Engineering Matters

At the start of the Covid-19 lockdown, one of the few reasons people were allowed to leave their homes was to shop for the basic essentials.  Social distancing rules meant that shoppers were held in long queues that wound through supermarket car parks, moving slowly. One supermarket in northern England had the added problem of a car park resurfacing project that was underway, and anxious customers waiting next to fresh asphalt.  This is the story of how they married recent technological developments in the asphalt industry with some cutting-edge chemistry to solve that problem. Guests Adrian Hadley, Head of Technical for Asphalts and Aggregates, Hanson UK Deniz Ugur, Global Technology Development Executive, Shell  Haroon Rashid, Managing Director, NMC Mike Ward, Capital Maintenance Manager, Tesco Richard Taylor, Global Product Technology Manager, Shell  Supporter With over 100 years’ experience, Shell Bitumen is the world’s leading supplier of bitumen. The post #65 Every Little Helps first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Manchester – the city has been on the cutting edge since the birth of the industrial revolution. From John Dalton’s Atomic Theory in 1803, to the invention of Graphene in 2004. More recently it has given the world the greatest music ever made. Home to 2.8 million people in 1.2 million dwellings over 500 square miles, Greater Manchester is the heart of the Northern Powerhouse and has a bigger economy than the whole of Wales… but this economy does not work for everyone. As well as a bigger economy, Manchester also has a bigger homelessness problem. Years of declining social housing stock, coupled with a growing population, and now the impact of Covid-19, has seen the problem evolve into a full crisis. In this episode we speak to new housing developer EDAROTH – Everyone Deserves A House Over Their Head – to learn about how modern methods of construction might help unlock unwanted brownfield sites and solve this problem for good. Guests Mark Powell, Managing Director, Edaroth Mike McNicholas, Managing Director – Infrastructure, Atkins Supporter 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 Resources Shelter UK – Building for our Future: a vision for social housing (Jan 2019) UK GOV – MHCLG report – Modern Methods of Construction – introducing the MMC definition framework (March 2019)The post #64 EDAROTH first appeared on Engineering Matters.

When Dan Harmer received a call in March that told him to clear his schedule and prepare for a meeting, he knew it would be important, but had no idea quite what would be asked of him. With Covid-19 spreading exponentially, and the National Health Service looking increasingly vulnerable, he was the man chosen to build an emergency Nightingale hospital in Birmingham. The catch? He had less than two weeks before the first patients were expected to arrive. This is the story of how the construction industry, sometimes criticised for poor productivity, gave everything it had to meet a seemingly impossible deadline when the country needed it most. And how technology enabled the immense human effort to win through. Special thanks to Autodesk Construction Solutions, Interserve Construction and the National Health Service. Guests Dan Harmer, Project Manager, Interserve ConstructionMatt Keen, Construction Industry Strategist, Autodesk Construction SolutionsMichelle Jeffs, Account Manager, Autodesk Construction Solutions Supporter Autodesk is the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry’s partner in the future of design and construction.The post #63 Nine Days to Build a Hospital first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Hundreds of millions of people in the most economically disadvantaged places in the world spend up to 20 hours per week washing clothes by hand. This task, traditionally forced onto women, is back breaking and monotonous. Then in 2018 a promise made in a rural village in southern India has led Nav Sawhney to leave his dream job at a world-beating engineering company and launch an ethical start-up. The Washing Machine Project was born. Nav’s plan is to mass produce a crank-operated washing machine that will liberate women from these hours of drudgery. Started on a bootstrap, and paying people with samosas, their mission is to create a manual machine that is efficient, portable, high-capacity, and most importantly – cheap.  But to succeed, they need as much support as possible. If you can help, their JustGiving page is in the resources section below. GUEST Nav Sawhney, Founder, The Washing Machine Project SUPPORTER The Royal Academy of Engineering is an organisation that aims to harness the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and inclusive economy that works for everyone. It works to grow talent and develop skills for the future, to drive innovation and build global partnerships, as well as influence policy and engage the public. RESOURCES The Washing Machine Project JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/the-washing-machine-project?utm_term=GqwpADbBr Did you enjoy this podcast? Let us know what you think by answering this short listener questionnaire: https://forms.gle/feJhShZQiY3xs1Ew9The post #62 The Washing Machine Project first appeared on Engineering Matters.

On 28 October 1971 the UK conducted its first and only successful orbital launch, firing the Prospero satellite into low earth orbit – LEO on a Black Arrow rocket. Since that time, the country has lacked a native launch vehicle. In this episode we speak with Joe Laynton, a mechanical engineer working for Skyrora, an Edinburgh-based company that aims to correct just that, and return launch capability to the UK by 2023. Joe tells us about a journey that had led him from playing with Lego and watching sci-fi as a young boy, to working at the cutting edge of the British space sector. This episode is supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Ingenious programme. Ingenious is an awards scheme for projects that engage the public with engineering while at the same time providing engineers with skills and opportunities in public engagement. Did you enjoy this podcast? Let us know what you think by answering this short listener questionnaire GUESTJoe Laynton, Mechanical Engineer, Skyrora SUPPORTERThe Royal Academy of Engineering is an organisation that aims to harness the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and inclusive economy that works for everyone. It works to grow talent and develop skills for the future, to drive innovation and build global partnerships, as well as influence policy and engage the public. RESOURCESTo find out more about Skyrora and their orbital ambitions, click here.Interested in the way in which engineering impacts our society? Check out ‘This is Engineering’. The post #61 Countdown to British launch first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Britain is emerging from some of the toughest social restrictions placed in peacetime history. As people come out of their homes, they are eager to meet friends and loved ones, and head back out into the world – but they are scared. To help keep people safe in a world gripped by Covid-19, and to adapt to the new behaviours of the population, episode partner Atkins (part of the SNC-Lavalin Group) has been advising local authorities on how best to modify their public spaces, and to cope with the new normal. We learn about some of the recommendations from new public guidance, the support available from government, and how some of Britain’s built environment is more prepared for a post-Covid world than expected. GUESTS Neil Manthorpe, Associate Director – Landscape Architecture & Urban Design, AtkinsRobbie Claase, Associate Director – Infrastructure, Atkins SUPPORTER 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. LINKS Coronavirus: Safer Public Places – Urban Centres and Green Spaces The post #60 Covid 19: Creating safer spaces first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Engineers are in a uniquely powerful position. Able to shape our built environment and so influence the direction of civilisation, the impact that their expertise can have for the good of society and the environment is incredible. But people are human, and if a negative culture is allowed to thrive in the organisations that employ them, or if no attention is paid to understanding how problems are approached, history has taught us that fatal disaster can be the result. It is vital that every member of the profession is ethically competent, working in a way that assures a positive outcome. For this episode we have teamed up with consultant Mott MacDonald and the Inter Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre at Leeds University to explore how engineers can be empowered to practice ethically and we uncover the true story behind Canada’s mysterious iron ring ceremony. GUESTS Mike Haigh, Executive Chair, Mott MacDonaldLeonard Sharah, Chief Warden, Corporation of the Seven WardensEmma Crichton, Head of Engineering, Engineers Without BordersJim Baxter, Professional Ethics Consultancy Team Lead, University of LeedsRob Lawlor, Lecturer in Applied Ethics, University of LeedsPeter Bonfield, President, Institution of Engineering and TechnologyMark Enzer, Chief Technical Officer, Mott MacDonaldShannon Chance, Visiting Professor, UCL PARTNER Mott MacDonald: Opening opportunities with connected thinking. Mott MacDonald is a US$2bn engineering, management and development consultancy involved in:  solving some of the world’s most urgent social, environmental and economic challengeshelping governments and businesses plan, deliver and sustain their strategic goalsresponding to humanitarian and natural emergenciesimproving people’s lives  Its expertise by sector includes buildings, communications, defence, education, environment, health, industry, mining, oil and gas, power, transport, urban development, water, wastewater and more. Its skills encompass planning, studies and design, project finance, technical advisory services, project and programme management, management consultancy and beyondThe post #59 Empowering Ethical Engineering first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Since mid-2019, over 900 architectural practices in the UK have made a declaration of climate and biodiversity emergency, acknowledging the extreme seriousness of our situation and making a public commitment to positive change. Now joined by declarations from other disciplines in the construction industry, the growing movement needs coordination or it risks becoming siloed. In this episode we interview the man coordinating these engineering declarations: IStructE Gold Medal winner Mike Cook, and we look at a career spent trying to work with nature, rather than against it. Guests: Dr Mike Cook, Project Principal, Buro HappoldThe post #58 Construction declares climate emergency first appeared on Engineering Matters.

The coronavirus pandemic that has torn through society has also seen supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) depleted at an alarming rate. As doctors and nurses are forced to improvise, and traditional suppliers struggle to meet the sudden increase in demand, help has arrived from an unexpected group of enthusiasts. The 3D printing community has come to the rescue. Thousands of volunteers are sacrificing their sleep to produce emergency PPE, and to buy time for supply chains to adjust to a new reality. We speak with three people who may be changing the way manufacturing works for good. GUESTS Tony Thompson, Engineering and Electrical Assessor, Northampton College Mark Hester, Technology Director, The Imagination Factory Richard Hague, Director of the Centre for Additive Manufacturing, University of Nottingham NOTES If you would like to support Tony and Lyn Thompson, click here To donate to their organising group, Print for Victory, click here And if you would like to lend your aid to 3D Crowd UK, click here The last time we spoke to Richard Hague from the University of Nottingham was in episode #19 Future of 3D PrintingThe post #57 Printing versus the pandemic: COVID 19 first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Biodiversity in the UK is facing an emergency with around 30 percent of native species becoming extinct since the 1970s. This loss of wildlife, which echoes trends all over the world, could have catastrophic impacts on food, air quality and the environment. However for the UK change is on the horizon with a new Environment Bill seeking to reverse this with requirements for developers to deliver an increase in biodiversity on their projects –  a concept known as biodiversity net gain. This update on our episode from August 2019, gives additional insight into the details of the new requirements. It finds that although the current COVID 19 induced crisis is reducing global carbon emissions and bringing some environment benefits, biodiversity remains under threat. GuestsDr Julia Baker, Author, Biodiversity Net Gain: Good Practice Principals for DevelopmentTom Butterworth, Technical Director for Biodiversity, WSPCaroline Maghanga, Senior Ecologist, Mott MacDonaldThe post #56 The Biodiversity Emergency first appeared on Engineering Matters.

How data from satellites can track structural movement, and give early warning of potential failure. New research shows that catastrophic bridge collapses could have been prevented if engineers had been paying attention to the right information, information that is currently being collected by satellites orbiting our planet. Satellite monitoring is one of the many innovations to come from the burgeoning space sector, and we explore a new tool developed between the UK’s Satellite Applications Catapult and Canada’s National Research Council that will allow asset managers to turn to data produced in orbit, to protect bridges back on earth. In this episode we speak to the engineers making this possible, and their terrestrial counterparts now tasked with figuring out how best to use this new perspective. Guests Cristian Rossi, Principal Earth Observation Specialist, Satellite Applications Catapult Daniel Cusson, Senior Research Officer, Construction Research Centre of the National Research Council Canada Paul Febvre, Chief Technology Officer, Satellite Applications Catapult Andrei Popa, Senior Bridge Engineer, Atkins Anna Fitzgerald, Highways Systems Manager, Oxfordshire County Council Charlie Davies, Innovation and Research Engineer, Costain Stuart Martin, CEO, Satellite Applications Catapult Lucy Edge, Chief Operating Officer, Satellite Applications Catapult Sam Li, Senior Innovation Lead, Transport for Greater Manchester Sam Adlen, Chief Strategy Officer, Satellite Applications Catapult Partner Satellite Applications Catapult The Satellite Applications Catapult is a technology and innovation company, created to drive economic development through the exploitation of space. The Catapult is a not-for-profit organisation that works with businesses of all sizes to realise their potential from space. Resources  Combined InSAR and Terrestrial Structural Monitoring of BridgesPre-Collapse Space Geodetic Observations of Critical Infrastructure: the Morandi Bridge, ItalyHistoric assessment of Tadcaster Bridge Brigital project Funding Sources Innovate UKNational Research Council CanadaTransport CanadaInfrastructure CanadaThe post #55 Saving Structures with Satellites first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Carving out underground space for railways, roads, waterways, urban development and even fishing and farming is how some people spend their entire careers. One of those people is chair of the International Tunnelling Association Young Members Committee Keith Bannerman, who was obsessed by the industry from the moment he attended a short course in Brisbane and met “real rock star tunnellers”. These people shared their love of a vibrant industry full of opportunity, risk, and challenge. He was captivated and brings his experience working on a variety of excavations such as the Brisbane Airport Link, to help others realise their future underground. We sat down with Keith last month while he was on a visit to London to ask what got him hooked and what advice he has for others. GUEST Keith Bannerman, chair of the International Tunnelling Association Young Members committee and Senior Associate at Bamser The post #54 Keith Bannerman: A life underground first appeared on Engineering Matters.

As cases of COVID 19 explode, the World Health Organisation is urging countries around the world to learn from South Korea. Before even recording its first case  of the virus its technology industries mobilised, enabling it to test anyone with symptoms, perform extensive contact tracing and isolate those at risk – fast. This enabled the country to protect its 51 million inhabitants as early as possible. In the UK, two months after its first reported case of the virus, government is now working on contact tracing apps and increasing testing. But private companies are taking the lead. We talk to the developer of the UK’s first mobile app for COVID 19, healthcare start-up Zoe, which had 1.8million users within the first week of its launch. Working with Kings College London on the COVID 19 Symptom Tracker, we discover that this new tool in tracking coronavirus all began with a study on identical twins. GUESTS Ben Travers, Head of Intellectual Property and IT at Stephens Scown Julien Lavigne du Cadet, Vice President of Engineering, Zoe RESOURCES WHO Situation Updates Oxford University: Research into COVID 19 genealogy paper Korea’s Centre for Disease Prevention and Control daily updates Korea Central Accident Investigation Headquarters reports The post #53 Technology vs biology: fighting COVID 19 first appeared on Engineering Matters.

How a new 2.5km cable pulled railway will connect Luton Airport’s terminal to the UK rail network boosting future growth. Today rail passengers arriving at the airport must disembark from the train and finish their journey on a shuttle bus. But not for much longer. Deep sheet piles are currently being driven into the ground to set out a cut and cover tunnel that will deliver a new rail link under the airport’s existing infrastructure. These piles will cut through clay and chalk and need to resist the load of major buildings and huge aeroplanes. This calls for a massive and complex temporary support system. GUESTSDan Hobson, section manager, Volker FitzpatrickPhil Hobson, project director, KierAndy Simms, major projects manager, Groundforce ShorcoMark Whitmore, general manager for major projects, Groundforce ShorcoRichard Wildish, tunnel section agent, KierPARTNERThis episode is created in partnership with Groundforce Shorco Groundforce Shorco are market leaders in excavation support safety, providing a wide range of products from trench boxes to high end hydraulic propping solutions. With 40 years of experience its people provide first class support from initial enquiry to project completion; linked with an award-winning technical service department, Groundforce Shorco fulfils customer’s excavation solutions throughout UK, Ireland and mainland Europe. See more at: https://www.vpgroundforce.com/gb/The post #52 Tunnelling Podcast: Propping up Luton Airport’s new rail link first appeared on Engineering Matters.

The rapid and exponential spread of the new coronavirus, COVID 19 is changing the way that we live and work. First detected in December 2019 in Wuhan City, China, within three months it was a global pandemic. To keep operating through the crisis businesses turned to digital technologies to support home working. But this connectivity relied on infrastructure, from internet services to power supplies. In this episode we asked a range of sector experts from the UK’s largest infrastructure consultant Mott MacDonald how resilient infrastructure systems cope with massive labour disruption and explore lessons learned from previous disasters. Guests Judy Anderson, Global Head of Water, Mott MacDonaldMark Enzer, Chief Technical Officer, Mott MacDonaldSean Horkan, Head of Strategic Asset Management, Mott MacDonaldDavid Viner, Global Head of Climate Resilience, Mott MacDonaldHoward Watson, Chief Technical Officer, BT Openreach Partner Mott MacDonald: Opening opportunities with connected thinking. Mott MacDonald is a US$2bn engineering, management and development consultancy involved in:  solving some of the world’s most urgent social, environmental and economic challengeshelping governments and businesses plan, deliver and sustain their strategic goalsresponding to humanitarian and natural emergenciesimproving people’s lives The post #51 Covid 19: Disaster Resilient Infrastructure first appeared on Engineering Matters.

The UK has a legacy of 600,000 tonnes of nuclear waste being held in temporary storage facilities at 30 sites around the country. It is enough to fill a football stadium and despite over 60 years of generating nuclear power in the UK, we still don’t have a long-term plan for disposing of it. Scientific consensus is that deep geological burial of waste that has been contained in layer after layer of impermeable materials is the only realistic solution, but the truth is that no community in the UK is prepared to agree to a new facility being excavated beneath them. In this episode nuclear waste expert Dr Claire Corkhill of The University of Sheffield urges the UK to talk more about nuclear waste and act faster to deliver a long term solution. Watch Dr Claire Corkhill’s documentary “We Should Be Talking About Nuclear Waste” GUEST Dr Claire Corkhill, reader in nuclear materials at  The University of SheffieldThe post #50 Dealing with Nuclear Waste first appeared on Engineering Matters.

This winter a series of weather bombs detonated across the UK, overwhelming river systems and overtopping flood defences. River levels were off the charts, 4000 properties flooded, some temporary defences failed and people took to the streets in canoes. The UK is entering unchartered territory as far as flooding is concerned. Yet the threat of drought is not far away as climate change tells us that warmer temperatures and drier summers are here to stay. Facing the reality of global heating and rising sea levels means managing water differently – considering hydrological boundaries instead of administrative ones. In this episode we explore how we can manage and even capture flood water to provide resilience across the country and talk to organisations that are using these catchment level approaches to plan for the future of sustainable water resource management. GUESTS Fiona Barbour, Global Practice Leader, Water Resources and Flooding, Mott MacDonald Professor Trevor Bishop, Director, Water Resources South East Dr Aidan Foley, Principal Hydrogeologist, Mott MacDonald Rob Eastaway, Author of “Maths on the Back of an Envelope” and Founder of Maths Inspiration Professor Robert Nicholls. I’m the director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. Nancy Smith, Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Water Resources East Sally Watson, Technical Excellence Lead, Water and Environment, Mott MacDonald PARTNER Mott MacDonald: Opening opportunities with connected thinking. Mott MacDonald is a US$2bn engineering, management and development consultancy involved in:  solving some of the world’s most urgent social, environmentaland economic challenges helping governments and businesses plan, deliver andsustain their strategic goals responding to humanitarian and natural emergencies improving people’s lives Its expertise by sector includes buildings, communications, defence, education, environment, health, industry, mining, oil and gas, power, transport, urban development, water, wastewater and more. Its skills encompass planning, studies and design, project finance, technical advisory services, project and programme management, management consultancy and beyondThe post #49 Uncharted waters: Flooding and drought first appeared on Engineering Matters.

How nematode worms, 3D printing and drones could revolutionise our approach to maintaining road surfaces. According to the RAC we are 1.5 times more likely to hit a pothole today than we were over a decade ago and winter is peak pothole time. In the cold months the UK’s road surfaces weather the impact of freezing conditions and the subsequent ground movement from thawing ice that goes on to create cracks and damage. With the average road being resurfaced only once every 67 years, preventing potholes before they can form is critical and a new research project at Leeds University is using new technologies to do just that. GUESTS Mike Harper – Chief Executive of RSTARod Dennis – Spokesperson for RAC BreakdownJustin Ward – Senior Policy Officer for CIHTProf. Phil Purnell – Professor of Materials and Structures at the School of Civil Engineering in the University of Leeds SUPPORTER This episode is supported by Bricsys Attention Computer Aided Design software users! Are you tired of expensive subscriptions and constantly increasing prices? There is an alternative to high subscription pricing. It’s called BricsCAD®. It’s innovative, fast, and native DWG. It’s totally compatible with what you know and it’s available in a permanent, lifetime license. If you know AutoCAD® you know BricsCAD®. Try it for free for 30 days here and at Bricsys.com, then buy a lifetime license for less.The post #48 Paving the way in pothole prevention first appeared on Engineering Matters.

An update on our Drones episode from January 2019 where we learn about new uses for unmanned aerial vehicles, and celebrate being shortlisted for three awards in the Publisher Podcast Awards held in London in March 2020. No-one knows how many penguins are in the Antarctic, and last year we discovered that thanks to the use of drones this is set to change, as scientists are using these unmanned aerial vehicles to fly over colonies of Chinstrap, Adelie and Gentoos. One year on it is not just penguins that are being studied, whales are too, and scientific surveys like this are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the use of drones in the future. Goldman Sachs predicts that drones in construction alone are worth $11bn and we examine how major asset owners are taking to the skies to maintain, operate and construct. GUESTS Norman Ratcliffe, British Antarctic Survey Dave Cummins, IRIS Group Aero Nicky Mather, Northumbrian Water Oliver Viney, Atlantic Geomatics and The Survey Association Grahame Grover, UAVE LimitedThe post #47 Breathalysing Whales: Drones Revisited first appeared on Engineering Matters.

A tremendous change occurred with the industrial revolution: whereas it had taken all of human history until around 1800 for world population to reach one billion, the second billion was achieved in only 130 years in 1930, the third billion in 30 years in 1960, the fourth billion in 15 years in 1974, and the fifth billion in only 13 years 1987. Growth rate hovers at a little over one per cent each year. Meaning every year there are around 80 million additional people needing a place to live, food to eat, warmth, clean water, sanitation, a place to study a place to work and the means to get to get around. Metro stations are the heart of their urban space, affecting the community, manipulating house prices, and acting as a gateway to the rest of the world. If a metro station is unable to meet the demands of a local area, that community suffers, the economy suffers. In this episode we visit Tottenham Court Road station to see how it is upgrading to meet growing demand and to improve the experience and well being of its users. GUESTSMartyn Noak, head of discipline for tunnels at JacobsWill Squires, digital lead for cities and development Atkins The post #46 Metro stations: The gateway to the city first appeared on Engineering Matters.

How new technology is supporting the UK’s offshore wind industry to bring down costs and accelerate construction. From new methods for drilling into the seabed, to advanced foundation design models and improved data capture, innovation is critical for this fast-growing market. But it won’t be easy. Deeper waters and variable ground conditions make these some of the most difficult construction projects in the world. At the same time offshore wind growth targets are enormous, and the waters where the new turbines will live are getting further offshore making them more vulnerable to ocean weather systems. As the country seeks to more than quadruple its installed capacity over the next decade, it faces an enormous challenge to maintain its position as world leader, especially as other markets are now seeking to harness offshore wind energy. Guests Chris Armstrong, Drilling and Template Lead, SaipemDenys Borel, Commercial Manager Marine, Fugro in FranceAlana Horton, Head of Geotechnical Laboratory, FugroInés Martín Grandes, Tender Coordinator, Fugro NorwayPeter Richards, Chief Engineer, FugroJulia Roope, Global Business Development Manager, Offshore Wind, FugroScott Whyte, Geotechnical Engineer, FugroFrank Wong, Transport and Installation Manager, Saipem Partner This episode is produced in partnership with Fugro 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 #45 Offshore Wind, Part 2 : Foundations for the Future first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Over the past two decades the UK has become the world’s leading offshore wind energy producer. Not only is it responsible for 40% of all offshore wind generated electricity, it is set to quadruple the installed capacity by 2030. Its journey to becoming a world leader began in 2000 with construction of just two Vestas V66 turbines, at a site off the coast of Blyth in Northumbria. In the first of a two part episode we go back to those turbines and to a time where a crane driver called Bobby Hazel was called in to lift in these towers into position – something that no operator in the UK had done before. And last year when Fugro began decommissioning these pioneering structures for RWE Renewables, Bobby returned to the North Sea to take them down. GUESTS Bahzad Ayoub, Senior Analyst, Renewable UK Bobby Hazel, Crane Operator, Fugro Tony Hodgson, Regional Strategic Sales Director, Europe and Africa, Fugro Patrick Rainey, Offshore Logistics Manager, RWE Renewables Tony Stevens, Project Manager, Blyth Decommissioning, Fugro PARTNER: This episode is made in partnership with Fugro 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 #44 Offshore Wind, Part 1: Becoming a World Leader first appeared on Engineering Matters.

From new immersive technologies to life saving applications, virtual reality is finally meeting up to expectations of the 1990s and transforming the way that projects are designed. Its ability to improve visualisation of new and existing infrastructure is bringing many benefits, including some that users hadn’t anticipated as well as saving millions of pounds in prevention of expensive construction re-work. As VR takes off we talk to the pioneers who are proving that immersion in digital infrastructure is not a future technology but part of the new normal when it comes to the built environment. And as infrastructure is increasingly digitised, it offers a way through the looking glass into the world of the digital twin. GUESTSMoritz Luck, CEO of EnscapeSimon Evans, Director of Digital Engineering for Atkins. Scott Grant, CEO of Soluis Group. Tony Palmer, Digital Asset Creation Project + VR Lead for Anglian Water. Mark Hedges, Digital Strategy Manager for Anglian Water.David Hartley, Media Officer for Anglian Water.Brian Jenkins, Sales Manager for IRIS VR. PARTNERThis episode is produced in part, in partnership with Enscape. In seconds, Enscape transforms your CAD data into a dynamic 3D model, navigable in real-time and in VR, allowing you to instantly communicate your design intent to your client. Enscape links to your CAD program, so you can experience every change you make, the moment you make it.The post #43 Virtual Reality: transforming design first appeared on Engineering Matters.

This week we are bringing you an episode of our newly launched Tunnelling Podcast, made in partnership with the British Tunnelling Society.In March 1999, the Mont Blanc tunnel fire claimed the lives of 38 tunnel users and one fire fighter. For decades debate has raged over the best approach to tackling a fire, saving life and the asset. Tunnel fires are a regular and unavoidable feature of road tunnel operation. Now, two decades since the Mont Blanc fire the rules for road tunnel design are going through a fundamental change. As our understanding of fire behaviour and the available technologies advances, so too are the rules. Learning from the major fire incidents, tunnel designers will now need to take a new approach to fire safety. GUESTSRicky Carvel, Senior Lecturer in fire dynamics at the University of Edinburgh School of Engineering and co-editor of the Handbook of Tunnel Fire Safety. Dave Harold, Fire Safety Consultant for London Bridge AssociatesPaul Sparrow, Head of Tunnel Unit, Promat SUPPORTER Support for this episode comes from Promat As the world’s leading passive fire protection solution provider, Promat and its legendary R&D programmes are widely recognised and even accepted as industry benchmarks. Indeed, six decades of accumulated, published and always available test data are just a few of the factors behind Promat’s recognition as a global leader in fire science technologies and the protection of tunnel infrastructure. Offering both board and spray applied “Fix and Forget” solutions that have been installed in over 300 tunnels globally. For further information about our range of products and services including in house QRA CBA and FEM capabilities please visit us at www.promat-tunnel.comThe post #42 Surviving a tunnel fire first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Last year the UK set a legally binding target to become carbon neutral by 2050, ahead of any other major global economy. In doing so it took the first ambitious steps on a massively difficult path, and the road to net zero requires a total overhaul of how infrastructure is designed, delivered and managed. In this episode we explore the journey that organisations are taking to reduce their emissions from switching to renewable energy, planting millions of trees, cutting down their operational carbon and forcing more action from supply chains. This action can’t come too soon as the window for limiting human impact on the planet closes daily – something that is increasingly acknowledged around the world as flooding and fires wreak devastation. Recorded at the Mott MacDonald Carbon Crunch event in London Guests Claire Brightley, Carbon Management Lead at Yorkshire Water Adam Crossley, Director of Environment, Skanska Mark Crouch, Carbon Management Lead, Mott MacDonald Mark Edwards, Environment Manager, Heathrow Airport Dr Jannick Giesekam, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds Andrew Hall, Aviva Investors Infrastructure Debt team Jenny Hill, Team Leader for Buildings and International Action, Committee on Climate Change Episode Partner Mott MacDonald: Opening opportunities with connected thinking. Learn more about how to get to net zero here: Achieving net zero: the investor angle Read about the UK’s first standard for low carbon design PAS 2080 here Mott MacDonald is a US$2bn engineering, management and development consultancy involved in:  solving some of the world’s most urgent social, environmental and economic challengeshelping governments and businesses plan, deliver and sustain their strategic goalsresponding to humanitarian and natural emergenciesimproving people’s lives  Its expertise by sector includes buildings, communications, defence, education, environment, health, industry, mining, oil and gas, power, transport, urban development, water, wastewater and more. Its skills encompass planning, studies and design, project finance, technical advisory services, project and programme management, management consultancy and beyond Additional resources Skanska Net Zero 2045 report Heathrow’s Expansion planThe post #41 Crunch Time for Net Zero first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Becoming a Role Model: Ying Wan Loh From rotary drilling on Mars to hybrid-electric aviation and the expansive global supply chains of the aeronautical industry, we explore the engineering life of Ying Wan Loh. In 2019 Ying became the Institution of Engineering and Technology Young Woman Engineer of the Year, a title given to astronaut in the making Sophie Harker in 2018. Growing up as one of four siblings in Penang in Malaysia, Ying grew frustrated with the Hollywood version of female leaders – princesses who waited to be saved by male heroes. Instead she found her own role models, from Star Wars protagonist Rey Skywalker to the real life first female president of the Royal Aeronautical Society Jenny Body. Today Ying’s ambition is to become a leader herself and she calls on everyone to talk more about great female scientists and engineers. “Let’s not stop at 12% women in engineering.” Guest Ying Wan Loh, Manufacturing Team Leader, Rolls Royce and winner of the IET YWE2019 Partner The Institution of Engineering and Technology The IET 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 IET works to build the profile of engineering and technology to change outdated perceptions and tackle the skills gap.The post #40 Becoming a Role Model: Ying Wan Loh first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Heathrow has announced an ambitious expansion plan that will add a third runway and take the airport to cope with growing demand up until 2050. It calls for massive development of its infrastructure to cope with growing passenger numbers and it takes an innovative approach to its supply chain, looking to distribute the economic benefits of its expansion across the UK.In this episode, we are joined again by leading construction industry journalist Antony Oliver interviewing Jon Kerbey, Digital Director at Heathrow Airport, to discuss Heathrow Airports’ implementation of the digital twin, as part of that expansion.From episode 31 we already know that there is a national push lead by the Center for Digital Built Britain to create a national digital twin, that will be made up of a network of twins of the UK’s infrastructure assets. Major asset owners such as Heathrow are spearheading this country’s digital development; and so, have the potential to set out a roadmap for others to follow.GuestsJon Kerbey, Digital Director at HeathrowSpecial thanks to guest interviewer Infrastructure Journalist Antony OliverPartnerThis episode was created in partnership with Bentley SystemsThe post #39 Heathrow: Leading the digital charge first appeared on Engineering Matters.

What do the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Ipswich Barrier and Heathrow Airport have in common? None of them could have been realised without a complex network of supporting infrastructure built before the main structures themselves were erected. Known as the temporary works this vital and often complex system of scaffolding, excavation support, propping elements and façade retention is often overlooked. But without it, buildings and infrastructure could not be constructed. In this episode we delve into the world of the projects before the projects and find out more about the unsung heroes of the construction process. Recorded at the Temporary Works Forum  ten year anniversary seminar at the Institution of Civil Engineers, London Guests Mark Babin, Principal Engineer, Tony Gee and Partners Tony Gould, Technical Director, Groundforce Shorco Steve Hesketh, Engineering Director of MGF Trench Construction Systems Tim Lohmann, Chairman, Temporary Works Forum Allan Mann, Consultant Andrew McNamara, Director of the Centre of Excellence in Temporary Works and Construction Method Engineering, City University London. Steve Prower, Technical Representative, National Access and Scaffolding Confederation Duncan Reid, Digital Construction Manager at Trimble Supporters MGF Excavation Safety Solutions MGF’s primary focus is the provision of a fully engineered solution. We combine technical expertise and operational performance to ensure the highest levels of customer service. MGF are there at the start to provide solutions with their wide range of products. Our network of 11 depots and in-house transport fleet of over 65 vehicles gives us the flexibility to meet our customer’s needs. Our engineering team also provide a comprehensive temporary works design service in support of the hire and sale of our products.See more at: https://www.mgf.ltd.uk/ Groundforce Shorco Groundforce Shorco are market leaders in excavation support safety, providing a wide range of products from trench boxes to high end hydraulic propping solutions. With 40 years of experience its people provide first class support from initial enquiry to project completion; linked with an award-winning technical service department, Groundforce Shorco fulfils customer’s excavation solutions throughout UK, Ireland and mainland Europe. See more at: https://www.vpgroundforce.com/gb/The post #38 Temporary Heroes: Construction’s Unseen Infrastructure first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Historically, the nation’s productivity has improved with economic growth, but since the global financial crisis and despite the UK’s recovery, productivity has flatlined. The Office for National Statistics calls this “The productivity puzzle” and for construction the situation is even worse. Productivity has floundered since the 1990s. But as big data continues to drive the fourth industrial revolution, construction is now taking much needed steps forward. Solving the productivity puzzle then requires digital transformation, collaboration, new business models, and better training and development. In this episode consultant Atkins brought contractors, asset owners, academics and other professionals together to explore how transformation in the sector should move forward. This episode was created in partnership with consultant Atkins, recorded at the Transforming the Consultancy Sector event in London Guests Andrew Dodsworth, Programme Director, Balfour Beatty Simon Evans, Digital Director, Atkins Neil Robertson, Chief Executive, National Skills Academy for Rail Richard Robinson, Chief Executive, UK and Europe, Atkins Natalie Pattison, Graduate Engineer, Atkins Joel Shevlin, Apprentice Transport Planner, Atkins Lizi Stewart, Managing Director, Transportation, Atkins Neil Thompson, Digital Construction Director, Atkins Nick Tune, Digital Construction Director, Atkins Lesley Waud, Design Development Director, Atkins Supporter: Atkins Atkins 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 #37 Solving the Productivity Puzzle first appeared on Engineering Matters.

How a calculator is helping countries around the world to lower their greenhouse gas emissions and create more sustainable energy systems. When Professor David MacKay of Cambridge University wrote a book about sustainable energy in 2009, he could not have realised that this groundbreaking text would go on to form the basis for a calculator that could save the world from climate catastrophe. By investigating the true impact of energy demand and supply on carbon emissions he provided much needed transparency on the link between energy and the climate. Today his calculator has spread throughout the world from the UK across Europe, through Asia all the way to Australia – and take up is increasing.  This episode was made at the 2050 Global Calculator Conference, Windsor, UK Try out the 2050 Calculator here Guests Laura Aylett, Programme Manager 2050 Calculator, Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Sam Friggens, Senior Consultant Energy Strategy and Innovation, Mott MacDonald Quoc Khanh, Senior Energy Consultant, 2050 Calculator, Vietnam Jenny McInnes, Deputy Director for Partnerships & Capability, BEIS Koen Meeus, Climate Change Section, DG Environment, Belgium Madeleine Rawlins, Programme Leader 2050 Calculator, Mott MacDonald Anna Stephenson, Senior Energy Advisor, DFID Hoang Van Tam, Deputy Head, Office for Climate Change and Green Growth, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Vietnam Professor Yufeng Yang, Asian Development Bank/Imperial College Supporter: Mott MacDonald: Opening opportunities with connected thinking. Mott MacDonald is a US$2bn engineering, management and development consultancy involved in:  solving some of the world’s most urgent social, environmental and economic challengeshelping governments and businesses plan, deliver and sustain their strategic goalsresponding to humanitarian and natural emergenciesimproving people’s lives  Its expertise by sector includes buildings, communications, defence, education, environment, health, industry, mining, oil and gas, power, transport, urban development, water, wastewater and more. Its skills encompass planning, studies and design, project finance, technical advisory services, project and programme management, management consultancy and beyond. The post #36 The Calculator that Could Save the World first appeared on Engineering Matters.

As Quantum computing becomes a 21st century reality, Professor Sir Peter Knight explains why controlling the register of quantum bits that make up a quantum processor is so difficult, and explains how the journey to quantum computing is creating new technologies that no one could ever have predicted……. Peter’s life in quantum physics began in the 1970s at the University of Sussex and in this episode he takes Engineering Matters on a journey through quantum discoveries; from understanding quantum optics and entanglement to atomic clocks, quantum cryptography and the quantum underground. Today he leads the UK’s pioneering £1bn National Quantum Technologies Programme from the tranquil grandeur of Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire. Episode partner: The Institution of Engineering and Technology The IET 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 IET works to build the profile of engineering and technology to change outdated perceptions and tackle the skills gap. Guest Professor Sir Peter Knight FRS Supporter Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine – the leading source on industrial 3D printing Support for this episode comes from Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine. Is there too much hype around 3D printing? Is additive manufacturing truly the next industrial revolution? Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine has over the last five years reported on the rapid industrialisation of this industry, which today is making inroads in many areas of industrial production, from aerospace engines and gas turbines to bicycle components and simple fixtures and fittings. To discover the diverse processes, applications and opportunities presented by the technology, download the latest issue of Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine at metal-am.com or search for the app on your iOS or Android device. Metal AM gives you the information to make your own mind up.The post #35 The Quantum Enabler: Professor Sir Peter Knight first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Noorullah Kuchai 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. Episode partner is 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 Partner Mott MacDonald: Opening opportunities with connected thinking. Mott MacDonald is a US$2bn engineering, management and development consultancy involved in:  solving some of the world’s most urgent social, environmental and economic challengeshelping governments and businesses plan, deliver and sustain their strategic goalsresponding to humanitarian and natural emergenciesimproving people’s lives  Its expertise by sector includes buildings, communications, defence, education, environment, health, industry, mining, oil and gas, power, transport, urban development, water, wastewater and more. Its skills encompass planning, studies and design, project finance, technical advisory services, project and programme management, management consultancy and beyond.The post #34 Crisis Shelter for Mass Displacement first appeared on Engineering Matters.

World leading smart robotics, industry disrupting technologies and the next generation of augmented reality are just some of the advances in action at Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre’s Factory 2050. Launched in December 2015, Factory 2050 was set up as a reconfigurable glass walled factory of the future, and since then it has helped businesses across the country benefit from the next industrial revolution – industry 4.0.  These include a small renewable cooling business Solar-Polar which needed to move from prototyping to manufacturing. The results were so exciting that the Peterborough based SME is seeking to become “The Uber of Cooling” creating a network of electricity free cooling devices that could revolutionise agriculture, air conditioning and medicine in developing countries. At the other end of the scale, aerospace giant BAE Systems has worked with Factory of the Future on combining human activity with robotic automation, bringing cobotics into their facilities. Engineering Matters goes inside Factory 2050. GUESTS Chris Greaves, Head of Integrated Manufacturing Group, AMRC Michael Reid, Engineering Director, Solar PolarThe post #33 Future Factories: Driving forward industry 4.0 first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Had its use as a gigantic 300m high radio antenna not been recognised in the early 1900s the magnificent Eiffel Tower, would have been pulled down and destroyed. Under its original contract as the wrought iron gateway to the 1889 Paris World Fair, it was only to stand for 20 years. But its creator, engineer Gustave Eiffel, had other ideas. In the same way that Eiffel initially convinced politicians to support this dazzling demonstration of France’s industrial power, he persuaded them to keep it as a scientific laboratory, leading to new knowledge of wind engineering and meteorology. But the story of the tower, which inspired both love and hatred in the late 1800s, is one of extremes, just like the life of its creator. From being the most revered engineer in the world, when the tower opened and even bore his name, Eiffel found himself mired in accusations of corruption and was sentenced to jail. As “La Dam de Fer”, celebrates its 130 year anniversary we explore the highs and lows of one of the world’s most famous structures. GUESTS Paul Bell, Institution of Structural Engineers History Study Group Bertrand Lemoine, architect, engineer and historian, and author of The Eiffel Tower: The Three Hundred Metre Tower Ender Ozkan, Vice President Europe, RWDI Professor Andrew Saint,Institution of Structural Engineers History Study GroupThe post #32 The untold story of Eiffel and his Tower first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Back in December 2017 the UK’s National Infrastructure Commission set the UK a huge challenge: to create a digital model of our national infrastructure. Known as a National Digital Twin this engineering feat requires secure sharing of high-quality standardised data between infrastructure owners and operators, making operations more efficient and resilient. A new task force was set up to lead this massive digitisation programme and in this episode its chair Mark Enzer sets out the plan for creating this amazing interconnected system of systems and explains how it will boost infrastructure performance, reduce risk and improve lives. Recorded at the Bentley Twin Talks in London Guests Mark Enzer, chair, Digital Framework Task Group and Chief Technical Officer, Mott MacDonald Miranda Sharp, Innovation Director, Ordnance Survey Dr Anne Kemp OBE, Chair, UK BIM Forum and Technical Director, Atkins Greg Bentley, Chief Executive Officer, Bentley Systems Catriona Cantwell, Senior Project Manager, Landsec Brian MacKay, Senior Programme Manager, Costain Peter Vale, Engineering Information Manager, Tideway Special thanks to guest interviewer Infrastructure Journalist Antony Oliver Supporter Bentley Systems If you want to hear more from Mark Enzer he will be speaking at the Bentley Year in Infrastructure Event in Singapore from the 21st to the 24th October. Or to become part of the UK digital twin talks network contact Bentley Industry Marketing Director Mark Coates on [email protected] The post #31 Creating a National Digital Twin first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Chloe is 16 and interested in an engineering career. She is also the daughter of Philip Hoare, President of engineering consultant Atkins. To find out more she digs deep into her Dad’s engineering life story by interviewing him about the projects that have shaped his career. From harrowing tragedy on a bridge project to world firsts in underground construction and his love of railways, she explores how her Dad came to lead a business of 18,000 people and grills him on crucial issues facing engineering in the UK today from HS2 and digital transition to gender diversity. But it is not just Chloe who learns something. In this insightful interview Chloe explains how it feels to be the only girl taking A Level Physics and makes some important suggestions for how companies like Atkins can encourage more young women into engineering. Interviewer: Chloe Hoare Guest: Philip Hoare, President of AtkinsThe post #30 Interviewing Dad: Atkins President Philip Hoare first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Growing up in a tiny village in rural Scotland, regular power cuts would leave Lorna Bennet and her family without electricity for days on end. Determined to become self-sufficient Lorna set about learning how to create sustainable energy, from designing water wheels to working on tidal power arrays and testing the world’s largest offshore wind turbine blades. Becoming a mechanical engineer has enabled Lorna to push the boundaries of renewable energy technology but working on world firsts is not easy and has meant overcoming challenges that come with innovation, including the collapse of the burgeoning wave power industry. But setbacks like this have also given Lorna invaluable experience which she uses today at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, designing and testing innovations that are changing the world and helping achieve net zero emissions by 2050. GUEST Lorna Bennet, mechanical engineer, ORE Catapult IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year WES Prize Winner 2018 SUPPORTER This episode is supported by Bricsys Attention Computer Aided Design software users! Are you tired of expensive subscriptions and constantly increasing prices? There is an alternative to high subscription pricing. It’s called BricsCAD®. It’s innovative, fast, and native DWG. It’s totally compatible with what you know and it’s available in a permanent, lifetime license. If you know AutoCAD® you know BricsCAD®. Try it for free for 30 days here and at Bricsys.com, then buy a lifetime license for less. RESOURCES Watch the world’s longest turbine blade manufactured by LM Wind Power, being transported to the ORE Catapult testing facility at Blythe hereLearn more about the Shetland Tidal ArrayThe post #29 Innovations in Renewable Energy: Lorna Bennet first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Habitat for the UK’s Great Yellow Bumblebee has declined 80 percent over the last century thanks to the loss of the flower rich meadows that sustain them. They now only persist in the North of Scotland, so when Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks planned a new substation in the Highlands, preserving the habitat of the bumblebee was a crucial part of the design process. For SSE this was part of a wider strategy to ensure that every project they build has a net improvement on biodiversity. And soon all projects in England will have to do the same as the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs has announced sweeping changes to new developments mandating the requirement for biodiversity net gain on all new projects. Guests Dr Julia Baker, Author, Biodiversity Net Gain: Good Practice Principals for DevelopmentTom Butterworth, Technical Director for Biodiversity, WSP Caroline Maghanga, Senior Ecologist, Mott MacDonaldThe post #28 Building for Biodiversity first appeared on Engineering Matters.

After 844 trial tests, and setting his own street on fire, founder of Scottish start-up MacRebur Toby McCartney finally hit on a viable solution for repairing potholes. His idea sought to resurface roads using recycled plastics, and the result is a form of polymer modification of asphalt that uses a mixture of waste plastics and additives to create an alternative to bitumen. Bitumen is the sticky, fossil fuel derived substance that binds together the aggregates that surface our roads, and although Toby’s new business can’t eliminate it, it can replace a proportion of it, lowering the road’s carbon footprint and finding a practical use for waste plastics that are polluting our planet. According to MacRebur this could be the start of a new type of circular economy with local councils using local plastic waste to pave their highways. Department for Transport trials are underway to assess the long-term performance of the new recycled plastic roads. GUESTS Toby McCartney, Founder and CEO, MacRebur Gordon Reid, Operations Director, MacRebur Dr Greg White, Director Airport Pavement Research Programme, University of the Sunshine Coast, AustraliaThe post #27 Recycling Plastic into Roads first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Placing the United Nations’ sustainable development goals at the heart of projects can regenerate UK communities. From a new 4km road link that saved a former mining community in Yorkshire, to a coastal replenishment scheme that brought new opportunity to Colwyn Bay in North Wales, we hear how incorporating the sustainable development goals is changing lives for the better. Embracing the SDGs means doing things differently. It means looking at local needs in a new way and asking what more can projects do to enhance environment and improve opportunities for all. Crucially this must happen now. The UK and 192 other nations have pledged to ensure that the SDGs are met by 2030. But our first ever national review of UK progress on these global goals shows that we have a long way to go if the UK is going to enable all people, from all backgrounds to fulfil their potential and live rewarding lives in a healthy environment. This episode was produced in partnership with Mott MacDonald. Photo credit: Rossington Parish Council GUESTS Nathan Baker, director of engineering knowledge, ICE Lord John Bird, Founder, The Big IssueJohn Cooke, Parish Councillor, Rossington Parish CouncilSimon Dawes, Head of Sustainable Business, The Environment AgencyNeil Firth, Head of Service for Major Projects and Infrastructure, Doncaster CouncilKen Guest, Chair, Rossington Parish CouncilJohn Huddleston, Communications & Corporate Affairs Director, Doncaster Sheffield AirportNigel Morley, Project Manager, Mott MacDonaldTaffy Osborne, Managing Director, Colwyn Bay WatersportsBenjamin Poulton, Project Manager, Colwyn Bay Waterfront Project, Colwyn CouncilDavide Stronati, Global Sustainability Leader, Mott MacDonaldIan Tuckett, Chief Executive, Coin Street Community Builders SUPPORTER Mott MacDonald: Opening opportunities with connected thinking. Mott MacDonald is a US$2bn engineering, management and development consultancy involved in:  solving some of the world’s most urgent social, environmental and economic challengeshelping governments and businesses plan, deliver and sustain their strategic goalsresponding to humanitarian and natural emergenciesimproving people’s lives  Its expertise by sector includes buildings, communications, defence, education, environment, health, industry, mining, oil and gas, power, transport, urban development, water, wastewater and more. Its skills encompass planning, studies and design, project finance, technical advisory services, project and programme management, management consultancy and beyond.The post #26 Saving Rossington first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Underneath cities all over the UK subterranean mountains of calcified fat are gathering in our sewers as fat, oil and grease stick to baby wipes and harden to form a blubbery bacterial blockage. Removing them is dangerous, manual work, putting people and the infrastructure itself at risk. In this episode we venture to the site of Europe’s biggest fatberg in Blackfriars, London with Lanes Group special projects manager Andy Howard, who explains that removing a fatberg is not necessarily the end of the story. Unless people change their habits, fatbergs will come back. At Whitechapel, in east London they have already witnessed the return of the fatberg. Hear Andy describe in detail how fatbergs are hacked, drilled and dug out as well as describe a new phenomenon plaguing the sewers – concretebergs. GUEST Andy Howard, special projects manager, Lanes Group A new report from Lanes shows that public awareness of fatbergs is increasing with 77 percent of people knowing what they. However 85 percent of people had never heard of concretebergs! Full survey here. SPECIAL THANKS Lanes Group Thames Water Water UKThe post #25 Return of the Fatbergs first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Could the lightest element in the periodic table be the answer to the world’s most weighty challenge of decarbonising energy? Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the Universe and the most energy dense. Burning it creates clean electricity and heat without generating carbon emissions, but to utilise it, first it must be released from the organic materials or water that host it. So how do we capture its potential to create clean energy systems of the future in a cost-effective way? In this episode we are working with consultant Mott MacDonald to explore the possibilities for hydrogen as an energy carrier, an electricity and heat source and as a long-term option for back-up power storage. We find out how stranded renewables could lead to cheap green hydrogen and explore the challenges around cost, safety and the need for leadership on hydrogen energy policy in the UK. GUESTS Ian Clarke, Global Sector Leader Energy, Mott MacDonald Chris De Beer, Energy Storage Specialist, Mott MacDonald Arnaud De Lhoneux, Business Developent Manager renewable Hydrogen, Hydrogenics Guy Doyle, Energy Economist, Mott MacDonald Stuart Gregg, Innovation Manager, National Grid Jonny Goldstone, Founder and Managing Director, Green Tomato Cars Zeynep Kurban, hydrogen consultant, International Energy Agency Andy Lewis, Innovation Project Manager, Cadent Faiez Sallie, Oil and Gas Practice Leader, Mott MacDonald Chris Stark, Chief Executive, Committee on Climate Change SUPPORTER Mott MacDonald Opening opportunities with connected thinking. Mott MacDonald is a US$2bn engineering, management and development consultancy involved in:  solving some of the world’s most urgent social, environmental and economic challenges helping governments and businesses plan, deliver and sustain their strategic goals responding to humanitarian and natural emergencies improving people’s lives  Its expertise by sector includes buildings, communications, defence, education, environment, health, industry, mining, oil and gas, power, transport, urban development, water, wastewater and more. Its skills encompass planning, studies and design, project finance, technical advisory services, project and programme management, management consultancy and beyond.The post #24 Unleash the Hydrogen Potential first appeared on Engineering Matters.

It was a meeting with the first Briton in space, Dr Helen Sharman, that changed the course of Sophie Harker’s life forever. A maths student at The University of Nottingham, she took this advice seriously and went on to become an aerodynamics and performance engineer at BAE Systems. Although she is yet to leave planet earth, Sophie has been working on designs for a revolutionary new aircraft designed to take off from a runway and enter space in a single stage. Project such as this are just part of the story, and Sophie is working hard to ensure that when the European Space Agency put out their next call for astronauts, she is ready, and with thousands of applicants for every seat, competition will be fierce. GUEST: Sophie Harker, aerodynamics and performance engineer, BAE Systems and The IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2018The post #23 Becoming an astronaut: Sophie Harker first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Since 1913 the world’s most famous flower show has been held every Spring in Chelsea in London. This year among the electric blue Persian Slippers, the white and yellow Anthemis Punctata, and the eye catching, deep pink Digitalis Illumination series of Chris Beardshaw’s Morgan Stanley Garden, there is a focus on creating beautiful gardens with a lighter environmental footprint. To achieve this they rejected diesel fuelled excavators and turned to a battery powered machine, Volvo Construction Equipment’s ECR25 Electric, to prepare the site. Low noise, no emissions and zero fossil fuel means a smaller carbon footprint and better air quality. It is little wonder then that cities all over the world are demanding cleaner construction solutions as they strive to contribute to reducing national carbon emissions and lower the rate of global temperature rise. In Oslo for example, the Municipality has demanded zero carbon on all of its new construction sites. This means a range of new solutions are needed including electric construction equipment, and manufacturers are investing to meet emerging demand. GUESTS Ahcène Nedjimi, Electromobility Specialist, Volvo Construction Equipment Julie Furber, Head of Electric Power, Cummins Romeo Thomassen, Omsorgsbygg Anreas Walnum, PON Equipment Norway SUPPORTER 3D Hubs 3D Hubs makes manufacturing of high precision custom parts easy and cost-effective. 3D Hubs’ online platform provides readily available production capacity for the fastest lead times and most price-competitive parts. Simply upload designs to receive instant quotes. 3D Hubs’ automated Design for Manufacturing (DFM) analysis detects any potential issues before production begins, eliminating risk and accelerating the manufacturing process for engineers. Founded in 2013, 3D Hubs has produced more than 2,000,000 parts, serving engineering companies of all sizes. To get an instant quote for your parts, go to 3dhubs.com.  Interviews in Oslo were recorded at the Nordic EV Summit organised by the Norwegian Electric Vehicle AssociationThe post #22 Electric Excavators: Cities cut carbon in construction first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Norwegian airline Widerøe needs a new fleet of planes to serve its regional passenger base. But it doesn’t want to buy conventional aircraft. It wants a zero emission fleet to undertake its 450 flights per day, and move 2.8 million passengers per year. But so far, no electric planes have been certified for commercial flight and Widerøe is calling on the industry to step up its efforts and deliver aircraft with electric propulsion systems. In fact Norway has set a target to electrify all of its aircraft by 2040 and the European Union has committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 75 percent by 2050. The race is on for the aviation sector to deliver. But it won’t be easy. Chief executive of VoltAero, the French developer of an advanced 9 seater hybrid electric plane called Cassio explains in this episode, the technical challenges are surmountable. But certification from safety regulators will take time. Episode recorded at the Nordic EV Summit organised by the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association. FEATURING Stein Nilson, chief operating officer, Widerøe Dr Jean Botti, chief executive, VoltAero Neil Swanson, director, EVA Scotland SUPPORTERS This episode is supported by 3D Hubs 3D Hubs makes manufacturing of high precision custom parts easy and cost-effective. 3D Hubs’ online platform provides readily available production capacity for the fastest lead times and most price-competitive parts. Simply upload designs to receive instant quotes. 3D Hubs’ automated Design for Manufacturing (DFM) analysis detects any potential issues before production begins, eliminating risk and accelerating the manufacturing process for engineers. Founded in 2013, 3D Hubs has produced more than 2,000,000 parts, serving engineering companies of all sizes. To get an instant quote for your parts, go to 3dhubs.comThe post #21 Electric Aviation: Meeting demand for low emission flight first appeared on Engineering Matters.

How did Norway become the world’s most successful electric vehicle market? Last month almost 80 percent of all new cars sold in Oslo were EVs and across the entire country it was 58 percent. Even more remarkable is that the soaring popularity of EVs is despite the lower operating efficiency that batteries achieve in cold climates. This in turn exacerbates the biggest challenge facing the manufacturers and policy makers who are seeking to convince vehicle owners to shift away from thermal power: range anxiety. So what is Norway’s secret to overcoming the challenges as decarbonising transport and what can other countries learn from the land of the midnight sun? Find out in this episode of Engineering Matters. Created at the Nordic EV Summit, organised by the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association FEATURING Ola Elvestuen, Minister of Climate and Environment, Norway Lan Marie Berg, Vice Mayor for Environment and Transport, The City of Oslo Erik Lorenzten, Head of Analysis and Consulting, Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association Manuel Fernandez, Senior Vice President of Operations Europe, Tritium. Steven Dorresteijn, Sales Manager Europe EV Charging Infrastructure, ABB Pedro Dominguez, Director, EFACEC Electric Mobility Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General, Amnesty International SUPPORTERS This episode is supported by 3D Hubs 3D Hubs makes manufacturing of high precision custom parts easy and cost-effective. 3D Hubs’ online platform provides readily available production capacity for the fastest lead times and most price-competitive parts. Simply upload designs to receive instant quotes. 3D Hubs’ automated Design for Manufacturing (DFM) analysis detects any potential issues before production begins, eliminating risk and accelerating the manufacturing process for engineers. Founded in 2013, 3D Hubs has produced more than 2,000,000 parts, serving engineering companies of all sizes. To get an instant quote for your parts, go to 3dhubs.comThe post #20 Electric Vehicles: Lessons from world leading Norway first appeared on Engineering Matters.

From additive manufacturing in space, to 3D printing customised pharmaceuticals and non-planar electronics, the next revolution in 3D printing is already underway. In this episode we head to the International Space Station and interview the engineer behind a world first in 3D printing, “The Refabricator”. This 3D printer that can not only print plastic in space, but can recycle it too offering massive potential for future treatment of plastics on earth. We also consider how additive manufacturing is making the move from being a prototyping technology to becoming a complementary technique in the production chain and look at how newer methods like material jetting could prove disruptive in pharmaceuticals and electronics. According to online manufacturing platform 3D Hubs, today’s additive manufacturing market is a $10bn industry and it is growing by an incredible 24% every year as adoption increases and new technical innovations in methods and materials emerge. Back in 1986 when Chuck Hull filed the first patent for his stereolithography apparatus, he could not have predicted that the industry would evolve from his SLA machine that could print photo responsive plastic in thin layers, building components by their cross section and curing them with ultra violet light, to printing metals, ceramics and even organic materials. Learn more about the future of 3D printing in this episode. GUESTS Dr Robert Hoyt, Tethers Unlimited Ben Redwood, 3D Hubs Professor Richard Hague, Centre for Additive Manufacturing, University of Nottingham. RESOURCES Engineering Matters listeners are invited to follow this link for a free sample of 3D Hubs “3D Printing Handbook” or visit their website to read “3D Printing Trends Q1 2019” More on The Refabricator hereThe post #19 Future of 3D Printing first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Four thousand years after it was first used as a form of nutrition for the Olmec people of Mesoamerica, engineers are finding new ways to harness the potential of the fruit from the miraculous Theobroma Cacao tree, better known today as cocoa pods. Their solution could provide rural farming communities in Ghana with a new form of renewable energy, that simultaneously makes use of the one part of the cacao fruit that is left to rot, the husk. By examining the thermal properties of the four main types of cocoa pods a team at Nottingham University have proved that these husks are not waste at all, but a power source, that when gasified could generate electricity for remote farming communities. A solution that if delivered at a local scale would create a circular economy for the cocoa bean fruit and take the country even further along its journey of poverty reduction. Listen now to find out more about the story of cocoa and how it could transform off-grid communities in equatorial cocoa growing nations in this episode. GUESTS Professor Jo Darkwa, University of Nottingham Dr Julius Ahiekpor, Centre for Energy, Environmental Sustainable Design, Ghana SOURCES The True History of Chocolate – Sophie and Michael Coe The University of Nottingham Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyThe post #18 Cocoa Power first appeared on Engineering Matters.

As young people all over the world protest over political inaction on climate change, we ask how engineers can prevent our planet’s temperature rising past the point of no return. Responding to this challenge means that engineering professionals, businesses and institutions must do things differently. They must say no say no to carbon intensive development, leave fossil fuels in the ground and focus on developing the solutions that will enable the world to transition into a low carbon future. Working with us on this episode is consultant Mott MacDonald, which is increasingly refusing to work on carbon intensive projects; is developing new technical solutions; and has embarked upon a global climate resilience initiative. These steps are enabling it to support organisations all over the world in lowering their carbon emissions and taking us closer to keeping global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees centigrade. Like the medical profession, which developed the Declaration of Helsinki that went beyond the legislation of the day to reform practices in medical research on human beings, academics are arguing that engineers should do the same. This would mean creating a Declaration of Climate Action that compels professional engineers to ensure that their work does not contribute to climate change and upholds their professional duty to protect future generations from rising global temperatures. GUESTS Dr Rob Lawlor, lecturer in applied ethics, University of Leeds David Viner, global practice leader for climate resilience, Mott MacDonald Ian Allison, global head of climate resilience, Mott MacDonald Rebekah Marsh, engineering geologist, Mott MacDonald Mark Crouch, carbon management team leader, Mott MacDonald Clare Wildfire, global practice leader for cities, Mott MacDonald ADDITIONAL RESOURCES The Infrastructure Carbon Review, sets out the commercial as well as environmental and social benefits of cutting carbon. PAS 2080, is the first international standard for managing infrastructure carbon, which provides a framework for how to do it. Mission Possible is a document that sets out the steps required to keep climate change to under two degrees. Dr Rob Lawlor and Helen Morley’s paper: Climate Change and Professional Responsibility: A Declaration of Helsinki for Engineers SUPPORTERS Mott MacDonald – Opening opportunities with connected thinking. Mott MacDonald is a US$2bn engineering, management and development consultancy involved in:  solving some of the world’s most urgent social, environmental and economic            challenges helping governments and businesses plan, deliver and sustain their strategic goals responding to humanitarian and natural emergencies improving people’s lives  Its expertise by sector includes buildings, communications, defence, education, environment, health, industry, mining, oil and gas, power, transport, urban development, water, wastewater and more. Its skills encompass planning, studies and design, project finance, technical advisory services, project and programme management, management consultancy and beyond.The post #17 Acting on climate change first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Rudi Scheuermann Do plants hold the key to making cities healthier? Could we design buildings that don’t take away green space, but create it? That don’t demand energy, but generate it? Rudi Scheuermann of consultant Arup thinks so. By employing a range of design techniques including cladding structures in living plant walls and engineering bioreactive facades that generate biogas, he says that greener buildings can improve air quality, mitigate noise pollution and create healthier environments. With over 4.2 billion people living in cities, and buildings contributing to 36 per cent of global energy use, curbing their energy intensity and taking a new approach is vital if we are to limit the effects of climate change and meet the growing demands of urbanisation. With a further 2.5 billion people expected to move to cities by 2050 the pressure is on to create better structures that don’t cost the earth. GUEST Rudi Scheuermann, global building envelope design practice leader, Arup and author of “Cities Alive : Green Building Envelope” SPECIAL THANKS TO Arup Transport for London World Economic Forum Environmental Research Group, Kings College LondonThe post #16 Designing green buildings first appeared on Engineering Matters.