practIcal applIcatIoNs for coNstructIoN aNd the buIlt eNvIroNmeNt

Innovation & Research

Issue No. 89 IN thIs Issue Buildings
Design of insulated panels 3 2 7 4

also at www.innovationandresearchfocus.org.uk

may 2012

Design for Future Climate programme

Design for Future Climate, Adapting Buildings has been and remains the largest programme on climate change adaptation of buildings in the UK. It has been working, and continues to work, with the UK buildings industry to create adaptation strategies by funding design teams to consider adaptation for ongoing building projects.
he challenge of adaptation is to make buildings resistant or resilient to flooding, to overheating and to extreme weather events such as storms, through to the 2080s and beyond. Fifty projects comprising client and project teams have been funded to create adaptation strategies. Some have been completed and some are still in progress, although there is no new funding available. The projects funded range from teams that are master-planning new towns to the detailed de(Above) The Technical Hub at EBI that has been studied as part of the sign of new commercial deDesign for Future Climate Programme. velopments and the refurbishment of existing drainage system (SuDS) comprising soakbuildings. The main focus for the majority of aways, swales and ponds. Other adaptation the adaptation strategies has so far been overmeasures being planned include managing heating. Some of the projects have looked at water scarcity through rain water harvesting, different aspects and these are highlighted and grey and black water recycling. below. The Design for Future Climate programme PortZed a mixed use seafront development is run by the Technology Strategy Board, in Brighton has incorporated elliptical buildwhich is holding a conference on 12 June 2012 ings and helical wind turbines on a site expectat the Building Centre in London to showcase ing higher wind speeds. The design team has the projects and disseminate the knowledge focused on reducing energy use as well as gained by the project teams. This conference adapting to sea-level rise and wind-speed risks. will provide participants with the opportunity The team for the Technical Hub @ EBI looked to learn more about the range of projects that at structural stability issues for the building, inwere funded and details of their adaptation cluding weather proofing, material choices and strategies. Visit http://d4fcshowcaseconferdetailing. In the final report for the project, it ence.eventbrite.com/ for details and to register. concluded that the sub-structure is not expected to be adversely affected by foreseeable climate change. However, the study showed that small For further information on the parts of the building are at risk of overheating in projects you can join the Design summer, so recommendations have been made for Future Climate group on the to reduce this risk. connect website: https:/ / As a result of developing its strategy, the connect.innovateuk.org NW Bicester Eco-town master-planning project web/ design-for-futureteam has agreed to implement a sustainable climate/ overview.

Climate Change
Climate Change Risk Assessment

Construction Process
Building Information modelling Strategic e-Business Framework

Flood Risk Management

Boundaries for inundation modelling 6

IT
Strategic e-Business Framework 4 5 6 7

Maintenance
Improving railway maintenance

Modelling
Boundaries for flood inundation Building Information modelling

Railways
Improving efficiency of maintenance 5

Rating Systems
Transition to Sustainability Value of structural engineering 8 6 2

Research & Innovation

Bringing talented leaders to UK

Structural Engineering
Contribution to sustainable construction 6 8 6

Sustainability
Transition to Sustainability Value of structural engineering

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Innovation & Research Focus Issue 89 mAy 2012

CLIMATE CHANGE

UK National Climate Change Risk Assessment

All sectors of the UK economy can be influenced fundamentally by the weather, and the UKs infrastructure, society and economy can be disrupted or damaged by events such as floods, storms or droughts. Such events can normally be planned for, but the long-term weather patterns, and even sea-levels, are expected to change. This will make services and infrastructure increasingly vulnerable unless their resilience is improved. The need for long-term climate risk planning led Defra and the UKs Devolved Governments to commission the first UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) as part of their responsibilities under the Climate Change Act (2008) to consider, in 5 year cycles, the impact of climate change on the UK.

utility companies in assessing he CCRA project, led by HR how to increase resilience in the Wallingford, has taken more coming decades. The project than 2 years. It identified won the 2012 UK Climate over 700 separate potential risks Week Award for best govern(including opportunities) from climental initiative. mate change in the UK. More-deThe National Adaptation tailed analysis was undertaken for Programme, which will be approximately 100 of these risks, published in 2013, will rein terms of their likelihood, their spond to the high priority potential consequences and how risks and opportunities identiurgently adaptation action may be fied in the Climate Change needed to address them. Risk Assessment. It will set The innovative analytical apout action by central governproach developed for the CCRA ment and local government, has coped with a wide range of business, communities and variables across many different sectors, and provided a methodol- The figure gives indicative results from the agriculture and forestry sectors, and shows the civil society. Partners from difogy that can be repeated over the timing and magnitude of a selection of the impacts analysed. It also shows the respective ferent sectors will work to5-year cycles of future CCRAs. Key level of confidence. Such information exists for all the risks analysed, across all sectors. gether to co-create the elements of the programme. characteristics of the CCRA are: Ownership should be shared (1) that it is independent of and practitioners. Underpinning the many between all contributors with delivery of the changes in government planning and policies, evaluations were the Met Office UKCP09 proplan to be taken forward by the most relevant and (2) that its analyses were focused to be reljections of how UK climate will change. actors. The National Adaptation Programme evant to the decision-makers across governCarrying out the CCRA has meant that the will make a start on delivering a set of priorment, business and civil society who will guide UK is the first country in the world to assess ity actions to take, and set out further actions adaptive action. the relative impact of climate change in a to reduce the deficit between risk and preThe CCRA project analysed the key risks broad, consistent approach across such a wide paredness. and opportunities from climate change for the range of sectors. The CCRA project has proUK, and paved the way for discussion and privided the UK with information and a methodoloritised action in the infrastructure, health, enogy that will not only help support preparations vironment and finance sectors. It developed an To contribute to the National Adaptation for climate change nationally, but that can also innovative new framework for assessing risk Programme and to take part in the call for assist other countries. The projects methods that allowed direct comparison of completely views please visit http:/engage.defra.gov.uk / and results can be used in technical cooperation different types of risk. The project involved / nap. For further information about the with countries lacking such information or exover a dozen expert institutions, and incorpopertise. It will assist the UK Government in pri- CCRA Project contact Dr Steven Wade, rated specialist knowledge from over 150 exManager Water Group at HR Wallingford oritising the choices for future policies and perts including economists, social researchers (01491 835381; s.wade@hrwallingford.com). investment, and will help businesses such as

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Bringing exceptionally talented leaders to UK

In 2011, the Government announced the creation of a new migration mechanism to encourage exceptionally talented leaders in the fields of science, humanities, engineering and the arts to come to the UK. The new Tier 1 Exceptional Talent route was opened on 9 August 2011 and allows up to 1,000 exceptionally talented migrants to come to the UK annually. This route is open both to those who have already been recognised as outstanding and those with the potential to be recognised as future leaders in their respective fields.

andidates wishing to enter the UK through this route require the endorsement of one of the four competent bodies appointed by the UK Border Agency (UKBA). The British Academy, the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering and Arts Council England have agreed to act as competent bodies to evaluate researchers wishing to enter the UK through a Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa. The competent bodies have been allocated a number of places by the

UKBA under the current arrangements: The Royal Society up to 300 candidates; Arts Council England up to 300; The Royal Academy of Engineering up to 200; and The British Academy up to 200. We would like to encourage UK research institutions and industry to take advantage of the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa route to attract the best researchers from

outside the EEA to the UK. We hope that our UK readers who may wish to encourage suitable people to come, and non-UK readers with an interest in coming to UK, will find this of interest. For further information on Tier 1, including eligibility and assessment criteria, please visit the UK Border Agencys website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ visas-immigration/ working/ tier1/ exceptional-talent/ ".

Innovation & Research Focus Issue 89 mAy 2012

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BUILDINGS & ENERGY

Development of design aids for analysis of deep profiled insulated panels

Sandwich panels comprising steel sheets bonded on to a structural insulation core are extensively used within the construction industry for building envelope applications. Their primary benefits are increased load-carrying capacity, efficient thermal performance and ease of installation. Profiled insulated panels are widely used as roof and wall cladding components with varying steel thicknesses and insulation depths. The analysis of profiled insulated panels for double and triple span arrangements requires knowledge of the global and local stress distribution relationships.

A numerical model with the aid methodology has already been of Finite Elements (FE) was develdeveloped for the analysis of oped in order to facilitate the invesprofiled insulated panels with tigation of the stress distribution relatively shallow core depths (up to (global and cross-sectional) for deep approximately 60mm) and provided sandwich panels and to obtain a set design aids which sufficiently covof results to be used within design ered the requirements for these comaid development. ponents. However, the current and The Finite Element analysis was future thermal and energy requireundertaken in two stages. An initial ments in building standards has cremodel was constructed for sandwich ated the need for profiled sandwich panel arrangements within the limcomponents with lower U-values its of the existing design methodoland, hence, increased insulation ogy. The model was validated by depth (typically up to 140mm). comparing the numerical results The earlier structural design against the theory. The validated aids do not cover the scope for the model was then used to undertake a modern assemblies with the inset of parametric studies for sandcreased core depths. Specifically, wich panels with increased core the stress distribution relationdepths that are not covered by the ships for double and multi-span Illustration of double-span sandwich panel arrangement, tested at Oxford scope of the current design tools. arrangements exhibit limitations Brookes University. The derived results were against the deeper panel types. utilised to form extended stress Therefore, an extension of the origcross-section. The scope was accomplished distribution relationships. The behaviour calinal stress distribution relationships was through a combined programme of testing and culated based on the extended relationships required. numerical (Finite Element) modelling. was validated against the test results, where The Steel Construction Institute has underThe test programme comprised sandwich very good agreement and safety were shown. taken a collaborative research and testing propanels with rigid PIR (polyisocyanurate) foam The research programme has produced a gramme with Oxford Brookes University and core sandwiched between a fully profiled and a new design aid that facilitates designers and TATA Steel Panels & Profiles in order to exlightly profiled thin-gauged steel sheet. A total manufacturers to specify modern profiled insutend the current stress distribution relationof seventeen bending tests were carried out, inlated panels with increased core depths and acships. These relationships are necessary in cluding single- and double-span arrangements curately estimate their load-carrying capacity. order to determine the load-carrying capacity of various span lengths and core depths (inof the panels. They account for the composite cluding both shallow and deep cores). The action influencing the global stress distribution For further information please contact bending behaviour of the assemblies was ex(bending moment alteration) across the statiDimitrios Moutaftsis, The Steel Construction amined with regard to stress distribution paracally indeterminate multi-span arrangements Institute (01344 636525; E-mail: meters, load-bearing behaviour stages, failure and the stress distribution within the panels d.moutaftsis@steel-sci.com). mechanisms and reserved strength.

Stress distribution in external and internal steel sheets for double-span sandwich panel arrangement under uniformly distributed load (Finite Element analysis).

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Innovation & Research Focus Issue 89 mAy 2012

CONSTRUCTION PROCESS & IT

A Strategic e-Business Framework for construction industry organisations

Construction industry practitioners have started to recognise that currently-available e-Business technologies would bring substantial benefits to their organisations. However, the uptake of e-Business in the construction industry has been relatively limited and ineffective.

here are several reasons attributed to this slow uptake. For example, the limited resource available to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to invest in information technologies (IT), and the lack of readiness of the people, processes and legacy systems are all factors that have impeded adoption. Many firms fail to realise that if they install an IT system without considering the strategic implications, they are likely to end-up with a software installation and not an implementation of a comprehensive solution to business problems. A successful company-wide rollout includes more than simply buying and installing technology applications. The most-effective technology strategy is the one that closely supports its owner's strategic business goals. The result is the ability to capitalise on the full potential of the technology investment, both in the shortand long-term. Considering this, it is essential to develop short-term and long-term strategies for the effective deployment of technologies. The approach should be a holistic one that addresses every facet of an organisation and produces substantial changes not just from a technology perspective, but also from the internal organisations perspective of its management practices, people (culture, attitudes, behaviour), and processes. It is also important to recognise that ebusiness is a collaborative effort. So any strategy that is developed needs to take into account of both the internal and the external environments. The Strategic e-Business Framework, which was developed for this project, considers these five aspects. The Strategic e-Business Framework (outlined in the above figure) helps organisations in the construction industry to define, manage and review their e-Business strategies. The Framework is a comprehensive manual on how to develop e-Business strategies for organisations in the industry and provides thorough guidance for them to utilise their available IT resources and maximise the benefits of e-Business. The Framework provides an approach that manages changes and makes continuous process improvement effective. It also provides a learning and feedback loop that enables lessons to be learnt from the past.

e-Business strategy, organisations need to work through six key phases of situation analysis, vision establishment, critical success factors definition, action plan development and implementation, and strategy review all of which are laid out sequentially from Phases One to Six (as shown in the figure left). For further information, please contact Star (Yongjie) Chen, PhD Student, Loughborough University; (E-mail: cvyc@lboro.ac.uk). The work is one part of a PhD project in Civil and Building Engineering Department at Loughborough University supervised by Dr. Kirti Ruikar and Professor Patricia Carrillo.

The Strategic e-Business Framework.

The Framework is designed specifically for senior IT management staff to define organisational level e-Business strategies and implementation plans. To define a complete

IRF seeks additional sponsors

Following the recent change in distribution arrangements for IRF, the circulation list includes over 70,000 ICE members, before adding in the many other interested parties. IRFs existing sponsors (see the back page for details) have recently reconfirmed their strong support for the Newsletter and have also recognised that there are many other organisations who may want to take advantage of sponsorship but have never considered becoming involved before.

o we have embarked on a positive move to attract new sponsors from government and its agencies, the research community, universities and the private sector, wherever innovation is taking place in and for construction and the built environment. IRF is published four times each year in February, May, August and November with a circulation approaching 80,000. IRFs main intention is to influence the practitioner community rather than the research community, although they are also well represented in the circulation. Our byline 'Practical applications for

construction and the built environment' is a deliberate choice, as we seek to focus on applications in building, civil & structural engineering and related disciplines (such as environment, materials and waste management). Each Sponsor is free to choose their editorial subjects to target IRF readers. If you or a colleague would like to know more or receive an information pack available, please email Sam Edwards at the Editors office (irf@venablesconsultancy.co.uk). We look forward to hearing from you.

Innovation & Research Focus Issue 89 mAy 2012

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RAILWAYS & MAINTENANCE

Improving the efficiency of railway infrastructure maintenance

The UK railway network contains around 20,000 miles of track and is now carrying an increasing level of traffic that is faster and heavier than before. The infrastructure to support the railway is diverse, including signalling, communications and electrification systems, in addition to the track and civil structures, which in turn include bridges, tunnels and earthworks. The effective management of this aging and increasingly utilised system with limited financial resources is a significant challenge. High-quality, accurate modelling tools are required to investigate the alternative strategies to manage the assets and to establish the best way of achieving a safe and reliable railway system in a cost-effective manner.

o provide a highly reliable railway service it is necessary to avoid failure during operation. This means moving from reactive maintenance, carried out to rectify breakdowns, to a planned replacement of components prior to failure. The timing of when a replacement is made is therefore critical. If left too late, the risk of experiencing an in-service failure, with the resulting disruption and inconvenience, becomes too high. However, replacing too soon means increased levels of maintenance and a failure to utilise component life fully. For some parts of the infrastructure, the condition of the asset can be monitored, for example track geometry and the thickness of the overhead electrification cable, and so the decision on when to replace can be based on condition. However, for other components there is no means to measure their condition and so replacement requires a good understanding of how their expected lifetime is related to utilisation or age. Professor John Andrews, Professor of Infrastructure Asset Management in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham is leading a research team working to develop a new generation of tools to support the railway infrastructure asset management decision-making process. His work is supported by Network Rail and The Royal Academy of Engineering. Initially, the research focused on each of the individual asset types, developing

models to predict the degradation and failure process of component-level elements of each system. This work generally involves a detailed review of data collected during maintenance, and forms the cornerstone of the whole programme of research. Without adequate understanding of the way systems deteriorate and fail, sensible decisions on when

to carry out different intervention options for assets cannot be made. From the component-level information, predictions of the system performance are then made. Models that predict system state over time, accounting for the maintenance strategy employed, build on the methods developed in the safety industry over the last 50 years. The next step is to link the asset models to take a system-wide view of the railway. The maintenance of each type of asset will be optimised to provide the required level of performance in the most efficient way. The railway system is constantly evolving as new technologies are incorporated alongside existing infrastructure, which is beyond its originally intended operating life. As such, what is the best maintenance solution today may not be true tomorrow and the process needs to be regularly evaluated. The target is a living model capability, which incorporates not only changes made to the system assets but also changes in operational practices, such as increased capacity and longer operational time. It also uses data continuously collected on asset condition in order to inform the decision making process. For further details please contact Professor John Andrews at the University of Nottingham (0115 846 8448; E-mail: john.andrews@nottingham .ac.uk).

(Top) Railway maintenance is a challenge worldwide, as here in New Zealand (Photo by Roger Venables). (Above left) Overhead Line Renewal Work. (Above right) Track Maintenance.

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Innovation & Research Focus Issue 89 mAy 2012

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, STRUCTURES & RATING SYSTEMS

Structural engineering and sustainable construction

The Institution of Structural Engineers has funded a project to consider the effectiveness of Sustainable Building Rating Schemes in the context of the contribution of structural engineers to sustainable design. The study considered BREEAM, LEED and a selection of other schemes that represent a range of approaches.

he project combined a literature review, a survey, and an analysis of project scores. The Arup research team provided project data regarding embodied and operational impacts. Green building councils, rating scheme providers and researchers in the field were also generous with their data. An overall assessment of each rating scheme was followed by a detailed appraisal of topics that are directly applicable to the structure. This appraisal considered the characteristics of structural materials, local issues and the experiences of structural engineers striving to achieve the credits. The appraisal considered how effectively each approach would provide: incentives for sustainable actions; a comparable measure of the sustainability of buildings; a framework to define sustainable design practices for professionals; and a practical tool which can be deployed cost-effectively during the procurement of buildings. The evidence was used to identify the attributes of an effective scheme. The review showed that rating scheme credits can play an important part in supporting sustainable construction but only if devised correctly. The survey demonstrated an enthusiasm from structural engineers to contribute, both to the sustainability of buildings,

Relative contributions to embodied CO2 of office buildings (Arup/Concrete Centre).

Superstructure Substructure Construction Cladding Floor finishes Roof Internal planning Wall finishes Ceiling finishes 45% 17% 12% 11% 11% 2% 1% 1% 0%

was the same for nearly all the rating schemes studied, despite a large variety in approach. For a rating scheme to be effective, increased attention should be devoted to structure. This finding is supported by consideration of: broader sustainability through responsible sourcing beyond the project boundary; avoidance of waste through design; reduction in impacts of materials used. Taking the reduction in impacts alone, consideration of climate change or embodied energy places structural materials as 10% to 20% of the whole life impact of new buildings built to rating scheme standards. Recommendations include improved drafting of some individual credits and a mixture of actions relating to particular materials, combined with assessment of responsible sourcing, impact reduction, and planning for end of life. The research considered the building rating schemes from the point of view of a single profession working within a multi-disciplinary team. It is hoped that the research will assist in future development of building rating schemes. The full report can be viewed at: www.istructe.org/rating-schemes. For further information please contact Berenice Chan, Institution of Structural Engineers (020 7201 9125; E-mail: Berenice.chan@istructe.org).

and to the development of rating schemes. Structural engineers can play an active role in delivering many aspects of a sustainable building. This can include supporting architectural, acoustic, thermal, lighting and construction performance. Achieving a sustainable building is noted to require a coordinated team, with early input from all parties. It has been estimated that the indirect influence of the structural engineer in an active supporting role contributes to 50% of the scores. The credits that are directly related to the design and specification of the structure are where structural engineers can provide the most direct value to clients. Here the story is quite different. These were typically found to form only 5% of project scores. This finding

MODELLING & FLOOD RISK

Fast and accurate flood inundation modelling

Mapping of flood hazard and flood risk is becoming increasingly important to strategic planning, insurance assessment and legislative requirements. Two-dimensional numerical models used to predict how flood inundation propagates are integral to the development of these maps. However, traditional flood inundation models are unable to utilise the high-resolution topographical information now widely available without creating long run-times. Coarse grids that average the topography are often deployed to achieve practical computational run-times, but the resulting models are then less accurate.

o overcome this problem, HR Wallingford and Heriot-Watt University have developed an inundation model RFSM EDA (Rapid Flood Spreading Model: Explicit Diffusion waves with Acceleration) that uses a unique sub-grid meshing system. It has the capability to utilise high resolution topographical information, whilst still achieving fast run-times. The meshing system analyses the fine topographic detail with a pre-process algorithm. This information is then stored and utilised during model simulations. In a series of independent benchmark tests developed by the Environment Agency, the model has been shown to reproduce the behaviour of traditional models. However, its run-times are orders of magnitudes faster. The meshing system is key to the fast run-

meshes containing approximately 10,000 cells). Although the RFSM EDA mesh was coarse, no averaging of the topography was required, and the full high resolution terrain model was utilised in the simulations. The fast model run-times, whilst utilising the full high resolution topographical information, mean that the model is particularly suitable for large-scale flood mapping and probabilistic analyses. For further information on the study please contact the project team: Julien Lhomme, Grant Wright (Heriot-Watt University), Sam Jamieson (PhD Researcher) or Ben Gouldby (Project Director, HR Wallingford) (01491 835381; E-mail: j.lhomme@hrwallingford.com).

River Severn Floods (2007) at Worcester.

time. On one test, RFSM EDA used a computational mesh that comprised sixteen computational cells (whereas traditional models use

Innovation & Research Focus Issue 89 mAy 2012

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CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND MODELLING

Using Building Information Modelling to work together for a better industry

The UK Governments Construction Strategy (published in May 2011) called for a profound change in the relationship between public authorities and the construction industry to ensure that the Government consistently gets a good deal and the country gets the social and economic infrastructure it needs for the long-term. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a key enabler of the change and the BIM Task Group is responsible for providing the industry with the necessary guidance and support to bring about this reality by 2016 and, along with other Task Groups, a cost reduction of 20% during the term of the current Parliament.

y 2016 construction projects for the UK Government are to implement Level 2 BIM. In essence, this is managed by 3D models held in separate-discipline BIM tools with attached data, forming and aggregated information defining the (clients) project requirements. As a project progresses from briefing, through design and into construction the detail and clarity of this integrated information resource increases, and is ultimately being handed over along with the finished building or facility for use by Facilities Managers (FM). At key project milestones the information is interrogated by the client team to ensure project output targets are being met, better ensuring that the resultant asset will perform as intended. This data-rich information culture will continue past construction and into use, enhancing initial aftercare and lifecycle operations. It will not only allow for more-efficient operation of buildings or facilities but will also provide invaluable data for subsequent projects. Ultimately, it is anticipated that this will enable drastic reductions in both cost and carbon use across the Government estate, intrinsically linking real world in use data with project briefing. BIM is the data conduit to achieving this integrated coordination. However, the UK Government is firm in its view that the industry must embrace behavioural change if genuine benefit is to be gained by all, and that the silo-based and fragmented culture that has become endemic in the industry must change. Clients and industry alike must learn to cooperate: BIM is the language of cooperation - allowing all parties to communicate with common purpose. The BIM Task Group is working both client side pull and industry push, acting as a catalyst for positive change. Positive progress is being made with UK Government Departmental Embarkation Workshops, with the first BIM Enabled Projects due

The end-to-end Level 2 BIM process.

to go live via the Ministry of Justice in June 2012 the first of an on-going pipeline of push projects by UK Government. The end-to-end Level 2 BIM process is highlighted in the diagram. Twenty pull work packages are in the pipeline, creating protocols and guidance that will support the industry in adoption of BIM. Industry interaction with the Task Group is to be enabled through a web microsite and twitter feed. The Task Group is mindful of both scalability and localism, working to ensure that BIM is well understood and can be adopted by all (irrespective of company size or location) without barriers. Key to this is the creation of Regional BIM hubs in 2012. Their aim is to disseminate Task Group programmes of work and to obtain valuable feedback from the industry as it embarks on this exciting journey toward mutual social and economic benefit through BIM-enabled cooperation.
David Philp (Head of BIM Implementation at the UK Cabinet Office) is prompting the industry to adopt a new angle on construction project processes.

For further information please contact David Philp, Head of BIM Implementation, UK Governments Cabinet Office (E-mail: david.philp@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk) or visit www.bimtaskgroup.org/ .

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Innovation & Research Focus Issue 89 mAy 2012

SUSTAINABILITY & RATING SYSTEMS

spoNsorINg orgaNIsatIoNs

Transition from environment to sustainability assessment

The CEEQUAL assessment methodology for civil engineering, infrastructure, landscaping and public realm works has the longest track record of sustainability rating systems for such works, having now been in operation for over 9 years. The latest version of CEEQUAL was recently launched at the Institution of Civil Engineers in London and completes CEEQUALs transition from an environmental assessment and awards scheme to sustainability assessment, rating and awards.

goverNmeNt department for business, Innovation & skills

Construction Sector Unit Bay UG87, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET (020 7215 0826) Website: www.bis.gov.uk E-mail: peter.whittington@bis.gsi.gov.uk

research orgaNIsatIoNs centre for Innovative and collaborative construction engineering (cIce)
Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU (01509 228549; fax: 01509 223982) Website: www.cice.org.uk E-mail: S.G.Yeomans@lboro.ac.uk

ith ever-increasing pressure to live more sustainably in a growing world, the civil engineering industry is continuing to strive for project and contract teams to fulfil societys new green demands. Current legal regulation and governance are still seen as too low a bar to meet these green demands and several clients, designers and contractors are demanding higher standards of management and performance. Building on CEEQUALs extensive experience in operating and developing the tool, the assessment manuals have been reviewed, revised and updated by CEEQUALs panel of experts to reflect current industry best practice. The previous twelve sections have been reduced and refined into eight, and a new section on project strategy has been added. The new Project Strategy section has been developed for the CEEQUAL assessment in order to prompt project teams to consider whether their project is contributing (or will contribute) to moving society on a pathway towards more-sustainable living. Projects will be encouraged to adopt wider aspects of sus-

tainability and will be assessed on implementation of the core principles of sustainability in their design and construction. Other types of projects, such as marine and offshore, will be able to use CEEQUAL Version 5 for assessments more easily than with earlier versions. The methodology now expressly includes assessment of marine and offshore projects (wind farms, oil & gas production, pipelines etc) and therefore includes consideration of the use of seabed by such installations, and the effects of such works on the marine environment and ecosystem. The term land use is now seen to include the seabed and river or lake beds where appropriate. CEEQUALs commitment to strive for industry pinnacle best practice continues to set the bar higher, and encourage project teams to deliver sustainability-driven projects for the communities they serve. For further information, please contact Roger Venables, CEEQUAL Chief Executive (020 3137 2379; E-mail: roger.venables@ceequal.com).

centre for Window and cladding technology

University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY (01225 386541; fax: 01225 386556) Website: www.cwct.co.uk E-mail: cwct@bath.co.uk

hr Wallingford ltd
Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BA (01491 835381; fax: 01491 832233) Website: www.hrwallingford.co.uk E-mail: hrinfo@hrwallingford.co.uk

the steel construction Institute

Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7QN (01344 636525; fax: 01344 636570) Website: www.steel-sci.org E-mail: reception@steel-sci.com

professIoNal INstItutIoNs Institution of civil engineers

1 Great George Street, Westminster, London, SW1P 3AA (020 7222 7722; fax: 020 7222 7500) Website: www.ice.org.uk E-mail: library@ice.org.uk

Institution of structural engineers

11 Upper Belgrave Street, London SW1X 8BH (020 7235 4535; fax: 020 7235 4294) Website: www.istructe.org E-mail: berenice.chan@istructe.org

royal academy of engineering

3 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5DG (020 7766 0600; fax 020 7930 1549) Website: www.raeng.org.uk E-mail: robert.barrett@raeng.org.uk

Case Study: Portsmouth Upper Harbour Ammunitioning Facility. This current CEEQUAL project encompasses the demolition of the existing jetty, and the construction of a new one. One of the main challenges is that the jetty is an offshore structure with no direct land access. about INNOVATION & RESEARCH FOCUS

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Innovation & Research Focus Issue 89 mAy 2012

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