1. Arup trials Body Information Modelling
A group at Arup has come up with an imaginative and ambitious way to get architects and engineers fired up about BIM. It is using everyday BIM technology to model the human body and show what can be achieved with the software available. Read more…
2. CIOB-backed group lines up against NBS and BRE
The CIOB is part of a consortium taking on the BRE and RIBA Enterprises’ NBS for the contract to develop a crucial “missing link” in Level 2 BIM – the digital plan of work. The teams were last week each awarded £50,000 to develop their feasibility plans, with the winning bid due to be selected by late summer. Read more…
3. Balfour Beatty: overseas operations could be sold next
Balfour Beatty’s senior management acknowledged that the strategic rethink announced along with a profits warning earlier this month could result in its Middle East and Hong Kong businesses being put up for sale in the future. Read more…
4. Balfour Beatty CEO quits after profits warning
Balfour Beatty issued a £30m profits warning linked to the performance of its UK construction business, which was followed by the resignation of group chief executive Andrew McNaughton after just over a year in the post. Read more…
5. Bilfinger bids for GVA Grimley as tram opening marks end of UK contracting
Bilfinger, the German engineering and services company, confirmed that it had offered to buy privately owned British commercial property consultant GVA Grimley Holdings, as it looks to increase its hold of the facilities management market and to continue to reduce its reliance on construction. Read more…
6. The Shard and a room with an unexpected view
The Financial Times reported that guests to the Shangri-La’s luxury hotel in London’s Shard, get a more than a view than they might have bargained for. FT correspondent Tom Robbins reported that “some rooms also come with potentially revealing views of other guests through the floor-to-ceiling windows”. Read more…
7. CIOB ambassador presses for answers on son’s death
CIOB Ambassador and environmental reporting expert Kye Gbangbola FCIOB spoke about the death of his son Zane during the February floods as he continues to press for answers to what caused the tragedy. Read more…
8. Google X offshoot wins $8m funding
A software design firm born from Google’s “moonshot” development arm Google X won $8m in venture capitalist funding to develop new collaborative software for the construction industry. Read more…
9. David Cameron tweets images from CIOB-backed blog
Prime minister David Cameron tweeted photos of construction workers featured on the We Are Building Britain Tumblr blog, set up to recognise work on hundreds of infrastructure projects across the country. Read more…
10. Is your job at risk from the rise of robots and AI?
A study by two academics from the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford highlights the jobs most at risk from offsite production and robotisation in future. Construction managers appear to be in the clear, but accountants and estate might want to think about retraining. Read more…
Top in Comment
Balfour Beatty – a winning culture that struggled to adapt
An industry commentator shares his views on the underlying reasons behind Balfour Beatty’s shock announcements earlier in the month. Read more…
Top in Management
Why main contractors also struggle with cash flow
Staffan Engstrom on recent analysis that shows the UK’s six biggest contractors experienced a cash outflow of £400m over the last year, meaning that cash flow management is a key issue for main contractors as well. Read more…
Top in agenda
Design debate: The partners in design
Adam Branson asks whether the industry needs to re-examine its approach to design management, while Elaine Knutt meets two industry veterans with a new take on collaboration. Read more…
Top in International
India’s Narendra Modi pledges 100 smart cities and infrastructure boom
The landslide victory of Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in last week’s Indian elections has led to expectations of an infrastructure boom, including 100 “smart cities” and a high-speed rail network. Read more…
