Technology

US-based modular giant Volumetric Building Companies (VBC) has expanded its UK management team as part of what it described as “aggressive” growth plans. Tim Uttley has joined the firm as commercial director for the UK and special markets. He will lead VBC’s business development activities in the UK, as well…

Balfour Beatty, Morgan Sindall and Galliford Try are trialling a new technology that provides real-time reporting of embodied carbon. The new software allows contractors and suppliers to more accurately measure their scope 3 emissions – indirect carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in their supply chain – rather than using approximate,…

The ‘golden thread’ of building-safety information mandated after the Grenfell tragedy may be stymied by a profusion of digital systems, industry leaders have warned. In a debate on standardised product data and building safety, chaired by Dame Judith Hackitt (pictured) during Digital Construction Week, concerns were raised that progress on…

Offsite production of the first of 68 precast concrete piers to support HS2's Thame Valley modular viaduct has begun. The UK subsidiary of Spanish firm Pacadar started manufacturing the piers yesterday (18 May) at an offsite factory (pictured) on the Isle of Grain. The 880-metre-long modular viaduct near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire,…

Government plans to standardise modern methods of construction (MMC) would remove barriers to innovation, one of the participants in a new initiative has told Construction News. Plans to establish a sector-wide standard for the construction industry would also encourage the wider use of modern building materials, equipment and techniques, said…

Legal & General (L&G) will stop producing modular homes as long planning delays and Covid meant its factory failed to become profitable. L&G Modular Homes has posted six straight years of losses since its launch, with its latest loss standing at £36.9m for the year to 31 December 2021. L&G…

Construction businesses are among the most likely to fall victim to cyber-facilitated fraud, the government has warned. A government study has found that construction businesses are often the most behind when it comes to online protection, and consequently suffer higher rates of fraud – with 5 per cent of building…

Modular housebuilder TopHat has secured a £70m investment from the markets and pledged to open its long-awaited mega-factory next year. The Derby-based offsite construction specialist raised the capital from major new and existing shareholders as it bids to take its production of homes to a new level. Traditional housebuilding giant…

Laing O’Rourke has announced that it will switch to using low-carbon concrete on all of its new UK projects, with immediate effect. In a statement, the firm said that the commitment was made after a research programme co-funded by Laing O’Rourke and Innovate UK proved it could use a range…

A UK and EU-based company developing small modular reactors (SMRs) has announced an equity raise of up to £900m for development of its work. Newcleo, which has registered businesses in Italy, France and the UK, is developing what it calls lead-cooled fast nuclear reactors, and plans to manufacture fuel from…