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Sales of structural building materials have rebounded after a shaky start to the year, indicating “signs of recovery” for the wider industry, according to researchers. Data published by the Construction Products Association (CPA) showed a balance of 53 per cent of so-called heavy-side manufacturers did more business in the second quarter of 2025 than the first. This was a turnaround after a majority of firms reported a dip in sales of structural materials in the first three months of the year. Heavy-side manufacturers expected the positive trend to continue, with a balance of 54 per cent foreseeing a further rise in business in the third quarter of the year. The latest data also showed that structural product sales were up year on year, with a balance of 40 per cent seeing an increase since the second quarter in 2024.  An even stronger proportion of suppliers expected further growth in trade over the next 12 months. Meanwhile, light-side manufacturers – those making fittings, fixtures and services for buildings – experienced a sixth straight period of quarter-on-quarter growth in the three months to the end of June. A balance of 29 per cent of respondents expected a seventh over the summer, with the majority anticipating further increases in sales during the next 12 months. The CPA’s head of construction research, Rebecca Larkin, said: “The return of growth for the heavy side and an extended run of growth for the light side heralds the signs of recovery for construction demand. “An increase in heavy-side sales typically aligns with new activity and starts on site, and gives our sector some confidence that construction output will start picking up – albeit gradually – as we move into the second half of the year, and households, businesses and investors gain confidence to give the green light to planned projects.” Demand was expected to be the primary constraint on sales by the majority of heavy and light-side manufacturers, with labour availability the next most frequently cited. A balance of 31 per cent of heavy-side manufacturers reported an annual increase in costs in the latest period, with an even greater proportion of light-side suppliers seeing inflation. “The survey results highlight that challenges remain,” said Larkin. Read More

A Unite investigation led by construction lawyer Martin Bowdery KC into the controversial scheme in Birmingham claims the job was awarded with no competitive tender to contractors who were “good friends” of McCluskey. The building was under construction from 2016-20 and cost over £110m. It was later valued at £38m. The report stated that the original contract gave the builder an “officially agreed £12.5% profit mark-up” before extra costs started to mount up. The cost of preliminary items like scaffolding and machinery jumped from £11.9m to £22.4m which the report “could not identify any reasons for.” Other increases identified in the investigation included the cost of “holes through blockwork and the like” rising from an original estimate of £91,000 to £1.28m. The cost of rainscreen cladding also rose 375% to £3.3m. McCluskey’s lawyers told the BBC he paid for his own travel in full, and, to his recollection, always paid the cost of his football tickets. Read More

The development, close to Wolverhampton University, will also provide ground floor retail space. Each unit will include a kitchenette as well as associated amenities, and the third floor apartments have sweeping views across Wolverhampton city centre. TCC is providing commercial and quantity surveying services to construction managers, Tamworth-based WB Property Group and employers agent services to Birmingham-based Beauford Group – a specialist in student accommodation projects. The development is due for completion in September this year. TCC co-founder and director Sandeep Sunner said, “This is a prestigious student scheme in the heart of Wolverhampton which will create first-class, purpose built accommodation for its student residents, as well as superb views for residents on the top floor. “We were brought in after the original main contractor went into administration and the site lay dormant for several years. We are delighted to be involved in such an imaginative scheme.” TCC has a wealth of experience across public and private sectors including industrial, commercial, retail, leisure, care and residential projects. Headquartered in Bennett’s Hill, TCC is a multi-disciplined consultancy providing specialist project management, quantity-surveying, employers agent, building surveying and health and safety services to a wide range of sectors. Read More

The money has been spent across multiple areas of the business, including the expansion of the hire fleet for accommodation and power, significant property developments, new plant and machinery, vehicles, and the acquisition of Rawley Plant Hire Limited. Hire fleet accounted for the largest share of Wernick’s 2024 investment, with £70m allocated to significantly increase the number of rental assets across the Group’s core divisions. A key part of this investment also supported urgent Department for Education (DfE) requirements, delivering temporary classrooms for RAAC-affected schools, demonstrating Wernick’s agility and proven experience in public sector contracts. A substantial portion of the fleet investment has focused on sustainable solutions, helping clients meet their net zero targets. This includes continued growth of the GreenSpace range of energy-efficient accommodation, as well as innovation within the temporary power division. Here, Wernick has invested in advanced battery storage and solar technologies designed to reduce fuel consumption and lower carbon emissions, strengthening both environmental performance and customer value. Wernick’s long-standing strategy of owning all its freehold properties continues to pay dividends. Recent developments at sites in Dundee, Aldridge and Dunston have been completed successfully, with further projects underway in Langley Mill, Glasgow, Cannock, and Inverness. These investments ensure all operating companies benefit from industry-leading facilities and excellent working environments for its people. Jonathan Wernick, Chief Executive Officer, said: “As a generational family business, we are focused on building a strong, sustainable future. “This investment strategy reflects our confidence, our long-term vision, and our commitment to providing better solutions, facilities, and equipment – not only to maintain our position as a market leader, but to ensure we continue delivering the best for our clients and our people.” Read More

The move comes in response to increasing client demand as businesses seek to adapt their existing properties to achieve net zero targets and comply with the UK’s tightening Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES). Chartered building surveyor Mike McGill, with over 35 years’ experience in surveying, upgrading and adaptation of UK buildings, will head up the new service. This strategic expansion has led to G&H successfully securing a contract with UK property investment and development company, CEG. Under the new appointment, G&H will work to improve the energy performance of Tricorn House, a 1970s office building in Birmingham. The goal is to achieve a minimum EPC B rating for the building, ahead of the current 2030 deadline in line with MEES regulations, reduce its operational carbon costs, and support the client’s wider targets to decrease energy intensity. Following a detailed building survey and options appraisal of Tricorn House, G&H will create a detailed prototype of one office floor, using Building Information Modelling (BIM) and thermal dynamic modelling to identify the most efficient and commercially viable retrofit solution for the whole building. McGill said: “I’ve joined G&H to lead its new building performance service because there’s a significant need from UK clients for seamless, proven, and viable solutions to decarbonise their buildings and achieve their net zero targets. By combining G&H’s vast experience with my background in adapting buildings, we have the capability to devise and deliver exactly what the market is demanding. “We’re off to a great start following our appointment by CEG. They’ve taken the initiative to ensure the long-term sustainability of Tricorn House, well ahead of the MEES deadline. Tricorn House is a typical 1970s concrete office tower, exactly the kind of building that’s often written off as too challenging to retrofit. CEG wants to use this project to prove that these buildings can be successfully upgraded and continue to play an active role as economic and social assets in our city centres.” Paul Greenhalgh, FM quality and procurement manager said: “We needed a partner that could not only improve Tricorn House’s EPC rating to ensure its legal compliance and its commercial viability, but also one that offered a complete integrated solution. “G&H’s approach really appealed as it covers everything from initial assessment to final certification. Knowing the project will be designed and managed by Chartered Building Surveyors and CIBSE building services engineers, and delivered by G&H’s own team, is very reassuring.” As part of the UK government’s target to reach net zero by 2050, all commercial buildings are expected to achieve an EPC C rating by April 2028 and an EPC B rating by April 2030 for both new and existing leases. Properties failing to meet these proposed standards will no longer be lettable, though these requirements have not yet been formally legislated. Read More

The tie-up will see the two firms work together across major infrastructure sectors including water, energy, defence and rail. Van Elle boss Mark Cutler said the deal builds on a long-standing trading relationship and will unlock joint delivery opportunities across UK infrastructure frameworks. He added: “This agreement brings us closer together as strategic partners, providing mutual benefits to both parties.” The deal strengthens Van Elle’s hand in the piling market, with new kit and additional capability to target large packages on multi-year investment programmes. Two years ago Van Elle struck a deal to buy Galliford Try-owned piling specialist Rock and Alluvium for an initial payment of £1.8m, including a five-year trading deal with the main contractor to provide piling and geotechnical services. Read More

An article from Project Milestones The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority’s Franconia-Springfield Bypass project will speed up passenger and freight trains in the congested corridor. Published July 22, 2025 Rendering of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority’s Franconia-Springfield Bypass project, set to be built by a FlatironDragados and Herzog joint venture. Courtesy of Virginia Passenger Rail Authority This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. A FlatironDragados and Herzog team is set to break ground this month on the $414 million Franconia-Springfield Bypass, per a July 17 release from Broomfield, Colorado-based FlatironDragados.  The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority’s project will allow passenger and freight trains to move more safely and efficiently through one of the most congested rail corridors in Virginia, between Fredericksburg and Washington, D.C., per the release. The joint venture will build approximately 1.4 miles of passenger railroad track, including a 0.6-mile-long rail flyover bypass bridge over the existing CSX freight tracks in Springfield, Virginia. The bypass will cross over two mainline freight tracks so passenger trains can reach the VRE Franconia-Springfield station without delay and circumvent the current bottleneck with freight traffic, according to FlatironDragados’ project website. It will be the second such structure in the U.S., Railway Technology reported, and existing tracks will be shifted to accommodate the new construction. The construction manager/general contractor project scope includes retaining walls, extensive site grading and drainage improvements, per the project website. Other agencies involved in the project are CSX Transportation, Amtrak, Virginia Railway Express, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. “This project will provide safer, more efficient rail service by reducing congestion and improving reliability,” said FlatironDragados Executive Vice President Jim Schneiderman in the release. “As construction begins, our team will continue to collaborate with VPRA and other stakeholders to identify innovative solutions to challenges as we transform rail infrastructure in this key market.”  St Joseph, Missouri-based Herzog has been conducting utility relocations and other proconstruction work since last year in a live track environment around more than 70 daily CSXT and Amtrak trains, according to the firm’s project webpage.  Per FlatironDragados, the project aims to protect sensitive wetland and wildlife and minimize community impacts by using: A beam launcher system to erect bridge steel girders. Extensive logistical planning to haul more than 400,000 cubic yards of earthworks. Dewatering schemes within a confined alignment. Undercutting to achieve adequate subgrade conditions. Underground drainage detention systems and jack and bore culverts to enable a streamlined site drainage system. The project is being funded through federal, state and local contributions, according to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority. VPRA, Amtrak and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority have each committed funding for various phases of the project. Construction work is set to begin this month, with completion slated for 2029. Read More

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Dive Brief: Rising electricity demand and a slowdown in the buildout of alternative sources of power generation could extend the use of coal globally and displace 2,100 GW of gas and renewables by 2050, Wood Mackenzie said in a report earlier this month. Under a high demand scenario, coal-fired power generation could peak in 2030, four years later than the analysis’ “base case” forecast. The economics and politics of coal are strongest in Asia. In the United States, coal is more expensive than gas or solar and storage, but the cost of building new gas power plants has nearly doubled and long-duration energy storage technology is not yet mature enough to convert solar and wind into true “baseload” resources, the report said. Dive Insight: In Asia, national security concerns and economics favor coal for now, said Anthony Knutson, global head of thermal coal markets at Wood Mackenzie, although when it comes to just levelized cost, hybrid solar and storage remain cheaper than coal or gas. “While the long-term trajectory towards renewables remains intact, the path is proving far more complex than many anticipated as countries grapple with energy security and affordability concerns,” Knutson said in a statement. Wood Mackenzie expects the levelized cost of unabated coal-fired power in the Asia and Pacific region to remain below $100/MWh in 2030, lower than the expected levelized cost of gas-fired power there.  Coal-fueled power in the United States will cost about $230/MWh in the United States and about $270/MWh in Europe in 2030, according to the report. By then, gas-fired power will cost about $100/MWh in the United States and about $150/MWh in Europe, it said.  Hybrid solar and storage will undercut coal and gas in all three regions, coming in around $60/MWh in Asia, $70/MWh in Europe and $80/MWh in the United States. Though the economics of gas-fired generation are more favorable in the U.S. than in Asian and European countries that rely on liquefied natural gas imports, its ability to match surging AI load growth forecasts is limited, the report said. While long-duration energy storage technology has advanced significantly in recent years, it cannot provide baseload power yet, it said. It’s also becoming more expensive to replace aging coal plants with gas and renewables, causing “sticker shock” for power producers looking to make the switch, the report said. It blamed tariffs, reshoring of production and infrastructure delays for pushing up the cost of new solar while noting a near-doubling of U.S. costs for new gas power plant builds. Higher replacement costs and rising capacity market prices are increasing the value of existing coal assets, WoodMac said. Capacity prices rose nearly tenfold across parts of the PJM Interconnection last year, leading the grid operator to set a capacity price “collar” for its next two auctions.  In the report’s “high coal demand case,” thermal coal use plateaus and then falls slowly toward 2050, remaining 32% higher on average. The base case sees thermal coal use peaking next year and falling steadily through 2030.  Combined with a corresponding slowdown in additions of cleaner power generating capacity and without “significant investment in carbon capture and storage capacity,” carbon emissions from unabated coal could rise by 2 billion tonnes, according to the report.  WoodMac said that could further threaten international efforts to limit warming to 2°C or less, which renowned U.S. climate scientist James Hansen called “dead” earlier this year. Hansen first warned of the dangers of human-caused climate change in a 1988 Congressional hearing that environmentalists credit with raising public awareness of the issue. The analysis is not a forecast but “a warning of what inaction could bring,” Wood Mackenzie Director of Energy Transition Practice David Brown said in a statement. “Without urgent actions, the world faces a growing risk of drifting towards a 3°C pathway,” Brown said. “Our high coal demand case is … a reminder of what can still be prevented.” It’s unclear how durable coal demand will prove if near-term demand pushes up prices and Western financial institutions remain reluctant to finance new mining projects, WoodMac said. Sovereign wealth funds and private equity groups would need to step up to cover the investment shortfall, it added. And the global coal fleet’s long-term viability likely rests on asset owners’ willingness to invest in plant upgrades that improve load-following capabilities and overall efficiency; retrofits that allow co-firing with alternative fuels like hydrogen and ammonia; and bolt-on carbon capture infrastructure, WoodMac said.  China has retrofitted about 15% of its coal fleet to improve load-following, but the technology remains nascent elsewhere, according to WoodMac. So does co-firing, despite keen interest in South Korea and Japan. Carbon capture, utilization and storage — which WoodMac calls the “holy grail” of coal relevance — also remains in its infancy, with just one operational U.S. project in Texas and questions dogging the future of a much larger proposal in North Dakota following the lead contractor’s exit last year. Read More

An article from Executive Moves Jose Espinosa brings more than 25 years of international experience in tolling and highway infrastructure work to 407 ETR. Published July 22, 2025 Sign for the Express Toll Route 407 in Ontario, Canada. The image by Ken Lund is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Jose Espinosa is taking the reins as president and CEO of toll highway company 407 ETR, according to a news release from the Woodbridge, Ontario-based firm. He brings to the role more than 25 years of international experience in tolling and highway infrastructure across the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia. Jose Espinosa Courtesy of 407 ETR Espinosa succeeded Javier Tamargo, who served as president and CEO since September 2020, on July 16. Tamargo is now CEO of Austin, Texas-headquartered highway firm Cintra US, a subsidiary of Amsterdam-headquartered civil engineering company Ferrovial. Espinosa also joined the 407 ETR board of directors this month. His appointment is a return to the firm: Between 2009 and 2016, Espinosa worked as corporate shareholder liaison and reporting manager, and later as project director for Highway 407 ETR East operations, per the release. Espinosa recently served as CEO of three North Texas highways — the Lyndon B. Johnson Expressway, North Tarrant Express and North Tarrant Express 35W — where he worked to increase capacity and connectivity on main arteries in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, per the release. Prior to that, he served as CEO at I-77 Mobility Partners in Charlotte, North Carolina. Previously, Espinosa also worked at Ferrovial, starting in 2000 as an analyst in the corporate treasury department and progressing through several management positions at Madrid-based Cintra, according to his company biography page. “Mr. Espinosa comes with a proven track record in complex infrastructure management and is well positioned to lead 407 ETR through its next phase of growth and operational excellence. His global experience will be instrumental as we continue to drive innovation, enhance the customer experience, and deliver long-term value to our stakeholders,” said 407 International Board Chair David McFadden in the release. Read More

An article from Project Milestones Working with local partners, the construction team placed the highest steel beam on the University Health Palo Alto Hospital on San Antonio’s South Side. Published July 22, 2025 Workers help place the highest steel beam on Palo Alto Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Courtesy of Turner Construction This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. A Turner-led joint venture has reached new heights on a $550 million hospital project in San Antonio, Texas.  New York City-based Turner in partnership with Byrne Construction Services and owner rep Straight Line Management, both of San Antonio, have topped out the University Health Palo Alto Hospital, according to a news release. Earlier this month, the JV placed and signed the final steel beam that marks the apex of vertical construction on the five-story hospital structure.  Palo Alto Hospital is one of two University Health facilities currently under construction. The organization is a political subdivision of the state of Texas and is the only locally owned and operated health system in San Antonio and Bexar counties. The construction push has been spurred by the region’s population growth, which is projected to reach 3.2 million people, or an increase of 28%, by 2030.  The second facility, Retama Community Hospital, is currently being built on San Antonio’s northeast side. Sandy, Utah-based Layton Construction is the construction-manager-at-risk contractor on the $450 million job.   The Palo Alto facility will include a full-service emergency department, labor and delivery suites, a neonatal intensive care unit, operating rooms, inpatient rooms and an attached medical office building designed to support both urgent and ongoing community health needs.   “Reaching this milestone is a testament to the incredible collaboration between Turner, Byrne, Straight Line and our many trade partners,” said Kyle Weller, Turner vice president and general manager, in the release. “Together, we are building a world-class health care facility that reflects the strength and spirit of this community.” Both Palo Alto and Retama Community hospitals are slated to open in 2027. Read More