Increased health risks that came along with COVID-19 worsened the productivity and efficiency in the construction sector. Falling revenue and disrupted supply chains increased challenges related to delivery and caused the industry’s contraction in most markets.

But, it is also said that construction has a strong potential to accelerate recovery due to its ability to create jobs. Also, the recovery measures will likely accelerate the industry’s digital transformation. All in all, one thing is sure – the pandemic will affect the construction sector in more ways than one. Let’s find out how and what changes should we expect for 2021:

1. Safer Construction Sites

The construction industry is infamous for its bad safety track record at worksites all over the world. In 2019, about 20% of private worker fatalities were in construction. Each year, the construction industry creates a new track record of workplace fatalities due to fewer safety measures taken on worksites.

However, after the pandemic, there is much spotlight on worker’s health and safety in every industry as strict rules and regulations are in place. A lot of U.S. contractors responded to it by implementing new safety-related policies like temperature checks, staggered shifts, disinfection of tools, job sites, and machinery.

Fewer people on construction sites at a time will make it simpler for safety administrators, foremen, and site directors to monitor workers and guarantee that not just COVID-related but all safety guidelines are being followed while working. The pandemic will also drive safety administrators to incorporate training and upgrading of their safety programs and plans to manage any further pandemic or outbreak.

2. Better Supply Chain Management

In 2020, when the COVID-19 outbreak was on peak, a lot of contractors were not able to get essential supply materials like cement, bricks, and sand along with tackling the challenges related to the labor shortage. In the UK, for example, a shortage of plaster nationwide resulted in a sharp increase in its price. Not just in the UK, the pandemic affected the global supply chain adversely, as the US-based construction firms source large quantities of these materials from China.

Because of the COVID outbreak in China, travel restrictions, and the closing of ports, the supply chain was disrupted in the US. The situation forced US-based companies to look for local manufacturers of products or in closeby countries like Mexico.

Since the concerns around sourcing materials continue, the construction businesses will probably look for permanent homegrown suppliers and try to maintain bigger inventories of basic materials to prepare for similar delays and disruptions in the future. Overall, making a supply chain that can adjust rapidly to connect with alternate suppliers will be key for construction businesses post-pandemic.

3. Remote Work Technologies

After the pandemic, there are now a limited number of individuals allowed on the worksite in many countries around the world. But, contractors have no choice rather than ensuring continuity of work which is only possible with the help of remote work technologies. This includes using video conferencing and construction project management software to ensure that all the stakeholders can remotely manage and monitor the progress of multiple projects.

Other digital collaboration tools like BIM, 4D, and 5D simulators have also gotten a lot of traction in the pandemic and their use is expected to continue in the future as well. As a result, you can now expect improved collaboration among workers of a construction project which will ensure any changes in projects can be handled appropriately.

4. Increased Demand But Tight Budgets

The COVID-19 pandemic will surely increase the demand for specific types of construction projects in the near future. For example, construction for medical supply production facilities, hospitals, and health care centers could grow. The demand of constructing new kinds of workplaces to shift from the previously well-known “open-concept” environment to a private and restricted environment for improving social distancing is also likely to grow.

As the U.S construction firms plan to overcome the supply chain disruption, the demand for warehouse, distribution, and manufacturing factories will surely grow in the future. On the other hand, the construction demand for retail, entertainment, and hospitality projects may become weaker. However, we are yet to see how the industry will manage these increased demands in tighter budgets due to weak economies around the globe.

5. Construction Technology is Going to be the New Normal

Despite the need, the adoption of technology in construction was slow over the last few years. However, due to the pandemic, a large number of construction businesses realized that technology isn’t an option now, rather, it is a necessity. Many contractors turned to technology to ensure business continuity when stay-at-home orders were in place to communicate and collaborate with stakeholders.

The applications of technology in construction are many and the pandemic will just accelerate its adoption. For example, using technologies like virtual reality, project owners, engineers, and architects can better visualize projects. Thermal cameras, wearables, and drones can be utilized to monitor workers to ensure their health and safety, and they are maintaining social distancing while at the worksite.

The list of uses and advantages of construction technology can go on and on. It would be right to say that the pandemic acted as a catalyst for the transformation of the construction industry around the globe.

6. Longer Project Timelines

As the way the construction industry was operating since decades is going to change, longer project timelines are expected. The personnel of the industry will need time to get used to these changes and big safety overhauls could mean longer project timelines. With fewer workers, more time spent in following safety guidelines, and the requirement for legitimate PPE and worksite prep, the era of fast-tracking projects might be finished.

That could be a major change for people who need to plan the processes and they may need to rethink their job planning strategies. However, it could be beneficial for other workers as they will be able to better focus on their safety when performing jobs.

Wrapping Up

The pandemic isn’t something any of us anticipated. It confused everybody. While some adjusted quicker, others are still struggling to find ways. We are still not sure what the future may bring, however, with strategic planning and adjustments, the construction industry can come out the opposite side more grounded and stronger than ever before.

Author Bio: Ed Williams is the Senior Team Lead at ProjectPro, an integrated construction accounting software. He holds a massive industry experience and is a Microsoft Dynamics expert who is focused on successful implementations. He is a visionary leader and always aim to deliver the best to the construction and project-oriented industries

What Happens When Equipment Fails?

Equipment is constantly being used in the construction business. This makes it critical that you inspect the construction equipment regularly so that they perform at their maximum potential every single time they are used. It is also important to choose the right electricity provider from places like Cirro Energy reviews , because many electricity providers can send loads of unregulated supply of electricity. If you don’t conduct a thorough examination of the construction equipment, you could introduce safety hazards to the site.

Defective equipment will lead to serious injuries or fatalities, apart from causing system, structural and electrical failures. These will cause accidents like electrocution, collapses, burns or cuts. Additionally, you would be subjected to safety violations if you don’t meet the equipment safety requirements required by OSHA.

Let us look at some reasons why you must consider upgrading your construction equipment if you haven’t in a while.

4 Benefits of Upgrading Construction Equipment

– Reduced Downtime

One of the biggest reasons why many business owners think twice before upgrading the equipment is because they fear that it may disrupt the current workload and bring the processes to a halt. On the contrary, it would halt the processes for a longer period if unmaintained equipment breaks down and result in long stretches of downtime. Upgrading the equipment will make sure that your business continues to scale and meet new growth.

Substandard equipment also limits the efficiency of the employees and is more prone to frequent breakdowns. If you think that replacing individual components instead of upgrading the entire equipment would be more economical, you couldn’t be more wrong. Replace the current equipment with a more diverse tool set and you can be assured of reduced downtime.

– Increased Productivity

When downtime is reduced, it would automatically improve productivity. Loss of production is mainly connected to faulty and unmaintained equipment, which leads to downtime. Upgrading the equipment will allow you to prepare for the demands of bigger projects in the future, including a Profoam trucking system for materials and equipment, and that’s why is necessary to be careful with dangerous equipment of materials as leads, since the dangerous levels of lead on some materials could be real bad for people. Other tools that help in increasing productivity in the construction sector include industrial weighing scales such as truck scales, floor scales, crane scales etc as it ensures better weighing of equipment along with accuracy, both of which boost the productivity.

– Increased Safety and Minimized Workplace Accidents

Generally, older equipment has fewer fail-safe mechanisms, industry-specific upgrades and monitoring instruments, all of which contribute to equipment malfunction and workplace accidents, which in turn, leads one to hire a lawyer without a fee unless won, because these cases have less chances of being won. You don’t want to provide an unsafe working environment and you definitely wouldn’t want to be held liable for any employee injuries caused by faulty equipment.

Currently, the construction industry claims the highest number of injuries as compared to any other industry in the U.S – don’t let your company contribute to that number. Upgrading to new equipment will help you reduce those statistics significantly. You cannot put a price on safety so don’t let the cost of upgrade deter you.

– Improved Employee Morale

Burdening your employees with using outdated machinery would affect their morale as not providing them with the best possible tools would send a message that they are not valued. As a business owner, you must ensure that your employees have the right kind of tools to work with as the success of the business relies on having appropriate tools and technology. Improve the employee morale by investing in resources that help them work better. Upgrading equipment will also help in retaining skilled individuals as well as training and creating new ones.

Speed, accuracy and efficiency are key factors that contribute to any business’s success. Upgrading equipment is one way to achieve this and make the processes more efficient and productive.

Kevin Hill heads up the marketing efforts at Quality Scales Unlimited in Byron, CA. Besides his day job, he loves to write about the different types of scales and their importance in various industries. He also writes about how to care for and get optimized performance from different scales in different situations. He enjoys spending time with family and going on camping trips.

Here’s four myths about construction laid to rest at last…

Construction is only for people who can’t get other jobs

This is a big myth and frankly, it’s insulting. The idea that people go into construction because they can’t do anything else is a long way from the truth. Most construction workers have chosen this field because they know it pays well (with generous overtime), offers holidays and best of all, the chance to make something that will be standing longer than most people live!

There’s no room for advancement or promotion in construction

Another popular myth is that a job in construction is a dead-end – there’s no way to get ahead or to achieve anything. This is not the case. Many construction workers, it’s true, find their ideal level and are happy to stay there. The important word there is that they’re happy! Anyone who wants to get ahead, or get a promotion will find it easy, especially if they work for someone like the Lagan Construction Group, which places huge importance on education and training. Advancement options include training for managerial positions, or striking out alone, armed with the skills and knowledge acquired over the years.

Most construction workers are poorly-educated

The idea that construction workers are poorly-educated is unfair – and certainly untrue. Some construction workers might not have enjoyed, say, poetry at school, but they will have done well in maths, physics and in architectural plot plan designing. Even if a few people didn’t do so well at school, they will have to learn on the job in order to stay in the industry; they’ll have to go on day-release, or attend a technical college to progress. These are different skills to purely academic learning, but they are skills – and valuable ones, too.

Working in construction is dirty and often dangerous

Well, there’s no denying that there can be a bit of dirt here and there, as well as sawdust, plaster dust and even bird poo! However, these things wash off at the end of the day… A bit more pernicious is the idea that construction is dangerous and workers are risking their lives onsite day after day.

This is only the case if companies and workers don’t value and adhere to health and safety legislation. Of course some jobs do carry more risk than others, but if all the rules are followed, these risks are minimised. Any company that doesn’t put safety first should be avoided at all costs – the legislation has been developed over decades, if not centuries, of hard-won experience.

Governments across the world are waking up to the fact that extremes of weather are rapidly becoming the norm. In many countries, they are gradually changing construction legislation to take account of this fact.

Across the world, new laws are being passed that require both residential and commercial builders to work to higher standards. Buildings that can withstand higher summer temperatures, colder winters, as well as floods and high winds, are now essential. In some areas of the world, they also need to be built to withstand earthquakes, and other natural disasters.

For those of us who work in construction this presents challenges, but also means that we are working in interesting times. In order to keep pace with the changing needs of our customers we have to learn new skills, as well as develop innovative building techniques, and materials.

Take for example the issue of flooding. This is become a big problem in many countries. In the UK, the government estimates that the cost of damage caused by flooding has now reached an average of £1.1bn per year.

The insurance industry believes that the cost could be even higher than that. In fact, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) estimates that the bill for the floods that occurred last winter will be closer to £1.3bn.

To date, the UK government has primarily responded to the threat by building more robust flood defences. For the most part these have been publically funded projects that are designed to protect specific areas, rather than individual buildings.

However, the construction industry, along with the environmental lobby, is urging the government to put together a comprehensive water management strategy. They particularly want the issue of surface water management to be addressed in an organised way. Many in the industry are suggesting that installing new land drainage pipe in existing developments, and including state of the art waste water systems in new housing estates and commercial buildings is the way to go.

Unfortunately, new legislation to make this a reality has yet to be drawn up. In the meantime, the construction industry is doing its best to provide protection for the buildings that they are working on.

They are doing so in response to concerns expressed by their customers. Increasingly, both residential and commercial clients are seeing the risk of flooding as a serious issue. As a result, they are raising the issue with both their architect and builder.

Innovative new products, for example automatic flood barriers, are gradually becoming available. These are expensive, but consumers are so worried about the risk of flooding that they are increasingly willing to pay for this new technology.

It will be interesting to see how the UK ends up responding to the threat of flooding, in the long-term. If you would like to read more about how the recent floods are likely to affect the UK construction industry, I suggest this article.

This is the very start of a business, when it’s no more than an idea that’s trying to gain marketplace acceptance. It is important to hire Fast Guard security in the beginning stages of your business. At this stage a business needs to find its niche; this is a time when small amounts of money and time have to go a long way.

The business owner has to decide if their skills and experience match the niche, as well as work out ownership structure. Professional advice and business plans are vital now.

Investors and Unsecured SME Loans are the main sources of money – usually from friends, family, a day job and government grants.

The start-up stage

This is an exciting stage when the business exists as a legal entity – it’s providing goods or services to its first customers. It’s also moved into that fancy commercial property in Mayfair, but money is still in short supply and it’s vital to conserve resources.

It’s when a customer base develops, as well as a clear market presence and ethos. Money comes from friends and family still, but there’s also customers’ money.

The growth stage

The business has survived the start-up period, with increasing sales, a growing reputation and maybe new opportunities. It’s also the stage at which competitors start to feature more.

Increased sales and need for investment make a lot of demands on time and money, so this is when the business owner needs to learn to delegate and to employ more staff members.

Management becomes more formal and accounting needs to be stronger; money comes more from profits, banks and franchising options than from family.

The established stage

The business is more mature, with steady profits, loyal customers and an established way of working.

It’s tempting to relax and enjoy the profits, but there’s always something on the horizon, like competitors, changing tastes, changing tech and even the odd recession.

The business needs to improve productivity and products, as well as to fine-tune business practices and outsourcing. Money tends to come from profits, banks and government grants.

The expansion stage

This is when the business should expand into new markets and new distribution channels. Most small businesses look to grab a bigger market share and to find new revenue streams.

This stage needs a lot of planning and research and it’s safest to move into areas and sectors that complement the business’ existing capacity or abilities. There should be new products and services, or new markets and customers.

Money comes from partnerships, joint ventures, new investors and licensing, not so much from banks or government.

The decline stage

The economy may change, or market tastes may move on, and this can affect profits and sales. It’s a big challenge – there may be a negative cash flow for a while – and if the business can’t cope for long, it may be time to exit.

It’s a time to look for new opportunities, to reduce overheads and find other ways to conserve cash. Money sources are customers, the owners and suppliers.

The exit stage

This is when the business cashes out and reaps the benefit of the hard work, or when it simply folds.

Selling needs a realistic approach – the years of hard work might not be reflected in the valuation, which can be a shock.

A thorough valuation, as well as a review of business practices, competitors and management, can help to get a fair price. There also needs to be a business transition plan.

Money comes from the sale, so it needs to be handled by professionals.

My boss at my first engineering job told me that a PE license and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee.  

Now that’s one heck of a saying, and at 22 years old, I didn’t really get it. I eventually put two and two together and realized that since a cup of coffee costs about a dollar, the PE license may not be worth too much. For this and other reasons, I was always on the fence about getting it. On one hand it could bring some credibility and security to your career, but it could also put you on a very technical path that may be tough to get out of if you’re looking to get into management or running your own business.

**Another popular saying is, “A blog and handful of quarters will get you a cup of coffee.”  

I’m really knockin’ ’em dead I guess. ** 

However, about 15 years into my career, I decided to pursue the license through the Pennsylvania State Registration Board. I did this because I wanted to increase my credibility as a consultant and not have to rely on high risk, hard bid, construction contracts.

This is all great, but I had been doing project management for most of my career and the technicalities and theory of engineering had sunk deep to the bottom of my mind. Like trying to bring the Titanic back to the surface, I would have to refresh and possibly re-learn much of this material. I started the process of collecting data, references, and a year by year synopsis of my career for deliberation by the Board.

There is no doubt that the PA Board was a little reluctant to throw down the stamp of approval for someone who had been working on construction sites their whole career.  They asked more than once for more detailed information about how my career has applied the principles of math and science.

Long story short, I eventually got approved to take the test after several requests for detailed information about my work experience.  The whole process took about 12 months and several iterations.  

I ended up taking an online course to go over all the engineering principles that had been stagnant for years, as per the engineering staffing agency advice. I feel like online courses are the equivalent of exercise classes on video. I don’t know how anybody can do either – you’re just one push of a button away from doing something much more enjoyable. I struggled through it nonetheless and tried to pick up as much as I could. The best part about the course was the two hundred or so practice problems that come with it. I spent several weekends working through these problems and they really helped.

I also had the Civil Engineering Reference Manual (CERM) which is pretty much a staple for the PE exam. However, I found that I didn’t use it that much during the open book exam. The test was much more conceptual than I was expecting and I found myself referencing some other manuals, but mostly just grinding through the problems on my own.  The folks at NCEES know that the CERM is used by almost everyone and I got the feeling that they wanted go beyond this reference.  

The morning wasn’t that bad – I finished about an hour early. It was very conceptual and hit all phases of civil engineering: civil, structural, environmental, surveying, construction management, and geotechnical.

The afternoon, however, was brutal.  I took the construction engineering specific test and it basically tested everything but at a much more complex level.  I remember doing a crane analysis problem that gave the loading on a crane and asked for a thickness of the concrete pad necessary to withstand overturning.  You’re only supposed to spend six minutes per problem but I remember spending well over ten minutes on this with my pencil burning through calculations.  After this exercise, my answer was not nearly any of the multiple choice options.  I made a guess and moved on.  

There were actually several questions in the afternoon on which I had to make a guess.  This is why I thought I failed the test.  However, I did not.  They don’t tell you your score, but I imagine that I passed it by a slim margin.  

Now it’s time to see how it helps, redirects, or otherwise alters my career.  I’ll let you know how it goes.  In the meantime, here’s a buck, grab a cup of coffee.                    

But the maintenance and upkeep of the factory is something successful factory managers need to address, as poor working conditions not only can lead to employee dissatisfaction which affects productivity but it can also be dangerous in terms of health and safety.

With loads of information at our fingertips, it can be hard to decide between certain products and even brands when updating and maintaining your factory, especially when it comes to old floor preparation for a new flooring and choosing things like factory flooring. However, with the right questions in place, this search could be made a lot easier. Visit GETTYSBURGWOODFLOORS.COM for useful tips.

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of important questions to ask when choosing new flooring for your factory, so you don’t make any mistakes when it comes to finding the perfect factory flooring. Choose the right flooring at Total Floor Care.

• Price– This is undoubtedly the first thing factory managers have to think about when maintaining or updating factories or warehouses. You need a flooring solution that doesn’t compromise quality for lower prices.
• Durability– Heavy machine usage and footfall are normal in factories so you need a floor that can cope with these pressures, reduce fatigue and stand the test of time.
• Health and Safety – Employee and machinery safety are key on factor floors, you need a factory flooring solution that is slip resistant, CE accredited, and fire retardant.
• Variety– Colour and branding of your floor can make a huge impact on the look and feel of your factory. You need to consider what type of flooring you think will add maximum value and if branding should be present.
• Reliability – You want to buy from a reputable flooring company that uses quality product materials and manufacturing processes, offers warranty and great customer satisfaction.
• Installation– Maintenance and upgrading of your factory shouldn’t take away from any work processes so you need to consider a flooring option that’s quick and easy to install and doesn’t affect your production.
• Maintenance– It’s vital to install flooring that is easily cleaned and maintained. Dries quickly and doesn’t leak water through tiles onto your sub floor, all that’s left for you to do is learning everything you need to know about getting a new boiler
• Life Span – With certain types of floor, especially epoxy resin, it can be a hassle to relay flooring every couple of years which can cause all sorts of logistical problems. Check out https://adhesiveslab.com/ for an epoxy flooring supplier offering modern solutions for durable floors. It’s best to look for a flooring solution that has a longer life span which means less hassle down the line.

With these questions in mind you should be better informed as to what type of flooring best suits your factory. If you decide that PVC interlocking floor tiles are your best option then you can read more about R-Tile’s range of industrial interlocking floor tiles.

For those of us that thrive on quantification, the United States Census Bureau puts out values of construction spending.  They show 2009 coming in at $906 billion, $809 billion in 2010, and a robust $788 billion in 2011.  While 2015 numbers are not yet finalized, October 2015 shows construction spending at a $1,107 billion annual clip, and the AIA projects an increase in non-residential spending of 8.2% in 2016.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a construction industry unemployment rate for December 2015 of 7.5%.

Long story short, we’re doing a heck of a lot better now than we were in 2009, 10, or 11.

This is good, and we should be thrilled and feel fortunate that we are working in a thriving industry at the moment.  However, while it may not always be pleasant to remember and discuss the bad times, I think it’s important to do so.  It may be easier to throw our hands up and say that we can’t control the economy and we just have to play the cards we are dealt.  But this is not the kind of attitude that will provide long term success, growth, and improvement.

So what will provide long term success, growth, and improvement?

Well, I’m not really sure, but I can tell you how I’ve learned to navigate the peaks and valleys that we often encounter as members of the AEC industry.

Since we hit rock bottom, I’ve loaded up with State and Federal government work.  The pay isn’t the highest and the paperwork and documentation requirements can be tedious, however, it is very steady, they pay on time, and the system can be learned and repeated.  A pipeline full of government projects is great to have should things fall apart on the private side.

I also run my own business.  This is obviously not an across the board option, and it took me a while to get there, but if you’ve got the the ambition and wherewithal, running your own business can reduce the risk of your income going to zero.  In other words, you may lose a client or project here and there, but you probably won’t lose everything all at one time, like you would if you lost a job.

As for the industry as a whole, I actually do throw my hands up.  I’m afraid that we (or they) won’t learn from what occurred during the early part of this decade.  There are plenty of folks, especially in an election year, talking about not repeating the past, etc., but c’mon, it’s kind of a tough thing to stop.

However, perhaps it can be slowed, or at least become less frequent, so this lively construction market will stay – at least for a while.

Earlier this month the North of England, in particular areas of Cumbria, were devastated by some of the heaviest rainfall and worst flooding Britain has seen for some time. Thousands of homes were left without power and damaged by flooding, emergency services were overwhelmed and there were, unfortunately, even fatalities.

But this isn’t the first time that we’ve been ravaged by floods which have had an enormous and devastating impact on local communities – so how has this happened, and what can we learn from events like these that are becoming a regular part of UK weather?

ESS, a UK-based environmental waste treatment and recycling firm, take a look at the flood’s impact and what’s happening for the future.

What’s Happened?

It’s something we’re all aware of; it’s been covered extensively in the last two or so weeks, and it’s still affecting homes, business and local communities.

In essence, Storm Desmond has been battering the UK with rough weather and, in particular, ravaging the north of England with high winds and heavy rain – resulting in widespread flooding in a number of local areas.

Severe weather warning for rain has been issued. Stay #WeatherAware at https://t.co/LohpJi9n9A pic.twitter.com/I6ZpcVAmy1

— Met Office (@metoffice) December 6, 2015

For example, a record breaking 341.4mm of rain fell at Honister in the Lake District, 3,500 homes have been flooded and transport links (including trains and road routes) have been cut and are still affected at time of writing.

What Was The Impact & Fallout?

Tens of thousands of people left without power and thousands with flooded homes, not to mention local businesses, are just part of the storm’s impact in the north. Police forces, other emergency services and British army have all been helping, while local communities were also urged to pull together to support each other.

Currently, the cost of this recent bout of flooding is unknown, but last week George Osborne announced a £50m flood fund to cover costs as a result of the damage left in Storm Desmond’s wake.

A report put to parliament last year put the average annual cost of damage as a result of flooding across the UK at £1.1bn; while there hasn’t been any indication yet on wider costs of the flooding this December it seems like the impact, damage and widespread effects aren’t getting any better, so it’s reasonable to say that this figure will (at least) be consistent for this year’s flooding.

At the time of writing towns, villages and local communities are all still dealing with the impact in their own way. There are still some areas without power, and residents’ homes may still not be fit to live in, but these are short-term issues – for the time being.

What Can We Learn & What Are The Next Steps?

“If the government is serious about infrastructure, then flood defences should be a greater priority than HS2 or another airport runway” – The Guardian (07/12)

It goes without saying that current strategies, plans and defences need to be improved; these events aren’t one-off and unexpected. The same report previously mentioned states how increasing spend on flood defences won’t be wasted, and can help to offset the cost of damages by reducing the impact of flooding.

The two big statements coming out of the impact of the flooding are an increase in funding for flood defence costs and a continued approach on tackling climate change; although the Met Office have stated that the most recent flooding can’t be verified to being linked to this.

Tom Burke, chairman of environmental group E3G, suggests that the current spend alone isn’t enough. On his own website, Mr Burke said: “Each time millions of pounds were spent improving flood defences in the region. Each time the defences were overwhelmed by the next ‘unprecedented’ event.”

He added: “The question the government really needs to answer is why have we had so many unprecedented events in so short a space of time. How many times does it take to set a precedent?”

It seems that these plans are already being suggest to government, with MP Elizabeth Truss addressing the House of Commons last week on plans for further investment in flood defences.

In her statement she said: “Since 2009 we have invested £45million in new defences in Cumbria. But we will need to learn lessons and reflect on what we can learn from this extreme weather event.

“We are investing £2.3bn in 1500 schemes throughout the country that will better protect 300,000 homes and the Spending Review has also confirmed that we’re protecting flood maintenance spending throughout this Parliament as well as capital spending.”

So will this be enough? Last year’s report to Parliament seems to suggest that the cost of flooding as a result of damage cause is only likely to increase enormously in the long term; the report suggest a rise to as much as £27bn per year by 2080 if action isn’t taken.

One thing is clear, though, and it’s that what is currently in place needs improvement – more investment from local government and more funding from central government will allow this to happen. While the short-term cost will need to see a significant increase, the long-term effects will ensure not only lower costs of damages but less risk to homes, businesses and local communities.

As the end of 2015 draws near and the countdown to the Christmas holidays begin we look at some major European construction jobs that are also nearing completion. What makes these projects stand out is not only their innovative design but also the involvement of some lesser known companies within the European construction industry.

FFR Grand Stade, Paris

For real mass sporting experience, there’s nothing like a stadium. Stadiums are in a race to digitize how sports teams are scrambling to keep millennials coming to games, with younger fans leaving stadiums, sports teams and organizations are finally embracing technology as a way to improve the fan experience. However a building that sits empty 90% of the time, then hosts huge crowds, it can be an extremely difficult task, to remain profitable and in use all year round. The architects Populous and Ateliers 234are wrestling with this as they deliver a stadium for the French Rugby Federation that will accommodate 82,000 fans and boast a retractable pitch.The added addition of conference facilities should also make it a popular destination for other non-sporting events throughout the year.

Chernobyl Reactor, Ukraine

This is the steel structure being built to                       encapsulate the Chernobyl disaster.

The engineers of the USSR who fought to bring the Chernobyl disaster under control built a hastily constructed concrete sarcophagus, designed to cover the hole that had opened up above the destroyed reactor. It is part of a £1.2bn project to clean up the damage caused by the world’s worst nuclear accident in the then Soviet republic of Ukraine – which led to more than 6,000 cases of cancer, 115,000 forced evacuations and 28 deaths due to radiation sickness.

A new steel arched structure is being built, to be rolled on rails over the reactor, from which point demolition work can begin using cranes suspended from the new roof that was made by these residential roofing contractors the finish of their work had a really good quality. It is one of the most difficult projects in terms of ensuring paramount worker safety. The shift practices of the workers in relation to radiation are monitored and adapted accordingly.

For instance if your personal radioactivity meter hits a certain level, it tools down and you’re off site. This build is monitored and managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development which manages six donor funds providing support to increase nuclear safety and security in Eastern Europe.

Crossrail, London

The concept of underground railways are not new or innovative but what sets this Crossrail project apart is the logistics behind the scenes. While this new east-west link has been built life has went on above ground uninterrupted as this rail network is threaded through the sewers, cables, and foundations of London. There are many companies involved in this project, but from a safety stand point Hill Engineering , a company from Northern Ireland have contributed to ensuring a safe environment for the workers involved on this site.

Their product the Tefra Quick Coupler is designed to ensure safety and eliminate one of the most dangerous aspects of handling digger plant attachments. With diggers and other excavating equipment involved heavily their product eliminated the risk of digger bucket coming away completely.

Conclusion

All across Europe engineers and architects are constantly pushing the boundaries to deliver the biggest, best and most innovative modern day structures. But in recognizing these impressive structures it is easy to forget the people and companies involved in bringing these structures to fruition.