Weekly News Bulletin – 2nd February 2018

This week we shared news from the Birmingham Post that Birmingham construction levels in 2017 remained consistent with 24 new starts breaking ground, including four new office schemes.

With investment in upcoming transport links, such as the HS2, Birmingham has seized the opportunity to capitalise on its strong position as a desirable location with more than 4,000 residential units currently under construction. Here at Metsec, we are proud to be part of the thriving Midlands area and look forward to what 2018 has in store.

The Construction Index reported that nearly £2bn of track-related contracts are now open for applications. The successful bidder for the track and overhead catenary system (OCS) package, estimated at £1.55bn, will also work on construction work within stations and in tunnels. Will you be submitting a bid?

We also shared an interesting thought piece from BIM Today that asks the question on whether BIM is the original Big Data. With Big Data being a hot topic in the construction industry due to the advantages it provides to both building owners and construction firms, it is certainly insightful to discover exactly how BIM plays a key role in producing Big Data if not actually considered to be the all-important data itself.

The International Workplace has claimed that the government has failed to act on concerns about the new apprenticeships system, which was introduced in 2017. Based on official figures released, there has been 26.5% decline in apprenticeship since the apprenticeship levy has been introduced. Does the apprenticeship levy dissuade you from looking into apprenticeship options for your business?

Finally, we saw that plans for a £40m International Centre for Connected Construction in Newcastle have been unveiled. With aims to become a hub for the global construction sector, it would have facilities to educate on BIM, virtual reality, smart cities and cloud computing. We’ll keep you updated as we know more.

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Birmingham maintains record development levels

New research suggests construction levels remained resilient during 2017 while confidence in developing speculative office space has also grown.

https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/commercial-property/birmingham-maintains-record-development-levels-14218313?platform=hootsuite

HS2 publishes contract notice for track works

The competition officially begins today for nearly £2bn of track-related contracts on the High Speed 2 rail project.

http://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/hs2-issues-pqq-for-catenary-and-me-works

BIM: The original Big Data?

Big Data can help building owners and operators leverage insight from a wide range of sources to optimise their assets – and their businesses. Jon Anunson of i3 by AECOM says BIM can be an excellent starting point to get information flowing

https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/bim-news/bim-the-original-big-data/38045/

Apprenticeship levy is failing, say employers

According to official figures released last week, the government’s new apprenticeship levy is yet to increase the number of people being trained.

https://www.internationalworkplace.com/news/apprenticeship-levy-is-failing-say-employers-55792

Plans Unveiled for £40m Digital Construction Centre

Plans for a £40m International Centre for Connected Construction in Newcastle have been unveiled.

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/northeast/plans-unveiled-for-40m-digital-construction-centre