Engineering Matters

In this episode, we tell the story of MERMAID from the Wildlife Conservation Society, this year’s Engineering Matters Awards Environment Gold Champion. Emily Darling, director for coral reef conservation at WCS, describes why scientists need better ways of sharing coral data, and how MERMAID helps them do so. Rita Bento, a researcher at NYU Abu Dhabi joins the episode, in an interview recorded in January 2026, to describe the work the university has been doing with regional partners to map coral reefs in the Persian-Arabian Gulf. And Angie Braithwaite, co-founder of Blue Alliance, describes how the nonprofit organization is using MERMAID to understand the effectiveness of marine protected areas. MERMAID allows the scientists to more easily map and understand the world’s coral reefs, helping identify those that are more resilient to climate change. Its latest update adds more, using AI to speed up the slow work of identifying species in reefs. Guests Emily Darling, director for coral reef conservation, WCS Rita Bento, researcher, NYU Abu Dhabi Angie Braithwaite, co-founder, Blue Alliance Category sponsorSupport for this episode and the Environment Champion Category comes from FuturePlus. FuturePlus helps businesses measure, manage and improve their environmental and social impact – with a live ESG platform and a named expert to guide you through it. Three hundred businesses are already Impact Certified, from hospitality to engineering. Find out more at future-plus.co.ukThe post #364b Environment Champion – Engineering Matters Awards gold winner first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Around the world, engineers are working to protect the environment. In this episode, we introduce eight companies who are taking steps to safeguard the natural world. All have been shortlisted for the Engineering Matters Awards. The first three shortlisted entries look at ways of understanding the natural world. Petra Ringeltaube explains how RWE’s SeaMi is taking a less invasive, ecosystems-based approach to monitoring biodiversity on wind farms. Emily Darling of the Wildlife Conservation Society explains how its tool MERMAID is allowing coral scientists to share data, and now, with new AI tools, identify species on reefs. Next, Peter Salome explains a new tool from Fugro that will speed the delivery of vital new subsea powerlines. We then look at the challenges of building new homes and the infrastructure needed to support them, while limiting harmful environmental impacts. Edward Selvey, a senior ecologist with Avove describes how the company helped mitigate the biodiversity impact of a new water pipeline. Helen Gibbon, a director at Renaissance, explains how the engineers implemented sustainable drainage for a new estate in Salford. And Siobhan Warfield-Beattie talks us through how Ayesa helped lower the carbon impact of a wastewater treatment plant in Arklow. At Derne Reach, in Yorkshire, Olivia Rowe tells us, Mott MacDonald Bentley has taken a different approach to wastewater, helping build an integrated constructed wetland. Finally, we learn about two projects seeking to restore nature. Matthew Hay of Nattergal describes the company’s work at High Fen Wildland, where it is helping re-wet peatlands, in a way that shows how boosting nature can be a commercially viable investment. And Nick Cooper of Haskoning describes how the company has helped remove colliery waste from a Northumberland coastline.  Stay tuned to the end of the episode to learn which entries won a position in this year’s awards. Guests Petra Ringeltaube, environmental manager, RWE Emily Darling, director, coral reef conservation, WCS Peter Salome, innovation manager, Fugro Edward Selvey, senior ecologist, Avove Helen Gribbon, director, Renaissance Siobhan Warfield-Beattie, marketing director, Ayesa Olivia Rowe, project leader, Mott MacDonald Bentley Matthew Hay, natural capital manager, Nattergal Nick Cooper, technical director, Haskoning Category sponsor Support for this episode and the Environment Champion Category comes from FuturePlus. FuturePlus helps businesses measure, manage and improve their environmental and social impact – with a live ESG platform and a named expert to guide you through it. Three hundred businesses are already Impact Certified, from hospitality to engineering. Find out more at future-plus.co.ukThe post #364a Environment Champion – Engineering Matters Awards shortlist first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In its seventh Allocation Round the UK executed the largest offshore wind auction in European history, putting pen to paper on 8.4GW of new capacity, enough to power 10 million homes. Allocation Round 8 is expected to be even more ambitious, as the UK looks to upgrade its radar systems to enable a 10GW installation, according to Windtech International. Offshore wind projects require complete understanding of conditions on, and below, the seabed. As projects proliferate and demand for surveys and more accurate data becomes truly vast, the deployment of cutting edge technology becomes essential. Uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) patrolling the surface and remotely operated vehicles diving beneath the waves have been key to sustainable offshore operations. Not just in environmental terms and added human safety, but to achieve reasonable operational costs in increasingly asset-rich coastal seas. From the early, smaller vessels designed for a specific purpose, designers and builders have increased size and diversified the capabilities of individual platforms. Today, Fugro’s Blue Prism®, it’s first fully dedicated site screening geophysics USV –  can do much more. In this episode, we look at these state-of-the-art vessels, the challenges of multi-sensor data collection and how they can help meet the unprecedented demand for timely surveys. Guests Roger Birchall, Technical Authority – Geophysics, SSE Renewables Marco Gilissen, Global Director – Marine Geophysics, Fugro Simon McIlroy, Survey Systems Architect, Fugro Resources To learn more about the Geo Risk Management Framework mentioned in the episode, listen to the first part of a three part episode we released last year: click here Partner Fugro is the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.The post #363 Uncrewed Vessels and Unprecedented Data first appeared on Engineering Matters.

The London skyline is undergoing perhaps its most significant transformation in decades as a new ‘vertical renaissance’ is sending tremors of excitement from Guildhall to Mansion House. The City of London Corporation says that over half a million square metres of office space was granted planning permission in the City in 2025, equivalent to more than ten ‘Gherkins’ with around half of this amount already under construction. This includes the leviathan 309.6m ‘1 Undershaft’ which will be as tall as the Shard when completed. But it is not all about the capacity, unlike the Financial Fortresses of the 20th century, as the earlier skyscrapers in the City were sometimes called, the new structures will be more open to the street, with pedestrian access, parks and commercial arcades, to make the city feel more vibrant and  less sterile, than it has to previous generations. The City’s largest office building, 22 Bishopsgate has led the way in a period of challenging economic headwinds, fully occupied and seeing record high rents, it is perhaps the first of these post-financial crash, vertical villages in the Square Mile that can be considered part of this renaissance. Guests Paul Hargreaves, Construction Director, Lipton Rogers David Healy, Mechanical and Electrical Lead, WSP in the UK Amy Holtz, Director – Head of Sustainability, PLP Architecture Diego Padilla-Philips, Technical Director, WSP in the UK Partner As one of the world’s leading engineering professional services consultancies, WSP brings clarity and vision to complex challenges. Their team of technical specialists and strategic advisers across the UK is part of a talented global family of expertise. Together, they ensure innovative solutions solve complex problems for our clients and the communities we serve, meeting both the needs of today and addressing the challenges of the future.The post #362 Revisited: Skyscrapers, Predicting The Future first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Humanity’s furthest ever journey into space has been delayed. Again. An interruption to the flow of helium forced NASA to scrap the revised 6 March launch date of the Artemis II mission, and begin the slow process to roll the increasingly unfortunate rocket back to the vehicle assembly bay. While the delays are frustrating for the engineers involved, and space enthusiasts alike, every precaution has to be taken when a human crew is involved.  While we wait for this historic mission, we thought we would revisit an episode where we examined progress in robotic systems in space. The deployment of which removes the risk to human life and will be a critical part of the future of space operations. A future that Artemis 2 crew will spearhead. Space offers certain conditions that make it more favourable to manufacturing than Earth. Near zero gravity, extreme cold temperatures and a complete vacuum means certain industries such as quantum computing, semiconductors and human organ growth have already demonstrated the benefits of being manufactured in space. We explore how close we are to seeing manufacturing industries existing in space and what barriers there currently are. In this episode, two experts from the Satellite Applications Catapult explain how they are working with a variety of companies in the in-orbit service and manufacturing sector to try and make the UK a world leader in this new frontier of space. Guests Mike Curtis-Rouse, Head of Access to Space, Satellite Applications Catapult Jeremy Haddall, Robotics Development Lead, Satellite Applications Catapult PartnerThe Satellite Applications Catapult is one of nine Catapults, uniquely established to transform the UK’s capability for innovation in specific areas and to help drive future economic growth. They work with companies of all sizes in the UK space sector to help with their business, access to infrastructure for testing and bringing their product to market.The post #361 Revisited: Space – The Robotic Age first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Systems thinking allows engineers to understand complex systems and the second-, third-, and nth-order effects of their interventions. It avoids the accidental creation of new problems when solving a first, and allows for the identification of effective leverage points for more impactful, sustainable change. The world, the built environment and our infrastructure all have patterns that can be understood with a few changes in thought process. In this episode we’re looking at the work Engineers Without Borders UK has done to promote systems thinking in engineering, through a programme of Systems Change Labs. Guests Mark Enzer, Strategic Advisor, Mott MacDonald Eva Fernandez, Strategic Sustainability Consultant, Ramboll Jonathan Truslove, Education and Skills Lead, EWB UK Supporter From prototyping to full-scale production, Xometry UK is the leading on-demand manufacturing marketplace. With a network of over 2,000 manufacturing partners across Europe and 10,000 worldwide, Xometry provides the capacity and expertise to handle projects of any size, making advanced manufacturing accessible to all. Resources To read the Connect to Change report from the Built Environment Connective, click hereThe post #360 Systems Change: Thinking in Patterns first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Around the world, urban planners are seeking to deliver urban growth and increase access to city centres through the development of transit-oriented communities. These combine new publicly-backed transport infrastructure, with privately-financed residential and commercial development. It’s a route to more sustainable cities, but it involves careful navigation of budgetary constraints and the needs of existing communities. Michael Matthys explains some of the challenges of delivering transit-oriented communities in Toronto. He explains some of the challenges, both in terms of engineering, and in terms of meeting community needs. For stations in crowded downtown areas, he describes the importance of maintaining local character, and explains how retrofit might be a suitable solution. Looking further out into the suburbs, he describes policies that can help maintain affordable options for residents, and the engagement needed to ensure community support. Guest Michael Matthys, Planning Lead, SvN Architects + Planners Partner Egis is a leading global architectural, consulting, construction engineering, operations and mobility services firm. Egis creates and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings that both respond to the climate emergency and contribute to balanced, sustainable and resilient development.Its 22,000 employees operate across over 100 countries, deploying their expertise to develop and deliver cutting-edge innovations and solutions for clients. Through the wide range of its activities, Egis plays a central role in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world.The post #359k Transit-Oriented Communities in Toronto first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In the 1970s, Saudi Arabia, buoyed by a surge in oil prices, embarked on an ambitious building programme. The country moved rapidly to develop its cities and infrastructure. However, Prince Salman, then the governor of Riyadh, now the country’s King, saw that this was resulting in cities that were unmoored from their local context. This episode traces the evolution of modern architecture in Saudi Arabia, from the economic boom of the 1970s and the development of a distinctive Salmani-style. We look at the national program of incorporating the vernacular in individual buildings, before moving on to the current Vision 2030, describing its approach to wider urban development, passive temperature control, and sustainability.  Lastly, we examine lessons for other nations engaged in a phase of rapid growth and urbanisation, and what they can learn from this history. Guest Lana Al-Dwehji, Lead Architect, Omrania Partner Egis is a leading global architectural, consulting, construction engineering, operations and mobility services firm. Egis creates and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings that both respond to the climate emergency and contribute to balanced, sustainable and resilient development. Its 22,000 employees operate across over 100 countries, deploying their expertise to develop and deliver cutting-edge innovations and solutions for clients. Through the wide range of its activities, Egis plays a central role in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world.The post #359j – Modern Vernacular in Saudi Arabia first appeared on Engineering Matters.

For facade specialists, stone is highly prized for its performance and character. The right choice of stone can anchor a building in its local context, or make a striking statement. While stone has fallen out of use, modern approaches mean that it could now be used in the same standardised ways as steel, concrete and glass.  In this episode we learn that it is ripe for a return as a structural material, decades after it was supplanted by concrete and steel. A series of projects demonstrate how stone can be used as a structural component. Finally, we look at the steps needed to make stone building a routine part of construction: the adoption of standards, allowing stone components to be used ‘off-the-shelf’, rather than needing to prove them each time and an understanding of its versatility. Guest David West, Technical Director, Inhabit Partner Egis is a leading global architectural, consulting, construction engineering, operations and mobility services firm. Egis creates and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings that both respond to the climate emergency and contribute to balanced, sustainable and resilient development.Its 22,000 employees operate across over 100 countries, deploying their expertise to develop and deliver cutting-edge innovations and solutions for clients. Through the wide range of its activities, Egis plays a central role in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world.The post #359i Stone as Structure first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Sustainability experts often use a hierarchy to help their thinking about interventions. The best way to limit your impact is to do nothing at all. If that’s not possible, then use as few materials as you can. And finally, if extensive work must be conducted, then replace more carbon-intensive materials with those with less impacts. In this episode, Lucas Grisoni describes three projects in Paris that demonstrate different approaches to sustainable construction. For the University of Chicago’s new campus, the focus has been on reducing the use of materials, both in order to keep the structure light—it is built over a railway—and to minimise carbon impacts. On WoodUp, one of Europe’s tallest timber structures, the focus is on selecting a lower carbon material. And on the Eiffel Tower, the historical nature of the project has demanded limited interventions—which has the benefit of reducing carbon impacts, as well as preserving the structure. Guest Lucas Grisoni, Head of Structural Engineering, Low-carbon/Complex Structures & Envelopes, Elioth, by Egis Partner Egis is a leading global architectural, consulting, construction engineering, operations and mobility services firm. Egis creates and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings that both respond to the climate emergency and contribute to balanced, sustainable and resilient development. Its 22,000 employees operate across over 100 countries, deploying their expertise to develop and deliver cutting-edge innovations and solutions for clients. Through the wide range of its activities, Egis plays a central role in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world.The post #359h Sustainability in Paris first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Lifecycle carbon assessment – the process of monitoring the total carbon footprint of a structure from the first spade in the ground to demolition – sits at the confluence of engineering and sustainability. As we adapt our processes and understanding of the built environment, LCA is a critical measure to guide our decision making. The nature of the work is truly holistic, in winter an icy road might have salt spread on it. This in turn could corrode rebar, which needs to be replaced. That work might close part of the road, which increases vehicle idling times and stop-start driving. All of this impacts LCA. Ali Amiri was an early adopter of the technique, and has devised a means of calculating a building’s carbon impact before it’s even reached the ground-breaking stage. His team now include lifecycle carbon assessment (LCA) as a routine part of their process. This episode also looks at the intergenerational aspect of the work, where, younger members of the team are bringing the data science related skills that allow them to deliver the LCA as standard. Guest Ali Amiri, Regional Director for Building Engineering and Sustainability, Egis Partner Egis is a leading global architectural, consulting, construction engineering, operations and mobility services firm. Egis creates and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings that both respond to the climate emergency and contribute to balanced, sustainable and resilient development.Its 22,000 employees operate across over 100 countries, deploying their expertise to develop and deliver cutting-edge innovations and solutions for clients. Through the wide range of its activities, Egis plays a central role in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world.The post #359g An Intergenerational Approach to Sustainability first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Retrofitting is an instrumental step in reducing the carbon footprint of a city’s building stock. It also extends the life of a building and has a lower environmental impact than demolishing inefficient properties and building anew. Even a new development, such as the East Village in Stratford London, although just 12 years old, is still largely heated by fossil fuel. Adaptable designs are critical to bring future improvements to existing structures. Marion Baeli is a pioneer of sustainable architecture, her practice identified easy-to-deliver improvements to energy use on one of the buildings in the development, at the same time as adding capacity that could finance the project.  Guest Marion Baeli, Principal, Sustainability Transformation at 10 Design Partner Egis is a leading global architectural, consulting, construction engineering, operations and mobility services firm. Egis creates and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings that both respond to the climate emergency and contribute to balanced, sustainable and resilient development.Its 22,000 employees operate across over 100 countries, deploying their expertise to develop and deliver cutting-edge innovations and solutions for clients. Through the wide range of its activities, Egis plays a central role in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world.The post #359f Sustainability and Adaptation in East London first appeared on Engineering Matters.

When you are designing a stadium for the World Cup, or any major sport, it’s vital to have a fan’s-eye view. For more than a century, the architects tasked with designing stadiums have used the C-value, developed by Victorian theatre designer John Russel. But this value just measures the view in one direction, towards the stage. Sporting events are viewed in the round, with fans all around the stadium bowl. In this episode, we hear from Mark Fenwick, whose practice has designed stadiums for the Qatar World Cup, and for leading European football teams. He explains how Fenwick Iribarren has built on the Victorian concept of C-values and sightlines in theatre design, with the FI-Factor, a new system for mapping the spectators’ view from each seat in a stadium.  Mark describes the sub-factors considered, explains how this was first used during bidding for a new world cup stadium at Education City in Qatar, its subsequent use in Valencia, and its scope for use on other stadiums. Guest Mark Fenwick, Partner, Fenwick Iribarren Architects Partner Egis is a leading global architectural, consulting, construction engineering, operations and mobility services firm. Egis creates and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings that both respond to the climate emergency and contribute to balanced, sustainable and resilient development.Its 22,000 employees operate across over 100 countries, deploying their expertise to develop and deliver cutting-edge innovations and solutions for clients. Through the wide range of its activities, Egis plays a central role in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world.The post #359e A Better View of Stadium Design first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Nuclear power promises to provide energy when other sources can’t. But nuclear plants currently take a long time to build—often more than a decade. Anthony Burch, digital manager, Egis, and his colleagues, are working on the key components of Hinkley Point C in England. These form the so-called ‘nuclear island’—the reactor building and four associated safety buildings. In this episode, Anthony describes the challenges of delivering ‘right first time’ construction on a highly complex, one off, and long term project: Hinkley Point C. He explains the challenges of clash detection on a project that has continued to evolve, and how the use of BIM and digital tools has smoothed this process. He describes how work on this project will feed into future projects, such as Sizewell C, and open the way to a new generation of nuclear power plant construction. Guest Anthony Burch, Digital Manager, BIM Partner Egis is a leading global architectural, consulting, construction engineering, operations and mobility services firm. Egis creates and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings that both respond to the climate emergency and contribute to balanced, sustainable and resilient development.Its 22,000 employees operate across over 100 countries, deploying their expertise to develop and deliver cutting-edge innovations and solutions for clients. Through the wide range of its activities, Egis plays a central role in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world.The post #359d A Digital Path to Nuclear’s New Generation first appeared on Engineering Matters.

At ITER, in France, scientists and engineers from around the world are working together to develop nuclear fusion at power plant scale. The project could one day lead to a world of truly abundant green energy.  In this episode, Caroline Dixon explains some of the logistical challenges of working on a project that is perhaps humanity’s largest ever experiment. In this decades-long project, the engineers building the reactor are in a constant race to keep up with scientists working on the cutting edge of physics. The reactor building is being constructed using thousands of steel plates, embedded in concrete. As the scientists develop their ideas, near constant changes are needed to the structure’s components. Caroline describes how a hotline was developed early in the project to allow experts to collaborate on resolving clashes.This was followed by a holistic integration team, or HIT, which brought a fusion of minds between all the project’s delivery teams, to manage this constantly evolving design and construction process—an approach that could speed construction across all major projects. Guest Caroline Dixon, Project Director, Nuclear Power, Egis Partner Egis is a leading global architectural, consulting, engineering, operations and mobility services firm with 22,000 employees across more than 100 countries. The company designs and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings that both respond to climate emergencies and contribute to balanced, sustainable and resilient development.The post #359c A Fusion of Minds at ITER first appeared on Engineering Matters.

There is a changing view of the environment among public sector clients in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has ambitious goals like generating 50% of electricity from renewables by 2030, the UAE has targets such as diverting 80 percent of its waste from landfill by by 2031, and Qatar is moving towards 100% treated wastewater reuse. With environmental considerations now at the core of new projects, rather than being a problem to be dealt with, each project must consider its impact on the environment. This means a shift from reacting to problems, to planning with goals being measured. Countries like UAE, Saudi and Qatar, are putting in place long-term plans for strategies that include waste diversion, emissions reductions and renewable energy. In benchmarking these strategies against international standards and best practices, the deployment of digital tools is critical. Guest Yassman AlKhatib, Regional Director for Water, Environment, and Energy Transition, Egis Partner Egis is a leading global architectural, consulting, construction engineering, operations and mobility services firm. Egis creates and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings that both respond to the climate emergency and contribute to balanced, sustainable and resilient development. Its 22,000 employees operate across over 100 countries, deploying their expertise to develop and deliver cutting-edge innovations and solutions for clients. Through the wide range of its activities, Egis plays a central role in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world.The post #359b Water, Energy and the Environment in the Middle East first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Lismore sits at the confluence of two rivers in New South Wales. Covering more than 1,300 square kilometres, it is home to more than 44,000 people. In 2022, it was hit by a huge flood, the highest on record, followed by a smaller, though still devastating, second flood. Five lives were lost in the disasters, along with 500 properties, making 2,000 people homeless at a cost of AUD 350M in damages.  The event raised critical questions about flood prevention and planning. It underscored the urgent need for more resilient approaches to town and city planning, that anticipate extreme events and protect communities and economic activities more effectively. Engeny were initially brought in to improve flood protection, before the flooding demonstrated the existential need for this work. This episode looks at the protection work so far, how it has evolved after the flood, and future plans to meet the increasing risks. Guest Mark Page, Government Sector Lead, Engeny Partner Egis is a leading global architectural, consulting, construction engineering, operations and mobility services firm. Egis creates and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings that both respond to the climate emergency and contribute to balanced, sustainable and resilient development. Its 22,000 employees operate across over 100 countries, deploying their expertise to develop and deliver cutting-edge innovations and solutions for clients. Through the wide range of its activities, Egis plays a central role in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world.The post #359a Australia’s Most Flooded Town first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Society needs to consider the impact of climate change on our cities because it is no longer a future challenge; it is a present reality. Cities with their concentrated populations, infrastructure and supply challenges are uniquely vulnerable to climate-related shocks, exposed to risks such as floods, heatwaves, water scarcity and any disruption to their systems. Engineers and decision-makers must embed sustainability and resilience into every stage of the planning and design process to ensure adaptability to these changes.  In this introduction to a series on sustainable approaches to the global built environment, we begin a journey that will take us around the world, to meet engineers on the front lines of this civilisational challenge. Guest Thomas Salvant, Chief Executive Officer – Energy and Sustainable Cities, Egis Partner Egis is a leading global architectural, consulting, construction engineering, operations and mobility services firm. Egis creates and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings that both respond to the climate emergency and contribute to balanced, sustainable and resilient development.  Its 22,000 employees operate across over 100 countries, deploying their expertise to develop and deliver cutting-edge innovations and solutions for clients. Through the wide range of its activities, Egis plays a central role in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world.The post #359 Intro – A Sustainable and Resilient World first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Residents of tall buildings can face significant risks in the event of fire or structural failure. At Grenfell Tower in the UK, a fire in a resident’s kitchen spread rapidly around the building, due to failures in the testing and installation of cladding materials, and leading to widespread loss of life.  The inquiry into the fire revealed how overlooked risks can line up, causing disaster. The 2022 Building Safety Act established that dutyholders—owners and developers—of buildings like this should employ competent professionals. The challenge these dutyholders now face is to identify those professionals. The Engineering Council in the UK has established a means to do this, through the Higher Risk Buildings Register. In this episode, Chris O’Regan, chair of the joint ICE/IStructE committee that developed the register, explains the skills and expertise needed from engineers working on these structures. This goes beyond technical expertise: Chris highlights the need for empathy with residents, and a demonstrated ability to collaborate with professionals from other disciplines. Guest Chris O’Regan, chair, ICE/IStructE Higher Risk Buildings Register Committee; associate director, Mason Navarro PledgeThe post #358 Experts in Risk first appeared on Engineering Matters.

A wise asset owner builds on solid ground. Unless ground risks are clearly identified, projects can easily be delayed or delivered over budget. Some risks may not even be fully understood until an asset begins operations. In this final episode of three on ground risks and the asset life cycle, Karim Khalaf explains how one major European vehicle manufacturer only learned how the soil beneath their new manufacturing plant would act, once steel presses started working—effectively inducing a series of small earthquakes and setting foundations floating off the apparently solid sand they stood on. Assumptions about ground conditions can lead to costly and time-consuming emergencies during construction. An unexpected cavity, for example, may mean that work has to stop until the site is properly modelled. In the past, that could involve substantial costs and lengthy delays, as heavy geotechnical equipment is deployed. But, with the careful use of geophysical screening, answers can be delivered quickly, and work resumed, with costs kept under control. Rod Eddies describes how these two sets of techniques, namely broad geophysical screening and strategic geotechnical investigations, can be used together to create a detailed 3D model of the subsurface. This can be shared and used by those making strategic decisions, as well as by technical specialists and other stakeholders. Matt Waddicor of Fermi Development, who we heard from in the first episode, rounds up the advantages of using this approach throughout the asset life cycle, and shares how early investigations may support on time and on budget delivery, across the infrastructure sector. Guests Matt Waddicor, Development Programme Director, Fermi Development Rod Eddies, Solutions Director, Land, Fugro Karim Khalaf, Regional Business Line Manager, Middle East, Fugro Partner Fugro is the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.The post #357c Well-Grounded Decisions: Construction and Operations first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Without a clear understanding of ground conditions, unquantified risk can be transferred from project owner to lead contractors when a contract is signed. In the first episode of this three part series, we explored how geophysical screening, using non-intrusive methods, can be used to reduce uncertainty in site selection and provide clarity on construction costs and delivery schedules. In this episode, we move past the final investment decision, to the development of project designs. Karim Khalaf, Regional Business Line Manager, Middle East, at Fugro, explains how one client commissioned a new method of site screening, ambient noise tomography, to check subsurface conditions before starting work on building a stormwater pumping station in Doha, Qatar.  Not every project owner performs this sort of early geophysical investigation. However, as Rod Eddies explains, the Geo-Risk Management Framework can still be applied by lead contractors as they complete designs and schedule construction work. We learn how early screening can provide a basis for more detailed geotechnical techniques, using boreholes and cone penetration testing. This approach gives clients the answers they need, when they need them, while minimising the need to deploy heavy equipment. Guests Rod Eddies, Solutions Director, Land, Fugro Karim Khalaf, Regional Business Line Manager, Middle East, Fugro Partner Fugro is the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.The post #357b Well-Grounded Decisions: Design Development first appeared on Engineering Matters.

On any project, uncertainty creates risk. Decisions that are made without a good understanding of site conditions can result in overengineering or threats to safety. Delivery may be delayed, and unexpected costs incurred. To avoid these risks, project owners and other stakeholders should question their assumptions and get real, actionable insights throughout the project lifecycle. In this three-part series, we explore a key source of risk to any project, subsurface conditions, and a new approach that builds certainty from the ground up. In this first episode, Rod Eddies, Solutions Director, Land, at Fugro, explains the development of the Geo-Risk Management Framework, a way of thinking about subsurface risks that builds on research on cognitive bias. We learn about GroundIQ®, a new approach to ground risk management that provides earlier, faster, and better site characterization. Early screening allows project developers to identify suitable sites and more accurately predict delivery times and costs before a final investment decision is made. Fermi Developments is a privately-funded nuclear developer, working to deliver ‘Ready to Build’ small modular reactor sites across the UK. The company recently formed a strategic partnership with Fugro, under which the geo-data specialists will support their work from site selection all the way through to delivery. In this episode, Fermi’s Matt Waddicor explains how this new approach to risk will help the developer identify suitable sites and prepare well-grounded proposals for investors. Guests Matt Waddicor, Development Programme Director, Fermi Development Rod Eddies, Solutions Director, Land, Fugro Karim Khalaf, Regional Business Line Manager, Middle East, Fugro Partner Fugro is the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.The post #357a Well-Grounded Decisions: Site Selection first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Wastewater treatment is an overlooked lifesaver. While the medical advances of the last 100 years—penicillin, chemotherapy, and, more recently, mRNA vaccines—have transformed healthcare, keeping our water supplies free from pathogens like cholera and dysentery, has saved many more lives. The systems developed to treat wastewater are so successful that we can afford to flush and forget. But this is infrastructure we must not overlook. Growing populations, increased use by industry, and regulations that get tighter as we learn of new threats to human life and the environment, are putting wastewater treatment facilities under strain. Existing plants are often tucked away on constrained sites, and work as part of a sprawling network of sewage systems that make it extremely difficult for them to be relocated. This is very much the case at Ringsend in Dublin. Here, on a site bounded by other facilities and the sea, the waste produced by millions of Dubliners—and the city’s industry and commerce—must be processed before being discharged into the Liffey Estuary. To update the plant, its owners had considered building a 9km pipe to discharge waste outside of the sensitive areas of the estuary. But a new solution was identified. By implementing a novel form of biological treatment, developed by Haskoning, Egis was able to ensure that the effluent discharged was so clean, it would be safe for wildlife. But installing this would take careful planning and scheduling, in order to complete the work in tight constraints, without any pause in plant operations. Guests Marisa Buyers-Basso, associate director, Haskoning Marcus Fagan, chartered engineer, Egis Partner Egis is a leading global architectural, consulting, engineering, operations and mobility services firm with 22,000 employees across more than 100 countries. The company designs and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings that both respond to climate emergencies and contribute to balanced, sustainable and resilient development. Egis has operated in Ireland since 1994 and is the largest multi-disciplinary consultancy, engineering and operations firm in the country. Its current activities in Ireland include operating the Dublin Tunnel and the Jack Lynch Tunnel in Cork, overseeing 1,200km of Ireland’s motorways. It is also active in the design and delivery of major transportation programmes, renewable energy and water and waste water projects. With over 600 staff in Ireland across 16 offices and sites nationwide, it is committed to enabling sustainable economic development and responding to the requirements of population growth while addressing climate change and reducing carbon emissions. The post #356 Making Space for Wastewater Treatment first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Green-grey engineering combines nature-based solutions with traditional civil engineering. It can be used in flood protection, with mangroves acting as a first line of defense rather than relying wholly on seawalls or earthen berms. As parts of the world face dual threats of flood and drought, the same systems can incorporate drainage and water collection. Unlike traditional civil engineering, nature-based solutions offer a wide range of additional benefits. Mangroves act as fish nurseries feeding local communities and boosting economies. They sequester carbon, helping limit climate change. They provide opportunities for tourism. And they provide significant flood protection, boosting resilience.  But there is a need to scale and accelerate funding to address the loss and protection of coastal ecosystems and the true value they represent. A new analytical framework, Net Ecosystem Value, offers a tool to inform this need. Rich geodata insights, analysis and scenario modelling combined with local knowledge and academic research. This environmental and economic accounting demonstrates the true value of investing in these solutions, as well as the cost of doing nothing.By providing more granularity, rather than relying on global assumptions, this supports the development of relevant financial mechanisms such as blue bonds. By taking a whole-of-ecosystem approach, Net Ecosystem Value is able to show the true value of investing in coastal zones as critical infrastructure that accounts for blue carbon, fisheries, resilience, biodiversity, livelihoods, and social and cultural values In this episode, Alpa Bhattacharjee and Rod Braun explain the broad range of benefits these ecosystems offer, and the progress that is being made to incorporate them alongside traditional civil engineering solutions. Guests Alpa Bhattacharjee, Climate and Nature – Blue Finance Advisory, Fugro Rod Braun, Senior Director, Conservation International Image credit Alex Mustard / Ocean Image Bank Partner Fugro is the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.The post #355 The Real Value of Nature first appeared on Engineering Matters.

The infrastructure sector is adopting AI with enthusiasm. A new whitepaper from Bentley Systems, Pinsent Masons, Turner & Townsend, and Mott MacDonald, The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Built Environment, surveyed the sector, and found the 48% of the infrastructure companies they spoke to were trialling AI, or had already implemented it. But only one fifth had a comprehensive AI policy, more than a third had no organisational policy, and 37% had only limited project controls, or none at all. As part of Bentley Systems Year In Infrastructure series of events, Mark Coates hosted a panel discussion on the white paper. Bringing together key members of the infrastructure sector—engineers, contractors, and lawyers—the panel discussed how infrastructure businesses can implement a project management approach to AI implementation. In this episode, Mark Coates joins us to offer a comprehensive look at AI adoption, examining not only the risks associated with it, such as ‘stealth adoption’ happening outside of organisational guardrails, but also the opportunities and strategies for successful integration. The panel discussion members bring their own perspectives, explaining how AI can be used successfully now, and the organisational, data management, and contractual steps needed to ensure its safe, ethical, and efficient use across complex supply chains. Guests Mark Coates, vice president of infrastructure policy alignment, Bentley Systems Yeunjin (YJ) Kim, AI technical lead, group AI, Mott MacDonald Anne-Marie Friel, partner, infrastructure, Pinsent Masons Guy Beaumont, director, digital lead, Turner & TownsendResources The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Built Environment, PartnerInfrastructure is too big to fail, so you need AI you can trust. Bentley Systems is delivering infrastructure-ready AI across design, construction, and operations. As the partner of choice for engineering firms and owner-operators worldwide, Bentley’s software and digital twin solutions span engineering disciplines, industry sectors, and all phases of the infrastructure lifecycle, unlocking the value of data to transform project delivery and asset performance.The post #354 AI in Infrastructure: Adoption and Guardrails first appeared on Engineering Matters.

This week, the UK House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, or EAC, released a report on environmental sustainability and housing growth. The UK government is striving to meet a target of building one and a half million new homes, and has raised concerns about the risk that environmental objections could delay their construction. But, the EAC says, the UK must balance these needs. One tool to do this is the Whole Life Carbon Assessment guidelines, produced by the RICS, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. In the absence of a national programme for measuring the carbon impact of construction, the EAC recommends that this tool should be adopted into the planning process. In this episode, first aired in 2023, we talked to Simon Sturgis, lead author of the guidance, as he and his colleagues worked to produce its second edition.  Guests Simon Sturgis, founder, Targeting Zero LLP Matthew Collins, senior specialist, construction and infrastructure management, RICS Resources Simon Sturgis’s paper Redefining Zero, which helped spur debate on the carbon costs of buildings. An earlier UK House of Commons environmental audit select committee report Building to net zero: costing carbon in construction. The Bath University Inventory of Carbon and Energy (Bath ICE) database. The post #353 Carbon Assessment in a Time of Housebuilding first appeared on Engineering Matters.

From blood pressure monitors and smart watches, to MRIs and step counters, many of us make tracking health metrics part of our daily routine. Armed with data, we can take steps to extend our lives. And this approach can also be used to extend the life of key components of our energy infrastructure. The offshore wind industry is entering a period of transformation. The first stages of development are over—now wind farm owners must focus on efficiently extending the lives of their assets. In other offshore industries, this could be achieved by inspecting assets on a fixed schedule. But with thousands of turbines being built, and tens of thousands of kilometres of cables laid, the energy transition will require a transformation in maintenance and practice. The industry must move from a reactive approach to a more efficient and proactive approach to inspection and monitoring. Fugro is steering a new course through emerging wind farms, with a fleet of low-emissions uncrewed surface vessels and remote operations vehicles. With a wealth of sensors, these can collect data on the health of every component of a wind farm. This data can be tracked over time, enabling tailored schedules of checks and interventions to be developed for each asset, reducing costs and extending their life. Guests Joel Ferreira, Global Solution Director for Inspection and Monitoring, Fugro  Joe McCabe, Global Solution Manager – Offshore Wind Inspection & Monitoring, Fugro Nick Simmons, Regional Director, Uncrewed Surface Vessels and Remote Working, Fugro Partner Fugro is the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.The post #352 Health Monitoring for Offshore Wind first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Around the world, climate change and shifting alliances are opening up new theatres of geopolitical competition. In the Arctic, Canada must be ready to patrol a new coastline; in the Pacific, Australia faces increased tension with China.  Naval defence will be a key component of these nations’ security planning. But the so-called ‘exquisite’ capabilities of modern navies—such as submarines and frigates—are often beyond the technological and supply chain capacities of any single nation. They require new global partnerships between friendly nations. And these require careful synchronisation of major engineering projects, spanning the globe.In this episode, we consider the engineering challenges of these partnerships.  In Australia, engineers are contributing to the development of a new nuclear regulator, ahead of the construction of new shipyard facilities able to safely handle nuclear powered submarines, delivered under the AUKUS deal. In Britain, we see the challenges of building new infrastructure, and recruiting new skilled workers, for the construction of these submarines and the reactors that power them. And in Canada, we learn about the challenges of building new naval bases to support patrols of newly accessible Arctic seaways. Guests David Eyles, defence market lead, Australia, AtkinsRéalis David Clark, global head of defence, AtkinsRéalis Antonella Tomaro, VP, defence, Canada, AtkinsRéalis Samira Braund, defence lead, ADS Group Partner AtkinsRéalis is a world-leading professional services and project management company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. Employing over 37,000 people across Canada, the US and Latin America, the UK and Ireland, and Asia, the Middle East, and Australia, AtkinsRéalis creates sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world’s infrastructure and energy systems.The post #351 Rough Seas and Reliable Defence Partnerships first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Dr Meganne Christian is a scientist and adventurer. In her research, she has studied the performance of novel materials including the use of nanoscale metals for hydrogen storage, and the use of graphene across a diverse range of applications. But her career has taken her far from the traditional university lab. In 2018-2019, Meganne was a member of the over-winter research team at Concordia Base in Antarctica. Here, she managed experiments in one of Earth’s most extreme environments. The view of the stars she experienced during the weeks of polar night, inspired a new goal: to work in space. After an 18 month selection process, in which she was one of 22,500 applicants, Meganne was chosen to take part in European Space Agency’s training programme, as reserve astronaut representing the UK Space Agency.In this episode, Meganne shares her story, explains the many reasons why we should continue to build our presence in space, and the diverse roles that will need to be filled for this new era of space exploration. At the end of the episode, Meganne answers questions posed by a group of schoolchildren, a generation who will one day see many more of us living in space. Guest Dr Meganne Christian, reserve astronaut in training, UKSA/ESAThe post #350 Living in Space: The Next Generation of Astronauts first appeared on Engineering Matters.

The tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in west London demanded new ways of thinking about professionalism and ethics in the engineering sector. However, since that awful night in 2017, which saw the loss of 72 lives, fatal incidents and near misses have continued to happen: in Genoa, in Toddbrook, in Miami, and on many more buildings and structures around the world, we have seen regular reminders of the way risks can accumulate dangerously on engineered projects. The ICE first reviewed safety in the sector in 2018, with the release of the report In Plain Sight. This emphasised the importance of understanding the ‘Swiss Cheese Model’ of risk, and established a need for a change in the culture of engineering. In 2019, Sir Martin Moore-Bick released Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s report, looking at the events of the night of the fire. This was followed in 2024 by Phase 2 of the report, considering how the tower had reached a condition where such a loss of life could occur. The UK government released its response to the inquiry’s recommendations. At the same time, the Institution of Civil Engineers began work on its second report on the steps the sector should take to build a culture of safety, Building Safeguards. The authors, led by Paul Sheffield, described three key changes the sector should make: a new way of considering competence; an emphasis on sharing and learning from near misses; and a new approach to ethics and professionalism. The report’s recommendations are now being put into effect by a group of engineering professionals, led by Ohis Ilalokhoin.  In this episode, Paul and Ohis join Engineering Matters to explain the recommendations in Building Safeguards, and to explain how the sector will take them forward. Next month, Engineering Matters will turn its attention to further efforts the sector is taking to ensure that those working on higher risk buildings are suitably qualified and experienced. Guests Ohis Ilalokhoin, trustee, ICE; engineering director, Cardinal Engineering Paul Sheffield, lead author, Building Safeguards; past-president, ICEThe post #349 Never Again: Embedding Safety in Engineering first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In Europe, and around the world, renewable electricity generation is being built at pace. However, these sources of energy create a new challenge: they are intermittent, and will not generate power on dark, windless days. One solution to the challenge is to install grid scale storage. If you’re building an offshore wind farm, with a view to serving distant industrial centres, megawatt- and gigawatt-scale storage may be the answer.  But much of our energy use happens in the home, or in smaller businesses. Often, with the growth of domestic solar, the power we use in our kitchens is balanced by that generated on our rooftops. As energy supply and demand is increasingly distributed, wouldn’t it make sense to also make use distributed storage? That’s the question that Mattia Secchi of the Technical University of Denmark is trying to answer. Many of us already have plenty of battery storage available in our electric cars. But these will require the adoption of standardised bidirectional charging, and new metering and grid technology. His work, and that of his colleagues, models community-based V2G, establishing how distributed storage can bring benefits across the economy. Guest Mattia Secchi, Department of Wind and Energy Systems, DTU References Secchi, M., Macii, D., Barchi, G., & Marinelli, M. (2025). Centralised vehicle-to-grid smart charging supported by PV generation for power variance minimisation at the transformer: A user’s perspective analysis. eTransportation, 24, 100394. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ETRAN.2025.100394 Secchi, M., Zepter, J. M., & Marinelli, M. (2025). Centralised Smart EV Charging in PV-Powered Parking Lots: A Techno-Economic Analysis. Smart Cities 2025, Vol. 8, Page 112, 8(4), 112. https://doi.org/10.3390/SMARTCITIES8040112The post #348 Modelling Distributed Energy Storage first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Last week, at the end of September 2025, a study by Regen, commissioned by the MCS Foundation, found that biomethane had a limited capacity to replace natural gas in the UK’s domestic heating. The study emphasised the importance of focusing on electricity and heat pumps to keep our homes warm. This means that much of the UK’s gas pipeline networks may not be viable in the coming decades. However, the backbone of the network and some local distribution infrastructure does have a future. In this episode, first aired in April 2024, we look at the development of hydrogen generation and captured carbon storage, with a focus on Teesside, in England’s industrial north east. Here, existing pipeline infrastructure is being used for a new generation of gas transport projects. These will carry carbon dioxide and hydrogen, along with ammonia and biogas. They will enable carbon capture, local hydrogen for fuel intensive industry and transport, and for export. Governments around the world have struggled to develop these networks. The UK’s strategy is to create clusters of carbon emitters to make use of offshore carbon storage. These can take advantage of legacy pipeline infrastructure in historic industrial regions, and bring new opportunities to struggling economies. In this episode, we speak to pipeline and energy experts about the technical and project management challenges of building these new networks. Guests Laure Hughes, energy sector director, Costain Sean Gleeson, project manager, PX  Niku Nobakhti, project manager, Costain Ewan Brodie, consultancy and advisory manager, CostainThe post #347 Revisited: The Pipeline to Net Zero first appeared on Engineering Matters.

It’s a simple fact of chemistry that cement cannot be produced, without also producing carbon dioxide. But this does not mean that the sector—and its clients in the construction industry—cannot decarbonise. The equally simple solution is just to capture and store the carbon dioxide, before it can enter the atmosphere. The challenge is how to deliver those carbon capture systems. To fully decarbonise the sector, new chemical processing facilities will need to be installed at every cement plant in the world. In Brevik, Norway, Heidelberg Materials’ first cement plant with carbon capture attached is now operational, and carbon dioxide is being loaded onto ships for storage.The next plant to be built will be Padeswood, in Wales. Here, Heidelberg Materials UK will be capturing carbon dioxide, and piping it directly into the HyNet storage hub. This hub is one of a series of carbon storage clusters around the UK, each bringing together a number of tough-to-decarbonise industries. This work will take considerable investment, in equipment, in construction and logistics, and in people. To fund this work, Heidelberg Materials needed to find a way to sell carbon-free cement around the world. It is doing this with a new product, evoZero, that matches locally-produced cement with reliably tracked carbon credits.It’s an approach that is winning the support of major public sector clients, including the UK’s National Highways. The agency aims to reduce the carbon emissions from one of its largest new projects, the Lower Thames Crossing, by as much as 70%. The lessons learned from this project, and from Heidelberg Materials construction of these first carbon capture plants, will be spread throughout the supply chain, establishing a scalable part to carbon free cement. Guests Iain Walpole, Head of Process and Sustainability – Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage, Heidelberg Materials Nina Cardinal, Technical Strategy Director, Heidelberg Materials Andrew Kidd, Director of Environmental Sustainability, Lower Thames Crossing, National Highways Partner Heidelberg Materials is a leading supplier of heavy building materials to the construction industry, producing aggregates (crushed rock, sand and gravel), ready-mixed concrete, asphalt, cement and cement related products, and recycled materials. Through ground-breaking innovation, Heidelberg Materials pioneering carbon capture and storage, and transforming the construction industry. By introducing the world’s first carbon captured net zero cement, evoZero, construction partners have the opportunity to build a better tomorrow.The post #346 Scaling Carbon-Free Cement first appeared on Engineering Matters.

When launching a satellite into orbit, getting the positioning right is of paramount importance. As humanity sends more satellites into space, the vast space above our heads has become hazardously busy. State-of-the-art positioning technology has helped to counter this problem, with existing systems able to track the location of satellites to an accuracy of metres. Now, a new approach, Fugro’s SpaceStar technology, works with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) to enhance that accuracy to a matter of centimetres. The technology optimises safety and minimises risk in space by improving collision avoidance. But it also goes way beyond that, enhancing earth observation applications and enabling faster and more accurate positioning of satellites. It helps detect GPS spoofing, a problem that has been seen with increasing frequency over recent months. And SpaceStar has the potential to open up whole new business opportunities for companies willing to invest and innovate. One such possibility is to establish a permanent and stable platform in orbit, where satellites can—thanks to the ability of SpaceStar to pinpoint locations—be docked to receive automated maintenance. Guests Simon Baksh, VP Product Development, Javad GNSS David Barnhart, CEO and Founder, Arkisys James Bartle, Business Development Manager, SpaceStar®, Fugro Cyril Botteron, CEO and Founder, SpacePNT  Partner Fugro is the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.The post #345 Pinpoint Precision in Space Positioning first appeared on Engineering Matters.

When flooding happens, damage and disruption ripples out across assets and infrastructure. Private businesses and homeowners can insure themselves against direct damages to buildings. But the impacts on the local economy go much further: debris can block transport networks, causing businesses to fail and reducing tax revenues, at a time when increased local government spending is needed to finance recovery. New approaches to public sector insurance can provide cash for debris removal and infrastructure repairs. Parametric insurance pays out within days when specific conditions—flooding depth, rainfall—are met, without the need for damage assessment. To purchase adequate cover, and to build resilience ahead of incidents, local governments need to have a clear understanding of the risks they face. In New Jersey this spring, Fathom provided catastrophe modelling tools to Grid Advisors, who employed them within a systems engineering analysis, to understand the risk to assets owned by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. In this episode, Grid Advisors’ Rallis Kourkoulis joins Fathom’s Peter Slater and Olivia Sloan, to explain how this analysis is developed and used. Jackie Higgins, head of public sector solutions for Fathom’s parent company, Swiss:Re, in the US, describes the challenges facing local authorities, and how the insurance industry can support their resilience planning and risk assessment. Guests Peter Slater, account manager, engineering and the public sector, Fathom Jackie Higgins, head of public sector solutions, North America, Swiss:ReRallis Kourkoulis, managing partner, Grid Advisors Olivia Sloan, catastrophe model product manager, Fathom Partner Fathom gives risk management professionals the most scientifically robust intelligence to understand the climate’s effects on water risk. By publishing cutting-edge peer-reviewed academic research and applying it to real-world challenges, Fathom enables stronger decision-making for (re)insurance, civil engineering, corporate risk, financial services, disaster response and government.The post #344 Networks Under Water: Transport, Flooding and Resilience first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Joseph-Marie Jacquard invented the punch card as a means of inputting control data to one of the earliest automated technologies, the weavers’ loom. A generation later, Charles Babbage used this innovation as part of his design for an ‘analytical engine’, and Ada Lovelace demonstrated how sets of instructions could be written for the engine to enable any computing task.  Almost two centuries on from Babbage and Lovelace’s invention of computing hardware and software, IT (information technology) and OT (operational technology) have evolved into parallel threads. On the production line, automation engineers use visual languages, based on electrical relays, on rugged computers, or PLCs, that lack connections to the wider internet. In the office, software developers write code using text-based languages, with sophisticated systems for deploying updates, and the ability to connect over the internet to AI powered services. Now, the warp of IT and the weft of OT are being woven together. Software-defined automation links machinery on the production floor to IT systems, and the wider Internet. Control code can be written in text-based languages using object-oriented programming, and deployed to factories around the world at a click. Automations, human-machine interfaces, and all other aspects of control systems can be developed and tested on simulated equipment, rather than waiting for prototypes to be built.  Easy data exchange fuels efficiency and value. In this episode, we learn how automation engineers like Loupe are using a software-defined approach to speed the development of cutting edge industrial systems. We discover how a new organisation, SASE, or the Society of Automation Software Engineers, is helping define this new interwoven specialism. And we explore how one industrial automation specialist, MTS, is openly sharing open source frameworks they use to engineer their machines, allowing for industry to be transformed by the same community development approach that has driven the success of the tech sector. Guests David Nichols, CEO, Loupe; founder, SASE, the Society of Automation Software Engineers Jan Bajorat, head of business line, efficient engineering, Siemens Peter Kurhajec, CTO, MTS Partner Siemens Digital Industries (DI) empowers companies of all sizes in the process and discrete manufacturing industries to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformation across the entire value chain. Siemens’ cutting-edge automation and software portfolio revolutionizes the design, realisation and optimisation of products and production. And with Siemens Xcelerator – the open digital business platform – this process is made even easier, faster, and more scalable. Along with our partners and ecosystem, Siemens Digital Industries enables customers to become a sustainable digital enterprise. Siemens Digital Industries has a workforce of about 70,000 people worldwide.The post #343 Weaving Software into Automation first appeared on Engineering Matters.

The metaverse is often thought of as an alternative virtual space, a world separate from reality where we can hang out with avatars of our friends and families, or shop at virtual stores. But the industrial metaverse ties the physical and the virtual much more closely together, with a focus that is less on photorealism, and more on using connected data to solve real world problems.  Velia Janetzky is project lead for the industrial metaverse at Siemens Electronics Factory Erlangen. Here, her team has been developing processes that marry the real and the virtual, to achieve ambitious efficiency and sustainability goals. Rather than relying on resource intensive physical methods to train robots, for example, they can now use virtual environments for the same training, cutting implementation times for automation projects. In this episode, Velia is joined by Jon Heidorn, head of analyst relations at Siemens, and Ryan Martin, research director at ABI Research, to explain the innovations being made at the cutting edge of the industrial metaverse. We learn how factory owners can develop their own industrial metaverse strategy, by focusing on productivity gains in the real world. We discover how entire supply chains will soon be viewable through a ‘single pane of glass’, allowing improvements to be made within factories, and informed by data collected from suppliers and customers. Guests Velia Janetzky, project lead Industrial Metaverse, Siemens Electronics Factory Erlangen Ryan Martin, senior research director, digital transformation and AI, ABI Research  Jon Heidorn, VP, analyst relations, Siemens Digital Industries Partner Siemens Digital Industries (DI) empowers companies of all sizes in the process and discrete manufacturing industries to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformation across the entire value chain. Siemens’ cutting-edge automation and software portfolio revolutionizes the design, realisation and optimisation of products and production. And with Siemens Xcelerator – the open digital business platform – this process is made even easier, faster, and more scalable. Along with our partners and ecosystem, Siemens Digital Industries enables customers to become a sustainable digital enterprise. Siemens Digital Industries has a workforce of about 70,000 people worldwide.The post #342 Real Solutions and the Industrial Metaverse first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Alan Lusty founded adi Group, a multidisciplinary engineering business supporting major manufacturers. He is part of a group that offers engineering services in 23 sectors, with over 750 employees. But he left school at 16 without qualifications, instead pursuing an apprenticeship. At adi Group, more than 10% of employees are apprentices: double the rate set as a target by The 5% Club apprenticeship advocacy scheme. As a Platinum member of the scheme, adi Group has a clear track record of supporting apprentices. In 2018, prime minister Theresa May and chancellor Philip Hammond visited adi Group and met some of the apprentices. In the Commons, May noted that this demonstrated the opportunities offered by apprenticeships. But despite these successes, recruiting apprentices was a challenge. Alan’s solution was to establish a pre-apprenticeship scheme, targeting 13- and 14-year olds. As part of the scheme, children would be brought into adi each week, and introduced to engineering. After COVID, the scheme was taken up by the King’s Norton Boys’ School. At the school, deputy headmaster Jonathan Butcher took the lead in organising entry to the scheme. He explains that it has opened up new choices and career path ways for pupils. It has also opened the eyes of parents and teachers to the real world of engineering, showing that this is a sector with real opportunities, that inspires young people’s problem solving skills. Guests Alan Lusty, founder and chairman, adi Group Jon Butcher, deputy head, King’s Norton School for BoysThe post #341 Opening the Door to Engineering – Engineering Matters Awards winners first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Electrification of construction equipment is an ongoing and necessary part of the global effort to reduce carbon emissions and restrict global warming. Sixty years ago, Fugro developed the first commercial cone penetration testing equipment to run on electrical power, and today it is continuing on that journey by electrifying the machine that carries it. What is more, it is employing this battery technology onto a new state of the art machine that goes deeper than ever before to get more data about the ground beneath our feet. This journey of innovation is not one that it has undertaken alone. Working in partnership with Dutch heavy lifting specialist Mammoet, the project benefitted from Dutch government investment to support their investigation into electrification of the CPT equipment. In this episode, we explore this new product and look ahead to how remote operations and innovations in battery technology could be incorporated in future machines. Guests Niek Bezuijen, global sustainability advisor, Mammoet  Femke De Jager, innovation director, Europe, Fugro Peter Salome, engineering manager, Fugro David Tindall, product manager for geotechnical equipment land, Fugro References NEN 9140 Veilig werken aan e-voertuige (Safe working on e-vehicles) Innovation realised with Schoon en Emissieloos Bouwmaterieel (SSEB) subsidy provided by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management Engineering Matters 276: A deep understanding of the ground beneath our feet Partner Fugro is the world’s leading geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.The post #340 Diving Deep into Electric Machinery first appeared on Engineering Matters.

On two major road projects in the UK work was completed on time and under budget. But not every project can claim such success. Defects, delays and cost overruns plague projects around the world. Projects such as those at Junction 10 on the M25 London orbital motorway, and on a stretch of the A19 near Teesside in England’s north east, are inherently complex. Every change will cause ripples throughout the supply chain, and potentially impact schedules and costs. But this, AtkinsRéalis’s Kelly Burdall argues, isn’t the root cause of the problem. Instead, she explains, we should look at the contract structures used on major projects. Traditionally, each party to a contract—designers, lead contractors, other members of the supply chain—are paid on a time and materials basis. That means that every time a clash creates more work, or a change requires more materials, the parties are paid more. This disincentivises collaboration, and can be seen as rewarding failure and discouraging investment in more efficient ways of working. A new type of contract encourages collaboration and innovation. Integrated contracts, like those developed under National Highways delivery integrated partnership model, set goals based on outcomes: all parties to the contract are rewarded for delivering on time, without defects, and within budget. This aligns incentives, encourages investment in innovation, and can even be adopted before a project is tendered. Guests Joe Chastney, head of digital transformation, Balfour Beatty Scott Shaw, client director, AtkinsRéalis James Butler, managing director of project & programme services (PPS), AtkinsRéalis Kelly Burdall, Programme Lead, Consulting, Strategy and Advisory, AtkinsRéalis References ISO 44001 Collaborative business relationship management systems  Project13 An enterprise model for infrastructure delivery NUAR UK National Underground Asset Register UK National Infrastructure Pipeline Partner AtkinsRéalis is a world-leading professional services and project management company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. Employing over 37,000 people across Canada, the US and Latin America, the UK and Ireland, and Asia, the Middle East, and Australia, AtkinsRéalis creates sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world’s infrastructure and energy systems.The post #339 Integrated Contracts and Innovative Delivery first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Nature has long served as a blueprint for engineering breakthroughs from the kingfisher-inspired design of Japan’s Bullet Train to termite mounds that inform energy-efficient buildings. Siemens Digital Industries is taking this concept further by combining biomimicry with digital technology to tackle sustainability challenges across entire industries. Eryn Devola, Head of Sustainability at Siemens, explains how looking beyond individual components to view entire systems can reveal powerful opportunities to reduce waste, optimise processes, and rethink how we measure success. One powerful example is Ekonoke, a company growing hops in fully controlled indoor environments. With Siemens’ support, Ekonoke scaled their production by using digital tools to simulate and refine every element of their process before building physical systems. By designing their operations to be co-located with breweries, they’re able to recycle CO₂ and wastewater, turning industrial by-products into valuable resources. Their approach demonstrates how digitalisation, circular design, and proximity-based supply chains can dramatically lower environmental footprints while improving reliability and yield. Finland-based Spinnova shows similar potential in the textile sector, producing sustainable fibre from wood pulp and agricultural waste without harmful chemicals. Inspired by spider silk and supported by Siemens, Spinnova used digital twins to perfect both product design and factory layout. Their commitment to full traceability and renewable energy sets a high bar for transparency in manufacturing. Both Ekonoke and Spinnova prove that when companies think holistically across the full lifecycle and supply chain sustainability becomes not just an add-on, but a foundation for smarter, more resilient business. Guests Eryn Devola, Head of Sustainability, Siemens Digital Industries Ines Sagrario, CEO and Co-founder, Ekonoke Juha Salmela, CTO and Co-founder, Spinnova Partner Siemens Digital Industries (DI) empowers companies of all sizes in the process and discrete manufacturing industries to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformation across the entire value chain. Siemens’ cutting-edge automation and software portfolio revolutionizes the design, realization and optimization of products and production. And with Siemens Xcelerator – the open digital business platform – this process is made even easier, faster, and more scalable. Along with our partners and ecosystem, Siemens Digital Industries enables customers to become a sustainable digital enterprise. Siemens Digital Industries has a workforce of about 70,000 people worldwide.The post #338 Bio-Inspired Innovation & Systemic Sustainability first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In this episode, we spotlight the remarkable work of the Lightyear Foundation, the winner of the Engineering Matters Awards 2025 Gold Champion for Diversity and Inclusion. The foundation is the only UK charity dedicated to engaging disabled and neurodivergent young people with STEM.Chief Executive Jeff Banks and Senior Programme Manager Emma Zeale explain how the charity uses immersive sensory science, STEM workplace trips, and specially designed Lightyear Labs to ignite curiosity and boost confidence in children who are often excluded from traditional STEM education. With 75% of their staff and trustees identifying as disabled or neurodivergent, Lightyear leads by example and is working to ensure all young people see a place for themselves in STEM. We also hear from Hannah Ford Tomlinson, who developed the Engineering Lightyear Lab. Drawing on their background in science communication and personal experience as an autistic person, they share how each lab session is tailored for accessibility. The labs promote agency and exploration, allowing students to take control of their learning. A standout moment includes an impromptu adaptation when wet play-doh caused sensory issues for some students, highlighting the importance of flexibility and co-creation in the classroom. Lightyear’s impact doesn’t stop at the lab door. Through initiatives like the F1 Engineering Project, youth forums, and even plans for apprentice trusteeships, the foundation is building pathways into the broader STEM ecosystem. Students are not only learning and experimenting, but shaping how STEM outreach is designed and delivered. By listening to young people’s voices and ensuring they have authentic leadership roles, Lightyear Foundation is creating a future where disability is not a barrier to participation, but a vital perspective in the world of science and engineering. Guests Jeff Banks, Chief Executive, Lightyear Foundation Emma Zeale, Senior Programme Manager, Lightyear Foundation Hannah Ford Tomlinson, Communities and Partnerships Program Manager, Lightyear Foundation Links Lightyear FoundationThe post #337 Breaking Barriers to STEM with Lightyear Foundation – Engineering Matters Awards winners first appeared on Engineering Matters.

At a quarry in Turkey, heavy haul trucks are carrying hundreds of tonnes of materials, with no external power. It’s not quite perpetual motion, but it is removing the need for diesel or cables on a hard working site. NUH Cement commissioned ABB to repower a 30-year-old Euclid haul truck. The truck collects loads from a hill top quarry, carries them downhill, and then returns uphill empty. That gave the team at ABB an idea: rather than losing the gravity energy of the load to braking, why not capture it and use it to power the truck back uphill? The job took careful modelling, to ensure the trucks could be relied on, whatever the circumstances on site. With the batteries being constantly charged and discharged, the impact of this on their lifespan and health also had to be considered. The scope of this work is far wider than might be expected. There are more than 70,000 trucks like this worldwide, and many are working in similar conditions. And the approach ABB took to the project, of careful study of a client’s site condition, offers a method for decarbonising across industry, one win at a time. Guests Thomas Huggenberger, Head of Technical Project Management, ABB Ece Akyalçın Turhan, Service and Project Manager, ABB Traction Fabiana Cavalcante, Global Head of Mobile E-Power, ABBThe post #336 Gravity-Powered Heavy Haul – Engineering Matters Awards winners first appeared on Engineering Matters.

LongPath Technologies has taken Nobel-winning discoveries, and applied them to a key cause of climate change: methane leaks from oil and gas facilities. The sector now turns to LongPath to establish monitoring across facilities. But as LongPath sought to scale from innovation to commercialization, it turned to Red Pitaya for a vital component. In this episode we tell the story of LongPath, and how their laser-based methane monitoring has been developed over the past decade. We learn how this work was enabled by a cheap and highly configurable processing board from Red Pitaya. And we discover why Red Pitaya was chosen as a Gold Champion at the Engineering Matters Awards. This highly configurable board, much like a Raspberry Pi for scientists and engineers, is cheap enough that it can be used by start-ups and school students alike. In an Awards shortlist episode we saw how school students have used it in experiments at CERN. And it is flexible and powerful enough that it can meet the needs of innovators like those at LongPath. Guests Črt Valentinčič, co-founder, CTO, Red Pitaya Robbie Wright, co-founder, Chief Engineer, LongPath TechnologiesThe post #335 Monitoring Methane: The Tech Behind the Tech – Engineering Matters Awards winners first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In 2016 management consultants McKinsey released a report that reverberated around the construction and engineering sectors. This sector, the report said, was consistently delivering projects late—often 20% longer to finish than expected—and over budget: by as much as 80%. The report’s authors pointed out that the tools that could resolve these delays and cost overruns, quite simply weren’t being picked up. Now, nearly a decade on, has the sector made progress? In this episode, we speak to three AtkinsRéalis experts about the sector’s progress. Sam Stephens describes the origins of digital construction, explaining how offshore incidents in the 1990s led to the mandatory use of BIM on public sector projects in the UK. Lisa Brown examines the challenges facing construction firms as they adopt digital tools, and explains how AtkinsRéalis has adopted a strategic approach to their adoption and deployment. And Jack Li describes the potential boost AI will bring to the sector, and the need to train young engineers to ensure they can bring human discernment to machine-powered efficiency. Guests Sam Stephens, Head of Digital, Nuclear, AtkinsRéalis Lisa Brown, VP, Transformation and Digital, Canada, AtkinsRéalis Jack Li, Global Head of Future Focus and AI, AtkinsRéalis Partner AtkinsRéalis is a world-leading professional services and project management company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. Employing over 37,000 people across Canada, the US and Latin America, the UK and Ireland, and Asia, the Middle East, and Australia, AtkinsRéalis creates sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world’s infrastructure and energy systems.The post #334 Digital Construction’s Past, Present and Future first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Generative AI has swept across our society. In every app, up it pops, eager to offer a helping hand. The opportunity to talk to computer systems as if they are human, or to create memes at unprecedented speed, has great appeal for many. But is it ready to do the hard work at the heart of our economy? Not yet, perhaps, but soon, AI systems will be working alongside humans in industrial engineering offices and on the shop floor. They will present design choices for engineers, guided by a deep understanding of the sector they work in, and appropriately constrained by safety and other requirements. They will identify which parts on a production machine require replacement, finding alternatives for those no longer available, and producing wiring diagrams, bills of materials, and documentation, with minimal human oversight. Unlocking a future industrial sector where dirty, dull and dangerous jobs are performed by AIs, often acting through human-like robots, will demand new approaches to AI development, and to supply chain collaboration. Rather than the ‘one window’ approach of generalist tools, industrial AI will deploy specialist agents, their actions coordinated by orchestrators, trained on engineering data and informed by industry semantics. Guests Boris Scharinger, AI Strategist, Siemens Digital Industries Vlad Larichev, Industrial AI Lead, DACH, Accenture Julius Bockamp, Technology Scout, Advanced Production Technology, Schaeffler Partner Siemens Digital Industries  Siemens Digital Industries (DI) empowers companies of all sizes in the process and discrete manufacturing industries to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformation across the entire value chain. Siemens’ cutting-edge automation and software portfolio revolutionizes the design, realization and optimization of products and production. And with Siemens Xcelerator – the open digital business platform – this process is made even easier, faster, and more scalable. Along with our partners and ecosystem, Siemens Digital Industries enables customers to become a sustainable digital enterprise. Siemens Digital Industries has a workforce of about 70,000 people worldwide.The post #333 Agents of Change – AI in Industry first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Airports are at the forefront of a global transformation, rethinking their role not just as transport hubs but as sustainable, connected cities of the future. In this episode we explore how airports around the world are responding to environmental pressures, technological advancements, and increasing passenger demands. From Hong Kong’s ambitious runway reclamation to Heathrow’s efforts to expand sustainably, we unpack the complex challenges and exciting innovations shaping the future of air travel infrastructure. Our guests George Davies, Meghan Sheehan, and Jeremy Lee, each bring unique perspectives from the UK, US, and Asia, offering a global overview of how different regions are tackling infrastructure constraints, passenger experience upgrades, and the transition to low-carbon operations. Their insights reveal the balancing act between growth, sustainability, and community impact. We learn how airports are embracing flexible, future-ready design, from better integration with public transport to preparing for sustainable aviation fuels like SAF and hydrogen. We’ll hear how digital tools, AI, and biometrics are streamlining passenger journeys and why collaboration across borders is key to delivering smarter, greener airports. Whether it’s reclaiming land from the sea or unlocking bottlenecks in airspace, this episode captures how aviation is engineering a more sustainable and efficient tomorrow. Guests George Davies, Director for Sustainable Aviation, AtkinsRéalis  Meghan Sheehan, Deputy US Aviation Manager, AtkinsRéalis  Jeremy Lee Chartered Civil Engineer, AtkinsRéalis Partners AtkinsRéalis is a world-leading professional services and project management company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. Employing over 37,000 people across Canada, the US and Latin America, the UK and Ireland, and Asia, the Middle East, and Australia, AtkinsRéalis creates sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world’s infrastructure and energy systems.The post #332 The Future of Airports Around the World first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In the second half of the 20th Century, the world was transformed through infrastructure construction. New roads and railways, levees and power lines, delivered unprecedented comfort and convenience, and laid the foundation for an economy driven by easy transport and trade. But today, as many governments struggle with budgetary constraints and the need to balance decarbonisation with growth, that infrastructure is reaching the end of its design life. Design life does not set a limit on an assets’ safe and productive use. But it does mark the target the original architects and engineers aimed for when they designed and built this infrastructure. Now, their successors must reconsider each asset’s health, and come up with a plan for its replacement or ongoing use. If a structure must be demolished and replaced, asset owners face heavy carbon and financial costs. But by truly understanding these assets, they can focus this investment where it is needed and will have the most impact. In this episode, we learn how engineers and asset owners can work together to collect this data, and identify cost- and carbon-effective solutions. The Netherlands has led the way in infrastructure development, for hundreds of years. Since 1848, this has been overseen by Rijkwaterstaat (RWS), the agency responsible for the country’s famed canals, as well as its roads.  We learn how RWS has worked with geo-data specialists Fugro to make the best use of existing transport assets, as demand for them has soared; and we hear how cost-effective sensors have been used to monitor the impact of a specific failure mechanism affecting tunnels across the country, allowing them to safely remain open, without unnecessary interventions. Guests Edo Noordermeer, Business Consultant, Monitoring, Fugro Patrick Bakhuizen, Commercial Director, Infrastructure, Fugro Harry Dekker, Senior Adviser, Tunnels and Geo-Engineering, Rijkwaterstaat Diederick Bouwmeester, Manager, Geotech, The Netherlands, Fugro Partner Fugro is the world’s leading geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.The post #331 Life Extension for Infrastructure first appeared on Engineering Matters.