Cool and calculating

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The pence-per-hour pay rise for craftworkers won in the latest round of Building and Allied Trades Joint Industrial Council negotiations. It's a big drop from last year's rise of 87p. For employers, the Federation of Master Builders' Ian Davis said: "This negotiation has taken place against a backdrop of the most pessimistic outlook for small and medium sized building firms since 1999." Union negotiator Bob Blackman said these were the toughest talks in years. "Nevertheless, I am pleased that we have been able to reach a quick agreement that gives a real-terms increase in pay." The new rates apply between 12 June 2006 and 10 June 2007. Aside from craftworkers, pay awards are as follows: S/NVQ2 qualified operative £8.32 (previously £7.95); adult general operative £7.12 (previously £6.80).

50

The weight, in tonnes, of the steel truss which dropped a metre from the roof of Wembley Stadium on Monday morning, 20 March. Multiplex evacuated all 3,500 workers for the whole day after a loud bang when the truss hit another beam. The 50 m-long beam had been held by temporary supports while it was being welded.

March was a bad month for beams. On 2 March a huge oak beam broke free from the roof of the Scottish Parliament's debating chamber. The laminated and steel-reinforced beam swung across the room and was left dangling above the Tory benches.

Structural engineer Arup has discovered that one bolt had fractured and another was missing. Arup has sent the offending beam to Stangers Materials Science in St Albans, Hertfordshire, so that the bolt can be tested.

0,6m

The number of hectares of sensitive forest cleared each year to supply the UK's demand for timber, making it one of Europe's top three beneficiaries of the world's illegal logging industry, according to a report by the World Wildlife Federation (WWF). Illegal logging destroys rainforest habitats, impoverishes indigenous peoples and funds conflicts such as the Liberian civil war, according to the WWF. Although the government has banned illegal timber from its projects, last year the UK imported an estimated 2.2m cubic metres of illegal timber from the Amazon, the Congo Basin, Indonesia and other forest-vulnerable areas. The Timber Trade Federation estimates that 70% of timber entering the UK is used for construction. A CIOB guide: Procuring Legal and Sustainable Timber, is available from Construction Books Direct.

650m

The amount, in pounds, Patricia Hewitt claims to have saved by delaying the £1.2bn Barts and Royal London PFI hospital project to renegotiate a better deal with the private delivery consortium, Skanska Innisfree. According to The Lawyer magazine, after a review of the project the lease was extended to 35 years, and constructor Skanska's annual fee was reduced from £117m to £97m. The health secretary defended the two-month delay, estimated to cost £35m as construction teams were kept on standby. "The new deal saves the NHS £650m over the life of the contract, more than enough to build another major new hospital," said Hewitt. The project includes new cancer and cardiac facilities, and when completed in 2016 it will provide 950 beds, rising to 1,248 should demand arise.

2,4bn

The amount of extra money per year the government will spend on education (including buildings) over the next five years, announced in the budget last month. It brings the annual spend to £8bn, up from £5.6bn. In his 10th budget, Brown also confirmed his commitment to PFI, unveiling plans for a task force to address contractors' concerns over lack of expertise among civil servants. A total of £50m has also been promised for the development of micro-generation, so buildings with more photovoltaic panels and mini-wind turbines may become more popular. Brown is also making £1bn available for the establishment of a new energy and environmental research institute, which is certain to influence construction since the sector is responsible for so much energy use.