Industry insights – July

Elland Steel logo in the middle of grinding sparks on a steel tube

Q2 activity falls by 21% compared to Q1 According to Glenigan, main contract awards averaged £6,030 million per month in Q2. That’s 32% down on the last quarter and 30% lower than the same period a year ago. This is the third month of lower activity levels for contract awards, confirming the new lower trajectory. […]

Office refurb projects are on the rise

Refurbishment and extension of building

Office Refurb Work There is an increase in office refurb projects, particularly in London, according to Glenigan. As companies seek to rebuild and reconfigure their business space to accommodate hybrid working, the offices sector can look forward to two years of growth. New office projects will rise by 19% next year – Glenigan’s view After […]

Project starts continue to dwindle

Elland Steel logo in the middle of grinding sparks on a steel tube

The value of underlying work starting on-site during the three months to June, fell 5% against the preceding three months, standing 39% lower than a year ago. The continued weakening in project-starts in Q2 is disappointing but unsurprising. Project starts are likely to continue to dwindle into the latter part of the year, mainly due […]

BREEAM certification is becoming more important

BREEAM logo

In May, Glenigan confirmed that BREEAM certification is becoming more important in the commercial and industrial sectors, where knowledge and experience with BREEAM is helping to win contracts. BREEAM is a sustainability assessment method that helps to ensure that buildings are designed, constructed, and operated in a way that minimizes their environmental impact. This is […]

Industry Insights – May

Sparks from Steel

Contract awards fell back to £4.7bn with continued uncertainty – Barbour ABI’s view After recent strength, contract awards have slipped back in April with £4.7bn. Among other industry insights in May, Barbour ABI stated that the uncertainty and constraints caused fluctuations between high and low activity levels each month. Contract awards fell by 33% month-on-month […]

Downward trend for construction starts continues into May

Sparks from Steel

The Glenigan Index of construction starts continues to report a decline in April. The value of underlying work starting on-site during the three months to April fell 23% against the preceding 3 months to finish 41% lower than a year ago. Downward trend for construction starts continues – Glenigan’s view The overall decline in construction […]

New Fire Safety Regulations and Guides

Steel beam with in-house shop applied Intumescent coating

Fire regulations continue to evolve in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. New legal provisions were recently laid in parliament, which form phase 3 of the Home Office’s fire safety reform programme. New fire safety regulations come into force on 1st October Phase 3 amendments will improve fire safety in all buildings regulated by […]

Prison construction gets a boost whilst project starts remain low

Elland Steel logo in the middle of grinding sparks on a steel tube

According to the latest construction industry data, the amount of project starts is at a 10 year low. However, there are some industry bright spots: prison construction gets a boost, and the hotel construction pipeline looks strong. In this overview, we summarise the latest construction industry data from analysts at Barbour ABI and Glenigan. Prison […]

The impact of rising energy costs on the construction industry

Construction site with crane

The energy crisis has impacted the construction industry The impact of rising energy costs on the construction industry included eye-watering fuel prices that led to a spike in material costs. Ultimately resulting in many projects being postponed. On the plus side, the energy crisis has brought forward infrastructure projects and encouraged energy efficiency improvements. The […]

Quarter 1 performance continues to falter

Elland Steel logo in the middle of grinding sparks on a steel tube

Construction-starts flatlined in February Quarter 1 performance continues to falter in the midst of economic uncertainty according to Glenigan. The Glenigan index reviews the poor performance for Quarter 1. Meanwhile, the economic director has hope for a boost in project-starts in Q2 and Q3. Sector-wide decline in quarter 1 performance The Glenigan index of construction […]