Evolution Magazine May 2010

8/13/2019 Evolution Magazine May 2010

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evolutionMay 2010

sharing knowledge, building best practice

Celebrating50 Years


2/20

www.ciria.org2

Editorial

Con

tents

The UN climate change talks in April

ended with agreement to intensify

the meeting schedule and achieve a

strong outcome in Mexico at the endof 2010. The UNFCCC process

recognises that the only way to

overcome complex issues is through

dialogue and collaboration.

Collaboration has formed the basis

of CIRIAs work for 50 years. To mark

our anniversary we have included in

this issue a quick tour of some of the

highlights of CIRIAs past, present

and future.

Climate change also provides a

common thread for three of the

articles in this issue of Evolution.

Brian McDonald of Natural England

examines the role of green

infrastructure in creating sustainable

communities that can help society

adapt to the effects of climate

change and improve peoples health

and quality of life through regular

contact with nature. Green

infrastructure includes green roofs,

which are increasingly popular. To

introduce the topic, Louise Clarke

describes the different types of green

roofs and their benefits. This will befollowed in September by the second

World Green Roof Congress being

organised in London by CIRIA and

Livingroofs.org

Our third article looks at the loss of

essential services during extreme

CIRIA 2010

Evolution is published by

CIRIA

Classic House,

174180 Old Street,

London, EC1V 9BP, UK

Tel +44 (0)20 7549 3300

Fax +44 (0)20 7253 0523

ISSN No. 01402817

3

Members update

4

Green infrastructure

6

Benefits of green roofs

8

Climate change effects on ageing

infrastructure

10

CIRIA turns 50

12

CEEQUAL Scheme

14

Getting design for movement

right

16

Keeping up-to-date

17

Latest CIRIA courses

18

New and forthcoming titles

19

Getting on top of top events

Bill Healy

Chief Executive

Evolution is printed with vegetable inks on

paper comprising 75 per cent post-consumer

waste and 25 per cent ECF recycled paper.

Photograph acknowledgements

Front cover M1 J6A-10 widening gantry

installation, Matthew Walter,

Balfour Beatty SKANSKA

Page 45 Chris Gibson and Natural England

Page 67 Dusty Gedge, Livingroofs.org

Page 9 Stephen Hird, Reuters

Page 15 Reuters

Box 3, Stuart Alexander

Page 19 London Fire Brigade

weather events such as the flooding

of summer 2007 and the snowfall

between December 2009 and

January 2010. Ben Kidd explainshow the experience of these events

together with acceptance of

predicted climate change have raised

the profile of the need for greater

stakeholder collaboration and

prioritised investment to bring about

improved infrastructure resilience.

Change sometimes needs a helping

hand. CEEQUAL is an assessment

and awards scheme for civil

engineering projects that go beyond

minimum requirements for

environmental and socialperformance. Philip Charles explains

how it works.

The final articles in this issue invite

you to get involved. We revisit one of

CIRIAs structural engineering guides:

Design for movement in buildings.

Stuart Alexander makes the case for

updating and invites contributions

and case studies. In Viewpoint, Mike

Cross (HSE) argues for better

understanding of major incidents. Do

we need a new approach to risk

management? Contact us tocontribute to the debate.

TheM1,whichalsorecentlycelebratedits50than

niversary


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www.ciria.org

CIRIA NewsThe International Levee

Handbook

International collaboration involving

Germany, France, Ireland, the

Netherlands, UK and the USA has

already resulted in an extensive

exchange of knowledge on this topic

and this will be consolidated into a

handbook. Work on the project

started with an investigating study.

This involved several internationalworkshops as well as site visits to

illustrate both the devastation and

the remedial works undertaken

following hurricane Katrina (USA) and

Xynthia (France). Contact:

[email protected]

Lean construction

Increased interest is being shown in

lean principles, accentuated partly by

the current economic climate and

the appreciation of the need to do

more with less. This project willgenerate industry consensus and

momentum for the application of

lean in construction. Contact:

[email protected]

Slips and trips update

The popularity of CIRIAs guide,

including its adoption by the

transport sector, together with rapid

progress being made in materials

and applications led CIRIA to produce

this supplement. Key messages are

identified and issues for clients,manufacturers and other

stakeholders are highlighted.

Contact: [email protected]

Alternative views on

radiological risk estimation

CIRIAs nuclear networks exemplify

our role in bringing together different

stakeholders. This position paper

aims to provide a balanced view

taking into account the perspectives

of campaigning organisations,

government organisations, and thoseof site licensed companies, regulators

and other industry professionals.


SuDS National Standards

CIRIAs involvement in sustainable

drainage spans over a decade, and

has been selected to lead the

consortium providing technical

advice to DEFRA and CLG on the

development of these standards.


Designing against crime

and disorderThe design of urban areas can affect

the rate of crime and by improving

the urban environment it can act as

a deterrent and create greater

ownership of places that helps

reduce crime. CIRIA is developing

guidance exploring how planners and

designers of the built environment

can respond to the issues arising

from threats to social well-being and

infrastructure. Contact:

[email protected]

Transport infrastructure

drainage: condition

appraisal and remedial

treatment (RP941)

CIRIA are well placed to highlight the

link between poorly maintained

drainage systems and the incidence

of earthwork and pavement failures.

This research project will develop

good practice guidance on the whole-

life management of drainage assets.


Under the sea Geo-Seas

CIRIA is involved with an EU FP7

project that combines 26 marine

geological and geophysical data

centres across 17 European

maritime countries. The survey

covered topics such as requirements

on geological/geophysical seabed

data products, the needs for

standardisation and harmonisation

and also the requirements for

viewing and access services.


Sound foundations

geotechnical issues in

construction

At this second annual workshop,

delegates discussed a series of

topics ranging from pile head

snapping to electronic data formats.

The papers, prepared by a range of

industry professionals, have now

been published. Contact:[email protected]

Online training

contaminated land

CIRIAs extensive range of work on

contaminated land now includes a

recently launched online course. The

course is aimed at graduates and

more experienced professionals

working in contaminated land for the

first time. Contact:

[email protected]

3

This selection of recent projects illustrates the breadth and relevance of CIRIAs work. It

underlines the continuing importance of CIRIAs research process involving collaboratively-

funded projects, with specialist industry teams commissioned to produce the guidance:

Update of construction over abandoned mine workings

Mitigation and remediation of volatile organic compounds

Sustainable procurement in construction

Design for movement in structures update (scoping)

Design against crime and disorder

Lean construction

Update of environmental good practice site guide

Conservation and enhancement of biodiversity in civil engineering projects

Large trees in the urban landscape design and management guide

Infrastructure drainage: condition appraisal and remedial treatment

International levee handbook scoping study


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www.ciria.org4

Natural developments thatinspire our livesBrian McDonald from

Natural England discusses

their new green

infrastructure project

The beauty and wonder of thenatural environment inspires and

enriches our lives. It plays an

important role in creating

sustainable communities, can help

us adapt to the effects of climate

change and improve peoples health

and quality of life through regular

contact with nature.

Natural England, the governments

advisor on natural environment,

aims to deliver these benefits close

to where people live and work

through a new project that

encapsulates the concept of green

infrastructure.

A natural development project,

already supported by Arup, Barking

Riverside, Land Securities and

Countryside Properties, will highlight

best practice and raise the standard

of design and delivery for green

infrastructure across the country.

The project aims to ensure that

green infrastructure is woven into

urban development. This will either

be by incorporating it into newdevelopments or by adapting existing

buildings or areas, to deliver locally

distinctive places that work with

nature.

Green infrastructure provides the

environmental foundation that

supports the function, health, wealth

and identity of our communities. Set

within, between and beyond our

urban areas, it provides a structured

network of multi-functional open

spaces and natural assets that

include trees, parks, gardens,

allotments, cemeteries, living roofs,

woodlands, green corridors, rivers

and waterways.

Natural England believes that these

green places need to be integrated

into the planning, design and

management of our towns and cities

for the many benefits they present to

society. For example, green

infrastructure can help reducecarbon, generate renewable energy,

raise air quality, enhance biodiversity

and water management, increase

local food production and promote

healthy communities. These

ecosystem services are essential

ingredients for successful places,

and research states:

a wooded park can filter out 85

per cent of air pollutants and a

street lined with trees by up to 70

per cent

people who live within 500 m of a

quality greenspace are 24 per

cent more active. Increasing

exercise levels of just one per

cent of the UKs population would

save lives and deliver nearly

1.5bn in health care savings

in heat waves urban greening

can cool the city by as much as

4C, while green roofs slow down

the runoff of stormwater into our

already overburdened drainage

system.

The natural development project

condenses the benefits of green

infrastructure into four key areas:

1 Natural signature: distinctive

landscapes with more wildlife

and ecological connections

shaped by peoples needs.

2 Natural resilience: the greening

of towns and cities that

contribute to climate changeadaptation through flood

management and urban cooling.

3 Natural health service:

accessible natural green spaces

close to where people live and

work, providing opportunities for

healthy living.

4 Natural connections: children

play in wildlife rich spaces and

adults are involved in

environmental activities,

reinforcing a sense of place and

ownership.

Poul Christensen, Chair of Natural

England said:

A natural development

presents a great opportunity for

the development and

environment sectors to work

closely together in greening

urban development. Green

spaces transform urban life by

cooling our cities, filtering out

pollutants, improving peoples

health, supporting wildlife and

creating attractive places to live

and work in. Incorporating green

infrastructure into the very core


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www.ciria.org 5

of spatial planning and urban

design would deliver countless

benefits for our cities and theirinhabitants.

Peter Head, Director at Arup and

champion for innovation and

enterprise in the Thames Gateway

said:

I am very supportive of

developing understanding of how

important green infrastructure is

for economic vitality, good health

and happiness. We can bring

these benefits to existing

communities as part of improved

low carbon place making and

enable people to live in harmony

with and enjoy the natural world.

This should be central to all low

carbon housing retrofit.

Brian McDonald from Natural

England said:

Our aim, through projects such

as natural development, is to

work with partners to help deliver

locally distinctive places that work

with nature to deliver a wide

range of benefits: for health andwell-being, climate change

adaptation and reconnecting

people with nature.

Natural England views green

infrastructure as critical to

regeneration projects and is involved

in the delivery of 95 green

infrastructure projects across the

country, from Plymouth and Bristol in

the south-west, to the urban fringe of

Darlington and Newcastle in the

north-east. They are also working

with their partners within the growth

areas, growth points and proposed

ecotowns to prepare and adopt

green infrastructure strategies and

demonstrate good practice on the

ground.

The organisation has also recently

published guidance to outline its

position in relation to green

infrastructure, planning and delivery

(Natural England, 2009). Aimed at

local authorities and developers, it

articulates the importance of early

planning for green infrastructure and

integrating green infrastructure

strategies within spatial planning.

Sustainable drainage

Using sustainable drainage systems

(SuDS) to manage surface water can

dramatically improve the urban

environment through the use of

landscaped SuDS components and

interaction with nature and water.

SuDS should include landscape

integrated into the local community

providing a valued and attractive

contribution to green infrastructure as

well as managing flood risk and water

quality.

CIRAs new guidance Planning for

SuDS making it happen will be

published in 2010. This guide will

focus on the delivery of SuDS within

the planning and development

process ensuring successful

sustainable drainage is effectively

specified by planners and delivered by

developers.

Recognising the vital contribution that

spatial planning and urban design

make to the delivery of SuDs, CIRIA is

in the early stages of developing a

proposal to produce an urban design

toolkit for SuDs. This toolkit will

identify and explain the principles of

SuDs, and demonstrate their

suitability for a variety of new build

and retrofit applications. The proposal

will highlight their multi-functionality

including how they add to local place

making and place shaping as well as

green infrastructure.

For further information on these

initiatives please contact Paul Shaffer,

CIRIA, at: [email protected]

Conservation and enhancing

biodiversity within civil

engineering projects

The delivery of infrastructure provides

valuable opportunities to deliver green

infrastructure including habitats forwildlife and areas of open space for

amenity and recreation. This gives

attractive natural corridors through

what otherwise would be unattractive

often intensively developed areas.

CIRIA is currently developing guidance

to combine information available on

the multiple opportunities presented

by infrastructure assets and their

surrounding landscape. The guidance

will go beyond regulatory compliance

exploring imaginative opportunities for

organisations to contribute to local

biodiversity and green infrastructure

through the delivery and managementof infrastructure assets.

For further information on this

proposal please contact Philip Charles,

CIRIA, at: [email protected]

Clapton Park Estate Flowers

To find out more and sign up to the

natural development project please

visit:

www.naturalengland.org.uk

Natural Englands Green

infrastructure guidance (NE176) canbe downloaded from:

www.naturalengland.org.uk


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www.ciria.org6

Louise Clarke explores the

benefits of this increasingly

popular form of

construction and the

forthcoming London World

Green Roof Congress

Londons parks have long been

recognised as having a range of

ecological, recreational and other

benefits. In terms of scale, the

benefits of a green roof may not be

clear until you consider that

Londons green roofs cover an area

equivalent to Hyde Park.

Green roofs use vegetation and soil

to provide a sustainable roofing

solution. They have multiple benefits

and are steadily becoming amainstream technology, and are

increasingly being recognised as an

important resource that can help

adapt and mitigate the effects of

climate change.

Green roofs are a useful way to add

vegetation to otherwise wasted

space. Conventional roofs add little

benefit to the surrounding

environment and are often a

missed opportunity. Space in urban

areas is limited especially green

open space so there is theopportunity to use roof space to

gain multiple benefits. Roofs can

have substantial benefits if they are

used as a resource to create green

spaces providing environmental and

amenity benefits.

The term green roofs refers to

several different types of roofs that

have vegetation on them including

living roofs, brown roofs, terraces

and balconies. Green roofs can be

included in new buildings and

retrofitted on existing roofs.Retrofitting green roofs can be

particularly beneficial when space is

limited.

The main types of green roofs are

extensive, simple intensive and

intensive:

extensive roofs have thin soils

that consist of drought and wind

tolerant plants including sedums,

other succulents and wildflowers.

They have minimal maintenance

and are not normally designed to

be accessible

simple intensive often consists of

lawns or ground covering plants

that need regular maintenance

intensive roofs are gardens and

parks or even semi natural

woodland at roof level and are

usually accessible to people.

Here vegetation includes scrubs,

trees, beds and lawns and

requires regular maintenance.

Benefits of green roofs

Green roofs have multiple benefits

for the environment, our health and

well-being. They also add to the

green infrastructure of urban areas,

which is increasingly being seen asan important part of adapting and

mitigating the effects of climate

change. They are a practical way of

reducing building running costs,

reducing the negative development

impacts of climate change and

increasing the quality of the urban

environment. These factors are

achieved through increased thermal

performance, improved water

quantity and quality, enhancing

biodiversity and improving amenity.

Thermal performance

The inclusion of green roofs in urban

areas can help reduce the urban

heat island effect (UHI). UHI is

created by surfaces such as

pavement and conventional roofs

that absorb solar energy, which then

radiates as heat. This raises the

temperature of urban areas by

several degrees compared to thesurrounding rural areas. High

temperatures in urban areas causes

more air conditioning units to be

used resulting in increased energy.

Green roofs can help reduce the

effects of UHI as less heat is

radiated in the atmosphere, and the

thermal performance of buildings

increases by reducing the need for

air conditioning and providing

insulation in winter. This helps

reduce the daily range of

temperatures in buildings.

Water

Green roofs can provide significant

benefits through surface water

management. They help reduce the

peak rate of runoff and are

important components of

sustainable drainage systems

(SuDS). Also, they are major source

Gardens in the sky

Green roof at Roman Fort, Plochingen, Stuttgart


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www.ciria.org 7

control mechanism in the SuDSmanagement train.

Green roofs can help reduce the

pollution from rainfall runoff.

Pollutants on roof surfaces can

include dust or contaminants

dissolved in rainwater. Green roofs

can retain and bind these pollutants

improving the water quality of runoff

to the receiving watercourse.

Biodiversity

Green roofs have considerable

biodiversity benefits by providingliving space for plants and animals.

They can help provide new habitat

areas supporting a variety of plants

and more habitat for rare species

especially those associated with

brownfield land and open space.

Green roofs are particularly

significant in urban areas as they

give valuable habitats in areas that

are often lacking in biodiversity. They

can also play an important role of

providing links and connections

between existing habitats helping toprovide corridors for wildlife through

urban areas.

Amenity

Amenity provides both tangible and

intangible benefits to a development

or property. The amenity of an area

can increases its attractiveness and

value while adding to the comfort

and convenience of the community.

Green roofs give amenity to places by

increasing open space, adding to the

green infrastructure and providing

visual benefits to developments and

the community.

World Green Roof Congress

The World Green Roof Congress

(WGRC) will be held on 1516

September 2010 in London. It is an

opportunity for experts from across

the world to showcase green roofs

and walls. The idea of the Congress

is to bring together the latest

research from around the world and

leading international figures in the

green roof world, to continue to

stimulate innovation and uptake of

this important element within the

sustainability agenda.

Green roofs are common throughout

Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In

the UK they have slowly evolved into

the mainstream in the last 10 years.

In London there are examples of all

types of green roofs including the

highest in Europe, if not the world, at

Barclays Headquarters in Canary

Wharf. Others include a park/garden

at the top of Canon Street station

and the famous Kensington Gardens.

In London there is now estimated to

be in the region of 500 000 m of

green roofs. Although this is quite a

large area and demonstrates that

green roofs have joined the

mainstream, this is relatively small

when compared to other leading

green roofs cities in the world such

as Stuttgart and Basel. The WGRC is

an opportunity to discuss how their

delivery can be progressed and

achieve mainstream inclusion in

buildings.

This Congress will be the third such

event. The first WGRC was held in

Basel, Switzerland followed by

London in 2008. The previous event

in London attracted over 300

delegates from around 15 countries.

The Congress in 2008 was a

resounding success both in the

numbers of people attending, and

the satisfaction of sponsors,

speakers and delegates. The event

was a great opportunity for learning

about research and gave plenty oftime for networking and promotional

activities.

Dusty Gedge, president of the EFB

and director of Livingroofs.org

commented on the WGRC:

I am really excited that

Livingroofs.org and CIRIA are

again bringing the latest in green

roofs to London in 2010. The

WGRC 2010 should ensure that

not only green roofs continue to

develop and to be used in the UK

but will ensure that London isrecognised as pushing the

boundaries of green roofs in the

world.

The Congress will provide a platform

for communication in the latest

research, case studies and policy

initiatives. It will focus on what can

be done to fully exploit the multiple

benefits of green roofs in adapting to

climate change and strive to create

innovation, encouraging the use and

adoption of green roofs.

There are many benefits of green

roofs for the built environment

including helping achieve climate

change adaptation and mitigation.

They also offer wider social benefits

and their inclusion is becoming more

mainstream. The WGRC provides an

opportunity to raise their profile and

increase their use.

There are several ways to get involved

with the Congress. Opportunities

range from speaking, arranging a

green roof tour, to sponsoring theconference and related events. For

further information please visit:

www.worldgreenroofcongress.com

Green roof at Canary Wharf, London


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www.ciria.org8

Infrastructure resilience foran uncertain futureBen Kidd highlights the

difficulties facing ageing

infrastructure in becoming

more resilient and

adaptable to future climate

scenarios

Introduction

The loss of essential services, such

as power, water, transport and

telecommunications during the flood

events of summer 2007 highlighted

that disruption to service of this

critical infrastructure can have direct

effects on both society and the

economy. Other high consequence

events such as the disruption caused

by large snowfall between December2009 and January 2010, where

significant strain was put on road grit

resources, add weight to the need for

further research into methods and

technologies. This will help to

improve the resilience of our nations

critical legacy infrastructure.

The experience of such large scale

extreme weather events, together

with acceptance of predicted climate

change effects, have raised the

profile of the need for greater

stakeholder collaboration and

prioritised investment to bring about

improved resilience.

The challenge

The UK has a large stock of legacy

infrastructure. Much of this dates

back to Victorian times when

engineering designs were good, but

have since fallen into disrepair

through lack of maintenance or now

require enhancement to cope with

increased incidents of extreme

weather.

Devolution and privatisation of the

utilities sector has introduced new

challenges with a significantly

increased number of stakeholders

and geographical/legislative

boundaries requiring increased

knowledge sharing and co-

ordination.

The difficulty in co-ordinating the

prioritisation of investment, with

each infrastructure sector having

different funding sources and

regulatory regimes, increases the

scale of the challenge.

Strategic level resilience

Increasing awareness of

interdependencies between

infrastructure assets and the need

for a co-ordinated effort to build

levels of resilience led to the

formation of the Natural Hazards

Team (NHT) within the Cabinet Office

in 2009, which sits as part of the

existing Civil Contingencies

Secretariat.

Given the co-ordination challenges

described before, the NHT is well

placed to affect change right across

the UK, since the Civil Contingencies

Act (CCA) provides a common

framework for all stakeholders and

devolved powers. For example,

measures to mitigate one of the

most prominent hazards to UK

infrastructure flooding are oftenconstrained by a raft of different

legislation and guidance across

geographical boundaries. The CCA is

also clear on roles and

responsibilities, something that is

altogether more complex on the

issue of flood risk management,

although this is due to be clarified via

the Flood and Water Management

Bill.

The NHT has recently published their

Strategic framework and policy

statement (Cabinet Office, 2009),which gives details of the process,

timetable and expectations for their

critical infrastructure resilience

programme (CIRP). During 2009 the

government departments

responsible for each of the nine

sectors of national infrastructure

(communications, emergency

services, energy, finance, food,

government, health, transport andwater) assessed the current

vulnerability of their sector from

flooding. A summary of the findings,

produced as Sector resilience plans

(Cabinet Office, 2010a), was

published in March 2010, two years

after being recommended in The Pitt

Review: learning lessons from the

2007 floods (Cabinet Office, 2008).

The Cabinet Office have also

published Interim guidance for the

economic regulated sectors (Cabinet

Office 2010b), identifying

considerations for industry on howthey may be able to support

resilience building.

There are also several other cross-

government initiatives that relate to

the resilience agenda, none more so

than the Climate Change Adaptation

programme. This programme is

bringing about a transition in

adaptation, and so resilience, to

climate change through the

requirement for formal reporting

under the Climate Change Act 2008.

This will require a significant culturalchange for most infrastructure asset

owner organisations.


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Emergency service personnel attend the flooded Castlemeads power station, Gloucester

www.ciria.org 9

Resilience to flooding

A cultural change is alreadyunderway, which should improve the

resilience of new-built infrastructure

to flooding. This is by the setting up

of Infrastructure UK and the

Infrastructure Planning Commission,

the latter suitably chaired by Sir

Michael Pitt, author of the review of

the summer 2007 floods (Cabinet

Office, 2008). Linking with existing

planning guidance we can be

confident that the new generation of

infrastructure projects will

incorporate appropriate levels of

flood resilience.

However, the implementation of flood

resistance and resilience measures

is most challenging, when appliedretrospectively to existing stocks of

legacy infrastructure in the UK. The

existing regulatory context is highly

complex and is further complicated

by different sectors having differing

planning and investment periods. A

recent CIRIA publication, Flood

resilience and resistance for critical

infrastructure (McBain et al, 2010),

presents an evidence base of the

work that has been undertaken to

date to improve the flood resilience

of the UKs critical infrastructure

asset stock. The publication is

supported by case studies on current

flood risk management approaches

and investment prioritisation for

critical infrastructure, from both

within the UK and internationally.

Building in resilience for an

uncertain future

The most effective way to build in

resilience is for improvement

measures to be included as an

integral part of individual

organisations business continuity

management processes, whole-life

asset management plans and climate

change adaptation strategies.

Co-ordination of collective individual

effort and prioritisation of the overall

spend on resilience measures in the

UK could be supported by the

adoption of a National Infrastructure

Bank, as proposed by the Institution

of Civil Engineers in May 2009 (New

Civil Engineer, 2009). This is likely to

be a topic of discussion in the lead

up to the forthcoming generalelection. The idea of a National

Infrastructure Bank would be to

leverage public funds with private

capital. This approach will be

essential if the UK is to progress with

the implementation of increased

resilience for our critical

infrastructure in the current

economic climate.

In December 2009 Hilary Benn MP

and Secretary of State for

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

called on the engineering sector to

lead the design and build of a

climate change resilient Britain

(Defra, 2009). With climate change

comes an increased level of

uncertainty. This then adds a further

dimension to sustainable

construction, requiring a project to

not only satisfy economic, social and

environmental requirements, butalso to be adaptable to take account

of different future conditions that

may exist over the considerable

lifetime of such infrastructure.

The first step required will be the

development of a common approach

for all involved. Through the inception

of cross-government initiatives on

climate change adaptation and

critical infrastructure resilience we

may see the development of a

climate change resilient Britain.

References

CABINET OFFICE (2008) The Pitt Review: learning lessons from the 2007 floods. Go to:

www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk

CABINET OFFICE (2009) Strategic framework and policy statement. Go to:


CABINET OFFICE (2010a) Sector resilience plans. Go to: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk

CABINET OFFICE (2010b) Interim guidance for the economic regulated sectors. Go to:


DEFRA (2009) Hilary Benn calls on engineering sector to lead the design and build of a

climate change resilient Britain. Ref 281/09. Go to: www.defra.gov.uk

MCBAIN, W, WILKES, D and RETTER, M (2010) Flood resilience and resistance for criticalinfrastructure. C688, CIRIA, London (ISBN: 978-086017-688-6). Go to:

www.ciria.org/service/c688

NCE (2009) ICE calls for national infrastructure bank. Go to: www.nce.co.uk


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www.ciria.org10

50 years of engaging

with industry

CERC was set up in 1960 with a

Council including the Institution of

Civil Engineers, the Federation of

Civil Engineering Contractors, the

Association of Consulting Engineers

and the Department of Scientific and

Industrial Research. Advisory

committees the forerunners of the

current advisory panels were put inplace to provide access to specialist

industrial knowledge.

By 1963, 15 projects were underway

and CERC produced its first

publication Interim Research Report 1

Research into the design of arch

dams. The price was 10/-. In 1968,

CIRIA produced its first Technical

Note Factors influencing the erosion

of concrete by cavitation (TN1) for

members only.

Towards the end of the 1960s the

Underwater Engineering Group (UEG)was formed. Reports produced by the

UEG are still being sold by Amazon.

CIRIA became recognised as a bridge

between research and practice,

leading to collaboration with other

researchers and industry

associations. In 1974 the

Department of the Environment

placed a contract with CIRIA to lead a

major co-operative programme on

R&D into piling problems. The

guidance produced became an

industry standard for the next 25

years.

I sat on CIRIAs Geotechnical

Advisory Board in the early 1970s

when we suggested that CIRIA

should focus on producing

practical guidance. I was not the

only voice expressing this view

but how right it has proved! The

guides CIRIA produces are

excellent.

John Burland, Emeritus Professor and

Senior Research Investigator,Imperial College, London

Arup and CIRIA have collaborated

closely on numerous projects.

CIRIA doesnt just engage key

stakeholders, but gets them to

participate actively in research.

Our recent work together on the

flood resilience of the UKs critical

infrastructure is a great example

of the value added by CIRIAs truly

collaborative approach.

Will McBain, Associate, Arup

At the start of the 1980s CIRIA

organised a national forum on quality

assurance in construction, leading to

a suite of publications and a video on

this important new topic.

Trenching practice was published to

help improve safe design and

working. The guide is still in print.

Work began on Scope for control ofurban runoff the start of CIRIAs

influential work on sustainable urban

drainage. Also in the 1980s, CIRIA

ran projects on the use of vegetation

in civil engineering, protection of river

and canal banks and the design of

reinforced grass waterways

marking the start of a programme of

activities relating to biodiversity in

buildings and infrastructure.

CIRIA also began an international

collaborative project on quarried rock

slope protection.

BAM Nuttall is very proud to be a

long standing CIRIA member. We

are currently involved in CIRIAs

work on sustainable procurement,

lean construction and

environmental good practice.

Our staff place enormous value

on CIRIA guides and the

networking opportunities

presented by CIRIA events.

Derek Ross, Director Business Process

and Sustainability, BAM Nuttall Ltd

1960sCivil Engineering Research Council

(CERC) formed to raise money from

industry and plan research. In 1967

the name is changed to CIRIA

reflecting a broader construction

remit

1970sCIRIAs committee structure

reorganised to focus on membership

and research management. The

successful model of collaboration

with specialists was born. CIRIA

News introduced

1980sNew formats and media for CIRIA

publications, including a video on

Quality assurance in construction

and the first site guide Setting-out

procedures. The guide was designed

to fit in a donkey jacket pocket

When the construction

community supports an

independent research

association for 50 years,

its a sure sign of a good

thing. Heres a quick tour of

some of the highlights of

CIRIAs past, present andfuture in our own words,

and in the words of some

of our stakeholders.


11/20

www.ciria.org 11

CIRIAs Building on derelict land was

published, leading to a suite of

guidance on contaminated land. The

Site safety handbookwas published

in 1992, adding to the successful

site guide series. Other best selling

publications launched in the 1990s

were the first Beach management

manual and further publications on

SuDS.

If you were to ask anyone

involved in the remediation of

contaminated land in the UK

about valuable publications, they

would almost certainly name

CIRIAs publications. I value my

relationship with CIRIA. It is a

privilege to participate in the

preparation of CIRIA guides.

Valerie Fogleman, Consultant,

Stevens & Bolton LLP and

Professor of Law, Cardiff University

CIRIA made its first moves into

training with the launch of a CDM

training pack for designers -- the first

of several such publications.

Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering

has been a CIRIA member for

many years. We actively encourage

our young professionals to use the

CIRIA website for practical

solutions to site problems and for

CPD.

John Hodgkins, Head of Technical

and Engineering Development,Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering

The contaminated land programme

took a step forward in 2002 with the

establishment of the Local Authority

Contaminated Land (LACL) network.

In 2005 Environmental good

practice on site was launched. The

handbook is CIRIAs best selling

publication. A third edition will be

launched in 2010.

HSE has worked closely with

CIRIA on many projects. We

benefit from contributing to

informative, authoritative guides

that are widely used by industry.

For example, the UXO guide is one

that HSE could never have

produced in on its own.

Donald Lamont, HM Principal Specialist

Inspector, Health and Safety Executive

Also in this decade CIRIA won a

consortium bid to set up the Scottish

Construction Centre and published a

second edition of The Rock manual

an example of international

collaboration. Other publications

included Unexploded ordnance

(UXO).

Crossrail has collaborated

successfully with CIRIA on the

recent UXO project. Our

discussions led to expansion of

the report brief to cover the risk to

construction of UXOs.

Rob Paris, Head of Planning,

Environment and Transport,

Crossrail Ltd

CIRIA was established as an industry

research and information

organisation developing and

championing performance

improvement across all areas of the

construction industry and built

environment. It has remained true to

its origins, and in 2010 we are still

delivering a broad programme of

research projects, networks,

publications, training and events.

The need for collaborative research

continues to grow. Economic

pressures demand ever more

efficient solutions, and policy and

regulatory pressures drive towards

more sustainable, low carbon,

solutions. The increasing pace of

change in technology, materials and

processes creates an increasing

array of new opportunities.

CIRIA will remain an independent

and impartial organisation that isguided by its members and senior

figures from a wide range of industry

stakeholders. We will continue to

maintain and develop our activities

to reflect the increasingly demanding

requirements placed on the built

environment. We will also continue to

develop and apply new approaches

and technology to help support both

collaboration and promotion of

business and delivery improvement.

The future holds significant

challenges. I have no doubt thatCIRIAs members and supporters will

work together to meet those

challenges.

1990sCIRIA Core Programme launched in

1991, closely followed by two

networks: the CIEF and the CPN.

CIRIAs first corporate website

launched

2000sCIRIA training launched to help

industry implement guidance. After

37 years in Westminster, CIRIA

moved to offices in Old Street

The futureChief Executive Bill Healy sets out his

vision for CIRIAs future. The focus

continues on independence,

collaboration, membership and

engagement with industry


12/20

www.ciria.org12

Environmental projects getthe thumbs upPhilip Charles discusses

the CEEQUAL Scheme

assessing the

environmental and social

performance of civil

engineering and public

realm projects

Civil engineering and public realm

projects are vital to supporting the

industrial, economic and societal

fabric of the UK. However, how can

you ensure such projects perform

well from environmental and social

viewpoints?

Since its inception 10 years ago,

CEEQUAL has become the accepted

UK industry assessment scheme for

major civil engineering clients,

designers and contractors, being

applied to over 13bn worth of

projects. CEEQUAL is the assessment

and awards scheme for improving

sustainability in civil engineering and

the public realm.

CEEQUAL aims to deliver improved

project specification, design and

construction by acknowledging

commitment to go beyond minimum

legal and environmental

requirements. Project teams

undertake a verified, self-assessment

process for their projects, which

involves considering 12 areas:

overarching project management

environmental issues: use of

water, energy and carbon, land-

use, ecology, landscape, noise

and dust, cultural heritage, waste

minimisation and management

social issues: effects onneighbours and community

relations.

Becoming a CEEQUAL assessor

involves attending a training course.

The course equips assessors with

the skill to assess projects against

the questions set out in the CEEQUAL

manual. Assessment scores are

based on supporting evidence (eg

site environmental management

plan) rather than assertion.

Submitted project assessments are

then independently verified before a

formal award being presented to the

project team.

Several award types can be applied

for, depending on which members of

the project team agree to be involved:

whole project award client,

designer and principal

contractor(s)

design award principal

designer(s)

construction award principal

contractor(s)

design and build award for designand build and other partnership

contracts

client and design award.

For the type of award selected, there

are four possible levels of

achievement based on the degree to

which minimum requirements have

been exceeded:

exceeded by 25% pass

exceeded by 40% good

exceeded by 60% very good

exceeded by 75% excellent

(with the actual score being givenon the award certificate).

CEEQUAL realises that although

concern for environmental and social

performance on civil engineering

projects remains high, there is

increasing focus on sustainability

and sustainable development.

In response, CEEQUAL has been

working to set the scheme within this

context and to assist potential

applicants to connect CEEQUAL to

their own sustainability-driven policies.

Currently, CEEQUAL is not a full

sustainability assessment tool as it

does not assess a project clients

financial decisions, the social

acceptability of the project, or the

wisdom of planning authorities in

allowing projects to proceed.

However, it acts as a significant

influence for project teams and their

decisions, enabling improvements to

the sustainability of civil engineering

and public realm projects.

CEEQUAL can be applied to a wide

variety of projects (eg roads, railways,

airports, coast and river works, water

supply and wastewater treatment,

and power stations). It has been

applied to projects of varying scales,

ranging from less than 75 000 to

3bn and beyond as illustrated in the

following case study.

Taking this into account, participants

in a CEEQUAL assessment report arange of benefits from using

CEEQUAL as a driver for


13/20

Case study: Moneymore flood

protection schemeMoneymore is a small village located

on the outskirts of Magherafelt in

County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

Within the village there are two housing

developments that are bordered by the

Coltrim and Ballymully Rivers. Through

recent years the Ballymully River has

overtopped its banks on several

occasions during periods of prolonged

and heavy rainfall. This, combined with

upstream runoff from Slieve Gallion,

poses the potential risk of serious

flooding to some 100 dwellings.

Project achievements included:

substantial energy savings through

both material choice and

construction methods adopted

all 1500 tonnes of rock armour

used for toe protection was

recycled material

all felled trees were logged and

stacked along the river-banks on

completion to create habitats for

invertebrates

all plant and equipment used bio-

degradable oils in case of

accidental spillages

98 per cent of inert and non-

hazardous waste material was sent

for recovery in a waste to energy

plant

all labour, sub-contractors and

material suppliers were sourced

within an 18 mile radius to

minimise the carbon footprint of

the site

extensive silt control mechanisms

were installed within the river to

prevent migration of silt

downstream while installing the toe

protection and fishery measures.

www.ciria.org 13

Type of award

Construction-only award

Level of achievement

Excellent 83%

Project team

Client

DARD Rivers Agency

Designers

DARD Rivers Agency/DAWSON-WAM Ltd

Contractor

DAWSON-WAM Ltd

Further information

To find out more about CEEQUAL,

please email Philip Charles at:

[email protected] or visit:

www.ceequal.com

CEEQUALs development was led by

the Institution of Civil Engineers

(ICE), with support from the UK

Government and industry, including

the Association for Consultancy and

Engineering (ACE) and the Civil

Engineering Contractors Association

(CECA). CEEQUAL is co-managed by

CIRIA and Crane Environmental.

Moneymore flood protection scheme

improvement and having their

project assessed including:

building reputation and good PR

including delivery of the

organisations environmental,

sustainability and/or corporate

social responsibility policies.

improvements to projects and

best practice, ranging from

whole-life costing, waste

minimisation, resource efficiency

(materials, water, energy), to

reducing complaints and

environmental incidents

demonstrating commitment to

the environmental agenda toclients, within the team and the

organisations involved, and to the

industry as a whole

improved team spirit by

developing a positive we must

score well here attitude and

rewarding teams that have gone

the extra mile.

Since its launch, the cumulative

value of projects that have or are

being assessed using CEEQUAL

exceeds 13bn.


14/20

www.ciria.org14

Stuart Alexander an

Independent Consultant

discusses the issues that

cause havoc with designer/

client relationships and

claims against insurance

Introduction

Getting design for movement right

should be of concern to all senior

design managers to reduce the risk

of problems arising later on.

Most of the emphasis in structural

codes of practice and teaching

material is on design for axial load,

bending movement and shear force.

However, the most common

problems in practice are different:

excessive deflection, unsightly

cracking, leaks in basements and

differential settlement. Also, while

the understanding of topics such as

crack widths and tension stiffening in

concrete has improved, defects and

failures arising from movement still

regularly occur.

It is tempting to categorise all these

shortfalls as serviceability failures,

but failure to appreciate the power of

temperature fluctuations appears to

have triggered the collapse of theterminal roof at Charles de Gaulle

airport in 2004, which killed six

people (see Box 2). This was one of

the most newsworthy construction

incidents of the decade, and serves

to underline the importance of

movement as an integral aspect of

structural engineering.

CIRIAs Design for movement in

buildings (TN107) was published in

1981, and has proved remarkably

durable. But the world and the

industry has moved on, and thisarticle discusses the topic of

movement and identifies changes and

developments over the past 30 years.

Movement in buildings

time for an update?

Often, accommodating movement

can affect basic design concepts.

Multi-storey car parks are

particularly susceptible to this

problem (see Box 3).

There are six principal sources of

movement:

1 Temperature and radiation

effects.

2 Elastic and creep deformation.

3 Shrinkage and moisture

movement.

4 Early-age thermal contractions in

concrete.

5 Foundation movement.

6 Dynamic movement.

Occasionally, these can lead to

absolute deflections of a structure,

but more often they lead to relativemovement between different parts of

a building, structural elements and

other building elements. Unpredicted

combinations of these movements

can lead to serious damage. The

overall philosophy of design for

movement may be expressed in the

following stages:

assess the potential for

unrestrained movements,

combining different types and

time-scales of movement as

appropriate

evaluate the restraints to

freedom of movement, in each

case estimating the final balance

between restraining forces and

net movement

decide whether the restraining

forces (in conjunction with other

co-acting forces) and net

movements are acceptable

come to an acceptable solution

by reducing the movements,

modifying the elements or form

to accept greater movement

joints, or introduce movementjoints.

Movement in perspective

There are many examples of large

buildings where there is no apparent

provision for movement and yet they

do not appear to exhibit any

problems. There are three mainreasons for this:

1 The buildings often use massive

construction with high thermal

inertia so that the internal

temperature is fairly constant

and large thermal movements do

not occur.

2 They are constructed of, or at

least jointed with relatively soft

materials so that movements are

spread imperceptibly over many

points.

3 Traditional materials (brick,

stone, concrete, mortar and

steel) all expand in similar

predictable ways, whereas wood

has been detailed to allow

differential movement.

An example of a traditional building

that has suffered severe differential

settlement is the Tower of Pisa (see

Box 1), which has survived

remarkably well. However as

buildings have departed from

traditional patterns they have

become lighter and more vulnerable

to temperature variations,

structurally more flexible often with

independent skeletal frame and

cladding, and comprise a range of

different material that exhibit

different temperature and loading

behaviours. The design of many

modern buildings has to take

account of movements as well as

forces and stresses.

Examples of relative movement

include an exposed parapet wall

moving relative to an insulated roof,

or non-loadbearing brickwork beingsqueezed by creep-shortening of

loadbearing concrete columns.


15/20

www.ciria.org 15

30 years experience

While TN107 was published 30 years

ago, it is still a highly relevant

document. However, although the

contents in this article may not

surprise any structural engineers,frequently problems still occur. CIRIA

recently undertook a review of the

document identifying the main areas

requiring updating. The following

sections introduce some of the

identified changes in practice since

TN107 was published.

The most dramatic change over this

period is the way designers now

spend a high proportion of their time

across most design activities using

computer software. The automatic

generation of results that appear to

produce a high degree of accuracy is

however spurious, and the topic of

movements remains one where

checking by hand calculations and

making estimates is still needed.

The transition from British codes of

practice to Eurocodes is more recent.

Eurocodes contain considerably

more data than the British codes (for

example, thermal actions are now

covered), but they are presented in a

more computer-orientated way and

omit much of the general guidance

that appeared in British codes. So

there is likely to be a greater need

than before for the type of knowledge

and background guidance to

supplement direct experience.

In building construction, all elements

but particularly cladding and

partitions have got lighter and

generally more flexible. Also,

sustainability targets are

encouraging further economy in

material content, the use of by-

products with lower embodied

energy, and major reductions inenergy consumption.

Building design has become more

complex and the number of different

professions and experts involved has

multiplied. It is important to

communicate decisions on designing

for movement between disciplines so

that, for example, the claddingdesigner knows what deflection the

fixings will need to accommodate.

Also, these issues will need to

include appropriate factors of safety

to take account of variability in

material properties and

environmental factors.

View of Terminal 2E after the roof collapsed at Charles de Gaulle airport, Paris

Box 1: Tower of Pisa

High and differential settlements of

the soft clays have affected this

masonry structure. So far it has

survived intact despite some of the

older interventions not being helpful.

Box 3: Multi-storey car parks

Some modern reinforced concrete car

parks have experienced unsightly

cracking due to shrinkage of the

concrete and thermal effects.

Typical movement cracks in a car park column

Box 2: Charles de Gaulle airport terminal

The reason for the collapse of a new passenger walkway structure in 2004 was difficult

to understand but thermal movements were implicated by forensic investigators.

(source New Civil Engineer, Article 1, April 2005)

Summary

Following its review, CIRIA is

proposing to update TN107 guide.

Readers interested in contributing to

the study, in particular by providing

case studies are invited to emailAlan Gilbertson, CIRIA, at:

[email protected]


16/20

Networks, events andconferences

www.ciria.org16

complementing CIRIAs work in

the coastal and marine sector,

CIRIA assists the European

Marine Sand and Gravel Group

(EMSAGG), which provides a

forum for data exchange between

researchers, regulators, policy-makers and contractors. In

common with the other CIRIA

networks, EMSAGG supports the

dissemination of good practice

and policy change.

Linked to CIRIAs research and

industry activities these networks

bring together innovators,

practitioners and the main decision

and policy-makers helping industry to

respond to changing agendas. If you

would like to participate, join or

support any of these networks

please visit: www.ciria.org

The production of CIRIA guidance is

complemented by the delivery of

several learning and business

networks, which cover a diverse

range of topics for those working in

the construction and built

environment sectors.

The networks provide an engaging

platform for sharing experiences,

disseminating good practice,

providing opportunities to network as

well as developing contacts and

valuable business. Our two main

networks are the Construction

Industry Environmental Forum (CIEF)

and the Construction Productivity

Network (CPN). These provide a

unique opportunity for professionals

to remain at the forefront of new and

current good practice, as well as

understanding the latest policy,

business and technology

developments.

The CIEF covers topics in the

environment and sustainability areas

and has held several breakfast

briefings, site visits and seminars.

For 2010, CIEF is developing its

profile and covering issues relating to

green infrastructure, sustainable

procurement and the sustainable

delivery of the 2012 Olympics.

CPN tackles issues related toconstruction process, technology and

infrastructure, and has similarly run

a variety of events. For 2010, CPN is

focusing on improving design and

delivery efficiency, skills and

competence, and the role of the

intelligent client. It also provides an

opportunity to keep abreast of

advances in the management of

infrastructure.

Alongside these established

networks, we also develop and assist

theme or sector networks to respond

to specific needs as new

opportunities arise.

These include:

the SAFESPUR forum, which

complements the

SAFEGROUNDS and SD:SPUR

learning networks, assists with

the development and

dissemination of good practice

on contaminated land

management and the

management of assets and

decommissioning wastes from

defense and nuclear sites

CIRIA has developed two

networks supporting local

authorities in their functions: theLocal Authority Contaminated

Land Network (LACL), which has

been running since 2002 helps

officers fulfill their

responsibilities relating to land

contamination and the

regeneration of brownfield sites.

The Local Authority Network on

Drainage and Flood Risk

Management (LANDFRM)

supports local authorities with

the challenges of responding to

flood risk and surface water

management

CIRIAs Brownfield Risk

Management Forum (BRMF)

aims to promote cross-sector

communication and learning for

those involved in brownfield

projects, encourage sustainable

and good practice in

procurement, and improve the

management of risk and liability


17/20

www.ciria.org 17

Training

Supported by 50 years experience in

providing authoritative guidance to

the construction and built

environment sectors, CIRIA delivers a

range of informative, accessible and

engaging training courses covering

topics from construction managementand sustainable drainage to

environmental good practice.

Training is delivered by industry

experts and course content is based

on recognised good practice, which

is regularly reviewed by CIRIA and its

team of trainers. This ensures that

the information given is relevant and

up-to-date as well as offering

delegates plenty of scope for

interaction and active learning.

In-house training

CIRIA training courses can be

delivered in-house, and can be based

on existing programmes or adapted

to develop more bespoke training. For

full details visit: www.ciria.org

Benefits of in-house training

CIRIA comes to you

save on time and cost

flexible course times

better interaction and effective

learning

helping personal development

greater relevance to your

organisation.

Forthcoming in 2010Environment good practice on

site

26 May, London

24 June, Manchester

September, London

Resource use and waste

management

15 June, London

SuDS foundation

9 July, London

September, Belfast

September, Bristol

Designing SuDS

2223 July, London

September, Belfast

September, Bristol

Working with wildlife

15 July 2010, London

Events and conferences

CIRIA events, conferences and

networks provide a highly effective

means to communicate and

generate new ideas and approaches

as well as business to businessopportunities. The events

programme delivers over 120 events

each year attracting some 3000

delegates. The programme includes

conferences, workshops and good

practice seminars. Full details of our

forthcoming programme are

available on the CIRIA website.

In May, the SD:SPUR learning

network will hold a case study driven

event: Materials management in

nuclear decommissioning

challenges and opportunities. This

event will provide a platform to

showcase up-to-date industry case

studies on sharing good practice,

exploring challenges and

opportunities in material

management, and lessons learnt

from within the nuclear

decommissioning industry, the non-

nuclear sector, regulators, local

authorities, NGOs and other

community based organisations.

The second World Green Roof

Congress (WGRC) Green roofs for a

changing climate in (see page 7)

brings together leading green roof

experts from across the world,

providing a platform for

communicating the latest case

studies, research and policy

initiatives. The focus will be on their

application and delivery covering

aspects such as climate change

adaptation, stormwater

management, biodiversity, and the

potential for a higher quality of urban

living, within a challenging regulatory

and competitive financial framework.

To find out more on how to get

involved or to book visit: www.ciria.org To find out more about CIRIA trainingand to book please visit: www.ciria.org


18/20

www.ciria.org18

WaND Guidance on water cycle

management for new developments

(C690)

This publication provides guidance

on how to achieve improved

sustainable water cycle management

in new developments. This document

provides practitioners with an

improved understanding of the tools

and techniques necessary for

achieving, delivering and adopting

sustainable water cycle management

in new developments.

Price: 60 (30)

ISBN 978-0-86017-690-9

Also due to be published in 2010

Culvert design and operation guide

(C689)

This guide replaces CIRIAs Culvert

design manual (R168) published in

1997. It adopts a whole-life approach

to the design and operation of

culverts, with a focus on asset

management, reflecting the

significant changes that have

occurred in the field over the last 10

to 15 years.

This is a comprehensive guide

covering a wide range of subject

matter relevant to the design and

operation of culverts. Users can read

the guide in its entirety or dip in and

out of sections that are the most

relevant to their needs. Inevitably

there is some repetition but this is to

reduce the risk of users missing vital

information by selective reading.

Price: 120 (60)

ISBN 978-0-86017-689-3

The Concrete Manual (C674)

Concrete is a highly versatile

construction material. It is cost-

effective and a relatively small

contributor to greenhouse gas

emissions with the potential to

increasingly make use of recycled

materials and low carbon

technologies in the future.

This good practice guide for use in

maritime engineering builds on

current information combined with

new material authored by

contributors from HR Wallingford,

Halcrow and CETMEF.

This guide aims to distil conclusions

from existing UK, French and

international research and practical

experience on the use of concrete inthe marine environment.

Price: TBC

ISBN 978-0-86017-674-9

Forthcoming in 2010

Update of the beach management

manual (C685)

Planning for SuDs making it

happen (C687)

Working with wildlife update (RP915)

Environmental good practice siteguide (version 3) (RP928)

To order any of these publications

please visit: www.ciria.org

With more than 600 titles in the

current publications catalogue,

CIRIAs research has given rise to a

huge variety of publications in 2009

with several planned for the first half

of 2010. Many of CIRIAs older

publications are still regarded as thebest available in the industry.

Recently published outputs in early

2010 include three important

industry guides:

Tunnels: condition appraisal and

remedial treatment (C671)

This guide provides information on

the management, condition

appraisal, maintenance and repair of

the structural elements of existing

infrastructure tunnels, focusing

primarily on older infrastructure andcertain tunnel types.

Price: 120 (60)

ISBN 978-0-86017-671-8

Flood resilience and resistance for

critical infrastructure (C688)

This publication provides an overview

of the regulatory framework and

outlines the main issues now faced

by the industry in this area. It states

that flood resilience measures

should be adopted as an integral

part of individual organisations

business continuity management

processes, whole-life asset

management plans and climate

change adaptation strategies.

Price: 70 (35)

ISBN 978-0-86017-688-6

Publications


19/20

www.ciria.org 19

Getting on top

of top events

Leading industry figuresshare their views

The UK construction industry enjoys

the unfortunate reputation of being

one of the most dangerous to work in

not least because it has the largest

number of fatal injuries of the main

industry groups. In 20082009

there were 53 fatal injuries giving a

rate of 2.5 per 100 000 workers.

This is the third highest rate of fatal

injuries, behind agriculture and

extractive industries. Most incidents

affect only one worker butoccasionally two or more may be

killed or injured by a single event.

And even more infrequently a

member of the public may be

involved.

What is so remarkable in the

aftermath of many of these incidents

is how often the words luckily or

miraculously spring to peoples lips

a reflection that the outcome in

terms of on- and off-site fatalities,

injuries and damage could have

been so much worse. Incidents suchas those listed here all have the

potential to kill or injure several

people in a single episode:

collapses of buildings and

structures

major fires

underground services strikes

collapses of temporary works

collapse or overturn of large

plant such as cranes and piling

rigs.

Often it seems that luck rather than

good accident preventionmanagement minimised the number

of casualties.

Defining this type of incident is not

necessarily straightforward. Terms

such as major hazard or major

accident potential run the risk of

associating the construction industry

with more recognised hazardous

industries such as nuclear,chemicals and offshore. They can

also be described as high hazard,

low probability incidents, which

gives some indication of their

unpredictability. One label that might

be used is top event or: what is the

worst that could happen should

something go wrong?

Whatever term is used, when one of

these (thankfully) rare events does

occur the consequences can be far

reaching. Apart from the high human

cost, the financial costs can be

enormous. The site might be taken

over by the police and HSE for days

or weeks as evidence is collected.

Time and cost will also arise from the

work to make the site safe again and

clear away materials and equipment.

And these are often dwarfed by the

impact on project completion and, in

the long-term, damage to reputation

leading to potential loss of future

business.

There can also be wider implications.

The public and media are much

more exercised by single,

catastrophic events, than by a steady

toll of routine incidents, which can

lead to an outcry for something to be

done including demand for more

legislation.

Conventional risk management

approaches might not be entirely

appropriate to the effective

prevention of top events.

Examination of lagging indicators

such as historical data and trends

provides few clues as to when the

next event will occur by their verynature they are highly unpredictable

and the past provides little guarantee

that the next incident isnt just

around the corner. However, there is

a role for near miss reporting and

ensuring companies adopt a positive

culture of learning from near misses

and incidents rather than seeking to

blame those involved.

One important measure senior

managers can use to gain greater

assurance that the potential for top

events to occur is under control is

through the development of

meaningful leading key performance

indicators. These can be identified by

determining the critical elements of

the risk control measures needed to

prevent top events then devising

indicators that can provide

assurance that the control measures

are working in practice. Examples

might include gaining assurance on

the competence of staff or the rigour

of design processes.

To ensure HSE and the construction

industry has a clearer understanding

of the nature of top events HSE is

working with CIRIA and

Loughborough University on a

research project designed to gain

greater insight into their nature and

causes. This will help HSE identify

whether further work is needed on

the development of appropriate risk

management strategies and on

action needed to deal with specific

hazards. It is hoped the research will

stimulate the construction industry to

consider whether they are taking the

right action to minimise the potential

of top events occurring. The guide

will be published in summer 2010.

Viewpoint

Mike Cross, Head of Construction

Engineering Specialists,

Health and Safety Executive

There is a great deal of scope for

industry professionals to get involved.

For more information, please email

Alan Gilbertson, CIRIA, at:

[email protected]


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Evolution Magazine May 2010