Times have been challenging in the building market but encouraging recent reports suggest grounds for cautious optimism, with a positive trend noticed in 2024 set to continue, says analysis from Arcadis.
The consultant says Government reforms on planning and funding for infrastructure and housing are improving the outlook for the construction industry, despite a background of global uncertainty.
Industry sentiment seems to be improving although some clients are – anecdotally at least – delaying commitments to new projects until stronger signs of economic recovery emerge. Encouragement is being taken, however, from developments like the action being taken on tackling the building safety related Gateway 2 logjam that new BCSA President Chris Durand highlights in his column this month.
So the outlook could, at worst, be described as mixed – but the balance does seem to have swung in a more positive and confident direction recently.
Constructional steelwork will be needed for many of the key projects unlocked by reform and growing confidence – many would be impractical or uneconomic without its use. We see examples of this in every issue of NSC and in this issue we have examples of outstanding projects serving many of what will be key sectors for the foreseeable future.
In News for example, we read about a major data centre scheme near Scunthorpe. We also read about a major ‘green’ data centre complex planned for another famous steel manufacturing name, Ravenscraig in Scotland. Developers of these projects value steel’s cost effectiveness, speed and flexibility, all of which are essential to securing the UK’s success in growth markets.
Other growth market projects in this issue include a life science building at the Wellcome Genome Campus at Cambridge, the University of Oxford’s Life and Mind Building, the creation of a new London museum at the historic Smithfield Market, a world class leisure, research and healthcare facility at Llanelli, and reuse of steel at one of London’s best known former Oxford Street department stores.
The steel sector enjoys a deserved world leading reputation for the quality of projects such as these. This is made possible by the ongoing commitment to investment by the BCSA and member companies. For example, a major investment is coming on stream this year, as BCSA CEO Jonathan Clemens told the National Dinner in June, with commencement of the BCSA developed design guides and national annexes for the second generation of the new Eurocodes. This crucial work has been a key focus of the BCSA for some years and represents a substantial commitment of time and money.
Judging by the level of repeat business the steel sector attracts from leading clients, there is a lot of confidence in its ability to deliver. The substantial investment in new design guides is a clear sign that the steel construction sector has confidence in itself.
Other signs of this confidence are seen consistently in the high level of investment made by BCSA members in their own capabilities. Caunton Engineering, for example, is undertaking an investment to transform its fabrication yard loading fleet into an all-electric operation as part of its drive to achieve carbon net zero. Another external vote of confidence comes from news of an investment from a well-known entrepreneur Simon Orange in William Hare that you can also read about in News.
Steel sector showing a lead on spreading confidence
Times have been challenging in the building market but encouraging recent reports suggest grounds for cautious optimism, with a positive trend noticed in 2024 set to continue, says analysis from Arcadis.
The consultant says Government reforms on planning and funding for infrastructure and housing are improving the outlook for the construction industry, despite a background of global uncertainty.
Industry sentiment seems to be improving although some clients are – anecdotally at least – delaying commitments to new projects until stronger signs of economic recovery emerge. Encouragement is being taken, however, from developments like the action being taken on tackling the building safety related Gateway 2 logjam that new BCSA President Chris Durand highlights in his column this month.
So the outlook could, at worst, be described as mixed – but the balance does seem to have swung in a more positive and confident direction recently.
Constructional steelwork will be needed for many of the key projects unlocked by reform and growing confidence – many would be impractical or uneconomic without its use. We see examples of this in every issue of NSC and in this issue we have examples of outstanding projects serving many of what will be key sectors for the foreseeable future.
In News for example, we read about a major data centre scheme near Scunthorpe. We also read about a major ‘green’ data centre complex planned for another famous steel manufacturing name, Ravenscraig in Scotland. Developers of these projects value steel’s cost effectiveness, speed and flexibility, all of which are essential to securing the UK’s success in growth markets.
Other growth market projects in this issue include a life science building at the Wellcome Genome Campus at Cambridge, the University of Oxford’s Life and Mind Building, the creation of a new London museum at the historic Smithfield Market, a world class leisure, research and healthcare facility at Llanelli, and reuse of steel at one of London’s best known former Oxford Street department stores.
The steel sector enjoys a deserved world leading reputation for the quality of projects such as these. This is made possible by the ongoing commitment to investment by the BCSA and member companies. For example, a major investment is coming on stream this year, as BCSA CEO Jonathan Clemens told the National Dinner in June, with commencement of the BCSA developed design guides and national annexes for the second generation of the new Eurocodes. This crucial work has been a key focus of the BCSA for some years and represents a substantial commitment of time and money.
Judging by the level of repeat business the steel sector attracts from leading clients, there is a lot of confidence in its ability to deliver. The substantial investment in new design guides is a clear sign that the steel construction sector has confidence in itself.
Other signs of this confidence are seen consistently in the high level of investment made by BCSA members in their own capabilities. Caunton Engineering, for example, is undertaking an investment to transform its fabrication yard loading fleet into an all-electric operation as part of its drive to achieve carbon net zero. Another external vote of confidence comes from news of an investment from a well-known entrepreneur Simon Orange in William Hare that you can also read about in News.