If properly specified, dry-fixed ridge, hip and verge systems create trouble-free roofs that remain maintenance-free for years. The new BS 8612 Dry-fixed Ridge, Hip and Verge Systems for Slating and Tiling will help both contractors and designers get it right, says Kevin Ley, Technical Manager at Redland.

Uncertainty around the status of EU workers after Brexit has sharpened concerns about the construction skills shortage in Britain. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) estimates that the industry could potentially lose up to 176,000 jobs, or 8% of its workforce, depending on the details of any deal that the UK Government negotiates with Brussels.

We are all familiar with the complex framework of standards, regulations, policy, contracts, best practice guidance and other documentation that set the baseline for our performance and provide us with the knowledge we need to do our jobs. If this knowledge framework is not comprehensive, accessible and easy to use, we are not able to perform.

In recent years, timber has attracted widespread attention from across the built environment. Structural timber, in particular, has become a common choice for both in-situ construction and off-site construction solutions, writes Martin Hurn, Managing Director of Futurebuild Events – owner of ecobuild.

Many in the ground source heat pump (GSHP) industry are encouraged by the proposed refinements outlined in the Government’s 2016 response to the Renewable Heat Incentive consultation. At the time, the Government made clear it intended to pass legislation in the spring of 2017 but the unexpected General Election put paid to that schedule, says Simon Lomax, Managing Director at Kensa Heat Pumps.