Engineering Matters

In recent decades, companies have moved manufacturing to countries offering low cost labour. Today, as they aim for Net Zero, they must also consider their carbon footprint. And that is almost impossible to do if raw materials are sourced from around the world, from countries with highly emitting energy systems and poor record keeping. Sam Turner, Net Zero champion for the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult, proposes a new approach: not offshoring, but ‘greenshoring’. The strategy would see countries competing not just on their ability to supply cheap labour and materials, but on their ability to reduce carbon emissions and other environmental harms. It’s an approach that has been adopted by Frog Bikes, a manufacturer based in the UK’s Bike Valley, a regional cluster of businesses that aims to develop bicycle manufacturing in the country. But the company has struggled to find the data it needs to prove its ability to compete in terms of carbon costs. Doing this will require the development of new carbon accounting tools, and of standards that allow them to be validated.  Guests Katherine Bennett, CEO, High Value Manufacturing Catapult Sam Turner, Net Zero champion, High Value Manufacturing Catapult Russ Hall, Chief engineer – Net Zero, High Value Manufacturing Catapult Shelley Lawson, director, Frog Bikes Jerry Lawson, chief frog, Frog BikesThe post #205 The Green, Green, Shores of Home first appeared on Engineering Matters.

The Engineering Matters and Reby Media team has been working on a new podcast series in partnership with HS2. How to Build a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line. The podcast series features industry experts and special guests giving their unique insight on a whole range of topics including tunnelling, archaeology, ecology, architecture, building bridges, innovation, and rail systems.  Each episode will focus on a different aspect of our story so far, from archaeology to enabling works, the main civils works underway and much more. Across the series, Engineering Presenter Fran Scott, known for her explosive demonstrations on CBBC’s Absolute Genius with Dick and Dom and Channel4’s Lego Masters, will lead listeners on a journey covering every aspect of Europe’s largest infrastructure project. The podcast series will feature insight into how the project is progressing, including huge feats of engineering such as tunnels, brand new stations, depots, viaducts and bridges. Episode One: “The What and the Why of HS2”­ explores why HS2 is needed, the progress so far and upcoming goals. It features HS2 Ltd’s CEO Mark Thurston, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, HS2’s former Chief Engineer Andrew McNaughton and National Railway Museum Associate Curator Bob Gwynne.The post Introducing: How to Build a Railway first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Globally, the aviation industry accounts for 2.5% of all carbon emissions. The emission of other gases and particulates at altitude may make its warming impact even larger. Industry wide, manufactures, airlines and even airports, are all looking at how to bring in a new age of green plane technology, whether it’s hydrogen fuel cell, battery electric, or some other sustainable source of power. However, for airports, the arrival of a green plane does not mean they will have decarbonised their own operations. Airports will have to find their own ways of reducing their carbon emissions while also helping accommodate new flying technology. Atkins’ Decarbonomics programme is being brought to airport to help identify the areas responsible for the most carbon emissions and creating a roadmap towards net zero. Guests Justin Jones, Global Aviation Market Lead, SNC Lavalin Isabelle Smith, Director of Engineering Net Zero, SNC Lavalin Resources For more on Decarbonomics and Engineering Net Zero, click hereThe post #204 Creating Green Airports of the Future first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In light of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, this we are revisting the story of Nooraullah Kuchai. Noorullah is a civil engineer, a humanitarian and a refugee twice over. He lived in a tent in a Pakistani refugee camp for a decade and is now dedicating his life to helping people who have been displaced by war like he was. And the challenge is enormous. More people are being displaced by conflict and disaster than ever before. Today 71 million people around the world are in need of shelter, either as refugees having crossed borders to get to safety, or by becoming homeless inside their own countries. And in most cases these people will not get to go home for years, sometimes even decades. New approaches are therefore needed to ensure that shelter is sustainable, durable and socially beneficial for displaced people and the communities that host them. To enable this, collaboration is needed between humanitarians, local governments, academia and technical professionals to bring together those that manage disaster on the ground, and people who are developing better shelter. We head to the UK Shelter Forum in London to find out more about how this knowledge gap is closing. Partner Mott MacDonald Guests Dima Albadra, Research Associate, University of Bath Tom Corsellis, Executive Director, Shelter Centre Jamie Johnston, Head of Global Systems, Bryden Wood Anne Kerr, Global Head of Cities, Mott Macdonald Nooroola Kuchai, PhD Candidate, University of Bath Dr Francis Moran, Research Associate, University of Bath Brett Moore, Head of Shelter and Settlements, UNHCR Ana Ruiton, Façade Engineer, Mott MacDonald Jake Zarins, Associate Director Disaster Risk Reduction, Habitat for Humanity Resources UK Shelter Forum website  Healthy Housing for the Displaced project  Engineering Hope The post #203 Revisited: Crisis Shelter for Mass Displacement first appeared on Engineering Matters.

What do we do after a structure fails? Often, we go to court. Courts cannot make bereaved families, or those injured, whole. They cannot repair damaged structures. But they can go some way to making right some of the harms suffered. Forensic engineers, or building pathologists, are often called on to offer expert witness testimony in these cases. James Cohen has studied many building failures. With Arup, he wrote a report that analysed the complex causes of a multiple fatality tower crane collapse in New York. Reports like this can help engineers, policymakers, and regulators, understand and learn from failures. But, Cohen says, building pathologist’s insights are often hidden, rather than shared.  He calls on forensic engineers to act as truth tellers, not just advocates for their client’s interests. He says we should share insights not just from failures, but on near misses. And, he thinks more contracts should be structured so that parties share an interest in a project’s success or failure. Guest James CohenThe post #202 After the Collapse first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In 2019 Tarmac announced their Innovation Challenge, for companies to propose new technologies to help Tarmac decarbonise. Over the next three years in partnership with Renault Trucks and TVS Interfleet they developed the first electric concrete mixer to be used in the UK. Through the process of designing and building a first of its kind mixer, they discovered massive inefficiencies in existing diesel mixers and made a cleaner and far more efficient mixer than any diesel mixers that came before. Guests Graham Waters, Director of Logistics, Tarmac Ben Garner, Senior Logistics Manager, Tarmac Andrew Scott, Head of Electric Mobility and Product Development, Renault Trucks Vito Ronzano, Industrial Design Director, TVS Interfleet Resources For more on Tarmac’s eMixer, click here The post #201 Creating the UK’s First eMixer first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Robots are increasingly able to take on any repeatable task in industry, and are used in many dull, dirty or dangerous tasks. But their deployment for highly variable tasks remains limited. They are now being used in nuclear decommissioning, to sort, cut, and repack waste storage skips. And this could serve as a testing ground for their use to handle other complex and variable streams of materials. At Sellafield, one of the most complex nuclear decommissioning sites in the world, Atkins have helped develop systems that can identify the best way to cut contaminated storage skips, which have been stored in pools over decades of nuclear power generation and fuel reprocessing. The company is also developing robotic systems that can allow staff to perform work in laboratory glove boxes—or isolators—without being exposed to risk. These developments come as the sector faces a growing labour shortage, explored in the recent Atkins/SNC-Lavalin report Digital in Nuclear: Our vision for 2035, and will help ease these pressures, while speeding up the decommissioning process. Guests Christian Pilon, head of robotics, SNC-Lavalin Robert Marwood, technical director, robotics and technology, AtkinsThe post #200 Nuclear Robots on the Cutting Edge first appeared on Engineering Matters.

How can we maintain reliable power through the energy transition, while still making significant cuts to energy emissions? Carbon capture and storage promises an answer, but much groundwork must be done to bring this potential to life. SSE recently received approval to build a new gas power plant at Keadby, in Lincolnshire, which could be the UK’s first power station equipped with carbon capture technology. The power plant will help maintain reliability for the UK National Grid, even when renewable energy is not available, while cutting carbon emissions by as much as 95%. The Keadby plant is one of many industrial and power emitters of carbon in the UK that will pump gas to the East Coast Cluster, a system of carbon transport and storage under development in disused oil and gas wells in the North Sea. But first, the project team needed to understand the ground that the power station site sits on and assess geo-hazards and any risks they may cause to the development, working collaboratively with Fugro to develop a geotechnical ground model that will inform the design. Guests Katy Burke, Lead Engineer, Keadby Carbon Capture Project, SSE Mark Birley, Keadby CC Project Director,  SSE Nick Armstrong, Lead Consultant, LSC Fugro Rob Hawkins, Regional Commercial Excellence Manager, FugroThe post #199 Pioneering Carbon Capture for Thermal Power first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Getting to net zero emissions requires a paradigm shift in the way that we think and in the way that we do business says Dr Kim Yates from Mott MacDonald. In this episode we explore how collaboration between climate resilience, decarbonisation and improving biodiversity along with systems thinking could deepen efforts to reduce global carbon emissions, improve our natural environment and protect society from the impacts of climate change. This is critical as the UN Environment Programme reports that progress is not happening fast enough to keep global warming between 1.5 and 2 degrees centigrade. It finds that infrastructure will absorb 88 percent of the investment needed to prevent climate catastrophe. We have to do things differently. Guests Julia Baker, Head of Nature Services, Mott MacDonald Maria Manidaki, Technical Director, Decarbonisation, Mott MacDonald Nikki Van Dijk, Technical Director Climate Resilience, Mott MacDonald Dr Kim Yates, Climate Change Operational Lead, Mott MacDonald Resources Good progress but not fast enough: Decarbonising infrastructure Nature Based Solutions: An interactive map Partner Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management and development consultancy. Its purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything it does, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming its clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.The post #198 Collaboration: The Net Zero Trilogy first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In 1992 rolls Royce helped to fund a new technology centre at the University of Birmingham which began a long relationship between the manufacturer and the university. Over the last 30 years research into material sciences for aviation have led to important safety and efficiency gains in plane performance. In 2022 the University of Birmingham and Rolls Royce were given the Bhattacharyya Award which recognises excellent achievement in work between industry and academia. The future of aviation, whether sustainable fuels or electrification is having a big impact on the materials research taking place and the close relationship between Rolls Royce and the University of Birmingham is on the forefront of the research.Guests Neil Glover, Head of Materials Research at Rolls Royce Paul Bowen, Research Director at the University of Birmingham Technology Research Centre. Resources For more on Rolls Royce’s University Technology Centre’s, click here For more on the University of Birmingham Technology Centre, click hereThe post #197 On the Cutting Edge of Aviation first appeared on Engineering Matters.

The US National Ignition Facility recently announced that it had achieved a milestone in the development of fusion technology, producing more energy from a fusion process than that put into the reactor directly by the lasers that control the process. While the NIF is not designed to research power generation—it has its roots in the 1960s nuclear test ban treaty, and aims to allow maintenance and design of nuclear weapons without explosive tests—this is still a breakthrough. For this episode, we go back to March 2021 to look at another important step in the decades long development of fusion power. In the episode, we looked at a project being run by the UK Atomic Energy Authority which aims to build a prototype fusion power plant by the 2040s. To do that they have been working on a concept design, choosing from a menu of international technologies. Their work needs to be complete by spring 2024 to then work on and complete a detailed design by about 2030. Called ‘STEP’, its success will be measured in one way, whether it can sustainably put electricity into the grid. This is a challenge that will push the limits of robotics, plasma science, materials science, nuclear science. But if we get it right, if all of the technologies fall into place, we have the potential to generate carbon neutral energy for millions of years.  Guests Jenny Cane, Product Area Lead for In-Vessel Components at STEP, UK Atomic Energy Authority Nick Walkden, Head of Executive Office, UK Atomic Energy Authority Resources The UK Atomic Energy Authority’s webpage on STEP can be found here. The website for the project in the south of France ITER can be found here.The post #196 Back to the Future of Fusion first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Every December in London a magnificent Christmas tree is unveiled in Trafalgar Square. It is an annual gift from the people of Norway to the people of Britain that began 75 years ago. The origins of this tradition lie in the darkest days of the Second World War, and a British naval hero who undertook a mission for Norway’s government-in-exile. Today, the crossing of the tree from Norway to Britain is a more peaceful affair than the story that started it all. But growing such an enormous tree, and transporting it to London, is not without challenges.  In this episode, we tell both of those stories… Guest Eivind Johan Birkeland, Forest Manager – Municipality of Oslo, Agency for the Urban Environment Resources For a video showing the unveiling of the first Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree, click here For more information on the daring escape of the Norwegian Royal Family, click here Listeners interested in the exploits of WW2 torpedo boats should read ‘Dog Boats of War’ by Leonard C Reynolds, click hereThe post #195 The Journey of the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree first appeared on Engineering Matters.

The UK government recently confirmed its support for Sizewell C. Getting to this point, and planning how thousands of construction crew and millions of tonnes of materials and plant will get to the site, has taken a decade of work.  Nuclear power plants like Sizewell C are almost always built in rural locations, by the sea. Their neighbours are often used to a quiet pace of life, and transport links have limited capacity. To gain permission to build the plant, EDF, helped by WSP, had to carefully consider a mix of road, rail, and sea transport options. Their proposals were eventually considered by five examiners during a tightly scheduled six month process. This took place under an approach to planning of nationally significant projects in the UK, called a Development Consent Order, or DCO.  The DCO system was adopted shortly before work on planning Sizewell C began, in 2008. While it promises to streamline planning approvals, with one consent given for an entire project, it requires companies to prepare thousands of pages of documents, and detailed simulations of transport impacts for dozens of miles around the plant. Guests Richard Bull – Head of DCO delivery Sizewell C John Hicks – Technical director, WSP Nick Cottman – Technical director, WSPThe post #194 Nuclear Power Connections first appeared on Engineering Matters.

This year saw infrastructure resilience included in the Carbon Crunch programme for the first time. It is recognition that our infrastructure is being exposed to greater environmental risks than before, and so the impacts on people and communities will be even more profound. If construction does not properly consider the growing risks of rising floods and extreme heat events, any low carbon infrastructure we build could become prematurely obsolete. But as with the realisation 10 years ago that a low carbon approach also reduces costs, the data suggests that resilience offers a similar business case, when the whole lifecycle of an asset is considered. This is part two of a two-part Engineering Matters special on Carbon Crunch 2022. This episode focuses on infrastructure resilience. Guests Emma Howard Boyd CBE, Chair, Green Finance Institute Denise Bower, External Engagement Director, Mott MacDonald Alexandre Chavarot, Strategic Adviser, Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment Lisa Constable, Strategic Lead for Weather Resilience and Climate Change Adaptation, Great British Railways Transition Team Sarah Hayes, Strategic Engagement Lead – Credo, Connected Places Catapult Iliana Lazarova, Head of Environmental, Social, Resilience and Governance, UK Infrastructure Bank Richard Thorp, Engineering Director, High Speed 1 Resources For more information on Carbon Crunch, click here For more information on PCRAM, click here To read the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, click here To listen to part one of this two-part special, click here Partner Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management and development consultancy. Its purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything they do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming their clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.The post #193 Carbon Crunch (Part 2): Resilience in a Changing World first appeared on Engineering Matters.

It has been nearly 10 years since the world first recorded atmospheric carbon above 400 parts per million. That year, 2013, also marked the first edition of the Carbon Crunch event which brought together infrastructure professionals to discuss the issue of decarbonisation. A decade on and much has changed for the better; we have near-universal recognition of the climate emergency, and numerous countries have committed to transition their economies to net zero carbon in the coming decades. Following a decade of action, the delegates that gathered for the 10th Carbon Crunch represented a far more mature industry than the first. This is part one of a two-part Engineering Matters special on Carbon Crunch 2022. This episode focuses on infrastructure decarbonisation. Guests Adam Crossley, Director of Environment, Skanska Simon Dawes, Head of Sustainable Business Strategy, Environment Agency Mark Enzer, Strategic Advisor, Mott MacDonald Christine Glew, Sustainability Manager, National Grid Gas Transmission & Metering Maria Manidaki, Technical Director, Mott MacDonald Heleni Pantelidou, Technical Director – Infrastructure, Arup David Riley, Head of Carbon Neutrality, Anglian Water Cathy Travers, Group Managing Director, Mott MacDonald Tim Young, Manager for Net Zero Finance, The Science Based Targets Initiative Resources For more information on Carbon Crunch, click here For more information on PAS 2080, click here For a copy of the Infrastructure Carbon Review, click here For the 2015 report from Mott MacDonald and Anglia Ruskin University, click here For a report on the Earth passing the 400 parts per million threshold, click here To listen to part two of this two-part special, click here Partner Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management and development consultancy. Its purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything they do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming their clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.The post #193 Carbon Crunch (Part 1): The Decarbonisation Debate first appeared on Engineering Matters.

The deepest hole ever drilled drives 12.2km down below the border of Russia and Finland. The Kola Superdeep Borehole was an experiment to penetrate as deeply as possible into the Earth’s crust, but since 1995 it has been abandoned. Now a company believes that new technology will be able to drill to depths of 20km. By doing so it could unlock terawatts of clean, geothermal energy for countries around the world. Most geothermal energy is accessed just metres beneath the Earth’s surface and so is only viable in areas with a thin crust where temperatures are high at a low depth. However, by drilling deep enough, any country on Earth could be able to benefit from geothermal energy. This may be possible within a decade. Guests Matt Houde, co-founder, Quaise Energy Paul Woskov, senior research engineer, MIT Resources For more information on Quaise Energy, click here To watch the gyrotron melt rock, click hereThe post #192 Drilling Deep for Geothermal first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In 1985 diver Henri Cosquer discovered a submerged cave entrance in the Mediterranean near Marseilles. Exploring over the next six years he discovered a chamber filled with prehistoric art. Conditions in the caves and the submerged passages leading to it are extremely dangerous: three divers lost their lives exploring the caves. Efforts to map the cave structure using traditional techniques proved impossible, but with modern 3D scanning and photogrammetry tools, replicas of key works from the cave have been created on land, spreading knowledge of the caves to future generations. Guests Luc Vanrell: professional diver and independent underwater archaeologist. Former Scientific Manager of the Cosquer cave for the French Ministry of Culture Alain Dalis: prehistorian and visual artist, responsible for the reproduction of the painted and engraved walls of the Cosquer cave replica in Marseille Bertrand Chazaly: land surveying engineer, digital and 3D expert at Fugro Resources The original paper describing the discovery of the caves. Luc Vanrell, Jean Clottes, and Jean Courtin’s description of the caves. A study of handprints in caves around the Mediterranean, arguing that most may have been made by women. Academic papers on Cosquer, and other subjects, can be accessed with a free independent researcher account on JSTOR.The post #191 A Deep Dive Into the Past first appeared on Engineering Matters.

For 200 years, towns and cities across the British regions developed specialised roles in the economy of empire. Mining towns and ports, potteries and steelmakers all made their own contribution to a global trade network, and local communities enjoyed jobs for life, with clear paths to entry. With the changing global order of the late 20th century, and a new approach to trade, many of these communities faced new competition from other countries. Specialised industries declined, and often collapsed, leaving a hole in the hearts of these communities, and a lack of local career options. Highly trained local residents would often take their skills elsewhere: overseas, or south to London. A lack of investment in transport in the regions compounded the challenges these communities faced. Today, England faces a level of disparity between regions on a similar scale to that faced by Germany as the country reunified at the end of the Cold War. In this episode, we look at the contributions that central and local government can make to the decades-long process of regional rebalancing. We learn about the priorities of local leaders, and discuss the results of a survey of regional leaders. We take a close look at the development of Teesworks. The project is being developed in Redcar, where 90 steel foundries once stood on a 10 mile stretch of river. Today, this site is being developed as a new centre for smart and sustainable industry, with a focus on building the skills and businesses needed for the UK’s transition to a Net Zero economy. We learn how projects like this will need new investment in East-West rail links across the country. Two concurrent rail projects, the Transpennine Route Upgrade and HS2, are expected to face a significant skills gap. Many young people miss out on opportunities in the sector. STEM fairs and similar events can attract some to engineering at 16 or 18, as they make choices about their educational path. But many people are deflected from a career in engineering, either because they do not see a way into the industry, or because they lack the basic skills needed to start on that educational journey. Atkins is working with Governors For Schools to enable its staff to contribute to the development of young people’s interest in engineering, and the skills needed for a career in the sector. Guests John Rayson is managing director for the North at Faithful and Gould. Over a three decade career in engineering, he’s had a first hand view of how countries have fought to reduce regional disparities. He talks to us about the priorities of local leaders in the regions. James Rose has been working on the development of Teesworks, near Redcar, in the North East of England. It is Europe’s largest brownfield development and promises to bring new careers in the Net Zero economy, to replace those lost with the collapse of the area’s once flourishing steel industry. Jess Bates is Network Rail Client Account Director at Atkins, and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion lead for the Transpennine Route Upgrade alliance. She is working with Governors for Schools to enable engineers from diverse backgrounds to help promote careers in engineering, and to advise schools on the skills children will need to build rewarding lives working in the sector. Partner Atkins, part of the SNC-Lavalin Group, is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies. Employing over 18,000 people across the UK, North America, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe, Atkins utilities the latest technology to deliver major capital projects, and provide expert consultancy for clients across the energy, transportation and infrastructure sectors.The post #190 Regional Re-balancing first appeared on Engineering Matters.

How do we assess the environmental impact of construction materials? Some materials may enjoy a reputation as natural and sustainable. Timber, quite literally, grows on trees It is abundant, it captures carbon from the atmosphere, and at the end of its life can decompose naturally, leaving no harmful waste. But some of the highest value timber comes from ancient forests. Demand for this timber can lead to the destruction of forests that will take generations to regrow… And planting forests to cost-effectively grow construction grade timber may devastate biodiversity. Plastic has an increasingly malign reputation, and is almost always made from fossil hydrocarbons. There is increasing concern about the spread of microplastics through our environment, and into our bodies. But how would we have delivered billions of doses of COVID vaccines around the world, and clean syringes to administer them, without plastic? How many millions of people would have lost their lives, or suffered life limiting illness, without it? How much extra land would need to be dedicated to industrial agriculture, if food stuffs could not be transported in shelf life-extending plastic packs? In this episode, we look at how engineers can consider the life-cycle carbon costs of material choices. We learn how intervention at each stage in a material’s life, from extraction through to a structure’s end-of-use, can boost returns on carbon investments. And we find out how large engineering and construction organisations can work with suppliers, large and small, to improve sustainability across the supply chain. Guests Alex Wright is national commercial director at Tarmac. He is responsible for setting commercial strategy. But a key part of that role is identifying how Tarmac can make its offering more sustainable. Emma Hines is senior construction manager at Tarmac and part of the company’s sustainability team. Her role is to support stakeholders to ensure that they can consider the right solutions to create a sustainable built environment. Phil Greenin is a Tarmac frameworks director, responsible for the M25. He works closely with National Highways and other stakeholders to analyse and trial the most sustainable ways of laying and maintaining the UK’s road network. Jonathan Harry is procurement director for CRH. He works with the supply chain to make CRH a ‘customer of choice’ supporting the development of more sustainable ways of working. Resources Tarmac’s Innovation Challenge helps identify sustainable innovations, and promotes their development and commercialisation. Tarmac recently purchased the first battery electric concrete mixer in the UK. allowing them to move materials from quarry to job site, by rail and road, with no use of fossil fuels. Panshanger Park is managed by Tarmac and has been used as a quarry. Exhausted quarry areas have been returned to the community as a green space.  BREEAM standards can be used to validate and certify a sustainable built environment. BSI and other stakeholders have developed PAS 2080, the world’s first standard for managing infrastructure carbon. It has been pivotal in helping companies to reduce carbon use and costs. The RIBA Plan of Work organises the process of briefing, designing, constructing and operating building projects into eight stages and explains the stage outcomes, core tasks and information exchanges required at each stage. It can be used with RIBA’s Sustainable Outcomes Guide to provide design principles to achieve a series of measurable sustainable outcomes, and describes approaches that can be used to verify performanceThe post #189 Life Cycle Analysis of Construction Materials first appeared on Engineering Matters.

UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction estimates that over the past 20 years, 1.2 million people have been killed by more than 7,000 disasters. It estimates the economic damage at just under $3 trillion. It also found that when compared to the 1980s and 1990s, this impact has almost doubled. Countries are working to become more resilient, but even that term may mean different things in different conditions and environments. Resilience needs to be better understood. In this episode we explore the role of data and its analysis when it comes to protecting people, infrastructure and homes from climate related events. Guests Stephen Bourne, project director – resilience, Atkins Masjood Jafri, resiliency market director, Atkins Kate Vincent, associate director – ecology, Atkins Resources For the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction report, click here Partner Atkins, part of the SNC-Lavalin Group, is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies. Employing over 18,000 people across the UK, North America, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe, Atkins utilities the latest technology to deliver major capital projects, and provide expert consultancy for clients across the energy, transportation and infrastructure sectors.The post #188 Data Analysis for Climate Resilience first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In Los Angeles only 3% of the population say they take public transit regularly, compared to 84% of residents who commute to work in their car every day. This results in huge amounts of traffic and air quality so bad that under public health requirements it’s illegal. LA Metro is making major investments to improve the public transit options in LA including totally revamping the bus system. By 2030 the entire LA bus network will be running electric buses. This means all new buses, changing all the routes and retrofitting all the cities depots to have charging capabilities. This is the first time out of China and major cities entire bus fleet will be electric and there are many challenges to overcome including changing LA’s car culture. Guests Cliff Henke, WSP’s global chair of zero emissions buses & programme manager for LA bus electrification project Chris Chavez, deputy policy director for the Coalition for Clean Air Resources To learn more about WSP’s work on zero emissions vehicles, click here To learn more about LA Metro’s 2028 Vision Plan, click hereThe post #187 Electrifying the Los Angeles Bus Fleet first appeared on Engineering Matters.

On 20 September 2006 Richard Hammond raced down the Elvington airfield in Vampire, the jet-powered dragster that still holds the British land speed record. Hammond was travelling at 288mph (464km/h) when one of the car’s tyres unexpectedly blew, flipping the vehicle onto its back. Although seriously injured, Hammond escaped with his life. The Vampire itself was a wreck, dominating the front pages of newspapers around the world. But behind all of this is an incredible engineering story that goes back to the origins of modern motorsport. In this episode we will trace the origins of the car, and follow a new team’s effort to resurrect the Vampire. Guests John Clayton, co-owner, Vampire Syndicate Phil Davies, co-owner, Vampire Syndicate Joy Hoyle, co-owner and accountant, Vampire Syndicate Andrew Hurdle, original developer and racerThe post #186 Vampire: Resurrecting Britain’s Fastest Car first appeared on Engineering Matters.

The Canada Line is North America’s most efficient commuter rail. Since it opened in 2009, they have operated with a system availability of 99.9% and a punctuality record of 99.8%. But now they have reached a crucial stage in the line’s lifespan. After 13 years, major maintenance and replacement operations will need to take place which threaten the line’s ability to remain as efficient as it has been. However, the Canada Line team has spent the last few years working on creating a digital twin that will prove critical to retaining this efficiency. Using dozens of types of sensors and collecting data points on everything from the trains to the tracks to the key assets, they can now predict the optimal time to replace important assets and help train staff in VR and AR to improve their efficiency while making repairs. Guests Ron Powell, General Manager of The Canada Line Johan Germishuys, Director of Digital Solutions, SNC Lavalin Resources To learn more about building a digital twin, click hereThe post #185 Building Canada Line’s Digital Twin first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Net Zero is our 2050 ambition for society, but to make this a reality city must be held to a far higher standard. Our urban environments will need to become ‘carbon negative’ if we intend to mount a robust response to the climate emergency. New technologies and techniques are part of the solution. But there is another challenge. Most of our major cities have already been built and are old. Embodied carbon means we should refrain from knocking down old buildings, but how can inefficient, dated structures play a part in the city of the future? Everything is in tension and there are very few easy wins. To make this all happen will take careful planning. Guests Rupert Green, Market Lead – Net Zero Energy Infrastructure, Atkins Clare Hebbes, Director of Development, London Legacy Development Corporation Matthew Tribe, Managing Director – Planning, Design and Engineering, SNC Lavalin Resources For more information on The Sustainable City in Dubai, click here and here For more information on decarbonising buildings, click here For some of the projects that guests in this episode have worked on, click here And specific to the Net Zero ambitions of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Matthew Tribe co-authored this report  Partner Atkins, part of the SNC-Lavalin Group is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering, and project management consultancies. Employing over 18,000 people across the UK, North America, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe, Atkins utilities the latest technology to deliver major capital projects, and provide expert consultancy for clients across the energy, transportation and infrastructure sectors.The post #184 The Future of Old Cities first appeared on Engineering Matters.

At the end of 2019 the Coronavirus pandemic began its global take-over, the world had to react fast to try and stop the spread. A project sprung up overnight, to create a megalab large enough to cope with never before seen testing requirements.  The project would be complex, intricate, and require a quick delivery. It relied on successful placement of a series of moving parts, each of which was vital to the completion of every level of the project.  A game of Tetris, with lives at stake. Guests Steve Cundall, Project Director, Mace Steve Blake, Project Director, UKHSA Gary Clark, Head of Science Technology, HOK Helen Buckingham, Senior Project Manager, WSP  Partner The partner for this episode is WSP. As one of the world’s leading engineering professional services consultancies, WSP brings clarity and vision to complex challenges. Its team of global technical specialists and strategic advisers ensure innovative solutions solve complex problems for clients and the communities it serves, meeting both the needs of today and addressing the challenges of the future.The post #183 Testing Times: Building a Megalab first appeared on Engineering Matters.

As electricity grids around the world transition to using renewable energy resources, investment will need to be made in energy storage. When the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow there needs to be a way for the grid to be supplied with electricity. Currently pumped hydro storage is the main form of energy storage, although that requires specific geographical layout. Another form of storage getting significant investment is battery storage, batteries are becoming more efficient but still can store significantly less power than other storage forms and degrade over time. Another potential storage solution is gravity storage. One company pursuing this idea is Energy Vault, whose CEO Robert Piconi believes that their idea of lifting 35-tonne blocks to store energy before dropping it back down to convert it back to electricity could be a form of energy storage that has high storage capacity and strong efficiency. Guests Robert Piconi, CEO of Energy Vault Resources  For more information on Energy Vault, click here For more information on the 2022 Energy Storage Outlook Report, click hereThe post #182 Using Gravity to Store Energy first appeared on Engineering Matters.

When picturing the Arctic, people from warmer latitudes are likely to imagine frozen tundra and lonely steppe. Add global warming to this and the vision shifts to melting ice caps and desperate fauna. But the Arctic is much more than that. It is a region of community and a land of opportunity. With immense fisheries forming the backbone of its blue economy, and renewable resources in abundance, it is one of the truly under-utilised regions of the planet. But today this opportunity may finally be realised. Armed with a new appreciation for the traditional knowledge of native Arctic populations, as well as modern tools and data analysis, a new infrastructure will traverse the Far North. But to make this happen, industry needs data. It needs to understand the ground risks, and the resources available. It needs to understand the foundations of the arctic. Guests Mads Qvist Frederikson, Executive Director, Arctic Economic Council Pooja Mahapatra, Geospatial Solution Owner, Fugro Rada Khadjinova, Manager – Alaska, 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 #181 The Foundations of a New Arctic first appeared on Engineering Matters.

For industries across the world to reach net zero they are going to rely on mining critical minerals to allow for the electrification of their vehicles and machines. This has caused a huge leap in demand for minerals like lithium, nickel and cobalt.Added to this, the mining industry itself is already a major polluter itself, so as the industry prepares for a massive rise in production it must also focus on its own decarbonisation efforts. Investment in new technology and the electrification of existing equipment will go a long way to helping mining decarbonise. Mining has spent the last 20 years improving the industries safety record and now the same focus needs to be taken to solve the industries carbon problem. Guests Mark Adams, Vice President of Technology at SNC-Lavalin Mining and Metallurgy  Jean-Luc Allard, Manager for acoustics, air quality and climate change for SNC-Lavalin  Trevor Sparks, Vice President for Tailings and water management at SNC-Lavalin Resources For more information on the Minerals Security Partnership, click here For more information on the UK’s Critical Mineral Strategy, click here Partner The SNC-Lavalin Group is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies. Employing over 18,000 people across the UK, North America, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe, Atkins utilities the latest technology to deliver major capital projects, and provide expert consultancy for clients across the energy, transportation and infrastructure sectors.The post #180 Mining in a Net Zero World first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In July 2022 the UK burned as temperatures broke 40°C for the first time in recorded history. As each of us tried different approaches to dealing with the heat, trees offered respite for some astute Brits. In the immediate aftermath the UK Government announced £44 million in reforestation funding for this year. In appreciation of the shade in this hot summer, we bring you this episode we produced last year on the benefits of tree planting. Guests Rob Gazzard, Adviser, Contingency Planning, Technical Guidance and Wildfire, The Forestry Commission Peter Leeson, Woodland Creation Advisor, The Woodland Trust Maria Manidaki, Water Investment Planning Advisor, Mott MacDonald Duncan McLaren, Professor in Practice and Research Fellow, Lancaster University Helen Neave, Founder, Make it Wild Resources Emergency Tree Plan for the UK, The Woodland Trust England Tree Strategy Consultation Towards a UK Fire Danger Rating System, Manchester University Forestry Commission Statistics 2020 The Secret Life of Trees, Colin TudgeThe post #179 Trees: Escaping the Heat first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Antarctica New Zealand runs a critical research hub on the volcanic Ross Island. Originally built in 1957, it consists of 12 buildings connected by walkways – none of which have been upgraded since the 1980s. To keep the important science going for the next 50 years a redevelopment was launched in 2017. However, building in Earth’s most inhospitable environment, with the coldest temperatures ever recorded, and months of complete darkness, means that the most advanced and efficient engineering methods must be employed. Antarctica New Zealand is planning a radical modular design that will be built fully in Port Timaru in New Zealand before being transported over on giant ships to be set up on the Scott Base site. And when it comes to working on the Southern Continent, every precaution must be taken. Guests Will Parker, Technical Director, WSP Simon Shelton, Senior Project Manager Scott Base Redevelopment, Antarctica New Zealand Karissa Hyde, Construction Manager, Antarctica New Zealand Hugh Broughton, Architect, Hugh Broughton Architects Resources For more information on the Scott Base Redevelopment, click here For more on the scientific research conducted at Scott Base, click here Partner The partner for this episode is WSP. As one of the world’s leading engineering professional services consultancies, WSP brings clarity and vision to complex challenges. Its team of global technical specialists and strategic advisers ensure innovative solutions solve complex problems for clients and the communities it serves, meeting both the needs of today and addressing the challenges of the future.Photo credit: 7t.co.ukThe post #178 A Vision for a Modular Antarctica first appeared on Engineering Matters.

An era of tunnelling megaprojects has dawned as governments have invested in the underground the world over. Skills shortages are nothing new to the engineering world, but in some sectors, it is beginning to bite. One such area is surveying. In these situations, technology and collaborative ways of working can take the strain off an overheating market. With the work ahead of it, the tunnelling industry will need all of its collective expertise and modern technologies to cope with growing demand. Guest Philippe Matter, Sales Manager, Amberg Group Resources To learn more about the Hagerbach testing gallery, check out Episode #112 Hagerbach: The Bat Cave of Tunnelling. To listen, click here Partner The Amberg Group is a unique knowledge, engineering and technology provider of logistics and infrastructures for smart cities, hubs and networks through innovative combinations of above and underground space usage. Its products and services cover in a digitalized manner the entire life cycle of the infrastructures and all engineering and technology aspects.The post SHORT: Tunnelling on Target first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Founded in the late 1800s to supply coal to the Union Pacific Railroad, the town of Hanna, Wyoming has a proud place in the industrial story of the United States. It also has another legacy to contend with – Abandoned Mine Lands. Historical mining activities have left the region with voided geology and subsidence issues. Fortunately, a well-funded state AML division has been working diligently for decades to mitigate the worst risks and incidents. Now, with more funding available to other states with historical mining activities, all eyes are on Wyoming to understand best practice. Guests Dave Hibbard, Subsidence Mitigation Team Leader, Brierley Associates Don Newton, AML Division Administrator, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Resources To learn more about the good work done by Abandoned Mine Land programmes around the US, click here For more information on the Federal Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program, click here For more on the history of the town of Hanna, Wyoming, click here To find the case study on the Hanna Elementary School football field, click here Partner Brierley Associates’ nationwide underground design and construction experience offers a different perspective of ground characterisation and behaviour. They combine robust subsurface investigations, historic mine workings information and GIS-based spatial analysis to develop evidence-based land subsidence mitigation solutions.The post #177 The Abandoned Mine Lands of Wyoming first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In Bangalore, the high-tech heart of India, sits a centre of technology. A state-of-the-art engineering facility working on projects across the globe. In its time, the centre has transitioned from an offshore project design centre to the forefront of technological innovation in the company. Becoming a centre of excellence and pioneering digital innovation, this hub, and its employees, dream big. Guests Bharat Gala, Senior Vice-president, Atkins Haima Haldar, Director of Digital, Atkins Philip Hoare, President of Engineering Services, Atkins Partner Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies. Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. The post #176 Bangalore and the Digital Transformation first appeared on Engineering Matters.

The UK’s roads are in increasing need of repair and local councils are facing a nine year long backlog of overdue road maintenance. However, with new technologies entering the road construction industry, future road maintenance and construction projects could be safer, greener and result in longer lasting roads. Tarmac is bringing together all the industry’s most cutting-edge technology into their Pave Technology Solutions programme. The suite of technologies can be selected depending on the projects desired outcomes, that could be to produce smoother, longer lasting roads or to reduce a projects carbon emissions or even making the construction site safer for workers. Ben Howard and Phil Greening from Tarmac explain how some of these technologies were developed and how their introduction could impact the UK road construction industry. Guests Phil Greenin, Framework manager, Tarmac Ben Howard, Contract manager, Tarmac Resources For more information on Tarmac’s sustainability goals, click here To listen to Episode 84: Asphalt of the Future, click here Partner Tarmac is the UK’s leading sustainable construction materials, road contracting and building products business. It leads in the supply of construction material comprising aggregates, asphalt, cement, lime, concrete, road contracting, building products and recycling services.The post #175 Tarmac on the Future of Road Technology first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Buildings can use around three times as much energy as design models anticipate. This is an incredible figure and becomes a real problem when considered in context: real estate accounts for 39% of the UK’s total carbon. Around ¾ of that also comes from the operation phase. Part of the problem lies in the way construction works. Façade managers and mechanical & electrical engineers typically work in silos, while building users might have totally different ideas to even the greatest design visionaries.  Solving these problems is tricky, so we found an m&e expert, a facades expert and a property developer, and recorded this Think Tank in front of a live audience at the Footprint+ event earlier this year. Host Ayo Abbas Guests Justin Brand, Asset Management Director, Sellar Michele Sachelli, Technical Director – Facades Support, WSP Michael Trousdell, Sustainability and Smart Buildings Lead, WSP Resources For more information on Footprint+, click here For a case study on the Paddington Square development, click here  For WSP’s guide to the office of the future, click here Partner As one of the world’s leading engineering professional services consultancies, WSP brings clarity and vision to complex challenges. Its team of global technical specialists and strategic advisers ensure innovative solutions solve complex problems for clients and the communities it serves, meeting both the needs of today and addressing the challenges of the future.The post #174 Closing the Building Performance Gap first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Denmark is embarking on the largest construction project in its history with the assembly of the first energy island in the North Sea. The 120,000sq.m site could serve as a hub for as many as 200 wind turbines, storing and supplying electricity to Denmark and its neighbours. The impact of greenhouse gases on our planet is a problem too large to ignore. Denmark alone has committed to a 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Striving to turn the tide, engineers and scientists across the globe are fighting time to find a solution to our energy needs. One that is renewable, whilst supplying the huge amount of power required.  The completion of this megaproject is a way off yet. How to get there in the first place starts all the way down at the seabed. Resources To learn more about the North Sea Energy Island project, click here Guests Hanne Storm Edlefsen, Vice-President of Energy Islands, Energinet Padwalker, Project Manager, Fugro Kasper Speth, Project Manager, 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 #173 Europe’s First Energy Island first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Norah Magero, the co-founder of Drop Access talks about her invention the Vaccibox. In Kenya a large majority of the population live in remote rural areas with often limited energy access. The Vaccibox is a solar powered vaccine fridge that allows for the safe transportation and storage of vaccines to remote areas. In this episode she explains how she got the idea for the Vaccibox, the challenges her and her team went through as they tried to manufacture the Vaccibox locally in Kenya during the pandemic, and the results they have seen since distributing the Vaccibox the rural healthcare facilities in Kenya. Norah and the Vaccibox went on to win the 2022 Africa Prize from the Royal Academy of Engineering making her only the second woman and first Kenyan to win the prize.  Guests Norah Magero, Co-founder and CEO, Drop Access Resources For more information on the Vaccibox, click here For more information on the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize, click here The post #172 Vaccibox: Revolutionising Kenya’s Vaccine Storage first appeared on Engineering Matters.

For most environments, disinfection has barely changed since the 1918 influenza outbreak; many of the same companies offer similar chemical products with which to douse surfaces. At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic a startup decided to explore the use of ultraviolet light to disinfect surfaces, not just in high-end laboratories, but classrooms, bars, shops and anywhere people gather. This episode covers the journey to the first disinfection robot, working with UV-C light to deactivate viruses, as well as safe building practices and the dream of active disinfection while a room is in use. Guests Grant Morgan, CEO, R-Zero Resources For more information on the study on the safety of ‘far UV’, click hereThe post #171 Ultraviolet light: Preventing the Next Pandemic first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Although ‘pet food’ and ‘engineering’ may not immediately align in the mind, one supplier wanted to ensure its products were both sustainable and ethical; from certification to packaging, and from farm to bowl. To do this required a keen understanding of its supply chain and the impact its decisions would have on its carbon footprint. This meant calling in the engineers, and a special calculator that would guide them. This is the story of a pet food company that sought to touch the world lightly, without sacrificing the quality of its product. Guests Jacqueline Prehogan, co-founder, Open Farm Megan Tuttle, Director of Impact, Open Farm Samantha Metaxas, Advisor on Climate Advisory Team, WSP Partner As one of the world’s leading engineering professional services consultancies, WSP brings clarity and vision to complex challenges. Its team of global technical specialists and strategic advisers ensure innovative solutions solve complex problems for clients and the communities it serves, meeting both the needs of today and addressing the challenges of the future.The post #170 Pet Food vs Climate Change first appeared on Engineering Matters.

This week we are bringing you a guest episode from the Planet Beyond podcast. This is another podcast we produce, and is brought to you by Fugro. For much of history the seas have loomed impossibly large and untouchable. This perception is at odds with the vulnerability of ocean environments. Now, following decades of abuse by a growing human society, a realisation has been reached. The degradation of the world’s oceans has led to several looming crises: plastic pollution, warmer waters and chemical changes are all causing untold damage. But all is not lost, in 2021 the UN launched its Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. A science-led initiative to deliver the ocean we want by 2030, putting data at the heart of efforts to save the seas. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at Oceanology International 2022. Host Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro Guests Angela Hatton, CEO, UK National Oceanography Centre David Millar, Government Accounts Director – Americas, Fugro Resources To find more episodes of the Planet Beyond podcast, click here To subscribe on Apple, click here To subscribe on Google Podcasts, click here To subscribe on Spotify, click hereThe post #169 Ocean Science: Ten Years to Turn the Tide first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Supply chain disruptions that initially left companies entirely without critical materials have given way to inflation of shipping and production costs, shortages of skilled labour, and volatile prices for everything from plaster to electronics. Unpredictable and unreliable supply chains are a headache for anyone involved in project cost or schedule management, but for a property developer, which depends on getting its premises built and leased to tenants on the tightest deadlines, this headache is more like a nightmare. Making the right decision at the right time can be the difference between project success and a commercial failure. Guest Chris Perry, Programme Director, Woolpert Resources To contact Chris Perry, click here Partner Woolpert is a leading architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and strategic consulting firm. Woolpert collaborates with industry giants and local firms to enhance its expertise and create the best team for every project – no matter the size or complexity. Woolpert’s experts deliver quality solutions for clients in a wide range of public- and private-sector markets, both across the country and around the world.The post SHORT: Making the Big Decisions first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In the 1970’s Dr Armand Feigenbaum coined the term ‘Hidden Factories’ to talk about the hidden part of organisations where as much 40% of production capability was lost through inefficiency. Finding these weak spots proved difficult until very recently. An exponential increase in data processing power has led to a fourth industrial revolution, or industry 4.0 where more information about processing and operations is available than ever before. This means that manufacturing companies are now able to take advantage of the Industrial Internet of Things to understand and identify elements of the hidden factory and simultaneously bring in new technologies, converting regular factories into smart factories.  Alex Godbehere from the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre explains the new technologies being tested for smart factories of the future and Andrew Scheer from Pathfindr demonstrates that the process of implementing data collection technology is easier than most people think. Guests Andrew Scheer, Marketing Director, Pathfindr Alex Godbehere, Technical Fellow for Smart Factories, AMRC Resources For more information on Pathfindr, click here For more information on AMRCs Factory Plus blueprint, click here To listen to Episode 33 ‘Factories of the Future’, click here Partner  The partner for this episode is Pathfindr. Pathfindr works with companies in advanced manufacturing, implementing a range of data collection and real time asset intelligence tools, to allow factories to better understand their hidden factory and operate more efficiently.The post #168 Industry 4.0: Finding the Hidden Factory first appeared on Engineering Matters.

At its core, being an ally is about support, a willingness to learn about the struggles of others, take them on board and be an advocate for those people’s rights. This is an important part of a healthy business culture.  Given the current engineering skills gap, opening business to a wider pool of candidates through allyship is important. By building an inclusive culture of support & encouragement, employees are happier, work harder, and are more willing to speak up for others. In this episode we pick up some useful tips, benefits and first hand experiences.  Guests Jake Master, Marketing Manager in UK Transportation, Atkins Kyle Kellogg, Senior Office Engineer, Atkins Partner Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies. Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. They create sustainable solutions that connect people, technology and data to design, deliver and operate the most complex projects.  The post #167 Building Allyship first appeared on Engineering Matters.

As access to space has become less expensive, companies are moving to create an in-orbit servicing and manufacturing industry. In-orbit servicing, repairing existing spacecraft and satellites, has been taking place for many years but as we move beyond low earth orbit advanced robotics will be used to carry out these tasks rather than astronauts. 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 Resources For more information on Satellite Applications Catapult, click here For more information on the Westcott Innovation Centre, click here To listen to Episode 55 ‘Saving Structures with Satellites’, click here Partner The 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 #166 Space: The Robotic Age first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In 2020 National Highways released their 2030/2040/2050 Net Zero plan. The plan laid out three main targets for reaching net zero, first cutting all their direct carbon emissions which includes lighting the network and all forms of corporate office emissions by 2030. Second is cutting all emissions from the network’s construction and maintenance by 2040, and last is their goal of reducing all road user emissions by 2050. National Highways bought in WSP to consult on the writing of the plan and now on how to implement it. Much of the net zero plan requires predicting what certain technologies will look like 30 years in the future, David Symons, WSP’s head of Future Ready programme explains how organisations can plan flexibility and adaptability into their project plans. Reducing all construction maintenance and road user emissions to net zero requires buy in from many different stakeholders across industries. Steve Elderkin, Director of Environmental Sustainability at National Highways, the man in charge of implementing the net zero plan, explains how National Highways can use its size and influence to move the market towards a more carbon friendly future. Guest Steve Elderkin, Director of Environmental Sustainability, National Highways David Symons, UK Director of Sustainability, WSP Resources For more information on the Net Zero plan, click here For National Grid’s report on supporting the growth of electric vehicles, click here Partner The partner for this episode is WSP. As one of the world’s leading engineering professional services consultancies, WSP brings clarity and vision to complex challenges. Its team of global technical specialists and strategic advisers ensure innovative solutions solve complex problems for clients and the communities it serves, meeting both the needs of today and addressing the challenges of the future.The post #165 A Road Map to Net Zero Highways first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In the last century, the tides of conflict swirled around Europe as the world’s largest powers fought for dominance over air, land and sea. The North Sea was a critical theatre that could have determined the future direction of the planet in two World Wars. Since the guns fell silent in 1945, the North Sea was transformed into one of the economic hubs of the world and a key asset in the move to renewable green energy, as offshore wind generation has proliferated in recent years. But as we look to the future, we need to be wary of the past. As many as 1.3 million tonnes of unexploded munitions may be lying beneath these icy-cold waters. Any prospective asset owners need to be certain that they will not disturb what lies beneath. Guests Ido Dillisse, Project Manager, Fugro Vincent van Santen, Business Development Manager Offshore Wind and UXO, Fugro Martin Valk, Solution owner – UXO risk mitigation, Fugro Resources For a video explaining the Fugro Wave Walker, click here And for more information on the Sea Auk, 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 #164 Under the North Sea: Threat and Promise first appeared on Engineering Matters.

For more than 40 years, The IET’s Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards have been celebrating the incredible women engineers working to improve our world and shape our future to help change the outdated perception that it’s an industry just for men. These awards are all about showcasing the best women engineering talent in this country, hopefully encouraging the next generation to get excited about the possibilities of an engineering career. Recognising and showcasing outstanding women engineers has never been so important.  Resources The IET’s Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards applications are open now and will remain open until 1 July, for more information or to enter, click here Guest Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2020 Ella Podmore, Materials Engineer, McLaren Automotive Partner The Institution of Engineering and Technology inspires, informs and influences the global engineering community to engineer a better world. As a diverse home across engineering and technology, the IET shares knowledge that helps make better sense of the world in order to solve the challenges that matter. The Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards highlight brilliant women in STEM who are passionate about changing lives, making their mark and inspiring the next wave of pioneering young women in engineering.The post SHORT: Engineering Winners first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Our world is becoming increasingly more virtual, promising new ways of relating to each other and of doing business. The benefits of this, however, are unclear. Virtual and augmented realities could amount to no more than Pokémon Go or Second Life, but they could accentuate the harms we already see online in ways no-one can yet imagine. With regards to engineering, the possibility for the creation of a digital twin could lead to project planning becoming more safe and efficient. This approach has particular benefits in the nuclear sector, where sites are built over a span of decades, and have specific standards that demand certainty and conservatism from project managers. By creating digital twins of these sites, steps in the decommissioning process can be planned out in the virtual world, allowing them to be performed efficiently while reducing the need for staff to enter hazardous areas. Guests Jonathon Gill, Lead Mechanical Engineer, Atkins Poppy Harrison, Engineer, Atkins PartnerAtkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies.Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. They create sustainable solutions that connect people, technology and data to design, deliver and operate the most complex projects. They deploy global capabilities locally to clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital—and delivered to clients in key strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear, Operations & Maintenance and Capital.The post #163 Nuclear Decommissioning with Data first appeared on Engineering Matters.

On concrete paved roads, cracks can be reflected up from the joints between paving sections, into the surface layer. These cracks can lead to further damage to the road structure, and require maintenance from road owners. But the latest road surfacing technology has been proven effective on Formula 1 tracks and airport runways around the world. And now it is finding its way to our roads, helping councils do more with ever smaller budgets. Guests David Markham, Senior Manager Aggregate & Asphalt Technology, Tarmac Conor Campbell, Global Technology Development Executive, Shell Bitumen Simon Shearwood, Senior Engineer – Norfolk Partnership Laboratory, Norse Group Partner Tarmac is the UK’s leading sustainable construction materials, road contracting and building products business. It leads in the supply of construction material comprising aggregates, asphalt, cement, lime, concrete, road contracting, building products and recycling services.The post #162 Smooth as Glass: The Road Ahead first appeared on Engineering Matters.

You have just arrived in a Biosafety Level 4 Containment Lab. These are the most secure laboratories built by human hands, and they are where scientists study the most dangerous pathogens. Containment is an absolute requirement and they are often in isolated locations. They are also extraordinarily intricate, complicated and expensive structures, that often require a large amount of energy, water and chemicals to function. Designing such a building to be Net Zero is very different from making an office block more sustainable. Guests Leslie Gartner, Senior Vice President – Science + Technology Design, WSP USA Narada Golden, National Director – Built Ecology, WSP USA Partner The partner for this episode is WSP. As one of the world’s leading engineering professional services consultancies, WSP brings clarity and vision to complex challenges. Its team of global technical specialists and strategic advisers ensure innovative solutions solve complex problems for its clients and the communities they serve, meeting both the needs of today and addressing the challenges of the future.The post #161 The Net Zero Laboratory first appeared on Engineering Matters.