New era of prefab housing bringing Australian real estate out of housing crisis- and more

1) New era of prefab housing bringing Australian real estate out of housing crisis

Australia is turning towards prefabrication and offsite construction as a way to construct housing fast and cheap. The Housing Industry Association has released a report claiming that majority of construction projects will move to prefab over the next 10 to 20 years.

2) Yasmeen Lari wins 2023 RIBA Royal Gold Medal

Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari has been awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) ' Royal Gold Medal for 2023 in recognition of the humanitarian work "she has undertaken since her retirement".

3) UK’s National Highways requires all contractors to get new diploma

Contractors working for National Highways will be required to pass a new exam in integrated project delivery by 2025. The body sees IPD as central to maximizing efficiency in road-building projects.

4) Housing complex outside Paris to be world’s first fully recycled concrete building

Swiss provider 拉法基 has created concrete by recycling demolition waste, wastewater, and rainwater! Holcim has partnered with social housing provider Seqens to build Recygénie—a 220-unit housing complex, that is being called the world’s first fully recycled concrete building!

5) Self-guided compactors save time, fuel and emissions: Trimble study

Trimble Inc. conducted a field study showing that roller compactors in self-steering mode do their job faster than humans! According to the tech firm, the study found a 29% reduction in time and a 26.5% reduction in fuel consumption, translating to potential carbon savings of 26.5%.

6) US dominates in list of most expensive cities to build in

Boston and Philadelphia have entered list of world’s top 10 most expensive cities for construction 2023, joining New York City and San Francisco. 4 of the top 10 spots are now taken by US cities. The jump in position for Boston and Philadelphia can be attributed to tender price inflation in 2022.?

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7) Xypex launches first production plant in India

Vancouver-based Xypex Chemical Corporation has collaborated with exclusive distributor Apaar Infratech in India to open its first production plant in the country! Xypex specializes in Crystalline Concrete Waterproofing. The plant will be a 40,000 sq. ft. facility with chemical manufacturing and distribution.?

8) Sharjah to replace cladding for 200+ buildings under fire hazard

Government of Sharjah has announced the removal of fire-hazard materials for 203 buildings across the Emirates. The buildings will acquire fire-resistant cladding, with the Sharjah Government bearing all costs. Phase 1 of the project will cover 40 high-risk towers and be completed in 6 months.?

9) SOM designs flowing mass-timber building for New York Climate Exchange

SOM has designed a vast mass-timber building for the New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island. The Exchange is a set of timber masses arranged under a sloping roof, topped with solar panels.?

10) L&T wins multiple contracts worth $850mn in the Middle East

Larsen & Toubro has bagged multiple contracts worth more than $850mn in the Middle East region. Scope of the work awarded includes engineering, procurement, construction and installation for new offshore facilities, as well as integration with existing installations.

11) Former UK Balfour Beatty worker found guilty of stealing ￡75,000 of cabling

A former Balfour Beatty plc worker has been given a suspended jail sentence after being found guilty of stealing ￡75,000 of cabling from the contractor. The employee worked for Balfour for 14 years. He was handed a 20-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months.

12) Asia's largest underwater hydrocarbon pipeline completed across Brahmaputra

The Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited has completed Asia's largest underwater hydro-carbon pipeline beneath the Brahmaputra. The 24-inch diameter hydrocarbon pipeline was laid using Horizontal Directional Drilling HDD method. This marks a major milestone in construction of North East Gas Grid (NEGG).

13) India approves $320m gravitational wave detector

The government of India has approved construction of an observatory that will detect gravitations waves from space to answer fundamental questions about the universe, according to a statement. The facility will cost $320 million.?

14) Plot of land in Dubai sells for $34 million, sets record

A 24,500-square-foot empty parcel of land on Dubai’s man-made Jumeirah Bay Island has sold for $34M (125M dirhams), setting a record. The sale further shows the rise in UAE’s real estate market as foreign investment influx continues.?

15) Egypt build’s world’s largest man-made river: 114Km long

Egypt is building the world’s largest man-made river in the Western Dessert of Egypt. 114 kilometers long, the artificial water stream will cater to agricultural land around the New Delta Project. The waterbody will help cultivate 9,240 square kilometers of land upon completion.

16) China tests out 3D printing for habitation on the moon

Beijing is solidifying plans for long-term habitation of the moon. The country will now explore 3D printing technology to construct on the lunar surface. China, after its first moon landing in 2013, plans to land an astronaut on the moon by 2030.?

17) ‘Take a back seat and we’ll give you ￡500k’: directors banned in wake of demolition bid-rigging

UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has banned 3 directors of demolition firms for a total of 18 years following probe into bid-rigging. 10 firms have been collectively fined nearly ￡60m for their involvement in the scandal.?

18) UK and Netherlands to build world’s largest multi-link power line

UK and Netherlands are planning the world's largest multi-point power line under the North Sea as part of a campaign to slash the UK's reliance on Russian energy. Named the LionLink, the proposal will link the 2 countries with a large offshore wind farm located between them.?

19) WeBuild can build world’s new longest suspension bridge in 6 years

Italian contractor WeBuild has assured the Italian Government that they can build the suspension bridge across the Strait of Messina in 6 years. Upon completion, the bridge will be the world’s longest suspension bridge with a length of 3.6 Km.?

20) Saudi leads Middle East in hotel development- 42,000 rooms under construction

Saudi Arabia has the third highest number of hotel rooms under construction after China and US. The kingdom leads the Middle East and MENA in hotel construction, according to a report published by hospitality analyst STR.?

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