Tag Archive: construction

1. ‘Defining the Need’ – A conclusion and a look ahead to the future

   26th July 2021 9:40 am Comments Off on ‘Defining the Need’ – A conclusion and a look ahead to the future

   ‘Defining the Need’ has demonstrated an objective approach to understanding the needs of the public sector estate. It also highlighted the need to harmonise and digitise demand across new build programmes. This piece is a conclusion of our ‘Defining the Need’ series and provides a look into the future to see how it can provide a long-term solution.

   The results of the cross-departmental pipeline analysis showed that the top three most common spaces were circulation, storage and bathrooms. Constituting around 30% of the entire government’s estate. This shows that there’s a huge opportunity for the government to harmonise pipelines and implement a platform system solution. A standardised, repeatable platform construction system that ultimately meets the needs of multiple departments would provide the public sector with a quicker, better quality building solution.

   This report, combined with the government’s Construction Playbook, would give departments an opportunity to focus on building spaces that improve departments or communities and provide the greatest value.

   A standardised approach to building doesn’t need to compromise on quality or flexibility. At Thurston’s we’re able to provide high quality modular and portable buildings for every sector. Utilising a standardised approach, we’re able to meet individual client requirements and create a bespoke building while reducing delivery speed, improving sustainability and improving quality.

   Based on the data analysed and collected, the Platform team have been able to start developing their platform strategy that meets the needs of the customer. Looking ahead, the Hub’s project team plans to build a Rulebook with defined rules and standards detailing how technologies and components can be integrated. It also plans to build a Value Proposition which will define the characteristics, differentiation, cost-structure and life cycle of the platform and a Kit of Parts. The Kit of Parts will comprise the components of the platform highlighting how it can be varied within certain constraints. Finally the team will also progress with resources to support adoption, called Enablers. 

   A platform construction system solution provides new ways of working that may require changes to the ways that organisations are structured. Not every organisation will be able to implement a platform strategy without making significant changes, which is why the project team will build a set of processes and standards to help. The overall success of a platform system approach will rely on clarity of roles, responsibilities and processes, as well as the kit of parts.

   The processes and standards developed by the Platform Design Programme (PDP) will be made openly available and in 2022, demonstrate how they can be applied in practice. The PDP will use the concept training building and work undertaken at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry as a showcase to show organisations how they can implement a platform construction system along with the benefits.

   The PDP can also offer opportunities to the wider market. The full report, due to be published in winter, will demonstrate the potential for platform construction systems and how it could potentially be applied to other industries within both the public and private sector. Enabling others to procure, develop and apply platforms to develop better, faster and greener outcomes.

2. 217,000 more workers needed in the construction industry

   16th July 2021 10:50 am Comments Off on 217,000 more workers needed in the construction industry

   The CITB Construction Skills Network forecast, produced with Experian, has indicated that the industry is set for a challenging few years ahead as we start our recovery from the covid-19 pandemic and navigate our way out of the EU. Although it has highlighted some bright spots, with both infrastructure and housing standing out. 

   Their 2021-2025 report looks at how our economy can recover and what this means for the construction industry as a whole. It also predicts that there will be more contribution to the economy from maintenance and improvement works, as retrofitting existing buildings to meet net zero targets becomes a focus for the government and organisations across the UK.

   According to the report, most regions will see a slight increase in construction works by 2025. However the North East is the only region that is set to see a decline by -0.1%. It also highlights that the industry will need to recruit an additional 217,000 new workers just to meet demand as the industry bounces back a lot quicker than expected from the pandemic. 

   Even before the crisis we were seeing declines in numbers across the industry as the skills gap grew bigger. The pandemic has only made this worse but it does present us with an opportunity to reshape the skills pipeline. Making it better equipped to meet the needs of future workers. The industry needs to start attracting a new generation of workers and provide the right training to drive innovation and to meet net zero requirements. 

   The CITB recommends that the government seeks to help more college students into construction jobs by creating new pathways from Further Education into the industry. We’re currently sitting at 331 employees with two apprentices in the Thurston’s family. As part of our social value mission, we’ll be working with the local community to improve opportunities within the North East and boost the local economy, while providing a solution to the skills gap by hiring apprentices. We’re working with Wakefield College, which has been providing education and training in Wakefield since 1868, to support apprenticeship courses for their students. We’re also working with Kirklees College to provide CAD Technician apprenticeships in our in-house design department. 

   Steve Radley, Strategy and Policy Director at CITB said, “CITB has a central role in supporting construction employers across Great Britain so that they have the right skills. We need to present the industry as attractive to join, with clear pathways of entry and progression, such as through work experience and with opportunities for continued training, particularly for people of diverse backgrounds; setting standards; and addressing current training gaps and anticipating future needs in areas such as digital and decarbonisation.”

   You can see the full report here.

3. ‘Defining the Need’ – What is the Platform Design Programme?

   13th July 2021 1:26 pm Comments Off on ‘Defining the Need’ – What is the Platform Design Programme?

   The Construction Innovation Hub is collaborating with government and industry across four key themes of Value, Manufacturing, Digital and Assurance. The Hubs’ work supports the Construction Leadership Council’s strategy and the Roadmap to Recovery. A core element of the Hub’s programme, the Platform Design Programme (PDP) embodies all of the challenges of building design, while having to work with multiple departments and suppliers, to provide standardisation without compromising on flexibility and performance. 

   Funded through the UKRI’s Transforming Construction Challenge, the Hub aims to create better outcomes for the future by driving the adoption of manufacturing and digital approaches to improve the delivery and performance of infrastructure and create buildings that are fit for the future.

   Applying systems engineering and manufacturing techniques, the team is looking to develop a selection of processes, rules and standards to create a market for buildings made from platform construction systems. 

   Following these new processes, the Hub will develop, prototype and test this open platform construction system to highlight the benefits it will bring to the construction sector. 

   The new system will be implemented at scales across a pan-government pipeline of projects and programmes and look to reduce cost, delivery time and lifetime carbon emissions. It also looks to boost productivity and increase the asset whole-life value and offer an opportunity to integrate active renewable energy systems. It will also be able to be used flexibly to create beautiful, well-designed buildings that are fit for the future. 

   Analysis of initial data, combined with stakeholder interviews with clients and end users has identified a clear opportunity for platform design within the construction sector. There are companies across the UK manufacturing this way but the uptake has been slow across various sectors. Of the £50 billion pipeline analysed, around £35 billion has been identified as being able to be delivered in whole, or in part, through a platform solution. 

   The next part in our series will look at this analysis and its key insights to see why the ‘Defining the Need’ report is recommending a move to platform systems. 

4. ‘Defining the Need’ – the plan to accelerate standardisation in the construction sector

   5th July 2021 4:34 pm Comments Off on ‘Defining the Need’ – the plan to accelerate standardisation in the construction sector

   The movement to bring standardised, repeatable platform systems found in the manufacturing sector to construction continues to grow. But has been held back by a lack of clarity and consistency in the processes and standards which allow platform solutions to work across multiple sectors, stakeholders, projects and building types. As well as a lack of confidence in a forward pipeline for these solutions. ‘Defining the Need’ is report outlining plans to accelerate standardisation in the construction sector. 

   The government’s Construction Playbook outlines 14 key policies and guidance for how public works projects and programmes are assessed, procured and delivered. This has helped to accelerate the growth for standardised, repeatable platform systems. At the same time, the Construction Innovation Hub looks to develop the processes and standards that support platform solutions and will develop a concept building using platform components to highlight how it works. The Hub aims to provide organisations with the processes and standards they need to make the necessary changes to their structure to implement a platform system and show them how to use it.

   Last year, the Hub’s Platform team partnered with several government departments including education, housing, health and social care, justice and defence, to create a cross-departmental data set of future requirements against a £50 billion five-year new build pipeline using these new processes and standards. 

   Initial data analysis served as evidence in support of the policies outlined in the Playbook, and signals the government’s move towards procuring more construction projects based on three main focuses. Focuses include platforms consisting of standardised interlinking components and assembly, driving improvements in setting clear and outcome-based specifications and enabling innovation by using modern methods of construction (MMC) through aggregated and standardised demand. 

   At the end of last year, the Construction Innovation Hub launched a summary of their upcoming ‘Defining the Need’ report, due to be published this winter. This report takes these three main themes and defines the potential benefits of standardisation and harmonisation across construction projects. Construction generally suffers a variety of challenges including weather issues and delays, projects can take up a long time and can come at increased costs. Standardisation and repeatable platform systems can help innovate the industry and improve efficiency and productivity. 

   This short series will look at the summary report for ‘Defining the Need’ and the Platform Design Programme, including what it is and its key findings and insights. It’ll also look at how it will benefit the construction industry, its conclusions and a look ahead at what the future of the industry looks like.