It is often said that in order to know where we are going, we need to know where we have been. For some years the construction industry has been challenged to deliver better performance in terms of value for money, timelier construction and defect free building. Behind this remodelling of an industry is Government. The interest by Government is not new, and report after report in the post war period has exhorted the industry to perform better. This book documents how Government, through influential reports, has sought to shape the performance and attitudes of parties to the construction industry. It provides a critical review of 12 of the most significant, setting these against their political, social and economic background, and offers a ready reference and critique for researchers of construction management, government and economics.

This book examines the role of the geotechnical baseline report (GBR) as a means of allocating and managing subsurface risks associated with subsurface construction.

The Construction Chart Book presents the most complete data available on all facets of the U.S. construction industry: economic, demographic, employment/income, education/training, and safety and health issues. The book presents this information in a series of 50 topics, each with a description of the subject matter and corresponding charts and graphs. The contents of The Construction Chart Book are relevant to owners, contractors, unions, workers, and other organizations affiliated with the construction industry, such as health providers and workers compensation insurance companies, as well as researchers, economists, trainers, safety and health professionals, and industry observers.