Construction National

Magazine, Online Directory and Web Design Service

Tue17032026

Last updateFri, 06 Mar 2026 9am

New market-leading online platform set to transform asset finance market

Independent financial services broker Midlands Asset Finance has today launched a new online platform which aims to simplify the process of sourcing and applying for asset finance

Asset Finance Compared is a website which compares a wide panel of funders in three easy steps to offer a competitive, instant quote at the touch of a button.

Read more: New market-leading online platform set to transform asset finance market

Flexcrete’s 851 coating stands the test of time for 28 years

Chloride attack is one of the primary causes of damage on reinforced concrete structures and independent tests have confirmed that Flexcrete’s Cementitious Coating 851 provides an effective barrier to chlorides for at least 28 years.

In 1988, a 2mm thick film of Cementitious Coating 851 was applied to a concrete slice and sealed in a chloride ion diffusion cell and it is still going strong some 28 years (10,179 days) later. Ongoing tests carried out in the laboratory at the VINCI Technology Centre in Bedfordshire show that the barrier properties of 851 have not changed after a test period spanning the ongoing 28 years. 

Read more: Flexcrete’s 851 coating stands the test of time for 28 years

HoloLens - the future of construction from Trimble and Cambridge University

November saw the announcement of the release of Trimble’s SketchUp Viewer to the Windows Store, the first broadly available commercial Microsoft HoloLens application.  Trimble is using HoloLens and SketchUp Viewer to bring mixed reality to the construction industry, enabling Architecture, Engineering Construction and Operations (AECO) professionals to extend the value and investment that they have already made in 3D modeling. SketchUp Viewer on HoloLens allows people to inhabit their designs in a natural and immersive way, creating improved collaboration and a better understanding of designs in real scale. This exciting collaboration was the first application of its kind and, as it turns out, just the beginning!

Read more: HoloLens - the future of construction from Trimble and Cambridge University

Hunt for fresh young talent as popular competitions return

Following on from its successful launch last year, the RHS are once again on a mission to find the best emerging Landscape and Plant Design talent with the RHS Young Landscape Contractor (supported by BALI) and RHS Young Planting Designer 2017 competition. 

Held at the fantastic RHS Flower Show Tatton Park in Cheshire, the popular competition will return for its second year in 2017, offering budding young talent the platform and support to display their planting and landscaping talents. 

Read more: Hunt for fresh young talent as popular competitions return

Is sport sponsorship a flawed strategy or a marketing masterpiece?

With all the controversy surrounding professional sports, and in particular football, why would any unrelated business want to get involved and associate their brand through sponsorship?

It’s a question that many have asked and attempted to answer, but an agreed conclusion has never really been reached and hence the debate rolls-on.

In some quarters, the risk of being caught up in high-profile scandals, or at the focal point of Journalists, TV and Radio ‘pundits’ intentionally trying to scare monger or create a perceived negative story,is just too much of a gamble. 

Read more: Is sport sponsorship a flawed strategy or a marketing masterpiece?