UK construction rates highest in 10 years
Reports have found that Great Britain’s monthly construction output hit a record high of nearly £15 billion this March, the largest monthly output since the ONS started keeping records in January 2010.
At £14,994 million, the month’s output was up by 1.7% and represents the fifth monthly increase in a row.
The ONS explained that bad weather during the winter was largely responsible: “Anecdotal evidence … suggested storms between 16th and 21st February 2022 resulted in businesses seeing a higher workload in March 2022; this is because of the repair work derived from the storms.”
Output was up 3.7% compared with February 2020, the last pre-pandemic month unaffected by national lockdowns, with new construction work down 1.6% but repair work up 13.8%.
The ONS added: “The annual rate of construction output price growth was 7.3% in the 12 months to March 2022; this was the strongest annual rate since records began in 2014.”
All of this highlights an important seasonal effect in UK construction output: while new work can be scheduled for the summer months when conditions are more favourable, repair work is most in demand during the unsettled weather of winter and early spring.
How bog mats help construction output
Any construction work taking place on exposed ground should make good use of bog mats to prevent disruption during extreme weather conditions, or even in the event of heavy rainfall at any time of year.
Bog mats serve a huge variety of purposes, including:
- Demarcate safe access roadways and protect ground against tyres and tracks
- Demarcate safe pedestrian routes and keep people and vehicles apart
- Distribute pressure evenly over softer ground to stay within acceptable limits
- Create safe, stable access routes over waterlogged ground surfaces
- Prevent damage to ground due to falling objects and demolition work
Timber mats have low intrinsic value, so they’re not an insurance risk, and they won’t have a significant impact on profitability – but they can prevent costly losses due to damaged landscapes which must be reinstated before work can end.
For more information about how Timbermat can help you maximise your profitability and turn around projects faster in all conditions, email sales@timbermat.co.uk or call us on Manchester 0161 442 3157.
