The latest episode of the Engineers Collective is out now. This month’s guest is Ayming associate director Ben Craig.

He told New Civil Engineer news editor Lee Kenny how geopolitical and economic uncertainty has increased businesses’ commitment to innovation across the construction and engineering sectors.

His comments followed the publication of Ayming’s International Innovation Barometer 2027, which found that 97% of businesses are experiencing pressure from geopolitical developments.

Ayming surveyed 850 research and development (R&D) and innovation directors, chief financial officers, chief executive officers and chief technical officers across 17 countries in June. The survey covered 10 sectors, including civil engineering and construction.

Within the construction and engineering sector, Craig identified energy costs and materials as two of the main effects of geopolitical events.

“Energy costs have been particularly volatile over the last couple of years as a result of things like the war in Iran,” he said.

“On materials, there have been various conflicts and trade tariffs and so on that are affecting companies. They need to adapt to both the supply and the cost of the materials that are available to them.”

Craig said major projects were particularly affected by these pressures because of their scale and lead times.

“Decisions that were made five, 10, 15 years ago are suddenly coming into question as a result of more recent events that couldn’t really have been anticipated when those decisions were first made,” he said.

The interview explored what these pressures mean on the ground for major infrastructure projects, including the implications for materials, energy, labour and project delivery.

This month’s guest is Steve Denton, managing director, civils at WSP. He is vice president of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Institution of Structural Engineers.

He told New Civil Engineer news editor Lee Kenny about the challenges facing the UK’s ageing infrastructure, the impact of climate change on existing assets and why the way the country maintains its infrastructure needs to change.

Denton chaired the National Engineering Policy Centre working group that produced Reviving our Ageing Infrastructure.

The report concluded that the UK's ageing infrastructure is at a tipping point and Denton identified three factors: the age profile of the UK’s infrastructure, the effects of climate change and the level of reliance placed on infrastructure systems.

“The ageing infrastructure that we have in the UK is at a tipping point,” he said.

“We have got an increasing proportion of our asset base which is getting towards the end of its life.”

He also explained that climate change was placing greater demands on existing infrastructure while also accelerating deterioration.

The interview also examined the consequences of infrastructure disruption. Denton argued that incidents where infrastructure is restricted or closed should be seen as an indication of wider risks rather than simply isolated failures.

The conversation also covered the role of government, regulators and engineers in addressing the challenge. Denton said the National Engineering Policy Centre report contains 15 recommendations across seven areas where change is needed, with action required from multiple parties.

He said he was optimistic about the prospects for implementing the recommendations, pointing to the level of engagement from government and across the infrastructure sector since the report was published.

Finally, he highlighted the skills challenge facing infrastructure management and said the sector needed to “celebrate and raise the prestige” of those responsible for managing existing infrastructure.

The latest episode of the Engineers Collective is out now: listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, your usual platform or via the player below.

This month’s guest is Cliff Smith, executive director of the Get It Right Initiative (Giri).

He told New Civil Engineer news editor Lee Kenny about Giri’s work to reduce avoidable error across the construction industry and why he believes changing culture, improving planning and focusing on value rather than cost are essential.

Smith said Giri’s research found around 21% of project costs are attributable to avoidable error, a figure that equated to around £25bn a year across the UK construction industry.

He said Giri has focused on addressing the root causes of error since it was established following an Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) discussion in 2015.

He said planning is the most significant of Giri’s top causes of error, ranging from strategic planning of projects through to ensuring teams have the right materials, equipment and resources for day-to-day tasks.

“It’s a built-in issue for us to go at,” he said.

“And even if you don’t get the 21%, you get 5%, it’s doubled your margin.”

Smith also discussed the importance of ensuring designs have reached the appropriate level of maturity before construction begins and warned that uncontrolled design changes can lead to avoidable errors.

He said technology should be used to solve clearly identified problems rather than adopted for its own sake.

“It’s a question of getting the right technology to address your particular challenges,” he said.

Looking at the wider industry, he believes creating an environment where workers feel able to raise concerns is vital. And his key message to the sector was to place greater emphasis on value when procuring projects.

“We need to have a different attitude when it comes to cost versus value,” he said.

“The sector needs to be moving towards value procurement.”