August 2023

Volume 101 | Issue 8

A sustainable approach
to geotechnics
Designing
for life
Anti-corruption
resources Can adopting regenerative
principles ensure a carbon-
negative, nature-positive future
in which people and living
President’s
systems thrive together?
mid-year report

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October 2021
Volume 99 | Issue 10

October 2021
| Issue 10
Volume 99

Bridging the
emissions gap
Bridging the
What measures can bridge designers take
to work towards a goal of net zero?

gap
emissions designers
can bridge net zero?
take

What measures a goal of

to work towards

Marginal carbon gains

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carbon gains
Marginal

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 Upfront
5 Editorial
6 News
8 President’s mid-term report

Feature
10 Learning from living systems – regenerative
principles in practice
14 Regenerative design for building engineering: the
role of the structural engineer

10
Climate action
18 Geotechnics and sustainability: a short guide

Professional guidance
24 Are you equipped to deal with corruption in
your work?
27 Understanding carbon factors – new
guides available

Project focus
28 Eden Project Dundee – bringing regenerative
aspirations to life

Opinion
33 Viewpoint: Moving towards co-creating
with communities
36 Verulam

At the back
38
40
Diary dates
Spotlight on Structures
28
Volume 101 │ Issue 8 │August 2023

41 The Drawing Board

JAMES MCKAY, DREAMS OF A LOW CARBON FUTURE

42 Services directory

18

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3
thestructuralengineer.org | August 2023
Eurocode manuals
(seven-volume package)
Expected to remain current until at least 2026, all 7 IStructE
Eurocode manuals (to Eurocodes 1,2,3,5,6,7 and 8) featuring
second editions of 1 (2021), 5 (2020) and 6 (2018).

Buy now:
istructe.org/resources/manuals/eurocode-7-volume-package
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 Editorial Upfront

PRESIDENT
Matt Byatt
CEng, FIStructE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Yasmin Becker

EDITORIAL
HEAD OF PUBLISHING
Lee Baldwin

MANAGING EDITOR
Robin Jones
t: +44 (0) 20 7201 9822
e: robin.jones@istructe.org

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES
Will Brown
t: +44 (0) 20 7201 9121
e: tse@istructe.org Robin Jones Managing Editor

Adopting a
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EDITORIAL ADVISORY GROUP

Will Arnold FIStructE
Premma Makanji MIStructE
Allan Mann FIStructE
Chris O’Regan FIStructE
Angus Palmer MIStructE IF YOUR FIRM HAS SIGNED UP TO the concept of regenerative design in more depth.
Simon Pitchers FIStructE
Eleana Savvidi MIStructE
the Structural Engineers’ Declaration (www. We then move to a case study of a project that
structuralengineersdeclare.com), you are already has been applying regenerative thinking from the
Subscription prices
Institutional (online only): £499 committed to applying regenerative principles in early stages: the Eden Project Dundee (page 28).
Institutional (print + online): £529
Personal (print only): £125
your work. But what does ‘regenerative design’ At planning stage, workshops and design have
Personal (online only): £115 mean in practice? As Oliver Broadbent and James been undertaken in a regenerative manner, with the
Personal (Student Member): £50
Norman note (page 10), the term has been in common goal of benefiting communities and nature:
Single issues – digital: £15.00
Single issues – print: £25.00
use by structural engineers since around 2019, minimising whole-life carbon, maximising biodiversity
but without a clear consensus on exactly what it and developing social value, with a focus on material
Printed by
Warners Midlands plc
means. This issue aims to provide some clarity and efficiency, reuse and local sourcing.
The Maltings, Manor Lane Bourne, guide members on how to adopt this approach Finally, Emma Crichton looks in more detail at
Lincolnshire PE10 9PH
United Kingdom into their design thinking. the need to co-create with communities, to enable
© The Institution of Structural Engineers. We begin with two society to thrive in balance
The Structural Engineer is published by IStructE
Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Institution
articles that seek to both with natural systems
of Structural Engineers. define what a regenerative (page 33). Emma draws
ISSN 1446-5123 (Print) design process or mindset on her experience in the

ISSN 2753-4421 (Online)
Contributions published in The Structural
Engineer are published on the understanding
that the author/s is/are solely responsible for the
statements made, for the opinions expressed
and/or for the accuracy of the contents.
Publication does not imply that any statement or
opinion expressed by the author/s reflects the
views of the Institution of Structural Engineers’
Board; Council; committees; members
or employees. No liability is accepted by such
persons or by the Institution for any loss or
damage, whether caused through reliance on
any statement, opinion or omission (textual
or otherwise) in The Structural Engineer, or
otherwise.
The Institution of Structural Engineers
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WE MUST LEARN
entails, and show how humanitarian sector and
this can be applied to the the idea of place-based
built environment. First, FROM NATURE design to argue that a
Oliver and James explain
TO CREATE A regenerative approach must
that regenerative design give communities agency
HEALTHIER WORLD
has a goal of enabling all over projects that affect
living systems (including their lives.
humans) to ‘survive, thrive Elsewhere in the issue,
and co-evolve’ – we must learn from nature to Andy Smith provides a high-level introduction to
create a healthier world. They propose five things sustainability in geotechnical works and foundation
that structural engineers can do to change the design (page 18); Catherine and Neill Stansbury
way they design in a transition to a regenerative of the Global Infrastructure Anti-Corruption
way of working. Centre discuss the problem of corruption in the
Next, Will Arnold and Phil Isaac attempt to infrastructure sector and introduce the resources
take this a step further by considering ways in that their organisation offers (page 24); and Jo
which structural engineers can apply some of Spencer summarises a new set of carbon factor
these principles in their projects today (page 14). guides that Arup has made available via the
Will and Phil focus on four areas: designing for IStructE website (page 27). And, alongside our
place, circularity and reuse, material choices, and usual features at the back, we present a sketch
knowledge transfer. from Andrew Barr in the latest round of The
Oliver and James are also currently working Drawing Board (page 41).
on a book for the Institution that will examine As ever, I hope you enjoy the issue!
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thestructuralengineer.org | August 2023
Upfront News
Member news
Institution Fellow
recognised in King’s
Birthday Honours
Professor Muhammed Basheer
FREng, FIStructE, Chair in Structural
Engineering at the University of Leeds,
has been made a Commander of
the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
in the King’s Birthday Honours for
services to civil engineering.
Professor Basheer’s career as
an educator and researcher in civil
engineering spans more than four
decades, including a period as Head of
the School of Civil Engineering at Leeds.
His research on non-destructive tests
and structural health monitoring led to
the establishment of two University of
Leeds spin-out companies, Amphora
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) and
Sengenia. Amphora NDT products were
used to assess the concrete elements of
the Bird’s Nest Stadium, the centrepiece
of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Professor Basheer is also an
Associate Editor of the Institution’s
research journal, Structures.
Industry news
Share your experience
of FE modelling of
timber structures
A new working group of European
Standardisation Committee CEN/TC
250/SC 5 Design of timber structures is
conducting a survey on design guidance
for finite-element (FE) modelling of timber
structures. The group is looking for
participants with low, intermediate or
high experience in the design of timber
structures to participate in the online
survey, which should take only 5–10
minutes to complete.
The survey will inform the working
group about current design practices
in FE models for structural analysis of
timber structures and identify potential
knowledge gaps and barriers. The
results will be used to develop guidelines
on FE modelling for structural timber
design. The findings will be made
publicly available (no personal data will
be shared).
Take the survey at https://form.
jotform.com/223392062220343.
Member news
Institution member achieves success in
RAEng Engineers Trust awards
Dr Fiona Walport is among
five engineers who have
won the Royal Academy
of Engineering/Engineers
Trust Young Engineer of the
Year competition in 2023. Fiona
received the £3000 prize,
awarded by the Academy with
support from the Worshipful
Company of Engineers, for
making a lasting impact on the
structural engineering industry,
with her work recognised in
international design standards.
Fiona is a Research Fellow at
Imperial College London. She
is developing an accurate and
Institution news
Building Safety Act guidance
As industry in the UK prepares for the
full implementation of the Building Safety
Act in October, the Institution has made
additional guidance available to members
on its website. There is a presentation
covering the general impacts of the Act
on members and activities, and also
Industry news
Understanding UK’s industrial DNA is key to unlocking
prosperity and becoming engineering superpower, says RAEng
A new report by the Royal Academy
of Engineering and Metro Dynamics,
Engineering Economy & Place, has revealed
that engineering represents 32% of total
national economic output and 26% of jobs
nationally, but warns that, without action
to implement a place-based approach to
engineering policy, the UK risks hindering
the growth of its economy.
Engineering Economy & Place aims
to enhance understanding of the role
of engineering across the UK economy,
which impacts multiple sectors, from
manufacturing, software and R&D to
engineers in non-engineering industries like
financial services and media. The new data
is intended as a tool to inform future policy
decisions on how to share the benefits of
engineering across society and help the
UK to achieve its engineering, science and
technology ambitions.
The report’s interactive dashboard
explores, for the first time, how much, what
type, where and in what context engineering
is happening and enables places to
understand the role that engineering could
play in their local economies. While many of
the strongest local engineering economies
generating high value can be found in the
South East, there are also several places
across @seismicisolation
the Midlands, North West and
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6
August 2023 | thestructuralengineer.org
efficient advanced structural
design framework that capitalises
on the increasing availability
of computing power and
emerging digital technologies.
By enabling the true behaviour
of structures to be represented
more accurately, her method
allows structural engineers to use
materials more efficiently.
Several elements from her
research findings have already
been incorporated into the
major European and American
stainless steel design standards
to facilitate efficient use of the
material, with work ongoing.
a guide specifically for SMEs and sole
traders not working on HRBs. Both can
be found at: www.istructe.org/resources/
building-safety-act/impacts-on-the-role-of-
the-structural-engineer/.
Further guidance will be made available
following issue of secondary legislation.
Scotland that are performing above average,
and high-value hidden gems to be found in
South Derbyshire, North Warwickshire and
Ribble Valley.
Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng,
FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of
Engineering, said: ‘Engineering is at the
core of the UK’s industrial DNA – it is no
wonder that we have a proud history of
innovation. This snapshot of the current
engineering landscape shows that engineers
are drivers of economic opportunity – from
R&D to delivering products and services
that generate jobs, drive our economy and
create value for society. The UK simply
cannot become a science and technology
superpower without first becoming an
engineering superpower.’
Find out more at
https://raeng.org.uk/eep.
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Upfront President’s mid-term report

President’s mid-term report

MATT BYATT
CEng, FIStructE
2023 President of The Institution of Structural Engineers

Institution President, Matt Byatt, reflects on the pleasures of visiting regional groups
around the world and progress in advancing his presidential agenda.

Here we are in the middle of the year with Knowledge-sharing communities their successes and concerns openly,
time having well and truly flown by since I First, from what I have experienced whenever they get the chance to meet up,
stood at the lectern in Bastwick Street on a internationally and across a good spread of particularly during the two-day in-person
cold and wet January evening and delivered UK regional groups, we are all different! Each Council meetings.
my Inaugural Address, titled ‘The nature and region has its own idiosyncrasies. Some are Attendance in some groups has been
nurture of a career in structural engineering’. extremely well attended and vibrant, and disappointingly low, although others have been
During my presentation, I discussed my views some less so. But all have a core formed from very well attended. For all its benefits, the
on the challenges that face us as a profession, structural engineers who volunteer their time to hybrid model for meetings does appear to have
the hurdles we have already navigated, and the share knowledge, via organisation of technical adversely affected in-person attendance. The
work still to do. meetings and exam preparation courses, personal interactions before and after meetings
I challenged us all to consider whether and form community networks of engineers and technical presentations are of real value in
we could do more to support and facilitate spanning the full spectrum of experience and terms of connectivity and networking. It would
site experience for our younger members, age. At the Institution of Structural Engineers, be a shame if this continues to decline.
the importance of both formal and informal we are ‘our members’ and the regional groups
mentoring, and pathways to membership for are the heart of our communities. Spreading the message
engineers and technicians on ‘non-standard’ The differences in what regional groups During my visits to our regional groups, I
routes. I also challenged the Institution to arrange and do is surprising and I would have typically given either a presentation or
reconsider how it communicates its first-class strongly encourage regional chairs to discuss short speech on my core messages for the
portfolio of products and learning opportunities
to academics, employers and individuals.
In the months that followed, I have been
afforded the pleasure of travelling around many
of our regional groups, meeting members and
discussing the issues that face our profession. I
have enjoyed regional group dinners, university
visits, debates, beer tasting, technical
presentations (both delivering and listening),
visiting engineering businesses, as well as site
visits (Figure 1). My travels have taken me to
cities within the UK I had never been to, and
as wide afield as Toronto (Figure 2) and New
Orleans to the west and India to the east.
So, what have I learned, and what progress
have we made?

THE PERSONAL
INTERACTIONS
BEFORE AND AFTER
MEETINGS ARE OF ëFIGURE 1:
Visiting Gosforth
REAL VALUE IN Metro depot

TERMS OF
with Northern
Counties

NETWORKING
Regional Group

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 President’s mid-term report Upfront
BENJ DAVIES

ëFIGURE 3: Celebrating
achievements across the
Institution membership

year – site experience, mentoring, safety structures are built, fabricated, constructed
and intervention, and inclusive pathways and deconstructed safely and economically.
into and through the profession – or I have There is also genuine passion for helping
IT IS IMPORTANT delivered a technical lecture coving some of early-career engineers with mentoring, and a

FOR ENGINEERS
my work within the brownfield offshore oil-and- couple of regional groups are already planning
gas sector. mentoring sessions where mentors and
TO ACTUALLY SEE I have been invigorated by the wide mentees can meet up and share knowledge,
THE FRUITION OF agreement with my message that it is important
for engineers to actually see the fruition of their
advice and support. It would be great if all
our regional groups could run at least one
THEIR DESIGNS designs, in order to better understand how mentoring session per year!
As an Institution, we have commenced
work, through our committees, Council and
Board, on how we can improve support to
FIGURE 2:
Presenting awards candidates and members traversing the
to students of non-standard routes through professional
Toronto Metropolitan
membership. I look forward to an updated
University at Toronto
– Ontario Regional ‘passport to practice’ document offering clear
Group event routes and guidance.

Humbled by enthusiasm
As I continue to balance the day job of co-
directing my engineering practice, Subteno,
and the Presidency of this great Institution,
I am humbled by the enthusiasm and the
quality of people that I have met so far this
year. I very much look forward to the next
six months.
Handing out certificates and awards at the
annual People and Papers Awards (Figure 3)
and signing so many membership certificates
is a wonderful honour.
Finally, thank you! Thank you to all of our
regional group committee members, Council,
Board, task groups, special interest groups,
committees and panels, and contributors
of papers and presentations. You make this
Institution what it is. Finally, thank you to all of
our staff in Bastwick Street for your hard work
and dedication.
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Feature Regenerative principles in practice

Learning from living

systems – regenerative
principles in practice
The concept of regenerative design
OLIVER BROADBENT JAMES NORMAN started to gain popularity with built
MChem, MEng, FRSA MEng, PhD, CEng, MICE, FHEA environment professionals around
1851 Regenerative Design Fellow and Director, Professor of Sustainable Design, University of the time of the publication of the
Constructivist Ltd, Bristol, UK Bristol, UK 2019 Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) report1. At
that time, more and more structural
engineers and other designers began
SYNOPSIS realising that aiming to be sustainable
– to meet the needs of today without
In this article, Oliver Broadbent and James Norman explore compromising the needs of tomorrow –
the concept of regenerative design and its goal of ensuring is not enough to tackle the climate and
biodiversity emergency.
that humans and living systems can survive, thrive and co- The goal of regenerative design goes
evolve. The authors explain how structural engineers can further than simply meeting our needs2.
The goal of regenerative design is for
learn from the living world to inform the mindsets that should humans and living systems to survive,
guide their designs. The article considers three characteristics thrive and co-evolve. In other words,
of thriving living systems, and uses these to propose five ways that every time we design a building,
the living world – which includes us –
in which structural engineers can start to change the way they becomes healthier. In short, that our
design to shift the built environment system towards this new work leads to greater thriving, not less.
At the time of writing, 450 firms
regenerative goal. worldwide have signed up to the
Structural Engineers Declare statement
(www.structuralengineersdeclare.com/),
which contains two commitments
to regenerative design. But while
regenerative principles have been
applied in other disciplines, such as
agriculture and medicine, for some time,
their application in the design of the built
environment is relatively new.
It is important to recognise that
while the goal of regenerative design
may sound good in theory, some
readers may feel it has little to do with
their day jobs. Others may support the
goal of regenerative design but not feel
they have the agency to make change in
their projects.
In either case, while it may not be
immediately obvious, regenerative
design is likely to impact all our work in
future. For example, once clients start
to get concerned about biodiversity net-
gain as well as zero-carbon targets, it is
likely they will demand more regenerative
ëFIGURE 1: approaches in their design briefs. And
Process of if you work for a company that has
continuous,
place-based signed the Structural Engineers Declare
design statement, then your organisation has
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YES MAKE
already made a board-level commitment
to adopting regenerative principles.
So, how do we turn the idea of
regenerative design into reality? The best
guide we can find to being regenerative
is to look at how living systems behave.
Structural engineers learning from the
living world is nothing new. Just as
through biomimicry we seek to learn
from the incredible structures that living
systems build, in regenerative design
we can learn from how living systems
operate, creating the conditions for
thriving within the limits of what the
ecosystem can sustain.
Using this living system template, we
can start to think about what buildings
and communities might look like in a
world in which humans and the living
world are surviving, thriving and co-
evolving, and how we might go about
designing them. And from there, how
might the industry that we operate in
– from design codes to supply chains –
AIMING TO BE SUSTAINABLE
IS NOT ENOUGH TO TACKLE
THE CLIMATE AND
BIODIVERSITY EMERGENCY
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Regenerative principles in practice
need to be organised to design in this
way? And above all, what should be the
mindsets guiding our design work to
meet this goal?
In this article, we consider three
characteristics of thriving living systems,
and use these to propose five ways
in which we can start to change
the way we design to shift our built
environment system towards this new
regenerative goal.
Learning from living systems
Living systems share in common three
characteristics that we can learn from.
High degrees of connectivity
Living systems are highly interconnected,
enabling feedback from one part of the
system to easily be communicated to
another. These feedback loops, backed
up by multiple levels of redundancy,
enable living systems to operate
within material and energy limits and
to respond when a part of the system
becomes damaged and needs repair.
Use of renewable energy
and materials
Living systems use renewable sources
of energy and materials, with the waste
becoming the input for other processes.
This process is generative, creating
11
Feature
FIGURE 2: The Ark in Hither Green,
London, used Y-branch structural supports
to create a shelter that could facilitate social
distancing and provide outdoor seating for
patrons of local businesses during Covid-19
richer and richer environments over time,
all within ecosystem limits.
The capacity to self-organise
and adapt
Living systems self-organise and adapt,
using simple rules and patterns to
respond to environmental changes.
Coupled with their high degree of
interconnection, this capacity to adapt
enables living systems to become highly
adapted to the specific environmental
niche that they inhabit.
Changing the way we design
To create a thriving world for ourselves
and all living things, we argue that
we need to use these characteristics
to guide how we design. So, here are
five things we can do to apply these
ideas in practice.
Practise continuous,
place-based design
The living systems we work in are
inherently complex. As such, it is
impossible to fully predict how they will
respond to the changes we make when
we design something. Recognising
this complexity is key to understanding
how we need to intervene if we want
to design in a way that truly enhances
the living world. Rather than treating
Feature Regenerative principles in practice
THE DESIGN NEEDS TO
EVOLVE WITH THE NEEDS
OF THE PLACE, IN
RESPONSE TO THE
FEEDBACK THAT ALL THE
ELEMENTS OF THAT PLACE
ARE PROVIDING
design as a process with fixed start and
end points that we do in lots of different
places, we should see it as an ongoing
relationship with a specific place. We
call this continuous, place-based design
(Figure 1).
To a certain extent, an engineer on
a framework with a large institution or
local government is already engaged in
continuous, place-based design. What
is necessary for regenerative design is
that the design needs to evolve with the
needs of the place, in response to the
feedback that all the elements of that
place are providing.
A continuous, place-based design
relationship enables the designer
to embrace the complexity and
interconnectedness of the living systems
we work in and see design as an
ongoing, iterative process in that place.
See the wider interconnection
By tracing the origin of all the materials
we use, we can gain a deeper
understanding of the far-reaching
impact of our designs. It’s not enough
to create systems that thrive in one
place while depleting resources from
another. For instance, adding a green
roof to a building to support insect
habitats is meaningless if the project’s
supply chain has destroyed more
insect habitats somewhere else in the
process. It’s crucial to acknowledge the
interconnectedness of our actions.
Expedition Engineering’s work,
supported by an Institution of Civil
Engineers R&D grant, to develop a
measure of embodied biodiversity
exemplifies this holistic approach.
This initiative expands our perspective
beyond the living world we can see, to
encompass the places we cannot.
Build material abundance
The construction industry’s supply chain
relies heavily on extracted materials. But
what if our industry shifted from a model
of depletion to one of abundance? With
the right approach, humans can work
with living systems to create a thriving
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August 2023 | thestructuralengineer.org
environment that provides renewable
resources in abundance. This approach
is known as symbiosis.
To create abundance, we must
draw upon a range of strategies.
Some of these lie in the past, such as
rediscovering traditional techniques
for using local materials. Others are
emerging technologies, such as bio-
based technologies or the reuse of the
abundant materials that already exist in
the build environment.
A great example of abundance in
action is Yes Make (www.yesmake.
co.uk), a London-based organisation
that specialises in repurposing felled
street trees for construction (Figure 2).
Instead of seeing the trees as a waste
stream, it saw an opportunity to create
abundance. Yes Make works with local
communities to process the timber,
building material literacy in the process.
It is now using 3D-scanning technology
to create a digital model of tree crowns,
which it can use as connections in
more complex structures. By combining
cutting-edge technology with a waste
stream, Yes Make is creating an
abundant resource.
Aim to intervene higher in the system
If we think of sustainability as being
largely focused on projects, regenerative
design focuses on the sum total of
our actions across the wider built
environment. From rules and regulations
that guide how we design, to the
commercial agreements we enter; from
planning guidance to how we educate
engineers, these higher-level factors all
govern the design decisions we make on
an individual project.
To truly transform the built
environment industry, we need to
intervene at this higher level, seeking to
change the way the industry operates.
Structural engineers at all levels are
already taking active steps to create
guidance, educational resources and
regulations around decarbonisation, and
we can do the same to work towards
our regenerative goal.
But we can also make a difference at
the individual project level by identifying
and chipping away at the barriers
that prevent projects from achieving
regenerative potential and translating
approaches from one project to the
next. By asking critical questions, we
can help shift the industry toward a more
regenerative approach to design.
Be guided by a regenerative mindset
The climate crisis is a crisis of the
imagination3. We see three mindsets that
we can adopt to help unlock us from
12
our current ways of thinking and help us
imagine a regenerative future.
| I nterdependence – recognising
and valuing the deep interconnection
between us and the living world
that supports us and that can help
us thrive.
| A bundance – seeing the
potential for renewable sources of
energy, materials, collaboration, trust
and care.
| E mergence – understanding that
to co-evolve with the living world, we
must work with it rather than control it.
When we start to see the world through
these lenses, we begin to recognise that
regenerative design is not just something
in the future, but something that is already
happening when you know how to spot
it. As the author William Gibson said, ‘the
future is already here. It’s just not evenly
distributed’4.
Conclusion
To conclude, we see the job of the
regenerative structural engineer as
holding a vision for what it would mean
to build in a way that left the human
and living world healthier. And then
collaborating with others to create
the transition to a regenerative way of
working: by changing how we design; by
reconfiguring how we organise ourselves
in industry; and by shifting our mindsets
so that we can be guided by the better
world we want to build.
Sign up to the Regenerative
Design Lab
Oliver Broadbent is co-leader of the
Constructivist Regenerative Design
Lab. Apply to join the next cohort
at https://constructivist.co.uk/
regenerative-design-lab/.
REFERENCES
1) Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (2019) Global
Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special
Report [Online] Available at: www.
ipcc.ch/sr15/ (Accessed: July 2023)
2) Constructivist (2023) The Goal of
Regenerative Design [Online] Available
at: https://constructivist.co.uk/
the-goal-of-regenerative-design/
(Accessed: July 2023)
3) Hopkins R. (2019) From What Is to
What If, Chelsea, VT: Chelsea Green
Publishing
4) Gibson W. (1999) All Tomorrow’s
Parties, New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Circular economy and reuse:
guidance for designers
This publication comprises four parts,
and provides actionable guidance for
incorporating circular principles on
engineering projects; enabling structural
engineers to take the initiative on this
critical transition by leading clients and
project teams through the process.

Available now:
istructe.org/resources/guidance/circular-economy
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 Feature Regenerative principles for structural engineers

Regenerative design for

building engineering:
the role of the
structural engineer
Introduction
WILL ARNOLD PHIL ISAAC The regenerative principles outlined
CEng, FIStructE CEng, FIStructE by Oliver Broadbent and James
Head of Climate Action, Institution Director & Co-founder, Simple Works, Norman in this issue (page 10) include
of Structural Engineers, London, UK London, UK
understanding and responding to our
social and ecological impacts across
complete systems (i.e. the entire supply
SYNOPSIS chain), ending our resource depletion
and waste creation by moving to create
The principles of regenerative design take an abundance of useful materials, and
inspiration from the ways that living systems FIGURE 1: At
Ruhehe Primary using our work to influence others
have evolved over time to thrive on our planet, School in Rwanda, the
project brief aimed
and drive our industry to be a positive
contributor to the planet. If we are to
creating net-positive outcomes for people and to maximise local
benefits by using local create wholly positive projects in the
nature. This article will attempt to show how we, labour, developing
local skills and using
future, as described by the authors,
then we will need to see the purpose
as structural engineers, can put some of these local materials (such
as volcanic stone for of construction itself transform to be
regenerative principles into practice today, by feature walls), with
timber scaffolding
regenerative – it just isn’t possible to
design fully regeneratively within the
highlighting examples that demonstrate some subsequently
current system.
repurposed as fencing
of these attributes. and play equipment However, there are many things that
we can do today on projects to lay the
groundwork for a regenerative future.
We know from history that grassroots
change drives what is deemed ‘possible’
and even ‘acceptable’ by those in
control of the wider political and
economic systems. As such, we believe
that it is important that today’s structural
engineers understand what aspects of
regenerative design could be applied
here and now.
For the purposes of this article, we will
focus on four areas:
| d
 esigning for place
| c
 ircularity and reuse
| m
 aterial choices
| k
 nowledge transfer.

We will elaborate on each of these

and include some specific examples,
although it should be noted that
currently we lack examples that can be
considered exemplars in all four areas
MASS DESIGN GROUP

at once.

Designing for place

As structural engineers, we are
concerned with the design and
specification of structural materials,
but too often we remain disconnected
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 Regenerative principles for structural engineers Feature

from the place we are designing in or FIGURE 2: To add 13

the materials we are specifying. We fail storeys to an existing
16-storey building,
to heed Gustav Eiffel’s famous words: HYLO’s engineers
‘The engineer […] should be warned that back-analysed
when [their] machine is put to work, it is existing structure and
redirected load paths
not only a part of a mechanical, but of a
social system.’
In a regenerative context, we need to
understand the wider connection and
impact of our design decisions along
the entire supply chain – the so-called
‘second site’ – understanding the
impact on people and nature of material
extraction, element manufacture,
installation on site, and so on. Positive
impacts could come in the form of
nature restoration, pollution absorption,
and helping to ensure fair wages, a
political voice, and equitable education.
To have a bigger say in ensuring our
designs address the needs of the
communities we serve – whether
it’s those on site or throughout the
supply chain – we must engage such
communities in our processes to create
vested interests in doing good. (For

JAN FRIEDLEIN / AKT II

further discussion of this idea, see the
article by Emma Crichton on page 33.)
Eladio Dieste exemplified structural
innovation and designing for place by
pushing the possibilities of local materials
through careful use of structural form.
Dieste developed his work in Uruguay,
a country with limited material resources.
His strong understanding of what the
local workforce could achieve with local (and found in abundance lying by the Atelier One used arches and anticlastic
materials led him to embrace double roadside), was used as a structural gridshells to enable the use of locally
curvature on his projects to unlock material to form the school’s main sourced bamboo as the primary
the use of reinforced and prestressed feature walls. structural material of the gymnasium’s
local brickwork to achieve what others In the 1980s, Walter Segal developed roof, along with local labour for the
thought only possible with concrete, a method for self-build for the build. The project was joint winner
but at a lower cost. This resulted in construction of two housing estates of the Supreme Award for Structural
Dieste being hired to apply his inspiring in London (Walter’s Way and Segal Engineering Excellence in 20222.
structural forms to warehouses, bus Close). The design responded to the
shelters and petrol stations – buildings needs of this place by minimising the Circularity and reuse
rarely associated with eye-catching form! use of wet trades (to aid the use of Retrofit projects, and those using
At the Ruhehe Primary School in unskilled labour, and facilitate future reclaimed materials, avoid the
northern Rwanda (Figure 1), MASS upgrades) and was based entirely associated generation of waste,
Design Group stretched the project around locally available standard timber resource depletion, and emissions.
brief to maximise local benefits sizes to reduce waste. A decade later, While this may sound like the ‘less
throughout the design and construction the principles were replicated for the harm’ associated with sustainability (as
process. The design was undertaken Nubia Way development, London’s first opposed to the ‘more good’ associated
in collaboration with the African Design black self-build housing co-operative with regenerative design), there is clearly
Centre, training 10 fellows in architecture in Lewisham, Southeast London. The potential for reuse to result in zero harm,
and engineering in a country lacking in project responded directly to the needs a strong foundation to enable other
design professionals. The construction of the local community by being set aspects of a project to lead to net-
process was designed to maximise local up in a way that allowed working-class positive outcomes.
labour and advance local construction tenants to buy a stake in their housing To achieve this, we must push
skills, providing training in carpentry and using labour in place of cash. Many of beyond partial reuse and close the loop
masonry to 30 women, in an industry those who joined and built their own entirely. Currently, only a fraction of our
dominated by men. Safety standards timber houses in this project ended profession are designing structures
(such as the use of scaffolding) were up getting new qualifications or jobs for genuine disassembly, and even
increased and embraced as MASS in construction1. fewer of us are designing for future
took time to work with the locals to help A grander-scale example of disassembly while using reclaimed
them understand the benefits. Local designing in response to place is the structural elements today, something
volcanic stone, previously seen as waste Arc Gymnasium in Indonesia. Here, which needs to rapidly change.
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Feature Regenerative principles for structural engineers
The refurbishment of existing
buildings is nothing new, with many
eye-catching examples around the
world, such as the Argo Factory
in Iran, the Zeitz Museum of
Contemporary Art Africa in South
Africa, and the TWA Hotel at JFK
Airport in New York. The HYLO
building in London joined the Arc
Gymnasium in sharing the 2022
Supreme Award2, for adding 13
storeys to an existing 16-storey
building (Figure 2). This was enabled
by structural engineers at AKT II
back-analysing the existing structure
and redirecting load paths to exploit
existing spare structural capacity. One
wonders already what the next life of
HYLO will be.
There are also a growing number
of engineers and designers using
reclaimed elements in the place of
new materials. The Kristian Augusts
Gate 13 project in Norway3 claims
to be made from 80% reused
components, including concrete
floor plates, gathered from 25
different demolition sites. Pad
foundations at Cuerden Valley Visitor
Centre in the UK are made from old
tyres filled with compacted gravel,
and reclaimed steel elements have
been used on a variety of projects
such as the ARTIS Groote Museum
in Amsterdam, the Olympic Stadium
in London, and several office projects
featured in the March 2023 issue of
The Structural Engineer4.
A number of tools have recently
been developed to support the
industry’s transition to circularity,
such as the ASBP Steel Reuse Toolkit
developed as part of the DISRUPT
project (https://asbp.org.uk/toolkit/
disrupt-steel-reuse), the Regenerate
tool by Sheffield University (https://
urbanflows.ac.uk/regenerate/), and
the Arup Circular Building Toolkit
(https://ce-toolkit.dhub.arup.com).
The institution’s new guide Circular
economy and reuse: guidance for
designers5 brings practical guidance
on material reuse to the structural
engineering community.
IT’S WORTH CONSIDERING
NOT JUST WHAT IS
WITHIN YOUR ZONE OF
CONTROL, BUT WHAT
YOU COULD INFLUENCE
MORE BROADLY
NICK CAVILLE / BDP
FIGURE 3: UEA Material choices
Enterprise Centre To ensure net-positive impacts along our
utilised locally
sourced timber materials’ journeys from source to site,
we need to work more closely with our
supply chains. Biogenic materials (e.g.
timber, hemp, straw) sequester carbon
from the atmosphere and could feasibly
be manufactured into structural materials
without emitting any greenhouse gases
at all. They could also lead to broader
net-positive outcomes if planted with this
in mind – increasing local biodiversity,
providing local resilience against flooding
and landslides, or enhancing soil
nutrients as cover crops.
Designing with reclaimed materials
(e.g. deconstructed steel frames or
secondary cross-laminated timber) along
with abundant unprocessed materials
(e.g. earth, stone) can also help avoid
the emissions and pollution we associate
with construction, and draw down on
the levels of waste our industry (sadly)
takes for granted. Perhaps one day our
concretes and steels will even evolve to
present similar benefits.
Identifying what is of most benefit
means asking what is abundantly
available – this could be an underused
low-strength timber, waste rubble from
nearby projects, or earth that has to be
excavated to enable site access. As a
starting point for new projects, we’d
challenge engineers to ‘think local’ and
work out from there.
The University of East Anglia
Enterprise Centre (Figure 3) uses locally
sourced timber taken from Thetford
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Forest, following discussion between
engineers BDP and the local industry,
which was previously using the wood
for fencing6. The YesMake example
given by Broadbent and Norman uses
trees that needed to be felled for other
reasons (such as damage or disease) –
making use of this wood structurally is
a positive move when compared with
the alternative scenarios of burning it or
turning it into cardboard.
Combining biogenic materials with
modern construction technologies
presents further opportunities still. UK
pioneers ModCell created a panelised
system made up of a timber frame and
straw bales, offering the benefits of
modular construction, local sourcing and
bio-based materials in one go. There
are more than 30 examples of built
structures, from houses to warehouses
(www.modcell.com/projects/), and the
ModCell system was used in a new-
build facility, The Nucleus at Hayesfield
Girls’ School (Figure 4), featured in The
Structural Engineer in October 20147. A
similar cassette-based system has since
been developed by Natural Building
Systems (https://naturalbuildingsystems.
com/), using hemp-composite within
a plywood and oriented strand board
cassette for both walls and floors.
Knowledge transfer
A regenerative system should continue
to thrive once the initial team has
moved on. Knowledge transfer can
play a big part in enabling this, often
overlapping with the principles described
earlier under Designing for place. The
engineer should ask how their structure,
construction methods and materials
can empower those connected with
the project, from the design team to
the local community. This includes
sharing knowledge with the global
profession around how they designed
regeneratively, and what lessons they
learned along the way.
Finding time to run project debriefs,
write up our work, and coach others
(both in education and the workplace,
including our ‘competitors’*) should be
treated as an investment in our future.
This all seeks to change the system
and context that we work in, enabling
the global construction industry to
accelerate towards a regenerative future
more quickly.
Many of the projects discussed in
this article ensure a more regenerative
future by passing on skills and
knowledge to others. The IStructE’s
*Treating the broader industry as competitors is clearly
a barrier when we know that knowledge-sharing fosters
innovation and progress.

recent activities on climate change are
a similar cross-industry example, as is
the CROSS (Collaborative Reporting
for Safer Structures; www.cross-safety.
org) scheme and the way safety has
improved as a result. The speed of
change seen in the profession has only
been possible because companies and
individuals have been willing to share
their knowledge so freely.
On many projects, major international
consultancies are hired to work
alongside (typically smaller) in-country
firms, facilitating a two-way transfer of
knowledge and experience. Following
the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse in
Bangladesh, engineers at Arup designed
a methodology for carrying out structural
safety assessments on garment factories
across the country, and worked directly
with local engineers to enable the
inspection of more than 3700 factories8.
This kept a critical industry moving (the
Bangladeshi garment industry employs
more than four million people, including a
significant number of women), but more
importantly, it also upskilled an industry
in safe structural design.
Similarly, La Référence school in Haiti,
by Eckersley O’Callaghan, prioritised
collaboration and learning with local
engineering and construction teams9.
All documentation and processes were
designed to develop local understanding
of structural behaviour and became
educational tools for future replication.
Influence of the
regenerative engineer
An issue for some engineers is the belief
that many of these things are outside
their zone of influence. It’s therefore
MODCELL
Regenerative principles for structural engineers
worth considering not just what is within
your zone of control (e.g. specification
of materials for the primary structure or
options for the foundations), but what
you could influence more broadly (e.g.
the client’s regenerative aspirations).
For a project to be regenerative, this
needs to be a fundamental aspiration
from the beginning. Our greatest
opportunity to positively influence comes
right at the start, so this could mean
only working with clients who share your
regenerative aspirations and refusing
projects that don’t. Otherwise, it could
mean initiating a conversation with
the wider design team at the project’s
inception, so you start on the right
track. Long-term, the best opportunities
come from relationships built on mutual
understanding and shared values, so
finding clients aligned with these values
is likely to pay dividends.
Changing mindsets and working
practices means embedding a culture of
regenerative thinking within practices. To
enable this, opportunities for everyone
to input ideas and share knowledge
should be created. Ensuring that junior
and senior staff all have an equal say,
running external workshops with local
communities, and cross-industry
knowledge-sharing mid-project all help
others to understand how to move
towards more regenerative principles
and foster a culture of sharing.
Summary
If funders, developers and policy-makers
are going to feel empowered to make
radical changes to their policies to move
towards a more regenerative future,
then it is up to practising designers to
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Feature
show them how this could be achieved.
Today’s ‘less harm’ mentality is struggling
to even tackle the single problem of
carbon emissions, and yet we know that
this is intertwined with issues around
biodiversity, social equity and safety. By
being ambitious, fostering long-term
relationships and sharing knowledge, we
hope that we can show a glimpse of the
future in each of today’s projects, and
bring others along on this journey to help
us to take bigger steps on the next.
REFERENCES
1) Ponsford M. (2019) ‘We had to
fight the NF’: but can London’s first
black housing co-op survive latest
threat? [Online] Available at: www.
theguardian.com/cities/2019/sep/09/
we-had-to-fight-the-nf-but-can-
londons-first-black-housing-co-
op-survive-latest-threat (Accessed:
July 2023)
2) Institution of Structural Engineers
(2022) ‘Structural Awards 2022:
Awards special’, The Structural
Engineer, 100 (11), pp. 27–54; https://
doi.org/10.56330/JCTO9260
3) Mad arkitekter, FutureBuilt,
Entra ASA (s.d.) Reuse and
transformation. Findings report: KA13
- Kristian Augusts gate 13 [Online]
Available at: https://files.mad.
no/s/9GpiRzXcs3s9GFi (Accessed:
July 2023)
FIGURE 4: Nucleus
4) The Structural Engineer (2023)
101 (93), pp. 1–52; https://doi.
building at Hayesfield
Girls’ School utilised org/10.56330/WHBA7859
ModCell’s panelised
system of timber frame
5) Gowler P. et al. (2023) Circular
and straw bale economy and reuse: guidance for
designers, London: IStructE Ltd
6) McNamara M. (2021) ‘Nature’s
invention: The Enterprise Centre,
University of East Anglia’, The
Structural Engineer, 99 (5), pp. 32–36;
https://doi.org/10.56330/XUDD2184
7) Pelly R. and Mander T. (2023) ‘The
Nucleus at Hayesfield Girls’ School,
Bath: achieving low embodied
carbon using renewable material’,
The Structural Engineer, 92 (10),
pp. 12–18
8) Arup (2023) Development of a
methodology for assessing the
structural safety of textile factory
CRAIG AUCKLAND / FOTOHAUS
buildings in Bangladesh [Online]
Available at: www.arup.com/projects/
structural-safety-assessments-
of-textile-factory-buildings-in-
bangladesh (Accessed: July 2023)
9) Institution of Structural Engineers
(2019) ‘Structural Awards 2019:
Award for Sustainability’, The
Structural Engineer, p. 48; https://doi.
org/10.56330/HPQA8185
Climate action Geotechnics and sustainability
2. Low carbon
Geotechnics and
sustainability: a short guide
Andy Smith presents some project-related objectives that geotechnical and structural engineers can use
to improve the sustainability of a project’s foundations.
Introduction
The construction sector has a key role to play
in achieving the UK government’s target of
reaching net zero in greenhouse emissions
by 2050, with construction and the built
environment accounting for 40% of global
greenhouse gas emissions1.
Foundations represent a proportion of these
emissions, with the relative amount varying
depending on the ground conditions, the project
and the foundation requirements. Construction
clients, designers, geotechnical companies, and
also their supply chains, have a notable part to
play in reducing global emissions1.
This situation is recognised and supported
by Curtins, which is making important steps to
reduce the environmental impact of its business
and of projects.
Assessment of the lifecycle of carbon
is becoming an increasingly important
environmental systems analysis tool in the
construction sector. Given many geotechnical
processes such as earthworks and ground
improvement are highly energy- and resource-
intensive, geotechnical works can play an
important role in increasing the sustainability
of building construction practices and moving
towards net zero, in close partnership with
structural and civil engineering methods.
Various papers describing topics and
objectives where geotechnical engineering can
contribute to improving the sustainability of a
project are summarised in Table 1.
From this table it is evident that sustainable
geotechnics is an evolving sub-discipline of
geotechnical engineering that covers a wide
area ranging from improved construction
practices and energy geotechnics to retrofitting
and reuse of foundations.
This article aims to provide some project-
related objectives that can be used by both
geotechnical and structural engineers to
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improve the sustainability of a project. These
objectives follow key elements of the IStructE’s
low-carbon design hierarchy: ‘build nothing,
build less, build clever, build efficiently and
minimise waste’9.
It should be noted that, as sustainable
geotechnics encompasses a wide range of
topics, this article cannot cover all the areas
related to geo-sustainability. Some of the
important topics not covered in detail include
sustainable site characterisation, geohazard
mitigation, geothermal energy foundations,
geo-structures for wind and solar energy,
sustainable use of underground space,
carbon sequestration, and ethical practices in
geotechnical engineering. Readers may find
further information about these subjects in the
papers listed in Table 1.
Objectives
The objective of this article is to provide
information on areas to improve the
sustainability of a project from a geotechnical
perspective, including:
1) increased scope of site investigation and
improved project planning
2) optimised foundation design (ground
improvement, reuse of foundations)
3) improved accuracy in setting out
4) reappraisal of foundation design with
further testing
Box 1. Vastint MU3a –
Phase 1 (Vastint)
| C
 urtins undertook pile calculations
to demonstrate that piles would be
acceptable at half the lengths proposed
by the piling contractor, based on results
of further ground investigation and
geotechnical analysis.
| W
 e worked closely with the piling
contractor who agreed that the proposal
was acceptable.
| T
 he proposal saved the client significant
costs as well as being more sustainable.

5) use of materials with a reduced
embodied energy
6) reuse of soils on site.
These elements are often interchangeable,
but are discussed individually in this article for
ease of reference.
Increased scope of site investigation and
better project planning
Geotechnical engineers have long bemoaned
the lack of appropriate fees and time for
comprehensive site investigations, with
the consequences of a quick and basic
site investigation ranging from increased
cost and delay in construction to possible
structural failures.
A comprehensive investigation can also lead
to a more efficient and sustainable design, as it
may allow less conservative geotechnical design
parameters to be used at detailed design stage.
This will likely also lead to cost savings, resulting
in an ‘everybody wins’ scenario.
To reach this positive result, it is crucial
that investigations are properly planned in full
coordination with the relevant parties (structural
engineer, architect, client) to ensure they are
specific to project requirements.
A Phase One Risk Assessment (desk
study) is essential before any site investigations
are carried out to allow proper understanding
of anticipated ground conditions, ground
risks and geotechnical design requirements.
Initial recommendations for any sustainable
methods of construction can be included
where appropriate.
It is important to note that desk studies and
site investigations are usually carried out at early
stages of the project, often before contractor
appointment or formal structural design.
Multiple stages of investigation may therefore be
necessary to fill in any gaps and account for any
changes in design.
At Curtins, we have the capacity to do in-
house site investigations, which are fully planned
in coordination with our civil and structural
engineering teams during the lifetime of the
(c) CON-FORM / SOURCE: BRE IP 11/10
Geotechnics and sustainability
A COMPREHENSIVE
INVESTIGATION CAN
LEAD TO A MORE
EFFICIENT AND
SUSTAINABLE
DESIGN
project. Where structural engineers do not
have this in-house knowledge, a geotechnical
engineering consultant should be appointed
to manage the process and be the point of
contact.
Optimised foundation design
Once a detailed site investigation has
been carried out, it may be possible
to optimise foundations by avoiding
overdesign resulting from lack of knowledge
of the ground conditions or soil properties.
An example is presented in Box 1, where the
existing pile design was optimised following
further site investigation through drilling of
deeper boreholes and in-depth geotechnical
analysis.
A design can also be optimised by using
alternative, innovative foundation types,
e.g. by ground improvement, which may
allow piles to be removed from the project
altogether (Figure 1)10.
Ground improvement solutions generally
provide the most cost-effective and
environmentally friendly foundation solution
when dealing with poor ground. As many of
the techniques contain no cement, concrete
or steel, the carbon footprint is much less than
that of comparable piling schemes.
Reusing existing foundations11 may
also become more a favourable option once
ground conditions are known so that the load-
carrying capacity of the existing foundations
can be confirmed.
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Climate action
Use of better accuracy in setting out the
construction (site presence)
Having assistance and a site presence from
the appointed structural or geotechnical
engineer in setting out can help minimise errors
by the groundworks contractor in sizing and/
or forming foundations. This can help reduce
waste (and therefore carbon) on the project.
For example lightweight building systems,
such as structural insulated panels, could
potentially be founded on much narrower
trench fill foundations, given accurate setting
out of the excavations.
A site-based engineer can also
provide immediate support with regards to
unexpected ground conditions so that designs
can be altered quickly.
Reappraisal of foundation design with
further testing
When geotechnical recommendations have
been made on a project through issue of
a geotechnical interpretative report (GIR)
and geotechnical design report (GDR), these
details are sometimes not revisited later in the
project lifetime.
This means that geotechnical
recommendations at early RIBA stages are
used throughout the lifetime of the project,
including for detailed design. This is overly
conservative.
We must refine and evolve geotechnical
designs throughout a project using
appropriately applied factors of safety
to counteract the ground variability and
uncertainty. This may help to reduce
conservatism and therefore increase the
sustainability of the project.
This is likely to require further site
investigation and monitoring throughout
the later stages of the project, the
results of which can be used to update
the foundation design at these later
design stages. Advice from geotechnical
engineering specialists should also be
sought to determine whether any changes
to the original designs are required.
ëFIGURE 1: Representation
of system of ground
improvement (right) as
alternative to piles10
Climate action Geotechnics and sustainability

Table 1: Summary of sustainability objectives from selected papers

Long et al. (2009)2 Pantelidou et al. (2012)3

(i) Waste management (i) Energy efficiency and

(ii) Infrastructure development
and rehabilitation
(iii) Construction efficiency
and innovation
(iv) National security
(v) Resource discovery and recovery
(vi) Mitigation of natural hazards
(vii) Frontier exploration and
development
Box 2. The Heights Primary
School, Reading
carbon reduction
(ii) Materials and waste reduction
(iii) Maintaining natural water cycle
and enhancing natural watershed
(iv) Climate change adaptation
and resilience
v) Effective land use and
management
(vi) Economic viability and whole-life
cost
(vii) Positive contribution to society

| S
 pecified use of vibro stone columns
(VSC) for scheme as opposed to deep
piled foundations.
| V
 SC designs were reviewed by Curtins
to ensure correct parameters used.
Sustainability objectives

| W
 orks were supervised on site to
improve accuracy.
| T
 he result was a significant reduction
in embodied carbon.

Use of materials with lower

embodied energy
Consideration of the environmental impact and
appropriate specification of the construction
materials adopted for geotechnical structures
is hugely important in reducing the carbon
footprint of a project.
Alternatives to traditional cement and
concrete include blended cements and
concretes, concretes that store CO2 and
cements made from alternative materials. For
example, ground granulated blast-furnace
slag (GGBS) has been used by major piling
contractors as a cement replacement. Note,
however, that GGBS and other cement
replacements are limited in their usefulness12,13.
With GGBS, the setting time will usually be
extended slightly and it therefore requires
coordination with the contractor.
Ground improvement is another key way
to eliminate or reduce cement usage in
foundation construction. Most consultants
consider ground improvement only applicable
for light structures and maintain that piled
foundations should be used for heavy
structures. However, there are some common
applications where both solutions are
feasible using deep vibro-compaction, vibro- and have a strong preference for a product (Elizabeth line) project was required to have a
replacement (stone columns; Box 2.), wet or that is easy to use in most applications without minimum cement replacement content of 50%.
deep soil mixing, and jet grouting. additional training. Finally, they are subject to If the government could insist that all major
financial, insurance and legal constraints that developers adopt carbon-intensity targets
Barriers to adoption shape how innovative they can be. for their projects, this could trigger profound
One of the key barriers to advances in The solution is likely to be governmental. changes in the market and drive sustainability in
geotechnics (be it use of new materials or ground In its National Infrastructure and Construction the industry.
improvement) is the lack of demand. Clients, Pipeline14, the UK government has set out how The process would likely evolve in this
architects, engineers and contractors are often £650bn of private and public investment will be direction if the Building Regulations incorporated
cautious about using novel building materials, spent over the next 10 years and has already a requirement to limit embodied carbon
perceiving them as too risky, more costly and set ambitious requirements for key infrastructure emissions in construction, as in the Part Z
more difficult to use. They are wary of changes in projects with regards to sustainability. For proposal15. The government’s Construction
a product that has to ensure safety over decades example, the concrete for London’s Crossrail Playbook16 outlines policies around publicly
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20
August 2023 | thestructuralengineer.org
 Geotechnics and sustainability Climate action

Basu et al.4 and Vaníček et al. Basu et al. (2015)6 Taylor (2020)7 EFFC (2022)8
(2013)5

(i) Use of alternative, environmentally
friendly materials in geotechnical
constructions, and reuse of waste
materials
(ii) Innovative and energy-efficient
ground improvement techniques
(iii) Bio-slope engineering
(iv) Efficient use of geosynthetics
(v) Sustainable foundation
engineering that includes retrofitting
and reuse of foundations, and
foundations for energy extraction
(vi) Use of underground space
for beneficial purposes including
storage of energy
(vii) Mining of shallow and deep
geothermal energy
(viii) Preservation of geodiversity
(ix) Environmental protection
including protection of green fields
(x) Geohazard mitigation
(xi) Incorporation of geo-ethics in
practice
(i) Use of alternative, environmentally (i) Retrofitting and reuse of (i) Reuse of materials, e.g. sheet
friendly materials and reuse of foundations and other geotechnical piles, steel piles, demolition
waste materials in geotechnical structures rubble, or existing foundations on
construction (ii) Improvements to intrusive brownfield sites
(ii) Innovative, environmentally investigations to enable foundation (ii) Reducing overconsumption of
friendly and energy-efficient reuse fuel and materials
geotechnical techniques for (iii) Structural movement and/or load (iii) Connecting to the electric grid if
site investigation, construction, monitoring to enable foundation possible
monitoring, retrofitting, ground reuse (iv) Reducing waste, following the
improvement, and deconstruction waste reduction hierarchy
(iii) Retrofitting and reuse of (v) Targeting efficiency
foundations and other geotechnical improvements when replacing or
structures upgrading equipment
(iv) Use and reuse of underground (vi) Education and awareness, e.g.
space for beneficial purposes like educate site teams about energy
pedestrian pathways, public transit, efficiency, designers about whole-
and water distribution system, life carbon and carbon payback
and for storage of energy, carbon periods
dioxide, and waste products (vii) Reducing cement use
(v) Characterisation, analysis,
design, monitoring, repairing,
and retrofitting techniques in
geotechnical engineering that
ensure or contribute to reliability
(robustness and resistance) and
resilience
(vi) Geotechnical techniques
involved in the discovery and
recovery of geological resources
like minerals and hydrocarbons, and
in exploitation of renewable energy
sources, such as shallow and
deep geothermal, solar, and wind
energies
(vii) Geotechnical techniques for
pollution control and redevelopment
of brown fields and other marginal
sites
(viii) Mitigation of geohazards (e.g.
landslides, earthquakes, and blasts)
that also include the effects of
global climate change
(ix) Environmental and
socioeconomic impacts from geo-
activities
(x) Practice of geo-ethics and
geodiversity
(xi) Development of sustainability
indicators and assessment tools in
geotechnical engineering

procured construction projects, and includes
the requirement to include whole-life carbon
assessments within procurement processes.
The Greater London Authority also requires
whole-life carbon assessments on referable
projects in London17.
Geotechnical engineers should be at the
forefront of these changes. The EFFC/DFI
Carbon Calculator18 is a useful tool to compare
different geotechnical concepts, designs and
use of (alternative) materials to determine the
option with the lowest carbon footprint. It is
considered to be a useful starting point.
Reuse of soils on site
One of the main targets of worldwide
environmental policies is to reduce landfilled
waste volumes, and one way to achieve this
reduction is by reusing waste materials.
A variety of waste products can be utilised
in geotechnical constructions5. These products
can be categorised into industrial wastes (e.g.
ash and slag), construction and demolition
wastes (e.g. used bricks, concrete and asphalt),
mining wastes (mine tailings), and other wastes
(e.g. tires, plastics, glass and dredged material).
In addition, naturally occurring soils can
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21
thestructuralengineer.org | August 2023
often be reused both on and off site, taking
into consideration their characteristics and
ensuring that these are compatible with the new
soil application.
Numerous geotechnical and geo-
environmental parameters dictate whether
soil can be reused on sites. In some cases,
geotechnical improvement and/or geo-
environmental treatments are required along with
material management plans.
Curtins has the in-house expertise to support
material reuse, as detailed in Box 3 overleaf.
A detailed Phase One Risk Assessment and
Climate action Geotechnics and sustainability

site investigation, followed by competent cut-
and-fill analysis and an earthworks specification
in accordance with relevant guidance19,20, is
essential to confirm what materials can be
reused on site and in what context.
Conclusions
Geotechnical works can play an important role
in moving towards more sustainable building
construction practices, in close partnership with
structural engineering methods.
This article provides some project-
Box 3. Exchange Square,
Birmingham (value: £120M)
| A
 n earthworks specification combined
with a materials management plan was
utilised to allow 11 000m3 of materials to
be reused on site.
| A
 llowed sustainable construction via
management of excavated materials
which would otherwise have been
destined for landfill.
| R
 euse of site-won materials saved the
client £1.5M.
related objectives that can be used by
both geotechnical and structural engineers
to improve the sustainability of a project.
These include increasing the scope of the
site investigation, optimised foundation
design, improved accuracy in setting out,
reappraisal of foundation design, use of
materials with lower embodied energy and
reuse of soils on site.
It is considered that these objectives can
be achieved through a better understanding
of sustainable approaches to geotechnical
engineering by both geotechnical and structural
engineers. This learning and development
of engineers will be expedited by new
governmental approaches to tackling whole-life
carbon emissions in building projects, including
the setting of mandatory carbon limits.
Andy Smith
BSc (Hons), FGS, CGeol, MCIWEM, RoGEP
Andy is an Associate at Curtins, who leads the
Specialist Geotechnical Department. He has a
wide range of experience in geotechnical
engineering projects related to residential,
commercial and industrial developments
located across the UK and Ireland.

REFERENCES

1) Gibbons O.P. and Orr J.J. (2022) How to
calculate embodied carbon (2nd ed.), London:
IStructE Ltd.
2) Long J.C.S., Amadei B., Bardet J.-P. et al.
(2009) Geological and Geotechnical Engineering
in the New Millennium: Opportunities for Research
and Technological Innovation, Washington,
D.C.: The National Academies Press; https://doi.
org/10.17226/11558
3) Pantelidou H., Nicholson D. and Gaba A.
(2012) ‘Sustainable geotechnics’, In: Burland
J., Chapman T., Skinner H. and Brown M.
(eds.) ICE manual of geotechnical engineering:
Volume I, London: Institution of Civil Engineers,
pp. 125–136
4) Basu D., Misra A., Puppala A.J. and Chittoori
C.S. (2013) ‘Sustainability in geotechnical
engineering’, Proc. 18th International Conference
on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering,
Paris, 2–6 September, pp. 3171–3174
5) Vaníček M., Jirásko D. and Vaníček I. (2013)
‘Geotechnical engineering and protection of
environment and sustainable development’, Proc.
18th International Conference on Soil Mechanics
and Geotechnical Engineering, Paris, 2–6
September, pp. 3259–3262
6) Basu D., Misra A and Puppala A.J. (2014)
‘Sustainability and geotechnical engineering:
perspectives and review’, Can. Geotech. J.,
52 (1), pp. 96–113; https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-
2013-0120
7) Taylor H. (2020) ‘A short guide to reusing
foundations’, The Structural Engineer, 98 (11), pp.
20–23; https://doi.org/10.56330/GYPR7761
8) European Federation of Foundation industry-proposed amendment to UK Building
Contractors (2022) EFFC Sustainability Guides Regulations 2010 [Online] Available at: https://
for Foundation Contractors: Guide No. 1. Carbon part-z.uk/proposal (Accessed: June 2023)
Reduction [Online] Available at: www.effc.
16) UK government (2022) The Construction
org/content/uploads/2022/05/EFFC-Carbon-
Playbook, v.1.1 [Online] Available at: https://
Reduction-Guide_FINAL.pdf (Accessed: June
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/
2023)
uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/
9) Orr J.J., Cooke M., Ibell T.J., Smith C. and file/941536/The_Construction_Playbook.pdf
Watson N. (2021) Design for zero, London: (Accessed: June 2023)
IStructE Ltd
17) Greater London Authority (2022) Whole-life
10) Reynolds T. Lowres F. and Butcher T. (2010) carbon assessments guidance [Online] Available
BRE Information Paper 11/10: Sustainability in at: www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/
foundations: a review, Bracknell: BRE Press implementing-london-plan/london-plan-guidance/
whole-life-cycle-carbon-assessments-guidance
11) Chapman T., Anderson S. and Windle
(Accessed: June 2023)
J. (2007) CIRIA Publication C653: Reuse of
foundations, London: CIRIA 18) European Federation of Foundation
Contractors (2023) EFFC/DFI Carbon Calculator,
12) Poole I., Gabbianelli M., Arnold W. and Orr
v.5 [Online] Available at: www.effc.org/how-
J. (2021) ‘Seeing the bigger picture – industry
we-operate/eco%e2%82%82-foundations/
emissions, your project and the performance gap’,
(Accessed: June 2023)
The Structural Engineer, 99 (10), pp. 8–11; https://
doi.org/10.56330/YZRQ9810 19) Highways Agency (2016) Manual of Contract
Documents for Highway Works. Volume 1:
13) Kelly F. (2023) ‘A review of GGBS use in the
Specification for Highway Works. Series
UK and its role in reducing embodied carbon’, The
600: Earthworks [Online] Available at: www.
Structural Engineer, 101 (7), pp. 24–27; https://doi.
standardsforhighways.co.uk/search/471049cb-
org/10.56330/RGTA3245
7dd8-452a-81e6-fc8af7d31b91 (Accessed: June
14) Infrastructure and Project Authority (2021) 2023)
Analysis of the National Infrastructure and
20) British Standards Institution (2018) BS EN
Construction Pipeline 2021 [Online] Available at:
16907-1:2018 Earthworks. Principles and general
www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-
rules, London: BSI
infrastructure-and-construction-pipeline-2021
(Accessed: June 2023)
15) Arnold W., Den Dekker T., Giesekam J.,
Godefroy J. and Sturgis S. (2022) Part Z: An
@seismicisolation
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22
August 2023 | thestructuralengineer.org
 CSI

Annual academics
conference 2023
8 September 2023 Reasons to attend:
10:00 – 16:00 BST • Assess the current industry expectations for
graduates, and how curricula need to adapt to
meet the demand;
This free hybrid conference explores
how educators can play a critical role • Evaluate where your curriculum sits in relation
in preparing graduate engineers for the to JBM requirements for accreditation by the
shifting working landscape in response Engineering Council;
to the climate emergency. • Hear how teaching design for retrofit and reuse
differs from traditional design;
• Understand what sustainability improvement
Book is and why it is helpful to include a more varied
range of design and construction methods in
a place your curriculum;
now: • Learn how to use embodied carbon
calculations to challenge briefs effectively.

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21445_academics_conf_2023_HP_advert.indd 1 14/07/2023 3:32 pm
Professional guidance Dealing with corruption
Are you equipped to
deal with corruption
in your work?
Catherine and Neill Stansbury of the Global Infrastructure Anti-Corruption
Centre explore the problem of corruption and introduce the anti-corruption
education resources that the organisation offers.
Introduction
Corruption causes significant damage
and undermines the proper functioning
of society. It can have devastating
consequences for individuals and
organisations affected by or involved
in it. Corruption is normally concealed,
and in most cases is not uncovered.
If it is uncovered, it may not be
investigated and prosecuted. If we do
not know the full extent of corruption
that has occurred, then we cannot
quantify the resultant cost. However,
even though an actual figure will never
be known, it is revealing to consider
how significant the cost of corruption
may be if you use assumed figures.
| T  he United Nations and World
Economic Forum have estimated the
global cost of corruption at 5% of
the world’s gross domestic product
(GDP)1. Based on the world’s GDP
for 2022 of US$101tn, this would
equate to over US$5tn per annum
of global stolen funds. (This is more
than the annual GDP of Japan, which
has the world’s third highest GDP
after the USA and China2.)
| T  ransparency International’s
Global Corruption Barometer 2017
recorded that 25% of persons
surveyed worldwide had paid a
bribe in the previous 12 months
to access public services such as
health care and education3.
| In the international construction
sector, the Royal Institution of
Chartered Surveyors in 2021
estimated that, without significant
interventions, by 2030 up to US$5tn
could be lost annually to corruption4.
It is critical, therefore, that effective
steps are taken to prevent corruption
from the outset or, if it occurs, to deal
with it appropriately.
Corruption in the UK
Many people in the UK incorrectly
regard corruption as a problem
which is only encountered when
working outside the UK. This is a
dangerously false assumption. While
the level of corruption may be higher in
many other countries than in the UK,
the UK is not immune. The Grenfell
Tower fire, and the public procurement
of PPE during the Covid pandemic,
have highlighted integrity failures which
are still being investigated. The UK
property market is reputed to provide
safe haven for funds corruptly acquired
in other countries5.
PWC’s Global Economic Crime
Survey 2022 found that, in the UK,
64% of businesses had experienced
corruption or other economic crime
within the past 24 months, a substantial
increase compared with 56% in 2020,
and 50% in 2018. This is higher than
the global rate of 46%, and second only
to rates seen in South Africa6.
The view that the UK is becoming
more, not less corrupt, is reflected
in Transparency International’s
Corruption Perceptions Index 2022,
which records that the UK has fallen
(when compared with the 2021
index) from 11th to 18th in the list
of perceived least corrupt countries,
with a score dropping from 78/100 to
73/100. In 2017, the UK was ranked
eighth with a score of 82/1007.
Long arm of the law
However, while corruption appears to
be increasing in the UK, so is the risk
of prosecution.
| T
 he Bribery Act 2010 enables UK
organisations and nationals to be
prosecuted in the UK for bribery
overseas, and makes the failure of
an organisation to prevent bribery
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24
August 2023 | thestructuralengineer.org
a strict liability offence unless the
organisation can prove that it had
adequate procedures in place to
prevent the offence.
| U
 nder a proposed new UK fraud
offence, an organisation will be
liable where a fraud offence is
committed by an employee or
agent, for the organisation’s benefit,
and the organisation did not
have reasonable fraud prevention
procedures in place.
While prosecutions for corruption in
the UK are still rare, they are occurring.
| T
 wo directors of potato supplier,
Greenvale, paid bribes worth
£4.9M to a Sainsburys’ purchasing
manager in order for Greenvale
to win a supply contract with
Sainsburys at an inflated contract
price worth £40M a year. The bribes
included cash payments, a trip to
the Monaco Grand Prix, and the
payment of hotel bills. In 2012, all
three individuals were convicted of
bribery and sentenced to prison for
between two and four years8.
| S
 ix managers of Solar Energy
Savings ran a £17M fraudulent
scheme to install solar panels which
defrauded 1500 victims, including
vulnerable people. They deceived
customers by representing to them
that, if they bought the panels, they
would recover their costs through
the government’s Feed-In Tariff.
However, this was false, and the
victims lost up to £20 000 each. In
2018, the managers were convicted
for fraud and sentenced to prison
for between three and seven years9.
| T
 he owner of ALCA Fasteners
paid bribes of £293 000 to the
purchasing manager of a customer
in Norway in return for the

purchasing manager placing £12M
worth of contracts with ALCA. The
purchasing manager received a
bribe of 2.5% of the amount paid
by his company to ALCA for each
order. In 2019, the ALCA owner
and purchasing manager were
sentenced to two years prison in the
UK and Norway respectively10.
Dealing with corruption
The infrastructure sector is said to be
one of the most corrupt sectors. It
provides a multitude of opportunities
for corruption. Persons working in
the sector are at some time in their
professional lives likely to be faced
with dilemmas relating to corruption.
Example dilemmas are set out below.
| A s a manager of an organisation,
what do you do if:
you are offered a bribe to award
a contract
your organisation plans to join
a cartel
a senior manager instructs you
to improperly inflate the price in a
payment claim
you discover that your organisation
has undertaken and concealed
defective work
a customs official asks for a small
personal payment to expedite
customs clearance
you suspect that a colleague is
taking bribes from a contractor
in exchange for providing
false approvals?
Each of the above questions
presents one or more of the following
basic questions:
| D
 o you undertake the corrupt act?
| D
 o you try to prevent the corrupt act?
| D
 o you report the corrupt act?
In abstract, it is easy to imagine
that you would make the decision
to do the right thing, i.e. you would
not undertake the corrupt act; you
would, if possible and safe to do so,
try to prevent the corrupt act; and
you would, if safe to do so, report the
corrupt act to your employer or to the
authorities. But, in practice, situations
can be more complicated, and your
decision may be affected by the
circumstances. For example, what if:
| y ou have not received any training
on what is corrupt and so do not
realise that a particular act is corrupt
| y our company is on the brink of
bankruptcy and bearing the cost
of rectifying defective works would
be the final blow (this might make it
tempting to conceal the defects)
Dealing with corruption Professional guidance
| y
 ou are under pressure from to two hours to complete. A
colleagues to participate in a certificate of completion can be
corrupt act and it will affect your printed. It provides more detailed
personal relationships if you do explanation of corruption offences,
not participate and contains 14 ethical dilemmas
| y our colleagues may go to jail if which a person could face while
you report (this may make you working in the infrastructure sector.
reluctant to report) This module is aimed at middle
| y ou are threatened with dismissal and senior management.
if you challenge the cartel plans University Anti-Corruption
of your employer (if you lose your Course – ‘Preventing
job, you may not be able to pay Corruption on Infrastructure
your mortgage) Projects’: This course is
| t he personal safety of you or your intended to form part of an
family is at risk unless you participate undergraduate or postgraduate
in or ignore the corruption? degree or professional
qualification for students who
It is therefore of vital importance are studying subjects relevant
that, as part of their initial training and to the infrastructure sector (e.g.
ongoing professional development, engineering, architecture, project
persons working in the infrastructure management, quantity surveying).
sector are taught: The course is designed to provide
| w
 hat corruption is students with the knowledge to
| h
 ow and why corruption occurs on help them avoid, prevent and deal
infrastructure projects effectively with any corruption
| a
 bout the cost of corruption which they may encounter in their
| h
 ow to avoid and deal later professional lives.
with corruption. | A
 nti-corruption programmes:
For governments: GIACC
GIACC resources has written and published, with
The Global Infrastructure Anti- the Commonwealth Secretariat,
Corruption Centre (GIACC) was the ‘Commonwealth Anti-
established in 2008 to provide Corruption Benchmarks’.
guidance to organisations and The Benchmarks contain
individuals on how to prevent and good practice anti-corruption
deal with corruption. These resources measures designed to help
are available free of charge on governments and public-sector
GIACC’s online Resource Centre organisations assess their anti-
(www.giaccentre.org) and include: corruption laws, regulations and
 orruption information: These
| C procedures against international
sections contain analysis of what good practice, and implement
corruption is, why corruption appropriate improvements.
occurs, how corruption occurs, For organisations: GIACC has
why avoid corruption, liability for published extensive guidance to
corruption, cost of corruption and help organisations implement anti-
hypothetical examples of corruption. corruption measures designed to
| A
 nti-corruption education prevent and deal with corruption.
and training: These measures are consistent
Online Anti-Corruption with ISO 37001.
Training – Short Module: This is For projects: GIACC’s Project
designed to give a brief overview Anti-Corruption System (PACS)
of corruption and the importance is an auditable management
of avoiding any involvement in system designed to assist in
corruption. It takes around 30 the prevention and detection of
minutes to complete. A certificate corruption on major infrastructure
of completion can be printed. projects. It comprises 15 PACS
Professional institutions and Standards which impact on all
organisations can require their project phases, on all project
members and personnel to take participants, and throughout the
the Short Module as part of their project contractual structure.
training requirements. For professional institutions:
Online Anti-Corruption Training GIACC’s Anti-Corruption
– Comprehensive Module: This Programme for Professional
provides more detailed training Institutions is designed to assist
than that provided by the Short a professional institution to play
Module. It takes between one a leadership role in the fight
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25
thestructuralengineer.org | August 2023
Professional guidance Dealing with corruption
against corruption in the countries,
regions and sectors in which it
has interests, and take reasonable
steps to ensure that its members
and employees do not participate
in corruption.
| G
 uidance on dealing with
corruption: This section of GIACC
guidance provides practical
advice on what an organisation or
individual should do if confronted
with corruption. The advice for
individuals contains nine different
corrupt scenarios with which an
individual may be confronted, and
provides guidance on how to react
to the situation, and on what actions
to take after the event.
Catherine Stansbury and Neill
Stansbury are co-founders and
Directors of the Global Infrastructure
Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC).
Further information
For further information, visit
GIACC’s online Resource Centre
(www.giaccentre.org)
or contact GIACC at
https://giaccentre.org/contact/.
Car park
design
The Institution’s Design
recommendations for multi-storey
and underground car parks
has set the standard for car
park design since 1976. After
more than 45 years and four
editions, this brand new guidance
builds on that legacy to provide
completely revised and updated
information for anyone involved
in car park design, construction,
maintenance and reuse.
21446_car_park_design_guide_HP.indd 1
REFERENCES
1) United Nations (2018) Global Cost of Corruption transparency.org.uk/publications/corruption-on-
at Least 5 Per Cent of World Gross Domestic your-doorstep (Accessed: July 2023)
Product, Secretary-General Tells Security Council,
6) PWC (2022) Global Economic Crime Survey
Citing World Economic Forum Data [Online]
2022: UK findings [Online] Available at: www.pwc.
Available at: https://press.un.org/en/2018/
co.uk/services/forensic-services/insights/global-
sc13493.doc.htm#:~:text=The%20World%20
economic-crime-survey-2022-uk-findings.html
Economic%20Forum%20estimates,gross%20
(Accessed: July 2023)
domestic%20product%20(GDP) (Accessed:
July 2023) 7) Transparency International (2022) Corruption
Perceptions Index 2022 [Online] Available at: www.
2) World Bank (2023) GDP: 1960–2022 [Online]
transparency.org/en/cpi/2022 (Accessed: July
Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/
2023)
NY.GDP.MKTP.CD (Accessed: July 2023)
8) BBC (2012) Sainsbury’s potato bribe scam:
3) Transparency International (2017) Global
Three jailed [Online] Available at: www.bbc.co.uk/
Corruption Barometer Series 2017 [Online]
news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-18547086
Available at: www.transparency.org/en/gcb/global/
(Accessed: July 2023)
global-corruption-barometer-2017 (Accessed:
July 2023) 9) Serious Fraud Office (2022) Solar Energy
Savings Ltd [Online] Available at: www.sfo.gov.uk/
4) Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (2021)
cases/solar-energy-savings-ltd/ (Accessed: July
The cost of corruption in construction [Online]
2023)
Available at: www.rics.org/news-insights/wbef/the-
cost-of-corruption-in-construction#: 10) Serious Fraud Office (2021) ALCA Fasteners
~:text=%E2%80%9CWithout%20significant%20 Ltd [Online] Available at: www.sfo.gov.uk/cases/
interventions%2C%20by%202030,in%20 alca-fasteners-ltd/ (Accessed: July 2023)
construction%20across%20the%20
world.%E2%80%9D (Accessed: July 2023)
5) Transparency International (2015) Corruption
on your doorstep: how corrupt capital is used to
buy property in the UK [Online] Available at: www.
Available now:
istructe.org/resources/guidance/car-park-design
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August 2023 | thestructuralengineer.org

Understanding carbon
factors – new guides
available
Jo Spencer of Arup introduces
a series of short guides that will
help practitioners understand
the origins of carbon factors for
key materials.
At Arup, the BIPAS (Buildings and
Infrastructure Priority Actions for
Sustainability) team is a multidisciplinary
group of engineers, funded via the firm’s
internal investment programme. We carry
out research and create resources relating to
sustainability, primarily for use within Arup,
but shared externally when appropriate.
Our objective is to address those areas that
engineers engage with on a daily basis, to
enable them to address sustainability in an
informed and effective manner.
These guides are intended to help
practising engineers understand the origins
of carbon factors for three key construction
materials: steel, timber and concrete. As
engineers, we need to understand how the
carbon factors we use are determined, as
well as the global impact of our decisions.
The documents provide a snapshot of
the industry, highlighting carbon hotspots,
as well as the major opportunities for each
material that will help us on the path to net
zero. The guides will be updated periodically
to reflect industry changes.
In line with our Construction Declares
commitments, Arup has published these
guides externally via the Institution of
Structural Engineers, to reach a wider
audience, and to promote discussion.
What is covered?
Steel
| T he differences between production in
a blast oxygen furnace and an electric
arc furnace.
| F abrication processes and considerations.
| Implications of steel reuse and recycling.
Timber
| T
 he complexities of sustainable forestry
and the importance of biodiversity.
| E
 mbodied carbon associated with
adhesives in both cross-laminated timber
Materials guides
(CLT) and glued laminated timber (glulam).
| A
 pproaches to sequestration, and the
effect this has on carbon calculations.
Concrete
| P
 rocurement and sourcing of cement and
options for replacements.
| F
 ormwork assumptions and the impact on
carbon rates.
| E
 mbodied carbon ranges for cement and
cementitious materials.
Route to net zero
The route to net zero is different for each
material. For example, for concrete there is a
heavy reliance on carbon capture becoming
mainstream, and severe constraints when it
comes to making the right choice for cement
replacements. The key for all materials,
however, is simply to use less.
Get the guides
The three current guides can be accessed
free of charge at www.istructe.org/resources/
guidance/arup-material-guides/. Arup will be
producing further guides to add to this suite.
If you have any comments on the guides
or would like to make suggestions for future
revisions, please contact Jo Spencer CEng,
MICE (jo.spencer@arup.com).
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thestructuralengineer.org | August 2023
Professional guidance
Contributors
Jo Spencer, Leonora Pilakoutas, Tim Snelson,
Andrew Lawrence, Liu Chang, Beth Lockhart,
Clare Perkins, Orlando Gibbons, Lucy Caine,
Cameron Creamer, Eiki Homma, James
Thorneycroft, Yolande Alves de Souza,
Fragkoulis Kanavaris, Magdalena Janota,
Liu Chang, Conor Hayes, George Dalkin,
Rogier van Reen, Ed Hoare.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the following internal and
external industry experts for reviewing the
guides to ensure a relevant and holistic
suite: Ed Hoare, Stuart Smith, Tim Snelson,
Andrew Lawrence, Malcolm Turpin,
Conor Hayes, Ulrike Elbers, Heleni Pantelidou,
Carsten Hein, Chris Carroll, Dominic Munro,
Orlando Gibbons, Eiki Homma,
Grace Di Benedetto (Arup), Will Hawkins
(Bath University), Jane Anderson
(ConstructionLCA), Galina Churkina
(Technische Universität Berlin), John Callanan
(Kloeckner Metals UK), Ryan Roberts (Holcim),
Melanie Jans-Singh (BEIS), Mike de Silva
(Clancy Group), Apostolos Tsoumelekas
(SCS Railways), Paul Astle (Ramboll),
Bahman Ghiassi (Birmingham University),
Gareth Wake (MPA Ready-Mixed Concrete),
Michal Drewniok (Leeds University).
Project focus Eden Project Dundee
Eden Project Dundee
– bringing regenerative
aspirations to life
How does the adoption of a regenerative design process impact on structural engineering
decisions in practice? Helena Russell speaks to the client and designers of the planned
Eden Project Dundee to find out.
The revelation that the Eden Project is
piloting the use of regenerative design
on one of its new outpost projects is
unlikely to stop anyone in their tracks.
This globally recognised educational
charity has long been acknowledged for
its sustainability credentials, since the
original vision of its founders transformed
an abandoned clay quarry in Cornwall
into a visitor attraction aimed at bringing
humans and nature closer together.
Recent moves to export the Eden
Project philosophy and mission to other
parts of the UK – and beyond – have
provided a live project in Scotland on
which the process of regenerative design
is being applied and tested right from
the start.
The aspiration of this ambitious
scheme is to see the 5ha site of the
former Dundee Gasworks brought back
to life in a graphic demonstration of
regeneration – reclaiming contaminated
land in the heart of the city and turning it
into a place where nature can thrive and
communities be built (Figure 1).
Project Engagement Manager
Caishlan Sweeney is happy to describe
Eden Dundee as a demonstration
project, and is enthusiastic about how
the current scheme, which is just about
to take a step up in visibility by entering
the planning process, brings a new
relevance to the founders’ mission.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPLIES
REMAINING STATIC,
WHEREAS WE NEED TO BE
MOVING FORWARD,
REGENERATING AND
REPAIRING THINGS
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August 2023 | thestructuralengineer.org
‘Twenty-two years ago, the Eden
Project was talking about the planetary
emergency and sustainability, and the
need to see ourselves as part of nature
and feel connected to it,’ she explains.
‘But now sustainability means so many
different things to people – some use
the term to refer to being financially
resilient, for others it means going
paper-free; some see it as a core value
for everything their organisation does.
We need to go beyond sustainability and
talk about regeneration. Sustainability
implies remaining static, whereas we
need to be moving forward, regenerating
and repairing things, and making those
regenerative practices sustainable.’
Expedition Associate Director Eva
MacNamara agrees, and explains her
understanding of how sustainable
design and regenerative design differ.
‘Everyone has accepted the UN’s
definition that sustainable development
is “development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their
own needs”. But when you hear that
now, it sounds rather selfish; our thinking
is that the definition of regenerative
development should be “development
that meets the needs of the present
while improving the ability of future
generations of all species to meet their
own needs and the needs of others, and
allows all to thrive”.
‘Suddenly, it’s not just the best
outcome for my project, it’s how it
influences others, how it makes things
better and so on, and that’s really
motivating. I would say that 90% of
the industry is talking about carbon;
biodiversity gets a mention sometimes,
but there are all these other things –
social value, air pollution, populations,
health and wellbeing – that are not
considered. With that regenerative ethos
28
you can keep coming back to the wider
benefits for society.’
Connections to the past
Dundee is one of a number of sites
that Eden Project International has
selected to host a ‘New Eden’ –
schemes described by mothership
Eden Cornwall as ‘our global response
to the planetary emergency’ and in
locations ranging from Foyle in Northern
Ireland to Qingdao in China. Each project
is being developed with teams from
the different areas, responding to local
themes and needs.
Here, the local theme will take
inspiration from the Nine Trades of
Dundee – originally a union of specialist
craftspeople such as shoemakers,
weavers, dyers, butchers and so on,
but reimagined in a more abstract and
inclusive way for the present day. The
modern ‘guilds’ are intended to be a
conduit through which both visitors and
local communities will find a connection
to the Eden Project’s resources and
partners, and be motivated and inspired
to act.
Architect Feilden Clegg Bradley
Studios (FCBS) is leading the design of
the Eden Dundee site, with structural
engineering expertise from Expedition.
The choice of site was made public
in May 2021 when a memorandum of
understanding was signed between
Eden and owners National Grid and
SGN, kicking off a study to explore the
feasibility of converting the site. Since
that time, the focus has been not just on
developing a masterplan for the site, and
exploring options for the main venues,
but also on building partnerships for the
physical delivery of the scheme, and
with communities in the city to build a
storytelling and engagement narrative for
the project.
 Eden Project Dundee Project focus

FIGURE 1: Eden
Dundee aims to reclaim
contaminated land
near city’s docks and
create a place where
nature can thrive and
communities be built

In March 2022, a funding commitment through which coal was tipped from rail
FEILDEN CLEGG BRADLEY STUDIOS

of £7.6M from partners Dundee City
Council, the Northwood Charitable
Trust and the University of Dundee was
announced to cover the planning and
design phases of the project. Eden
Dundee is expected to bring 500 000
visitors a year to the region, provide
£27M to the regional economy and
create 500 jobs. Notwithstanding
unforeseen circumstances – Sweeney
reels off a list including pandemics, wars,
and changes of first ministers and their
manifestos – the opening is scheduled
for 2026.
The site, which sits just east of the
city centre and north of the docks, has
been empty for more than a decade.
Most of the old infrastructure has long
gone, but sufficient traces remain to
point to its industrious past, including a
60m diameter gas holder which creates
an imposing landmark on the site and
could easily accommodate some of the
city’s better-known buildings. The plan
is to morph this steel behemoth into the
‘Lush Bunker’ – the main visitor venue
(Figure 2). At the northern boundary of
the site is a brick terrace with openings
wagons; another trace of history that will
be woven into one of the planned venues.
The tall brick walls remaining around the
site are reminiscent of the walled gardens
of country houses; a ready-made point of
reference for Eden Dundee.
Aside from these physical
traces, the main legacy of the site
is contamination from the former
gasworks; this will be remediated by
the site owners before handover, but
its presence and the restrictions this
currently places on access has some
implications for venue design.
As Sweeney explains: ‘The gas holder
is an unknown at the moment – we’ve
been to visit one in Glasgow that’s the
same type of gas holder, just slightly
smaller. Our team went inside and took
photos – all things being equal it should
be the same as what we are dealing
with, but while it remains unknown, it’s
a challenge. Until you get inside that
beastie, I’m not sure you can really
account for everything.’
Regenerative aspirations
So, it’s fortunate that the regenerative
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thestructuralengineer.org | August 2023
WHAT WE WANT TO SHOW
ON THIS PROJECT IS HOW,
AS A STRUCTURAL
ENGINEER, YOU CAN
INFLUENCE REGENERATIVE
OUTCOMES THAT ARE PART
OF THE BIGGER PICTURE
design process is being applied
to the project; in many ways,
the process has the flexibility to
accommodate uncertainty in a way
that the conventional design process
can’t match.
But it is no coincidence – MacNamara
participated in the first cohort of the
Constructivist Regenerative Design Lab
in 2022 and had already identified the
project as a potential testing ground.
The Regenerative Design Lab (https://
constructivist.co.uk/regenerative-
design-lab/) is a six-month accelerator
Project focus Eden Project Dundee

programme where engineering

professionals learn about regenerative
design principles and support each other
to put them into practice.
‘What we want to show on this project
is how, as a structural engineer, you can
influence regenerative outcomes that
are part of the bigger picture,’ she says.
‘At the Design Lab, we had to pose
ourselves a question; mine was how I
could use bigger projects to seed smaller
projects, and I was thinking about Eden.
It was deeply frustrating as I couldn’t talk
about it at the time!’ she recalls.
Regenerative design goes to the
heart of Eden’s aims and history, agrees

IFEILDEN CLEGG BRADLEY STUDIOS

Sweeney, explaining that Eden’s mission
as a global endeavour is to ‘respect the
natural world, protect the wild spaces
that need to be left alone to thrive, and
to repair damaged spaces that need to
be fixed.’
‘Transformation and regeneration
are at the core of it, and this site really
fits in with that, much more so than the
other sites we looked at. We did a lot
of research and scored all the options
against the same criteria so that we
could really be sure that we were saying
yes to the right place. The history of
this site also lends such a lot to the
stories that we can tell, the journey
and experience we can take people on
across the site. It’s perfect really.’
It also has benefits in terms of the site
and the way the team approaches it, she
adds. ‘We want to be able to challenge
the industry to consider using different
materials; but one drawback is that it
can make planners nervous.’
FCBS Partner Rachel Sayers points
out that the regenerative aspirations
of Eden Dundee extend beyond the
physical environment, making it a truly
holistic endeavour. ‘A key point is that it’s
not just about the building fabric, it’s also
about social and economic regeneration.
Having social regeneration, building
communities and Eden’s very specific
ambition to give people wisdom around
reconnection to the natural world is a
huge thing too.
‘We are looking very closely at what
materials we are going to use, both in
terms of creating lean buildings, and
also taking into account the biodiversity
impact of the materials. We need to
balance our use of materials as far as
we can, reusing as much as possible,
and growing as much as possible, while
overlaying the biodiversity agenda. Using
virgin wood, for example, is not as good
as using recycled timber components.
It is very much more about trying to
tap into available materials, both in
the construction industry, and other
FIGURE 2: Former industries – wind turbine blades or our
gas holder will become disused gas holder, for example.
main visitor venue – the
Lush Bunker ‘You have to map the materials that
you have on the site, close to the site,
in the region and so on. We are talking
to city planners about how they might
share their knowledge of buildings that
are planned to be demolished, and that
we might approach for materials, so we
can help one site avoid waste, and feed
materials back to another.’
But to make this feasible, it is crucial
to build in flexibility at the very early
stages of concept design.
MacNamara explains how this
affects the design process: ‘We do
need to have details tied down as
soon as possible, but because FCBS
are really up for doing this as well, for
Stage 2 phasing we are giving three
different options for what the reclaimed
structure might be, whether it’s steel
beams, a truss, or reused timber.
We are protecting a sufficiently large
structural zone so that options can be
switched in or out much later without
disrupting progress.
YOU HAVE TO MAP THE
MATERIALS THAT YOU
HAVE ON THE SITE, CLOSE
TO THE SITE, IN THE REGION
AND SO ON
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‘We have also pushed really hard,
while being mindful of future flexibility,
to use smaller spans wherever we can.
Longer spans tend to be better for
future flexibility, but we can’t guarantee
it will need to be reused like that – so
smaller spans use less material. It’s
been a brilliant process because FCBS
are really reciprocal – building in that
futureproofing for the circular economy is
really important.’
Sayers adds: ‘We are increasingly
learning the flexibility that comes
from that sort of process, which is a
healthy thing. We are quite used to
having this agility, as we often work
with contractors who might propose
an alternative material for reasons of
speed, for example, but now there is a
bigger calling behind this process. We
know that long spans can be very useful
when thinking about future flexibility of
buildings, but we are finding that a span
of about 6m is often what you get when
reusing materials – after they have been
taken off the building and trimmed down.
Close scrutiny of all decisions against
key principles from the very start of
the scoping process is central to
regenerative design, says MacNamara,
and Eden’s way of working as a client
was well-suited to this. ‘What was
really interesting was that in the early
stages, half of those at design team
meetings were from the Eden Project;
they were the gardeners, the storytellers
and so on, and they spent a long time
trying to pinpoint what they wanted to

A SPAN OF ABOUT 6M IS
OFTEN WHAT YOU GET
WHEN REUSING MATERIALS
– AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN
TAKEN OFF THE BUILDING
AND TRIMMED DOWN
say with the project. What an amazing
opportunity for a structural engineer!
You don’t often witness that birth of a
project in the same way. We could then
say, well, you’ve got this narrative, and
you are talking about the outcomes
of the project, but what about the
construction process? If we really,
collectively believe in a regenerative
purpose, this is what it means to us as
a design team. We’ve challenged that
over and over again.’
High-level principles
Fundamental to a regenerative design
approach from the structural engineering
perspective is application of a set of
high-level principles across the whole
project. These include minimising whole-
life carbon, maximising biodiversity and
social value, maximising opportunities
to support new materials, using
FIGURE 3:
Venue will offer
immersive
experience
telling story of
the carboniferous
forest
Eden Project Dundee
locally sourced materials, and being a
regenerative process. Not all of these
are directly obvious – e.g. being a
regenerative process might include
sharing knowledge (including mistakes)
with the industry for the greater good,
and seeking to establish new methods
– e.g. for procuring materials – where
necessary. And not all of them are easily
done, as MacNamara explains.
‘Very few people talk about how you
can maximise biodiversity benefits as a
structural engineer, do they? Structural
engineers have very little impact on the
biodiversity gain of a site. However, we
specify huge amounts of materials – and
while we now know the carbon impact
of such materials, we don’t really know
the biodiversity impact or how that
changes depending on which material
we specify.
‘For example, how does the
biodiversity of a monocultural timber
HIGH-LEVEL PRINCIPLES INCLUDE MINIMISING
WHOLE-LIFE CARBON, MAXIMISING
BIODIVERSITY AND SOCIAL VALUE, MAXIMISING
OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT NEW MATERIALS,
USING LOCALLY SOURCED MATERIALS, AND
BEING A REGENERATIVE PROCESS
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thestructuralengineer.org | August 2023
Project focus
forest compare with a quarry where
extraction of materials might be
counterbalanced by environmental
improvements? We just don’t have
answers to those kinds of questions,’
she admits. Faced with this fundamental
knowledge gap, she and colleagues at
Expedition successfully applied for an
Institution of Civil Engineers research
and development grant to compile a
framework for measuring the biodiversity
impact of different materials.
‘As an industry, we focused for a
long time on operational carbon, before
realising that embodied carbon can be
much more significant. In the same way,
biodiversity net gain is what we would
consider as “operational” biodiversity
and the “embodied” biodiversity is what
we don’t really understand.’
Expedition’s spin-off research also
neatly demonstrates how regenerative
design can have benefits for others,
FEILDEN CLEGG BRADLEY STUDIOS
Project focus Eden Project Dundee

rather than simply serving the needs of

the project itself.
Another of the high-level principles
focuses on maximising opportunities
and support for future materials, says
MacNamara. ‘How do we incubate
technologies that could have a big
impact on the climate crisis while
minimising the risk for projects?’ This
might be done by incorporating an
innovative material or product in a low-
risk environment – e.g. using a carbon-
negative concrete to make a kerbstone.
If it fails, it won’t have any structural
impact, but its long-term behaviour in
real-life conditions can be monitored.
Material choice is another focus,
with designers encouraged to source
the majority of the primary structure
locally and regionally, whether that is

FEILDEN CLEGG BRADLEY STUDIOS

new or reused materials. ‘We will need
to find out if there are any factories in
Scotland producing engineered timber,’
says Eva. ‘If not, we should aim to use
sawn timber rather than glulam – that
kind of issue can have an impact on
regeneration of the local economy.’

A living venue
Although venue designs are still in the
early stages, the team has agreed
on regenerative approaches for each
venue, depending on the narrative of
that venue and its site context. There
will be four main ‘venues’ explains
Sayers; three buildings and the site
itself as a ‘living’ venue. ‘In a way, the
setting of the landscape is “venue
zero” – a regenerative landscape that
demonstrates principles which are
“grown” and incorporates distribution
routes for people, services and water,’
she says. It will be immersive, using
fast-growing plants to give height
and including pavilions which may be
living buildings, community builds, or
structures demonstrating new materials
or technologies.
The ‘Lush Bunker’ occupies the gas
holder in the corner of the site and its
scale reflects the power and productivity
AS MUCH STEEL AS
POSSIBLE WILL BE
CLEANED AND RETAINED
ON THE PROJECT,
BUT TO BE TRULY
REGENERATIVE, THIS
SHOULD BE NO MORE THAN
IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY
FIGURE 4: Site will of the past site in its industrial heyday.
form ‘living venue’ – ‘It’s a demonstrative reuse of a former
regenerative landscape
with proposed saddle- industrial building,’ Sayers explains.
shaped roof The inside is split into two with the story
of the carboniferous forest played out
in the lower level, and a lush, planted
greenhouse demonstrating good design
from nature on the top level (Figure 3).
As much steel as possible will be
cleaned and retained on the project, but
to be truly regenerative, this should be
no more than is absolutely necessary,
says MacNamara. ‘There’s a lot of
steel in it, as it has solid tiers when it is
elevated and, in the permanent case,
not all the tiers will be required. The
conventional approach would just be to
deflate it and keep it retracted – we said
that we should give the rest back to the
industry as we already recycle 100%
of what’s available. We should aim to
use as little material as possible.’ Roof
options are still under discussion and
include a saddle-shaped structure – a
materially efficient option to provide a
clear 60m span (Figure 4).
Pushing back against certain ideas
with well-reasoned arguments has been
welcomed, she adds. ‘One proposal
was for a flat roof, tilting up towards
Dundee, and everyone fell in love with
it at first,’ she reveals. ‘We are also
exploring a more carbon-efficient version
of the tilted roof, by adding in additional
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support that breaks down the span.
‘As a design team, it’s about
brokering a deal at the beginning –
making sure your client knows that you
will push back and challenge them on
everything. They have welcomed that
every time, and have also been super
clear when it goes too far, or would put
the programme at risk.’
Local earth and timber are the
proposed materials for the small
threshold building on the west of the
site, which will welcome visitors as they
arrive at Eden Dundee and is modelled
on a market building where ideas and
objects can be traded and exchanged.
‘Its roof form undulates to accommodate
solar gain and reduce noise from the
road nearby,’ explains Sayers, ‘and
we are currently looking at timber
modules that we could use. It’s Passiv
design, with low-energy principles, and
there’s a solar greenhouse along the
southern facade with a flexible market
hall space inside offering a range of
different ways it can be used by visitors
and communities.’
The final venue is intended to be a
place where the myths and legends of
the past can be reflected on in a cultural
context. It will be a wall-derived building,
connected to the terrace at the north
end of the site, and built in recycled
stone, timber or steel.
 Co-creating with communities Opinion

Viewpoint

Moving towards
co-creating with
communities
Emma Crichton of Engineers Without Borders UK introduces readers
to the idea of co-creating with communities, explaining why this shift
is an essential component of regenerative design and how it will
affect the role of structural engineers.

Introduction Community 1 minimise waste through reuse, employ

Regenerative design introduces a compelling
idea: a better way to design that enables our
communities and natural systems to thrive
together. This notion is gaining significance
as communities worldwide experience the
impacts of a changing climate, biodiversity
loss, and social inequality.
This article will start by exploring three
communities*, before explaining why co-
creating with communities is essential within
regenerative design and how the role of
engineers needs to shift to enable this.
Co-creating with communities
Pressure is building for the private sector
to rapidly adopt responsible practices and
meet sustainability commitments. The
impact of human activity is forcing us to
urgently challenge unsustainable practices
and to develop a deeper approach to
project scoping with communities. A
core part of regenerative design is about
co-creating with communities, fostering
robust and honest relationships to unlock
collaboration and bring transformative
outcomes.
Co-creation with communities goes
beyond human-centred design; it is about
developing societies that thrive in balance
with natural systems. Meaningful community
engagement in the design process can lead
to positive change, as illustrated by the
following examples.
* Community-based organisations in each of these three communities have partnered with Engineers Without Borders UK to run the
Engineering for People Design Challenge (which supports the education of over 12 000 engineering students each year).
Govan, an urban community in Glasgow,
Scotland was once an undisputed
powerhouse of the world’s shipbuilding
industry. However, after World War II,
Govan experienced social and economic
deprivation due to the decline of shipbuilding.
In 2017, the introduction of the Thriving
Places programme brought organisations
and community groups together to address
local priorities, including the roughly 1000
people seeking asylum in Govan who
receive only £45 per week for all necessities.
Regenerative design initiatives planned by
the community include the restoration of the
Govan Graving Docks, which aims to capture
carbon, rehabilitate soils, support wildlife and
promote regenerative farming practices.
Community 2
Pu Ngaol is a rural village in eastern
Cambodia, inhabited primarily by over 500
indigenous Bunong people with a history
spanning more than 2000 years. The
community practises responsible resource
management and regenerative agriculture.
The people’s subsistence lifestyle relies on the
land and utilises only the resources they need
from nearby forests and fields, recognising
how a healthy forest, through preserving local
environments and ecosystems, is essential
to their cultural survival. The community
emphasises that local projects should be
affordable, generate jobs/income, be user-
friendly and repairable, use local materials,
traditional methods, and be self-sustaining
without relying on external systems.
Community 3
Lobitos and Piedritas are neighbouring coastal
communities in northern Peru. Formerly,
Lobitos housed BP’s South American
headquarters, supplying petrol to service
stations in Ireland and northwest England.
Today, Lobitos is a small fishing and surfing
town of 1300 residents and preparing for
the El Niño event due in 2023 that is likely to
cause significant flooding. This event happens
more often due to our changing climate. The
local community is working with EcoSwell,
a multidisciplinary group of professionals,
on reforestation and ecosystem restoration,
renewable energy, water and sanitation, and
public health projects.
Why co-creation is essential
There is a vast difference in these three
communities’ needs, aspirations and strengths.
The commonality between them is that the
people in each place have deep insights about
their communities and context that should
inform any projects conducted in their locality.
One standard design for the built environment
or housing would not work across these
communities; the requirements for the design
are context (i.e. community)-specific.
Power dynamics between designers
and communities
Co-creation or co-design is a move towards
giving communities the power to shape
and inform the designs that will impact

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thestructuralengineer.org | August 2023
Opinion Co-creating with communities

Where could co-creation work today? a particular patient. Each professional will
In the UK, the Environment Agency’s Coastal have a specific role and area of expertise
Transition Accelerator Programme is a contributing to the procedure’s success.
IF YOU HAVE COME strategic initiative to facilitate the transition How the team chooses to collaborate and
HERE TO HELP ME, and resilience of coastal communities coexist determines the efficacy and overall

YOU ARE WASTING in England likely to be affected by rising

sea levels. The programme is looking at
outcome of the patient.
Similarly, the role of engineers is more
YOUR TIME, BUT IF adaptation not just via technical solutions than just keeping their clients or funders
YOU HAVE COME alone (flood barriers), but by embracing
experimental nature-based solutions that
happy. With critical reflection, it is clear that
we (especially given our societal challenges
BECAUSE YOUR support local fishing communities, or through and the planet’s health issues) must deeply
LIBERATION IS more socio-technical solutions where consider the impact of our choices and

BOUND UP WITH communities could relocate or accept some

MINE, THEN LET US
WORK TOGETHER
Lilla Watson, a Murri (indigenous Australian) visual artist,
activist, and educator
their lives. Co-creation is a move away
from the most common understanding
of power (power over others), which is
associated with domination and controlling
(or forcing) the outcome and is degenerative.
Addressing power dynamics is part of
regenerative design processes to ensure
local communities are engaged and have the
agency to make decisions.
To enable co-creation, engineers must let
go of the need to be the sole experts and
fixers. Deep collaboration with communities
is essential for long-term success.
Where was co-creation needed?
A go-to example from the aid sector
is the PlayPump. During the 2000s,
PlayPumps International introduced over
1400 PlayPump systems to solve water
scarcity in rural African communities. The
system comprised a children’s merry-go-
round that pumped water while they played.
However, ethical concerns arose due to high
level of land flooding. It may be messier
develop strong relationships within the
many communities we touch. Just like in
to work with the community to reach joint medicine, it’s about fostering relationships
decisions, but it is much more effective.
There are various ways to co-create
between those with firsthand experience and
engineers who can drive practical solutions.
with communities (including ‘participatory’ The quality of these relationships determines
design, ‘inclusive’ design and ‘co-design’1) the efficiency, effectiveness, and overall
– all fundamentally seek to increase the success of our projects.
participation of people in design decisions
made (Figure 1). Changing our practices to
enable better outcomes for
What does a shift towards communities
co-creation mean for the role All professionals must shift practices
of engineers? designed for the industrial revolution
We all need to increasingly challenge towards globally responsible approaches.
the power held by individuals, including Improving engineering practices is crucial to
engineers, if we are to improve the crucial support communities’ effective adaptation
decisions that impact (directly or indirectly) and response.
others’ lives and livelihoods.
Let’s step back and consider the role Bring in the expertise and capability to
of medical professionals. Their role is co-create
more than to complete tasks and keep How do you engage a community of 10 000?
their managers happy. People expect
medical professionals to deeply consider Hint: Asking people to respond to a survey
the impact of their choices and develop on LinkedIn is not community engagement.
strong relationships with patients. In
complex medical cases, multidisciplinary True community engagement requires giving
teams jointly assess the best approach for communities agency in design decisions.
IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation
IAP2’s Spectrum of Public Participation was designed to assist with the selection of the level of participation that defines the
FIGURE 1: IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation
public’s role in any public participation process. The Spectrum is used internationally, and it is found in public participation

© INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (www.iap2.org)

community costs, maintenance issues and plans around the world.
the potential exploitation of children being
made to play (work) whenever water was
needed, thus disrupting their education.
These issues sparked learning about the INFORM CONSULT INVOLVE COLLABORATE EMPOWER
appropriateness of technology, context-
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION GOAL

To provide the public To obtain public To work directly with To partner with the To place final decision
appropriate understanding, limitations with balanced and feedback on analysis, the public throughout public in each aspect making in the hands of
of short-term thinking, and the need for objective information alternatives and/or the process to ensure of the decision the public.
community-driven solutions. to assist them in
understanding the
decisions. that public concerns
and aspirations are
including the
development of
PlayPumps reflected the power dynamics problem, alternatives, consistently alternatives and the
at play in the broader system. Even when opportunities and/or understood and identification of the
solutions. considered. preferred solution.
issues arose, funding continued to pour
into the organisation, highlighting why it
is so essential to prioritise the voices of We will keep you We will keep you We will work with you We will look to you for We will implement
the communities directly impacted over
PROMISE TO THE PUBLIC

informed. informed, listen to and to ensure that your advice and innovation what you decide.
acknowledge concerns concerns and in formulating
those of distant and ill-informed donors. and aspirations, and aspirations are solutions and
The PlayPump isn’t an isolated example, provide feedback on directly reflected in incorporate your
how public input the alternatives advice and
and remedial measures were taken. Much influenced the developed and provide recommendations into
learning in the aid sector is related to decision. feedback on how the decisions to the
public input influenced maximum extent
improving the flow of power, from donor- the decision. possible.
driven to driven by the community or by
people with relevant lived experience. © IAP2 International Federation 2018. All rights reserved. 20181112_v1

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 Co-creating with communities Opinion

Professionals skilled in facilitation and FIGURE 2: Global Responsibility Competency Compass

meaningful interactions can effectively
incorporate community input, fostering trust

ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS UK

and collaboration. Facilitation is a skill and not
something everyone can do, and this is where
professionals from social science or other
disciplines could provide support if valued as a
core part of the design team.

Develop yourself and the impact you have

For systemic positive change to occur, all
professionals need support to understand,
think and feel differently about the social and
environmental challenges we face, so that
they can take action more effectively.

Step 1: Develop yourself

Step 1 is to develop yourself. Tools that you
can use today include:
| Engineers Without Borders UK’s Global
Responsibility Competency Compass
(Figure 2; www.ewb-uk.org/)
| Inner Development Goals
(www.innerdevelopmentgoals.org/).

The Global Responsibility Competency

Compass points engineering practitioners
to the capabilities needed to stay relevant
and provides practical ways for them to
develop themselves. The Inner Development
Goals initiative promotes skills and qualities
for sustainable living and supports the UN
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Step 2: Connect to communities the design code community portal Conclusion

Step 2 is to see your role on projects as
connected both directly to communities and
indirectly too.
Example
Suppose you are a structural engineer in the
UK working on large buildings. We know the
design of buildings can significantly impact
the environment, with embodied carbon
emissions contributing to climate
change, rising sea levels and ecosystem
disruption. Concerns about skyscrapers
are compounded by their tendency to serve
the interests of the affluent, highlighting
the need for inclusive and equitable urban
development.
Embodied emissions of large-scale
commercial buildings can be tens of
thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide
equivalent (CO2e). Accountability is hard to
achieve, given that project-specific data on
emissions is rarely publicly available, making
it difficult to see the broader impact.
What could your role be to improve
outcomes for communities impacted directly
or indirectly by skyscrapers?
Your role may be to shift practices by:
| supporting the development of
community-based design codes, e.g.
(https://sowodesigncode.org/) for South
Woodford in London (a design code is a
set of principles the community creates
to inform future development. It sets
parameters for developing individual sites
or rules across a wider area)
| advocating for adopting Part Z of
the UK Building Regulations or using
PAS 2080 within projects and processes
| enabling project-specific data to be
visible externally and focusing intensely
on making choices that reduce whole-life
carbon emissions of large structures.
Or it may be to advocate for the shift by:
| amplifying projects led by communities
and supported by engineers – e.g. by
submitting an entry to the IStructE’s
Structural Awards scheme or offering a
case study to The Structural Engineer
| encouraging organisations that set
sustainability standards (LEED, BREEAM)
for buildings to go further
| proposing partnerships within your
company with a broader range
of organisations (including non-
governmental organisations and
community-based organisations) to
increase the limited funding often
available.
Co-creating with communities is not an option
but a necessity in the pursuit of regenerative
design. It requires a shift in power dynamics,
where communities have agency and influence
over the projects that impact their lives.
Engineers play a crucial role in enabling co-
creation by developing strong relationships,
challenging existing practices, and embracing
multidisciplinary collaboration. By doing so,
we can foster transformative outcomes that
address the needs of communities and support
the thriving of both people and natural systems.
Emma Crichton
CEng, MICE
Emma is a chartered civil engineer with a
decade of experience within the water
industry in Scotland and at Engineers
Without Borders UK.
REFERENCE
1) Sunlight Foundation (s.d.) Guide to
co-design [Online] Available at: https://
communities.sunlightfoundation.com/
action/codesign/#what-is-co-design
(Accessed: July 2023)

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Opinion Letters
Verulam
Readers’ letters, comments and queries
Minimum
masonry returns
In the July issue, we included a
letter from Ralph Tiemann who
queried the need to change
the length of brick wall returns
consequent on changing cavity
widths. We asked readers to shed
light on the query and have had
responses, yet these just raise
further regulation and practice
anomalies. We will pursue a
feature addressing the many
queries raised. Meanwhile, let our
correspondents have their say:
GARY SMITH
It was refreshing to see the
contribution by Ralph Tiemann (July
2023) on the ⅓ ‘in’ vs ⅔ ‘out’ rule
when assessing openings in walls,
particularly in domestic construction.
The 665mm rule on corners (also
known as the ‘three-brick rule’) is
obviously deemed to satisfy as a
minimum and I’m surprised how many
engineers, contractors, architects and
building inspectors have never heard
of either of these rules. I have seen
designs associated with the removal
of the rear wall in three-storey town
houses (in terrace rows of four) with
100% of the back wall removed, with
only checks on the beams and the end
padstones being included. Problems
therefore arise with lateral stability
being provided by ‘the neighbour’s
property’ and buckling of the
supporting wall being a concern yet
remaining unchecked.
It should be noted that any
remaining piers should be capable
of withstanding the resulting opening
beam-end vertical reactions and the
lateral loads, and due cognisance
should be taken with regards to the
inner leaf taking the higher percentage
of the overall load due to the
construction above.
The sway frame in Ralph’s
correspondence is normally the
preferred solution until the client is
made aware of the resulting foundation
issues and underpinning requirements
that come with it. Single columns at
either end are normally better served
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August 2023 | thestructuralengineer.org
submitted via email to: tse@istructe.org
Contributions may be edited on the grounds
of style and/or length by the Institution's
publishing department.
with one larger beam overhead with
a plate to carry the wall construction
overhead, but in my experience, the
limiting factor is normally the beam-
to-column moment connection, which
can soon become unmanageable.
DAVID WILSON
Concerning Ralph Tiemann’s letter
(July 2023), I think there might be
resistance to increasing the amount
of structure in volume housebuilding.
Such housing is sold on internal floor
area, so an increase in the cavity width
would mean that the external footprint
gets larger but, or maybe therefore,
the corresponding returns are larger.
Would it be appropriate to consider
the total area of masonry including
the L-shape of the outer leaf over the
width of the cavity wall? If so, doesn’t
the total area of masonry remain the
same for the same external length of
return? I haven’t done the calculations,
but the first and second moments of
area might also be considered.
On the question of smaller openings,
my engineering logic suggests that
they should be less significant. For
example, a downstairs WC of about
450mm width × 600mm height is small
when compared to patio doors at
1800mm width × 2050mm height.
SAM GRAY
The matters put forward by Ralph
Tiemann (July 2023) regarding
the minimum masonry returns in
domestic projects are something
we often deal with and often result
in office discussions.
While it is understood that Document
A should not be followed blindly and
an engineered design can be adopted,
it is not clear how the requirements
of Diagram 14 were decided upon.
Common queries include:
| H  ow was 665mm calculated and
does this relate to all forms of
masonry construction? (Ralph’s
comments would appear to suggest
this is just for cavity walls, and
specifically originally related to
75mm cavities. However, Diagram
14, item 8 suggests in may also be
relevant for solid walls.)
| W  hy are the same dimensions
applicable to single-storey and
36
Send letters to…
All contributions to Verulam should be
double-storey dwellings?
| In the event of a single-storey
extension, for example, why is the
minimum masonry return dictated by
the adjacent opening dimension (i.e.
max [665mm, W/X]), even though
applied wind loading would not vary?
| W
 hy can an opening not exceed 3m
to ensure masonry return stability?
| C
 an small window openings be
introduced, e.g. small clerestory
windows, without following the
same guidelines?
It will be interesting to hear
responses to Ralph’s column,
as well as a response from the
Brick Development Association as
approached by Verulam.
Without wanting to expand the
subject too much and lose focus, it
can be similarly difficult to follow the
reason for requirements for buttresses
as per Diagrams 12 and 13. The
common case being the removal of an
internal 100mm wall, which is currently
providing buttressing to an external
wall. There doesn’t appear to be clear
guidance on minimum spacings/
lengths for such a case.
ROBERT ATKINSON
The structural requirements for
domestic dwellings have changed
much in recent times with the advent
of ‘open-plan living’. The small
builder, formerly used to installing the
occasional beam, is now faced with
the erection of substantial steel frames
and, perhaps understandably, tends to
rail against the introduction of frames
in external walls.
The architect may use the third rule,
but inevitably forgets the 3m opening
size limitation. In my experience,
building control have requested
665mm piers in a porch, reducing
the potential door opening to the size
of a letter box!
It is a mystery as to how the 665mm
pier rule was derived. One sees
countless thousand properties defying
the rule without ill effects.
An apparent contradiction in the
Building Regulations are the rules for
single-storey, non-residential buildings
where small piers are acceptable.
Proving the adequacy of the lateral

support provided by brickwork piers to
a single-storey extension with a vaulted
roof is nigh on impossible. Hence, we
fall back on the ‘rules of thumb’ within
the Building Regulations.
There is a need for further guidance
on the subject and it would be very
useful if the Brick Development
Association could assist.
Reusing
structural
steel beams
HENRY DALTON
I was disturbed to read the article by
Claire Meade of Griffiths and Armour
about specifying reused structural
steel in the June issue of The
Structural Engineer.
As far as I can see, there is no
difference in principle between
checking an old beam which is to be
taken from one building and reused
in another and checking an old beam
which is to remain in situ in an existing
building but subject to increased load.
Both require an assessment to be
made of the strength of the old beam,
so why are insurers concerned about
the former but apparently not the latter?
If anything, the case of an old steel
beam remaining in situ appears the
riskier. If a beam is removed, at least
its total surface area can be
inspected. If it remains, the flange
condition might be hidden.
GGBS for
carbon
reduction
MARK PNIEWSKI
Cracking article by Fergal Kelly in The
Structural Engineer (July 2023) on how
using ground granulated blast-furnace
slag (GGBS) in concrete reduces carbon
emissions. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.
Fergal’s research painstakingly
evidences that specifying GGBS for
carbon reduction makes no difference
to emissions – because the nation’s
finite and dwindling supply of GGBS
would get used anyway for its
mechanical properties, as has been
the case for decades. What’s worse,
increased demand for GGBS could
drive a market for imports, increasing
its carbon footprint compared with it
getting used nearer source.
I have often been asked if we
would consider higher percentages
of GGBS in our precast products to
lower their embodied carbon. Apart
from the operational constraints
associated with longer curing times, I
have passionately advocated that this
is missing the point. This article gives
hard supporting evidence why.
What I believe we need to do is make
each cube of precious concrete work
harder if we are going to cast it at all.
I have no doubt more carbon-efficient
mixes will become scalable. In the
meantime, we must aim at the most
carbon-efficient use of the materials
available. For me, this is using higher-
strength concretes such as ultra-
high-performance fibre-reinforced
concrete (UHPFRC) to drive thinner
sections and more manufacturable
efficient forms that result in less carbon
consumed per functional unit, rather
than just a lazy look at carbon per
tonne or metre cubed.
The article referred to certainly
showed that practice is a bit more
complex than many assume. There
are positives: using GGBS offers
benefits. On the downside, using
UHPFRC and thinner sections can
have disbenefits. As with specifying
GGBS, we’ve always got to be mindful
of unintended consequences: design
is a balance.
Pointing on
new-build
properties
SAM GRAY
In recent times, I have been instructed
to inspect and report on the condition
of pointing to new-build properties,
often due to concerns with erosion
soon after construction. This seems
to be a worryingly common issue
(and may have been discussed in
Verulam before); however, I can’t
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thestructuralengineer.org | August 2023
Letters Opinion
find any specific guidance from the
Institution with regards to reporting
on this, advice on remedial works, or
technical guidance.
In a recent example, concerns were
raised following significant erosion of
new-build properties and subsequently
mortar samples were taken. The
erosion was related to weathering
in a harsh coastal environment, with
no clear signs of structural or other
relatable movement.
Following National House Building
Council (NHBC) guidelines and various
research papers, the coastal location
(category 3 – severe exposure) would
require a minimum M6 mortar (the
Brick Development Association also
recommends that the mortar should
use sulphate-resisting cement). The
mortar samples taken showed that
the mortar used was M4 class, which
was less than required (and actually
less than detailed in the construction
drawings). There was also an insoluble
residue (IR) content equalling approx.
12%, which affects the strength of
the mortar (I believe codes suggest IR
should not exceed 5%). It was therefore
my opinion that failure of the mortar
was due to an inadequate mortar mix.
From discussions, this is perhaps
more common due to ‘design mixes’
and poorer materials. Worryingly, despite
the above, the developer’s independent
engineer advised the mortar was suitable
based solely on its compressive strength
for the unloaded outer leaf.
The common solution provided
by NHBC is to rake out to 25mm
throughout and re-point using a
suitable mortar grade. My concern
with this approach is the possibility of
serious consequences if inadequate
and understrength mortar has been
used throughout a property, as this
could affect the bond of wall ties,
strength of supporting masonry, etc.
If such issues were of concern, I
can’t see many better options than
purposeful demolition and rebuild.
Verulam doesn’t recall any previous
letters covering this topic. What Sam’s
letter shows is that there are
complications with every aspect of
the building craft. Pointing is one topic
that every householder seems to have
a view on. How it is done can certainly
alter a wall’s appearance significantly
and there can be problems if pointing
mortar is too weak or too strong.
Pointing must be durable, while the
bedding mortar behind (which might
be different) serves several functions.
At the back Diary dates

Most events run by IStructE

HQ are being delivered online.
For in-person events, a
location will be given.
History Study Group meetings

Diary dates
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Meetings may be online or in
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For Regional Group events,
check the website for the
latest information. Note that more current information may be available from
the Institution website: www.istructe.org/events

CONFERENCE Time: 18:00–19:30 Venue: Online

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COUNTIES AND PETERBOROUGH
26 September
Climate Emergency Task Group
Speaker: Mike Sefton
Time: 18:00
Venue: Online and Room: SPB024, School of
Architecture and Built Environment, Springfield
Campus, University of Wolverhampton,
Grimstone Street, Wolverhampton WV10 0JP
Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-
emergency-task-group-tickets-677933155317
NORTHERN IRELAND AND
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND –
BELFAST HUB
19 September
Templemore Baths restoration
Speaker: John McConville
Time: 18:15
Venue: Templemore Baths, Belfast BT5 4FW
Price: Free
Contact: Fionnuala Boyle
(fionnuala1.boyle@nihe.gov.uk)
SURREY
29 September
Annual awards dinner 2023
Time: 19:30
Venue: De Vere Horsley Estate, Ockham Road
South, East Horsley KT24 6DT
Price: From £30
Booking: www.istructe.org/events/surrey/surrey-
regional-group-annual-awards-dinner-2023
Regional Group Committee members
should submit details of forthcoming
events to: regionsupport@istructe.org

350
jobs
posted on average
every month

thestructuralengineer.org/jobs
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The Institution of Structural Engineers.
The perfect place to find the latest structural engineering vacancies.

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At the back Spotlight on Structures

All articles in Structures are

available free of charge to
paying-grade members of
the Institution as one of their
membership benefits.
The journal is available
online at:
www.structuresjournal.org

Read the latest issue

Volume 52 (June 2023) of Structures is now available to read at:
www.sciencedirect.com/journal/structures/vol/52.
For Volume 52, Lei Wang, Associate Editor for Structures, has selected
an article on finite element analysis that is used to predict shear behaviour of
headed studs in steel ultra-high performance concrete slabs.
This article will be available free of charge for six months.

Editor’s Featured Article

Finite element analysis on shear
behavior of headed studs in steel-UHPC
composite slab
Wexu Hua, b, Cong Lib, c, Baochun Chenb, d and
Yongjian Liua
a
School of Highway, Chang’an University,
Xi’an, China
b
College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University,
Fuzhou, China
c
College of Civil Engineering and Architecture,
Guangxi University, Nanning, China
d
National Center for Joint International Research
of Bridges Technology Innovation and Risk
Mitigation, Fuzhou, China
Headed stud connectors play a key role in
steel- ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC)
composite slab, which has many applications in
long-span bridges. In this paper, a finite element
(FE) model is validated by a series of push-out
tests to study the shear behaviours of headed
stud in steel-UHPC composite slab. After
validation, the interaction between stud and
UHPC is explored and parametric analysis is
performed. The influence of weld collar, diameter
and spacing of stud on the failure mode, shear
bearing capacity and load-slip relationship of
stud connector are discussed. From FE results,
the group stud effect should be considered,
as the ratio of stud spacing to diameter is less
than 3.5, 5.0 and 6.5 for the diameter of 13mm,
16mm and 19mm respectively. A formula to
predict the shear bearing capacity of stud is
proposed by considering the influence of weld
collar and group stud effect. A shear-slip model
of stud is established based on experimental
and FE analysis results.
| Read the full paper at https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.istruc.2023.03.185

Register for alerts

If you’d like to receive regular updates about new content in Structures, register for email alerts at www.sciencedirect.com.

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August 2023 | thestructuralengineer.org
 The Drawing Board At the back

The Drawing Board

Judged by Ron Slade.

This month, Ron has chosen a sketch by Andrew Barr as the winner of The Drawing Board.
Andrew will receive an e-book of his choice from the Institution’s current catalogue.

Andrew Barr
I produced these sketches following the
collapse of the Kakhovka Dam in
Ukraine on 6 June 2023, and shared
them on social media as part of an
explanatory thread on the structure. I felt
that section views were a useful way of
introducing a wider audience to the key
features of dams and hydroelectric
power plants, and would be important to
inform ongoing media discussion on the
cause of the collapse. (It turned out to be
a useful starting point for conversations
with journalists!)
As someone who researches the
effects of explosions on structures, the
devastating failure of the dam had
caught my attention professionally, but I
was keen that this sketch would be clear
to a non-specialist audience. I simplified
some old drawings of the structure and
emphasised section cuts and
mechanical aspects through colour, as
well as adding plenty of annotations. The
two sections highlight the different
structures of the barrage and the
hydroelectric power plant, both of which
were partially destroyed, while the plan
view at the top places them in the
context of the larger earthfill
embankment dam.
Ron’s comments
Andrew’s submission depicts the
Kakhovka Dam and hydroelectric power
plant in Ukraine and shows how hand
sketches can help simplify complex
issues. He produced these sketches
following the collapse of the dam and
shared them on social media as part of
an explanatory thread.
Ron Slade
BSc(Eng), CEng, FIStructE
Ron Slade is Structural Director at
WSP. Ron received his BSc First
Class Honours in Civil Engineering
at City University, London, and became a
Chartered Member of the Institution of
Structural Engineers in 1971 when he was
awarded the Institution’s A.E. Wynn prize.
He was first appointed as a director in 1982.
Ron is also the author of Sketching
for Engineers and Architects, published
by Routledge.

DON’T FORGET TO SUBMIT YOURS...

To enter, submit a sketch to tse@istructe.org together with a short description to put it into context (150 words). Sketches must be hand drawn (no CAD,
except for ‘guided freehand’) and from a real project or assignment (i.e. not drawn for the competition). The next deadline is 30 September 2023.
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Services Directory Telephone: +44 (0)1223 378 051 Email: tsemedia@cpl.co.uk

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August 2023 | thestructuralengineer.org
 Telephone: +44 (0)1223 378 051 Email: tsejobs@cpl.co.uk Recruitment

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Upcoming CPD
courses

Online London HQ Online London HQ

Design and Eurocode 4: Reliability, Dealing with

analysis of tall composite resilience and domestic
buildings design robustness clients
11 September 12 September in structural 19 September
10:00 – 17:30 BST 10:00 – 17:30 BST engineering 13:00 – 17:30 BST
––– ––– design –––
Price Price Price
Members: From £275 + VAT Members: From £275 + VAT 14 September Members: From £225 + VAT
Standard: From £385 + VAT Standard: From £385 + VAT 10:00 – 17:30 BST Standard: From £315 + VAT

Learning outcomes Learning outcomes ––– Learning outcomes

• Recognise the performance
of tall buildings
• Design effective lateral
stability systems for tall
buildings
• Demonstrate how to design
a tall building under blast or
impact loading
• Describe how to design tall
buildings for fire safety
• Use different software to
analyse tall buildings
• Apply the relevant design
codes
Book now
• Navigate effectively around
parts of Eurocode 4 for the
design of steel concrete
composite structures
• Understand the basic
principles of composite
construction
• Understand the basic
differences of design to
BS5950-3 and Eurocode 4
• Design composite slabs
with metal deck flooring
• Design composite beams
with metal deck flooring
• Design composite columns
• Identify the practical issues
in composite structures
designing to Eurocode 4
Book now
Price
Members: From £275 + VAT
Standard: From £385 + VAT
Learning outcomes
• Differentiate between
reliability, risk and resilience
when quantifying structural
performance
• Appreciate the role of
robustness and resilience in
the design of structures
• Understand the role of
aleatory and epistemic
uncertainties in the design
of structures
• Break down the application
of performance-based
design into sequential
stages, from assessing
the relevant hazards to
estimating the resulting
losses
• Agree and record clear,
enforceable agreements
with non-professional
clients with no technical
background and limited
experience
• Recognise the ‘consumer
protection’ background
• Recognise and avoid
misunderstandings around
fees and variations, delays,
and your own and the
contractor’s responsibility
• Respond to complaints
correctly
• Communicate effectively
and get paid more easily
Book now

Book now

Book your place

istructe.info/courses @seismicisolation
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