The government wants to build 1.5m homes by the end of this parliament, which would require 50% more houses to be built than the pace the last government managed to achieve.
One of the key ways the government plans to do this is by relaxing planning laws, putting an impetus on building rather than allowing schemes to be bogged down in opposition and red tape. For the engineering sector, there are plenty of opportunities to contribute to the cause.
“The incoming government has made clear its intent to prioritise boosting housing development, notably with the reintroduction of building targets,” says Suzanne Peters, research associate in innovation management and policy at Alliance Manchester Business School. “However, such commitments need to be substantiated with the means to reach them, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that we cannot rely solely on traditional methods.”
The range of tech-enabled options available to housebuilders is growing, and could help match the scale of the government’s ambitions. One of the easiest wins could be modular housing. “Most homes are built using traditional onsite methods that are highly manual, susceptible to weather and energy inefficient, with only 6% of new builds certified EPC (energy performance certificate) A,” says Peters. “Modular homes can help address these issues, and have been raised as an important part of a solution.”
Peters points out that modular homes are not themselves a new idea, but the widespread adoption of them could be. “The country’s modular housing firms have been poised to speed delivery of quality, EPC A rated homes manufactured offsite, using more advanced methods, available labour and less waste – and yet many could not fill their order books and have struggled to survive,” she says.
“Rectifying this will need a coherent strategy and set of measurable objectives to boost skills and reduce risk for developers – simple steps that could supercharge development.”
Other technologies could help with the physical side of the job. 3D printing technology has long been mooted as a faster, less labour-intensive alternative to produce buildings and other elements, but adoption has so far been slow. One of the few examples of civic engineering using 3D printing in the UK is a single staircase for a footbridge over the M8, installed in September 2022.
Work continues on an Accrington housing estate being 3D printed using concrete, with 46 houses in all set to be poured using printing robotics. The technology, its developers say, can mean houses are built in days, rather than weeks, and are more sustainable because they produce less waste, while being less labour-intensive – freeing up builders to focus on tasks that cannot yet be replaced by machines and technology.
Tech does not have to replace human labourers to speed up development – it can also support people to make better decisions, faster. Digital twins are being used already in non-housing construction projects, including the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. The technology, developed by French engineering software firm Dassault Systemes, enables suppliers and construction teams to look at where potential issues and bottlenecks in the construction process could arise – preventing stumbling blocks before they happen.
Despite the available improvements from cutting-edge engineering, there are still some roadblocks within the industry, say experts. “While many industries are rapidly modernising, there are still some UK contractors hesitant to adopt new tech such as AI, digital twins, machine control, or even something like a digital workforce management platform,” says Chris Wilson, senior sales director for the UK and Ireland at Trimble, a tech company servicing the construction sector.
Those opposing the adoption of new tech will lose out in the long run, Wilson claims. “These tools, as well as upskilling your workforce to use them effectively, will be absolutely vital if the UK is to increase productivity and create resilient infrastructure that’s made on time and within budget,” he says.
Whether they help the government meet its lofty goals depends on industry’s willingness to adopt them.
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