bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pneumonia nosocomial: importância do microambiente oral
Authors: Amaral Simone Macedo , Cortês Antonieta de Queiróz , Pires Fábio Ramôa
Published: December 2009

A pneumonia nosocomial, em especial aquela associada à ventilação mecânica, é uma infecção frequente nas UTIs. Seus principais fatores etiológicos incluem bactérias colonizadoras e oportunistas da cavidade oral. Manobras de higiene oral, com o uso de antissépticos orais, como a clorexidina, têm se mostrado úteis na diminuição de sua incidência. O objetivo deste trabalho foi revisar a literatura sobre a importância do microambiente oral no desenvolvimento da pneumonia nosocomial.
Experimental plant guidance and control by kinematic GPS
Authors: Roberts G. W. , Dodson A. H. , Ashkenazi V.
Published: December 2009

Laser levels are now commonly used in civil engineering as a replacement for traditional levelling procedures, particularly as they enable certain construction operations—such as earthworks and paving—to be automated. However, the advent of real-time kinematic GPS techniques has opened up a whole new field of dynamic control and guidance applications. This paper outlines the recent advances in GPS technology that have made real-time three-dimensional positioning possible. It then reports on a series of recent tests on construction plant, which prove that GPS technology can be successfully used to control and monitor plant to an accuracy of within a few mm.
Civil engineering management in the new millennium
Authors: Barnes Martin
Published: December 2009

Civil engineering management in the next century will be dramatically different from the last, thanks to a growing and long-overdue realization that the traditional forms of contract—virtually unchanged since the 1860s—have had their day.This paper provides a brief history of civil engineering contracting, which reveals a period of stagnation unparalleled in any other mainstream industry. It then covers the relatively recent process of reform, including the impacts of the Latham and Egan reports and the introduction in 1993 of the New Engineering Contract. It concludes with comments on likely future developments.
Civil engineering management in the Industrial Revolution
Authors: Barnes M.
Published: December 2009

Britain's Industrial Revolution was largely brought about by the civil engineers who built the country's canal and rail networks, making inland centralized manufacture viable. This paper reviews the evolution of civil engineering management during this period—from the contracts used by John Smeaton in the mid 18th century to the establishment of today's ‘traditional’ system around 1860. It reveals that many supposedly recent innovations—such as joint ventures, partnering and co-located project teams—have all been done before. What early civil engineers did and said has resounding relevance today.
Project management of Greenwich peninsula
Authors: Wright S.
Published: December 2009

Getting the Greenwich peninsula site ready for the millennium exhibition was a probably the stiffest management test yet for the government's urban regeneration agency, English Partnerships. It was only given the derelict wasteland at the end of 1996, yet the completion date and subsequently agreed £185 million budget were absolutely fixed. Furthermore, infrastructure requirements of the exhibition were constantly changing as its design developed—requiring a flexible, dynamic and co-operative working relationship between all parties involved. This paper describes how that relationship was created and sustained and how it led to completion of the project ontime and under budget.
Impact of climate change on water resources planning
Authors: Crookall D. , Bradford W.
Published: December 2009

Water companies have a pivotal role in the delivery of sustainable development. In providing safe drinking water, supplying water to industry and commerce and treating wastewater before returning it safely to the environment, they are also at the forefront in dealing with the impact of climate change. As explained in this paper, when dealing with something as complex as the global climate, we cannot wait for a perfect model to find solutions to the problems that we could soon be facing. It is vital to ensure that all water resource development plans, whether from the water companies or the regulators, are robust against a range of possible future climates.
Contexts and drivers for operationalizing sustainable development
Authors: Parkin S.
Published: December 2009

This paper provides an overview of the context in which the sustainable development agenda is developing in the UK and of the key drivers that will influence civil engineers and the companies and organizations they work with or for. It covers initiatives relevant to the construction sector in the context of changes at the macro-level brought about by Government policy and public opinion. References are given to enable more reading and research as well as to provide a mechanism for getting in touch with the initiatives themselves.
Software-supported risk management for the construction industry
Authors: Hall J. W. , Cruickshank I. C. , Godfrey P. S.
Published: December 2009

The value of systematic risk management is being increasingly recognised by the construction industry. However, there is wide diversity in the application of risk management and generally poor communication of risk through the supply chain, with some organisations undertaking no formal risk management. Software can support the established stages in the risk management process, conveniently handling the dynamics of the risk exposure and enabling rapid communication of risk information. A simple new software tool, based around a risk register, has been developed principally for newcomers to risk management. The tool provides a standard format for risk communication through the construction industry supply chain.
Using the NEC for multiple-site, undefined contracts
Authors: Patterson R. L.
Published: December 2009

This paper shows that the ICE's NEC Engineering and Construction Contract really is a well-structured and flexible tool that can deliver rather than dictate procurement strategy. It describes how Yorkshire Water Services simply and neatly modified the contract to allow new parcels of work on a rolling reservoir-upgrading programme—from feasibility studies to construction at different sites—to be let on a reimbursable, a lump-sum or a target-cost basis within a single contract. It explains the simple innovations with the ECC conditions and the structure of the contractor–consultant teams commissioned to undertake the work. A review of the possible wide-ranging applications of the modified contract is then given.
Construction materials and technology: a look at the future
Authors: Head P. R.
Published: December 2009

Driven by the twin pressures of increasing efficiency and sustainability, civil engineers are starting to move construction technology forward again after a century of relative stagnation. However, simply using stronger materials is no longer enough as these cost more to manufacture and are harder to recycle. Sustainability is the key, and designers need to look more to nature for solutions—not least the fibre-reinforced polymers which occur most frequently in nature as wood and bone. This paper reviews some of the new construction technologies and materials that may be used in the future—including a recently developed composite cellular building system and a skinned steel space frame—and demonstrates that ingenuity is alive and well in construction.
Rion-Antirion bridge, Greece—measuring a moving gap
Authors: Hytiris N. , Kominos A.
Published: December 2009

A spectacular 2·8 km long bridge is being built across the deep and earthquake-prone Corinthian Gulf in Greece. However, designing bridge foundations in 60 m of water overlying 80 m of soft alluvium across an active geological fault-line is not without its difficulties – not least since the land masses on either side are constantly moving independently. The bridge has been designed to allow for a total movement of 2·5 m in 125 years. This paper describes a three-year GPS survey to determine how much and in which direction the land is really moving. It found movements up to 52 mm but with no pattern whatsoever. It also proved that local earthquakes can have a dramatic and unpredictable effect.
Britain's concrete dams—the final 50 years?
Authors: Scott C. W. , Molyneux J. D.
Published: December 2009

The second half of the 20th century saw over 60 large concrete dams built in Britain for a wide variety of water supply and hydroelectric reservoirs. However, with increasing social and environmental concerns about such projects, the Maentwrog gravity dam built 10 years ago could be the UK's last. The late Geoffrey Binnie described the development of concrete and masonry dams in the UK up to 1942, from Vyrnwy to Haweswater. This paper aims to complete that history. It describes the development of concrete dams, from simple mass-concrete gravity structures to prestressed and double-curvature arch designs, and the effect of improving technologies. It also looks at how the expertise of UK dam designers has been exported worldwide and concludes with a brief review of the World Commission on Dams report.
Further reflections on megalith mechanics
Authors: Simpson J. H.
Published: December 2009

The 4500-year-old circle of rocks at Stonehenge in England continues to fascinate today's civil engineers. Transporting and erecting the 40 t megaliths from which it is made would provide a logistical headache now let alone 45 centuries ago. Last year this journal published a paper which demonstrated that—contrary to general belief—the stones were probably rolled rather than dragged into position, albeit with plenty of Neolithic manpower. This paper shows how further mechanical refinements could have reduced the maximum gang size to just six men. If true, it suggests our ancestors had even greater intellectual sophistication than previously imagined.
Financing infrastructure in central and eastern Europe
Authors: Maxwell D. E.
Published: December 2009

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, central and eastern European countries have sought to adapt to a market economy and bring their industries closer to western European levels. Establishing modern infrastructure is an inevitable part of the process and the need to find suitable financing, particularly for transport, has offered a considerable challenge. This paper outlines the role of the major European lending institutions in financing—including the European Investment Bank and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development. It also reviews the efforts made to introduce public-private financing in central and eastern Europe and looks at the cost of Hungary's abortive attempt to introduce public–private financing for transport infrastructure.
EU enlargement policy—civil engineering opportunities in central and eastern Europe
Authors: Glover A. , Nowak P.
Published: December 2009

Ten central and eastern European countries have applied to join the European Union. To help them bring their regulatory and institutional frameworks into line with western European standards and to help major infrastructure projects get off the ground, the EU has set up a variety of substantial aid programmes. The main programmes of interest to civil engineers are Phare and ISPA, which currently have a combined annual spend of € 2·5 billion. This paper describes the background to these two programmes and explains how the funds are allocated.
EN1994 Eurocode 4: Design of composite steel and concrete structures
Authors: Johnson R. P. , Anderson D.
Published: December 2009

This paper provides an outline of the history since 1971 of EN1994 Eurocode 4: Design of composite steel and concrete structures followed by an account of current work on it.This should lead to publication of its three parts in 2004–2005 and withdrawal of competing national codes five years later. Summaries are given of the code's wide scope and the principal changes in provisions for buildings and bridges (but excluding structural fire design) since the pre-standard ENV versions were completed between 1992 and 1997. Reference is made to implications for practice in the UK and to some pitfalls of calibration work.
EN1997 Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design
Authors: Driscoll R. , Simpson B.
Published: December 2009

Geotechnical engineers have long stood out from the other professional disciplines within civil and structural engineering—not least for their approach to design. Geotechnical calculations have traditionally relied on highly subjective assessments of design parameters whereas everything above the ground uses a more explicit and codified approach. Eurocode 7 aims to bridge the gap. It presents a comprehensive list of conditions which geotechnical designers need to consider and places much greater emphasis on serviceability and how this may be satisfied through ultimate-limit-state design. With four different design methods and three different approaches to limit-state design, it offers great flexibility at the same time as increased rigour.
Float viaduct—a high-speed rail bridge replacement
Authors: Hackney M. , Stocks A. , Dodgson C.
Published: December 2009

The replacement of a strategic bridge at a remote, environmentally sensitive location on the UK's main west-coast railway in just five days required a tremendous amount of advance planning. The 135 year old Float viaduct crossing the upper reaches of the River Clyde needed to be replaced as part of Railtrack's upgrade of the busy route to suit 200 km/h electric trains. Working under a fixed-price design-and-construct contract, Carillion and Scott Wilson opted to move both the old bridge deck out and the new bridge deck in by lifting rather than sliding. Apart from the first span initially refusing to move, the meticulously planned project went without a hitch and was completed well within the five-day track possession.
Romania's Danube rail bridge—a monument to Anghel Saligny
Authors: Manning J.
Published: December 2009

The giant steel-truss rail bridge over the mighty River Danube in Romania is a monument to the country's most revered civil engineer, Anghel Saligny. The technical challenges involved in building 60 m tall piers in 30 m of fast-flowing water and a superstructure that could cope with high winds and low temperatures proved too much for the world's leading civil engineers, none of whom provided a conforming design in two rounds of competition. It was left to Saligny, secretary of the competition, to produce a workable plan—and over 100 years later his ‘King Carol I’ bridge is still in operation.
Back to the future—Alexandria's new world library
Authors: Hamza M.
Published: December 2009

The works of Euclid and Archimedes are known to us today thanks largely to the fact they were referenced in the world's first international library. The Great Alexandrina Library on Egypt's Mediterranean coastline flourished for nearly 600 years before being destroyed in 272 AD. Last month, April 2002, nearly two millennia later, it was finally replaced with a stunning new £150 million structure that boasts the largest ever reading room and an 18 m diameter spherical planetarium. The vast 160 m diameter concrete building is cast monolithically within the world's biggest circular diaphragm wall. The new Bibliotheca Alexandria also features the largest contemporary stone sculpture—a 6200 m2 hand-carved granite façade depicting all known forms of writing—and serves as a showcase for technical innovations such as ultra sonic pile monitoring and self-repairing concrete.
Old watermills—Britain's new source of energy?
Authors: Müller Gerald , Kauppert Klemens
Published: December 2009

Britain's 20 000 disused watermills could be brought back to life as micro-hydrostations generating up to 1000 MW of electricity thanks to a renewed interest in waterwheels, particularly in Germany. Though slightly less efficient than modern low-head turbines, both overshot and undershot waterwheels are much cheaper to build, install and maintain and can operate in a wider range of flow conditions and with a head as little as 0·5 m. Archimedian screws working in reverse have also proved very efficient and durable low-head generators. This paper reviews the latest developments in Germany and the potential for application in the UK.
The role of geomorphology in flood risk assessment
Authors: Thompson A. , Clayton J.
Published: December 2009

The most commonly used method of assessing flood risk is based on predicting the magnitude and extent of the ‘100-year’ or ‘200-year’ flood. Though potentially very useful to engineers, this information can mislead planners and developers into assuming that areas outside these limits are risk free. This paper reports on an alternative, geomorphological approach that has recently been examined in Wales to map the physical extent of the floodplain itself. Such mapping reflects actual evidence of fluvial activity rather than relying on modelled predictions and, therefore, is less likely to omit areas that could be at significant risk of flooding. It also provides a tool for investigating and predicting the response of river channels, floodplains and catchment hydrology to climate and land use changes over time.
Sustainable flood defence in England and Wales
Authors: Harman J. , Bramley M. E. , Funnell M.
Published: December 2009

There are five million people at risk from flooding in England and Wales along with nearly two million homes and 185 000 business properties.The principal operational responsibility for reducing this risk rests with the UK government's Environment Agency, which employs over 5000 staff dedicated to the role. This paper explores key technical, organisational and environmental challenges facing the Environment Agency in delivering sustainable flood defence in England and Wales. It examines new strategic developments and the recent restructuring of the Environment Agency's flood defence service, and illustrates the practicalities of sustainable flood defence by looking at the autumn 2000 floods, the Gainsborough flood alleviation scheme, land use change, river restoration projects and managed realignment of flood defences.
Towards risk-based flood hazard management in the UK
Authors: Sayers P. B. , Hall J. W. , Meadowcroft I. C.
Published: December 2009

Flood engineering in Britain is evolving from traditional approaches based on design standards to the development of risk-based decision-making, which involves taking account of a range of loads, defence system responses and impacts of flooding. Adopting such a ‘whole systems’ approach enables combinations of structural and non-structural approaches to be assessed and compared so resources can be targeted to best effect. Building on methods and know-how already in widespread use in river and coastal engineering, risk-analysis techniques are now being adopted in all areas—from high-level planning based on outline analysis to detailed designs using high-resolution simulation models. This paper explores some of the new techniques of this emerging approach to flood risk management.
Improving local flood protection to property
Authors: Bramley M. E. , Bowker P. M.
Published: December 2009

Local flood protection comprises a range of local measures that are available to property owners and small communities in order to prevent or reduce the damage to property from flooding. These include temporary barriers adjacent to properties, moveable barriers fitted to houses and flood-resistant building materials and fittings. Effective use of local protection promises significant benefits. This paper describes the guidance drawn together and developed by the Environment Agency and its partner organisations to promote the use of local protection. The need for effective communication with property owners—as well as local authorities, insurance and building industries—is highlighted.
Web-hosted opportunities for cost-effective expert judgement studies
Authors: Augenbroe Godfried , de Wit Sten
Published: December 2009

Expert judgement studies are a relatively new way of quantifying technical uncertainty in engineering design. Unfortunately they can be time-consuming and costly because they require physical meetings between a group of possibly widely dispersed experts. This paper investigates how web-hosted collaboration or ‘virtual teaming’ can be used to carry out such studies. It shows in particular how the functionality of commercially available web-hosted project spaces can be enhanced to meet the flexibility, democracy and transparency required for such studies to work.
Automated construction in Japan
Authors: Taylor Mark , Wamuziri Sam , Smith Ian
Published: December 2009

Over the last 20 years the concept of automating construction and civil engineering operations has become a reality within Japan, resulting in improvements in site safety, efficiency and productivity. Examples renewed in this paper include concrete finishing, material handling, earthworks and integrated construction automation systems. However, the paper concludes that construction environments need to be much more structured and controlled before construction robots can really start to take over.
Soft systems: a fresh perspective for project management
Authors: Winter Mark , Checkland Peter
Published: December 2009

Recent developments in the field of systems thinking show that conventional project management theory is essentially rooted in ‘hard’ systems thinking and there are now increasing calls to augment this theory with ideas and approaches from ‘soft’ systems thinking. This paper examines the essential differences between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ systems thinking through a comparison of their different perspectives on project management practice. The core ideas for a new perspective on project management are presented together with implications for the education and training of future project managers.
Channel Tunnel Rail Link: financing and risk transfer
Authors: Bayley Mark
Published: December 2009

The £5·2 billion Channel Tunnel Rail Link is one of the world's largest public–private infrastructure projects ever undertaken. This paper describes the innovative funding and risk-sharing arrangements that were developed to lower the cost of capital—and maintain risk transfer to the private sector—despite the initial failure of Eurostar to meet revenue forecasts and the later failure of Railtrack. It could serve as a model for the future public–private procurement of major transport infrastructure projects worldwide.
Channel Tunnel Rail Link: quality management
Authors: Keeling Dan
Published: December 2009

Like any major project, quality management is at the core of the £5.2 billion Channel Tunnel Rail Link project. It operates at various levels, from the individual civil design and construction contracts to the design, commissioning and operation of the whole transport system. This paper describes the complex yet essential quality management structure that was established for the smooth delivery of this massive undertaking.
Channel Tunnel Rail Link: the complaints commissioner
Authors: Anthony Kennerley James
Published: December 2009

A complaints commissioner was appointed on the £5·2 billion Channel Tunnel Rail Link to act as mediator of last resort in judging the reasonableness of construction-related complaints. This paper explains how the role worked in practice and the benefits that it brought to the way the whole project has been built.
Channel Tunnel Rail Link section 1: an environmental route
Authors: Allett Ted , Mitchell Jol
Published: December 2009

Environmental considerations were at the heart of the route selection process for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Decisions were seldom clear-cut, but, with section 1 now built and operating, the majority seem to have proved right in environmental terms. With the benefit of ten years' hindsight, this paper reviews the environmental input to route selection and how it worked in practice—particularly the tough choices relating to Ashford, Boxley Valley and Medway.
Anderton boat lift: restoring the Cathedral of the Canals
Authors: Clarke Martin
Published: December 2009

The Anderton boat lift in north-west England is the world's first boat lift. Built in 1875, the ‘Cathedral of the Canals’ initially used an innovative system of balanced water rams to transport boats between a navigable river and a 15 m higher canal. It was converted to an electrical pulley system 33 years later but finally succumbed to structural decay in 1983. This paper reports on the complex £7·8 million project to restore and reopen the lift, which has involved installing a modern version of the original hydraulic system within a painstakingly restored iron and steel structure.
Stabilising the Paute river in Ecuador
Authors: Abril Boris , Knight Donald
Published: December 2009

Ten years ago a landslide in the mountains of Ecuador killed over 100 people. It also blocked a mountain river, creating a temporary flood reservoir that, a month later, burst through the debris and caused extensive flood damage downstream. The geomorphology of the whole valley was substantially altered and it become unstable, not helped by continued local aggregate mining. This paper reports on the delicate, long-term operation to monitor and stabilise the Paute river valley, including shaving two million m3 off a mountain and installing a novel system of drop structures on the river bed.
Artificial intelligence v. equations
Authors: Pande Gyan N. , Shin Hyu-Soung
Published: December 2009

Artificial neural networks are increasingly being used by mathematicians and scientists for complex calculations but apparently not by civil engineers. Such networks have many advantages over rigid equations and design codes, not least that they can be continually ‘retrained’ when new field or research data become available. On the downside, like people, they are not very transparent and not always reliable. This paper shows how a relatively simple neural network can outperform Burland and Burbidge's well-established 1985 ground settlement equation. The advantages and disadvantages of the technique are also discussed.
Briefing: New e-marketing rules aim to cut spam
Authors: Brown Russell
Published: December 2009

New electronic communications regulations should deter unsolicited emails but they have also changed the way that civil engineering businesses can contact customers. Russell Brown at Manchester law firm Glaisyers explains the new rules.
Briefing: Managing the restoration of destroyed public services
Authors: Wearne Stephen
Published: December 2009

Following a seminar on recent experiences in attempting to restore severely damaged public services and infrastructure, the ICE is planning a new guide. Stephen Wearne of UMIST's project management division reports.
Briefing: Sounding it out—advances in ultrasonic testing
Authors: Purnell Phil , Hutchins Dave
Published: December 2009

A new generation of ultrasonic equipment could enable us to ‘see’ reinforcing bars in concrete without even touching the surface. Phil Purnell and Dave Hutchins of Warwick University report on the latest developments in non-destructive testing.
Dismantling the Maureen platform—an overview
Authors: Broughton Peter , Davies Richard , Green Mike
Published: December 2009

Removing, dismantling and recycling the world's largest steel gravity platform has proved that the energy industry can safely and sustainably decommission its vast offshore infrastructure when the oil runs out. Nearly 100% of the 110 000 t Maureen platform and its associated 9000 t loading column was either re-used or recycled—with major structural components being used to build new port facilities and 42 000 t of steel landed ashore for scrapping. This paper reports on the complex and delicate task of cleaning and progressively dismantling the vast structure in a Norwegian fjord. It was the final phase of a £150 million decommissioning project, which has now set a benchmark for over 200 other steel structures currently operating in the British sector of the North Sea.
Briefing: Reasons to be cheerful about UK electricity
Authors: Davis Robert
Published: December 2009

The ICE energy board sparked a debate last year on the potential vulnerability of the UK's energy supplies. Robert Davis of EA Technology argues we should be more optimistic about the future of the electricity industry—provided it receives adequate investment.
Briefing: World's first construction engineering doctors prosper
Authors: Anumba Chimay
Published: December 2009

The world's first four doctors of construction engineering have all secured high-level posts within their sponsoring organisations. Chimay Anumba of Loughborough University's Centre for Innovative Construction Engineering reports.
Briefing: Career management—also known as CPD
Authors: O'Hea Niall
Published: December 2009

Continuing professional development is more than just keeping up to date. ICE professional development manager Niall O'Hea says it requires a disciplined approach to managing your career, which can include the options of investing in further technical knowledge or engineering management qualifications.
Rebuilding communities: the role of volunteers after disasters
Authors: Hodgson Robert
Published: December 2009

A major natural disaster breaks down a community's capacity to cope with everyday life through destruction of physical infrastructure, while wars and civil disturbances achieve a similar result through destruction of social fabric. This paper reports on personal experiences of volunteer engineers working with RedR—Engineers for Disaster Relief, and examines ways in which well-planned relief and rehabilitation interventions can restore and enhance community cohesion and coping mechanisms. The result should be a mitigation of future hazards to which the community may be subjected.
Humanitarian mine clearance: still beyond technology?
Authors: Fimister Andrew
Published: December 2009

One of the biggest problems to re-establishing communities after wars is hazardous ground, not in the traditional geotechnical sense but in the more insidious and potentially lethal form of buried landmines and unexploded shells. Despite all the recent advances in military and civil engineering technology, it seems there is still no substitute for slow, manual methods when it comes to making a mined area genuinely safe for people to live and work in again. This paper describes the painstaking techniques developed by Halo Trust, the world's largest humanitarian demining organisation, and reveals the limited effectiveness of modern technology to meet this vital human need.
Heathrow Terminal 5: delivery strategy
Authors: Wolstenholme Andrew , Fugeman Ian , Hammond Fiona
Published: December 2009

The success of the five-year construction phase of Terminal 5 at London's Heathrow airport was dependent of putting into effect the principles of a unique form of contract, called the Terminal 5 agreement. The £4·3 billion scheme required the client to lead in areas that were typically the traditional domain of suppliers or contractor organisations, resulting in novel methods and relationships. From the early stages it was recognised that the project had to be delivered differently to the norm if it was to achieve its desired objectives. This resulted in the phrase that all those involved in the delivery of the T5 were part of ‘history in the making’.
Heathrow Terminal 5: terminals T5A and T5B
Authors: McKechnie Steve , Mitchell Dervilla , Frankland William , Drake Maurice
Published: December 2009

This paper describes the design and construction of the two terminal buildings in phase 1 of the £4·3 billion Terminal 5 development at London's Heathrow airport. A total of 40 000 t of steel was used to create 280 000 m2 of space in the dramatic main terminal building, T5A, including forming a clear span roof of 156 m by 396 m to enclose it. In addition to high visibility for passengers, the design provides maximum flexibility for future modifications. In the first of two satellite buildings, T5B, 600 000 m2 of posttensioned flat slabs were cast using minimal amounts of formwork and site labour. Building these vast structures at the world's busiest international airport also meant all construction operations had to be undertaken within a highly restricted space and with no cranes allowed above roof level.
Municipal engineering – a new inspiration for a new generation
Authors: Richmond Kate
Published: December 2009

With the increasing focus on delivering sustainable communities, municipal engineering looks set for a renaissance in Britain. Alan Hayes, chairman of the ICE municipal expert panel, says it offers an inspirational environment for a new generation of more socially aware engineers.
Aceh emergency support for irrigation – building back better
Authors: Meigh David
Published: December 2009

The earthquake of 26 December 2004 off the west coast of Sumatra and the resulting tsunami killed 300 000 people and destroyed farmland and irrigation systems. A further earthquake on 28 March 2005 killed 1000 people and damaged structural works on Nias island. This paper describes post-tsunami and -earthquake reconstruction of irrigation systems in Aceh province and Nias, where most of the damage occurred. Design engineers followed the Indonesian government's policy of ‘building back better’ by incorporating earthquake-resistant design in the higher-risk areas. The participatory planning, design and construction approaches are described as well as several innovations in earthquake-resistant design for canals, weirs and other irrigation structures.
Replacement of Sitra bridges: a mega-project for Bahrain
Authors: Hassanain Mostafa
Published: December 2009

The Sitra bridges are part of a busy 3.2 km causeway linking the main island of Bahrain to the island of Sitra, one of the most strategic road links in the kingdom. However, after just 30 years the structures have succumbed to the aggressive marine environment and are being replaced at cost of US$280 million, along with construction of a new causeway alongside the old one and a major new grade-separated intersection. This paper describes the design, construction and management challenges of delivering the country's biggest ever road project in a sensitive marine environment and highly congested urban area.
Assessment of Eurocode 5 for fire design of timber columns
Authors: Cachim P. B.
Published: December 2009

Structural fire design of timber structures can be performed using Eurocode 5 parts 1 and 2 that provides two types of design methodologies: simplified and advanced. As the base parameters for the methods are not the same it is important to assess their behaviour under different conditions. The aim of this paper is to compare the different design approaches and verify their coherence for the design of columns. Several parametric studies comparing the different design methods were performed. Factors such as timber class, member cross-section size or slenderness of column were investigated and a comparison of the simplified and advanced methods was carried out. Some inconsistencies were found between the simplified and the advanced calculation methods. Eurocode 5 design methods should be improved and become more coherent. A proposal for improved parameters is made in order to improve the coherence of the different design methods.
Lesser-known timbers for maritime and riverine construction
Authors: Dupray S. , Simm J. , Williams J.
Published: December 2009

Dense tropical hardwoods are commonly used in maritime and river structures because they have the necessary strength and display some required durability including good resistance to abrasion and to attack by marine borers. Owing to environmental concerns about the sustainability of forest products, responsible procurement regimes now require that tropical hardwoods are certified from a sustainable and legal origin. However, timber is generally selected from a restricted number of species with proven track records of in-service performance, for example greenheart and ekki. There are concerns that over-reliance on a small number of timber species is exerting disproportionate environmental pressure on these species in their forests of origin and could encourage removal of timber that is not produced legally or sustainably. The present research sought to find alternative lesser-used timber species that are commercially available, can be legally and sustainably sourced and would display appropriate performance for maritime and riverine applications. A desk study first established a long list of potential lesser-used timber species. These were screened for resistance to attack by maritime gribble and to abrasion. The resulting shortlist of candidate species has been screened for resistance to shipworm through in situ exposure at a site known for its aggressive shipworm population. In addition to these results, the proposed approach to assess the actual full-scale performance of lesser-used timber species is introduced
Tour of UK dams and hydraulic structures
Authors: Hinks Jonathan , Brown David
Published: December 2009

Between 29 April and 2 May 2009 the British Dam Society hosted a tour of English dams and historic hydraulic structures by 43 members of the Association of Friends of the Hubert-Engels Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Applied Hydromechanics at Dresden University of Technology. The authors of this paper accompanied them on their tour.
St Pancras Renaissance hotel, London – a future for the past
Authors: Länge J. , Lazarus D.
Published: December 2009

This paper looks at the process of appraisal, both in general and in the particular case where it is used to justify a new use for a redundant historic building. The focus of the paper is St Pancras Chambers in London, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the 1860s. Originally one of the great railway hotels, the building was taken into use as offices after the hotel closed in 1935. In the 1980s it was vacated and remained unoccupied for a number of years, with significant deterioration occurring. The building, now grade 1 listed, is undergoing restoration some 140 years after its original design to transform it back to a luxury hotel, the St Pancras Renaissance hotel, with a level of servicing consistent with modern expectations. The work is taking place in close consultation with English Heritage. Intervention has been limited to the extent that this can be sensibly justified, and alterations are generally reversible. The appraisal has focused on the Moreland floors and the condition of the timber roof trusses. The paper sets out the methodology adopted to justify the continuing use of the building in order to give a ‘future for the past’ to this great Victorian building.
Briefing: The code for sustainable homes
Authors: Gaze Chris , McKeown Linda
Published: December 2009

Lessons learnt by the first four developers to design to the Code for Sustainable Homes on the Building Research Establishment (BRE) Innovation Park, have led to the production of some useful tips for those working on code-compliant projects. New guidance for housebuilders on delivering homes that comply with the code for sustainable homes has been published as a four-part information paper covering building fabric; energy and ventilation; water; and architecture, construction and sourcing. The guidance is based on lessons learnt from the experiences of housebuilders Ecotech, Hanson, Kingspan Offsite and Stewart Milne Group, which were the first companies to design and build to the code between November 2006 when the code was published and the Offsite exhibition in June 2007.
Corporate responsibility reporting in UK construction
Authors: Brown J. , Parry T. , Moon J.
Published: December 2009

An ever increasing number of British companies are realising the benefits of reporting to stakeholders on their corporate responsibility activities. With the exception of the UK Companies Act, which requires certain companies to report but does not specify anything more than this, corporate responsibility reporting is currently voluntary. The topics reported on by companies can therefore vary widely, both between and within industries. Using a comparative framework and a detailed review of 12 construction industry corporate responsibility reports, this paper identifies the most prominent topics reported upon by the industry. The framework uses the global reporting initiative's key performance indicators but also incorporates and expands upon the idea of ‘waves’ of corporate responsibility in order to provide a second level of comparison for the reports. The paper also touches upon some of the possible drivers behind the topics which organisations choose to report upon. Health and safety, environmental performance, energy and resources, carbon, supply chains, and community were identified as the most commonly occurring themes in construction industry corporate responsibility reporting.
Behaviour of geosynthetic-encased granular columns in porous collapsible soil
Authors: Araujo G.L.S. , Palmeira E.M. , Cunha R.P.
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACT: The construction of embankments on soft saturated soils can be a challenge due to the low shear strength and high compressibility of these soils. The same may be true for constructions on porous collapsible soils, because the collapse of the soil structure can lead to large foundation soil deformations leading to damage to the embankment, particularly in the case of bridge abutments. Conventional piles and granular columns have been used to stabilize such embankments when there are limits for embankment settlements. More recently, geosynthetic-encased granular columns have been increasingly used as an alternative solution. This study examined the performance of geosynthetic-encased columns for the stabilization of embankments on porous collapsible structured unsaturated soil. Field load tests were performed on conventional sand and gravel columns and on geotextile-encased sand columns and on geogrid-encased gravel columns. During testing, the collapse of the surrounding soil was induced by water injection through the granular column top to investigate the influence of the casing on the column performance. The results obtained show that significant increases on pile load capacity can be obtained depending on the materials used and construction conditions. The effects of foundation collapse can also be reduced with the use of a geosynthetic casing in the granular column.
Model study of sandy slopes under uniform seepage and reinforced with anchored geosynthetics
Authors: Ghiassian H. , Jalili M. , Kasemi D.
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACT: The stability of soil slopes can be significantly increased as a result of the in situ stabilization technique of anchored geosynthetic systems (AGS). An experimental study was performed on AGS sandy slope models with different cross-sections and subjected to uniform seepage. The slope models were brought to failure by gradually decreasing the AGS loads. A comparative analysis of the failed models in terms of the predicted safety factors and slip surface configurations were carried out using limit equilibrium and finite element analyses. Good agreements were obtained between the experimental and theoretical predictions in terms of the failure surface configurations as well as the safety factor at failure. Surface load applications on homogenous, granular slopes tend to change the failure mode from a planar slide assumed by the infinite slope theory to a more rotational sliding.
HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT- CIVIL ENGINEERING DESIGN.
Authors: PLANT G W , OAKERVEE D E
Published: December 2009

Hong Kong's new airport covers an area of 1248 ha, of which three quarters has been reclaimed from the sea. This paper describes the civil engineering design for the HK$ 50 billion project including the reclamation, runways, 550 000 m2 passenger terminal building, ground transportation centre and supporting infrastructure. It covers the early site selection and the factors affecting the layout of the airport. It details the leading role taken by the Authority in the prediction of reclamation settlement and how this was accounted for in the design and construction of the works. It concludes with a brief description of the wide-ranging environmental initiatives which were applied at all stages of this massive project.
Tidal energy potential in UK waters
Authors: Burrows R. , Yates N. C. , Hedges T. S. , Li M. , Zhou J. G. , Chen D. Y. , Walkington I. A , Wolf J. , Holt J. , Proctor R.
Published: December 2009

This paper describes the substantial potential of tidal barrage solutions for renewable energy generation in the UK. It demonstrates that installations on as few as eight major estuaries should be capable of meeting at least 10% of present electricity demand, and possibly significantly more, employing fully proven technology. This should be achievable, under favourable UK Treasury discount rates, at unit electricity prices that are likely to be competitive against future costs of alternative sources. This potential substantially exceeds that of ‘tidal stream’ turbine or practicable ‘lagoon’ systems, much vaunted in recent times. It also draws attention to a recent study investigating the tidal power potential in the north-west of England.
Environmental impacts of tidal power schemes
Authors: Wolf J. , Walkington I. A. , Holt J. , Burrows R.
Published: December 2009

This paper describes the potential environmental changes caused by tidal power installations with illustration for schemes in the eastern Irish Sea, focusing mainly on major estuarine barrages. The generic impacts in the near-field and far-field are discussed. Results from a zero-dimensional and a two-dimensional model are presented: the former allows rapid calculations to be made for a large range of options while the latter allows the full effect on two-dimensional hydrodynamics to be investigated. It is shown that there may be a significant change in tidal amplitude at the coast of Northern Ireland. The bed stress in the Bristol Channel will be significantly reduced if a Severn barrage is constructed. Some effects on the tidal mixing are expected although the location of tidal fronts in the Irish and Celtic Seas will not be changed significantly. The largest environmental impact is expected to be on the amount of inter-tidal area retained after construction of an estuarine barrage. It is shown that the loss of mudflats can be substantially reduced by using a dual-mode (ebb and flood generation) scheme with an increased number of turbines over the lowest-cost option.
The UK Atlantis initiative: priorities following the Pitt review
Authors: Brayshaw J. , Murray K. , Coley A.
Published: December 2009

This document provides background to the work of the UK Atlantis initiative in relation to the Pitt review findings. Atlantis is a public-sector initiative to understand the underlying issues and agree the standards collectively to provide interoperable base geographic and environmental datasets to better support water management in flooding and water quality for the twenty-first century.
Seismic behaviour of steel-concrete composite beams
Authors: Xue W. C. , Li K. , Li L. , Zheng R. G.
Published: December 2009

Five steel-concrete composite beams are tested under low reversed cyclic loading. The failure patterns, hysteretic characteristics, hysteretic model, deformation restoring capacity, ductility, energy dissipation capacity, stiffness degradation and slips of the prestressed composite beams are discussed. Attention is paid to the effects of partial prestress ratio and degree of shear connection on the seismic performance of these beams. Studies show that the prestressed composite beams behave in a relatively ductile manner. Ductility of the composite beams decreases as the partial prestress ratio and the degree of shear connection increase. It was also observed that the applied prestressing is favourable for energy dissipation during downwards loading. Slips between concrete slabs and steel beams have adverse effects on energy dissipation in positive moment regions of composite beams. Tests also show that the effects of partial prestress ratio and the degree of shear connection are negligible to degradation of stiffness in composite beams.