A new greener, stronger and more durable concrete that is made using the wonder-material graphene could revolutionise the construction industry. Experts from the University of Exeter have developed a pioneering new technique that uses nanoengineering technology to incorporate graphene into traditional concrete production. The new composite material, which is more than twice as strong and four times more water resistant …

Michael Holmes, property expert and spokesperson for The Northern Homebuilding & Renovating Show (3-5 November 2017, HCC, Harrogate), offers some thoughts on the state of the UK housing market. “The cause of the housing crisis in the UK is simple enough for any GCSE economics student to understand: there are too many people chasing too few homes to either buy …

As part of its new Greener Living campaign, which launches today, Kier Living, part of the Kier Group, has partnered with Forest Carbon, a company leading the way in voluntary carbon woodland creation in the UK, and has committed to planting 45,000 new trees by 2020 to offset its carbon usage. Through its partnership with Forest Carbon, Kier Living will …

The next Government must ensure the construction sector has enough skilled workers post-Brexit or its housing and infrastructure manifesto pledges will be redundant, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The FMB has called on all major political parties to recognise the importance of migrant labour to the construction sector as part of its ‘Programme for Government’. Brian Berry, Chief …

Boiler manufacturer Baxi has joined Carbon Connect, an independent, cross-party forum that aims to inform and guide the transition to a low carbon future underpinned by sustainable energy. Together with its members and a variety of sector experts, Carbon Connect analyses the opportunities and challenges presented by moves to a low carbon future, and provides a platform for discussion between …

As those in the insulation manufacturing process know, not all mineral wool insulation is the same. For builders, however, it’s sometimes difficult to understand where the distinctions lie, what benefits there might be and how the insulation choices they make can impact upon a project or application. Paul Barrett, Product Manager at Rocwool looks at where stone wool insulation began …

Nearly fifty thousand Brookhurst hand-made plain clay roofing tiles have been installed on a stylish Scandia-Hus residence in West Sussex. Brookhurst tiles are made from the highest quality clay material using traditional hand moulding and coal firing techniques. The Sussex residence is located on a former orchard site acquired with a small cottage which was demolished.  Planners approved the elegant …

Timber Conservation windows and doors by Mumford & Wood have been specified by a building developer for his own residential property in Poole, Dorset.  This large coastal town, once a maritime trade hub, has attracted tourists and visitors to its beaches and landscapes for many decades and is an established area of beauty. The 1950s cottage-style property was purchased by …

Building Lives, the award-winning construction training charity, is to close at the end of the month due to a lack of sustainable funding. Building Lives was started by Lakehouse founder Steve Rawlings in 2010 and has taken those furthest from the workforce and trained them for successful careers in construction. The charity’s closure comes at a time when skills shortages …

Leading civil engineers, environmental scientists, water experts, water companies and architects have appealed to the Lords to ensure the incoming housing law protects new and existing homes from flooding. Contributing to the Housing and Planning Bill debate currently passing through the Lords, the coalition said that new development will place additional pressure on critical drainage and flood defence infrastructure. The …