Weekly News Bulletin – 1st June 2018

This week, we saw insights from Construction Global that drones could save the UK construction industry an incredible £3.5bn by 2030. Based on a study conducted by PwC into the impact of drones on the UK economy, drones could add as much as 2% into the country’s GDP, with the construction sector set to benefit from increased productivity.  We would recommend reading this article to find out more about how drones can increase site productivity through collecting large amounts of data and mapping sites 400 times faster than traditional methods.

In similar news, The Construction Index reported predictions for a boom in drone usage. These predictions include seeing more than 76,000 drones with flying cameras in the UK skies in just 12 years’ time – over 4,800 of these are thought to be from the construction and manufacturing sector alone. This comes as many are already experiencing drones providing cheap and efficient ways to map sites and track construction progress. What are your opinions? Do you use a drone in your business and what would make this a viable option for you to do so?

Geospatial World released an interesting thought piece looking at the advantages of using BIM and augmented reality in unison, to make life easier and more productive for the construction professional.  Through using augmented reality to view BIM, the industry could have an enhanced view of the different phases of project lifecycle and the outcome. With the main benefits of using both BIM and augmented reality including design, construction, inspections, operations and maintenance and renovations, we would recommend reading this article to find out more. Here at Metsec, we are passionate about using BIM Level 2 to visually represent a construction project right at the beginning of a project. This ensures that before physical construction begins, all of the stakeholders are aware of costs and implications of the materials they are using.

The Construction Index reported an inflation-busting pay deal agreed for construction workers operating under the Construction Industry Joint Council (CIJC) agreement. With this agreement signed by the Unite and GMB unions, this boost in pay allowances set to take place in June,  will see pay increased by 3.2%. Principally covering workers operating in civil engineering and carpenters, bricklayers and painters, will see an increase in travel allowance in line with inflation and increased industry sick pay.

Finally, we saw news from The Construction Index that the Department of Education has confirmed that construction T levels are planned to start in September 2020. Offered as an alternative to A-levels for more practical students, T levels are thought to provide invaluable skills and includes a three-month industry placement to give students a hands-on approach. But, with the T levels facing criticism from the construction industry that it will not provide a credible qualification, what are your opinions?

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Drones can save UK construction industry £3.5bn by 2030 – PwC

Drone technology will save construction firms in the UK some £3.5bn ($4.65bn) by 2030, according to new forecasts.

https://www.constructionglobal.com/equipment-and-it/drones-can-save-uk-construction-industry-ps35bn-2030-pwc

Consultants predict boom in drone usage

The use of drones is set to significantly improve the productivity of UK construction, according to a report by accountancy firm PwC.

https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/consultants-predict-boom-in-drone-usage

BIM and Augmented Reality – An enhanced view for enhanced outcomes

Building Information Modeling is already making the life of construction (AEC) professionals easier, enabling them to more efficiently plan, design, construct, and manage buildings and infrastructure.

https://www.geospatialworld.net/blogs/bim-and-augmented-reality-an-enhanced-view-for-enhanced-outcomes/

Inflation-busting pay deal agreed

Construction workers operating under the Construction Industry Joint Council (CIJC) agreement are set for a boost in pay and allowances in June after a new two year pay deal worth 6.2 per cent was agreed.

https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/inflation-busting-pay-deal-agreed

Construction T levels start in 2020

Teaching of T level courses in construction will start in September 2020, the Department for Education has confirmed.

https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/construction-t-levels-to-start-in-2020-1