Industry Insights December

Sparks from Steel

Every Region in England is suffering with declines in project-starts A deepening recession, continued construction materials inflation, and flat lining growth continue to hinder the industry, according to Glenigan. Unfortunately, with the Russia-Ukraine war and resulting materials, energy, and fuel price inflation, a return to pre-COVID activity levels will be delayed for some time. Every […]

Installing structural steelwork on top of the London Underground

Kings Cross Bridge

Overcoming location challenges when building on top of London Underground Installing structural steelwork directly above rail tunnels has several challenges that need to be addressed during the planning stage. Close collaboration is needed to plan the foundation structure, improve buildability and minimise acoustic vibrations. Elland Steel Structures has successfully completed many contracts in busy locations […]

Industry Insights November

Sparks from Steel

November construction insights: Contract awards continue to defy expectations In this month’s industry insights, we review the latest construction data from Barbour ABI and Glenigan. October was a strong month for contract awards and the level of planning approvals remains stable for the third month. Although it has been a good month for contract awards, […]

Sustainability of structural steel

steel and glass building

Structural steel can be made with basic oxygen steelmaking (BOS). It can also be produced using electric arc furnace (EAF) production. Steel is infinitely recyclable and both methods use recycled steel. One of the differences is that BOS steel is predominately made from raw materials. The BOS process combines iron ore with coke and about […]

Construction industry supply chain challenges and predictions

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

Will Rising Energy Prices Continue to Affect Material Costs in 2023? It has been a challenging year for the construction industry, following Brexit and the impact of global lockdowns. Materials and labour shortages have been synonymous with the construction industry. Plus, on top of this, the war in Ukraine has resulted in sanctions, restrictions and […]

Industry insights for October and Q3 review

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

The latest analysis from industry commentators shows both peaks and troughs in activity. In this month’s industry insights, we review the planning applications, approvals, contract awards and project-starts. According to the latest construction industry data and economists, there were more contract awards than expected in Q3. The data also shows that despite recent economic turmoil, […]

Building a new structure whilst preserving existing structural elements

Halifax Bus Station Y shape building with green plants on the roof

Integrating existing structural elements into an architectural design can be challenging. This is especially true when structures of historical importance need to form part of the new building. Building a new structure whilst preserving existing structural elements requires expertise and close collaboration between the client, architects, engineers and construction teams. The structural engineer is able […]

One City Park office design raises the bar for Bradford

Office block with curved perimeter

One City Park is a new 5-storey building that isn’t like any other office development in Bradford. The building’s modern architecture has an unusual curved shape with stepped roof terraces. The office employees will have views of the Mirror Pool fountains and the Venetian-style city hall with a 220ft bell tower. Part of the wider […]

Refurb work and retaining structural elements

refurb construction site next to busy roads

Refurb work Over recent years, there has been an increase in the amount of refurb work that avoids demolition. This is especially true for London, where there is a high demand for commercial space and a desire from investors to extend a lettable area of an existing structure. There are many reasons why refurb work […]

Overcoming challenges with a collaborative approach

Elland Steel technical team discussing a project

Close collaboration helps to mitigate risks and find the best solutions to challenges. Good communication during the design stage is vital for sharing specialist knowledge, especially for tricky applications that require technical expertise. On both small applications and large complex projects, Elland Steel work with many industry specialists to find ways to overcome challenges and […]