Research and analysis

Construction products library: Building the evidence base

This report presents the findings of a rapid review of the role a publicly accessible construction product library could play in the construction sector.

• From: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
• Published: 25 February 2026

Documents

A Construction Library, Building the evidence base - February 2026

PDF, 333 KB, 28 pages

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Details

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry highlighted significant failings in the construction products regime and recommended the creation of a construction library to improve access to critical information for designers and industry professionals.

This report explores the potential role and possible impact of a new construction product library. It also looks at:

• how data and information is currently used in the sector
• the challenges and limitations in accessing reliable data and information
• how existing and emerging initiatives seek to improve access to data and information in the sector.

The report then goes on to explore what the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) can learn from other libraries or databases and the key considerations for MHCLG in designing and implementing a centralised construction library.

The report team employed a mixed method approach combining interviews, an expert-led workshop and a literature review.

Published 25 February 2026