Preposterous Politics: what does it all mean for infrastructure in the UK?

09/25/19 • 30 min

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This month The Engineers Collective deviates from its usual format as an unprecedented political situation unfolds in the United Kingdom. As Prime Minister Johnson is found to have broken the law in his prorogation of Parliament, regular co-hosts Mark Hansford and Alexandra Wynne from New Civil Engineer discuss what all of this actually means for the immediate future of infrastructure in our country.

The pair outline three possible directions for the current government, and try to avoid focusing too much on the giant Brexit-shaped elephant in the room. Will Mr. Johnson focus on infrastructure to boost the economy? Will he even last long enough to have that input? All this and more is up for discussion.

The Engineers Collective is bought to you by Bentley Systems. Bentley's Year in Infrastructure Conference will be held between 21-24 October 2019 in Singapore. Find out more by visiting yii.bentley.com.

As the operator of Brazil's Governador Jose Richa Airport, infraero - Empresa Brasileira de Infraestrutura Aeroportuaria needed a better way to organise its data and share information among different areas of the company and external stakeholders. Using BIM and GIS technology, along with Bentley applications, the project team created a digital twin of the airport that includes a reality mesh and central repository for all airport data. Its digital twin is streamlining all future internal airport infrastructure projects, as well as planning and management processes, and the project was a winner of Bentley's 2018 Year in Infrastructure Award for Advancing Digital Twins for Airports. Find out more at www.bentley.com/londrina/

Previous Episode

Crossrail 2 with Michèle Dix

This month on The Engineers Collective, Mark and Alex are joined by the managing director of Crossrail 2, Michèle Dix. The trio, of course, talk Crossrail 2 and the impacts of lessons learned by Crossrail 1. Innovation, embracing new technologies and the future of large infrastructure projects are all under the microscope as Michèle offers a fascinating insight into her observations about the industry.

The interview with Michèle Dix begins at 12:02.

This episode also looks at the new HS2 review, talks dam safety in the wake of Whaley Bridge and asks: is Boris Johnson going to be our infrastructure champion?

The Engineers Collective is powered by Bentley Systems. MRT Corp was established to deliver the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit project, a planned three-line modern railway system in the Greater Kuala Lumpur-Klang Valley region of Malaysia. With the first line completed in July 2017, MRT Corp was the first metro project in Asia to adopt BIM Level 2 standards plus cloud-based collaboration to streamline workflows and improve efficiency, productivity, and performance on its second line, the Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) line. Establishing a connected data environment using Bentley applications as its foundation, MRT Corp has reduced rework, improved multi-discipline design collaboration, and increased productivity by 35 percent due to its ability to seamlessly share accurate information in real time. Find out how MRT Corp is Going Digital with Bentley and learn more about the project by visiting: www.bentley.com/sspline

Next Episode

Meaningful Infrastructure with Sadie Morgan

This month Mark and Alex are joined by National Infrastructure Commissioner and co-founder of dRMM Architects Sadie Morgan to discuss the value of high quality design – picking out what is currently being done well and what is being done less well. The HS2 mega-project comes under the spotlight as Sadie reminds us why it remains of such critical national importance.

The interview with Sadie Morgan begins at 12:02.

Mark and Alex also reflect on the early opening of the A14 upgrade and what that says about the way the construction industry is transforming itself.

The podcast also touches on the recent British Construction Industry Awards, of which Sadie was Chair of Judges. The trio discuss some of the shortlisted and winning projects and ask "what makes a BCI Award winner so special?".

The Engineers Collective is powered by Bentley Systems. Around the world, engineers and architects, constructors and owner-operators are using Bentley’s software solutions to accelerate project delivery and improve asset performance for the infrastructure that sustains our economy and our environment. Together, we are advancing infrastructure.