INFRASTRUCTURE 2020 Conference Is Going Digital
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The Year in INFRASTRUCTURE 2020 Conference is Going Digital YII AWARDS FINALISTS’ PRESENTATIONS OCTOBER 5 – 16, 2020 MAIN CONFERENCE I OCTOBER 20 – 21, 2020 Executive TwinTalks YII Awards Perspectives Digital Twins Go Mainstream Ceremony ACCELERATE I BEGINNING OCTOBER 27, 2020 Keynotes 200 technology sessions in October 27 4 Tracks through November 20, 2020 Complimentary registration now at yii.bentley.com New Civil Engineer MINISTERS DITHER AS INFRASTRUCTURE CRUMBLES ROB HORGAN NEWS EDITOR 213m stretch of the UK’s 422,000km roads network is “infrastructure” are rarely used together. For the recent track-record is in danger of becoming one of the government’s biggest not good, even for this government. public embarrassments to date. Important decisions on major infrastructure projects like the A Hammersmith Bridge – long a headache for Stonehenge Tunnel and Sizewell C have been delayed over the last few Londoners after it was closed to motorists 18 months months, while progress at Wylfa nuclear plant remains on hold until the ago – has now become a major issue for the government and – if government hashes out a new funding model. local council leaders are to be believed – will soon become a stain on the nation. The perilous position that the grand old green and gold suspension bridge finds itself in is emblematic of a broken infrastructure The future of this vital transport funding system that, much like the bridge, needs fixing or replacing link remains at the mercy altogether. Hammersmith Bridge remains closed to everyone and everything, of central government, which has after cracks in the cast iron pedestals widened in August. Prime minister Boris Johnson has now been warned that the bridge risks “crumbling begrudgingly formed a taskforce to assess away in the middle of the Thames” unless the government stumps up the necessary emergency funding to patch up the 19th century structure. the structure That is £46M just to stop it from falling down and almost £100M more to do a full repair job. “ Cash-strapped Transport for London certainly does not have the The government’s six week review of High Speed 2 took more than money for such a big repair job, and local councils can only dream of six months and the wait goes on for the National Infrastructure Strategy footing such a hefty bill. And so the future of this vital transport link is and the Williams Review of the nation’s railways – both long promised, at the mercy of central government, which has begrudgingly formed a and both kicked into the safety net of “the autumn”. The story is even taskforce to assess the structure more than a year after it was first asked more unclear when it comes to government competitions for southern for funding for repairs. rail access to Heathrow or market-led proposals for privately-funded So what is the answer? Many have called for the establishment of a rail schemes – entries tabled two years ago remain sat in a drawer national infrastructure bank, to replace the European equivalent when somewhere within the Department for Transport. Britain finally exits the European Union at the end of the year. Others Hammersmith Bridge is just one tale of woe. In London alone, funding have called for powers to be devolved to the National Infrastructure to carry out repairs to the A40 Westway, Vauxhall Bridge, and Lambeth Commission to take decisions and delays out of the government’s hands. Bridge is desperately needed. Without it, many more structures risk And some are suggesting an overhaul of the way UK roads are funded – going the same way as the west London crossing. either by tolling drivers or by giving Highways England responsibility for The real issue sits with the mechanisms of delivering infrastructure. maintaining local roads. Policy makers must face up to the fact that our current infrastructure One thing that the government has done is set up an “Acceleration funding mechanisms are broken or we will inevitably watch more great Unit” to speed up transport infrastructure delivery. Welcomed feats of engineering and vital infrastructure crumble in front of our eyes. outwardly by the industry, the terms “acceleration”, “government” and l Rob Horgan is New Civil Engineer’s news editor OCTOBER 2020 | NEW CIVIL ENGINEER 3 Contents NEW CIVIL ENGINEER OCTOBER 2020 MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS 08 News, Comment 23 Future & Analysis of Tunnelling 08 The Edit: Heathrow faces £500M bill for failed expansion bid 08 The Edit: 2024/25 start date for Northern Powerhouse Rail 09 Rail safety probe after TikTok video shared on social media 11 Inside Track: Hammersmith Bridge in danger of collapse 12 Inside Track: Bond Street Crossrail contractor paid to leave job 16 Big Interview: Howard Mitchell of HS2 Ltd on innovation 18 Your View: Transport pollution; radioactive waste; getting major projects fi nished 47 ICE Record Covid-19 has a ected the way people use infrastructure, and could change the market for tunnelling projects as a result. In the meantime, major projects press ahead 24 How will the impact of 28 Overcoming technical challenges 47 Climate change and infrastructure; coronavirus aff ect the tunnelling on the Forrestfi eld-Airport link in President’s Address goes online; market over the next few years? Perth, Western Australia Northern Ireland civils panel 4 NEW CIVIL ENGINEER OCTOBER 2020 For instant updates follow us: Twitter: @ncedigital LinkedIn: new civil engineer Facebook: ncedigital Instagram Email: newcivilengineer.com/newsletters 33 Innovative Live! EDITORIAL TEAM Thinking EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Email: [email protected] Editor Claire Smith (020) 3953 2818 claire.smith Features Editor Nadine Buddoo (020) 3953 2819 nadine.buddoo News Editor Rob Horgan (020) 3953 2087 rob.horgan LISTEN: THE ENGINEERS COLLECTIVE Features Reporter NCE has released two new podcast episodes this Catherine Kennedy 34 Project 13 aids Heathrow airport (020) 3953 2095 catherine.kennedy tunnel refurbishment project month. Go to newcivilengineer.com/podcast to listen to the latest episodes and The Engineers News Reporter 36 Complex land reclamation project Joshua Stein Collective back catalogue (020) 3953 2088 joshua.stein for Monaco property development Chief Sub Editor 40 Crowd simulation helps engineers Andy Bolton design post-Covid public space (020) 3953 2823 | andy.bolton Designer 44 Innovation showcase: Wavin James McCarthy [email protected] Graphic Artist 46 Innovative Anthea Carter Thinker [email protected] BOOK NOW CUSTOMER SERVICES New Civil Engineer’s Future of Transport event ICE members 0203 953 2152 and press option 1 is a week of insightful virtual content from [email protected] 9 to 12 November. The event will explore the opportunities ahead and critical projects in the bridges, Individual subscribers and general enquiries airports, rail and roads sectors. Visit https://transport. 0203 953 2152 and press option 2 newcivilengineer.com for the speaker line up [email protected] Group subscribers COMING SOON 0203 953 2152 and press option 3 [email protected] Future of Floods 46 Aaron Matthew of Turner & https://fl oods.newcivilengineer.com DISPLAY ADVERTISING Townsend on race and inclusive Francis Barham (020) 953 2912 francis.barham infrastructure design OCTOBER 2020 NEW CIVIL ENGINEER 5 Lighthouse ICE VIEWPOINT We need a net zero transition plan ovid-19 has, rightly, In many cases, the infrastructure Policymakers been at the forefront of currently under development will take the political, and social, decades to deliver and still be in use need to make C stage in recent months. by 2050. So we need to ensure it is fit Its impact on us all, for purpose. some important across all areas of our lives, has been We addressed a lot of this thinking phenomenal. And, while the end may in our recent State of the Nation 2020: choices around the not yet quite be in sight, we do need Infrastructure and the 2050 net zero to start thinking about the future – and BY ART WE target report. future makeup of the what happens next. MASTER Its central recommendation was “UK’s energy system One of the big issues that remains WHAT WOULD that the government should deliver in the picture is sustainability. The UK MASTER US a plan for transitioning the UK’s and pathways for made a commitment to have net zero economic infrastructure networks to greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 – a net zero footing. decarbonising the and although that sounds like it is a long This plan should be delivered as time away, it is not. part of the forthcoming National economy more widely Achieving that target will require an Infrastructure Strategy in order to unprecedented transformation of our deliver a holistic, long-term approach The bottom line is we need action infrastructure systems. to infrastructure that is consistent with now. A comprehensive plan to put the net zero. UK and its infrastructure on a net zero We’ve now taken this recommendation footing will get us started. further. In a new policy paper The long-awaited National One of the examining what a plan for transitioning Infrastructure Strategy is still expected infrastructure to net zero should to be delivered before the end of big issues that consider we are exploring the key the year – it is the government’s policy choices that need to be made. opportunity to set out a clear, strategic remains in the picture There are many areas where action and long-term plan which will benefit us is needed. Policymakers need to make all. We look forward to reading it. is sustainability. some important choices around the If these issues are of interest to you, The UK made a future makeup of the UK’s energy we encourage you to read our report, system and pathways for decarbonising A plan for transitioning infrastructure “commitment to have the economy more widely, for example.