Image: Metropolitan Police
Whether it’s the Grenfell tragedy, housing quality, the general election or BIM, CM’s news stories, features and opinion articles have elicited a huge response from our readers. Here’s a selection. Keep them coming in 2018!
1. Grenfell Tower: May orders full public inquiry
The prime minister ordered a full judge-led public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 71 people in June.
Philip Palin, 15 June 2017
“I can’t comprehend how a fire of this magnitude can take hold in such a short space of time and result in such catastrophic damage, loss of life and injury not to mention the huge effect on innocent people’s lives – my heart goes out to those poor people.
“It is a sad indictment on the consctruction sector which I am a part of. The building has recently been refurbished, surely in this day and age that would have been the ideal time to have installed the latest fire prevention technology (sprinklers) and alarm system. What about dry risers and compartmentation to reduce the spread of fire and to enable fire fighters to deal effectively with the fire?”
2. Let’s raise a glass to the clerk of works
Clients are beginning to realise that technological innovation in construction needs to be accompanied by an experienced human presence on site, wrote Pellings’ Chris Fadoju in September.
Rob Clark, 19 September 2017
“This is music to my ears. I think this article highlights exactly what troubles projects from the client’s perspective and is certainly an issue for me. Projects handed over with deep-rooted problems, that if a clerk of works had been employed, could’ve been rectified for minimal cost and disruption. When they manifest themselves after handover, the cost, disruption and damage to reputation of the whole project team is huge.”
3. UK BIM adoption: reality is difficult to fathom
Is UK construction adopting BIM fast enough? asked Andy Boutle in April.
Jason Sandland MCIOB, 24 April 2017
“BIM is a PI insurers time bomb delight waiting to happen. When successful organisations and clients have their own systems, adopting BIM can be a backward step and costly to implement, restricts diversity and is prejudice against SME, hence a poor ‘option’.”
4. Changing the industry starts with offsite
Mark Farmer began the year with a call for greater use of offsite manufacturing.
Robert Hudson, 13 January 2017
“The shopfitters and bridge builders have been doing it for years, get over yourselves.”
5. Tough love needed to address housing quality
And Farmer addressed the issue of housing quality in April…
Steve Farrell, 4 May 2017
“It would not be difficult for a house builder to appoint a third party to check and report on build quality. There is little point in telling the site team of the findings as they usually want to circle the wagons and deny all problems. It is a higher management issue but the main priority seems to be reporting back to the board that all is well. Quality control is a cost that is not worth spending.”
6. Professor Li Shirong – her life remembered
In March CM and its readers paid tribute to the CIOB’s first female president who died aged 59.
Marjorie Brooker, 3 March 2017
“This is a great shock to read of Li Shirong’s death. I met her many years ago when we were both serving on the CIOB International Board. Our first meeting was in Cape Town SA and then the next year we attended a major construction conference that she hosted in Chongqing where she was serving as a Professor. It was obvious that she was much loved and respected by all her students and colleagues. I found her such a wonderful person to be with, who had a bottomless pit of energy and enthusiasm for everything.”
7. 10 myths about construction apprenticeships
Sue Husband, director of the National Apprenticeship Service, wrote a piece coinciding with National Apprenticeship Week.
Robert Hudson, 27 June 2017
“We have successive governments to thank for this – the word apprenticeship has become so diluted it is virtually meaningless and yet construction apprenticeships continue to offer good and meaningful careers to young people of both sexes with positive job prospects.”
8. Reader panel’s thoughts on the general election
In response to CM reader’s panel comments on the election in May…
Steve Perry, 24 May 2017
“It appears that the country is experiencing a full frontal lobotomy.”
