ICE Tech Talks

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

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

ICE members have a duty to conduct themselves honourably, to be honest and to make a positive impact on their profession and wider society. These obligations form the basis of the ICE Code of Professional Conduct, which sets out the standards of ethical behaviour by which all members must abide. In this podcast, you can learn more about the code and its importance.

Whether it be from deterioration and ageing, a change of use, or the impacts of climate change, modern day structures must be more resilient than ever to hazards and stressors. But what are these hazards? How resilient are current structures? And how important is it to consider resilience in a holistic sense? In this podcast, Stergios-Aristoteles Mitoulis, senior fellow at the University of Birmin...

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

The mental health and wellbeing of those working in the construction industry should be a key priority for organisations, leaders, and individuals alike. This audio explainer looks at the elements impacting mental health and wellbeing in the industry, how these are exacerbated for those working in remote locations, and what can be done to improve the status quo. Content warning - please note, this...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Martin Christmas and Ian Dunhill of the Environment Agency discuss the new impetus on ensuring and maintaining bathing water for rivers in the UK. They share how clean the UK's rivers currently are, explain the legislation governing the designation and grading of rivers, and set some personal and professional challenges for engineers. Episode hosted and produced by Steph Fairbairn. These case stud...

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