Construction Global - June 2021

June 2021 | constructionglobal.com

REMOTE BUILDING Off-site building benefits from external forces

ETHICAL CONSTRUCTION Building a lasting and sustainable future

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The Construction Team EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DOMINIC ELLIS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

SCOTT BIRCH CREATIVE TEAM

OSCAR HATHAWAY SOPHIA FORTE SOPHIE-ANN PINNELL HECTOR PENROSE SAM HUBBARD MIMI GUNN JUSTIN SMITH REBEKAH BIRLESON

PRODUCTION DIRECTORS

GEORGIA ALLEN DANIELA KIANIČKOVÁ PRODUCTION MANAGERS

OWEN MARTIN PHILLINE VICENTE JENNIFER SMITH PRODUCTION EDITOR

JANET BRICE

VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGER

MEDIA SALES DIRECTOR

DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCERS

SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR

KIERAN WAITE

SAM KEMP EVELYN HUANG TYLER LIVINGSTONE MARKETING MANAGER

KAYLEIGH SHOOTER PROJECT DIRECTORS

BEN MALTBY MIKE SADR KRIS PALMER TOM VENTURO

MARK CAWSTON

JASON WESTGATE MANAGING DIRECTOR

LEWIS VAUGHAN

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

STACY NORMAN PRESIDENT & CEO

GLEN WHITE

EDITORS LETTER

Construction safety and welfare needs an overhaul “The physical and mental wellbeing of construction workers needs far greater attention”

CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY

THE ARRESTING SIGHT OF 454 HARD HATS LINED UP AT THE LEEDS COLLEGE OF BUILDING EXHIBITION, ONE FOR EVERY UK SUICIDE IN THE SECTOR ANNUALLY, WAS A POWERFUL STATEMENT. As workers return from furlough and the pace of construction picks up after the pandemic, the physical and mental wellbeing of construction workers needs far greater attention.

Heights are a recurring issue, with almost 40% of annual recorded construction fatalities happening as the result of a fall. Finances are the biggest cause of stress, along with tensions with customers and suppliers, and high workloads.

More leading firms are starting to employ ‘Mental Health First Aiders’ which is a step in the right direction, and the inaugural ‘Building the Future of Workplace Mental Health’ conference in May had industry experts sharing insights.

But the message is clear: safety and welfare needs improving on and off site.

DOMINIC ELLIS

dominic.ellis@bizclikmedia.com

© 2021 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

constructionglobal.com

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CONTENTS

Our Regular Upfront Section: 08 Big Picture 10 The Brief 12 Global News 14 People Moves 16 Timeline:

Watkin Jones 20 Five Mins With:

June Green

38

Remote Building

Off-site building benefits from external forces

24

J-Tec Material Handling Driving growth in Asia

48

APTIM

APTIM revamps its way to better procurement

62

70

Building a lasting and sustainable future

Pandemic and online shopping spark urban planning revolution

Ethical Construction

Built Environment

78

90

BIM raises certification and on-site coordination

Largest construction projects in the world

BIM

Top 10

BIG PICTURE

CREDIT: HS2

HS2 Florence Tunnel Boring Machine UK

The launch of Florence marks the first of 10 giant Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) that will dig 64 miles of tunnels between London and the West Midlands in the HS2 high-speed rail project. The first two TBMs will be operated by Align – a joint venture comprising Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick. constructionglobal.com

9

THE BRIEF “FIRMS NEED TO BE ASKING ‘IS THERE MIGRANT LABOUR IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN?’ ‘HAVE THESE WORKERS BEEN CHARGED RECRUITMENT FEES?” Peter Hugh Smith, Chief Executive of CCLA

BY THE NUMBERS 84%

Are you concerned about COVID-19 at work?

Yes

READ MORE

“Future-proofing is vital to ensure shopping centres remain relevant and a place where people want to be – more than just shopping” Mark Hewett,

Director at Scoop

READ MORE

“Field BIM is also a game changer in terms of coordination on projects” Tom Boland,

Global Head of Digitalisation at Zutec

READ MORE

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June 2021

EDITOR'S CHOICE SPECIAL REPORT: WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK Following a year of lockdowns, firms need to be mindful of employees’ mental health as well as their physical well-being on site.

READ MORE

DOES WOOD HOLD THE KEY TO CONSTRUCTION SUSTAINABILITY? It's strong and versatile so it's hardly surprising that wood is experiencing a renaissance in a net-zero world, where developers are looking to reduce their cement inventory.

READ MORE

JCB UNVEILS HYDROGEN-FUELLED ENGINE JCB plant machinery has begun its journey in sustainability and now a new development in plant machinery has been announced - a hydrogen-fuelled combustion engine.

READ MORE

GCAA targets start-ups to tackle concrete emissions The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has launched the Innovandi Open Challenge, a global programme which aims to unite tech start-ups and the cement industry to accelerate low-carbon technologies.

Start-ups can pitch solutions to key industry challenges that require advanced technology, support, and investment and which will have a significant impact on the climate footprint. It is estimated the cement industry contributes 7% of all CO2 emissions worldwide.

The challenge areas include carbon capture technologies, calcination technologies for heating materials during the concrete manufacturing process - carbon use in the construction supply chain and improved concrete recycling. Dinah McLeod, GCCA Chief Executive said: “Innovation will be crucial at every stage, from new cement and concrete chemistries to kiln technologies, clinker production, and carbon capture.

This Open Challenge will help ensure we are bringing the creativity of the best minds from outside the industry to tackle the climate emergency.”

 WINVIC CONSTRUCTION Winvic Construction has topped out its first hotel project, Hotel La Tour, at 50 metres in Milton Keynes. Winvic is currently fitting-out the 261 bedrooms, which includes the positioning of off-site fabricated bathroom pods.  PRETRED The Colorado-based company, which produces industrial barriers from 95% recycled materials, has announced $3 million seed investment led

by HG Ventures, the corporate venture arm of The Heritage Group.  PAUL JOHN CONSTRUCTION FRP Advisory has been appointed administrators for Paul John Construction, one of the largest firms in the UK midlands region.  SIR ROBERT MCALPINE Leading firm posted loss before tax of £26.8m in 2020 compared to a profit of £14.5m in 2019 but predicts a “robust return to profitability in the coming year”.

W A Y U P JUNE 21

W A Y D O W N

constructionglobal.com

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GLOBAL NEWS 1

UNITED STATES

AI-powered Snapp expands in USA Swapp, an AI-powered construction planning company, is making its move on the USA market after opening an office in Florida, its third international outlet after the UK and Israel.

The new US site will house the company's national sales and marketing team.

2

UNITED KINGDOM

HS2 launches first of 10 Tunnel Boring Machines HS2 has launched ‘Florence’, the 2,000-tonne tunnel boring machine (TBM) from its South Portal site next to the M25 in Buckinghamshire. It is the first of 10 giant tunnelling machines that will dig 64 miles of tunnels between London and the West Midlands in the high-speed rail project.

12

June 2021

4

FRANCE

Notre-Dame ‘reborn’ with Autodesk digital twin technology As Parisians marked the second anniversary of the fire which devastated Notre-Dame Cathedral, digital twin technology has helped reconstruct the landmark to its former glory. Data using reality capture technologies prior to the fire enabled Autodesk to create a 3D BIM model and reality capture scans provided 3D models post-fire for comparison.

5

NEPAL

China Coal Mine Construction Group wins ¥450m Nepal project

3

GERMANY

GSB Gerüstbau and SSE Contracting bought by Aurelius Group

China Coal Mine Construction Group Corporation (CCMC) recently won the bid for the South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation Mugling-Pokhara Highway Improvement Project in Nepal, in a contract valued around ¥450 million.

BPG Building Partners Group has bought the business operations of GSB Gerüstbau, a scaffolding company based in BobenheimRoxheim, Germany.This purchase of GSB Gerüstbau further increases Aurelius Group's coverage in Germany and complement its overall strategy of strengthening portfolio companies through sustainable growth.

constructionglobal.com

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PEOPLE MOVES JAMES BRUCE FROM: OMINCOM AND WPP SUBSIDIARIES (INTERBRAND, LANDOR) TO: BURO HAPPOLD CURRENTLY: CFO NOW: CEO James Bruce has been appointed Buro Happold’s new CEO, with a strong objective to strengthen its global presence, and focus on sustainability. With a presence in 26 locations worldwide, the aim is to double employees to 4,000 within six years. Prior to joining Buro Happold, he was Governor at Westbourne House School, and other positions include CFO at Fitch and Controller EMEA at DDB, and he is heavily endorsed on ‘financial reporting’ and ‘strategy’. Buro Happold – whose project plaudits include the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, working as part of the integrated design and construction team – has also appointed New York based Craig Schwitter as Senior Partner, Chair of the Global Board.

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June 2021

TONY SHAW FROM: HENRY BOOT TO: HENRY BOOT WAS: OPERATIONS DIRECTOR NOW: MANAGING DIRECTOR Tony Shaw has been appointed Managing Director of Henry Boot Construction, replacing Simon Carr, who has retired. He has held a range of roles in the company, including Operations Director, Eastern Regional Manager and Contracts Manager.

In other senior management changes, Jonathan Fisher is newly appointed Managing Director of Banner Plant, replacing Giles Boot.

KELLY VEIT FROM: FKUR TO: VEIT WAS: PRESIDENT NOW: CEO Kelly Veit becomes the first female CEO in Veit’s history, succeeding Vaughn Veit at the helm of the Rogers, Minnesotabased specialty contracting and waste management firm. She has been a trusted advisor to Vaughn and the company for over two decades, and a deep understanding of the history of the company. As CEO, Kelly will serve in a strategic and visionary role alongside President, Tim Reimann. constructionglobal.com

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TIMELINE WATKIN JONES PURPOSE BUILT STUDENT ACCOMMODATION PROJECTS IN 2021 Watkin Jones recently announced a H1 2021 profit of £29.1 million, down 1.8% year-onyear. Here are the PBSA projects it has on its books this year (all forward sold).

216 Dundee Street, Edinburgh

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June 2021

348 Wilder Street, Bristol

415

422

Cranfield

Cathedral Street, Glasgow

462

630

699

All Saints Road, Leicester

Steelworks House, Sheffield Phase 1

Kelaty, Wembley

LEGEND

June Green

‘Housing with heart’ Chief Executive of Link Housing retires after 43 years.

A

fter 43 years championing decent housing as a basic right and making a positive difference to people’s lives, Link Housing Chief Executive June Green is looking forward to settling into a creative and musical retirement later this year.

June, who often uses her love of singing and music to liven up staff engagement events, discovered her passion for housing in 1978 when she joined Falkirk Council as a temporary repairs clerk and moved through the ranks to become housing manager and then divisional manager responsible for over 10,000 properties in the Falkirk, Denny and Camelon areas.

In 2008, she joined Link as a supervisor, before moving to Service Improvement Manager and onto manage Link’s Private Sector Leasing Scheme on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council, before taking up post as Chief Executive of Link Housing in May 2016; a role which sees her lead the team managing over 8,000 tenancies and improving lives for countless people and families across Scotland.

Link Group Chief Executive Jon Turner said: “I would like to thank June for her service not just to Link but to the housing sector as a whole. During her long and experienced career, she has led by example and her wealth of knowledge has made a difference to 18

June 2021

countless lives across Scotland. On a personal level June has provided me enormous support since I joined Link Group and I will miss her humour and words of wisdom.”

Link Group Convenor Ross Martin said: “Housing with Heart. For June, that phrase is not a lofty aspiration of a policy aim, or even a simple physical description of the houses we build, it is the action of doing so and of enabling people to move into them, to feel safe and secure in them, to live fulfilling and enjoyable lives from within them.

“I often talk about the fundamentally important connection between people and place. June has continuously demonstrated that connection, recognising that the value of her team and the Values she’s developed with them are two sides of the same coin – and that has been the currency of her energetic and empathetic leadership of Link Housing.”

Reflecting on her career, June said: “Link is a fantastic company to work for, the values and beliefs are demonstrated daily and when the core values of an organisation align with your own, it is a successful match to achieve great outcomes.

“I have had a fantastic Housing journey, only working with two employers. I count myself lucky to have worked in the sector, doing what I love, with the people, for the people.

“I will undoubtedly miss the job and all the people, however recognise the time is right to pass on the baton to take forward Scottish Government’s 2040 housing vision for the future. I am looking forward to a creative retirement full of music, writing and family.”

Never afraid of hard work, as one of her final tasks, June is taking a leading role in integrating the Weslo housing team into Link’s – making it one of the largest and most geographically diverse in the country.

“I count myself lucky to have worked in the sector, doing what I love, with the people, for the people” constructionglobal.com

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FIVE MINS WITH...

Q. TELL US ABOUT CONSTRUO

» The platform is designed to

bring the fragmented construction industry together in one focal point, with a revolutionary (effectively crowdsourced), vote-backed question-and-answer system plus access to high-level expertise. I co-founded it with E-Man Venture Labs the leading technology startup incubator based in London, Los Angeles and Sofia.

Q. WHAT’S THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND IT?

» It’s about sharing practical

TOM SPILSTED CONSTRUO FOUNDER AND CEO TOM SPILSTED, AN INDUSTRY VETERAN WHOSE CV INCLUDES A SPELL AS A COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR OF LEND LEASE, HIGHLIGHTS WHAT MAKES THE FREE PORTAL UNIQUE 20

June 2021

knowledge and experience, rather than advice. The differential is that you’re actually talking to real people, and those people are interested in sharing their knowledge. It’s a central point for construction information and advice, whereas everything else out there is spread far and wide.

Because the construction industry is so diverse and fragmented, it doesn’t generate collaboration easily. And it has a habit of driving everything down to the cheapest cost, not necessarily taking the best value approach. I think the last year generated the most collaboration I’ve seen in the industry because of Covid-19 – companies have been working together to solve mutual problems.

“ IT’S ABOUT SHARING PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE, RATHER THAN ADVICE”

“IT’S THE PERFECT ENTRY POINT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE LOOKING TO PURSUE A CAREER IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY” Q. WHAT ARE THE KEY FEATURES?

» At the heart of Construo lies its

question-answering engine, along similar (but more subject-focused) lines to Quora.

It boasts a number of unique features, including easily discoverable video and written reference resources, and the ability for both seasoned and aspiring professionals to form global networks with their peers. Construo’s upvoting/ downvoting system ensures that the best questions and answers remain prominent on the portal – rather than becoming buried in a feed as they would, for example, on LinkedIn. As Construo. io builds its member base, its roadmap

includes adding exciting services that include various cloud tools designed to help SMEs, a comprehensive, AI-driven advertising, jobs and events platform, along with a wealth of other features.

Q. HOW DOES IT APPEAL TO GRADUATES?

» It’s the perfect entry point for young

people looking to pursue a career in the construction industry. In what is a physically fragmented industry – especially given the current situation – it gives them the chance to amass useful contacts, and to tap into Construo’s vast well of buildingrelated knowledge by asking questions.

constructionglobal.com

21

Top 100 Leaders in Supply Chain September 2021 To be announced at the Procurement & SupplyChain LIVE Event NOMINATE NOW

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J - TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

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June 2021

J - TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

DRIVING

GROWTH

IN ASIA

Process know-how, open control systems and independence from suppliers is leveraging business growth for J-Tec Material Handling in South-East Asia

WRITTEN BY: JANET BRICE PRODUCED BY: THOMAS LIVERMORE

O

pen control systems, an independent approach to suppliers and the skill to design tailor-made solutions is helping J-Tec Material Handling leverage its growth throughout South-East Asia.

Just three years after the Belgium-owned company - a wholly-owned business unit of its parent company Katoen Natie - put down roots in Rayong, Thailand they are driving growth across SEA as a process engineering partner to clients in the food and chemical industry.

“Part of our business plan focused on the possible synergies with Katoen Natie who have been in Thailand (and Asia) for more than 20 years,” said Arnaud Nelissen Grade, Sales Director Asia at J-Tec Material Handling.

“Aligning ourselves with Katoen Natie allows us to share resources like IT and HR more efficiently. But more importantly, it has resulted in a closer cooperation between the existing business units here which now makes our group quite unique in the region in terms of what we can offer to our clients. constructionglobal.com

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J - TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

“ In terms of growth we just got started, but we've already exceeded most company targets and expectations that we set up three years ago.”

ARNAUD NELISSEN GRADE SALES DIRECTOR ASIA, J-TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

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June 2021

“We were also attracted to Thailand because it is a big market with a lot of investments going on in the food and the chemical industry. On top of that, J-Tec previously had some success with significant projects in Thailand - so we felt that we could easily build on those to gain momentum.”

For more than five decades, J-Tec has focused on its customer-centric approach and has retained its competitive edge in handling solids and liquids due to the fact it is totally supplier independent and offers clients open control systems moving away from the more standardised approach of most of their competitors.

“This means we can guarantee a customised solution for every challenge,”

J - TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

ARNAUD NELISSEN GRADE TITLE: SALES DIRECTOR COMPANY: J-TEC MATERIAL HANDLING LOCATION: ASIA

said Nelissen Grade who bridges the gap between Europe and Asia as he spearheads the rapid growth in the region.

Speaking from J-Tec’s Asian headquarters in Rayong, he said: “We don’t offer a onesize-fits-all approach; instead we listen to the client and use our in-house knowledge and tools to develop a tailored solution for their project.

“J-Tec acts as a partner during the complete process: from the conceptual design, on through detailed engineering, procurement and manufacturing, up until installation and commissioning, and if required training and maintenance.”

He pointed out the open control systems mean clients are not ‘handcuffed’ to J-Tec

EXECUTIVE BIO

INDUSTRY: INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION Arnaud holds a Master Degree in Industrial Engineering from GroupT Leuven Engineering School.

Graduating in 2009, he spent most of his career abroad, mostly in China for Jan De Nul and in Rotterdam for Fabricom, working in various project and construction engineering roles.

After earning a Postgraduate Degree in Business Administration, he joined J-Tec in late 2014 where he immediately contributed to J-Tec’s success as a Sales Engineer.

In 2016, he moved to Thailand to spearhead J-Tec’s business development in SEA. Since then, he has devoted his time to putting J-Tec on the Asian map, taking the lead in Sales, HR and Strategy, establishing J-Tec Material Handling Ltd. as the regional HQ and focusing on building a sustainable foundation for J-Tec’s growth in the future.

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J - TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

“We have all the experience and all the competencies in-house at J-Tec but we just need to keep working on how to effectively apply this in Asia without really rushing it.”

ARNAUD NELISSEN GRADE SALES DIRECTOR ASIA, J-TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

if they want to extend the factory or system in the future. “Instead, we believe in delivering quality and that keeping this promise means J-Tec will hopefully be involved again in the future” he said.

Supplier independent Independence from suppliers is one of J-Tec’s key differentiators. “If we look back 50 years, J-Tec started as a representative of certain brands of component manufacturers. Over the years the projects became more complex and we evolved towards an engineering company,” commented Nelissen Grade.

“We knew our competitors and at that time, we made a very clear decision to start designing our own systems and become completely supplier independent in order to offer that additional flexibility.

“Today, in contrast with many of our competitors, we don't produce our own equipment. Most of the equipment in our systems are purchased from third parties, OEM for standard equipment and independent manufacturers for custommade equipment that we design ourselves, but is then manufactured by these third parties.

“The way we make a difference is by leveraging this strategy. We always focus on finding the real optimal process design for

any given application, which will then define which original equipment manufacturer (OEM) equipment we will source and where to source it. If it doesn't exist or if it needs to be custom made, we will design it and have it fabricated, typically in the region where the project is located.”

constructionglobal.com

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Arnaud NelisseN Grade talks J-Tec Material Handling

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June 2021

J - TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

J-Tec is a company member of EHEDG The European hygienic engineering & design group.

“We are involved in several relevant associations related to our industry, the most important one being EHEDG. J-Tec is an active, contributing member of EHEDG and has been assisting in the development of the industry standards with regards to hygienic design for Dry Material Handling for more than 10 years now. Such collaborations help us stay up-to-date and highly relevant in what we do.”

1970

J-Tec Material Handling was founded in 1970.

140+

Number of employees

€50+mn Company revenue

Three-dimensional experience One way in which J-Tec is turning to technology to give them a competitive edge is offering customers a virtual tour of a proposed factory development. “By using the power of Virtual Reality (VR) we are able to elevate a factory design from a flat plan to a three dimensional experience,” said Nelissen Grade.

“It enables us to show the customer and let them discover their future factory before it's even built which also helps us in the design of our systems. If our engineers and our customers can walk around a realistic 3D representation of the plant, we can discover potential problems, find alternative solutions and adjust the design much faster and more efficiently which benefits both J-Tec and its customers.

“A small thing like being able to visualise their factory also adds an element of wonder for the customer,” he said.

Commenting on J-Tec’s digital transformation to Industry 4.0, Nelissen Grade said: “Like many companies, we have an Industry “4.0” plan that is being rolled out to improve and expand our services during and after projects.

“We are developing several technologies involving the use of big data related to the constructionglobal.com

31

J - TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

systems we build. This can, in turn, lead to remote monitoring of certain metrics and KPIs, preventive maintenance and the further expansion of our internal know-how on how to design the best possible systems with optimal performance using realistic process simulations.

“Furthermore, we have accelerated our remote assistance program, finding ways to support our global customers without needing to be physically present, for example using AR, which has become highly relevant due to the pandemic.”

Future technology trends “For our industry specifically, we do believe and invest in big data and remote assistance and see this as a trend across several industries,” said Nelissen Grade.

“Also, hygienic design, contamination prevention… are big trends and we are continuously developing solutions for our clients in this regard, particularly in infant nutrition.

“Lastly, automation is gaining momentum even in countries with a lower labour cost.

Automation has many advantages such as a higher efficiency and accuracy, improved working conditions… but especially in these COVID times, it limits the required manpower needed in factories and prevents contamination to a large extent.”

Nelissen Grade helped spearhead the original business plan on the value of J-Tec moving into the Asia market.

“The ultimate goal was to set up an entity in Thailand that acts as a regional headquarters.

We will take the lead from here for our further expansion in the region. In terms of growth we just got started, but we've already exceeded most company targets and expectations that we set up three years ago.

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June 2021

HQ

The company's headquaters are located in Antwerp, Belgium

8

Locations worldwide

2018

Year regional headquarters in Rayong, Thailand openned

J - TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

“This means we can guarantee a customised solution for every challenge,” said Arnaud Nelissen Grade, Sales Director Asia at J-Tec Material Handling, who bridges the gap between Europe and Asia as he spearheads the growth in the region.”

ARNAUD NELISSEN GRADE

SALES DIRECTOR ASIA, J-TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

constructionglobal.com

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J - TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

“ When it comes to highly advanced packaging systems, we have worked with Statec Binder on various occasions.

They share a lot of our values such as high quality and an impeccable service.”

ARNAUD NELISSEN GRADE SALES DIRECTOR ASIA, J-TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

“One of the targets we had was to grow a local team to perform key client-oriented activities like Sales and Project Management more locally. And so we grew from a fulltime equivalent of two to about 13 people permanently based in the office in Thailand in just three years. We are still actively hiring but with the mindset that we have only got started, so we are slowly building the foundation of a durable business.

“We have all the experience and all the competencies in-house at J-Tec but we just need to keep working on how to effectively apply that experience and competencies in Asia without really rushing it. There's no point coming to Asia just to be in Asia, we need to do it right. That is what we are focusing on right now.”

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June 2021

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4 ADVANTAGES OF J-TEC’S OPEN CONTROL SYSTEMS

J

-Tec’s open control systems is just one of the key differentiators setting them apart from most of their competitors. Nelissen Grade explains the main reasons why this gives the company such an advantage.

“The first is flexibility - which is something we're proud of because we are independent. We are flexible in selecting equipment and in the same way, we want to make sure that that flexibility is translated into the control system. More often than not, our main competitors have more standardized control systems that are not very flexible, based on their own equipment. J-Tec is different in that we also have limited standards that guide us, but every system is completely custom made based on specific needs of the project. This results in a more lean control system with smaller and cheaper hardware.

“Number two is that our systems are “open”. We are not like some of our competitors who design “black box” type systems which means the client needs their intervention if they want to expand.

We had an example of this when one of our key accounts in Indonesia actually contacted us. They wanted us to do an expansion to their factory, but in the end, they were forced to go back to the previous supplier because the control system was locked which would be very costly to change. Instead, we offer open and transparent control systems using building blocks that are then ‘assembled’ based on the process design. The blocks themselves may be protected, but the program itself is open-source and can be accessed by our clients directly.

“Number three is the fact that our independence from suppliers means that we work with a large variety of different

suppliers from all over the world. As a result, our experts have gained quite a significant understanding of how to control the variety of equipment. They often have a better understanding of how to control certain equipment as part of a broader system than the actual manufacturer of that equipment. This means that they can correctly use the specific characteristics of each equipment to optimise the performance through automation. And since these programmers are actually involved during commissioning on site, this greatly improves the efficiency, expedites commissioning and avoids all the hassle of finding bugs that would happen when using third-party programmers.”

“Finally, we are able to design a fully comprehensive control system involving all aspects of the production line, even for equipment that normally comes with its own control software. We can use our experience and know-how in using many different systems to program software for that equipment and integrate this in a single control system. As an example, whether the extruder itself is part of our scope or not, we can integrate it in a single SCADA system, avoiding the need for communication between various control systems from various suppliers.”

“In the same way Steve jobs did with Apple - controlling the product design from end to end: hardware and software - we are doing exactly the same with our control systems.”

“All these things means that we are very good at designing and offering control systems that are lean and simple - a single control system for the entire process, regardless of whether the equipment in that process is supplied by J-Tec or not.

J - TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

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June 2021

J - TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

Partnership with Statec Binder Although we don’t have fixed partnership agreements with any supplier – one of our core strategies – we do have a list of preferred OEM that we tend to work with.

This follows a rigorous supplier selection process to make sure that our approved suppliers can support us and our customers in the best possible way.

“In the same way Steve jobs did with Apple - controlling the product design from end to end: hardware and software - we are doing exactly the same with our control systems.”

ARNAUD NELISSEN GRADE

SALES DIRECTOR ASIA, J-TEC MATERIAL HANDLING

One of J-Tec’s preferred suppliers is Statec Binder who offer high-performance packaging systems for open-mouth bags, FFS machines and related palletising and bagging systems used in a wide variety of industries for packing different products worldwide.

“When it comes to highly advanced packaging systems, we have worked with Statec Binder on various occasions worldwide. They share a lot of our values such as an impeccable service and a high quality and performance level. I hope that the global partnership can continue for many years to come.

constructionglobal.com

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REMOTE BUILDING

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June 2021

-SITE OFF BUILDING BENEFITS FROM EXTERNAL FORCES The combination of the pandemic, a greater focus on sustainability and rising affordable housing demand are taking remote building to new heights WRITTEN BY: DOMINIC ELLIS

O

ne of the COVID-era corporate catchphrases must be ‘the acceleration of existing trends’, and it’s particularly apt when you look at the remote construction sector. While the world made harsh adjustments to remote working, for modular companies, it was business as usual as rivals struggled to maintain on-site schedules and reduce costs.

Only it wasn’t quite usual. With the combination of the ongoing COVID disruption, renewed focus on sustainability and net-zero targets, constant pressures for new housing and continuous digital transformation, modular found itself swept up in new momentum.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that working on-site is clearly no longer the only modus operandi. Offsite’s appeal is its versatility across residential, commercial, education and healthcare sectors – the latter, in particular, understandably saw a spike in demand

for hospital and quarantine-related prefabricated projects.

But it is housing that remains the primary driver. With England alone needing 345,000 homes to keep up with demand, modular is looking an increasingly key element of the development puzzle.

The term ‘Modern Methods of Construction’ (MMC) has been bandied around the industry for some time, but it has only been in the last six to seven years that stakeholders have begun to embrace them. As part of new building regulations,

“ As well as dealing with the growing construction skills crisis, many are turning to modular housing due to the speed” STEPHEN STONE ILKE HOMES

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REMOTE BUILDING

“ You can do iconic architecture and do it prefabricated. You just have to start early … it’s a game changer” JIM LEWIS

CLARK PACIFIC

all new-build homes constructed from next year onwards will be expected to produce 31% lower carbon emissions.

More developers are turning to modular as it lies in a sweet spot in the construction, environment and technology triangle.

Stewart Milne Timber Systems (SMTS) recently selected IFS to optimise offsite manufacturing, enabling it to expand into areas of new automation and robotic technology. IFS Cloud ERP will help it increase efficiency, maintain quality, reduce

lead times and processing time associated with manufacturing and installing off-site systems and enable the company to work “smarter, quicker and greener,” according to Craig Thornhill, Finance Director at SMTS. Social housing provider Stonewater and Boutique Modern, the UK’s first certified B Corp modular construction company aiming to be carbon neutral by 2025, has sealed a deal for 40 energy-efficient modular homes to be delivered in Peacehaven, East Sussex.

The short distance between the construction factory and the development site means that the entire project, from the build process through to the transportation of the completed homes, will be as carbon efficient as possible. As part of its quality assurance, Boutique Modern undertakes frequent ‘health checks’ on the materials constructionglobal.com

41

used; the company is working towards removing all inherent plastics in the insulation and other materials used to construct its homes, and no single-use plastic will be used to develop Stonewater’s modular home scheme.

Elsewhere Herefordshire Council has approved plans for a development that will see the delivery of 120 factory-built affordable homes – one of the largest of its kind in the UK. The scheme is being delivered through a £23 million partnership between modular housing company ilke Homes and Stonewater. All homes will achieve at least a ‘B’ Energy Performance Certificate rating, 42

June 2021

making them more energy-efficient than 92%of the UK’s housing stock.

With better thermal efficiency and massively reduced waste, factory-built houses are seen as the only way that councils and housing associations can meet tougher building regulations and incoming targets to reduce carbon emissions.

“As well as dealing with the growing construction skills crisis, many are turning to modular housing due to the speed,” writes Stephen Stone in a blog.

“Foundations and utilities can be completed while homes are manufactured in factories, meaning it’s possible to complete

REMOTE BUILDING

Off-site benefits • Reduction in Waste materials • Shorter build times • Controlled build environment • Made to order • Less noise, dust and local disruption • Fewer workers on site • Creation of employment in areas away from the building site • Transport from factory to site • Cost • Economies of scale • Computing and traceability of components Source: www.buildoffsite.com

a development in one-third of the time compared with traditional construction methods. This is attractive to investors and housing associations who are making up a growing slice of the housing market, as it means they can generate income far quicker.”

Dutch company Jan Snel BV, a pioneer in modular building, is bringing its commitment to smarter, swifter and more sustainable construction to the UK market, recently establishing its UK office in South Wales. Jan Snel is a subsidiary of Japanese market leader Daiwa House, which provides industrialised modular and commercial buildings in Asia,

Environmental benefits • Industrialised modular construction leads to 50% less CO2 emitted per project • If a building stops meeting the owner’s needs, the elements get a ‘second life’ in a different arrangement or at a new location • No less than 80% of the components in modular construction are reused.

The approach creates value, as well as significant sustainability gains Source: JanSnel

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APPLE PARK - The Spaceship

“ In the UK – particularly in the social housing sector – there is an urgent need for high-quality accommodation that can be delivered quickly” HARRY VAN ZANDWIJK CEO, JAN SNEL

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North America and Australia. From their new waterfront offices in Swansea, the team at Jan Snel UK will focus on the residential market but work across the sectors to provide healthcare, education and commercial solutions. Ben Pemberton has been appointed as the UK manager, bringing over 25 years’ experience in the construction industry.

“In the UK – particularly in the social housing sector – there is an urgent need for high-quality accommodation that can be delivered quickly,” notes Harry van Zandwijk, CEO of Jan Snel.

“Modular construction is the ideal solution. By opening our UK office, we can meet this need expediently, combining our modular expertise with local market knowledge.”

Global movement In the US, construction is underway at the Mission Rock development in San Francisco,

REMOTE BUILDING

and prefabrication is playing a major part.

The 28-acre mixed-use development, which has been estimated at $2.5 billion, is a public-private partnership between the Port of San Francisco, the San Francisco Giants and commercial real estate company Tishman Speyer.

Prefabricated building systems firm Clark Pacific worked with the owners and design firms Henning Larsen, MVRDV, Studio Gang and WORKac to come up with a prefabrication solution that would also achieve the aesthetic of the project, which will feature natural and iconic California scenes on the exteriors.

Jim Lewis, director of sales at Clark Pacific, said the kind of early collaboration between the prefabrication and Mission Rock teams was similar to how the company worked on the Apple ‘spaceship’ headquarters in

Cupertino, California, necessary to achieving a design-prefab balance.

Using prefab on such high-profile projects, Lewis said, should help debunk the misperception that prefab elements are always utilitarian. “It’s totally changing that,” he said. “You can do iconic architecture and do it prefabricated. You just have to start early … it’s a game changer.”

The steel prefabricated buildings market expects to observe an incremental growth of approximately $3 billion by 2026, according to ReportLinkers.com.

Steel reframes observe high adoption in prefabricated buildings due to lightweight, ductility, and recyclability, and these reframes are witnessing high acceptance in the construction sector as they can absorb wind turbulence and offer high elasticity during earthquakes. constructionglobal.com

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REMOTE BUILDING

“Foundations and utilities can be completed while homes are manufactured in factories, meaning it’s possible to complete a development in one third of the time” STEPHEN STONE ILKE HOMES

However, with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, manufacturing activities and steelusing industrial sectors were shut down, which affected steel demand. The EU28 steel consumption declined by -25.5% YOY in the second quarter of 2020 after witnessing a drop of -12% in the first quarter due to the onset of the pandemic.

Modular construction in European and US markets has the potential to deliver annual savings of up to $22 billion, according to McKinsey research.

Countering the old reputation of prefabricated housing as an unattractive, cheap, poor-quality option, some builders are focused on sustainability, aesthetics, and the higher end of the market,” it reports. “New entrants and first movers that are unwilling to tolerate the industry’s fragmentation and lagging productivity are starting to disrupt the market and change the mindsets of incumbents.”

Safety is also a significant factor. The Malaysia Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has urged the construction industry to use drones or remote sensing devices to reduce the risk of accidents at work. DOSH directorgeneral Zailee Dollah said the use of both technologies is seen to be effective in ensuring compliance with occupational health and safety. constructionglobal.com

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APTIM

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APTIM

APTIM REVAMPS ITS WAY TO BETTER PROCUREMENT WRITTEN BY: LAURA V. GARCIA

PRODUCED BY: GLEN WHITE

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APTIM

ADJUSTING TO INDUSTRY AND COMPANY CHANGES, APTIM LEVERAGES TECHNOLOGY AND REVAMPS ITS WAY TO BETTER PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLY CHAIN

P

eople. Process. Tools. Sometimes referred to as the golden triangle, it's an old concept that optimises the relationships between people, processes and the tools required to get the job done.

APTIM is using this age-old strategy to propel its supply chain and procurement transformation journey.

By ensuring the right people, with the right mindsets are given the right tools, APTIM is working to fix what's broken, and leveraging technology to optimise where it makes sense, and getting to better procurement in the process.

Punit Shah, VP of supply chain and procurement officer at APTIM, walks us through.

Digital Transformation; Setting the Pace and Challenging Mindsets "Private equity ownership has a very unique and a much faster-paced ask and requirement as compared to a traditional oil and gas firm whose structure and identity had a few iterations in recent times, owing to changes in ownership. In terms of establishing a base to grow from, the two backgrounds present quite a stark contrast.

"It took a lot for the company to bring those two together, but right now, our approach is to bite off as much as we can chew. We want to take small steps but make sure that they are: a) consistent with the strategy, b) they're relevant to the business in size, scale and scope and c) we can continue to build on that. We don't want to do something we have to backtrack from or restart because we didn't think of something further downstream. And so it's a very cautious and slow but deliberate approach.

"We started by ensuring we had the right people with the relevant backgrounds and

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APTIM

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APTIM

APTIM’s Supply Chain & Procurement Transformation

skillsets to execute in the areas that are our responsibility. In order to do that, we needed to define what that breadth and depth of the supply chain realm and scope would be.

Once we got there and got the right people in the right structure, the next step was going through documenting our processes and making sure that we were rigorous about it. This ensured everybody was working off of the same framework. Then we looked at bringing in tools where it would increase efficiencies by making it easier for people to execute on those processes."

People First Redesigning better ways of doing things requires a diverse group of people, a wealth of experience, and most importantly, it requires flexible mindsets. "One really unique thing about APTIM is that we are very diverse in the sense that we are both diverse in the industries we serve and in multiple geographies. I've been in larger 52

June 2021

companies that don't have as wide a breadth of scope as APTIM does. We are in a lot of different areas, and so management, in general, is very accommodating and are very in tune with diversity and inclusion. They're very encouraging and employee-focused because, at the end of the day, our product is our service, and so the company really does value their people," says Shah.

He continues, "That flexibility supports people to be able to perform and stay focused on work and their function more than the traditional thought processes, where it was believed you have to have an office and a set work schedule. Having flexibility around all of those things has made us a lot more successful."

"This industry has been traditionally very resistant to change. It's in our DNA. They're known to be entrenched in the way that they've done work. One of the things I found is working well is that we're trying to foster the thought process with our teams that

APTIM

“ EXPERIENCE IS FANTASTIC, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED HERE. I WANT YOU TO USE IT TO ASSESS OUR SITUATION AND THEN TELL ME WHAT'S RELEVANT AND HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS BUSINESS BETTER”

PUNIT SHAH TITLE: VICE PRESIDENT SUPPLY CHAIN AND PROCUREMENT OFFICE INDUSTRY: CONSTRUCTION LOCATION: UNITED STATES Operations leader and executive achiever with broad experience in Energy, Construction, and Manufacturing industries, driving supply chain strategy and sustainability in cost-savings, profitability, and productivity.

Innovative and strategic decisionmaker with a focus on total cost of ownership, reducing costs, and optimizing efficiencies. Harness engineering background to deliver rigorous solutions to business problems.

Relationship builder and motivational manager able to adapt to skillfully maneuver through challenging circumstances and drive collaboration in delivery of organisational goals. Strong problemsolving talent.

PUNIT SHAH

your experiences are great and they make you what you are, and we value what you've learned, but you need to understand that not only are you allowed to, but you're expected to take those learnings and translate them into something that's more relatable to this business.

"Experience is fantastic, but its true value lies in being able to scale it and applying it to your circumstances. I want you to use your experience and knowledge to assess our situation and then tell me what's relevant and how we can make this business better. I think that's what really sets our supply chain team apart."

"Personally, I think a healthy company needs to be looking at growing and promoting talented employees. These days, people have multiple options, and a company owes it to an employee to support their growth and inversely, as they grow, the company does too. We are also one of the industries that are experiencing a talent gap and are very much exposed to the ageing workforce phenomenon. And so, one of the first things that I established when I came in was an

EXECUTIVE BIO

VICE PRESIDENT SUPPLY CHAIN AND PROCUREMENT OFFICER, APTIM

The right materials. At the right place. At the right time.

Industry Measured Results SiteSense® Materials and Inventory Management helps customers keep track of the materials throughout their project lifecycle more efficiently.

40%

REDUCES BULK MATERIAL SUPPLIES

23%

IMPROVES CASH FLOW SAVINGS

16%

IMPROVES CRAFT LABOR PRODUCTIVITY

* CII Best Practices Guide: Improving Project Performance

Intelliwave SiteSense boosts APTIM material tracking and predictive analysis

Barry Peyton, Business Development and Strategic Partnership Manager at Intelliwave Technologies, outlines how it provides data and visibility benefits for APTIM We’ve been engaged with the APTIM team since early 2019 providing SiteSense, our mobile construction SaaS solution, for their maintenance and construction projects, allowing them to track materials and equipment, and manage inventory.

We have been working with the APTIM team to standardize material tracking processes and procedures, ultimately with the goal of reducing the amount of time spent looking for materials. Industry studies show that better management of materials can lead to a 16% increase in craft labour productivity.

With APTIM, we’re looking at early risk detection, through predictive analysis and forecasting of material constraints, integrating with the ecosystem of software platforms and reporting on real-time data with a ‘field-first’ focus – through initiatives like the Digital Foreman. The APTIM team has seen great wins in the field, utilising bar-code technology, to check in thousands of material items quickly compared to manual methods.

As things start to stabilise, APTIM continues to utilize SiteSense to boost efficiencies and solve productivity issues proactively.

Integrating with 3D/4D modelling is just the precipice of what we can do. Access to data can help you firm up bids to win work, to make better cost estimates, and AI and ML are the next phase, providing an eco-system of tools.

A key focus for Intelliwave and APTIM is to increase the availability of data, whether it’s creating a data warehouse for visualisations or increasing integrations to provide additional value. We want to move to a more of an enterprise usage phase – up to now it’s been project based – so more people can access data in real time.

There are three key areas when it comes to successful Materials Management in the software sector – culture, technology, and vendor engagement.

Solving problems comes down to better visibility, and proactively solving issues with vendors and enabling construction teams to execute their work.

Learn more Learn more here

APTIM

“ WHEN WE ARE EFFICIENT AND PUT IN PROPER CHECKS AND BALANCES IN PLACE AND SET CONTROL MECHANISMS AND STANDARDISATION OF PROCESSES, THIS ALLOWS US TO REDUCE WASTE AND EXECUTE MORE EFFECTIVELY ON OUR WORK FOR OUR CLIENT” PUNIT SHAH

VICE PRESIDENT SUPPLY CHAIN AND PROCUREMENT OFFICER, APTIM

effective mentorship and succession plan, as it relates to a career ladder and a path that ensures room for growth and career advancement. It's a mutually beneficial event and one that is strategically important to us."

Process: Revamping Policies and Procedures Shah then looked at reviewing, refining and tweaking procedures and policies, ensuring all functions are designed to best support the varied industries APTIM services.

As Shah tells it, "In an ideal world, I would have liked the change management approach to be top-down, bottom-up. You want to approach it from both sides if you really want long term change to take effect.

We've gone through significant gyrations at our top level, and there's been a lot of changes in leadership. So we're still waiting for the long term vision to settle down. But in the meantime, the business can't stop or wait. So, for now, our approach is to work from the bottom-up.”

"Our strategy is to take a look at what processes we have or need to have in place in order to execute our function and what portions of that present an opportunity for 56

June 2021

APTIM

$500m+ Revenue

1971

Year founded

10,000+ Number of employees

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APTIM

automation or enhancement to where we can take that piece and make it a little bit better and then build on it.”

"When we are efficient and put in proper checks and balances in place and set control mechanisms and standardisation, of processes, this allows us to reduce waste and execute more effectively on our work for our clients."

"As a significant portion of what we do is project-based and often works on a costplus structure, our improved efficiencies get passed on to our clients. In the last 12 months, we've seen multiple instances 58

June 2021

“ WE'RE NOT HERE JUST TO BILL YOU AND LEAVE. WE ARE HERE TO PARTNER WITH YOU. WE’RE INVESTED IN YOUR BUSINESS” PUNIT SHAH

VICE PRESIDENT SUPPLY CHAIN AND PROCUREMENT OFFICER, APTIM

APTIM

where we improved what we were doing, and we showed it to the client, and in the end, it brought more business because we were able to show that we're not here just to bill you and leave, we are here to partner with you, we're invested in your business."

Tools: Leveraging Tech with a Common Sense Approach "We're now using Microsoft's existing ecosystem of tools to manage more of our workflows. Microsoft is one of the bigger, leading-edge companies when it comes to innovation, and they’ve seen over the years the focus on supply chain and ERP systems, and they’ve really made significant strides and putting in investments and growing that out,” says Shah.

“We’re really just at the beginning of our relationship. We’ve picked up a few projects that are small in scale but very critical to

our work process, like automating the requisitioning process. If we can do it from a tool that exists with consistency, which has a stable platform, we won’t need to integrate other systems, which is a huge win. So that presents a very attractive option, and we’re very actively exploring that.

“It amazes me that a company the size of Microsoft gives us the preference and the treatment that they do. The relationship is mutually beneficial. They’ve been willing to listen to our issues, and they’re willing to invest in where we are as a company. They’re investing time and effort in understanding what our priorities are. And they’re not forcing solutions onto us. They’re allowing us to take the lead and supporting us in our path forward, and I have a lot of respect for that.”

Intelliwave Technologies provides new solutions to the construction industry to help increase “Time on Tools” for craft labour

APTIM | Making A Difference

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APTIM

and improve site safety and have been an integral partner in APTIM’s success in finding better ways of doing things.

Shah expands, “As we were previously almost a hundred per cent manual when it comes to material management, Intelliwave Technologies is really bringing in a whole different dimension into the way we execute jobs. They bring a very niche and specific offering and have developed a tool specifically for material management, everything from managing your inventory and warehousing to receiving and allocating material to your job site, which on a construction site, depending on your scope of construction, can be extremely complex. We 60

June 2021

can have thousands or even millions of parts, and all of this ultimately is dollars. So if you're not watching it, you could risk losing it.”

"Ballooning inventory erodes margins, so we took it another step further and looked at how we could improve the planning on our jobs—for instance, leveraging smart technology for better inventory management. We can now see how much material we have and where. We can plan ahead and see if we have an upcoming shortage, and then we can take actions to prevent that shortage. We can also report and track where there is product damage, which allows us to then go back to a vendor and recover some of those costs.

APTIM

“ INTELLIWAVE TECHNOLOGIES IS REALLY BRINGING IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT DIMENSION INTO THE WAY WE EXECUTE JOBS” PUNIT SHAH

VICE PRESIDENT SUPPLY CHAIN AND PROCUREMENT OFFICER, APTIM

"We've also taken the approach of developing work processes with Intelliwave and bringing them in to understand our business and have them give us suggestions and provide their expert view on what can and cannot be done. Intelliwave Technologies have been with us at multiple job sites, and they've been alongside us through all of our challenges, and they've earned our trust along the way. We share values, and we have a shared vision of where we want to get to. So it's a really healthy relationship based on a mutual understanding."

Indirect Procurement Savings Shah tells us how APTIM has managed to take control over indirect spend and capture

cost savings. "Indirect in the traditional sense is indirect spend that's not going into your end product. Well, our end product is our project. And so indirect for us really is more of our corporate and overhead and it includes everything from your travel to your office buys, your benefits providers, insurance companies and so on. In the APTIM world, in broad terms, Supply Chain has the responsibility for managing the outward dollars as they're being spent, but we share a responsibility with multiple functions to define what that is and who you want to spend it with.

"We don't want to dictate things, but we want to look at how we can make more strategic decisions. So we work with the functional group to determine the appropriate vendor base, and then we help manage the spend. In general, the approach has been to better define some of these categories and apply some supply chain disciplines to them, such as going through a rigorous RFP and taking a category management approach and applying the seven steps strategic sourcing process. We were typically very focused on and used to operating within that Gulf coast Baton Rouge area, so the value was in getting players to the table that were outside our usual geography.

"Prior to the transformation, everything was done in pockets with no aggregate view on spend. We've now established programs and have signed some contracts with key companies. We've also put in structure to protect us from liabilities and risk. And we've locked in pricing. So now we have a very clear reference for capturing savings from where we were to where we are. We've come a long way, and now we can rinse and repeat."

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BUILDING A LASTING AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Whether through foundation initiatives or sustainability policies, construction is tackling key human and environmental issues to ensure the industry’s future viability WRITTEN BY: DOMINIC ELLIS 62

June 2021

ETHICAL CONSTRUCTION

I

f there has been one positive to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, it must be the central importance of the ‘big three’ - community, sustainability and the environment. We may live in a digital age, but people remain integral to companies and societies – and there is a growing realisation that our livelihoods depend on all three if we’re to create economically sustainable societies and hit net-zero targets.

Raising capital is sure to be a priority as we emerge from the crisis, but skills and training are just as important, particularly when battling the scourge of unemployment; for many young people seeking to get their foot in the industry’s door, it’s about providing

intangibles – confidence and hope – alongside hard skills and jobs. According to the Prince’s Trust, more than half of young people say the crisis has made them fearful for the future.

Stanhope is tackling these issues head-on through its new Foundation. It has partnered with three charities – Maggie’s Back to work programme for cancer patients; St Mungo’s Recovery College initiative; and the Trust’s skills development and employability programmes – to get Londoners back into work, which will be supported by a ‘six-figure donation’ each year. McAlpine, Keltbray, Morrisroe Group, T Clarke and Hare are among the partners on board, and constructionglobal.com

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ETHICAL CONSTRUCTION

“ The core of our work is to create successful communities, so it is our responsibility to ensure we do all that we can to support the people who live in the places we create and give them a future to look forward to” DAVID CAMP CEO, STANHOPE

AHMM, Gardner and co. and Knight Frank are providing support.

David Camp, CEO of Stanhope, said the foundation formalises what it has already been doing internally for a number of years.

“We are hoping that our clients, partners and other stakeholders will be inspired to join us on our mission to unlock the amazing opportunities that charities such as St Mungo’s, Maggie’s and The Prince’s Trust can provide. The core of our work is to create successful communities, so it is our

responsibility to ensure we do all that we can to support the people who live in the places we create and give them a future to look forward to.”

The Foundation will run events throughout the year, and a ‘Journey for Jobs’ fundraising initiative encourages employees to walk, run, swim, row or cycle as many miles as possible. For each mile, £1 is donated to charities by Stanhope, and over £9,300 has been raised so far. A similar initiative is being organised to start in May with teams from across the industry taking part.

Scrutinise supply chain processes The construction industry faces numerous inherent risks, mostly relating to occupational health and safety. But the sector also has one of the highest constructionglobal.com

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SNC-Lavalin sets the standard The Ethisphere Institute recently announced SNCLavalin earned the Compliance Leader Verification for 2021/22, extending a 2019/20 verification.

Its performance was evaluated across six areas – program resources and structure; perceptions of ethical culture; written standards; training and communication; risk assessment, monitoring and auditing; and enforcement, discipline and incentives. This year, SNCLavalin outperformed Ethisphere’s benchmark of comparable companies across all eight pillars of an ethical culture. “In practice, this means that employees know how to act in an ethical and compliant manner and are comfortable speaking up and reporting concerns,” said Douglas Allen, Managing Director, Data & Services, Ethisphere.

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prevalences of human trafficking and forced labour, according to EcoVadis, the provider of business sustainability ratings.

CCLA is urging all industries to take a more active approach in its Find it, Fix It, Prevent It programme, which brings the investment community together with academics and NGOs to address modern slavery in supply chains – and the construction sector will be firmly in its sights later this year.

Dame Sara Thornton, the UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, said no large supply chain is safe from the risk of modern slavery, but it thrives in environments where there is weak governance, poor oversight and failure

ETHICAL CONSTRUCTION

to align with international human rights standards. “Businesses must do more to root out the causes of exploitation and protect the most vulnerable workers in their supply chains. Investors have a pivotal role to play in ensuring that they do this,” she said.

Peter Hugh Smith, Chief Executive of CCLA, said: “Ahead of our focus later this year on the construction sector, we would urge the sector now to make concerted attempts to uncover modern slavery in its own operations as well as those of its supply chain. Firms need to be asking the right questions such as, ‘is there migrant labour in the supply chain?’ ‘Have these workers been charged recruitment fees?’ Unfortunately, modern slavery is very prevalent, and we all have a duty of care to not benefit in any shape or form.”

Nationwide Building Society is to adopt EcoVadis’ sustainability rating system to build a more diverse, ethical and green supply chain.

National Regulator for Construction Products launched Residents across England will be better protected as the government takes the next step to ensure materials used to build the nation’s homes are safe and tested properly.

The National Regulator for Construction Products will be based in the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), which will receive up to £10 million in 2021-22 to set up this new function.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick recently appointed two experts to lead an independent review of the system for

“ Ahead of our focus later this year on the construction sector, we would urge the sector now to make concerted attempts to uncover modern slavery in its own operations as well as those of its supply chain” PETER HUGH SMITH CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CCLA

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ETHICAL CONSTRUCTION

Best practice checklist for sustainable procurement • Align engagement with mutual buyer-supplier value creation • Coverage is king: have depth, breadth and range of sustainability intelligence • Remember your investors and key stakeholders • Seize this moment to engage suppliers

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ETHICAL CONSTRUCTION

testing construction products. Former government adviser and construction expert Paul Morrell OBE will be the independent panel chair, along with legal expert Anneliese Day QC. The review, announced earlier this year, will examine how to strengthen the current system for testing construction products to provide confidence that these materials are safe and perform as marketed.

The review forms part of the government’s ongoing programme of work to reform and strengthen building safety regulation and comes after testimony to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry exposed evidence of testing irregularities and potential gaming of the system by some manufacturers.

Mexico Metro bridge collapse highlights failures Within hours of the Mexico City metro overpass collapse, commentators were quick to speculate the cause, citing concerns over designs, construction and “allegations of corruption”, according to reports. Mexican authorities have promised a full investigation.

Linea 12 was built by a consortium of CARSO Infraestructura y Construccion, S.A.B. de C.V (CCICSA), a company controlled by the family of Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim, Mexico’s Grupo ICA, and the Mexican unit of France’s Alstom.

CCICSA said in a statement to Reuters it stood in solidarity with victims’ families and those injured. “We are going to wait for the official expert opinion,” it said. Alstom said its involvement in the consortium was limited to certain aspects, including power supply and testing of some electromechanical work, according to the report. constructionglobal.com

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT

PANDEMIC AND ONLINE SHOPPING SPARK URBAN PLANNING REVOLUTION In an online shopping age, how can towns and cities retain their pulling power – and should technology be viewed less as a threat and more a key to future success?

WRITTEN BY: DOMINIC ELLIS

D

epending on your outlook, these are terrifying or exciting times for towns and cities globally. Many are being forced to re-evaluate their services and profiles amid the work-from-home and buyfrom-home revolution that has swept every continent during the pandemic.

If you draw on history, such as the UK’s new town boom after the second world war, the next period could spark untold construction and infrastructure opportunities, especially as the ‘reset’ coincides with a renewed emphasis on sustainable development. With 68% of the global population expected to live in cities by 2050, according to the UN, don’t write cities off just yet.

But much remains uncertain. A year on from the teeth of the crisis, no one knows whether commuters and business travel will return in droves and if towns and cities will be able to reposition themselves. What constructionglobal.com

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT

“ The long list of figures showing the impact of accelerated online adoption on local high streets brings home the impact of the crisis – a person, and family, behind every fourfigure job loss” we do know is online sales have grown by more than 50% in nine months, and food channels have boomed – up from 6.5% preCOVID to around 15% now – which has major implications for cafés and restaurants.

The figures are harrowing. The British Retail Consortium reports non-food retail stores will have lost £30bn in foregone sales over the three lockdowns. The Centre for Retail Research states 188,685 retail jobs were lost between March 23 2020, and March 31 this year, and there have been 15,153 store closures.

Bournemouth landmark Bobby & Co is being renovated with new beauty, retail, food and art features

KPMG’s Future of towns and cities post COVID-19 report highlights how retail will never again represent the same size and space, and high streets will have to become multi-purpose locations.

The report contains an alarming table showing the impact of accelerated online adoption on local high streets, which brings home the impact of the crisis – a person and family behind every four-figure job loss. All in, it believes up to 400,000 jobs have gone from UK high streets.

London (12,214) understandably has seen the biggest losses – albeit the city is a relative outlier as it doesn’t have a single contiguous city centre and boasts plentiful cultural attractions which will doubtless draw business back. Basingstoke tops the table – while it lost 2,602 jobs, this represented 39% constructionglobal.com

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of its total retail – and commuter towns such as Hemel Hempstead and Bracknell have also been hit hard, and consequently, head the list of those whose residents are expected to continue to work at home after COVID (27.4%).

“Almost all companies will maintain physical space, but it will be there for three main purposes: collaboration, creativity and culture, and there will be less space devoted to standard desk space for tasks that could be done remotely,” said Andy Pyle, Head of Real Estate, KPMG in the UK. The fall in retail property values is already underway. By attracting new tenants for prime commercial property that will now find the rent affordable, town and city centres may be able to serve their inhabitants differently, such as:

Taking up the challenge Scoop has appointed POD Architects to start the reconfiguration of The Thistles Shopping Centre in Stirling - a 500,000sq ft space housing 90 units. Most, if not all, of the anchor tenants, now have a strong online presence, but the centre remains at the heart of the community.

centres, in particular, have changed in recent years as more people seek superior retail experiences to draw them out of their homes. "We aim to produce creative and exciting destinations which draw people in. We look forward to embarking on this exciting journey with Scoop," he said.

Mark Hewett, Director at Scoop, said the high-street is expected to take on a very different form post-Covid. "Future-proofing is vital to ensure primary shopping centres remain relevant and a place where people want to be – they will be about far more than just shopping. We are looking forward to evolving The Thistles Shopping Centre to ensure it remains the beating heart of the city."

In line with reducing car emissions and encouraging cycle use and walking, towns are looking at how they can make themselves more connected to communities.

Paul Shedden, Founder of POD Architects, said requirements for retail, and shopping

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The Ipswich Vision Partnership – which includes local councils, the town's MP and business groups – has unveiled bold plans to create a "connected centre", using some of the £25million Towns Fund cash promised at this year's Budget. A £3.2 million bid to upgrade Dover's town centre has been successful.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT

The Next Normal has accelerated some paradigm shifts in the city landscape The Old Normal

The New Normal

Economic dependence on dense Commercial & Public Infrastructure development

“Everything from Home”

Focus on Digital Infrastructure & Open Public Spaces

Grow local ecosystem & opportunities to attract best talent

“Work from Anywhere”

Improve Quality of Life Metrics to retain talent

Public Health/Crisis Management is a ‘Vertical/Gov’ agenda

Need for integrated response

“Whole of Society” approach to Public Health and Next Gen crisis management

Need for financial efficiency & growth

Digital Transformation is a key economic growth driver

Digital Transformation is an investment with unproven ROI

How COVID-19 will change cities. Source: World Economic Forum

• New tenants could include universities expanding their remit to help support workers who lost their jobs and help them acquire new skills in high growth sectors – e.g. in the green economy, health and technology • Other new tenants could include incubators sponsored by private business • Local communities could be further served with a variety of new community centres It concludes that high streets will need to be reimagined as cultural and recreational hubs that act as magnets for businesses and jobs that can transform less prosperous areas.

The World Economic Forum says ‘a digital core’ is integral to powering the cities of the future.

“Smart cities are no longer simply a ‘nice to have’ but a choice that governments must proactively make to attract and retain talent, stay prepared for future crises and thrive,” it states.

“Cities need to build a digital foundation that can weave an integrated and seamless digital fabric across the public, private and citizen spheres. This will help them build a “whole-of-society” capability to not only respond and manage the next generation of crises but also to build a truly smart and efficient engine for growth.”

How COVID-19 is helping shape the city of the future | World Economic Forum (weforum.org) Planning for the future The UK Government unveiled its Planning for the Future white paper last August in a bid to streamline and modernise the planning process and improve outcomes on design and sustainability, as it acknowledged that the ‘make-do-and-mend’ approach is no longer viable.

There is increasing acceptance that technology and infrastructure development need to be more integrated, not separate entities, and the pandemic has highlighted constructionglobal.com

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Hayes Village before

the need for modern digital planning services that can be accessed from home.

“It is also time for the planning system finally to move towards a modernised, open data approach that creates a reliable national picture of what is happening where in planning, makes planning services more efficient, inclusive and consistent, and unlocks the data needed by property developers and the emerging Property Technology sector, to help them make more 76

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informed decisions on what to build and where,” the white paper states.

To speed up construction where development has been permitted, it proposes, in the revised National Planning Policy Framework, that master plans and design codes for sites prepared for substantial development should seek to include “a variety of development types from different builders”, which allow more phases to come forward together.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Hayes Village after

Ed McCoy, Sales Director at Barratt West London, said historic brownfield sites, such as disused factories, often represent a distinct moment in a community’s history – and opportunity for regeneration.

“Where we are transforming these underused sites, we aim to celebrate that history whilst ensuring any new building will play a significant role in the community’s future. For example, we are working with award-winning architects

dMFK in the careful restoration of the former Nestlé building at Hayes Village, leaving no stone unturned.

“The iconic white and blue Art Deco façade will be preserved, with replica heritage windows, industrial style metal balconies and the innovative weaving of historic factory machinery and artefacts into the interior architecture. We hope to sensitive restoration creates beautiful homes where residents chose to live and stay.” constructionglobal.com

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BIM RAISES CERTIFICATION

AND ON-SITE COORDINATION BSI Kitemark certification scheme is adding value to construction workflows, and ‘Field BIM’ is serving as a game-changer with project coordination WRITTEN BY: DOMINIC ELLIS

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B

SI, the business improvement company, recently launched the Kitemark for Building Information Modelling (BIM) software, which provides assurance that BSI-certified BIM software supports alignment with the BIM ISO 19650 framework.

Software that enables BIM processes is being increasingly used to support organisations in realising the benefits of BIM through greater efficiencies in building information management and collaboration.

This new certification scheme, designed in collaboration with vendors and users of BIM software, gives the opportunity for software vendors to demonstrate that their software supports BIM-standard alignment, which in turn allows users to procure more efficiently and smartly, supporting them in ensuring they use appropriate software products for their needs.

The first organisations to undergo this pilot assessment and achieve the BSI Kitemark for BIM software globally are BIM software vendors Asite, Llewellyn & Partners and Zutec. As part of the pilot process,

BIM

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BIM

“ By achieving the new Kitemark, Asite, Llewellyn & Partners and Zutec are leading the way for software vendors in helping embed best practice across the built environment sector” DAVID MUDD

GLOBAL DIGITAL PRODUCT DIRECTOR, BSI

BSI will continue to work with the built environment industry to further develop this Kitemark.

Andy Butterfield, Managing Director of Built Environment at BSI, said: “As the demand for digital transformation in architecture, construction and asset management continues to grow, and the number of potential software support tools escalates, it is becoming increasingly difficult for organisations to identify appropriate software to support their needs.

Trimble Tekla Scaffolding Tools

“Asite, Llewellyn & Partners and Zutec have become the first organisations globally to achieve this mark of trust, and I would like to congratulate them all for their commitment to encouraging a collaborative approach across the life cycle of a built asset.”

David Mudd, Global Digital Product Director at BSI, said this latest offering from BSI would help organisations adopt BIM software at an international scale by swiftly identifying the products which support alignment with BIM ISO standards.

“By achieving the new Kitemark, Asite, Llewellyn & Partners, and Zutec are leading the way for software vendors in helping embed best practice across the built environment sector,” he said. constructionglobal.com

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BIM

Trimble Tekla Quadri Software

When an organisation achieves the BSI Kitemark for BIM Software, it demonstrates that: • The user-functionality of the software enables information management in accordance with the relevant process requirements of the ISO 19650 framework • The organisation has adopted a securityminded approach in accordance with the relevant requirements of the ISO 19650 framework, understanding its particular security context • The organisation is providing appropriate support to users of its software, taking 82

June 2021

and responding to customer feedback, in accordance with the ISO 9001 framework and ISO 10004 Quality Management Customer Satisfaction Tom Boland, Global Head of Digitalisation at Zutec, says the new Kitemark is a significant moment for the construction industry. As digital rapidly becomes the norm, there is an increasing need for software tools that add real value to construction workflows.

“Zutec has been at the forefront of digital construction for over 20 years, so when an

BIM

BSI BIM Kitemark benefits

opportunity arose to prove just how good our software is, we were keen to achieve Kitemark certification. This mark of trust allows new and existing customers to be confident that Zutec will support them in their BIM journey, shows them that it is easy to use, and allows their teams to collaborate seamlessly on one platform.”

Field BIM acts as a ‘game changer’ As the industry becomes increasingly digitised and client demands evolve, a new form of BIM has come into play. ‘Field BIM’ is the process of managing construction data in an information

• Customer satisfaction - by validating evidence of your measurement and monitoring of client satisfaction against delivery of projects with a focus on BIMspecific deliverables • Win more business – opportunity to win more contracts through independent certification and proven performance, nationally and globally • Reduced bidding costs – through saving your bid writers time looking for evidence of delivery of BIM projects • Reduced inconsistencies – offering a consistent way of working across multiple projects and sites • Operational resilience – by embedding BIM processes and reinforcing the acceptance of digital technology and BIM adoption • Supply chain resilience – by improving collaboration with suppliers to deliver more efficient ways of working • Risk reduction and clarity of compliance – through embedding BIM processes and procedures and independent benchmarking • Proven business credentials – by embracing new technology and embedding BIM procedures

model and using it to inform accurate construction, operations or maintenance on-site via handheld mobile devices.

The benefits are numerous, ranging from saving time and minimising the risk of error to building trust, ensuring coordination and boosting visibility.

“Trust is the foundation of good business, whether between a company and its clients constructionglobal.com

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News in brief • Khatib & Alami has achieved international BIM standards recognition and can use the BSI Kitemark for achieving BIM for design, construction and commissioning in accordance with ISO 19650-1 and ISO 19650-2 • Trimble Quadri Building Information Modelling (BIM) collaboration software, well known in Europe, is now available in North America. 3D BIM modelling saves time and money by reducing the number of documented drawing sheets by up to 90%. The company has also released Tekla 2021 structural BIM software solutions.

• The Matterport Capture app is available on Android. The spatial computing platform can capture data into BIM software such as Autodesk AutoCAD and Revit.

• Eagle Point Software has announced that Pinnacle Series, its fully-featured AEC e-learning system, now integrates with Autodesk BIM 360.

• MultiGreen will standardise on a host of Autodesk Construction Cloud solutions, including BuildingConnected and BIM360, to digitise and connect their processes.

• The global BIM market was valued at $5.20 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach $15.06 billion by 2027, according to ResearchAndMarkets.com.

• Aurigo’s Masterworks platform now connects to many of the Autodesk's design tools, including AutoCAD, Civil 3D, InfraWorks, and Revit.

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“ In the world of construction, the success, and even safety, of a project depends on how much those involved can trust one another and the work that is being carried out from the design phase all the way through to a building’s handover” TOM BOLAND

GLOBAL HEAD OF DIGITALISATION, ZUTEC

or among team members,” added Boland. “In the world of construction, the success, and even safety, of a project depends on how much those involved can trust one another and the work that is being carried out from the design phase all the way through to a building’s handover.”

Clients need to be able to believe that projects will be delivered on time and as promised, and teams need to trust each other in order to collaborate effectively, he added; and providing data-led evidence of progress in real-time, on-site, lets stakeholders know that they are investing in the right business.

BIM

Tom Boland, Global Head of Digitalisation at Zutec

“Field BIM is also a game-changer in terms of coordination on projects,” says Boland.

“Quality inspections, compliance reporting and machinery delivery timings can all be coordinated by site managers using smartphones or tablets.”

A Field BIM platform or app will typically include access to 3D BIM models, a document library for all assets on the build, checklists for QA/QC, a site diary and digital forms. When it comes to snagging, there is functionality for live ‘issue creation’ and tracking of the necessary work to the point of sign off – all in the field. In some cases, this can even be done without an Internet connection. For example, quality and compliance-related checklists can be created

on-site using an app such as Zutec Field.

As for visibility, the main professionals involved in a project will be able to clearly assess fundamental aspects of a build, carry out inspections and hand over huge amounts of important asset information to the owner when the build is complete.

During the build, teams can view realtime data, update status information, and mark up the project’s 3D model in the field. 4D progress tracking is also possible, allowing a team to monitor a façade installation in line with scheduling data, for example. This way, stakeholders have a detailed overview of the entire process and stay on top of everything that happens, or is about to happen, on-site. constructionglobal.com

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BIM

“Taking ‘baby steps’ with digital twins and gradually scaling up is also a valid approach that can provide very positive outcomes without huge investment” MATTHEW OSMENT

HEAD OF DIGITAL TWINS, 3D REPO

“Field BIM tools also capture the inspection history of a project, including the date of inspection, the person who signed it off and the person who reviewed it. Workflows can be built into the toolset to boost visibility at every stage of the project,” he said.

The streamlining of the various stages of a project, including the construction, inspections and handover phases, is not only useful but essential, especially for contractors who want standardisation in order to make their work simpler.

“It's almost important as paper is being used less and less, and there is a growing reliance on digital communication, particularly during the pandemic. Field BIM allows construction professionals to learn new skills and prepares them for a world that could one day be totally virtual.”

BSI Connect integrates risk, governance and supply chain BSI Connect is designed as an integrated platform supporting audit, risk governance and supply chain services for improved operational visibility, commercial efficiency and organisational resilience.

Organisations can choose from a range of tools to manage internal and supplier risk. Features include the ability to review audit findings, performance analytics and manage information for their critical business functions and suppliers whilst

on the move. As organisations and their supply chains look ahead to the postCOVID landscape, BSI Connect offers a multi-tiered subscription model across complementary tools to support a hybridworking approach.

The BSI Connect audit, incident and compliance platform provides digital functionality that expands through three different subscriptions – Connect Portal for BSI audits, Connect Plus for internal audits and Connect Custom for all compliance and operation activities, depending on the organisation’s requirements.

3D Repo shares the knowledge A new guide to digital twins in construction and infrastructure shows the industry how to make the most of the technology while avoiding the pitfalls that originally beset BIM implementation.

Published by 3D Repo, specialists in cloud-based BIM and digital twins, the guide looks at the current status of digital twins, how the concept fits into today’s construction industry, how to debunk the myths surrounding them and how to use readily available tools to create digital twins via a much simpler process. This work builds upon the recent Digital Twin Toolkit by the Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB), which 3D Repo contributed to.

Lead author of the whitepaper and 3D Repo’s Head of Digital Twins, Matthew constructionglobal.com

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BIM

“ Field BIM is a game-changer in terms of coordination on projects” TOM BOLAND

GLOBAL HEAD OF DIGITALISATION, ZUTEC

Osment, said when we think of the potential of this technology, the grand notions of monolithic interconnected models are inspiring for some, but also very daunting for the majority of consultants and contractors who want to get a foothold on the digital twin ladder.

“We must learn from history. Similar concerns held back the uptake of BIM, as potential users were put off by the idea of complex software set-ups and massive up-front costs,” he said.

“The purpose of this guide is to spread the lessons learnt from what happened with BIM. It doesn’t have to be this complicated – in reality, taking ‘baby steps’ with digital twins and gradually scaling up is also a valid approach that can provide very positive outcomes without huge investment.”

3D Repo is currently working on several digital twin solutions with its clients. CEO and founder Dr Jozef Dobos is actively contributing to setting the standards in collaboration with the Digital Twin Hub at CDBB. 3D Repo also recently received an Epic MegaGrant from Unreal Engine to develop a new digital twin platform that can stream data into a running game, thus removing the need to bake in the assets.

Download the free guide here constructionglobal.com

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TOP 10

LARGEST CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN THE WORLD

WRITTEN BY: OLIVER JAMES FREEMAN FRSA

Construction Magazine explores ten of the largest construction projects – megaprojects – in the world

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W

hen it comes to humanity and our building habits, there’s always been one rule that seems to apply: “bigger is better”. The more extravagant and grandiose a construction, the more merit it seems to receive – for the ingenuity behind the project and, usually, for defying previously incomprehensible limits.

One simple question for you: “What comes to your mind when you think of the largest construction projects in the world?”

If like many, you guessed that airports, canals, and underground rail networks might be included on the list, you’re heading in the right direction. Pair those three offerings with industrial complexes, life-hubs, utility projects, space exploration, and a man-made river – yes, one of those – and a few other bits ‘n’ bobs, and you’ve got yourself the, probably, unexpected answer.

So let’s take a look:

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10

Great Man-Made River Project Libya

The “Great Man-Made River” (GMR) has been an ongoing project since 1985. To this day, it is classed as the largest irrigation project in the world, and upon completion, it will supply water to more than 350,000 acres of arable land. Not only will it assist Libyan farmers with their produce, but it will also increase the availability of clean drinking water in the majority of Libya’s urban centres. The water source of the GMR is the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System – the world’s largest-known fossil water aquifer system – and the project’s completion is slated for 2030.

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09

Beijing Airport China

Unsurprisingly, as China looks to stamp its dominance on every aspect of global life, its construction projects grow in size. The Beijing International Airport will eventually surpass Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport – listed above – in cost, total square miles, and passager and plane capacity. The project’s first phase was completed in time for the 2008 Olympiad, and teams behind the construction intend to complete the further expansion by 2025.

TOP 10

08

Chuo Shinkansen Japan

Moving swiftly along the worldwide rail network, Japan’s – officially named – Linear Chuo Shinkansen, high-speed rail line will transport passengers 286 kilometres from Tokyo to Nagoya in a mere 40 minutes. The trains on this line will power along at approximately 313 miles per hour and are based on the country’s world-leading Superconducting Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) system. Approximately 86 per cent of the new line will be underground, so it will require extensive tunnel construction.

The project is scheduled for completion by 2027 before work continues to extend the line onwards to Osaka.

07

High-speed Railway United States

The Californian high-speed rail network project was started back in 2015, with an estimated completion date sometime in 2029 – though COVID-19 may disrupt that. The high-speed trains will connect eight of the ten largest cities in the state, reaching from San Diego, down south, to San Francisco up north. The project has two planned phases: Phase 1 will connect Los Angeles to San Francisco; Phase 2 will extend connections to San Diego and nearby Sacramento. The highspeed rail shows the west-coast states’ drive for sustainability, as each 200-mile per hour train will be 100-per cent electric, powered only by renewable energy. constructionglobal.com

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06

London Crossrail Project UK

Did you know that the London underground train system was the first of its kind? A lot of people don’t.

Fun facts aside, to this day, the London underground continues to grow exponentially larger; currently, teams are coming to the end of an almost thirteen-year project, adding 26 miles of tunnel, connecting 40 stations, to the existing network through the ‘Elizabeth line’. The bill?

An estimated US$23bn. Currently, delivery of the Elizabeth line – which was already in its complex final stages – is being completed at a time of great uncertainty due to the risk and potential impacts of further COVID-19 outbreaks. The teams behind the scenes expect to bring the line into passenger service “as soon as practically possible – possibly in the first half of 2022.”

05

South-North Water Transfer Project China

If you’ve ever looked at China’s population distribution and water resources – no idea why you would have –, you’ll have noticed that it’s slightly disproportionate.

In the north of the country, you’ll find almost fifty per cent of the population but only twenty per cent of the country’s water resources. It’s a drastic imbalance.

To rectify the problem, the Chinese government has ring-fenced funding for the construction of three titanic canals. Each canal will be more than 600 miles long and will funnel water from China’s three largest rivers into the nation’s northern regions. According to Chinese reports, the project will take just shy of fifty years, and it will supply an incredible 44.6 billion cubic metres of water each year.

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04

International Space Station Space

All right, so this one isn’t technically “in the world”, but it is “of the world”. The International Space Station (ISS), created by a consortium of fifteen nations and five space agencies, is set to undergo some renovations that’ll cost a staggering US$60bn.

According to some sources, the current recommended expansion plans – not yet finalised – could come to a total cost exceeding US$1tn. If the expansions go ahead, the ISS will be able to house up to one million people.

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03

Dubailand Dubai

Walt Disney World’s are pretty massive, right? Imagine putting three together and shoving them in a single site. That’s what the authorities in Dubai intend to do with the Dubailand complex.

At 278 square kilometres, the US$64bn destination will feature six parts: eco-tourism, health facilities, hotels, science attractions, sports venues, and, for the adrenaline-junkies, theme parks. Being that the project is a Dubai-special, it’s only natural that it would break a record; on this occasion, Dubailand will feature the world’s largest hotel, with 6,500 rooms and a 10-millionsquare-foot shopping centre.

You’ll have to wait until 2025 to see it for yourself, though.

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Jubail II

Saudi Arabia

Jubail II is a 22-year-long project which, three decades ago, promised to raise an industrial city from the desert sands. The second phase of the Jubail development – the largest civil engineering project in the world – kicked off in 2014, with an expansion budget of US$11bn. Once the project is completed, Jubail will comprise at least one hundred industrial plants, an 800,000-cubic-metre desalination plant, more than 530 miles of railway and road, alongside a 350,000-barrel-a-day oil refinery.

The project should be wrapped up in 2024, with over 50,000 residential units being added into the industry city by 2026.

“ Jubail II is a 22-year-long project which, three decades ago, promised to raise an industrial city from the desert sands” constructionglobal.com

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“ Dubai’s Al Maktoum is designed to handle 200 wide-body aircraft at any given time”

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Al Maktoum International Airport Dubai

If you’ve ever been to London Heathrow, you’ll know what a “big” airport looks like. That’s 4.6 square miles, which pales in comparison to Al Maktoum International Airport’s incredible 21 square mile plot. A truly gargantuan airport, Dubai’s Al Maktoum is designed to handle 200 wide-body aircraft at any given time, and it’s only going to get bigger with the airport’s second expansion – which has no definite completion date – estimated to cost a staggering US$32bn.

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