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10 simple ways to ensure a successful infrastructure project

Keith Howells | August 4, 2021 | 139 views

In amongst the chatter about how we can 'do' infrastructure better, there's now a growing consensus that we need to improve the way we design our interventions - 'design' in the broader sense of the word, rather than the narrow sense we tend to use as engineers.

My front-end principles for better infrastructure
Over the course of my career, the following front-end principles have served well to ensure we think through, before we rush in where angels fear to tread.
  • Be clear about the purpose and the expected outcomes, and engage communities in decision-making through an effective communication strategy.
  • Prioritise the user, aiming to offer services that are modern, effective and affordable.
  • Seek to improve people's quality of life and support the transition to a more sustainable future, while also facilitating the functioning of the economy, enhancing productivity and accommodating growth (to the extent possible, given other competing objectives).
  • Extract greatest value from existing infrastructure through timely maintenance, repurposing, renewal and upgrading. Seek to remove constraints and bottlenecks.
  • Aim to make best use of data, automation, innovation and technology (including for future asset management), recognising the complexity and risks this may introduce.
  • Recognise, analyse, mitigate and manage technical, environmental and climate risks, and complete any surveys necessary to support this.
  • Improve governance, with robust, timely and transparent decision-making, supported by strong evidence-based planning, clear prioritisation, and best practice technical design and delivery.
  • Seek an appropriate funding balance between 'user pays' and general taxation which incentivises behaviours in the best long-term social, economic and environmental interests.
  • Complete well-evidenced business cases and risk assessments of proposed initiatives before embarking on projects, including financing proposals. Aim to allocate the risks identified to those best able to carry them.
  • Facilitate collaboration between the government and business to promote delivery of the broader social, economic and environmental benefits.
  • Clearly, there are many other issues to consider as a project develops, and the above principles may seem obvious to some, and a counsel of perfection to others, but it's surprising how many are overlooked in the rush to build.

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Article | July 30, 2021

Environmental regulations are tightening, resource extraction sites are nearing the end of their useful lives and must be cleaned up, and the list goes on. Environmental engineers are needed to take advantage of these career opportunities in order to ensure that human impact on the environment is sustainable. But exactly what is environmental engineering? What is Environmental Engineering? Environmental engineering entails both the protection of people from the environment and the protection of the environment from people. Environmental engineers, for example, help to protect people's health from the effects of pollution by designing pollution mitigation systems. When an environmental engineer, on the other hand, designs a system that treats waste to ensure that any spills into groundwater are less toxic, they are protecting the environment from the negative effects of humans. Environmental engineers rely on knowledge from a variety of disciplines, including chemistry, geology, physics, biology, soil science, and others, to complete their work; it is a highly interdisciplinary field. In which industries can environmental engineers work? Environmental engineers work in a wide range of industries and for a wide range of companies due to the wide range of tasks they perform. In this section, we will look at some of the most common areas in which they work. Oil, mining, and forestry are all resource industries that have a significant environmental impact. Companies in these industries frequently hire environmental engineers to minimize the impact these industries have on the environment in order to comply with government environmental regulations. For example, in the mining industry, an environmental engineer may be hired to treat mine waste to make it less toxic. Many environmental engineers go on to work for government agencies, assisting in the verification of companies' compliance with environmental regulations and, in some cases, developing environmental regulations themselves. Public infrastructure projects, such as dams and bridges, are another area where environmental engineers are needed. They are required to ensure that the environmental impact of these projects is kept to a minimum. Environmental engineers are responsible for safeguarding the environment against human impact as well as safeguarding humans against any serious negative effects caused by the environment. They can work in the resource industry, government, education, research, environmental clean-up companies, and engineering consulting firms. Environmental engineers are more needed than ever as stricter environmental regulations take effect around the world and there is a greater need to clean up anything that has a significant impact on the environment.

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Recent M&A activity has slowed slightly in 2022, owing primarily to economic and geopolitical uncertainty. In the short term, deal activity is expected to remain stable. This continued investment is expected to be driven by capital availability, private equity (PE) investors, and strategic balance sheet strength. Despite a drop in deal volume in the last quarter, deal activity remained consistent with pre-pandemic levels. Volumes in the four quarters ending in the first quarter of 2022 exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 18%. Deal values fell in the last two quarters due to fewer megadeals (deals worth at least $1 billion), as companies became warier of complications arising from government approvals. With the exception of construction machinery, North American activity drove deal volume growth over the last four quarters across all engineering and construction (E & C) subsectors. This region saw a shift toward local, strategic investor transactions, emphasising the impact of global economic headwinds. Prospects for Engineering Transactions Despite headwinds from slowing economic activity, rising interest rates, and cost pressure from rising material costs, increased competition for labor, and ongoing supply chain issues, the outlook for E & C sector deal activity remains positive, driven by the continued availability of capital and bolstered by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The recent improvement in the performance of the residential market is expected to continue, owing to historically low interest rates, a housing gap caused by underbuilding over the last decade, the millennial generation entering prime home-buying age, and housing inventory near all-time lows. The non-residential market is expected to expand, but the outlook varies by sector. Transportation, manufacturing, and education are expected to benefit from infrastructure spending, while construction spending on offices and hotels is expected to decline, owing to continued remote working and business travel trends post-pandemic. “E&C deal activity is expected to remain stable due to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, private equity and corporate dry powder, realignment of end market exposure and acquisition of new technologies to support operations, despite the impact of inflation, supply chain disruption, labor shortages, and the war in Ukraine.” - Danny Bitar, US Engineering and Construction Deals Leader in the United States

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Article | August 25, 2021

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Article | July 30, 2021

Environmental regulations are tightening, resource extraction sites are nearing the end of their useful lives and must be cleaned up, and the list goes on. Environmental engineers are needed to take advantage of these career opportunities in order to ensure that human impact on the environment is sustainable. But exactly what is environmental engineering? What is Environmental Engineering? Environmental engineering entails both the protection of people from the environment and the protection of the environment from people. Environmental engineers, for example, help to protect people's health from the effects of pollution by designing pollution mitigation systems. When an environmental engineer, on the other hand, designs a system that treats waste to ensure that any spills into groundwater are less toxic, they are protecting the environment from the negative effects of humans. Environmental engineers rely on knowledge from a variety of disciplines, including chemistry, geology, physics, biology, soil science, and others, to complete their work; it is a highly interdisciplinary field. In which industries can environmental engineers work? Environmental engineers work in a wide range of industries and for a wide range of companies due to the wide range of tasks they perform. In this section, we will look at some of the most common areas in which they work. Oil, mining, and forestry are all resource industries that have a significant environmental impact. Companies in these industries frequently hire environmental engineers to minimize the impact these industries have on the environment in order to comply with government environmental regulations. For example, in the mining industry, an environmental engineer may be hired to treat mine waste to make it less toxic. Many environmental engineers go on to work for government agencies, assisting in the verification of companies' compliance with environmental regulations and, in some cases, developing environmental regulations themselves. Public infrastructure projects, such as dams and bridges, are another area where environmental engineers are needed. They are required to ensure that the environmental impact of these projects is kept to a minimum. Environmental engineers are responsible for safeguarding the environment against human impact as well as safeguarding humans against any serious negative effects caused by the environment. They can work in the resource industry, government, education, research, environmental clean-up companies, and engineering consulting firms. Environmental engineers are more needed than ever as stricter environmental regulations take effect around the world and there is a greater need to clean up anything that has a significant impact on the environment.

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Top Software Engineering Trends That Will Prevail in 2022

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OpenSpace Welcomes QBS Software to Partner Network, Widening Access to 360° Construction Site Capture Across Europe

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Telegraph Partners With Watco To Streamline Rail Logistics

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Telegraph, a Chicago-based startup building next-generation software for the freight rail industry, and Watco, a highly diversified transportation company, recently announced their new collaboration. The combination of Watco's decades of rail logistics experience and Telegraph software is helping shippers solve their toughest logistics challenges, especially rail transportation. The enhanced technology provides customers visibility of their railcars beyond Watco facilities or tracks. "We recognized a distinct need for software designed for the rail-centric supply chain, The industry presents unique challenges that this collaboration allows us to address. Together, we're making rail a more compelling option for shippers." -Shachar Astor co-founder Telegraph. Telegraph helps railroads, shippers, logistics providers, and railcar lessors work more efficiently via a singular platform. The company uplevels the consumer experience, making it easier for businesses to incorporate rail into their procurement and execution processes. "Telegraph's tool helps us be more effective and efficient so we can focus on solving common rail issues for our customers. It is quick, it is easy, it is powerful, We help our customers keep their freight moving and provide cost-saving opportunities such as rate negotiations and demurrage risk mitigation." -Michelle Bowling Vice President of Logistics Sales Watco. Telegraph provides exceptional predictability and visibility for carload and intermodal shipments. Leveraging EDI, API, and telematics integrations, the platform delivers best-in-class forecastability and pipeline management. To date, the company has saved customers thousands of hours in manual work and millions of dollars in accessorial charges. It's a pleasure to build alongside the team at Watco. Both organizations share an operational grit and customer focus that has unlocked immense value. We're excited about our shared pursuit of making it easier for everyone to incorporate rail into their supply chain, added Telegraph CEO Harris Ligon. About Telegraph: Telegraph provides a cloud-based operating system for railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, and railcar leasing companies. With an innovative platform that provides price transparency, shipment visibility, and proactive business intelligence, Telegraph empowers customers and makes shipping by rail easier and more effective. About Watco: Watco is a leading transportation service and logistics company that provides transportation, material handling and warehousing, logistics, railcar repair, and design and development for customers throughout North America and Australia.

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OpenSpace Welcomes QBS Software to Partner Network, Widening Access to 360° Construction Site Capture Across Europe

OpenSpace | September 29, 2022

OpenSpace, the global leader in 360° jobsite capture and AI-powered analytics, shared that European software procurement platform QBS Software is joining its Partner Network. With more than 10,000 software publishers on its platform and expert customer service, QBS's reseller network will widen access to OpenSpace throughout the EMEA construction, banking, insurance, facilities management, and retail industries, improving onsite visibility and efficiency. With OpenSpace Capture, builders or site managers can fully document their jobsite while walking the site as they normally would with a mobile device or an off-the-shelf, consumer 360° camera that can be attached to their hardhat. Once the video is uploaded to the cloud, OpenSpace's computer vision technology stitches images together and pins all the images to the floor plan, creating a trusted visual record of site status. Powered by the company's Vision Engine, the site image map is typically ready to view in about 15 minutes after upload. In a survey of OpenSpace's community and customers, it was found that on average 67% of customers reported saving thousands of dollars on project costs, while 74% saved multiple hours per week. Through this partnership, QBS will be able to expand its portfolio and enable its enterprise customers to benefit from these cost and time savings. "Our focus is on providing innovative and top-of-the-line software that creates opportunities for our customers and partners. With OpenSpace we are able to bring an industry-leading solution in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) space, With OpenSpace, we're able to bring an industry-leading and easy-to-use solution that improves coordination and efficiency of builders, project managers, owners, contractors, and sub-contractors throughout a wide variety of industries." -Dave Stevinson,CEO QBS Technology Group. OpenSpace is used today on projects in 86 different countries around the world, and has seen growing momentum in the EMEA region recently, with a 300% year-over-year increase on-platform in 360° imagery capture. Regional customers include JLL, Skanska, VINCI, and Unispace, among others. With QBS joining the OpenSpace Partner Network, even more builders, owners, and property managers will have easy access to OpenSpace's site capture and analysis technology. "Having worked with QBS Software for 20 years, I've experienced firsthand the amazing support that they provide to technology resellers, We are thrilled to be partnering with QBS to bring OpenSpace to any project, regardless of the industry, and believe that with the breadth of the QBS partner base, we'll be able to bring this technology across all EMEA." -Andrea Brown Head of Channel and Partnerships OpenSpace. By having a historical visual record of the site, OpenSpace makes it easier for projects to stay on budget and on time, as well as enabling smoother remote collaboration among stakeholders. OpenSpace's technology can also mitigate risk, as the 360° image captures serve as a time machine that can be used to go back and view historical site status. In terms of project analysis, OpenSpace offers automated progress tracking technology, which measures the percent of work completed for key pathways like walls, mechanical, electrical, and more. Customers can also use the platform to create 3D scans of certain areas onsite, using LiDAR-powered iPhones and iPads. About OpenSpace: Founded in 2017, OpenSpace is an AI technology company on a mission to bring new levels of transparency and efficiency to construction and real estate. With our platform, builders automatically capture a complete visual record of the construction site, providing a single source of truth that increases coordination, drives accountability, and simplifies dispute resolution. To date, our customers have used OpenSpace to capture more than ten billion square feet of imagery from active construction projects across thousands of sites in over eighty-six countries. About QBS Technology Group: Established in 1987, QBS Technology Group (including QBS Software) provides a platform for software companies and channel partners to increase efficiency and achieve growth. With a focus on innovative software – covering the enterprise, cloud, and consumer markets – QBS Technology Group combines experience, specialist skills, local presence and trusted relationships.

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Holcim US Unites Legacy Brands in Colorado

Holcim | September 29, 2022

Holcim US, the leader in sustainable building solutions, announced today plans to unite its legacy brands in Colorado. The regional rebrand will advance Holcim's innovative ideas to build progress for people in the Centennial State, while maintaining the existing teams and products responsible for unmatched customer satisfaction. A trusted partner for decades in Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder and Fort Collins, Holcim's Colorado-based legacy brands and operations include aggregates, cement, concrete, and asphalt and will join the Holcim Portland cement plant in Florence under the Holcim name. This next phase of the Holcim US transition will impact the Mountain Region, including Aggregate Industries, Metro Mix Concrete and Transit Mix Concrete. "In joining the state's legacy brands and operations, our goal is to continue leading the industry into a more sustainable future, while providing the same distinguished products and services we're known for in Colorado, Uniting these brands as Holcim builds on the market strength of each and streamlines the company's collective work as a sustainable builder of progress. Operations at each of the locations will continue to provide the same level of quality service and products customers have come to expect over the years, now under the Holcim name." -Chance Allen, general manager, ACM Mountain Region, Holcim US. The timely transition kicks off just after the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law, containing roughly $5 billion for various programs that aim to accelerate the industry's shift toward low-embodied carbon building material, making now a critical time to band together and maximize innovation. Uniting these brands as Holcim builds on the market strength of each and streamlines the company's collective work as a sustainable builder of progress. About Holcim: Holcim builds progress for people and the planet. As a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions, Holcim is enabling greener cities, smarter infrastructure and improving living standards around the world. With sustainability at the core of its strategy Holcim is becoming a net zero company, with its people and communities at the heart of its success. The company is driving the circular economy as a world leader in recycling to build more with less. Holcim is the company behind some of the world's most trusted brands in the building sector including ACC, Aggregate Industries, Ambuja Cement, Disensa, Firestone Building Products, Geocycle, Holcim and Lafarge. Holcim is 70,000 people around the world who are passionate about building progress for people and the planet through four business segments: Cement, Ready-Mix Concrete, Aggregates and Solutions & Products.

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