Increased housing intensification mustn’t compromise safe evacuation routes. Recent updates to C/AS1 guidance, along with ongoing BRANZ research, place renewed focus on how external escape routes are designed.   In the past, most standalone homes were assumed to provide a straightforward escape path from any exit door directly to an open area such as a […]

Checking for underground services before you start upheaving the ground really matters. We all know that what’s beneath the ground can often be more dangerous (and expensive) than what’s above it.   Thousands of kilometres of underground infrastructure criss-cross construction zones. These include telecommunication cables, gas mains and service lines, water and wastewater pipes, and […]

Stormwater runoff is the biggest source of pollution in urban waterways, and metal roofs are a major contributor. Each time it rains, dissolved heavy metals such as zinc and copper can wash off roofs and into drains, streams and rivers, where they threaten aquatic life.   Research highlighted by the New Zealand Herald and Stuff […]

The nation’s crane activity has fallen to its lowest level in a decade. New Zealand’s construction slowdown is now clearly visible from above.   Crane counts are one of the most reliable indicators of real-time building activity. The Crane Index by quantity surveyors Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) studies crane numbers in the nation’s main centres. […]

A series of recent thefts across the country marks a growing trend in opportunistic crime targeting both fuel and vehicles, particularly spare wheels and diesel.   Police have confirmed multiple arrests in Christchurch and Hamilton after reports of people siphoning petrol and diesel from vehicles and worksites in early morning incidents.   In several cases, […]

As Tropical Cyclone Vaianu tracks toward New Zealand, the focus is not only on immediate safety, but also on how well our infrastructure can withstand another major weather event.   Across the North Island, councils and contractors have moved quickly to prepare critical systems. Stormwater networks are being cleared, flood-prone areas monitored, and temporary barriers […]