Long reads

Demand for electric-vehicle charging, renewable energy connections, grid upgrades and electric heating schemes are all providing a healthy pipeline of work for mechanical and electrical (M&E) specialists. Aggregate revenue among the largest 10 firms in the sector has risen by 13 per cent, from £2.68bn to £3.04bn, in this year’s…

The 10 biggest ground engineering (GE) firms recorded the second-lowest combined turnover of any specialism in this year’s index, although there were still sizeable increases in turnover and pre-tax profit since the previous year. Total revenue has shot up by 29 per cent compared with the previous year’s table, while…

A new company sits atop the envelope contractor table for the first time since 2018. London-based Stanmore’s sharp revenue growth, from £96.1m to £142.9m, sees it overtake Permasteelisa, which itself achieved a 12 per cent turnover rise. Stanmore’s accounts attribute its rapid growth to a relaxation of Covid restrictions, the…

The UK’s 10 largest demolition firms bounced back from the impact of the pandemic. Following a 5 per cent drop in turnover in the 2021 Specialists Index and a flat performance last year, the sector’s big names posted a combined 11 per cent hike this year. National Federation of Demolition…

By Keith Cooper The leading concrete specialists improved their aggregate financial performance, although inflation hit profits and margins. Three of the top 10 firms posted losses, in contrast with the previous year, which saw only one firm in the red. Third-placed PJ Carey’s £48.1m deficit was the biggest by far,…

With the number of women in construction edging up, leaders are urged to keep chipping away to effect change More women are working in the construction industry than ever before. At 15.8 per cent of the construction workforce, according to the latest figures, it is the highest proportion on record…

It’s been 25 years since construction adjudications were introduced. But has it become too costly to bring a dispute – and does everyone involved trust the process?  In the early 1990s, the UK construction market was not in good shape. After Black Wednesday dealt a hammer blow to the economy,…

Despite continued economic turmoil, the release of pent-up demand got the industry back on track, with combined turnover and profit both surpassing pre-Covid levels Remember 2019? At the time it seemed chaotic, with the UK construction sector – along with the rest of the business community – facing a lack…

When it comes to tackling the biggest culprits for embodied carbon in the built environment, silver bullets are in short supply. By Kristina Smith The construction industry is awash with decarbonisation roadmaps and plans for achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Most have milestone goals set at 2030 – an…

A recent roundtable by Construction News and Hitachi Solutions gathered construction experts to discuss the challenges of data sharing. It uncovered a – perhaps surprising – appetite to put aside traditional rivalries to boost collective productivity. Ian Weinfass reports On the panel        Alex Coles, head of data…