New Civil Engineer
Declan Lynch

I joined New Civil Engineer in March 2010 and cover energy and technical stories – from small bridges to tall buildings, nuclear to tidal turbines and anything in between. In my short time at the magazine I have been lucky enough to cover a wide range of interesting events from spending two weeks embedded with the Royal Engineers in Afghanistan as well as covering a landslide disaster in Italy in first week. Having trained as an engineer I worked as a project engineer working in the UK and far flung places such as the Falkland Islands. I completed a four year Civil Engineering degree with studies in the UK, USA and Brazil. With a background in engineering I enjoy getting out in the field and talking with engineers on the ground.

No.13 Aberfeldy footbridge

21-May-2012
Carrying keen golfers over the River Tay in Scotland is the Aberfeldy footbridge in Perthshire - the world’s first major plastic bridge - opened in September 1992.
Engineers say £118M Wear bridge is waste of public money

16-May-2012
Bridge experts this week slammed designs for Sunderland’s £118M New Wear Bridge as a “staggeringly poor example of bridge engineering” and a “scandalous waste of public funds”.
Christchurch: Quake destruction avoidable

03 May 2012
Engineers could have saved the earthquake-damaged Anglican cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand if they had been quicker to install temporary propping around the structure, a leading heritage engineer has said.
No.12 Disaster at Chernobyl

2-May-2012
A flawed reactor design operated by poorly trained staff resulted in the biggest ever nuclear accident when one of the four reactors exploded at Chernobyl’s power plant in April 1986.
London Underground trains hit ‘bulge’ in tunnel lining

26-Apr-2012
Transport for London is carrying out an urgent investigation after two Bakerloo line trains hit a “bulge” in the tunnel’s steel lining under the River Thames yesterday.
Cost cutting forces redesign of Mersey Crossing

26 April 2012
Bidders for the £600M Mersey Gateway crossing in north west England are considering radically changing its cable-stayed bridge design in favour of a cheaper alternative, NCE understands.
Huhne warns against kneejerk ban on fracking

25-Apr-2012
Former energy secretary Chris Huhne this week warned against any kneejerk ban on hydraulic fracturing in the UK, as has happened in the US, before the method has reached a commercial scale.
Coventry Cathedral awaits cathodic protection cash decision

19 April 2012
Coventry Cathedral officials were this week anxiously awaiting a decision from conservation body English Heritage about the award of a grant to fund a pilot anti-corrosion project.
Cracks found in key Olympic Road Network bridge

5 April 2012
Urgent inspections were taking place this week to work out how to repair cracks on a crucial M4 motorway structure in London in time for the Olympic Games.
UK’s energy future in chaos after Horizon fails

5 April 2012
German energy giants Eon and RWE ditch plans for new nuclear build joint venture.
Plans to tackle Sellafield plutonium stockpile move step closer

4-Apr-2012
Engineering giant GE Hitachi’s plans to re-use the UK’s legacy plutonium stockpile for a new nuclear power station in Sellafield in West Cumbria moved a step closer this week as the firm signed an agreement with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).
Consultants revealed for Mersey Gateway

3-Apr-2012
Major consultants High-Point Rendel, Flint and Neill and Jacobs are all in the running to design the £600M Mersey Gateway crossing, NCE can reveal.
Poole Twin Sails bridge delayed after cracks appear in road

29 March 2012
Contractors were this week scrambling to resurface Poole’s brand new Twin Sails bridge after cracks appeared in the road and the opening had to be put back.
Further restrictions on Olympic road route

27-Mar-2012
Further restrictions are in place on the future Olympic Route Network in west London this week as the Highways Agency has been forced to impose weight limits on the M4.
First turbine foundation completed on Pennines wind farm

25-Mar-2012
Contractor Galliford Try has this week completed the first of twelve wind turbine foundations on an onshore wind farm in the West Pennines Moors near Blackburn.
Hinkley planning programme under threat as councils seek extension to review

22-Mar-2012
Two councils in the south west are seeking an extension to the six month examination period they have to review energy firm EdF Energy’s plans to build a new power station at Hinkley Point.
MPs fear funding problems will undermine tram-trains

22 March 2012
MPs fear that the Sheffield tram-train pilot could end up being an isolated scheme rather than a template for others to follow.
New Zealand quake code to hit old buildings

15 March 2012
Expected toughening of New Zealand earthquake codes has this week cast doubt on the future of two of quake-hit Christchurch’s most historic buildings.
Students told they must pay 25% more to receive NCE

15 March 2012
Student ICE members face a 25% increase in the cost of subscribing to NCE magazine this year, following the Institution’s decision to cut subsidies.
Graduate engineers split on new nuclear power

15 March 2012
Graduate engineers were evenly split on the merits of building new nuclear power stations following a lively debate at the ICE last month.
New Thames crossing projects edge forward after consultation

15 March 2012
Construction of two new River Thames crossings moved a step closer this week after Transport for London (TfL) completed the first round of public consultation for a new road and ferry crossing in East London.
TfL 'confident' Jubilee line will be fully operational for Olympics

14-Mar-2012
Transport for London (TfL) games transport director Mark Evers today said he was “confident” the Jubilee line will be fully operational by the Olympic Games despite a 12% decrease in reliability over the past 12 months.
Chief nuclear inspector calls for greater transparency across the industry

12-Mar-2012
Chief nuclear inspector Mike Weightman is calling for more “openness and transparency” within the nuclear industry one year on from the Fukushima disaster in Japan.
Tram-train projects gain regional support

08 March 2012
Tram operators were this week eagerly awaiting the outcome of an application for the funding of a Sheffield tram-train pilot scheme in the hope that the system could be rolled out across the country.
Views sought on new anchor guidelines

7-Mar-2012
The Concrete Fixing Association (CFA) is requesting views on its new anchor guidelines document, which is out for public consultation this week.
Truss probed in Ilford building collapse

7-Mar-2012
The investigation into the catastrophic collapse of a steel-framed building in East London was this week focusing on the main steel truss supporting the roof and top three floors.
Horizon in 'final stages' of selecting nuclear reactor design

7-Mar-2012
Nuclear new build firm Horizon Nuclear Power said yesterday it was in the “final stages” of selecting a reactor design for its site in North Wales.
Spending review £60M ports cash remains unspent

2-Mar-2012
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) revealed this week that a £60M grant to improve port infrastructure to support offshore wind farm construction remains unspent, nearly 18 months after the money was pledged by chancellor George Osborne in his 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review.
Hinkley planning row talks stall

1-Mar-2012
Talks between Sedgemoor District Council and energy giant EdF over a planning funding issue have this week failed to reach an agreement.
Mersey Gateway bridge drops double-deck to help save £30M

27-Feb-2012
Mersey Gateway scheme promoter Halton Borough Council is dropping plans for a double-deck for its bridge between Runcorn and Widnes in north west England in a cost saving exercise, its project chief told NCE this week.
EdF and Hinkley council row over planning costs

23-Feb-2012
Sedgemoor District Council and energy giant EdF were this week urgently trying to settle a row that threatens to derail the planning application for the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.
Hammersmith flyover: returning to full strength

23 February 2012
Since the Hammersmith Flyover was dramatically closed two months ago, engineers have been busy working out how to enable its reopening to full traffic loading before this summer’s Olympics.
Investigation underway into World Trade Center crane malfunction

22-Feb-2012
Investigators were this week trying to establish what caused the failure of a cable crane that led to three steel beams plummeting 40 storeys at the World Trade Center (WTC) construction site in New York
Row breaks out over Hinkley Point council funding

16-Feb-2012
A row between Sedgemoor District Council and energy firm EdF has broken out today over £2.3M funding to scrutinise plans for a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point.
UK energy chief reiterates support for nuclear

9-Feb-2012
Government advisory firm Energy Technologies Institute chief executive David Clarke said nuclear was a key part of the UK’s roadmap to meeting carbon reduction targets.
Hammersmith flyover cable replacement starts this week

9 February 2012
Corrosion damaged post-tensioning cables to be replaced at eastern end of London viaduct.
Graduate engineers split over nuclear power

8-Feb-2012
Graduate engineers were evenly split on the merits of building new nuclear power stations following a lively debate at the ICE this week.
No clues in Ilford steel building collapse

6-Feb-2012
Preliminary investigations into the cause of a steel framed building collapse in Ilford in east London has yet to reveal any clues into why it failed.
London mayor hails Exhibition Road refit as good value

2-Feb-2012
London mayor Boris Johnson formally opened the newly refurbished Exhibition Road in west London yesterday and insisted that the £28M upgrade has been value for money.
Steel building collapses in Ilford

1-Feb-2012
A five storey steel structure in Ilford East London partially collapsed yesterday afternoon.
Temporary venues warning targets Olympic events

26-Jan-2012
Structural safety experts this week issued a warning about the safety of temporary venues ahead of this summer’s Olympic Games and the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June.
Basic engineering errors led to Indonesia bridge collapse

26 January 2012
The official investigation into November’s catastrophic bridge collapse in Indonesia has found that a catalogue of engineering errors triggered the failure.
Decision due next week on Chile mega hydro scheme

20-Jan-2012
The Chilean Supreme Court is due to make a decision on a controversial $7bn (£4.5bn) hydro project in Patagonia in the Southern part of the country next week.
PFI hijacked by financiers says O’Rourke

12-Jan-2012
Laing O’Rourke chairman and chief executive officer Ray O’Rourke said the government’s private finance initiative (PFI) funding was hijacked by financiers.
Structures experts issue warning ahead of Olympic year

12-Jan-2012
The Standing Committee on Structural Safety (Scoss) has today issued a safety alert regarding temporary structures for the year of the Olympics in the aftermath of a spate of such structures collapsing last year.
Christchurch quake rebuild hampered by aftershocks

12 January 2012
A series of severe aftershocks is continually undermining efforts to rebuild the earthquake damaged New Zealand city of Christchurch, engineers told NCE this week.
Race is on to repair ailing Hammersmith flyover

12 January 2012
Efforts to reopen the severely damaged A4 Hammersmith flyover have been hampered by the complexity of the structure, NCE has learned.
Highways special: extending the life of the Humber Bridge

12 January 2012
Serious corrosion threatened to reduce the life span of the Humber Bridge. Declan Lynch visits the bridge to see how it was averted.
High Speed 2: Industry reaction

11-Jan-2012
Reactions to yesterday’s announcement by the government that the £32.7bn High Speed 2 (HS2) is to go ahead have varied from the bouyant civil engineering world to the more outraged local resident groups.
Hammersmith flyover strengthening to focus on additional tensioning

6-Jan-2012
Work on the Hammersmith flyover is likely to involve additional tension cables, but not temporary props, Transport for London officials told NCE today.
London River Park to review floating walkway scheme

5-Jan-2012
The promoter of the £60M London River Park floating walkway is to re-visit its design following objections from local residents and river regulator Port of London Authority.
Heavy duty repairs planned for closed Hammersmith flyover ahead of Olympics

3-Jan-2012
Transport for London is planning heavy duty repair work on the A4 Hammersmith flyover ahead of the Olympic Games, NCE has learned.
Fukushima nuclear power plant achieves cold shutdown

16-Dec-2011
Engineers at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in north eastern Japan have brought the reactors into a “cold shutdown condition”, the Japanese prime minister Yoshihiko Noda confirmed today.
Connection shear failure likely cause of Indonesian bridge collapse

15-Dec-2011
Investigators preliminary report out this week into the catastrophic suspension bridge collapse in East Borneo has pointed the blame to a shear failure on the bridge hangers.
New reactor designs get interim approval

15-Dec-2011
Officials have today granted interim design approval for two nuclear reactor designs due to built in the UK marking key milestone the new nuclear build programme.
Thames Water prepares to turn on Beckton desalination plant

12-Dec-2011
Utility firm Thames Water is preparing to turn on Beckton desalination plant in January if the dry weather continues, its chief executive Martin Baggs told NCE last week.
Bridge collapse hanger probed

08 December 2011
Indonesian officials have confirmed that their investigation into the catastrophic suspension bridge collapse in East Borneo is focusing on the failure of a hanger connection at the deck.
Winter drought triggers water use restrictions

08 December 2011
Water companies in the south and east of England are facing the unprecedented situation of applying for drought permits after a severe lack of rainfall.
GE Hitachi unveils plans to re-use Britain's nuclear waste

2-Dec-2011
Engineering giant GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) has today unveiled plans to re-use the UK’s legacy plutonium stockpile for a new nuclear power station in Sellafield in West Cumbria.
Hanger work suspected in Indonesia bridge collapse

01 December 2011
An investigation was underway this week into the catastrophic failure of a major suspension bridge in East Borneo, Indonesia that left 12 people dead and dozens more injured or missing.
Autumn Statement 2011: Carbon capture cash pulled

01 December 2011
Plans for the UK carbon capture and storage schemes (CCS) were thrown into doubt this week after chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said the £1bn allocated to support a major demonstration project will now fund new infrastructure projects.
Autumn Statement 2011: Green groups disappointed at short-term focus

30-Nov-2011
Green lobby group Friends of the Earth has expressed disappointed at chancellor George Osborne’s decision to focus on shovel-ready road projects instead of supporting longer term environmentally friendly initiatives.
Localism laws unlikely to clarify planning decisions

24 November 2011
Planning exerts have voiced concerns about a lack of clarity over how planning decisions will be made at a local level, even though the Localism Bill became law last week.
Green Deal Finance Company to submit plans by end of the year

23-Nov-2011
Green finance consortium the Green Deal Finance Company will submit plans to gain funds from the Green Investment Bank (GIB) by the end of the year with the aim of developing plans for the Government-led Green Deal programme, it was confirmed today.
Green Investment Bank borrowing could face delays, says lobbyist

23-Nov-2011
The Green Investment Bank (GIB) may be unable to borrow money from 2015 if the Government doesn’t meet its deficit reduction targets, green lobby group Transform UK director Ed Matthew said today.
Hinkley Point C energy generation date not expected until end of 2012

18-Nov-2011
Energy firm EdF Energy has said it will not give a date on when electricity will be generating from new nuclear power station Hinkley Point C until after the firm has made its final investment decision at the end of next year.
Hinkley Point C main civils contract will not be awarded before 2013

18-Nov-2011
Energy firm EdF will not be awarding the main civils contract for the new nuclear power station at Hinckley Point C in Somerset until early 2013, NCE has learned.
Promoters still committed to London River Park

18-Nov-2011
The promoter of the London River Park insist it remains committed to the project despite the planning permission decision being pushed back to February.
Hendry cool on new plans for Severn Barrage energy scheme

17 November 2011
Energy minister Charles Hendry this week said he was unconvinced by private plans to develop the Severn Barrage scheme.
Threat to new nuclear

17 November 2011
Proposed changes to National Grid access charges could undermine the new nuclear power construction programme according to a study carried out for energy regulator Ofgem.
Private finance plan to revive Severn Barrage mega-project

10 November 2011
Consultant Halcrow will put a revised Severn Barrage proposal to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) this week in a bid to resurrect the energy project.
Fireworks display in M5 pile up probe

10 November 2011
A fireworks display at the centre of a police investigation into the causes of a 34-vehicle pile-up on the M5 in Somerset last week did not warrant approval from the Highways Agency.
Acid tongue

10 November 2011
Up in the Highlands of Scotland, work on the Kyle of Tongue bridge refurbishment is well underway. Declan Lynch finds out more.
SSE puts wind farm dispute resolution onus on Fluor

9-Nov-2011
Energy firm SSE’s chief executive Ian Marchant today said the “ball is in Fluor’s court” to rectify defective foundations at the centre of a dispute over the 500MW Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm.
SSE reveals reasons for new nuclear pull out

9-Nov-2011
Energy firm SSE chief executive Ian Marchant said today that lack of nuclear expertise and construction risk were the main reasons the firm pulled out of the nuclear developer consortium Nugen in September.
Shale drilling-induced earthquakes pose little threat, say experts

8-Nov-2011
Experts have told NCE that seismic events caused by shale gas drilling should not necessarily be a cause for alarm, following last week’s report into Lancashire’s two earthquakes.
New body to raise awareness of environmental requirements

7-Nov-2011
Former ICE president George Fleming has launched the Association of Environmental and Ecological Clerk of Works (AEECoW) to improve ties between the construction industry and the environmental protection movement.
Localism Bill transition period could lead to poor planning decisions, experts warn

2-Nov-2011
Planning decisions could be based on outdated strategies if councils have not created their local plans by the time the Localism Bill is enacted, experts said this week, as the government considered transitional arrangements.
Turkish building collapses blamed on poor design code enforcement

1-Nov-2011
Poor implementation and enforcement of seismic building codes were blamed this week for the collapse of numerous structures following last week’s earthquake in eastern Turkey.
Recovery is three years away, say infrastructure chiefs

27 October 2011
Industry leaders fear that UK civil engineering workloads will stagnate next year and that the negative effects could be felt for up to three years.
Disappointment at carbon capture deal collapse

27 October 2011
The civils industry has reacted with disappointment to last week’s collapse of a deal that would have seen the first large scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project being built.
Earthquake death toll continues to rise in Turkey

24-Oct-2011
Some 200 people were confirmed dead following a major 7.2 magnitude earthquake in eastern Turkey’s Van region yesterday, as officials feared the death toll would rise again due to more bodies being found in the rubble.
Infrastructure Show: Graduates must be prepared to move to find work

20-Oct-2011
Graduates and industry were unanimous at yesterday’s NCE’s Infrastructure Show debate panel that new graduates must be more willing to move anywhere in the country and possibly abroad to secure work.
Infrastructure Show: Offshore wind farm boss dismisses idea of central delivery organisation

20-Oct-2011
Renewable energy firm Mainstream offshore chief executive Andy Kinsella yesterday dismissed suggestions that the UK’s upcoming Round 3 offshore wind programme would need a central delivery organisation to help offset price increases in the supply chain.
London’s bridges could be damaged by floating walkway

20 October 2011
A 1km floating platform which is planned to run along the River Thames could alter its flow and damage the capital’s bridges, sources close to the scheme told NCE this week.
Fukushima fallout triggers new nuclear delay

20 October 2011
Work to meet recommendations from chief nuclear inspector Mike Weightman’s report into Japan’s Fukushima disaster could stop new nuclear schemes coming online in time for 2018, industry experts warned this week.
Infrastructure Show: Single masterplanner could produce Round 3 supply chain savings

19-Oct-2011
Davis Langdon director Peter Sell said yesterday that the UK Round 3 offshore wind programme could achieve significant cost savings through the use of a single masterplanner to co-ordinate the supply chain.
Infrastructure Show: Round 3 offshore wind chief says British firms must win contracts

19-Oct-2011
Crown Estate Round 3 programme manager Adrian Fox said yesterday that the Round 3 offshore wind programme needs much more involvement from the British supply chain if it is to be considered successful.
Longannet carbon capture delayed

13 October 2011
Government inaction and high costs are thought to be forcing ScottishPower to pull out of a project to install carbon capture and storage (CCS) plant at Longannet coal-fired power station in Fife, Scotland.
Windy developments

13 October 2011
Construction on the UK’s offshore wind programme is underway. Declan Lynch discusses progress with Crown Estate programme manager Alistair Dutton.
Nuclear firms given 12 month deadline for post-Fukushima recommendations

12-Oct-2011
Chief nuclear inspector Mike Weightman has given firms working in the nuclear sector one year to implement the 38 recommendations made in his report into the Fukushima disaster in Japan.
Weightman review piles pressure on Sellafield to deal with nuclear waste

12-Oct-2011
Sellafield’s spent nuclear fuel ponds must be dealt with urgently, chief nuclear inspector Mike Weightman said yesterday following the release of his report into the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.
Olympic Stadium to remain in public hands

11-Oct-2011
The Olympic Stadium will remain under public ownership after the London 2012 Games, following a break-down in negotiations between legacy firm Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) and football club West Ham United.
Experts shun offshore wind regulation despite Greater Gabbard dispute

10-Oct-2011
Offshore wind experts have said there is no need for increased regulation in the UK’s offshore wind programme, despite a dispute over the Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm that was revealed in NCE last week.
Horizon fends off RWE nuclear pull-out rumours

10-Oct-2011
Nuclear new-build consortium Horizon has said work is ongoing despite rumours that one of its parent companies, German energy giant RWE, is due to pull out of the Horizon consortium.
UK's first carbon capture and storage project under threat

7-Oct-2011
Speculation was building this week over whether plans for the UK’s first commercial scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) plant at Longannet coal-fired power station in Fife, Scotland, would go ahead.
London Array construction on track

6-Oct-2011
Construction of the new 1GW offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary was on track this week with its two offshore electrical substations now in place.
Costs row hits Scottish & Southern wind farm

6 October 2011
A row over costs on a major offshore wind farm project became public this week when it emerged that Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) was embroiled in a £300M dispute with United States contracting giant Fluor.
Government insists carbon commitments will not change

5-Oct-2011
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) has insisted there will be no change to the UK’s carbon reduction commitments, despite contrary insinuations by chancellor George Osborne this week.
Tottenham refuses to commit to new stadium

29-Sep-2011
Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur is refusing to commit to constructing a new football ground next to White Hart Lane, despite investing over £85M in the scheme.
Banbury flood scheme latest to use alternative funding

23-Sep-2011
Banbury’s flood alleviation scheme, due for completion early next year, is the latest flood scheme to benefit from Big Society-style alternative funding.
Edinburgh tram client wound up

22 September 2011
Edinburgh City Council’s transport leader last week admitted that the arms length firm set up to deliver the city’s tram project was not up to the job.
EdF says judicial review will not delay Hinkley

21-Sep-2011
Energy giant EdF Energy has played down the impact of a judicial review launched by cellophane firm Innovia over its use of land to construct Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset.
Christchurch recovery hampered by unclear leadership

21-Sep-2011
Recovery efforts in Christchurch following February’s earthquake are being hampered by a lack of leadership, according a leading New Zealand engineer.
Trams still viable, says local transport minister

20-Sep-2011
New tram lines could still be constructed in this country if capital costs can be reduced, local transport minister Norman Baker said today as he published a new report on light rail.
Westinghouse still expecting worldwide new nuclear expansion

16-Sep-2011
Nuclear reactor vendor Westinghouse said whilst events at Fukushima had caused a delay in new nuclear, its nuclear programme still remained on track.
New Zealand faces 'complex and challenging' rebuild - official

15 September 2011
Rebuilding Christchurch’s central business district will be “complex and challenging”, according to an official report into February’s earthquake released last week.
Green Park rangers

15 September 2011
London’s Green Park Station has undergone a major transformation in time for next year’s Olympic Games. Declan Lynch sees a station where improved access has been incorporating into its new design.
In pictures: M1 bridge permanent repairs due to begin

13-Sep-2011
Permanant repairs to the fire-damaged bridge in north London is are to start next week and is due to finish by Christmas.
M1 bridge repairs to cost £5M, says transport minister

13-Sep-2011
Permanent repairs to a fire-damaged bridge on the M1 in north London will cost consortium Connect Plus £5M, transport minister Mike Penning revealed today.
Edinburgh tram project revised again

8 September 2011
Edinburgh Councillors last week voted to overturn a decision to terminate the city’s much maligned tram before it reached the city centre.
Back to school

8 September 2011
The project to build the new Sandwell College in West Bromwich has overcome financial hurdles and is now on track for completion. Declan Lynch reports.
WTC ten years on: Learning from the unthinkable

7-Sep-2011
The 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York have forced engineers to rethink tall building design.
Transport minister 'frustrated' by Aberdeen bypass delay

5-Sep-2011
Scottish transport minister Keith Brown expressed his disappointment today over the news that the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) bypass will be challenged in court.
Essential components missing in Dutch Stadium roof, says report

30-Aug-2011
Dutch officials investigating last month’s stadium collapse in the Netherlands said “essential stability components” were missing in the roof in its interim report released last week.
Freight Expectations

25 August 2011
Belgium’s biggest civil engineering project is designed to add major freight capacity to the port of Antwerp. Declan Lynch meets the project team constructing the challenging 16.2km Liefkenshoek rail link.
Height restriction follows Christchurch quake

25 August 2011
Experts this week raised concerns about Christchurch City Council’s plan to restrict the height of future buildings in the earthquake-hit city to a maximum 29m.
Christchurch low-rise building plan questioned

11-Aug-2011
Christchurch’s new low-rise building plan, unveiled today, has been labeled an overreaction by a risk modelling expert.
Floods still a major worry for Pakistan

11-Aug-2011
Parts of south Pakistan are still under flood waters one year after last year’s devastating events that affected 18M people, killed nearly 2,000 and caused £3.5bn worth of economic damage.
M4 tunnel work under way

11 August 2011
Engineers were this week making temporary repairs to the fire-damaged Brynglas Tunnel on the M4 near Newport in south Wales.
Bridges: Twin Sails, Poole

11 August 2011
Poole Harbour’s second crossing has been a long time coming.
Riots halt some work on Birmingham highways

10-Aug-2011
Contractor Amey has temporarily halted work on some of its projects on Birmingham City Council’s highways private finance initiative (PFI).
Albert Bridge repairs set to continue

8-Aug-2011
Renovation work on the Albert Bridge, spanning the Thames between Chelsea and Battersea in London, is set to continue until the end of the year, passing the target date of Autumn 2011.
Work ahead of schedule on Twin Sails bridge

5-Aug-2011
Contractor Hochtief has said construction work is progressing well and is two months ahead of schedule on Poole’s Twin Sails bridge following the installation of its giant lifting leaves last week.
Poor signage and maintenance blamed for Oxshott crash

4-Aug-2011
Poor maintenance regimes and inadequate signage led to last November’s Oxshott accident according to the Rail Accident Investigation Board’s (RAIB) report into the accident released today.
Track to be replaced following Croydon mudslide

3-Aug-2011
Infrastructure operator Network Rail has told NCE the five lines affected by Monday’s mudslide south of Croydon will need replacing.
Concerns raised over pace of energy market reforms

2-Aug-2011
A leading developer in renewable energy has warned over the lack of pace in the reforms of the government’s recent Energy Market Reform White Paper.
UK work outsourced to India

28 July 2011
Vital detailed design and CAD work for utility diversions on London’s Crossrail project is being sent to engineers in India to cut costs, NCE has learned.
Lateral support failure probed after stand collapse

14 July 2011
Lack of lateral support between roof trusses could have contributed to the fatal collapse last week of a Dutch stadium roof during an expansion programme, experts told NCE this week.
Britain to become 'serious nuclear nation again'

6-Jul-2011
Energy minister Charles Hendry has reiterated the government’s support for new nuclear be saying he wants Britain to be a “serious nuclear nation again”.
Start of the line

30-Jun-2011
Excavation work on Crossrail’s first station - Canary Wharf - is close to completion after just two years. Declan Lynch visited the site to see how work is progressing.
UK nuclear ‘not economic’ after Japan

23 June 2011
Britain’s energy firms will struggle to secure investment for the UK’s nuclear new build programme following the Fukushima disaster in Japan, a leading city investor warned last week.
L’Aquila quake geologists face manslaughter charges

23 June 2011
Earthquake engineers this week criticised Italy’s decision to charge seven geologists, scientists and public officials with manslaughter following the L’Aquila earthquake in 2007.
50% rise in global gas output forecast

16 June 2011
Global gas energy production will rise 50% by 2035 because of competitive prices and government policy as well as the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) said last week.
Aftershocks strike NZ

16 June 2011
Engineers this week warned some areas of Christchurch, New Zealand might have to be abandoned after latest aftershocks from February’s earthquake.
Growth factor

09 June 2011
Transport links to the expanding Port of Antwerp have reached saturation point. The port’s right bank has good transport links but no room to expand. The left bank, separated by the River Schelde, has room to develop but rail routes are constrained by a bottleneck further south.
UK nuclear regulation needs major review

09 June 2011
UK nuclear policy must be overhauled to create accountability, improve risk assessment and provide better advice to government, industry experts told NCE this week.
European states line up to follow Germany’s rejection of nuclear

09 June 2011
Germany faces a potentially huge energy gap following last week’s announcement that it is scrapping nuclear power.
Blackpool tremors close to drilling site

09 June 2011
Developer Cuadrilla this week suspended its shale gas drilling operations at Preese Hall near Blackpool, amid concerns that the activities have caused two earthquakes in the North West.
Christchurch earthquake triggers design code review

02 June 2011
New Zealand seismic and building design codes are being subjected to a major review following February’s devastating earthquake in Christchurch.
Questions over new nuclear plants

02 June 2011
Nuclear reactor manufacturer Westinghouse’s efforts to deliver a new generation of nuclear power plants ran into trouble this week when United States nuclear regulators sought further clarification about its AP1000 design.
UK shale gas gets go ahead

02 June 2011
MPs last week gave shale gas drilling in the UK the go-ahead after ruling it would have no impact on water supplies.
Japan should not stop UK nuclear

26 May 2011
Fears that an earthquake could cause a nuclear accident should not lead to the scaling back of Britain’s nuclear power programme, chief nuclear inspector Mike Weightman said last week.
Energy minister to confirm carbon reduction programme

19 May 2011
Energy secretary Chris Huhne was this week expected to reiterate the government’s commitment to cutting carbon emissions by confirming targets up to 2027.
Electric entrance

17-May-2011
Hilti begins selling its newest tool - the TE3000 breaker - in the UK later this month. Declan Lynch talks to its developers about how they hope the electric tool will make its mark in an area traditionally dominated by air tools.
Hampstead calls for unobtrusive spillways

12 May 2011
Local community groups and residents have stressed that visually unobtrusive spillways along the 13 outdated reservoirs on London’s Hampstead Heath would be vital to proposed flood alleviation plans.
Nuclear clean up plan criticised

21 April 2011
A blueprint for ending radiation leaks and stabilising reactors at Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant drew a lacklustre response today as polls showed diminishing public support for the government’s handling of the country’s recent disasters.
Fukushima will delay UK nuclear by a year

21 April 2011
The UK nuclear new build programme will be delayed by a year in the aftermath of the Japan Fukushima disaster, according to ICE vice president Richard Coackley.
Move to increase chartered civils lecturers

21 April 2011
The ICE is pursuing a goal of ensuring that as many as half of civil engineering university lecturers on accredited degree programmes will be chartered by 2015.
Japan’s nuclear crisis rises to Chernobyl disaster level

14 April 2011
Japan’s nuclear safety agency this week raised the severity rating of the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant to the highest level, putting it on a par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
Engineers urged to join military reserves

14 April 2011
A leading Royal Engineer has urged chartered civil engineers to join military reserve forces like the Territorial Army to help develop their skill sets.
Ship to store nuclear water

07 April 2011
Operators of Japan’s stricken Fukushima nuclear plant were this week considering whether to bring in a Russian nuclear waste ship to store radioactive cooling water.
Hinkley Point hits planning application snag

07 April 2011
EdF Energy’s attempts to build a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point have run into trouble, with two local councils objecting to its proposals.
Nuclear plant leaks radioactive water

31 March 2011
Conditions at the striken Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan worsened this week as engineers battled to contain a new and highly radioactive water leak.
Carbon floor price to kill off coal power

31 March 2011
Nuclear and renewable energy received a Budget boost last week with the unveiling of a new carbon floor price, a move that is expected to sound the death knell for coal power.
Disasters trigger calls to rethink design codes

24 March 2011
Engineers this week called for a rethink of how risk analysis for critical infrastructure is calculated following major earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand.
Nuclear plant battle goes on

24 March 2011
Officials this week restored electrical power at the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan.In reactors one, two and three officials were worried about an increase in pressure due to seawater being pumped in.
Japan quake could set off others

24 March 2011
Seismology experts fear that this month’s huge earthquake in Japan could trigger other major seismic events due to a phenomenon called seismic coupling.
Nuclear meltdown fears follow Japan earthquake

17 March 2011
Process engineering and critical infrastructure planning failures were this week blamed for the catastrophic failures at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power stations following last Friday’s earthquake and tsunami.
Historic bridge awards shortlist announced

17 March 2011
Judges have unveiled the shortlist for this year’s Historic Bridges & Infrastructure Awards, which celebrate best practice and innovation in restoration projects.
Parts of quake city abandoned

10 March 2011
New Zealand prime minister John Key said this week that 10,000 houses in Christchurch face demolition because of earthquake damage.
Codes challenged by Christchurch quake

03 March 2011
New Zealand’s world leading design codes faced a major rethink this week following the devastating earthquake which struck Christchurch on 22 February.
Liquefaction wreaks havoc on homes

03 March 2011
Ground liquefaction resulting from the Christchurch earthquake caused more damage to houses on concrete slab foundations than to those on timber piles, engineers said this week.
London 2012 Velodrome is first major venue to be finished

24 February 2011
Work to build London 2012’s Velodrome finished this week making it the first major venue to be finished in the Olympic Park.
UK needs port hub for wind farms

17 February 2011
Investment in a single port hub would best serve the English and Welsh renewables industry and deliver much needed jobs, a key government business adviser told NCE this week.
New nuclear regulator on its way

17 February 2011
Employment minister Chris Grayling this week unveiled plans to create an independent body to regulate the nuclear industry.
Massachusetts replaces ageing Interstate bridges

17 February 2011
Massachusetts in the United States has started replacing 14 bridges on Interstate 93 as part of a programme to reduce the number of deficient structures for which the state is responsible.
Health & Safety Exec cuts 200 jobs to save money

17 February 2011
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) this week announced that it had made around 200 voluntary redundancies as it seeks to reduce its headcount.
Italians are Eurocodes’ biggest adopter in key markets

10 February 2011
Italy is the biggest adopter of Eurocodes of key markets, according to a survey of European consultants and contractors carried out for NCE.
Civils call for action over catastrophic events

10 February 2011
Catastrophic events within the construction industry are real issues and must be properly investigated, research body CIRIA warned this week.
New guidance to combat turbine tower grouting flaws

9-Feb-2011
New guidance that aims to combat problems of grout failure on swathes of wind farm foundations has been published this week.
Highways Agency adopts Cross reporting system

31-Jan-2011
The Highways Agency has this week begun adopting Confidential Reporting on Structural Safety (Cross) into its procedures.
Tunnel rescue plan forged

27 January 2011
Contractors grappling with a trapped tunnel boring machine (TBM) in Lancashire have told NCE that jet-grouting, ground freezing or dewatering are the three most likely methods to be used to free it.
Decision about Olympic Stadium’s future postponed

27 January 2011
Officials have put on hold the decision about who will take over the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games following intense lobbying from bidders, it was revealed this week.
Olympic Stadium decision is put on hold

24-Jan-2011
Officials have put on hold their decision on the outcome of the Olympic Stadium following intense lobbying from both potential bidders, the Olympic Park Legacy Company announced this week.
Vital upgrade for Hampstead ponds

20 January 2011
The City of London is embarking on a multi-million pound scheme in an attempt to stave off the threat of flooding on Hampstead Heath, according to plans revealed to NCE.
Plant Special: Creative Power

20 January 2011
Hilti’s stated raison d’être is to provide construction solutions that are better, and will last longer, than competing products. Those products – identifiable by their familiar red boxes – include measuring systems, drilling and demolition, cordless, direct fastening and firestop systems.
Contractors battle to extract TBM after silt breaches tunnel

19-Jan-2011
Contractor Kier, along with joint venture partners J Murphy and Interserve, was this week grappling with problems that have halted tunnelling on a £114M project for United Utilities.
Spurs plan will replace 2012 stadium

13 January 2011
Tottenham Hotspur plans to demolish the 2012 Olympic Stadium if it wins the battle against West Ham to take over the site, the Premiership football club revealed this week.
Concrete plans for wind

16 December 2010
Concrete gravity base foundations (GBF) could be the best option for the next phase of offshore wind farms, says the Concrete Centre with new designs unveiled this week.
Danish-German crossing client prefers tunnel option

16 December 2010
Backers of the 19km Fehmarnbelt Crossing between Denmark and Germany have confirmed that they will recommend the tunnelled option over the bridge proposal, despite recently lauding the benefits of the latter.
Nimble Trimble

16 December 2010
Trimble wrapped up its 5th annual conference with a record attendance and quiet confidence about the future.
Atkins teams up with French firm for nuclear work

14-Dec-2010
Atkins and French engineering firm Assytem has formed a 50/50 nuclear engineering joint venture to target the growing international new-build market.
US football stadium roof collapses under snow load

13-Dec-2010
Engineers have been called in to investigate a roof collapse at the Metrodome stadium in Minnesota on Saturday night.
Bridge sway feared cause of Cambodian festival tragedy

02 December 2010
Inadequate crowd control on a new footbridge has been identified as the main cause of a festival stampede last week that left over 350 people dead in Cambodia.
Brazilian high speed rail tenders delayed

02 December 2010
The Brazilian government has put back the tender return date for bids to build its high speed rail network following pressure from four potential bidders.
New nuclear power station for Sellafield

02 December 2010
French energy firm GDF Suez, Spanish utility Iberdrola and Scottish and Southern Energy have formalised plans to team up and develop a new nuclear power station in Cumbria.
Banks back Severn Barrage funding

25 November 2010
The Severn Barrage is still viable and could be funded by private finance, an expert in financing infrastructure schemes told NCE this week.
Fehmarnbelt bridge is preferred sea crossing option

25 November 2010
An iconic bridge has re-emerged as the preferred option for the 19km long Fehmarnbelt Crossing between Denmark and Germany despite the tunnelled option being £68M cheaper.
Keller announces new wave of redundancies

25 November 2010
Ground engineering specialist Keller Group is to spend £3M on its second wave of redundancies in six months as it attempts to tackle intense competition and low margins in Continental Europe.
Disaster-hit Haiti battles cholera

18 November 2010
United Nations (UN) relief officials have warned that the scale of Haiti’s cholera epidemic is likely to “increase significantly” as the country deals with the effects of January’s devastating earthquake plus flooding caused by hurricane Tomas in October.
Tall buildings to rise again

18 November 2010
Developer Land Securities said this week that London remains a “highly attractive” location for businesses after seeing rental values rise for the first time since the 2008 property market crash.
Cool concrete for clever brains

17-Nov-2010
Manchester Metropolitan University’s newest building will be using a cutting edge concrete technology, which its manufacturers hope will bring down energy costs while adding to the city’s impressive skyline. Declan Lynch finds out more.
Hadid bridge is open for Grand Prix

11 November 2010
Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Bridge with its unique and complicated arch structure opens this week in time for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Spending review 2010: Osborne wields the axe but boosts renewables

28 October 2010
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) and the Green Investment Bank both received a £1bn spending boost in the Comprehensive Spending Review. But some waste projects were axed, and spending for flood defences was cut.
UK teams aid Haiti relief work

28 October 2010
Engineers and architects were this week preparing to accelerate the recovery effort in earthquakehit Haiti.
Severn Barrage is dropped as nuclear plans gain pace

21 October 2010
The government has dropped plans to generate power from a Severn Barrage after deciding that low carbon energy could be more easily generated from new nuclear and offshore wind.
New nuclear sites get approval

21 October 2010
Energy secretary Chris Huhne this week dropped his objections to nuclear power and this week confirmed eight sites for development by 2025.
Scottish tidal prototype shut down by faulty turbine blades

14 October 2010
Faulty blades have caused the temporary suspension of a tidal turbine trial off the north coast of Scotland.
Dam dumps toxic mud

14 October 2010
Engineers in Hungary were this week frantically finishing work on a protective wall to protect villages from toxic sludge released by the partial collapse of a metals factory dam.
Electric currents

13-Oct-2010
Beneath the waves off the Scottish north coast lies the latest development in tidal turbine technology. Declan Lynch reports.
Hasting's Victorian pier is 95% destroyed by fire

7 October 2010
A huge blaze gutted Hastings Pier in the early hours of Tuesday morning, leaving much of the upper structure destroyed and threatening its viability.
Network Rail criticised over bridge collapse

7-Oct-2010
Weaknesses in Network Rail’s bridge assessment regime were to blame for the collapse of a railway bridge near Feltham last November, rail accident investigators said this week.
Legal action threat over FITs

7 October 2010
Fears that the government will reduce future feed-in-tariffs (FITs) have prompted concerned firms to threaten legal action to reclaim investment costs.
Connecting pin failure suspected in Delhi bridge collapse

30 September 2010
Investigators were this week focusing on whether a failed steel connection triggered a footbridge collapse in New Delhi last week, injuring 23 people (News last week).
Green light for Scottish hydroelectric scheme

23 September 2010
Scottish ministers have approved plans for a 7.5MW hydroelectric power station at Kildermorie, northern Scotland.
Olympic legacy plan attacked by London Assembly committee

23 September 2010
Decisions about the legacy of the London Olympic Park are flawed and have hampered efforts to secure investment, London politicians claimed this week.
Timber frame fire fears after Basingstoke blaze

16 September 2010
A serious blaze at a Hampshire construction site last weekend has thrust the safety of timber framed buildings under construction back into the spotlight.
Royal Engineers in Afghanistan: Programmed for peace

16 September 2010
As the war in Afghanistan enters its 10th year, the Royal Engineers are working relentlessly to help deliver peace and stability on the ground in the challenging conditions of Helmand Province. Declan Lynch reports on their work from Lashkar Gah.
Planning costs may pull the plug on Severn Barrage

9 September 2010
Plans for a £21bn Severn Barrage are facing the axe because private sector backers see the £250M cost of getting the project through planning as too great a risk.
Dutch develop self-healing bio-concrete

9 September 2010
Dutch researchers have invented a biological concrete that can seal its own cracks, preventing water ingress and corrosion of reinforcement.
High definition cameras could transform bridge monitoring, says standards laboratory

6-Aug-2010
High definition cameras could transform the way bridges are monitored, thanks to research by the national standards laboratory.
2012 Games to miss green energy target

05 August 2010
London’s Olympics organisers are unlikely to win a gold medal for green energy after criticism from London politicians.
Code breakers

05 August 2010
The introduction of Eurocodes, an increasingly global workforce and a lack of recognition from the civil engineering community means that the two industry bodies dedicated to promoting structural safety have a lot of work to do. Declan Lynch talks to Scoss chair John Carpenter and Cross secretary Alistair Soane.
Horizon signs early work agreements with Areva and Westinghouse

3-Aug-2010
Horizon Nuclear Power has signed early work agreements with Westinghouse and Areva for preparatory design work for its proposed new station in North Wales.
Tata creates new temporary pavilion in Hyde Park

26-Jul-2010
Tata Steel erected a new unique temporary pavilion for the year’s International Triatholon Union World Championship in Hyde Park this weekend.
Top consultants roll out international health and safety standard

23-Jul-2010
Four major UK consultants and industry body Constructions Skills this week launched an international version of a health and safety test.
Government's low carbon technology budget slashed

22 July 2010
Renewable energy groups were this week seeking assurances about the government’s commitment to climate change mitigation projects after it slashed low carbon technology funding by one sixth.
RedR completes training for 871 Haiti aid workers

19-Jul-2010
RedR this week announced that six months on from the Haiti earthquake it has trained 871 aid workers but warned that much remains to be done.
Steel price rise fosters research into alternative bridge materials

19-Jul-2010
Steep rises in steel prices are prompting engineers to turn to using alternative materials for road bridge construction.
Treasury rejects claims Green Investment Bank will be scrapped

15 July 2010
The Treasury this week rejected claims that the government is to scrap plans for a Green Investment Bank.
Contractors suffer blow as schools building programme is scrapped

6-Jul-2010
Contractors suffered a blow this week as hundreds of school building projects were scrapped by new education secretary Michael Gove.
Recession helps reduction in construction worker deaths

2-Jul-2010
Construction deaths have fallen as a result of the recession, according to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures released last week.
Italian geologists accused over L'Aquila quake deaths

01 July 2010
Seven Italian geologists, scientists and public officials have been charged with manslaughter following last April’s devastating earthquake that killed 299 people in the town of L’Aquila.
Construction deaths drop by 21%

30-Jun-2010
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) released figures today revealed a 21% drop in construction worker fatalities.
Multiplex and Mott MacDonald settle Wembley case

25-Jun-2010
Wembley Stadium firms Multiplex and Mott MacDonald have settled their £253M claim against the costs and overruns at the Stadium, it was confirmed today.
Tunnel stages comeback in Fehmarnbelt competition

22-Jun-2010
An immersed tube tunnel design has made a comeback against competition from a bridge design for the new Fehmarnbelt crossing, NCE can reveal.
Engineers cast doubt on oil spill berm plan

17 June 2010
Marine experts fear wetlands will suffer if the berms fail to catch enough of the Gulf of Mexico oil.
Down by the river

17 June 2010
A highly complex structure, limited access, working over water and keeping the crossing operational is making restoration of Blackfriars railway bridge in central London a mighty challenge. Declan Lynch kicks off NCE’s plant special with a report on a key section of the Thameslink rail upgrade.
Developer Westfield denies objection to West Ham Olympic Stadium move

15-Jun-2010
Stratford City developer Westfield has played down suggestions that it objects to a football club occupying the Olympic Stadium in legacy.
World Cup 2010: Three Lions, six stadia

10 June 2010
The World Cup kicks off this week in South Africa but already British engineers have influenced the outcome of the arenas. Declan Lynch reports.
Berms to stop BP spill

10 June 2010
Engineers are poised to start building up massive protective islands along the United States coastline threatened by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Merano train crash investigators seek month-long extension

7-Jun-2010
Investigators looking at the cause of a debris slide which caused a fatal train crash in Italy in April were this week seeking a 30 day extension on their deadline.
South Korean link edges towards completion

3 June 2010
South Korea’s Bujan-Geoje fixed link reached a major milestone this week with the completion of two bridge decks and a tunnel section (NCE 13 January 2009).
M25 team wrap up viaduct

3 June 2010
Contractors widening the M25 motorway have this week successfully completed one of the most challenging sections.
Timber frame fire risks under scrutiny

3 June 2010
The London Assembly is meeting for a second time to review fire safety in tall and timber framed buildings.
Tower construction revived as property market recovers

27 May 2010
Confidence has returned to London’s tall buildings market with two major tower projects mothballed in 2008 set to be resurrected.
Cumbria's "condemned" Calva bridge to be repaired

27 May 2010
Engineers were this week carrying out final preparations for the start of repairs to flood-hit Workington’s Calva Bridge.
Transport Scotland insists Forth Replacement Crossing remains on track

26-May-2010
Transport Scotland said this week that it remained confident of delivering the Forth Replacement Crossing after announcing contracts for associated junction improvements.
Confidence returns to London's tall building market

24-May-2010
Confidence has returned to London’s tall building market with two major towers set to be resurrected.
Engineered reef fails to deliver surfing conditions

20 May 2010
Boscombe’s much lauded but costly artificial surf reef was this week branded “substandard” by an independent reviewer just six months after opening.
Piling special: Capital procedures in south-east London

20 May 2010
Short squat piles are helping to transform an area of south-east London into a vibrant new residential development. Declan Lynch reports.
Problems resurface over Wembley's pitch

17-May-2010
Problems with Wembley’s pitch, which have rasied questions over the design of the stadium’s roof, resurfaced during Saturday’s FA Cup Final.
Slippery Wembley pitch blamed on stadium roof

13 May 2010
A leading turf specialist this week blamed the design of Wembley stadium for problems faced by footballers playing on its pitch.
Izmit bridge contractor to carry all project risks

13 May 2010
The winning contractor for Turkey’s 3km Izmit Bay suspension bridge will be expected to carry all risk for the project, which straddles the highly active North Anatolian seismic fault.
Major Hazards survey reveals industry wide knowledge gap

6 May 2010
Efforts to encourage better understanding of structural safety issues are failing because engineers are unaware of key information sources, a leading construction research body said this week.
Aecom and Scott Wilson to work on Turkish mega-bridge

6 May 2010
Aecom and Scott Wilson have formed a joint venture to provide £10M of consultancy services to the concession consortium building the £1bn suspension bridge across Izmit Bay in Turkey.
New safety guidance follows platform deaths

6 May 2010
A spate of deaths involving mobile elevated platforms has prompted the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) to issue new guidelines on their use.
Westinghouse hits setback with new nuclear reactor approval

6 May 2010
Nuclear reactor builder Westinghouse is to update the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) this month on its progress towards proving its reactor design is safe for use in the UK.
Survey reveals ignorance of key structural safety bodies

30-Apr-2010
Efforts to encourage better understanding of structural safety issues are failing because engineers are unaware of key information sources a leading construction research body said this week
New guidance for use of mobile elevated platforms

30-Apr-2010
A spate of deaths involving mobile elevated platforms has prompted the Construction Plant Association (CPA) to issue new guidelines on their use.
Burst irrigation pipe is focus of Merano train crash investigation

29 April 2010
Investigators were this week focusing their attention on a faulty irrigation system thought to have triggered the landslip which led to this month’s fatal train crash in Italy.
Merano train crash probe focuses on cause of landslide

22 April 2010
Investigations into the rail crash in northern Italy last week will focus on the origin of water that triggered the landslide which swept the train off its tracks.
Mike Cross: The risk business

15 April 2010
The Health and Safety Executive’s Mike Cross is heading the Major Hazards in Construction project. He tells Declan Lynch why the industry should pay attention to its top events.
Catch fence failure probed in Italian rail disaster

14-Apr-2010
Failure of a catch fence designed to retain falling debris appears to have been a major factor in a fatal rail crash in northern Italy this week.
Workington temporary road bridge set to open early

12-Apr-2010
Contractor Morgan Est was this week putting the finishing touches to a temporary bridge has that will re-establish a road connection through flood-torn Workington in Cumbria.
Wembley court case firms urged to head for mediation

7-Apr-2010
Wembley Stadium firms Multiplex and Mott MacDonald were this week urged to head for mediation to avoid a costly trial to determine who was to blame for construction overruns.

NCE AT THE HEART OF THE INDUSTRY FOR 40 YEARS

New Civil EngineerDeclan Lynch

New Civil Engineer
Declan Lynch