We knew this time would come. When the great highways boom started in the 1950s, we knew that one day our shiny new beacons of personal freedom and prosperity would grow old and we would have to do more to maintain them. Of course, it is not as though a…
Author Archives: Gavin Pearson
Replacing aggregate with subsoil to save carbon and waste on road projects
Turning subsoil into an aggregate replacement is already cutting carbon, cost and waste on new housing estates. So how have housebuilders stolen a march on big infrastructure?
National Highways has set a plan to achieve net zero carbon for maintenance and construction of roads by 2040. That is now just 16…
Judges announced for 2024 British Construction Industry Awards
With just six weeks left to enter this year’s British Construction Industry Awards (BCIAs), the line-up of judges has been announced.
Almost 100 judges have been confirmed for this year, including ICE president Anusha Shah and other senior infrastructure figures and specialists who will broaden the perspective of the judging panels.…
Hydrogen City project in Texas appoints ABB
ABB has signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Green Hydrogen International (GHI) on a project to develop the major green hydrogen facility in south Texas, United States.
As part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ABB’s automation, electrification and digital technology will be assessed for deployment at GHI’s Hydrogen City project.…
National Infrastructure Commission criticises Government on surface water flood response
The government has responded to the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) study on reducing the risk of surface water flooding, but has not accepted a number of the report’s recommendations.
Published in November 2022, the NIC report sets out a series of practical steps to better prepare the country for increased surface…
Spring Budget 2024: Economists and others call budget a missed opportunity for construction and net zero
What the chancellor of the exchequer chooses to talk about in his budget statement says something about priorities. Just as important is what he chooses not to talk about.
Words that went unuttered by the Jeremy Hunt as he spoke for more than an hour in Parliament included: Construction Roads or…
The post-covid new normal demands transport project assessment changes
The Independent Transport Commission (ITC) has examined lasting outcomes from the pandemic that have significant and wide-ranging implications for how transport policy and projects should be evaluated.
A 106-page report produced by the ITC entitled The longer-term impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on Transport and Land Use in Britain has highlighted…
Editor’s Comment | Change is needed as project challenges grow
Our industry is accustomed to working at scale. We deal with huge networks and facilities across countless sectors and specialisms that, despite often being made up of a million small things, add up to something gigantic.
That means it is almost startling when any part of the infrastructure ecosystem is faced…
Oxford United seeks eco-stadium planning permission
English League One team Oxford United have submitted a planning application for a brand new all-electric and nature-positive stadium that will be the first of its kind in the UK.
The 16,000 capacity football stadium on a site close to Oxford Parkway station has been proposed with significant attention paid to…
ICE President launches new award
Institution of Civil Engineers president Anusha Shah has launched a new Nature and People-Positive Champion Award to reflect the best outcomes and practices across the industry.
In line with the ICE president’s priority for 2024, the winners will have contributed to designing and constructing a built environment that halts and reverses…