are up 41.6% and are now nearly 20% of all construction output. Planning permissions for new homes are up 33%, the highest since 2007.   With London’s population growing faster than anytime in history, Boris Johnson[…]

  • 17 December 2013

16 December 2013

Marine Plywood is under Q-Mark scheme to enable high quality material

The changes have been brought about after concerns in the industry that some of the material is not meeting the standards of BS 1088:2003: Marine Plywood, defined to ensure a high quality material. The Timber Trade Federation now requires all of its members to comply with BS 1088, stating that products must be of suffient[…]

  • 16 December 2013

  • 06 December 2013

05 December 2013

Fast Track Interior product brochure launched by SAS International

The literature details the variety of fit-out interior products that the company produces, including ceiling tiles and grids, drywall and dry lining components, aluminium partitioning systems and integrated doors. The portfolio is available from SAS depots across the UK and is designed to advise on accurate installation methods whilst keeping costs down.

  • 05 December 2013

05 December 2013

Timber Frame to boost housebuilding market in 2014

The research found that value growth in the SIPS market and rising volume demand for open panel timber frame will continue to drive healthy growth for off-site manufacturers and timber suppliers in 2014.  Wood panels are set to continue to gain share as housebuilders increasingly adopt timber frame as a more cost effective method of[…]

  • 05 December 2013

05 December 2013

Why building for the future means thinking green

Debates about sustainability do not occur in a vacuum. Population growth is one variable that can put huge pressure on the environment and, if the figures from the Office for National Statistics are anything to go by, then that pressure is only going to increase in the UK. According to the ONS’s latest figures, the[…]

  • 05 December 2013

03 December 2013

Stroma Certification’s ECO Engine approved by Ofgem for all measures

The software carries out the approved methodology for ECO scoring by using an automated process for quick and simple calculations and features an online tool and web interface that are compatible with existing CRM systems. The ECO Engine programme forms part of Stroma Certification’s existing Green Deal and ECO software, with multiple solutions available to[…]

  • 03 December 2013

29 November 2013

Future proofing MRF design crucial for improving quality of products

Director of resource recovery specialist Axion Consulting, Keith Freegard, advised industry representatives that the need for the design concept is vital if managers want to improve the quality of products and gain more profit from multi-million pound investments. Key ideas put forward at the conference included the benefits of installing effective management information systems to[…]

  • 29 November 2013

26 November 2013

Construction activity up 50% and mandatory CCTV on all new buildings

Construction activity up 50% and mandatory CCTV on all new buildings Industry news last week included a report from BarbourABI that construction activity grew by 50% in October compared to the same month last year; the UK Green Building Council warn of job losses by Christmas if government rolls back green levies; the Labour Party[…]

  • 26 November 2013

22 November 2013

Energy Performance Contracting

What is an Energy Performance Contract (EPC)? An Energy Performance Contract (EPC) is a contractual and funding mechanism which provides energy efficiency retrofit to a building to improve its energy performance while minimising risk to the building’s owner. Any upfront capital investment is recouped through energy cost savings over a period of time, usually between[…]

  • 22 November 2013