Building materials group Breedon reported first-half revenues of £857.9m, with volumes in Great Britain continuing to decline while its newly established US business delivered what it called a “strong start”. The company, a major supplier of aggregates, asphalt and ready-mixed concrete to UK infrastructure and housing schemes, is seeing weaker demand in British construction markets despite ongoing road and civils work. For contractors and material specifiers, this points to tighter domestic supply dynamics and a growing shift in Breedon’s capital and production focus towards North America.

Fischer has launched FBS 4 and FBS 5 concrete screws for electrical and HVAC fixings in concrete and dense masonry, with fire resistance rated up to R120 and expansion-free undercut anchorage allowing small edge distances and close spacing. Serrated thread geometry cuts rapidly into the substrate for faster installation with cordless impact drivers, while two anchorage depths let installers adjust for differing load demands and to bridge plaster layers. The zinc-plated range spans five variants, including FBS 5 US with hex head and washer, FBS 5 M6 threaded stud, and a dedicated FBS 4 cable clip screw.

Structural timber’s role in accelerating UK housebuilding was pushed at a Palace of Westminster panel chaired by Matt Turmaine MP and Baroness Ritchie, with senior figures from the Structural Timber Association, Egger UK, Lowfield Timber Frames and Places for People addressing major housebuilders and social housing providers. STA CEO Andrew Orriss noted that seven of the UK’s top 15 housebuilders plan to manufacture in timber frame, aligning with DEFRA’s Timber in Construction Roadmap and Net Zero 2050 targets. Timber’s lower embodied carbon and carbon sequestration were positioned as key advantages over traditional materials.