It Might be too Hot
You’d be hard-pushed to find a more British cliché than moaning about the weather.
Recently though, this adored pastime has suffered a worrying transformation. Once innocuous grumbles acquired alarm and gravity when, on 15th July, the Met Office issued the UK with its first ever ‘red warning’ for exceptional temperatures, a trend predicted to continue and worsen in years to come.[i]
Quite the emblem of incompetence when faced with heat, Hammersmith Bridge, which was closed in August 2020 due to heatwave cracks, was on Monday 18th July wrapped in foil to withstand extreme temperatures – and this, from a bridge with a temperature control system costing £450,000 installed by pioneering engineers less than two years ago.[ii] Interestingly, despite these red flags, on Tuesday 19th July, at the peak of the UK’s record temperatures, Network Rail tweeted that it was “too early” to make any decisions about future standards of engineering with our predicted ‘new normal’ weather conditions.[iii] If anything, it’s too late, and Network Rail knows it – their commissioning a taskforce headed by four leading global experts just screams ‘panic stations!’[iv]
On both East and West Coast mainlines, Britain’s railways suffered disruption, with a fire at the level crossing in Sandy, Central Bedfordshire putting lives at risk by obscuring the light signals. Molten plastic dripped onto the tracks below, and Network Rail had to repair the line. Elsewhere, roads like the A14 in Cambridgeshire were dangerously warped by the heat, demonstrating the severity of the situation, but also the shortcomings of our current infrastructure, slammed for its out-of-date specifications by Anusha Shah, Arcadis’ Senior Director.[v]
Alongside transportation services, construction companies like Skanska suffered reduced operations, reprioritisation of tasks and a diminished workforce during the heatwave, a haunting reminder of the all-too familiar ‘covid lockdowns.’
Beneath surface fiasco, these setbacks in fact pose an attractive opening for Civil Engineers. Clearly, infrastructure must change, and not only to meet new challenges brought by extreme temperatures. Crucially, if engineers implement preemptive measures now, they can avoid unwelcome emergency repairs later down the line when facing anticipated temperature spikes, secure contracts now and save face against future embarrassment. I’m talking significant action to curb, if not halt altogether, the detrimental process of climate change. For example, Shah suggests planting trees to create areas of shade, with the added benefit of reducing both air and noise pollution. Manmade shade attached to buildings can also be easily added, for example awnings and overhangs.[vi] Perhaps, in the construction industry, green roofs, more parks, and wetlands could be stipulated to slow the effects of a climate change which could ultimately destroy our planet through pervasive disruption to life and to the economy.
The Procurement for Housing (PfH) body (Regulator of Social Housing) have seized this opportunity for development, initiating a purchasing system which will deliver energy efficient upgrades to its 900 social landlord members.[vii] Thus, in housing at least, the hunt is on for contractors, providers and consultants to bid for positions on a panel delivering decarbonisation solutions.
Published on 23 July, the £950m tender is open for 28 days and is split into nine sections, including three focused specifically on Net Zero efforts. This represents an example of the work which climate solutions can advance. Extending such improvements to future-proof rail and road networks will prove indispensable if we are to avoid further disruption to travel and work.
Moreover, PfH’s inspired venture also reveals how ‘levelling up’ and net zero targets intersect to mutually reinforce one another, indicates that strategy is fundamental in progressing a green economy.[viii]
Yet, beyond these practical recommendations, Civil Engineering must be receptive to even greater change. Using as little carbon as possible can minimise detrimental impact on the already-suffering environment. Civil Engineering is growing year on year, meaning that there is great scope for massive change if climate-aware policies are implemented now. Companies like Nutral tap into this capacity through offering an ethical and sustainable service solution, ensuring each one of their staff members is ‘climate positive’ (meaning that their carbon footprint is offset).[ix] Internal change, combined with external modifications, can establish meaningful societal change. PfH’s inspired venture exemplifies how ‘levelling up’ and net zero targets intersect to mutually reinforce one another, through advancing climate solutions and social housing standards simultaneously. Mike Theobald, WSP Director, calls for a regionalised, responsive green strategy, one which recognises that ‘levelling’ prosperity across the UK relies on collaborative public and private efforts. [x] As Theobald recognises in the green energy sector the importance of cooperation and the need for nuance, so too should civil engineers realise that it’s time to stop relying on giants like Network Rail to lead the way, and instead implement change bespoke to each company and individual.
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[i] Met Office, “Weather Warnings,” https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/ 15/07/2022
[ii] Loukia Papadopoulos, “Wrapped in foil: Hammersmith Bridge is ready to take on the heat,” Interesting Engineering, https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/wrapped-in-foil-hammersmith-bridge-is-ready-to-take-on-the-heat 29/07/22
[iii] Network Rail, Twitter, 19/07/2022
[iv] EIC, https://eic-uk.co.uk/news/net-zero/network-rail-launches-resilience-taskforce-in-wake-of-record-breaking-heatwave/ 26/07/2022
[v] Anusha Shah, “Heatwave lays bare how vulnerable our infrastructure is to extreme weather,” New Civil Engineer, https://www.newcivilengineer.com/opinion/heatwave-lays-bare-how-vulnerable-our-infrastructure-is-to-extreme-weather-25-07-2022/ 25/07/2022 ; Sky News, https://news.sky.com/story/most-striking-uk-heatwave-pictures-from-melting-lights-to-wildfires-and-warped-roads-12654973 26/07/2022
[vi] Ibid.
[vii] Aaron Morby, “PfH starts race for £950m housing decarbonising deal,” Construction Enquirer, https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2022/07/25/pfh-starts-race-for-950m-housing-decarbonising-deal/ 27/07/2022
[viii] Mike Theobald, “Can we deliver net zero and levelling up at the same time?,” New Civil Engineer, https://www.newcivilengineer.com/sponsored/opinion-can-we-deliver-net-zero-and-levelling-up-at-the-same-time-24-05-2022/ 27/07/22
[ix] https://nutral.uk/ 25/07/2022
[x] Ibid.