The post Learn About the Latest News About the Future of Construction, UK Construction Sector Grows Fastest in 2 Years, on AI Utilisation, and Drones in Revolutionising Building to Boost UK Housing appeared first on UK Construction Blog.

In today’s news, we will look into the EN:Build director Richard Greenwood cautions against making pledges without having a plan in place. The guarantees made by Labour are providing the construction industry with a much-needed lift. With the election-related slowdowns having receded, the construction industry in the United Kingdom experienced its fastest growth rate in over two years during the month of July. In addition, the government allocates thirty-two million pounds to artificial intelligence projects that aim to improve public services and productivity. Lastly, the Labour Party in the United Kingdom has pledged to construct 1.5 million homes during its first time in office. To do this, it suggests implementing planning reform and setting local housing targets.

Future of Construction: Are Labour’s Promises Fanciful?

Original Source: The future of construction: Are Labour’s pledges more fantasy than fact?

Labour’s commitments are giving the building industry a much-needed boost, but EN:Build director Richard Greenwood warns against promises without plans.

Labour has promised to reform the building industry since winning the general election.

From building 1.5m grey belt homes to developing new towns, Labour’s objectives only benefit the construction, housing, and social housing businesses.

Starmer’s flagship planning update lacks specificity, which is crucial.

Construction pledges from Labour are on track.

First, focusing on property and construction in the national agenda is good. It’s about time that all the proper individuals are talking about our difficulties, and I’m impressed by Labour’s focus.

Choosing Angela Rayner as housing, communities, and local government secretary was a major move. Radical social housing improvements require someone who has experienced social housing and cares about making high-quality stock available and available for families that need it. How can you convince others to transform this industry as drastically as needed without empathy for the challenges? Correct, Starmer.

Finally, Labour’s campaign promises are optimistic. Reintroducing housing targets for local authorities and supporting planning officer recruitment are particularly welcome, as is an early review of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). However, I doubt these objectives will be realised.

Fundraising and recruitment may be difficult.

Not for the first time since the new government took office, manifesto pledges have lacked clarity. Almost everyone agrees that a housing and planning revolution is needed, but how and with what money is my concern.

Labour would fund 300 new planning officers to reduce planning delays. Nonexistent people cannot be hired. That is, the sector doesn’t have a glut of planners waiting for jobs. The problem is education and making it appealing to young people, which takes time. How and when the government will do this is needed.

Only 11 recognized planning apprenticeships exist worldwide, according to the Royal Town Planning Institute. We need to do better to tackle the recruiting challenge.

Money is another major issue with Labour’s pledges. Since we’ve gone down this path before, without concrete funding routes, people will struggle to support him. Not fast enough, but I expect Starmer to divulge more on funding in the Autumn Statement. By delaying the details, Labour will lose industry support, so acting now will strengthen its position against naysayers.

Housing is central, but not the only one.

To contradict myself, we need details to deliver these pledges, but we also need the larger picture.

How about roadways and drainage? Planning reform and housing targets are most important. We intend to revolutionise the planning system to develop 1.5m new dwellings, but they all need infrastructure and utilities. The local government highways departments will build new roads to connect these residences to communities, not planners. We lose sight of the whole process by focusing on one part.

The planning skills gap isn’t unique. Air source heat pumps will exacerbate the property and construction sector’s skills crisis. Skills and people from training and education are needed to implement these sustainable solutions quickly.

If any of these initiatives are to succeed, we must work together. We want a building boom, but the supply chain must be ready or it will fail before it begins.

Great to hear everyone talking about house building positively for the first time in years. I hope we can achieve what has been set forth, but until we see the blueprints to back the commitments, I’ll be cautious.

UK Construction Sector Grows Fastest in 2 Years

Original Source: UK Construction Sector Growth Fastest In More Than 2 Years

As election-related slowdowns subsided, the UK construction sector grew at its best pace in over two years in July, S&P Global reported on Tuesday.

The headline S&P Global Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index unexpectedly climbed to 55.3 in July from 52.2 in June. The reading should drop to 51.0.

The score showed five months of development and the biggest improvement since May 2022.

July saw growth in all three construction sectors. Housing projects grew again. Commercial business also expanded strongly, but civil engineering work grew the fastest in almost two-and-a-half years.

New orders drove construction growth. Orders rose the most since April 2022.

In July, firms increased spending and hiring due to higher workloads. Purchasing activity rose the most in almost two years.

July saw no change in supplier lead times after 16 months of improvement.

Input cost inflation increased as suppliers raised prices due to higher demand. The fastest input cost growth in 14 months was joint. Subcontractors raised rates moderately again.

Firms remained hopeful about activity rising next year, but morale fell to a three-month low.

AI to Cut Train Delays, Speed Up NHS Prescriptions, and Train Construction Workers Earns £32 Million

Original Source: AI to reduce train delays, speed up NHS prescriptions and train construction workers gets £32 million boost

AI projects to boost productivity and public services receive £32 million from the government.

Many companies exploring artificial intelligence (AI) to improve construction site safety, shorten railway maintenance time, and reduce supply chain emissions will get £32 million in UK Government funding.

Today (7 August), the government announced nearly 100 groundbreaking projects that would get funding as it uses AI to increase productivity and economic growth for everyone.

Over 200 firms and research organisations from Southampton to Birmingham and Northern Ireland will get financing for 98 projects to improve efficiency and reduce administrative duties in public services.

AI and Digital Government Minister Feryal Clark said:

• AI will improve public services and enhance the UK economy for working people.

• We must support programs like this to eliminate train delays, find new ways to maintain our important infrastructure, and make it easier for patients to acquire their medications.

• I believe projects like this will help us achieve our goal of using technology to accelerate growth and transformation across the board.

V-Lab Ltd. received £165,006 to develop AI-powered construction training software. Their solution uses immersive, scenario-based virtual simulations of real construction sites to instruct workers on risk assessments and safety regulations, ensuring the UK has a qualified workforce to build infrastructure.

As part of the government’s effort to construct a modern NHS, pharmacies that supply prescriptions nationwide will receive this funding. A project managed by Nottingham-based Anteam will see them working alongside shops and the NHS to increase the efficiency of their deliveries using AI algorithms. The technology will match store and hospital delivery demands to existing delivery journeys, unlocking under-utilised capacity, reducing carbon emissions, and improving patient experiences.

Hack Partners will also spearhead the creation of an automated system to monitor, manage, and discover rail infrastructure faults nationwide, transforming railway maintenance and inspection. This is a major advance for the British public, improving railway efficiency and safety for rail users.

The financing announced today will support solutions in ‘high growth’ industries, ensuring AI drives productivity and efficiency across critical economic sectors. Cambridge-based Monumo received £750,152 to create electric vehicle motor designs. Their 3D Generative-AI Tool will increase sustainability in commercial transportation, flying, and power generation.

Ongoing work on bringing these new technologies to life as winning teams create ways to deliver cost-cutting, efficiency-boosting advantages across the UK.

In logistics, Robok Limited is developing their SeeGul AI solution to monitor efficiency, manage resourcing, and discover bottlenecks that reduce output in warehouses and storage facilities. Kelp Technologies is working with Depop and Selfridges on real-time pricing and market trend analysis to simplify second-hand garment pricing. The concept will save shops time and money and boost the second-hand clothes market, decreasing waste and carbon emissions.

UKRI Technology Missions Fund Senior Responsible Owner and Executive Director of Cross-Council Programmes at UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Dr. Kedar Pandya said:

• All UK nations will benefit from AI innovation and economic growth in a variety of high-growth industries.
• They complement existing UKRI Technology Missions Fund initiatives that are using AI and other disruptive technologies to promote UK growth and productivity.

Today’s backing puts UK AI innovation at the core of the government’s productivity revolution objectives to boost economic development. The UKRI Technology Missions Fund funds winning initiatives to ensure UK leadership in developing and future AI technologies. The projects are supported by the Innovate UK BridgeAI program, which provides access to training, scientific expertise, AI advice, and increased engagement between businesses and developers.

After the King’s Speech, the government pledged to ‘take the brakes off Britain’ with a series of new Bills to promote sustainable growth through industry, skills, and new technology.

Drones Could Revolutionise Building, Boosting UK Housing

Original Source: Drones could revolutionise the construction industry, supporting a new UK housing boom

UK Labour promises to build 1.5 million houses in its first term. It proposes planning reform and local housing targets to achieve this. However, emerging technologies have received little attention.

UK construction could be transformed by drones. However, our new ACM Journal on Responsible Computing study shows that UK commercial drone deployment policies are still confusing and contradictory.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are remote-controlled flying machines with cameras or sensors. Drones can monitor construction sites, assess safety, and move heavy goods up to 20kg.

They can perform some building activities cheaper, safer, and better than humans. Drones could reduce construction worker falls from heights, the primary cause of fatalities. They can also reduce nighttime site monitoring costs and undertake safety inspections over wide areas, helping maintain energy pipelines and other infrastructure.

Despite these benefits, the UK’s drone policy is a patchwork of local bylaws, national legislation, and preserved EU restrictions, making it complicated for companies.

A corporation must register a 250g drone, train pilots, obtain insurance, and get Civil Aviation Authority operating approval to fly it in a busy urban area. This requires flight planning, risk evaluations, and other administrative tasks.

Companies must then address privacy, data, harassment (for drones with cameras), noise, and human rights laws, including worker redundancy or reskilling.

Lifting rules, worker health and safety standards, and building material transit laws apply to drones in construction. Some laws vary locally, nationally, and internationally.

This makes construction companies’ regulatory burdens heavier, making operations harder. The CAA’s licensing process for higher-risk commercial use situations can delay significant construction projects. The approval or denial of projects is not transparent, leaving businesses confused about their investments until approval.

New framework

Our paper offers a nationwide commercial drone deployment framework that includes all benefits and dangers under one law. Some use cases, especially regional ones, should be greenlit fast and by default, even for larger drones.

In dangerous situations, drone pilots should waive line-of-sight regulations. This could improve workplace safety by letting drones function without workers following them into unsafe circumstances.

The law must safeguard birds, bats, butterflies, and bees, especially endangered species, as well as humans.

If drones carry chemicals or other hazardous materials, their environmental impact and fire risk must be assessed.

For faster approval, the UK government could use its scientific and technical skills to create how-to instructions, compliance manuals, and other aids.

These resources would spread industry best practices. Companies should be able to operate in specific zones without significant documentation using off-the-shelf flight paths, algorithms, and APIs.

Internal drone “elevators� to lift heavy objects between levels at construction sites should be planned.

Unifying laws

National legislation might bundle all drone risk mitigation efforts under one law. This would handle privacy, noise, safety, human rights, and the environment simultaneously.

This would include noise profiling to ensure city drones meet noise limits. It would also clarify corporate drone use allowed and banned. A new commercial drone regulation might include technical restrictions, safety features, privacy protocols, and cybersecurity measures to prevent hackers.

The present drone laws assume a human controls the drone’s flight. As AI grows more integrated into decision-making and autonomous, it will need regulation.

Who is accountable if a control program fails? What disclaimers are needed? Another factor is that AI uses statistics over limited data. This implies they may never meet ISO safety standards, which are crucial for the construction industry.

Using drones in UK construction might boost a new housing boom by making it cheaper, safer, and more efficient. However, the government must embrace this technology revolution and strengthen drone policy and regulation to enable future advances.

Summary of today’s construction news

Overall, we discussed after capturing the general election, the Labour Party pledged to overhaul the construction industry. Construction, housing, and social housing companies are the only ones that stand to gain from Labor’s goals, which include creating new towns and constructing 1.5 million homes for those in the grey belt. Crucial detail is missing from Starmer’s flagship planning update. Moreover, there was an unexpected increase in the headline S&P Global Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index from 52.2 in June to 55.3 in July. The desired result is a decrease to 51.0. Five months of progress and the greatest improvement since May 2022 were shown by the score. All three of the building industries had up months in July. Reconstruction of dwellings increased. Although commercial business has had robust expansion, the most recent two and a half years have seen the fastest growth in civil engineering work. In addition, the UK government is investing £32 million to support several businesses that are investigating AI as a means to enhance safety on building sites, decrease the time it takes to maintain railways, and cut emissions in the supply chain. In an effort to boost productivity and economic growth for all citizens, the government has announced the support of nearly a hundred innovative projects that will utilise artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, drones have the potential to revolutionise the building industry in the United Kingdom. The laws regarding the deployment of commercial drones in the United Kingdom are still unclear and inconsistent, according to a new study published in the ACM Journal on Responsible Computing. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAVs, are aircraft equipped with sensors and cameras that are controlled from a distance. Transporting heavy items up to 20 kg is within drone capabilities, and they may also survey work areas for safety.