New Civil Engineer NOVEMBER 2020
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It’s StormForce and it’s one click or call away. wavin.co.uk/stormforce New Civil Engineer AUTUMN PROMISES CAN SIGNAL WINDS OF CHANGE ROB HORGAN NEWS EDITOR utumn is here. Trees have started shedding their leaves, Stonehenge Tunnel and the Hornsea Three windfarm. the Christmas countdown has begun and the promised And then there are the ongoing talks with Transport for London about second coronavirus wave has hit. a long-term funding plan or financing options for Crossrail – which has A But while the weather may be dreary, and the Covid-19 warned of a forced shut down without an additional £1.1bn. challenge mounts by the day, the year is unlikely to end An action plan on London’s other headache – the Hammersmith with a whimper as several key decisions are expected to be made by Bridge – is also due in the coming weeks, with the taskforce already government before we can sing Auld Lang Syne (in groups of no more revealing that it is keen on a temporary ferry crossing of the Thames. than six, of course). Here are just a few big ticket items, the next few weeks and months should produce: the National Infrastructure Strategy; the Williams Rail Several key decisions are expected Review; the government’s Energy White Paper and its Heat Strategy. to be made by government before All have been long awaited; all have been pushed into the ambiguous promised land of “autumn” – which we all understand to mean “some we can sing Auld Lang Syne (in groups of time before the end of the year”. Large parts of the Williams Review have, of course, already been no more than six, of course) shared and the overhaul of the UK’s rail franchising system is underway. But what the National Infrastructure Strategy will look like is still a mystery with little indication from government. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has repeated his promise to publish it this autumn, and he has added “The country’s biggest infrastructure projects are also set for a that cancelling the Budget will have no impact on the content of the busy autumn, with court cases involving Heathrow and High Speed 2 infrastructure strategy – which on the face of it sounds like good news. promoter HS2 Ltd getting underway as this issue of NCE went to print. The government’s Energy White Paper has also gained extra weight in Heathrow Airport Ltd heads to the Supreme Court in the hope that the last few weeks, with the developments (or lack of) at the proposed it can overturn a Court of Appeal decision which effectively blocked its Wylfa Newydd nuclear power plant. expansion plans. First Hitachi backed out of the project following 18 months of Meanwhile, HS2 Ltd faces Bechtel in the Technology & Construction unsuccessful talks with government about funding, and then the Court to finally settle their long-running battle over the procurement of government postponed its planning decision once more – leaving Wylfa Old Oak Common Station. and the wider nuclear sector in limbo. The Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) £27bn RIS2 roads funding plan If you were to put two and two together, prime minister Boris will also go before a judge in the coming months – with all eyes on the Johnson’s ambition – set out in his Conservative party conference outcome of the Heathrow Supreme Court ruling. The case against RIS2 is speech – to power all UK homes with wind energy by 2030 looks to largely built around the court’s decision that the Airports National Policy be the final nail in the coffin for nuclear. Big nuclear anyway, as small Statement, which concludes Heathrow expansion was unlawful. nuclear reactors do still to curry some political favour. Following a year of great uncertainty, upcoming policy Away from policy, the government must also rule on planning announcements and project decisions offer hope of clarity for 2021. applications for major schemes before the end of the year, including the l Rob Horgan is New Civil Engineer’s news editor NOVEMBER 2020 | NEW CIVIL ENGINEER 3 Contents NEW CIVIL ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020 MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS 08 News, Comment 21 Future & Analysis of Water 08 The Edit: Cash-strapped TfL lowers Crossrail 2 priority 08 The Edit: WSP faces Florida bridge collapse lawsuit 11 Inside Track: Concerns voiced over Heathrow expansion bid spending 12 Inside Track: Nuclear power projects face uncertain future 13 Inside Track: Covid hits civils fi rms 14 Inside Track: Tideway tunnelling leads to Tower Bridge monitoring 16 Big Interview: André Gibbs, Argent 18 Your View: Hull fl ood barrier; Hammersmith Bridge 47 ICE Record Engineers are grappling with government pressure to improve environmental performance while those in Canada and Norfolk seek to improve the fl ood and drought resilience of their infrastructure 22 How are water engineers 30 Climate change resilience is a key responding to pressure to improve part of work on a Norfolk Broads environmental performance? water transfer project 47 Call for infrastructure strategy; 26 Engineers add capacity and Pitch200 winners; Boston Barrier resilience to Canadian dam wins ICE award 4 NEW CIVIL ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020 For instant updates follow us: Twitter: @ncedigital LinkedIn: new civil engineer Facebook: ncedigital Instagram Email: newcivilengineer.com/newsletters 35 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 36 Contractors gear up for the start of (020) 3953 2095 catherine.kennedy work on High Speed 2’s Chiltern month. Go to newcivilengineer.com/podcast to listen Tunnels to the latest episodes and The Engineers Collective Chief Sub Editor back catalogue Andy Bolton 40 Airport owners and contractors are (020) 3953 2823 | andy.bolton using thermal imaging to fi ght the Designer spread of Covid-19 James McCarthy [email protected] 45 Innovation showcase Graphic Artist Anthea Carter [email protected] 46 Innovative CUSTOMER SERVICES Thinker ICE members 0203 953 2152 and press option 1 BOOK NOW [email protected] NCE’s Future of Transport event is a week of Individual subscribers and virtual content from 9 to 12 November. The event will general enquiries explore the opportunities and critical projects in the 0203 953 2152 and press option 2 airports, bridges, rail and road sectors. [email protected] Visit https://transport.newcivilengineer.com for the Group subscribers speaker line up 0203 953 2152 and press option 3 [email protected] COMING SOON DISPLAY ADVERTISING Francis Barham (020) 953 2912 francis.barham 46 Shaun Tate of Mace on how modern Future of Floods construction methods are removing https://fl oods.newcivilengineer.com risk from sites NOVEMBER 2020 NEW CIVIL ENGINEER 5 Lighthouse ICE VIEWPOINT We need spending priorities for a sustainable future ow the government ICE members and industry leaders While the allocates and spends to put together a submission to the public funds is review. This will, we hope, encourage development H something that is the government to include funding discussed in offices, for core areas, which will improve the of emerging around dining tables, at the pub and, performance of the UK’s infrastructure. most importantly, within the walls of A key area we hope to see a focus on technologies, such as Westminster. is jobs and skills. With unemployment Decisions about what projects or BY ART WE continuing to rise as the Covid-19 carbon capture and programmes will be funded, and by MASTER pandemic continues, it is increasingly “energy storage, will how much, impact all areas of our WHAT WOULD important that there is a plan for lives – which is why the government’s MASTER US investing in job creation and skills create opportunities upcoming Comprehensive Spending development. Review is such a significant event. This is also particularly important for change, it also The outcome of this review, like its when considered alongside the fast- predecessors, will have a massive approaching 2050 net zero target. creates a need for new impact on the provision and quality of The UK’s built environment sector all public services, including the UK’s is ready to play its part in transitioning skills infrastructure networks. to net zero, but doing so will require a That is why the Institution’s policy radical transformation in the sorts of the UK has an opportunity to lead team has been working closely with infrastructure networks that we build the way in terms of developing the and how they are built. technologies across transport, power The UK needs cleaner transport and heating – and those for abating solutions and more renewable power emissions in heavy industry – that will The outcome and heat sources.