News

Concrete: The Non-Combustible Material for Structures

16 May 2018

Concrete does not burn – it cannot be ‘set on fire’ unlike most other materials in a building and it does not emit any toxic fumes when affected by fire. It will also not produce smoke or drip molten particles, unlike many plastics and metals. Designing with a non-combustible material results in a structure needing simpler fire detailing and therefore having quicker construction programmes.

Ronan Point remembered

16 May 2018

Fifty years ago, at about 5.45am on the morning of Thursday 16 May 1968, Miss Ivy Hodge went into the kitchen of her new 18th storey flat to make herself a cup of tea. She lit a match to light the gas stove, the gas leak exploded, and the side wall of the flat was blown out. This caused the whole of the corner of the apartment block to collapse, killing four people and injuring 17, including Miss Hodge.

It was a watershed moment. The flat was in a new housing development called Ronan Point, and the inquiry that followed led to significant changes in the Building Regulations for structural design which still stand today.

Looking forward to the Hackitt Review

15 May 2018

If there is one lesson from Grenfell, it is the danger of complacency to the risks from our built environment. Dame Judith Hackitt will publish her review in the coming days and reveal how her thinking has developed since her Interim Report in December 2017.

The Concrete Centre Announces New Better Built Homes Seminar

02 May 2018

The Concrete Centre is pleased to announce a brand-new seminar to its annual calendar with the, Better Built Homes Seminar running for the first time this June. The event is now live so confirm your spot early.

This is another of our free events and will be taking place on Friday 22 June, from 09:15 – 15:00 at the National Self Build & Renovation Centre, Swindon.

The Concrete Centre at Materials for Architecture Show

01 May 2018

The Concrete Centre were back for a second year since the launch of the event in 2017 and it proved to be another successful two days.

Taking place at the ILEC Centre in West London, Materials for Architecture embraces the event’s ethos of innovation in the development and specification of materials for architecture, construction, and design.

Reflections on Concrete Elegance - Live and Learn

12 Apr 2018

Concrete Elegance is a great lecture series to be a part of. Researching the projects to feature and hosting the evening is always a pleasure, and you never know quite what insights will be revealed about designing in concrete. Concrete is an amazing and versatile material so observing the similarities and differences of approach and the design teams’ experiences is always a highlight.

For more information and to read the relating case studies, visit Garden Halls & Simon Sainsbury Centre.

Join us at the next Concrete Elegance lecture, taking place on the 12th June, visit www.concretecentre.com/Training-Events/Events

Another successful year for Concrete at Ecobuild 2018

04 Apr 2018

The Concrete district curated by The Concrete Centre provided inspiration and information to enable designers to realise the potential of concrete as a sustainable material and discover the range of construction solutions for housing, building and infrastructure. Feedback from visitors and exhibitors was extremely positive.

2018 Offsite Awards - Winner of Winners, Project Capella

04 Apr 2018

Held during Ecobuild on 06 March – the annual Offsite Construction Awards feature a shortlist of projects, influential people and manufacturing excellence in the dynamic arena that is offsite construction. The Best Use of Concrete Technology and the prestigious ‘Winner of Winners’ Award, which is given for the highest scoring entry across all categories - were presented to PCE for Project Capella - an £80m 18,000m2 biomedical research laboratory for the University of Cambridge.