This podcast features Lewis Barlow, ICE trustee for carbon and climate, in conversation with Mark Hansford, the institution’s director of engineering knowledge, about the PAS 2080 standard. 

This podcast features Paul Sheffield, chair of the recent ICE review of safety risk management in civil engineering, in conversation with Mark Hansford, the institution’s director of engineering knowledge.

Mark Hansford, ICE director of engineering knowledge, talks with Julie Bregulla, director of innovation partnerships and projects at TEDI London, and Andy Alder, vice president and head of major programmes at Jacobs, about the ways in which people who work in infrastructure can share lessons learnt from when something goes wrong on a project – and also when things go well.

Every engineer working on the design or construction of a project has a legal responsibility to make sure work is completed as safely as possible. 

This audio explainer focuses on the Construction Logistics and Community Safety (CLOCS) standard, which was developed by the construction and fleet industry in 2013 to address the challenge of safe construction-vehicle journeys. 

How is the civil engineering sector building resilience, adaptation and carbon reduction into its projects? What are the implications for assets in the future?

In this podcast, an expert will discuss how engineers can put resilience and adaptation at the heart of their designs. They also highlight the importance of close collaboration with stakeholders to make complex plans workable, and how the sector is driving decarbonisation while meeting the needs of communities. 

How is the civil engineering sector building resilience, adaptation and carbon reduction into its projects? What are the implications for assets in the future?

In this podcast, an expert will discuss how engineers can put resilience and adaptation at the heart of their designs. They also highlight the importance of close collaboration with stakeholders to make complex plans workable, and how the sector is driving decarbonisation while meeting the needs of communities. 

How is the civil engineering sector building resilience, adaptation and carbon reduction into its projects? What are the implications for assets in the future?

In this podcast, an expert will discuss how engineers can put resilience and adaptation at the heart of their designs. They also highlight the importance of close collaboration with stakeholders to make complex plans workable, and how the sector is driving decarbonisation while meeting the needs of communities. 

How is the civil engineering sector building resilience, adaptation and carbon reduction into its projects? What are the implications for assets in the future?

In this podcast, experts discuss how engineers can put resilience and adaptation at the heart of their designs. They also highlight the importance of close collaboration with stakeholders to make complex plans workable, and how the sector is driving decarbonisation while meeting the needs of communities. 

Civil engineers face multiple challenges in decarbonising infrastructure. Dealing with the emissions resulting from freight infrastructure is one such area of focus, particularly for the highways sector.

This episode features Justin Moss, head of business development at Siemens Mobility, and Andrew Watson, director for central government advisory at Costain Group, talking to ICE director of engineering knowledge Mark Hansford about the potential for electric road systems to provide some of the answers to the decarbonisation problem.

Design risk management (DRM) should be part of a holistic approach to design on all projects, and those involved in any construction project should understand their duties relating to DRM under the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015.

This audio explainer explores what design risk management is and how it can be adequately and appropriately considered across all project stages.

As we strive to reach net zero, carbon literacy is fundamental for ICE members as well as for the future of civil engineering. Which skills will engineers need to develop to reduce carbon emissions in their practice? How can we move fast enough to tackle carbon targets effectively?

In this ICE podcast, ICE director of engineering knowledge Mark Hansford and ICE knowledge content director Alex Wynne are joined by Costain's group climate change director Lara Young to examine how meeting carbon targets is a rapidly expanding field of work, offering new opportunities for career development and personal growth for those who are carbon literate.

Episode produced by Dr Joe Jackson and Amanda Rice.

To avert the worst impacts of climate change and preserve a habitable planet, we must stop temperature rise. Civil engineers have a key role to play in doing this. This ICE audio explainer explores the relevant targets, the global commitments to tackling climate change, and how the way in which the construction industry designs, builds and manages infrastructure needs to change. Episode produced by Steph Fairbairn.

This roundtable discussion, chaired by ICE President Anusha Shah, explores how nature-positive infrastructure projects can attract enough funding from an institutional investment community that has largely yet to be convinced that these can offer attractive long-term returns.

Water infrastructure provides a vital public service by supplying clean water to communities, managing wastewater and minimising the impact of flooding. This is the primary purpose of water infrastructure. But all infrastructure has the potential to generate benefits that go well beyond this basic functionality. This ICE audio explainer explores what these greater benefits might be, and how they can be achieved.

In 2019, following the UK government’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050, every water company in England agreed a Public Interest Commitment, setting five demanding goals, including a pledge to reach net zero on operational emissions by 2030. In 2020, this commitment was reaffirmed, and Water UK published the Net Zero 2030 Routemap, detailing how it would be achieved.  

One of the three senior industry figures leading on this commitment is Heidi Mottram CBE, Chief Executive Officer of the Northumbrian Water Group Limited and Northumbrian Water Limited since 2010. In this ICE podcast, Heidi joins ICE director of engineering knowledge Mark Hansford and ICE knowledge manager Steph Fairbairn to discuss how engineers can play their part in decarbonising the water industry.

Episode produced by Dr Joe Jackson.

Water is an essential resource, and water infrastructure is a fundamental component of prosperous, healthy economies. However, like all infrastructure sectors, the water industry has a responsibility to reduce its impact on climate change. 

This ICE audio explainer explores strategies to decarbonise the water sector, and how engineers can play their part.

Episode produced by Steph Fairbairn.

The term ‘ground source heat pump’ (GSHP) refers to a buried network of fluid-filled pipes that are connected to a compressor and pump unit to provide heating for buildings. GSHPs offer less carbon emissions, lower running costs and greater efficiency than gas boilers.

This audio explainer explores how GSHPs work, the application of them in both domestic and larger-scale settings, and the potential future of the solution.

Produced by James Crumly.

Transport is the UK's largest emitting sector. By adopting new technologies and overhauling old systems, the transport industry can drastically cut its carbon emissions. Civil engineers working to decarbonise transport must play a careful balancing act, generating value and increasing efficiency while also reducing risk. Where are there big opportunities for decarbonising the transport sector? And what obstacles are we still trying to overcome?

In this ICE podcast, ICE knowledge content director Alex Wynne is joined by Stephen Elderkin, director of environmental sustainability for National Highways, and Conor McCone, carbon manager at Skanska UK, to explore what needs to be done to decarbonise the transport sector, tracking the 'easy wins' for sustainability in transport and examining the complications that can arise on the journey to Net Zero.

Episode produced by Steph Fairbairn and Dr Joe Jackson.

The transport sector accounts for the largest proportion of the UK’s carbon emissions, and infrastructure is responsible for more than half of the UK’s total carbon emissions. While engineers  have a variety of tools and options available that can support carbon reduction within the transport industry, much more still needs to be done.

This ICE audio explainer explores how a shift in principles will be required – both now and in the future – to effectively and efficiently decarbonise transport.

Speaker: James Crumly

Producer: Dr Joe Jackson

The Grenfell Tower tragedy, its causes and its consequences cut to the heart of the practice of civil engineers. In 2021, the ICE received a request for support from Grenfell Next of Kin, a grassroots support initiative representing immediate family members of the disaster’s victims. The ICE called on John Carpenter, an ICE member at the forefront of driving competence around safety in construction, to assist.

In the support he provided the group, John embodied the ICE’s Code of Professional Conduct, demonstrating how members can enact their ‘overriding responsibility to the public good’.

In this ICE podcast, ICE director of engineering knowledge, Mark Hansford, and knowledge content director, Alex Wynne, are joined by Kimi Zabihyan, an advocate of the Grenfell Next of Kin group, to discuss the support John provided.

Episode produced by Steph Fairbairn and Dr Joe Jackson.

Members of the Institution of Civil Engineers should always be aware of their overriding responsibility to the public good. This includes care and respect for humanity's cultural, historical and archaeological heritage and a duty to protect the health and wellbeing of present and future generations, and show due regard for the environment and the sustainable management of natural resources. 

These obligations form the basis of ICE's Code of Professional Conduct, which is explored in this explainer, including thoughts from Gordon Masterton, chair of future infrastructure at the University of Edinburgh School of Engineering and ICE past-president and Micheala Chan, assistant engineer at Arcadis and ICE sustainability champion.

Episode produced by Steph Fairbairn.

Whether it be from deterioration and ageing, a change of use, or the impacts of climate change, modern day structures must be more resilient than ever to hazards and stressors. But what are these hazards? How resilient are current structures? And how important is it to consider resilience in a holistic sense? In this podcast, Stergios-Aristoteles Mitoulis, senior fellow at the University of Birmingham and Sotirios Argyroudis, lecturer at Brunel University London – founders of InfrastructuReseilience and bridgeUkraine – join hosts Mark Hansford, ICE director of engineering knowledge and Alex Wynne, ICE knowledge content director, to explore these questions, and discuss the civil engineer's role in ensuring structural resilience.

Episode produced by Dr Joe Jackson.

Whether it be a change of use, increase in load, or hazards caused by climate change, modern buildings and infrastructure are subject to a number of hazards to which they must be resilient. This audio explainer explores what resilience really means, and the civil engineer's role in ensuring structural resilience, and resilience in a more holistic sense.

Produced by Steph Fairbairn and Dr Joe Jackson.

This roundtable discussion, chaired by ICE President Anusha Shah, focuses on the new regulations, standards, tools and techniques required by tomorrow’s senior engineers if their work is to stand a chance of benefiting the natural world.

The mental health and wellbeing of those working in the construction industry should be a key priority for organisations, leaders, and individuals alike.

This audio explainer looks at the elements impacting mental health and wellbeing in the industry, how these are exacerbated for those working in remote locations, and what can be done to improve the status quo.

Content warning - please note, this audio explainer makes reference to mental ill-health, and briefly mentions suicide.

Speaker: Steph Fairbairn

Producer: Dr Joe Jackson

This audio explainer relates to the CPD framework sector Maritime.

ICE director of engineering knowledge Mark Hansford and ICE knowledge content director Alex Wynne are joined by Stephen O'Malley, chief executive and co-founder of Civic Engineers, for a discussion about the approach taken to retrofit Mayfield Depot. This former railway station in Manchester is undergoing regeneration as an arts, music, culture and community space - and retrofitting plays an integral role. 

Episode produced by James Crumly and Steph Fairbairn. This podcast relates to the ICE CPD framework sector Core.

In this audio explainer Jo Guy, environment and sustainability manager at TEAM2100 explores what has driven the project’s approach to the circular economy, how it’s principles have been applied in practice and what impact it has had for how the integrated team approaches design and supply chain engagement.  

Episode produced by James Crumly. 

ICE knowledge manager James Crumly hosts as guests Janvi Shah, head of asset management strategy at National Highways and Janet, Dunnett, programme development manager (sustainability lead) at Network Rail explore how the principles of the circular economy can change how engineers design infrastructure and what impact it is already having in the industry. 

Episode produced by James Crumly. 

ICE knowledge manager James Crumly hosts as guests Lynn Masterson, technical director, ground engineering at Aecom and Tony O’Brien, global practice lead, geotechnics at Mott MacDonald discuss how engineers can challenge conservative design in order to drive efficiency and outcomes in geotechnical projects.

Episode produced by James Crumly.

ICE knowledge manager James Crumly hosts as guests Andrew McNaughton, director at Aczel and Paul Eastwood, group head of systems approach capability at Costain discuss how engineers adopt a systems approach to transport infrastructure delivery and how it can impact the outcomes and priorities of project teams.   

Episode produced by James Crumly.

Alexandra Luck, principal at A Luck Associates, explains how engineers need to adopt security-mindedness in a digitally enabled environment, and the implications for the ways infrastructure teams collaborate.

Episode produced by James Crumly

ICE knowledge manager James Crumly hosts as guest Liz Rivers, senior associate director of ground engineering at Jacobs, and Alison Norrish, director and fellow at Arup, discuss what engineers can do to better understand the impact of climate change on earthworks stability and the implications for managing and mitigating asset degradation.

Episode produced by James Crumly.

ICE knowledge manager James Crumly hosts as guests Helen Littler, principal engineer at WSP, and Will Haynes, infrastructure director at Sustrans, discuss how engineers can promote better design for active travel alongside considering the implications for the built environment.

Episode produced by James Crumly

ICE Director of Engineering Knowledge Mark Hansford hosts a discussion with ICE Past President Peter Hansford and Martin Johnson from BP on the Swiss Cheese model and how it can help engineers understand and prevent risks at all levels of a project.

Episode produced by James Crumly.

Abstract submission deadline 30 September 2024 – submit now.

Our coastal systems are changing. As we learn to adapt, is sustainable coastal management still achievable? That’s just one of the key questions to be addressed at the Coastal Management 2025 conference, which the ICE is holding at the historic UK port city of Bristol next September.  

Anyone wishing to be considered as a speaker can submit an abstract for the organising committee to review. Abstracts should be submitted by midnight on 30 September 2024 via this submission platform.

Listen as committee member Jonathan Hird, vice president at Moffat & Nichol, outlines the event’s key themes and explains what he and his colleagues are seeking in a successful application. 

The conference will take place on 16-18 September 2025. Visit ice.org.uk/events/latest-events/coastal-management-2025 for further information. 

ICE Director of engineering knowledge Mark Hansford hosts as guests Martin Burns from RICS and Emily Monastiriotis from Simmons & Simmons discuss the state of disputes in the construction industry, the role contracts can play in enabling better outcomes, and how civil engineers can better mitigate risk on projects.  

Episode produced by James Crumly.

Martin Christmas and Ian Dunhill of the Environment Agency discuss the new impetus on ensuring and maintaining bathing water for rivers in the UK. They share how clean the UK's rivers currently are, explain the legislation governing the designation and grading of rivers, and set some personal and professional challenges for engineers. Episode hosted and produced by Steph Fairbairn. These case studies relate to the CPD framework sector Water, sewage and inland water bodies, and topic 'Bathing water for rivers'. If you are an ICE member, you may also enjoy more content on this topic here.

The what, why and how of bathing waters for rivers are summarised in this explainer, including some of the history, and the challenges and opportunities facing engineers.

Episode produced by Steph Fairbairn.

James Crumly, ICE knowledge research lead, discusses Glasgow's Stockingfield Bridge project with Richard Millar, chief operating officer at Scottish Canals, and Alison Ramsey, social value and performance manager at public-sector procurement organisation Scape. 

They describe how social value was central to the planning, design and delivery of the project, the role that engineers can play in driving outcomes, and what value looks like to stakeholders over the life of an asset. 

Driving change, productivity and a lean mindset requires a strong culture, engaged staff and a focus on raising quality throughout all processes.

Especially if margins are to be improved and waste reduced.

These core principles are central to Toyota and its manufacturing of cars.

And it’s what members of the ICE’s Community Advisory Boards (CABs) explored during a recent visit to Toyota’s Lean Management Centre (LMC), in Deeside, North Wales.

The visit was designed to draw out ideas, lessons and best practice to apply to the infrastructure sector and drive productivity in design and operations.