I've been reading the Laing O’Rourke Centre for Construction Engineering and Technology Review 2020-2023 which includes their vision of construction in 2030, it makes interesting reading. Apart from the shortage of skilled crafts men and women there are currently two other areas where skill gaps are hindering the wider adoption of much needed new technologies, that's digital construction and assessing embodied carbon.
Digital construction
If there is one topic that demonstrates the huge divide in the 200,000 odd contracting entities in UK construction – it’s the introduction of digitalisation. I suppose it depends on what you understand by digital, for some it may be a mobile phone for others, its augmented reality and digital twins.The RICS recommends mandating, data-driven processes and systems for projects and built assets. Good luck with that! For those who just do not know how to start their digital journey the CIOB recently issued an Artificial Intelligence Playbook which is free to download. The playbook contains a very useful 12 Step Strategy to Implement AI within an Organisation and goes a long way to demystify the topic. Surely digitalisation is the perfect hook to attract more of GenZ to take up construction as a career?
Measuring embodied carbon
The basic principle of calculating embodied carbon is to multiply the estimated quantity of each material or product by a carbon factor normally measured in terms of kilogramme of carbon dioxide equivalent /square metre. Sounds easy? Well, surprise, surprise - it’s not. Currently five different assessments would probably result in five different answers as there’s no consistent application of the methodology on how to measure carbon coupled to a lack of available consistent data. In October 2023 the BCIS launched the Built Environment Carbon Database (BECD) similar in a way to the BCIS standard form of cost analysis used for cost planning. The data base is free and open access, but the RICS admit it is far from perfect and importantly it is not an assessment tool. The recently updated Whole Life Carbon Assessment for the Built Environment Standard by the RICS, provides a consistent methodology but is admittedly complex and the development of additional resources and training to make it more accessible to professionals from varying disciplines would certainly be welcome. The International Cost Management Standards (ICMS) is designed to integrate the measurement, recording, analysis, presentation and comparison of life cycle costs and carbon emissions of built assets but I wonder how many organisations are actually aware of its existence let alone use it. It’s difficult enough trying to move the industry over from SMM7 to NRM2.
For sure there needs to be investment in skills at university level with the consideration of topics like measurement of embodied carbon introduced alongside NRM1, 2 and 3 measurement and yet many universities continue to include subjects such as materials and how to spot dry rot and woodworm. It will be interesting to see the RICS proposals on how to modernise course structures when it’s published in November.
While on the subject of sustainable construction the UK's guide to implementing circular economy principles in organisations are now available: BS ISO 59004:2024, BS ISO 59010:2024 and BS ISO 59020:2024. These are the first in a new series of international standards defining key terms, establishing principles for a circular economy and giving guidance, including on resource management that can help prioritize actions to help construction achieve a better circularity of performance.
Duncan Cartlidge FRICS
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