worlds tallest buildings

World’s tallest buildings of 2018 as skyscraper construction soars

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China completed a staggering 88 buildings 200 metres or higher in 2018.

Research by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) found 143 buildings of 200 metres or more were erected around the world in 2018, down by four from the all-time record of 147 in 2017.

The tally included 18 “supertalls” (buildings at least 300 metres tall), the largest number ever built in a year.

The total number of 200-metre-and-higher buildings in the world is now 1478, an increase of 141 per cent on the 614 that existed in 2010.

The 88 skyscrapers completed by China this year is a record for the country, vaulting over the 80 it constructed in 2017.

The US came in a distant second place, with 13 tall buildings erected in 2018, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 10, Malaysia with seven, Indonesia with five, and Thailand and South Korea with three each.

China’s tally represents 61.5 per cent of the global total of tall buildings completed this year.

The south-eastern city of Shenzhen, which boasts a population of more than 12 million and connects mainland China to Hong Kong, saw 14 skyscrapers erected.

It was the largest number of 200-metre plus completions for any city for the third year in a row.

The tallest building completed in 2018 was, for the fourth year in a row, also built in China: the 528-metre Citic Tower in Beijing took out the top gong.

The soaring skyscraper didn’t come close to snatching the crown of the world’s tallest building, however, which belongs to Dubai’s 828-metre tall Burj Khalifa, built in 2010.

The extraordinary growth of tall buildings in China can be attributed to three key factors, according to Dave Platter, communications director of Chinese property website Juwai.

They are: pride, easy money, and agglomeration.

“The easiest one to explain is pride. As a nation, China is very proud of what it’s accomplished. A big beautiful building is one way of celebrating that,” Mr Platter said.

Similarly, for tenants, an address in a prestigious skyscraper is a status symbol and a way to mark personal success.

China’s tall buildings are built on “a foundation of cheap cash”, fuelled by easy credit, cheap debt, and banks’ willingness to lend to developers, Mr Platter said.

“The government wants banks to lend to spur the economy, and building stimulates the economy,” he said.

“When you’re building supertalls you’re not just employing builders, but steel workers, furniture creators, and more. It’s effective.”

Skyscrapers are also on the rise in China thanks to an “agglomeration effect” created by the country’s role as the world’s largest manufacturer and biggest exporter combined with huge, and growing, population and powerhouse economy.

“Businesses in places like that prefer to cluster together,” Mr Platter said.

“One business’ customers are another business’ employees. Everything works better when you have a denser city.”

Source: thenewdaily.com.au

 

dame judith

Tougher regulatory framework for developers after Hackitt recommendations

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The government has set out plans to create a tougher regulatory framework for developers and vowed to change the culture of the building industry, in a 62 page response published to the Hackitt review. 

The government confirmed it is taking forward every recommendation made by Dame Judith Hackitt (pictured) in her review, published in May, of building regulations and fire safety following the Grenfell Tower tragedy last year.

As a result, existing regulators are to set to work with firms and tenants to trial more rigorous ways of monitoring developers, contractors and landlords – with an emphasis on public safety.

Successful approaches will then feed into fresh legislation to tighten-up building regulation; the government says this will include more punitive sanctions for those who disregard regulations.

James Brokenshire, housing secretary, said: “My plan for stronger, tougher rules will make sure there is no hiding place for those who flout building safety rules.”

One key recommendation from Hackitt was to create a Joint Competent Authority, formed of other public bodies, to oversee the safety of buildings throughout their life cycle.

The government confirmed it wants to build on the expertise of existing bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive, the fire and rescue authorities, and local authorities – but it has not said which body will be responsible for enforcing the stringent new regulatory regime.

In his foreword to the government’s response, Brokenshire said he is pushing for a ‘culture change’ towards a more safety-orientated construction industry.

This means government will challenge unsatisfactory firms, including through support of local authority enforcement action. It could also mean the government legislates to ensure the competence of those carrying out building work.

The government’s response to Hackitt also said a Standards Committee will be esatblished to advise on construction product and system standards, and that the government has issued a ‘call for evidence’ as part of a review into fire safety guidance in the building regulations.

Brokenshire added: “By making people responsible and more accountable for safety, we will create a more rigorous system so residents will always have peace of mind that they are safe in their own homes.”

Brokenshire identified four areas where he will implement change:

1. Creation of a stronger regulatory and accountability framework

2. Clearer standards and guidance to help a) builders and b) product manufacturers better understand what is required to keep a building safe

3. A stronger voice for residents, including more effective routes for escalation and swift redress when things go wrong

4. Fostering a ‘culture change’ in the building industry – by taking on incompetent firms through enforcement action and possibly legislation

Source: Building.co.uk

Contractors pay

Are developers and local authorities now in competition?

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Theresa May’s removal of the local authority borrowing cap during this year’s party conference was a cause for concern among property developers.

In many ways it was a pragmatic step – one many described as long overdue. In theory it serves to diversify the housing market, stimulate industry capacity and help councils meet their affordable home requirements.

However, it also put local authorities into direct competition with small and regional developers, potentially causing a profound restructuring of the construction industry.

Councils are now able to potentially bid for development sites at the expense of local developers.

Authority advantage

Many authorities have already set up their own development companies. These are either standalones or joint ventures with recognised developers, who bring to the table a wealth of experience in marketing, styling and quality. These partnerships are important – local authorities won’t chase large-scale projects until they have gained the confidence and manpower to deliver.

In approaching development work, local authorities have a number of advantages over small and regional developers. They enjoy access to cheaper funding, as they are able to borrow from the government at very low rates. And because they can also borrow for longer periods of time, they can adopt longer-term building strategies.

Historically, funds had to be used by a specific date (often not very far in the future), which tended to prohibit financing larger developments this way, given the time it usually takes to see a large development through to completion.

However, the revised funding available to local authorities can now be drawn down over a much longer period of time. In fact, local authorities have been buying up investment property using government funding, extended at these low rates, to secure an investment yield to provide surplus income. It’s these same funding conditions that are available for development.

In addition, local authorities are better able to meet affordable housing targets, whether on the same site or on another site, as changes in the rules over compulsory purchase will speed up delivery timelines and improve viability. As council-run development companies are not profit-driven, they are able to maintain a greater focus on delivering both the housing types and numbers required.

The advantages council-run businesses have may allow them to experiment with new techniques, such as modular construction. This approach removes weather from consideration, and brings factory-style efficiency and better quality control into the production process.

Many larger construction firms already use modular production, but the industry would benefit from more development firms employing it.

What now for SMEs

Overall, local authorities have a better hand to play with following the borrowing cap’s removal.

The larger developers, with their enormous technical resources, manpower and brand value, will undoubtedly look to cover their positions by working with local authorities. Smaller builders, however, cannot always offer the same advantages.

All is by no means lost for the smaller players. One option is to move away from generic housing to more specialist markets such as retirement living, student accommodation, buy-to-rent and micro-accommodation.

In the future we could see a more diversified construction trade with a much more prominent role for the local authorities, while smaller firms place bets on specialised methods of construction and manufacture.

Source: Construction News

New build

Industry unites for largest-ever poll on skills shortages to gauge Brexit impact

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Companies from across the UK construction sector are being invited to take part in the largest-ever research project on skills shortages. As the UK prepares for the departure from the EU next year, construction’s leading trade and professional bodies have joined forces to build a picture of those occupations that are in greatest demand. 

The survey, which will go out to more than 20,000 companies nationwide, will ask respondents to indicate which roles they are finding it difficult to recruit now and which they expect to be challenging post-Brexit.

The survey is supported by the following industry groups.

  • Association for Consultancy & Engineering
  • Build UK and member trade bodies
  • Chartered Institute of Building
  • Civil Engineering Contractors Association
  • Construction Plant-hire Association
  • Construction Products Association and member trade bodies
  • Federation of Master Builders
  • Highways Term Maintenance Association
  • National Federation of Builders

To ensure that the survey has as wide reach as possible, companies that are not members of the above organisations are also invited to take part in the survey. Evidence uncovered from the survey will be used to identify where the industry should be focussing its efforts to recruit new workers.

It will also be used to engage with the government and Migration Advisory Committee to support decision-making on appropriate migration for workers from the EU and rest of the world.

Mark Reynolds, Mace chief executive and skills lead for the Construction Leadership Council, said: “We know that our sector will need to recruit hundreds of thousands of new workers over the coming years. We want to ensure that this recruitment is supported with targeted actions by industry and government. The first step in achieving this is the development of a detailed picture of those occupations where we face the biggest challenge. I welcome the fact that the industry is unifying to develop this research and encourage all companies from across the industry to take part in the survey.”

Hannah Vickers, chief executive of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering, said: “With all the uncertainty around Brexit and its impact on skills, we need to make sure that our industry has a sound evidence base from which to argue, which is why I will be asking all our members to participate in the survey. We will need to come together in one voice and collectively make the case for construction to government, ensuring that any post-Brexit agreement secures the skills our sector needs now and into the future.”

Alasdair Reisner, chief executive at the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, said: “Our members tell us that recruitment is probably their single biggest challenge. We can only overcome this by working together, targeting significant interventions based on high-quality industry data to ensure that we can recruit and train the next generation of construction workers”

Please click here if you would like to take part in the survey.

Source: Infrastructure Intelligence