James Gage

Thrilled to say that this year I’m a recipient of the “Best Dissertation” award, issued by The Institution of Structural Engineers, Surrey Regional Group. ☺️ One of the biggest privileges of my apprenticeship was that by the time I started thinking about research topics, I’d already been working in pavement design and managing large scale maintenance projects for several years. I saw many new products and concepts being described as sustainable because they were lower carbon or contained recycled material. But were performance characteristics comparable? Are treatments really sustainable if their use might result in the need for earlier maintenance intervention? Lifecycle analysis is one of many important tools we can use to evaluate those questions. The opportunity to be analytical about design is one of my favourite elements of engineering. I hope I’m always able to use my voice to advocate for meaningful sustainable development.

37

9 Comments

The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) report published last week calls for a long-term strategy, enabling large-scale infrastructure projects to be seen through to completion without multiple scope changes.   Connectivity across the whole UK will grow the UK’s economy. A long-term strategy should not only prioritise the completion of HS2 between Euston – Crewe but should also ensure that future expansions and enhancements are aligned with broader national infrastructure goals.   A long-term vision will support investor confidence and encourage economic growth across the regions.  

18

Kindly answer this survey that is designed to aid the quest of #YCEF to continue promoting the best practice of Civil Engineering, and also breaking the barriers of career helplessness among young Civil Engineers. Dare for more, YCEF will continually give more #WeAreYCEF https://lnkd.in/durEyRTE

8

𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 (𝗘𝗢𝗧) An Application for Extension of Time (EOT) is a formal request being submitted by a contractor to the Authority Engineer/Independent Engineer/Project owner/Client, seeking to extend the original project completion date due to unforeseen circumstances or events that have impacted the project timeline including the followings common reasons of EOT: 1. Delays in obtaining necessary permits or approvals as per relevant clause 2. Unforeseen site conditions or discoveries 3. Changes in project scope or design including introduction of substantial COS work 4. Unavailability of construction materials or scarcity of labour 5. Force majeure events (e.g., natural disasters, pandemics) 6. Delays the project reason not attributable to the Contractor/Concessionaire 7. Delay the project reason beyond the control of Contractor/Concessionaire 8. Delays caused by the Authority/client and Authority Engineer 9. Change in Law, if impacted the project. 10. Delay in fulfilment/procurement of Condition precedent by Authority as specified in contract clause. The following documents are typically mandatory for an Application for Extension of Time (EOT): 1. Request letter: A formal letter addressed to the Team Leader (Authority Engineer)/Authority (Project owner)/client. 2. Project Schedule: Comprehensive project schedule showing the original and the revised timeline. 3. Cause of delay: A clear explanation of the event or circumstance causing the delay, including evidence and supporting documents/letters. 4. Impact Analysis: An analysis of the impact of the delay on the project timeline, including a detailed clarification of how the delay has affected the project schedule/time. 5. Supporting Documents: Such as, Contract clauses, Correspondence/letters, Site records and reports, Weather records (if applicable), Proof of unforeseen site conditions, etc. 6. Revised Project Schedule: Proposed revised project schedule/programme showing the extended/revised completion date. 7. Critical Path Method (CPM) Analysis: An analysis of the critical path showing the impact of the delay on the project timeline. 8. Extension of Time Calculation: Detailed calculation showing the number of days required to complete the balance work/project. #Planning #Contracts #Construction #Engineer #PlanningEngineer #Project #CivilEngineer #Infrastructuree #Highways #ConstructionManagement #ProjectCoordinator #ProjectMonitoring #ProjectManagement #IndiaInfrastructure #QS #EOT #ExtensionofTime #ContractsManagement

62

3 Comments

DAFNI is pleased to be supporting this successful grant -- the newly launched TransiT Digital Twinning for Transport Decarbonisation Hub - strategic and exciting new investment into UK Digital Twinning and Critical Infrastructure Decarbonisation from UK Research and Innovation EPSRC The initiative is led by Heriot-Watt University and the University of Glasgow. With a £46 million investment from EPSRC and support from 67 partners, this hub will leverage digital twins to revolutionise how we decarbonise transport systems, ensuring the transition is as rapid, safe, and cost-effective as possible. The TransiT Digital Twinning for Transport Decarbonisation Hub, is a collaboration of eight universities and 67 partners jointly led by Prof David Flynn of University of Glasgow and Prof Philip Greening of Heriot-Watt University, and has secured £20 million in funding from UK Research and Innovation EPSRC, the main funding body for engineering and physical sciences research in the UK. The eight universities in the TransiT hub are each centres of expertise in core project areas. These are: • Heriot-Watt University – logistics and freight – including the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight and The Centre for Logistics and Sustainability. • University of Glasgow – digital twinning and cyber physical systems – including the university’s research groups in Energy and Sustainability and Communication, Sensing and Imaging. • University of Leeds – transport decarbonisation policy development – including the university’s Institute for Transport Studies, one of the UK's leading departments for transport teaching and research. • University of Birmingham – rail – including the university’s Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, one of largest centres of its kind. • Cranfield University – aviation – including the university’s globally-recognised Centre for Digital Engineering and Manufacturing. • University College London UCL – maritime – including the shipping research group at the university’s UCL Energy Institute. • University of Cambridge – road freight – including the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight, a collaboration between Cambridge, Heriot-Watt and Westminster universities with industry and government partners. • Durham University – engineering of public transport systems – including work on hydrogen transportation in the Durham Energy Institute. Digital twins use data collected from the physical world in real time to test and improve different scenarios. Another £26 million in support is being provided by stakeholders across the digital, energy and transport sectors, including transport operators, regulators, vehicle makers, technology companies and energy suppliers. The collaboration is thought to be one of the largest transport consortiums of its kind. #digitaltwins #transport #decarbonisation #DecarboniseTransport #energy #TransportNetworks #data #energy #NetZero James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow

23

This is one of a pair of Net Zero Bridges Group papers published in ICE Bridge Engineering online ahead-of-print. The briefing paper https://lnkd.in/ePxbirFJ introduces the NZBG, which is perhaps the only organisation dedicated entirely to understanding the challenges for bridge designers and engineers in decarbonising bridge construction and management. The paper explains how the NZBG works, but also reflects on its first couple of years of activity. It is a companion to our longer paper, https://lnkd.in/eYc8CNPv, which attempts to bring many of the issues relating to decarbonising bridge engineering into a coherent framework. In discussion recently at a forum for bridge owners, it seemed clear that we have the tools we need to make progress, but we lack the policy framework which will mandate action. Bridges are just a small part of the construction and infrastructure industry, and that in turn is just one part of the wider manufacturing and infrastructure sector. But the core issue is the same: to insist that tackling the climate and biodiversity emergency is given the priority that it requires, recognising that systemic change is today's challenge, not tomorrow's.

30

Kindly answer this survey that is designed to aid the quest of #YCEF to continue promoting the best practice of Civil Engineering, and also breaking the barriers of career helplessness among young Civil Engineers. Dare for more, YCEF will continually give more. #WeAreYCEF https://lnkd.in/durEyRTE

3

Graeme Smith, Transport and Mobility Solutions (TMS) general manager at Mott MacDonald, highlighted in a recent interview how our industry can bring together data, technology and people to focus on solving the transport issues of today. In the article, Graeme further explained that solving these issues calls for a wider range of tools, solutions and skills to achieve this and that is what TMS was set up to do at the start of 2024. Looking into the future it’s clear that renewals, enhancements and digital roads will need to play an increasingly central role to make sure our road network delivers for society and the environment. According to Graeme, these shifts mean that the highways industry must evolve to respond and support clients in this new era. Want to learn more about Graeme’s views on the future and the forward-looking aim of Mott MacDonald’s TMS division? Read Graeme’s full interview here: https://mottm.ac/3Av22U1 #TMS #NationalHighways #transport #mobility 

12

Yesterday I attended a very insightful CPD by ICE South West which covered the use of AI in engineering and construction. It was interesting to learn about the different forms of AI and see the benefits they can have on improving site health & safety, design optimisation, structural health monitoring and project management as well as some of the drawbacks of the technology. I have personally witnessed the benefits of AI in engineering through my dissertation, where I created machine learning models capable of accurately predicting the natural frequencies of bridges. By predicting these frequencies, and comparing them with field data, engineers can differentiate between frequency changes caused by environmental factors and those caused by structural damage, leading to more efficient and accurate damage detection. By embracing the use of the technology within the industry, AI can enhance efficiency, improve accuracy, and drive innovation in engineering projects.

24

1 Comment

How can the engineering industry avoid the risk of data overload? Gavin Pearson discusses the need for improved data sharing and collaboration in civil engineering. 📈 Learn from the experts at the recent NCE and Bentley Systems round table. #DataManagement #Collaboration #EngineeringInnovation 🤝🚀 https://lnkd.in/eE_AtSU5

1

As London’s busiest transport hub, King's Cross station presented many challenges to Arup engineers during the redevelopment project. They had to overcome the London Underground being directly beneath the station, the long span of the roof and the demanding visual requirements. A parametric design approach was adopted using #OasysGSA to develop and finalise the entire roof diagrid and funnel. A core part of the structural analysis involved checking in #GSA for global and local buckling of the elements under the extremely high loads. Explore GSA’s extensive features and capabilities: https://lnkd.in/eqqSTw6u #Structural #StructuralEngineering #StructuralAnalysis #StructuralDesign #KingsCross #RoofAnalysis #RailwayStation

40

1 Comment

How to start out with NEC contracts? NEC technical principal, Richard Patterson shares advice on how to become involved with NEC contracts with minimum risk.  Find out more below⏬ #NewEngineeringContract #NEC4

14

2 Comments

Interesting Post Tensioned Bridge article in NCE. https://lnkd.in/ehJfQVrn It's worth reading to understand some of the key challenges associated with the demolition of PT structures. Andun has a wealth of experience in this field. See our blog and YouTube video in the link below! https://lnkd.in/eVpD7QCt

9

🌍 Net zero infrastructure – It can’t wait 📄 Recently, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) published a briefing paper that highlights what it believes to be the ‘Day 1’ priorities for a new UK parliament. KEY PRIORITIES: 💬 Deliver a public engagement strategy emphasising the benefits of the net zero transition 🚉 Establish an Urban Tram Delivery System 🚍 Incentivise increased public transport usage and active travel 🚈 Accelerate freight decarbonisation through targeted electrification of key rail sectors 🔋 Introduce half-hour metering and charging for domestic energy 🏠 Ensure sufficient funding to reduce energy demand in social housing 🏗️ Accelerate sustainable construction practices Keen to find out more? Check out our latest blog here >https://lnkd.in/e6VGnWvs #NetZero #Renewables #Decarbonisation #Energy

8

The third article in our Breaking Silos series, a collaboration between early career professionals from CIWEM and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), is now live! -- In this piece, Savills nature capital consultant Alice S., Arup highways engineer Elliott Webb and WSP graduate engineer Ramsha S. take a look at the importance of nature in combatting the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. They also address the role that industry has to play in all of this, and how we need to shift industry mindsets if we are to truly put nature first. The article sets out three keys to support nature: ➡️ Prioritising nature conservation ➡️ Promoting nature-positive solutions ➡️ Fostering collaboration between private and public sectors. It's another great article in this series, and we thank the Alice, Elliot and Ramsha for their insights! Read the article in full here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/evzmRbwZ -- Missed out on the previous article? Read it here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eD2cAzMz #BreakingSilos #NatureBasedSolutions #Environment #CIWEM

34

1 Comment

Breaking silos is key to successful operations across membership organisations and how encouraging to see membership organisations CIWEM (The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management) and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) breaking silos between each other. #knowledgeexchange #membershiporganisations #NatureBasedSolutions #Intercloud9 #membershipsolutions #BreakingSilos

2

Government transformation of the planning system: have your say? WSP in the UK are pioneering significant improvements to the way we do EIA, which will support the government in their plans for transforming the planning system. Angela Rayner and Steve Reed have jointly signaled these plans “to ensure a win-win for housebuilding and nature”. In a letter to nature conservation organisations but aimed at “all those working in the environmental sector and who care for our natural environment” (which is quite a lot of us) they outline a vision for a planning system that works more expediently to deliver both development and improvements to the natural environment. The letter echoes the concerns of the previous government in blaming environmental assessment, at least in part, for delays to development. But they appear more reticent to legislate without confidence that this would deliver the win-win for housebuilding and nature. I am aware of lots of ways environmental assessment can be improved without ditching the current Regs, from simplified reporting to better integration of environment with design. What would be the big wins for you when Angela and Steve come knocking? And what does this mean for EORs? #FutureReadyEIA

35

Have you ever had a first NEC programme rejected on the basis that it shows Completion being achieved on time? This is an area where I think JCT (SBC2016) does things the best. The Contractor is simply required to submit a master programme, and revise it after each time the Architect assesses entitlement to extension of time. In FIDIC (99 Red Book), the Contractor is required to submit a programme together with a report showing resource levels for each major stage. The Engineer can notify the Contractor that the programme does not comply with the Contract, in which case the Contractor tries again, but otherwise it has to progress in accordance with the programme. The Contractor has to resubmit a programme if progress does not match the programme, or if the Engineer instructs it to considering it does not comply with the Contract. I think I'm right in saying that the programme is required to show the Contractor finishing on time? In NEC4 ECC, the Contractor is required to submit a programme with a statement of resources "for each operation". It has to submit a revised programme at the intervals stated in the Contract Data and when the PM instructs it to. Reasons for the PM not accepting the programme are that it does not realistically reflect the Contractor's plans or that those plans are not practicable. A reason for not accepting does NOT however include that the programme shows the Contractor completing after the Completion Date. I wonder, has the PM ever not accepted a first programme, on the basis that it shows Planned* Completion by the Completion Date and the PM does not believe that this is achievable? If so, what would be the consequences? Incidentally, for this reason, one of my recommendations to NEC in my report earlier this year was to introduce a statement reminding both parties (or to tenderers) to check the period between proposed first access date and proposed Completion Date, and verify that it is realistically achievable. *Planned Completion, not Completion as I originally wrote. Thank you for pointing this out Paul Aldridge.

2

4 Comments

With today being International Women in Engineering Day we have a special edition of CIHT's 8 questions where we asked Arcadis, Principal Engineer, Laurie Robinson, Why is female talent so crucial to engineering?   Read her answer and more here: https://lnkd.in/eeHq24iM #INWED24

16