NCE at 50

The pace of change in transport thinking and technology seems faster than at any time in history, and the shape of things to come in the next 50 years is uncertain.

Fifty years is a very long time in transport. In 1972, when NCE was launched, the Channel Tunnel was still…

My time as the editor of NCE lasted less than two years. I was the first and last not to have an engineering background and was keen not to overstay my welcome. My predecessor, the late Mike Winney, lived and breathed civil engineering. He had a feel for the profession…

Leading engineering and consulting group Systra was established in the 1950s when the engineering parts of the French national railway operator SNCF and Paris metro operator RATP came together to offer their transportation expertise overseas.  Known as Systra Group and specialising in public transport and mobility solutions, it now employs…

Mike Winney died in 2007. This is written by his close former colleague Ty Byrd.

Mike was a highly experienced reporter with many fine stories to his name but the pinnacle of his achievement did not involve words, it was a drawing. A drawing that illustrated much better than any…

Aco’s holistic approach to water management is proving increasingly valuable as an antidote to climate change and Britain’s diminishing biodiversity. 

Management of surface water is the specialty of the Aco Group, widely acknowledged as being among the world’s top suppliers of storm water control and sustainable drainage systems.  Extensive investment in…

Seasonal construction windows and challenging logistics are just a few of the testing conditions that have to be managed to upgrade the British Antarctic Survey’s  Infrastructure

Sourcing materials and getting the right people on site at the right time can be difficult for most construction projects, but when the site is…

Issues facing members of the Institution of Civil Engineers in the next 50 years go beyond the technical to include ethical and social considerations. 

In 1972, the Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) membership stood at just over 45,000 and then president George Ambler Wilson’s theme for his year in office was…

Modern methods of construction are about more than modular components and Laing O’Rourke is working hard to realise the full potential of the approach.

The latest iterations of modern methods of construction (MMC) bring together a number of different themes and practices with the aim of creating a high productivity, high…

Failure in April 1978 of the Willow Island cooling tower in Wheeling, West Virginia – still considered the worst ever construction disaster in the United States – was perhaps the most significant event during my time on NCE.  Fifty one men died when concrete failed during the tower’s 29th lift,…

As it celebrates its 100th anniversary, Colas highlights that innovation is the key for a business’ longevity and growth. 

Entering a market with a completely new product is risky, but that did not stop the founders of Colas – then known as Asphalt Cold Mix – from launching a business in…