As the week draws to a close, CM rounds up the construction stories you may have missed over the past seven days:
London mayor consults on new fire safety guidance
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has launched a consultation on new fire safety guidance for the capital that will ensure evacuation lifts are included in developments so that residents can evacuate buildings safely in the event of a fire.
MP calls for action after construction defects found in shopping centre
A Cheshire MP has called for action from Balfour Beatty after defects were discovered in the £80m Barons Quay shopping centre, completed in Northwich in 2016. Mike Amesbury MP has written to Balfour chief executive Leo Quinn calling for defects, including cracks in glass panels and the falling down of an aluminium fin, to be fixed, according to the Chester Standard.
£5bn wiped off housebuilders’ value
More than £5bn has been wiped off the value of UK housebuilders since the start of the year, according to www.thisismoney.co.uk. The drop is reportedly linked to investors’ fears that the end of a stamp duty holiday, rising interest rates, and a squeeze on the cost of living could slow demand for housing.
Factory makes UK’s longest railway bridge
HS2 has started production of 1,000 concrete segments weighing up to 140t that will form the deck of the Colne Valley Viaduct. The segments are being made in a temporary factory built for the project.
Emissions calculator promotes greener site equipment
Temporary power company Aggreko has developed an environmental calculator to allow contractors to audit emissions from their onsite equipment, according to Global Construction Review.
Cemex pilots electric ready-mix trucks
Cemex is to introduce electric ready-mix trucks after becoming the first building materials company to complete a large-scale multi-country pilot, says Cement World.
