Author Archives: Andy Bolton

Innovation is often our prerogative in design. How can we improve on what we did before with something new, something better?  But can this come to the detriment of the project as a whole? In my experience, the answer is yes, sometimes it does. And the culprit is usually poor…

Denise Bower’s article “Maximising benefits for the North” (Institution of Civil Engineers, Record last month) is to be commended for her enthusiasm and for extolling the benefits that Northern Powerhouse Rail will bring, or could bring, if ever built. This project, as part of Levelling Up UK, has been on…

The ICE-convened Enabling Better Infrastructure (EBI) programme has launched updated guidance for governments to help them plan infrastructure spending.

ICE President Anusha Shah launched the new guidance on 18 January in Singapore, at an event co-hosted with law firm Pinsent Masons MPillay. The EBI programme was established in 2019 to help…

Online platform helps engineers with continuing professional development and has a focus on resilience, productivity and low carbon.

Members looking to explore civil engineering topics and earn Continuing Professional Development credits can now do so on the refreshed ICE Knowledge Hub. The platform is for all ICE members and offers a…

  The prime minister recently announced that his “working assumption” is that there will be a General Election in the second half of the year. This reinforced his briefings at the end of last year that 2024 would indeed be an election year. It also means that there is still…

The Indian aviation industry is flying high. A booming economy, rising middle-income households, supportive policy frameworks and infrastructure building, and healthy competition amongst low-cost carriers are all contributing. But sustainability is also a top priority. Aviation accounts for 2% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, so sustainable airport structure is critical.…

Two new trustees are being sought to lead the ICE and provide a strategic overview of its work programme.

The Trustee Board is the Institution’s most senior decision-making body. Trustees are responsible for all aspects of the Institution including implementing and overseeing strategy, regulatory and legal compliance, and maintaining its reputation…

The UK reservoir sector is going through a period of transformation. After exponential expansion in the 19th and 20th centuries, major reservoir construction ceased at the end of the 20th century. No new major water supply reservoirs have been constructed for the last 30 years. In the 21st century, population-driven…

A new guide providing practical advice for boosting productivity across the infrastructure lifecycle, has been published by the ICE.

Driving Productivity: Infrastructure Lifecycle Guidance is an online publication which builds on the Institution’s State of the Nation 2022: Improving Infrastructure Productivity report. State of the Nation 2022 explored possible interventions that…

In late November, chancellor Jeremy Hunt set out the government’s latest spending plans in the 2023 Autumn Statement.

Hunt’s announcements focused on supply-side reforms to the economy, including changes to the planning system for the electricity network. He confirmed that the government is acting on the electricity networks commissioner’s proposals to…