April 2024

Volume 102 | Issue 4

Adaptive reuse of
concrete frames

Lower-carbon concrete
technologies

Stakeholder
relationships

Cut and
paste
What is the potential
for salvaging and
reusing concrete
elements in new
structures when
demolition is
unavoidable?

pp01 TSE_April24_Cover v1.indd 1 21/03/2024 12:38

 thestructuralengineer.org/jobs
The Structural Engineer Jobs is the official jobs board
for The Institution of Structural Engineers.
The perfect place to find the latest
structural engineering vacancies.

pp2-3 TSE_Apr24_Contents.indd 2 21/03/2024 12:40

 Upfront
5 Editorial
6 News
8 Recognising long-serving members

Climate action
12 What is the Institution’s concrete
technology tracker?
14 Lower-carbon concrete technologies

Professional guidance
18 Stakeholder relationships: implementing a strong
communication strategy

14
22 Provisions for assessment of existing structures
in the second-generation concrete Eurocode
24 ati nal tru tural C n rete e ifi ati n
l in ahead t the fi th editi n
26 CROSS Safety Report: Accidental partial

28
demolition of a beam

Technical
28 Reusing and repurposing concrete-framed
structures: practical engineering considerations
32 A concrete answer for circular construction:
three prototypes reusing saw-cut elements

Opinion
38 Book review: Home and away: A civil
engineering odyssey
40 Verulam

At the back
42 Regional focus
44 Diary dates
46 Spotlight on Structures
April 2024

47 Library update
48 Services directory
50 TheStructuralEngineer Jobs

42
Issue 4
REBUILT PAVILION © EPFL

Volume 102

38
3
thestructuralengineer.org | April 2024

pp2-3 TSE_Apr24_Contents.indd 3 21/03/2024 12:40

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 Editorial Upfront

PRESIDENT
Tanya de Hoog
CEng, FIStructE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Yasmin Becker

EDITORIAL
HEAD OF PUBLISHING
Lee Baldwin

MANAGING EDITOR
Robin Jones
t: +44 (0) 20 7201 9822
e: [email protected]

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES
Will Brown
t: +44 (0) 20 7201 9121
e: [email protected]

ADVERTISING
Robin Jones Managing Editor
DISPLAY SALES
t: +44 (0) 1223 378008

Concrete steps
e: [email protected]

RECRUITMENT SALES
t: +44 (0) 1223 378047
e: [email protected]

DESIGN

forward
CPL One ART DIRECTOR
Kevin Reed

PRODUCTION
CPL One PRODUCTION EDITOR
Amy Bennett

EDITORIAL ADVISORY GROUP

Will Arnold FIStructE
Premma Makanji MIStructE IN MARCH, THE UN ENVIRONMENT highlights the importance of desk research into
Allan Mann FIStructE
Chris O’Regan FIStructE Programme and Global Alliance for Buildings and an existing building using libraries, archives and
Angus Palmer MIStructE
Eleana Savvidi MIStructE
Construction released their annual 2023 Global contemporary literature – noting the valuable
Status Report for Buildings and Construction assistance that librarians can provide. Find out
Subscription prices
Institutional (online only): £519 (www.unep.org/resources/report/global-status- more about the IStructE Library and its holdings
Institutional (print + online): £549
Personal (print only): £135
report-buildings-and-construction), painting on page 47! Assessment of existing buildings will
Personal (online only): £120 a disappointing picture of the buildings and also be assisted by new provisions in the second-
Personal (Student Member): £50
construction sector’s attempts to decarbonise generation Eurocode 2, and Craig Giaccio provides
Single articles – digital: £10.00
Single issues – digital: £15.00
– with emissions continuing to grow. The report a helpful summary on page 22.
Single issues – print: £25.00 states that stronger policies are needed to enhance For new construction in the future, there are
Printed by energy e ciency and to address carbon emissions many firms working to develop lower-carbon
Warners Midlands plc
The Maltings, Manor Lane Bourne,
from building materials and construction. concrete technologies. These approaches
Lincolnshire PE10 9PH In this issue, we explore are summarised in
United Kingdom
the latter aim from the the IStructE’s new
© The Institution of Structural Engineers.
The Structural Engineer is published by IStructE
perspective of concrete, ‘Concrete technology
Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Institution looking at both attempts tracker’ (page 12) and
of Structural Engineers.
to lower the embodied THREE we brie y present four
carbon of the material itself
PROTOTYPES of the most promising
ISSN 1446-5123 (Print)
ISSN 2753-4421 (Online)
and at ways to keep it in use technologies on pages
Contributions published in The Structural
Engineer are published on the understanding for longer. DEMONSTRATE 14–17. Limestone Calcined
that the author/s is/are solely responsible for the
statements made, for the opinions expressed
We have previously THE FEASIBILITY Clay Cement (LC3) is a

OF REUSING
and/or for the accuracy of the contents. examined the potential technology in the public
Publication does not imply that any statement or
for reclamation and domain that is already
ELEMENTS SAW-
ini n e ressed by the auth r s re e ts the
views of the Institution of Structural Engineers’
Board; Council; committees; members
reuse of structural steel being used by a number
or employees. No liability is accepted by such
persons or by the Institution for any loss or
(March 2023), but what
about concrete? While
CUT FROM IN SITU of early adopters, with
demonstration structures
CONCRETE
damage, whether caused through reliance on
any statement, opinion or omission (textual
circular approaches built in several countries.
STRUCTURES
or otherwise) in The Structural Engineer, or
otherwise. are less advanced in While discussing
The Institution of Structural Engineers practice, researchers concrete, I should
International HQ
47–58 Bastwick Street
at École Polytechnique also highlight the
London EC1V 3PS Fédérale de Lausanne present three prototypes IStructE’s recent work to develop training on
United Kingdom
t: +44 (0)20 7235 4535 demonstrating the feasibility of reusing elements reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC),
e: [email protected]
saw-cut from in situ concrete structures (page 32) including a new on-demand webinar covering
The Institution of Structural Engineers and thereby reducing the global warming potential identification, assessment and remediation. ind
Incorporated by Royal Charter
Charity Registered in England and Wales number of new construction. out more at www.istructe.org/resources/training/
233392 and in Scotland number SC038263
Of course, avoiding demolition is a preferable raac-essentials.
strategy where possible, and Garreth Joyce Lastly, d like to o er my congratulations to all of
of Walsh also provides advice on adaptive the Institution’s long-serving members who marked
reuse of existing concrete-framed structures major anniversaries in 2023 (page 8). I hope you –
(page 28) based on his firm s e perience. Garreth and all other members – enjoy this issue.

5
thestructuralengineer.org | April 2024

09:35 pp04-05 TSE_Apr24_Editorial.indd 5 21/03/2024 12:41

 Upfront News

President’s call to action

Make a pledge for people and
planet – don’t miss your chance
to commit!
t the end of my first uarter as resident,
want to thank everyone in our profession
who has oined our call to action, working to
accelerate positive climate action for people and
planet. We ve had hundreds of people sign up
so far. ne pectedly, nearly 0 of those are
not currently members of tructE, which shows
how much support and interest we have behind
us and in us.
also thought people would choose ust one
action from the si we created. ost people
who have signed up have chosen to commit
to multiple options, with many choosing all
si . ow, we need more members to sign up
urgently, in order to make this call to action as
impactful and meaningful as possible.
limate change is with us. We know this. We
can see it in the world around us. s engineers,
we are at the forefront of its impact as we
design for increased impact on structures.
or this reason, we must accelerate the way
we address it in our work. We must scale our
I URGE YOU TO JOIN MY 2024
in uence by growing the profession and evolve PRESIDENTIAL CALL TO ACTION,
our professional culture to lead in this time of CONNECTING US ACROSS OUR
change. haring knowledge and supporting the
whole of our engineering community to be more
ISTRUCTE MEMBERSHIP COMMUNITY
impactful is essential to survival. THROUGH A COMMON PURPOSE
urge you to oin my 2024 residential call
to action, connecting us across our tructE
membership community through a common beginning of a celebration of engineering, and support for those who put their hand up and
purpose. t is intended to benefit each of a change in culture that instils in us the courage asked for it.
you individually, through gaining knowledge, to insist on the changes we need to see, and We are planning a free virtual event in une
gaining competence, gaining support, or giving know are possible, in the world to protect the for everyone who has signed up to the call
back. The broader impact is that you are also future. This will also re uire support from the to action. The event will see individuals share
contributing to an opportunity for tructE to wider built environment. f we don t engage as information and insight into what they have done
learn more about what is possible when we a profession, then we will continue largely doing and what might be uni ue and helpful to others,
all work together towards a set of aligned things the same way or in isolation, missing followed by a session with the resident.
actions. ltimately, we also want to be able to the potential accelerated impact we know is Look out for further details of the event, and
demonstrate increased savings in embodied possible right now please do sign up to the call for action
carbon emissions through our work, and There s an urgency to the call to action. We
increased engagement. need members to sign up to a commitment by Tanya de Hoog
f this call to action is to be a success, it must the end of pril so that we can start to share 2024 President of the Institution of
not ust be a movement for 2024. t must be the stories, e change knowledge, and establish Structural Engineers

Industry news
Building Blocks manifesto calls on next UK government to support
regenerative built environment
The rchitects eclare movement has issued and a strategy for creating green obs across the
a one-page manifesto calling on the ne t construction sector s national reach.
government to implement a system of policies that Will rnold, Head of limate ction at the
will drive the built environment towards a more tructE, said: ust as we have been a strong
regenerative future. supporter of tructural Engineers eclare since
Launched at the Houses of arliament on 12 its launch in 201 , we welcome the early adoption
arch, the Building Blocks manifesto groups its policies laid out in this manifesto. They align with the
policy proposals into three blocks: work we are doing on art (a proposed amendment
| Prioritise resource e ciency to the Building egulations) and the et
| Kickstart the circular economy ero arbon Buildings tandard, as well as with the
| Restore social and natural infrastructure. nstitution s broader priority of placing sustainability
on a par with life safety.
The manifesto calls for regulation of embodied
carbon, as well as financial incentives to prioritise Find out more about the manifesto at
retrofit, better establishment of material passports, www.buildingblocks-manifesto.co.uk/home.

6
April 2024 | thestructuralengineer.org

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 News Upfront

Industry news
IStructE representatives attend Buildings and Climate Global Forum
Will Arnold, Head of Climate Action, and Peter and Construction, the forum brought together
Terrell, immediate past Chairman of the Board, ministers and high-level representatives of

NIKADA/ISTOCK
recently attended the inaugural Buildings and key organisations over 7 arch in an e ort
Climate Global Forum in Paris on behalf of the to spur the decarbonisation and resilience of
Institution of Structural Engineers. the buildings sector, which is not on track to
Organised by the French government and achieve its goal of decarbonisation by 2050.
the UN Environment Programme, with the The opening keynote speech by Oliver
support of the Global Alliance for Buildings Rapf, Executive Director of the Buildings
Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), Institution news
referencing the UN’s 2023 Global Status e o o o e or
Report for Buildings and Construction IStructE
(www.unep.org/resources/report/global-
status-report-buildings-and-construction), Following Board approval, the
highlighted that the building sector’s Institution is delighted to announce that
decarbonisation e orts had stagnated since we have opened an tructE o ce in
2015, with global emissions failing to reduce Hong Kong SAR.
in that time, leaving it a long way from the This is the nstitution s first o ce
desired decarbonisation trajectory. outside the UK, and we recently
Other sessions saw repeated calls to action welcomed Edward Ng as the Senior
on embodied carbon, with discussions on embership O cer based there.
decarbonising materials and the challenges Working closely with our HQ team
facing the concrete and steel industries. based in London, this o ce will support
The event also provided opportunities the Hong Kong Regional Group
for Will and Peter to network with industry committee in serving members in the
colleagues from around the world and develop region, including the organisation of
plans for further collaboration. examinations and Professional Review
Interviews for candidates. It will also
Ò Peter Terrell (l) and Will Arnold (r) Find out more about the forum at www. help us to continue building links with
attend the forum ecologie.gouv.fr/forum-mondial- employers and universities in the region.
batiments-climat-english-version.

7
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 Upfront News

Institution news Lam, Oliver Kai Ming Sharma, Sanjay

Lam, Kam Min Smith, Jonathan Giles
Recognising long-serving members Lam, Lo Tung So, Chi Ho
Lam, Yeuk Hon John So, Kai Wing
The President and Council Cheung, Kin Keung Latham, Jonathan Simon Song, Siak Keong
congratulate the following members Cheung, Tsz Chung Lau, Wai Keung Souch, Colin John
who achieved 25, 30, 40, 50 or 60 Cheung, Man Tat Lau, Chi Ming priddle, eil obert
years’ professional membership of the Choi, Tat Ching Law, Yu Cheong Stacey, Samuel Francis Alexander
Institution during 2023. Chow, Wai Pang Lawrence, Andrew Charles ta ord, avid
Chu, Wui Cheung Lee, Chi Minh Stewart, David
25 YEARS OF MEMBERSHIP Coghlan, Paul Joseph Lee, Tsz Leung Stocks, Harold Everard
Fellow Coleman, Ian Lee, Yuen Fai Stokoe, Peter
Abdullah, Mohd Sabri Cooke, Margaret Elizabeth Leung, Kin Kwong Suen, Chung Wang
Agbabiaka, Elias Olawale root, obert ohn Leung, Wai Man Sun, Kwan
Bong, Francis Shu Ying Dawson, Adrian Mark Li, Yick Kee Suththanantha, Kanagakulasingam
Buckton, li ord oger Delizo, Orandantes Li, Por Leung Sze, Wang Cho
Chan, Ewe Jin Dick, Alastair Mcintosh Lightowler, ean obert Tam, Sui Cheong David
Devitt, Sara Kirsten Dixon, Andrew Lim, Chee Kok Tang, Chi Ho
Entwistle, Jane Anne Doyle, John Dominic Liu, Chi Wah Tang, Wai Wah
Evans, aniel obert Dwyer, Peter Fred Livesey, Paul David Tarafder, Abul Kashim
Grove, David Lindsey Eckersley, Brian Lloyd, Peter Gareth Tate, William James Louis
Hardie, Gregory Hereward Johnsson El-Naggar, Henzada Gamal El Lo, Kei Shun Steven Thompson, Michael Neil
Lamb, ichard Henry Erturan, Erol John Lui, Kam Wah Thrift, Simon
c a erty, ames atrick Evans, Gerald Phillip Lupindula, Kennedy Chongwe Traves, Andrew Philip
Minson, Andrew John Evans, Glenn Ford MacKay, Bryan Tsang, Heung-Keung
Mullane, Denis Martin Farr, Graham Scott aha y, ndrew hilip Tsang, Chun Wing
ragnell, obert ohn Fok, Kam Fai Mak, Chi Kei Tse, Kin Shing
atcli e, ulia rances Fong, Chi Ho Mak, Chiu Hung Turner, John David
Smaller, Christopher Arthur owles, ichard ulian Man, John Kin Chang Vine, David Gary
Su, Kai Leung France, John Edward Marchant, Giles Malcolm Andrew Waite, Simon John
Turpin, Malcolm Douglas Freeman, Gary arkovits, obert ohn Walsh, Jeremiah Michael
Walker, Alexander Brian Furr, Philip David McCann, David Edward Wat, Kin Keung
Wang, Chien Ming Gallocher, Stewart Craik McCrea, John Lawrance Waters, Martin
Williams, Stephen Mark Gammon, Jasper Grant Milne, Christopher John Campbell White, David Spencer
Gerrard, John Paul Mistry, Parbhubhai Whitfield, teven lan
Member Gibbs, Andre orfitt, tephen ndrew Whitworth, obin atrick
Abbott, David John Gudge, Geo rey hilip Morrison, Colin Campbell Wilford, Michael David James
Ainsworth, Neil Joseph Hancock, Stuart William orrow, Geo rey Edward rancis Wong, Albert
Allen, Simon Playford Hart, Steven unro, uairidh raig Wong, Kin Man
Anderson, Colin Thomas Henderson, Hugh James Edward Myler, Graham Thomas Wong, Kwok Fai Godfrey
Ascough, Nigel William Ho, Koon Ho Ng, Ka Wai Wong, Kwok Wai
tkins, hristopher ichard Hodgkinson, Andrew Peter Ng, Shiu Kay Kelvin Wong, Man-Bo Paul
Atkinson, Stephen Thomas Hogan, ichard aul Ng, Tim Yeung Sammy Wren, Andrew James
Attwood, Gregory Keith Holden, Matthew David Ng, Chor Kin Wun, Yu Man
Baldwin, William George Hough, Michael Joseph Ngan, Yok Ming Wynne, Mark
Balfe, Enda Sean Howe, Wing Chi David oton, upert amuel Wysocki, Ted Patrick
Balfour, Iain Campbell Hui, Sau Kuen Memory Odunmbaku, Oyebola Steven Idowu Yates, David Gordon
Barnes, obert ohn Humphreys, Stephen Palmer, Graham David Yau, Chun Yee
Batchelor, Colin Michael Hung, Wai Kin Park, Bryan ereddi, aheedhar eddy
Batty, Nigel Patrick Hunt, Frazer John ayne, ichard Edward Yeung, Kwok Wei
Baxter, Lindsay John Hunt, Stephen Albert Pearce, Steven Yung, Chester Yuk-Man
Birbeck, Julian Francis Laurence Jinks, Gary John Pegg, Barry Martin
Bowen, Mark Christopher Johnson, Jonathan Henry Perry, David Neil Associate
Brady, Malcolm Joseph Jones, Claire Joanne Plant, Jonathan Charles Cheow, Hock Beng
Brumpton, Stuart James Jones, Darren Mark Poon, Wah Chai Anthony Ho, Nyok Yong
Buckley, Ian Joyner, Arron Kevin Poon, George Chi Ming Humby, Michael Laurence
Buksowicz, Marek Stefan Karim A Hassan, Nabil Quoc Tri, Tang Lim, Meng Cheok Jinda
Burnett, Kevin John Kasparian, Vartan Hagop aw, tephen Lincoln Wong, Wing Gun
Carey, Mark John Keenlyside, David William ayner, imon ndrew Wong, Seng
Carney, Peter David Kelly, John Philip ead, eil
Chan, Chak Pong Kennedy, Cormac Vincent eeder, evin ohn Incorporated-Member
Chan, Chi Wah Kennedy, Paul igby, onathan ark Brown, Shaun Anthony
Chan, Chun Wai eogh, ichael ichard obinson, ohn William Gilbertson, Andrew John
Chan, Hung Cheong Ken Khawandi, Abdelnasser aadi, abah Gray, Andrew Paul
Chan, Kwok Leung Kilgallen, Conor James Salehi-Mazandarani, Alireza Henry, Paul
Chan, Lit Ming Kimber, Peter Lee Salway, Brian Mark Hubbard, arren ichard
Chan, Yuk Ming Kwan, Chi Fai ankhla, ahul Jackman, Stuart Ian
Cheng, Kai Shing Kwan, Chi Lap Albert Savage, Toby Duncan Myers, Paul Patrick
Cheung, Chung Yat Gary Lai, Siu Fai Sawyer, Paul Antony Potter, Matthew David

8
April 2024 | thestructuralengineer.org

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 News Upfront

Pucci, Darren Charles Brown, Gary Alan Turner Gray, Gerard Lo, Chung Kai Kenneth
Pyper, Brian David Burke, Jonathan Greenwood, Andrew John Lo, Kwok Chi Patrick
argent, an Geo rey Burn, Nigel Roy Gri ths, imon Gear Lock, Michael Kenneth
Tredget, Peter Oliver a rey, ames ichael Grindrod, David Long, Andrew William
Tunstall, John Robert Card, Peter Francis Groves, Simon Laurence Loong, Chun Wah Bernard
Wright, Ian Malcolm Carmichael, Robert Ingram Hakewill, John Stephen Howard Lord, Martyn
Chalmers, Alison Hammersley, Paul Walter Lu, Chee Yuen Spencer
30 YEARS OF MEMBERSHIP Chan, Welcon Wai-Kock Harding, John Lui, Charn Kwan Pierre
Fellow Chan, Shu To Antonio Hardman, Martin George Ma, Yuk Ling
Aldeburgh, Timothy John Chan, Chi Ho Harris, Anthony John MacFarlane, William
Cosgrove, Thomas Conleth Chan, Ka Fai Harrison, Gavin MacKillop, Duncan Findlay
Crosby, Mark Richard Chan, Siu Lai Hartley, Sandra Lynne Mahoney, Ian Thomas
De Ridder, George Johannes Chan, Kin Ming Hattan, Richard John Mak, Tak Shing
Dobbins, Barry James Chan, Ki Chung Heaton, Stuart Malcolm Mak, Shing Cheung
Flynn, Ian Gerard Chan, Kin Keung Eddie Helyer, John Man, Hon Ki Roger
Foley, Joseph Chan, Cho Kau David Hespe, Iain Donald Stewart Marsden, Stuart
Forouzani, Afshin Cheung, Tat Man Higham, David Neil Mason, David Jeremy
Garrity, Stephen William Cheung, Wing Kai Hino, Yasunari McBeath, Charles Pryde
Gilmour, Andria Sharlotte Cheung, Ching Yee Lawrence Hipwell, Barry McCall, Desmond Henry
Hallum, Andrew James Cheung, Hoi Keung Ho, Kin Wing McCarthy, Patrick Joseph
Howlett, Patrick Child, James Holdsworth, Jonathan Mark McGettigan, Paul
Kennard, Robert Moir Chiu, Edmond Yu Ying Holmes, Stephen Brian McGinn, Sean Michael
Little, Trevor Choudhary, Khalid Mahmood Holroyd, Stuart McGregor, David Alan
Loh, Albert Chow, Chi Him Holst, Michael Patrick Peter McKay, Hubert Andrew
Lowe, David Herbert Chow, Tat Yan Horrocks, David Ronald McKeown, James Gerard
McKechnie, Stephen John Christie, Alistair James Howard Howard, Mark Adlington McKinnon, Donald James
Moppett, Mark Richard Christodoulou, Christodoulos Loizou Howard, Philip Douglas Mitchell, John Archibald
Muir, David Christophersen, Arne Andreas Hoyland, Andrew John Mitchell, Alan
O’Leary, Paul Alistair Clapson, Ritchie John Hung, Cheung-Shew Danny Montauban, Pierre Hernando
Paschalis, Michael Clark, Michael Ashley Hunt, Giles William Moore, Stephen George
Prew, Jonathan James Clarke, Niall Hyland, Thomas Joseph Morgan, Terence Edward
Quinn, Brian Joseph Copley, Ian Ip, Wing Sang Thomas Morgan, David Nicholas
Reid, Rollo Cotter, Sylvester Francis Isaac, Andrew Miles Morrison, Andrew James Taylor
Shaw, Michael Watson Cowperthwaite, Ann-Marie e ery, Timothy ohn Morton, Brian Grantley
Simmonds, James Alan Croft, Douglas Craig Johnstone, David Anthony Morton, Jane Elizabeth
Smith, Simon Raymond Crompton, John Stephen Jupe, Philip Peter Mountain, Andrew
Thom, Gavin Jean-Paul Cross, Gary Anthony Kan, Yuk Pui Mukhopadhyay, Prasanta
Travers-Jones, Eugene Christian Czarnocki, Jeremy Thomas Kelpie, John Martin Murray, Robert Cameron
Walker, Alexander Brian Dale, Stephen Kenyon, Peter Murray, Steven Robert
Webster, Michael Peter D’Arcy, Jonathan Richard Khan, Hamid Mutsuddi, Rana
Wong, Chak Yan Greg Davenport, John Benjamin King, Timothy David Ndumbe, Edney Mukuri
Dawes, Thomas Franklin Kingswell, Jacqueline Ng, Man Kit
Member Dawson, Susan Rachael Harrington Klippenstein, Julian Mark Ng, Wing Chi Tommy
Aitken, Edward John De Silva, Nigel Anura Krailing, Ian Derek Norman, Mark Robert Dudley
Allan, Stephen William Djajasaputra, Rudy Lai, Chun Sing Nouri, Mohammed Ibrahim
Al-Samarraie, Atba Doyle, Robert David Lai, Tim Yuen Nowera, Mohamed Hesham Abdul
Ambrose, Eamonn Anthony Driscoll, Allan Lam, Chung Wah O’Byrne, Christopher
Anderson, Robert Graeme Driscoll, Antony James Lam, Siu Lun O’Connor, Ronald Anthony
Apted, Jonathan Furneaux u y, eclan Louis Lam, Pong Siu Calvin Page, Leslie Charles
Arnott, Kenneth James Dyer, Caroline Mary Lambert, Colin Alastair Passades, Heraclis Andrea
Astbury, Derek Keith Edwards, Vernon Lang-Burns, James Mcgregor Peachey, Michael John
Avent, Jonathan Nicholas William Eldharat, Ahmed Lau, Lin Sang Pettit, Mark Vincent
Barnett, Ian Christopher Elrington, Alan Alfred Lau, Ah Leng Pickard, Colin
Barron, Ben Russell Eriksen, Neil Olav Lee, Chung Kai Thomas Pollard, Richard Timothy
Batty, Paul John Evans, Julian Andrew Lee, Yin Yuen Pun, Wing Chiu Anthony
Beach, Stephen Farahani, Sobhan Lee, Yiu Fat Purdue, Andrew Michael
Beardmore, Philip Leonard Farrugia, Wallace Philip Lee, Kung Yum Pye, Jonathan Patrick
Bhandari, Rohail Nahim Finnegan, John Francis Leung, Hin Nang Henry Read, John David
Blagg, David Andrew Fox, Jonathan William Leung, Siu Kau Read, Neil
Booth, an e rey Fraser, Peter John Leung, Yun On Reeves, Philip John
Boyle, James Conway Fuller, Elisabeth Anne Leung, Ting-Hong Ricky Revell, Mark Jonathan Charles
Boyne, Frank Leslie Fung, Ho Wing Lewin, David William Rhule, Caulton David
Bradshaw, Stuart Mitchell Fung, Kit Man Lewis, Peter Robert Robbins, Kurt Andrew
Bray, Nicholas Robert Georgis, Nazar Hanna Li, Kim Fung Roberts, James Denon
Brehon, Liam Martin Ghannam, Marwan Issam Husni Li, Kok Keung Rocke, Iain Fitzjohn
Brickwood, Robert George Gilks, Peter Henry Lim, Kim Chuan Rogers, Kenneth Joseph
Briggs, John Andrew Harvey Gill, Neville Lin, Paul Zheng Rogers, Paul
Brigstocke, Timothy Hall Golightly, David John Linacre, Richard Hugh Gibson Roulston, Robert Neil
Britton, John Christopher Goodman, Simon Gerald Liu, Shing Kwok Rowe, Charles Benedict

9
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 Upfront News

Ryan, Joseph Paul Wright, Graham John Tobin, Jonathan Richard Ewart, John David
Sampson, Michael Wright, Paul Dudley Tompsett, Barry Paul Feltham, Ian
Sarre, John Goree Wright, Derek Robert Julian Waring, Michael Paul Fennelly, William Mary
Scott, David Langton Wrixon, David William Webb, Michael Graham Firth, Gordon
Seymour, Mark David Wu, Po Tak Alex Wilcox, Jonathan Mark Gannon, Peter
Seymour, Robert Yau, Wai-Keung Gledsdale, Ian Duncan
Sharp, David Yendall, David John 40 YEARS OF MEMBERSHIP Goldsmith, Michael Stephen
Shephard, Miles John Yeung, Siu Lun Alan Fellow Goodchild, Charles Hovenden
Shum, Philip Sai Wing Yeung, Hang Attwell, William Charles Grant, Christopher James
Shuttleworth, Ernest Paul Yip, Wing Chung Barnes, David Green, Stephen Charles
Sills, Gregory Raymond Yip, Pui Yin Daniel Birtles, Andrew Scott Greig, Charles Alan Hunter
Simpson, James Young, Andrew William Blundell, Michael Anthony Grigg, James Ronald
Smeatham, Ian Henry Bolton, Chris John Hakewill, John Stephen Howard
Smith, Robert Patrick Associate Boursnell, Michael Warner Hathi, Narendra Narandas
Smith, Ian Gilchrist Erling, Spencer Charrington, John Peter He ernan, tephen ohn
So, Yan Wing Fagan, Henry Allan Cheng, Richard Hirani, Ratna Manji
So, Yiu Kwan Harris, Bryan David Cleland, David James Ho, Kwok Sum Simon
Somani, Paresh Pranlal Hutten, Casper Cook, Nicholas John Hull, Peter Ian Keith
Soo, Kwok Leung Labrum, Peter Reginald Farquhar, Daniel John Jacob, Malcolm Mcpeak
Speak, Michael John Lok, Nam Moon Fensome, Peter Jones, Stephen David
ta ord, Eamon Gerard Low, Kam Fook Fenton, Richard Francis Keung, Kwong Wing Stanley
Stahl, Solomon Poonan, Gonaseelan Veresamy Firth, Ian Peter Thomas Kinch, Robert Anthony
Stokoe, Andrew David Swallow, John William Grace, Ian Frederick Thomas Kong, Cheuk-Kai
Studer, Timothy Robert Townshend, Nigel John Head, Peter Richard Kwok, Yui-Hong Stanley
Sun, Yuen Man Veronica Van Dalsen, Hendrik Johannes Huggard, Richard Charles Edward Kwong, Ching-Wai
Sutton, Robert Selous Bathurst Jones, Alan Cenydd Law, Shun Lee Peter
Swainson, Paul Gregory Incorporated-Member Jordan, William Lee, Stephen
Sykes, Matthew Joseph Achilles, Christopher Lane, Simon Christopher Ellis Leung, Chat-Min
Tai, Sheung-Nung Allerton, Jeremy Masterton, Gordon Grier Thomson Li, Chung Hang David
Tan, Boon Tuan Angus, David Ian Patel, Rohit Lo, Hung-Kai
Tang, Kevin Boots, David Patrick Perera, Nimal Jayantha Lockhart, Gordon Charles
Tang, Kwok Ki Peter Brazenell, Gareth Paul Pitchers, Simon Jeremy Lovell, Anthony Graham
Tank, Suresh Bhagwanji Brown, Adrian Roper, Clive Gilbert Mangnall, David Edmund
Tej, Rachpal Cartwright, Arthur Steven Sakula, Jonathan Hugh Martin, James Henry
Tetley, Jeremy Richard Fenney, John David Sayer, Paul Henry ather, avid Geo rey
Thind, Gursharan Singh Forman, Nicholas Simpson, Robert McArthur, Stewart
Thomas, Deborah Lynn Foster, Laurence Edward Stockley, Martin Miles, Peter
Thomas, Dilwyn Austin Gale, David James Money, Richard Neil
Thouroude, Patrick Jean Michel Gibbs, Martin Member Murray, Francis Vincent
Tod, James Godbolt, Jeremy David Archer, Bryan Leslie Ng, Kar-Wai Kenneth
Todd, Alan John Goodhand, Andrew Charles Badger, David William Ng, Pi Fai David
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Uy, Kwok Keung Hillman, Haydn David Berchowitz, Elwyn Hugh Owen, Huw Martyn Wyn
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Wainwright, Simon Victor Hounslow, Paul Stephen Blyth, David Graham Podlaski, Peter Jan
Walker, Gavin Derek Hurley, Vanessa Ann Bond, Anthony Allan Poon, Sun Wah
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Watchorn, Paul David John Marshall, Julian Kenneth Calder, Stephen John Rosnovanu, Jon Joseph
Watson, Nigel McManus, Eugene Matthew Cauchi, Albert Rudland, Peter Charles
Way, eter Geo rey Mitchell, Stuart Chan, George Sadka, Benjamin
West, Christopher Giles Mowat, William Henry Chan, Kwok Wai Salter, David Shaun
Wheeler, Anthony Nelson, Brian Chandler, Christine Myra Sanderson, Robert
White, John William Pearl, Laurence Clive heung, Geo rey a au Sharma, Shashi Kant
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Wilde, Jonathan Patrick Rake, Nigel Thompson Cooper, Martin Charles Skovsted, Lene Maaloe
Wilson, John Richard Rayne, Garry Curtis, David Smith, Simon Christopher
Wong, Yolanda Suet Ying Reed, Colin Dale, John Thomas Smith, James Frederick
Wong, Che Ming Patrick Sarsby, David Paul Dalton, Peter Thomas Spicer, Graham Charles
Wong, Kam-Ming Randy Saund, Santokh Singh Day, Richard Nicholas Stevens, John Maclean
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Wong, Kin Kwok Smith, David Frederick Dos Santos, Americo Sutton, Malcolm Robert
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 News Upfront

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 Climate action Concrete technology tracker

What is the Institution’s

concrete technology
tracker?
In this article, we introduce the IStructE’s new concrete technology tracker, which has
been compiled to inform members about the development of lower-carbon alternatives
to conventional Portland cement-based concrete.

Introduction However, it is assumed that economies of scale potential to deliver significant global reductions
With the urgent need for lower-carbon will reduce initial premiums over time. in embodied carbon.
alternatives to conventional Portland cement- The technologies are not mutually exclusive, To view the full tracker
based concrete, the IStructE has launched and it may be both possible and beneficial to and learn more about all
a tracker to serve as a high-level guide for combine technologies. However, combinations the technologies listed,
engineers about current and emerging lower- should be assessed on a case-by-case basis visit www.istructe.org/
carbon concrete technologies available in the with advice sought from the supplier and resources/guidance/concrete-
UK market. respective technology companies. technology-tracker.
A number of companies are developing
technologies, but publicly available information Assessment criteria Acknowledgements
about them is often limited and inconsistent. To The assessment criteria used in the tracker The IStructE concrete technology tracker has
bridge this knowledge gap, the authors of the focus primarily on expected embodied carbon been authored by Paul Astle and Tom Dillon
tracker contacted over 20 companies to assess compared with conventional concrete. The of Ramboll, Will Arnold of IStructE and Tim
the maturity and expected developments of their baseline for comparison is set at 300kgCO2e/ Forman of the University of Cambridge, with
lower-carbon concrete technologies by 2030, m3, representing the A1–A3 embodied carbon Dr Fragkoulis Kanavaris of Arup as specialist
focusing primarily on embodied carbon and of a C32/40 mix with 25% GGBS replacement, technical contributor.
commercial readiness in the UK market. a common specification in the .
The authors sought to assess each Technologies are categorised as low,
technology objectively based on the information medium or high embodied carbon relative to
Box 1. Technology streams
provided by the individual companies, though this baseline, although due to varying maturity
it should be noted that this information has not levels, exact values are often uncertain. As Group A: Conventional concrete
been independently verified. technologies progress and undergo trials, the | A1: Optimised conventional concrete
Engineers should also bear in mind that accuracy of these values will improve. | A2: Alternative raw materials
lower-carbon products are not a substitute The assessment only considers the embodied | A3: Carbon capture, utilisation and
for lean design principles: materially e cient carbon of concrete production, not scalability or storage (CCUS)
design is the first step in the hierarchy of net- global emissions impact. Additionally, it excludes
zero design. the embodied carbon of steel reinforcement. Group B: Clinker replacement
| B1: Traditional supplementary
Technology types Commercial readiness cementitious materials (SCMs)
Thirteen technology streams (Box 1) have The readiness of these technologies for | B2: Non-Portland cement – Alkali
been identified as alternatives to conventional commercial use in the UK market is also activated binders (AABs)
concrete which are expected to reach market evaluated, categorised into ‘research and | B3: Non-Portland cement –
deployment by 2030. These streams have been development’, ‘demonstration’ and ‘market Alternative binders
assessed based on their expected embodied deployment’ stages. However, predicting | B4: SCM – Calcined clay
carbon and technological/commercial maturity. development beyond 2030 is challenging, | B5: SCM - Olivine-based SCMs
The tracker also provides a summary of key and forecasts are based on responses from
considerations for designers for each stream, technology companies and the authors’ own Group C: Carbon sequestration within
such as code compliance and example knowledge, serving as indicative rather than concrete
products/companies. precise timelines. | C1: Carbon-sequestering aggregates
The list is not e haustive, but aims to o er Engineers outside the UK are encouraged to | C2: Carbon injection
a representative snapshot of current and inquire about technology readiness in their local | C3: Carbonation curing
emerging lower-carbon concrete technologies. It markets, as many technologies may have similar
will be updated as the field evolves. levels of readiness globally. Group D: Other approaches
It is not practical to provide a detailed | D1: Performance enhancing
assessment of cost at this stage, but it is Find out more admixtures
expected that most technologies will initially be Over the next few pages, we look in more | D2: Biocement
more expensive than conventional concrete. detail at four developing technologies with the

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 Climate action Lower-carbon concrete

Lower-carbon concrete technologies

Limestone Calcined
Clay Cement
What is the technology?
Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) is
a blended cement type that replaces half of
the carbon-intensive clinker used in ordinary
Portland cement (OPC) with calcined clay and
ground limestone. Calcined clay reacts with
lower-grade limestone, which simplifies access
to raw materials for making LC3.
Overall, LC3 is a dramatically lower-carbon
option than conventional cement. It is also more
cost-e ective and lasts longer, all while providing
excellent early strength. After just seven days,
LC3 performs better than conventional cement,
and it maintains parity through 90 days.
LC3 makes use of local resources, as clays
are widely available in all geological settings
across the globe. Clays that contain kaolinite,
which are the most suitable clay types for LC3,
are particularly abundant in countries in the
Global South, where most new construction will
occur in the coming decades.
LC3 complies with a number of standards
around the globe – including EU 197-5 (Europe),
ASTM C595 (North and South America),
NC1208 (Cuba), IS 18189:2023 (India), PS

LC3 PROJECT
5586-2023 (Pakistan) and GB175-2023 (China)
– but many current standards may have to be
updated from a prescriptive to a performance-
based approach.
IS 18189:2023 is an exclusive Indian
Standard for LC3 which was released by
the Bureau of Indian Standards in 2023. The much lower 800°C, which reduces emissions Prototype structures
code provides comprehensive guidelines and uses less energy. LC3 can reduce CO2 Around 30 demonstration structures have been
and specifications for the production, testing emissions by up to 40% compared with OPC. built to date, including a masonry house in
and usage of LC3 in concrete. It is a game- Jhansi, India made with 98% LC3, which saved
changer for decarbonising concrete in the most Current state of R&D/ 15.5t of CO2. Other examples include the use
populous country in the world. commercialisation of LC3 by Cementos Argos in Columbia for
LC3 technology is entirely in the public buildings, roads, viaducts and tunnels.
Why does this result in a domain, and the LC3 Project based at EPFL
carbon saving? in Switzerland does not commercialise cement Find out more
The most carbon-intensive part of cement directly. The purpose of the LC3 Project is https://lc3.ch/
is the production of clinker, which requires to facilitate an industry-wide shift in the way
heating limestone to very high temperatures cement is made around the world.
(around 1450°C) to make the material reactive. Today, around 10Mt a year of LC3 is made
Producing clinker releases CO2 in two ways: by early adopters, including major cement
first, it burns to reach the desired temperature manufacturers such as Holcim, Cementos Argos,
second, even more CO2 (around 60% of Heidelberg Materials and Cimpor, although there
emissions) is released when limestone is are no calcined clay plants yet in the UK. Expected embodied carbon
chemically broken down. There is ongoing research into optimisation
LC3 addresses both sources of CO2 of the concrete mix design, its mechanical The embodied carbon of LC3 is
emissions. First, it replaces half of the carbon- and durability properties, and its fresh-state 150kgCO2e/m3 for C32/40 concrete
intensive clinker with calcined clay and ground properties. This includes collaboration with with 250kg/m3 binder content.
limestone, neither of which have process structural engineers on application of LC3 in
emissions. Second, the clay is calcined at a real-scale structural elements.

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 Lower-carbon concrete Climate action

Lower-carbon concrete technologies

Seratech – ultraMAFIX™
What is the technology?
Seratech’s carbon mineralisation process
sequesters CO2 from industrial ues using
naturally abundant magnesium silicates (olivine).
This simultaneously produces two separate
product streams:
1) ultraMAFIX™ – a supplementary
cementitious material ( ) which is
predominantly amorphous silica and chemically
similar to e isting s, such as y ash and
ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGB ).
This can be introduced at a batching plant
for ready-mi concrete and so no changes are
re uired to normal concreting practices.
ultra is very reactive, resulting in
high early strengths. t meets the chemical
and physical definitions and performance
re uirements for a -class po olan (B 1 -
1 and E 1 7-1), and can be used in a E
or E mi , replacing up to of the
ortland cement in concrete.
2) magCARB™ – a magnesium carbonate
binder that allows CO2 to be sequestered within
the built environment. This is perfectly suited for
concrete bricks and blocks, and can be used

BE G
to replace 100 of the ortland cement. The
blocks can be made in e isting factories with
minimal changes to production e uipment and

HELE E
processes, and are able to deliver a O2 saving
of 0 versus business as usual.

Why does this result in a

carbon saving?
This technology reduces O2 emissions in aterials from this will be used for comprehensive Prototype structures
several ways: testing regimes and demonstration pro ects with To date, eratech has produced architectural
| f the process is implemented in a key industrial partners. pieces containing ultra concrete
cement kiln, the cope 1 emissions from fter this, a large-scale industrial pilot will be (London esign estival 2022) and mag B
ortland cement production (fuel burning built and operational from 2027. This will have bricks (Eco ity 202 ).
and limestone decomposition) can be the capacity to se uester 20 000t of O2 per
se uestered, resulting in ortland cement year, and the materials from this facility will be Find out more
with an emissions reduction of up to 4 sold for use in commercial pro ects. www.seratechcement.com
versus business as usual.
| ultra can be used to replace up to
of the ortland cement in ready-mi
and precast concrete (depending on the Expected embodied carbon
application), reducing the uantity of ortland
cement needed. Currently C32/40 concrete can be produced at 21kgCO2e/m3 with 30% of the Portland
| The high reactivity of ultra could lead cement replaced by ultraMAFIX™.
to a reduction in binder content in concrete. Over time, further decarbonisation of electricity production and supply chains
| mag B can be used to replace 100 (Scope 2 and 3 emissions), as well as increasing the use of biomass to heat cement
of the ortland cement in concrete products, kilns, will result in this value reducing further and potentially becoming negative.
including concrete blocks. The value above is calculated as the sum of the cradle-to gate emissions of the
individual components in the mix design. When determing the CO2e of decarbonised
Current state of R&D/ Portland cement (using Seratech’s process), ultraMAFIXTM and magCARBTM, the
commercialisation s se undar is de ned ar und a ce en kiln i h in egra ed era ech acili he
eratech is currently fundraising to build its first total emissions (residual Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3) are assigned to the three
pilot. Operational from 202 , this facility will be products by economic allocation.
capable of se uestering 200t of O2 per year.

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 Climate action Lower-carbon concrete

Lower-carbon concrete technologies

Cambridge Electric
Cement
What is the technology?
Cambridge Electric Cement (CEC) is a
recycled cement clinker. CEC is revolutionary
because it enables the full recycling of cement.
It utilises existing steel recycling furnaces,
using recovered cement paste (RCP) as a
replacement for the lime that would traditionally
be used in such a process. The co-production
process avoids both the kiln-related energy and
calcination process emissions from conventional
cement production. The resulting slag can
be made to meet existing Portland clinker
specifications, o ering the first potentially ero-
emissions, circular and fully scalable alternative
to existing cement production.

Why does this result in a carbon

saving?
CEC uses the heat from steel recycling
in an electric-arc furnace as the energy
source for clinkering. This eliminates the need
for the cement kiln and reduces the energy-
related emissions in clinker production. In
addition to this, the CEC process uses recycled
cement (RCP) as a feedstock. This RCP material
can be re-clinkered without emitting CO2,
eliminating the remaining process emissions in
clinker production.

CAMBRIDGE ELECTRIC CEMENT

Current state of R&D/
commercialisation
CEC is expected to be commercially available
to advanced customers in 2025. The
commercialisation of CEC is accelerated since it
will comply with existing cement standards and
can be used initially as a drop-in solution with
Portland clinker.

Prototype structures
To date, CEC has been tested in mortar bars.
The first prototype structure will be built later in
2024 as part of the collaborative Innovate UK Expected embodied carbon
project Cement 2 Zero.
The CEC process has a broad operating
Find out more window: the carbon reduction depends
https://cambridgeelectriccement.com/ on the amount of recycled cement
used and the quality of the steel being
recycled. This gives an embodied carbon
range of between 75kgCO2e/m3 and
150kgCO2e/m3 for C32/40 concrete with
CEC USES THE HEAT FROM STEEL the potential for even lower values due to
RECYCLING IN AN ELECTRIC-ARC FURNACE further blending.

AS THE ENERGY SOURCE FOR CLINKERING

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 Lower-carbon concrete Climate action

BRIMSTONE
Lower-carbon concrete technologies

Brimstone cement
What is the technology? emissions in traditional cement production and industrial plants. Brimstone is also in
Brimstone has developed a decarbonised process come from the source rock, limestone. discussions for partnerships and potential
for producing ordinary Portland cement (OPC) Brimstone avoids these emissions from the o take agreements with construction, real
and supplementary cementitious materials. start by using a di erent source rock calcium estate and corporate partners.
This breakthrough process has the potential to silicate – which has no embedded CO2.
transform the global cement industry, which is In addition, Brimstone’s process produces Prototype structures
today responsible for 7.5% of CO2 emissions. magnesium-based by-products that naturally No structures have yet been built with
Instead of carbon-heavy limestone, which and permanently absorb carbon from the air. Brimstone’s cement, but at full industrial scale,
releases carbon dioxide when processed, This o sets remaining emissions and makes Brimstone’s OPC can be used anywhere
Brimstone’s process uses a calcium silicate the process extremely low-carbon, or even conventional cement is used, including
rock with no embedded carbon dioxide. This avoids carbon-negative, depending on the energy roads, bridges, buildings, dams, and other
the chemical reactions that represent most carbon source used. forms of infrastructure.
emissions from the conventional cement industry. s the first company to produce
In July 2023, a third-party lab validated that industry-standard OPC without process Find out more
the cement made with Brimstone’s process emissions, Brimstone has cleared a viable www.brimstone.com/
meets ASTM C150 standards for OPC, the key pathway to eliminating the cement industry’s
regulatory requirement for OPC in the USA (and carbon footprint.
other countries adhering to the standard). The
achievement a rms that Brimstone s process Current state of R&D/
produces cement that is identical in all respects – commercialisation Expected embodied carbon
performance, safety, and composition – to OPC Brimstone is currently advancing plans for
produced through the conventional, carbon- its pilot plant, which will be located near Brimstone isn’t currently sharing
intensive process. eno, . This will be the first production- embodied carbon numbers publicly,
scale manufacturing facility producing but states that its process is extremely
Why does this result in a decarbonised Portland cement. The company low-carbon, or even carbon-negative,
carbon saving? is simultaneously selecting locations for depending on the energy source used.
As noted above, the majority of carbon its subsequent commercial demonstration

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 Professional guidance Stakeholder relationships

Stakeholder relationships:
implementing a strong
communication strategy
Theodore Wright concludes this two-part article by examining how structural engineers can achieve
their r e t b e ti es ith the hel an e e ti e uni ati n strate y

Introduction of time, it can be di cult to be the practical terms, the solution space can
The first part of this article ( ebruary voice of reason. best be perceived through reports and
2024) looked at the roles of other s a structural engineer, the design meetings.
stakeholders in a pro ect and competence you bring to the team These potential solutions are an
e plained how they relate back to is only tangible if you feel confident evolved version of the employer s
a structural engineer1. This second to display it and the pro ect team re uirements which are materialised
part provides a nuanced strategy culture can either nurture or neglect and understood in a way that is closer
to enable a structural engineer to this. distrustful relationship between to reality, rather than based only on
successfully achieve their key pro ect stakeholders that lacks transparency theory. The aim of the communication
ob ectives through concise yet open can breed contempt among the team2. strategy is, therefore, to provide
communication with the design and uch an environment will shroud every more opportunities for the structural
construction team. pecifically, the meeting, conversation and report in engineer to enter the solution space,
article e amines how the structural contempt, not ust for the people on by providing an e ective and healthy
engineer can encourage the team to the team but for the pro ect overall cultural approach to communication
work in the solution space of the leading to the pro ect failing across with the pro ect team.
tasks set for design, rather than the various performance indicators.
problem space with guidance This poses the uestion: what can Communicating against
broken down into three pillars. an individual professional do within the odds
a pro ect team to encourage healthy The construction industry will test your
Need for communication communication for pro ect success, ability to stick to what you trust to
t s easy to think of things that fail with even in the most di cult of times be the correct answer to a proposed
bad communication. When hiring a design challenge. ompromising on
new member of the team, an employer Foundation for the strategy ÐFIGURE 1: this ability for the sake of not rocking
Theoretical
will often observe the strength of the The aim of having e ective the boat , or saving the pro ect money,
framework-future-
candidate s communication skills, communication within construction proof design by may negatively impact both the pro ect
which are sub ective depending pro ects is to find solutions for narrowing design and your reputation as a professional.
on what the organisation needs or challenges faced as often and space of solutions3 onetheless, it is easy to fall into this
wants. t may want the loudest, most as e ciently as possible. rom a
inspirational leader to give the team theoretical perspective (Figure 1), your
direction, or the uietest, most well- role as a designer is to help the pro ect
considered aid to provide temperance team reach the design space within
to an ambitious vision. ecognising discussions3. The design space
where you might fall in a pro ect team is where solutions are evaluated
as an individual, and how you might and discussed at a higher level
describe your communication style, is and where the best answer should
helpful to the strategy which is going to present itself. But getting there is not a
be proposed in this article. linear process.
When pro ects are on track across The problem space is where
all metrics, and the relationship potential solutions are presented that
between stakeholders is healthy, satisfy the established re uirements
there is a seamless ow of positive likely outlined in the employer s
interactions and helpful conversations re uirements. The solution space is
to recognise risks and bolster pro ect the middle ground between these two
T LL

success and completion. But, in spaces. This is formed by all potential

uncertain conditions, where the team solutions for a given design problem,
culture is not supportive and the which, when combined with the design
e ploration of better strategies to process, allow for valuable solutions to
L

tackle challenges is seen as a waste be reached within the design space. n

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 Stakeholder relationships Professional guidance

Often, this will require a

coordination meeting, but if working
THIS COMMUNICATION STRATEGY under conditions that only allow for
collaboration on an ‘as-needed’
IS ABOUT BUILDING THE CULTURE basis, it is important to consider
THE PROJECT NEEDS TO SUCCEED how to persuade other stakeholders

AND FACILITATING A SOLUTION that it is in their best interests for

coordination to be done as early and
SPACE THROUGH THE INFLUENCE as often as possible.
OF YOUR REPEATED ACTIONS When meetings are organised to
coordinate and collaborate across
various design workstreams, a
trap, particularly for younger or less Both actions will keep the project culture develops of agreeing on a
experienced professionals. team on the same page and give those solution as quickly as possible within
To avoid this outcome, this without strong interpersonal skills the the problem space, rather than
article presents three pillars of confidence to ask similar uestions considering the input of all the relevant
strong communication to enable providing a solution space for the wider trades (particularly from a buildability
you to facilitate a healthy discussion and team. This is the first step to building perspective) in the solution space.
negotiate with other stakeholders so that a strong, coordinated and proactive If challenges are approached
you work in the solution space of issues. project team culture. based on the interests of only
external stakeholders to the design
Pillar 1 Pillar 2 team (often promoting hard and fast
The first pillar is to have a good The second pillar is to encourage solutions), this does not allow for
understanding of the employer’s regular and purposeful design team careful and well-considered design
requirements and project brief from meetings. Consistent sharing of solutions to be reached – often
a macro perspective. Key questions knowledge on existing design tasks creating buildability issues at RIBA
include: What is to be achieved? among the team, and coordination Stage 5, delaying programme.
What is the current plan to achieve and close-out of outstanding tasks If, as a structural engineer, you
it? What challenges imminently need are vital to ensure that the employer’s are concerned that such a culture is
to be overcome by the design team? requirements are met. Issues arise forming, it is important to speak up and
Without a deep understanding of the when there are long gaps between frame the conversations around the
answers to these questions, your team meetings or design updates. fact that the professionals in the room
professional role in the project is Engineers are often left out of the may not have had time to critique the
isolated, and this allows room for the loop and then made to catch up on design at critical times.
rest of the team to feel that you do not work. Time and stress can be saved Self-interest can often get in the
understand the fundamentals of what by requesting consistent updates, or way of good and competent design,
is trying to be achieved. even by making a phone call to the particularly from a cost and time
Regardless of which stage you are coordinators to see what is going on. perspective. Having a comprehensive
joining the project within the RIBA The more that team members make knowledge of the di erent perspectives
Plan of Work (see previous article), it is it their responsibility to be in the know, that team members have to a
important to be provided with a good the more it encourages consistent problem will help you to tailor your
pack of information (generally from the engagement in the solution space. Make it response to get them on side, without
project manager or architect) on what your responsibility to update other trades compromising the fundamentals of
has been completed in the design, on what they may have missed in order what you are proposing.
what needs to be achieved and what to promote a positive communication An important example is the design
the planned next steps are. culture. This will get you closer to your of temporary works, which can often
When the existing information is goal of becoming the most valuable team be begrudgingly accepted by those
provided to you, take the time to pick asset – and may encourage others to do who are considering the cost and time
it apart, ask questions to the relevant the same for you. elements of the project. Do not let such
stakeholders and understand it fully an attitude mean that you waver from
– with help from either those in your Pillar 3 providing your most well-considered
firm, your network who are familiar with The third pillar is to isolate challenges design option, but do be prepared
the type of project, or those within the or opportunities that arise on a to provide evidence that alternative
project itself – or all of the above! project and, when a coordinated solutions have been well considered.
Having this critical knowledge will approach is required, to be the Clearly understanding the purpose of
allow you to go into meetings with more advocate for integration of the various your design in all its details before you
confidence, knowing that when things project trades for solutions. Design speak to the wider team can boost
you do not understand are brought up, coordination is a key function of your confidence when presenting
others will likely not understand either. every discipline in the project team, unpalatable but necessary solutions.
This makes you an invaluable asset and as an advocate for working in It will also allow other disciplines to
to identify knowledge gaps within the the solution space, it is important consider any challenges that may
whole team. If such information is not to be the first person to recognise arise from your design in the solution
available as the project is at an early when elements of your design space – rather than seeing your design
stage, then the first step is to take the require coordination or additional get drowned out by ‘what-ifs’ in the
initiative and ag this. substantiation from other disciplines. problem space.

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 Professional guidance Stakeholder relationships

Underpinning your strategy

Ultimately, this communication strategy
is about building the culture the project
needs to succeed and facilitating a
solution space through the in uence
of your repeated actions4. For the
strategy to succeed further, you need The Software Behind The Cellular Beam
to convince other members of the
pro ect team of its benefits. This is best
done by demonstrating in practice
how interrogating existing information
and exploring new ideas with the help
of all the trades within the team can
provide solutions to design challenges. FABSEC® is a fabricated beam made from three individual
The key to unlocking this is forging plates allowing engineers to put mass and openings where truly
strong relationships with individuals, needed. FABSEC® has a licenced manufacturing capacity more
than 50,000 tonnes per annum. The two licenced fabricators are
not just the collective team, so that the Severfield and Cellbeam Ltd, a subsidiary of William Hare Ltd.
cultural in uence of your strategy is The beams are created using an automated assembly and weld
more widely recognised and accepted manufacturing process. Through these modern, cost-effective
– particularly when working against a manufacturing plants Fabsec offers not only stringent quality
assurance and customer focus but also an innovative & diverse
problem space-oriented culture. product range.
As a structural engineer, knowing the
roles of each of the key stakeholders The FBEAM® software allows the optimum design of plated
and how they relate back to your role beams at ambient temperature acting either compositely or
in a project will allow you to recognise non-compositely with the floor slab. These can be either with or
without customisable cellular openings to multiple design codes.
when you need to communicate, with The opportunity to optimize within the software allows the
who, and for what purpose. But to lightest possible section to be determined in a matter of seconds
utilise this knowledge successfully, you through an iterative design process.
need to enter all the communications
The holistic design approach within FBEAM® when used with
you have with these stakeholders with our FIREBEAM® add-on, allows for a truly lean design
a strong strategy for before, during considering both the design at ambient temperature and fire
and after any communication with the limit state. FIREBEAM® has been tested exhaustively at Element
project team – and then underpin your Warrington fire in a three-year programme of loaded, coated,
composite fire tests.
recommendation in a well-dictated
solution space-oriented output, such The fire-engineered module is a state of the art technology
as a report or a presentation to the solution, fusing the latest optimisation and coating technologies
client and/or team. from Sherwin Williams, our Intumescent paint manufacturer, to
provide the UK’s first integrated solution for optimised
fire-engineered beam designs. Our beams are designed for
Theodore Wright obtained a First- offsite application in a controlled environment reducing waste,
Class Honours Degree from University removing hazardous activity and VOCs from site and increasing
College London in Project Management safety and quality to name a few key benefits.
for Construction in July 2023 while also
FIREBEAM® software allows FABSEC® beams to be engineered
working for Kevin Wright & Co. He is
for the fire condition, giving the engineer certainty that the
now an Assistant Project Manager at beam is efficient in both fire and ambient conditions, allowing
Gardiner Theobald LL . the user to specify fire durations in 15-minute increments up to
120mins.

REFERENCES The key component is our software allows optimisation of the

steel and the Intumescent paint offering a truly sustainable
solution. Whole life cycle embodied carbon calculations can be
1) Wright T. (2024) ‘Stakeholder relationships: provided at an individual element level as required. In addition it
offers BIM links to Tekla Structural Designer and RAM Structures
understanding construction project roles’, The Structural
and our fabricators are certified BIM Level 2 and after more than
Engineer, 102 (2), pp. 26–27; https://doi.org/10.56330/ 20 years have an extensive back catalogue of projects where we
WEWO9200 can share information to aid future reuse.
2) Leask A. (s.d.) Communication in construction [Online]
Available at: www.istructe.org/resources/guidance/ To find out more open our QR code to go to www.fabsec.co.uk
communication-in-construction/ (Accessed: March 2024)
3) Krystallis I, Demian P and Price A.D.F. (2012) ‘Design of
e ible and ada table health are buildin s the uture a
BIM approach’, In: Greenwood D. (ed.) First UK Academic
Conference On BIM: Conference Proceedings, pp. 222–
232). BIM Academy, Northumbria University: Newcastle;
https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10038322/
4) Resina J.R. and Wulf C. (2019) Repetition, recurrence,
returns: how cultural renewal works, Lanham, MD:
e in t n s

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 Free for IStructE Members

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 Professional guidance EC2: assessment of existing structures

Provisions for
assessment of
existing structures in
the second-generation
concrete Eurocode
Craig Giaccio examines ways in which the second generation of Eurocode 2
will facilitate the assessment of existing concrete-framed structures.

BS EN 1992-1-1:20231 for design content is provided in the standard resistances. The standard permits test
of concrete structures includes to enable characteristic values of data available from records to also be
additional provisions that enable it to yield strength of reinforcement or used where available and appropriate.
be used for assessment of existing prestressing to be determined from
structures. This article outlines some of testing should steel grades used in Deterioration
these provisions, which are likely to be the structure not be available from Potential deterioration of concrete or
of assistance when using the standard record information. steel in old frames is obviously an issue.
to assess concrete-framed structures. The UK National Annex committee The remit of this annex was not to cover
These include: is presently reviewing the factors all issues associated with deterioration,
| determining characteristic material for determining fck from fck,is. It may but to provide guidance as to typical
properties for assessment recommend some amendments to types of deterioration and their impact.
| adjusting partial material factors the recommended values to ensure It also helpfully provides guidance on
where testing is used to determine alignment with values obtained from when corrosion in reinforcement is likely
material properties BS EN 1992-1-1:20043 and the UK to a ect the properties of the bar.
| understanding types of deterioration National Annex, taking into account
| calculating bond and anchorage the ability to adjust partial factors Plain bars
lengths of plain bars for material in Annex A of the new Plain bars were not covered in BS
| dealing with detailing that doesn’t standard. t may also provide di erent EN 1992-1-1:2004. This standard
conform to the current standard methods of determining fck from fck,is introduces them into the Eurocode
| more rigorous provisions for where cores cannot be taken from suite for assessing concrete structures.
assessment of shear resistance. the region being assessed, such as The provisions are based on a new
using the results of rebound hammer theoretical model for bond of plain bars
Material properties tests calibrated from nearby cores, that was developed during the drafting
BS EN 1992-1-1:2023 requires aligning with existing provisions in BS of the standard (Palmisano et al.4). The
characteristic values of material EN 13791. provisions also cover the reduction of
properties to determine member bond resulting from substandard cover.
resistances. Annex I provides guidance Partial material factors Preliminary calibration undertaken
for code users to obtain relevant values Annex A of the new standard provides thus far suggests that conservative
for assessment. It reinforces use of new clauses to enable partial material values of anchorage lengths could
BS EN 137912 to determine the in situ factors to be adjusted based on arise from using these provisions
characteristic concrete strength from material test results from the structure. in certain circumstances. Other
testing. It provides a range of factors This should generally reduce the value established methods of assessing the
to consider in determining fck from fck,is, of these factors where a low coe cient bond of plain bars are available in the
making some provision for situations of variation of material strengths UK, including those drafted by National
where testing cannot be undertaken at is obtained from testing, which is Highways in CS4555. These align more
the region being assessed. Additional beneficial for assessed member closely with historic provisions in BS

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 EC2: assessment of existing structures Professional guidance

Ñ Second-generation
Eurocode 2 includes
provisions enabling
it to be used for
assessment of
existing structures

81106. The UK National Annex may inherent in simplifications made in more guidance on adopting complex
refer to the National Highways method producing the main code provisions: methods of assessment which should
as an alternative approach. | removing simplifications in the remove conservatism inherent in the
implementation of the CSCT model, simplification of analytical models,
Detailing enabling the full analytical model to potentially improving assessed
Many older concrete frames are likely be deployed using iterative methods resistances of structural members in
to have detailing shortcomings in | consideration of membrane e ects reinforced concrete frames.
comparison with the requirements of where appropriate
BS EN 1992-1-1:2023. Annex I of the | a method for enhancing shear
standard recognises several specific strength where compression anges REFERENCES
situations relevant to determining are present, as was demonstrated
shear and punching shear resistances, by Giaccio et al.8
and provides alternative guidance 1) British Standards Institution (2023) Eurocode 2. Design
that applies when assessing existing Additional provisions of concrete structures. General rules and rules for buildings,
structures. For example: Additional provisions are also included bridges and civil engineering structures, London: BSI
| a reduction factor is included for in Annex I for undertaking a more 2) British Standards Institution (2020) BS EN 13791:2019
determining shear resistance where detailed assessment of punching shear Assessment of in-situ compressive strength in structures
the longitudinal spacing of links is resistance. These include: and precast concrete components, London: BSI
greater than the design requirement | enabling enhancement of punching 3) British Standards Institution (2004) BS EN 1992-1-1:2004
| a reduced e ective section width shear resistance using compressive Eurocode 2: Design of concrete structures. General rules
for shear is introduced to cater for membrane action where punching and rules for buildings, London: BSI
cases where transverse leg spacing shear steel is not provided 4) Palmisano F., Greco R., Biasi M. Tondolo, F. and Cairns
of links does not comply with | enabling use of the more detailed J. (2020) ‘Anchorage and laps of plain surface bars in
detailing requirements in Section 12 implementation of the CSCT model. R.C. structures’, Eng. Struct., 213, 110603; https://doi.
| several exceptions to the layout of org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.110603
punching shear links are permitted While many building assessments
5) National Highways (2022) Design Manual for Roads
provided alternative approaches will no doubt provide situations that and Bridges. CS455: The assessment of concrete highway
included in the assessment are used are not covered by this standard, the bridges and structures [Online] Available at: www.
in these cases. nne does fill many gaps that e isted standardsforhighways.co.uk/search/3e813e52-da54-4c84-
in BS EN 1991-1-1:2004 to enable 830c-25c0f6960a5f (Accessed: March 2024)
A new theoretical model, the critical assessment of existing concrete 6) British Standards Institution (1997) BS 8110-1:1997
shear crack theory (CSCT)7, has been structures. It also provides some Structural use of concrete. Code of practice for design and
implemented in a simplified form in construction, London: BSI (withdrawn)
the main standard for determining
7) Cavagnis F., Fernández Ruiz M. and Muttoni A. (2018) ‘A
shear resistance of sections without Dr Craig Giaccio is Technical Executive mechanical model for failures in shear of members without
links. The variable angle truss model at WSP. He is a committee member of transverse reinforcement based on development of a critical
for members with shear reinforcing B525/2, and a member of the committee shear crack’, Eng. Struct., 157, pp. 300–315; https://doi.
has been retained in the standard, drafting the National Annex for BS EN org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2017.12.004
but refined to permit shallower strut 1992-1-1:2023. Craig was also the 8) Giaccio C., Al-Mahaidi R. and Taplin G. (2002)
angles than BS EN 1991-1-1:2004, Project Team lead responsible for drafting eri ental study n the e e t an e e etry n the
among other improvements. Annex I several parts of this standard, including shear strength of reinforced concrete T-beams subjected to
includes the following items which were the annex on assessment of existing concentrated loads’, Can. J. Civ. Eng., 29 (6), pp. 911–918;
aimed at removing some conservatism concrete structures, for CEN. https://doi.org/10.1139/l02-099

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 Pro e o l e National Structural Concrete Specification

National Structural
o rete e fi t o
– looking ahead to
t efi t e to
Paul Toplis and Jenny Burridge preview key changes to the forthcoming revision of the
s standard s e ifi ati n r n rete ra es, due t be ublished later this year

Since its establishment in 1998, the needs of a project team is seen as Concrete Routemap, the input of
objective of the National Structural essential in the environment of BIM. the producer to achieve the project
oncrete pecification ( ) has It will also allow for regular technical expectations for embodied carbon
been to provide a definitive, simple updates to meet expected changes, (kg O2e) is anticipated. On most
and straightforward specification, particularly in following the Low projects, a representative of the
without unnecessary constraints, for Carbon Concrete Routemap4. producer’s technical department will
the construction of concrete-framed be the member of the team who best
structures. Produced by a committee The NSCS builds on the requirements understands the concrete technology
representing all parties involved in the of BS EN 136705. Generally, all to meet the fresh concrete properties
building process, it champions the normative requirements of the British required to suit construction, the
need for teamwork to achieve the best Standard are part of the NSCS by essential durability, and the desired
outcome for any project. default, although the requirements strength and appearance.
The forthcoming fifth edition has three for tolerances are rewritten where The expectation is that concrete
key changes from the previous edition: required and set to those that can be composition will change over the
| t b l t lo er rbo achieved with materials and processes coming years as CEM I use is reduced
concrete: the intent is to provide a that do not lead to excess costs. and the ready-mixed concrete industry
very practical tool to help engineers The NSCS numbering follows BS EN develops systems and processes to
apply the guidance given in the 13670 so that the documents can be allow greater use of the abundant
following articles in the July 2023 read together and compared simply. supply of additions, such as limestone
issue of The Structural Engineer – When the NSCS is completed, it fines, natural po olanas and potentially
‘Specifying concrete: what’s new provides all the information required y ash recovered from landfill.
in the forthcoming revision to BS by BS EN 13670 Table A1 or Table As UK production of ground
8500?’1, ractical specification NA1 that will not be shown on general granulated blast-furnace slag (GGB )
of lower-carbon concrete’2 and ‘A arrangement or design information/ and new y ash becomes more limited,
review of GGBS use in the UK and its reinforcement drawings. use of these additions should focus
role in reducing embodied carbon’3. on where these materials enhance
| l o o l o rete t b l t lo er rbo durability, as to help solve the planet’s
report’: while the appearance of the concrete climate crisis all the constituents of any
concrete in many structures is not The specification acknowledges that concrete should be locally sourced
critical, it is important to understand most concrete in the UK is supplied by whenever possible.
when a plain finish is acceptable for the ready-mixed concrete industry and
work of some visual importance. the producer receives their specification l o rete re ort
If appearance is important, from the constructor. This includes Requirements for the appearance of
there are tools to help define the material requirements set by the concrete should always accept that the
project expectations and to build engineer, using tables that list the constituents are mainly natural materials
teamwork to include the potential requirements of each concrete type, with inevitable variations and these
constructor and supplier during both following the order set out in section variations should be celebrated. This is
procurement and tender stages, as 4 of BS 8500-16. The complementary re ected in the detailed re uirements
well as construction. guidance recommends the use of within the NSCS, which have been the
| eb b e e : the availability designated concretes with third-party subject of intense debate to balance the
of the framework specification online certification and conformity testing. views of architects, constructors and
with e ibility for editing to meet the As proposed in the Low Carbon concrete finishers.

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 National Structural Concrete Specification Professional guidance

the specific pro ect clauses, or the full

specification including the standard
clauses that always apply unless
modified in section 1. . ro ect
specifications will be based on the
standard clauses current when the first
pro ect specification was produced.
The intent is that project teams can
allow access for team members to
update the specification so that the final
version is an agreed collaboration it
may form part of the ‘golden thread’
of documentation required under the
Building Safety Act.
When standard clauses are updated,
there will be web access to previous
versions. Having the specification
online will allow changes to be made
in response to user requests for
improvements, as standards are
updated and as the industry develops
and allows use of new technologies. It
DENNIS GILBERT-VIEW / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

is intended that the IStructE will be one

of the organisations represented on the
panel that will review updates.
We recommend that the NSCS
is used by all UK-based structural
Ò New edition of NSCS engineers to provide clarity for the full
will include guidance design and construction team. The fifth
n n rete finishes r edition is due to be published later this
projects where visual year; look out for details of the launch
appearance of concrete
event from The Concrete Centre.
is important, such as at
arshall uildin , nd n
School of Economics Paul Toplis MA, FIStructE, MICE
is Technical Editor of the National
tructural oncrete pecification and a
consultant at Price & Myers.
There is general agreement that plain and special finishes, available
expectations are best managed on The Concrete Centre website Jenny Burridge MA, MIStructE,
by use of inspection of examples (www.concretecentre.com), is being MICE is Director, Structural Design at
and understanding of intent rather developed and expanded. Suggestions The Concrete Centre.
than by use of words that aim to for suitable case studies can be sent
limit or exclude the inevitable results to The Concrete Centre. In time, this
of concrete construction, such as should give a good range of examples REFERENCES
blowholes. Careful detailing, selection from all over the UK so that the natural
of form face material and execution variations due to use of local materials
can limit blowholes, but some must be can be appreciated. 1) Wake G. (2023) ‘Specifying concrete: what’s new in the
forthcoming revision to BS 8500?’, The Structural Engineer,
accepted and managed with post- The visual concrete report can
101 (7), pp. 18–19; https://doi.org/10.56330/DVUN2405
concreting work. build on these examples, setting clear
All need to understand when a plain project expectations of the required 2) Astle P. (2023) ra ti al s e ifi ati n l er arb n
finish will be acceptable and that there is concrete appearance, and will provide concrete’, The Structural Engineer, 101 (7), pp. 21–23;
https://doi.org/10.56330/LCXU7726
a huge range of special finishes some a framework to describe project
of which may have very little impact on benchmarks or ‘trial panels/sections 3) Kelly F. (2023) ‘A review of GGBS use in the UK and its
cost. CONSTRUCT and The Concrete of construction’. The benchmark r le in redu in e b died arb n , The Structural Engineer,
Centre have worked together to provide allows the constructor to demonstrate 101 (7), pp. 24–27; https://doi.org/10.56330/RGTA3245
‘examples’, both purpose-built panels what can be achieved using the local 4) Low Carbon Concrete Group (2022) Low Carbon
and case studies, that project teams concrete and proposed site operatives Concrete Routemap nline ailable at i e r
can use to understand what constitutes and to show how the use of an agreed u en ineerin res ur es briefin sheets l arb n
a plain finish and to give access to a post-concreting process can enhance n rete r ute a essed ar h
wide range of special finishes. tructural an as struck finish. 5) British Standards Institution (2010) BS EN 13670:2009
engineers should consider visiting Execution of concrete structures, London: BSI
their local purpose-built CONSTRUCT Web-based access 6) British Standards Institution (2023) BS 8500-1:2023
example so they are clear about the The web-based format is intended to Concrete. Complementary British Standard to BS EN
standard of a plain finish. allow editing and printing of project et od o speci ying and guidance or t e specifier,
The case study database of both specifications based on either ust London: BSI

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 Professional guidance CROSS report

CROSS Safety Report

Accidental partial
demolition of a beam
This month we present a report about a permanent works design engineer who noticed
that hydr de liti n the end a r su rtin bea had ta en la e ut sequen e
This introduced a pattern of bending moments and shear forces that were not considered
in the ri inal desi n

Report design is complex, and possibly can be more dangerous than

An existing concrete building not understood fully by all parties. construction, as previous changes
constructed in the early 1990s The permanent works designers and underlying defects may be buried
is being redeveloped. This will generally have the greatest in finishes and only come to light
involves substantial demolition understanding of the original when exposed by demolition.
works, some of which use a hydro- structural arrangement, and the In this case the desire for a
demolition method to retain and e ects which alterations could have. single visit for the hydro-demolition
reuse existing reinforcement. subcontractor is an obvious course
e t e o to of action that the contractor would
Change in demolition sequence and collaboration want to follow. The designer should
During a site visit, the permanent Communication and collaboration are have given some thought to the
works design engineer noticed that industry-wide issues. However, some
hydro-demolition of the end of a oor of the steps identified which could
supporting beam had taken place out have improved collaboration in this
of sequence. Removing this portion specific situation were:
Key learning outcomes
breaks the beam continuity and leads | focus on transfer of information
to a pattern of bending moments and between parties to ensure For the client and construction team:
shear forces not considered in the important information is clear | Be aware that structures may have been
original design. Fortunately, there was | more frequent site visits by the susceptible to poor detailing and construction, as
minimal construction loading on the permanent works designers well as degradation over time which may need to
oor slab at this time. o damage | promoting open and trusting be accounted for prior to demolition
occurred and nobody was injured. relationships throughout the | It is good practice to discuss any changes to the
The project had good relationships supply chain. construction sequence with the permanent works
between parties and an e ective designer ensure he design in en is n a ec ed
escalation procedure, so when the Expert Panel comments | Be aware that partial demolition of a structure
issue was identified an e clusion The reporter is to be congratulated can be more dangerous than construction, as
zone was set up immediately and a on bringing together an important previous changes and underlying defects may
propping scheme was installed within story about communication, or e uried in nishes and nl c e ligh hen
24 hours. The demolition sequence the lack thereof. Members of the exposed by demolition
had been changed in order to group CROSS panel all have recollections of | It may be argued that due to the unknowns there
this hydro-demolition work with other problems from this cause and stress is even more reason for the permanent works
areas, and therefore undertake all in a the need for good communication designer to be on site during this type of demolition
single visit by the sub-contractor. when sequential demolition is works than for new construction
The reporter believes the planned. Structural stability has to be
biggest lesson learnt is e ective maintained at all times. or l tr t r l e e eer :
communication between parties. The extent of the deconstruction, | Consider how the design intent and construction
Within construction there is always the location of cuts and the e h d l g can e e ec i el c unica ed
an important interface between sequencing of cuts should be to contractors on site, particularly on high-risk
the permanent works designers, prescribed on the designer’s complex projects
temporary works designers and drawings and designers need to | On projects where there is a high level of
contractor. This can be even more ensure that their intentions are uncertainty over the design approach, consider
important when working with clear and unambiguous. Indeed, attending site to oversee the works
existing buildings where the original partial demolition of a structure

26
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 CROSS report Professional guidance

What is CROSS?
lla ra i e ep r ing r a er ruc ures
helps pr essi nals ake s ruc ures

IN EVERY CASE LIKE

sa er pu lishing sa e in r a i n ased
n he rep r s i recei es and in r a i n in he
THIS THERE HAS TO BE A pu lic d ain
DESIGNER WHO WILL pera es in erna i nall in he
and us ralasia ll regi ns c er s ruc ural sa e
PLAN THE DEMOLITION hile - als c ers re sa e
SCHEME AND VERIFY
THAT THE STRUCTURE IS
STABLE AT EACH STAGE OF
THE ‘REVERSE
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS’

methodology in their guidance as to convey the staged process to the

the sequence of demolition. Equally site staff with clear, unambiguous
the demolition contractor should have information. Assuring temporary
discussed this with the designer. stability may require the addition of
In general terms structural temporary works.
demolition is like a structural A difference to erection is
erection in reverse – with some of the that with erection there is reasonable
following di erences: certainty of material quality before
| there will be structural loading the start, whereas with demolition
to some extent – but maybe not the material quality may be How reporting to CROSS works
precisely defined questionable. Therefore, alertness he secure and c n den ial sa e rep r ing s s e
| there will be a degree of and staged verification of design all s pr essi nals share heir e periences
uncertainty about the condition of assumptions is prudent. help hers
the elements Finally, it may be argued that due r essi nals can su i rep r s n sa e issues
| as with erection there will be to the unknowns there is even more rela ed uildings and her s ruc ures in he uil
issues of strength and stability reason for the designer to be on site en ir n en ep r s picall rela e c ncerns
(local and global) for each during this type of demolition than near isses r inciden s ind u
stage corresponding to the plan for new construction. re including h su i
for the works. a sa e rep r a https://bit.ly/
The full report, including links to cross-safety ur rep r ill
In every case like this there has guidance mentioned, is available ake a di erence
to be a designer who will plan the on the O website (report :
demolition scheme and verify that 855) at www.cross-safety.org/
the structure is stable at each uk/safety-information/cross-
stage of the ‘reverse construction safety-report/accidental-partial-
process’. It will be essential to demolition-beam-855.

Enter a sketch in the next competition – deadline 5 April 2024

The Drawing Board Sketches must be: To take part, submit your
is The Structural • hand drawn (no CAD, except for ‘guided free- entries to: [email protected]
Engineer’s quarterly hand’)
Each published entry will
sketching competition, • from a real project or assignment
receive a free single e-book
judged by Ron Slade • at a suitable scale for publication (i.e. not too
from the Institution’s current
FIStructE of WSP. intricate/detailed).
list of titles.
Please also submit a short description (150 words)
to put the sketch into context. Background sketch by Kevin Lyons (Lyons O’Neill)

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 Technical Reuse of concrete frames

Reusing and
repurposing concrete-
framed structures:
practical engineering
considerations
structures are inherently durable and robust, assist the reuse ustification process.
GARRETH JOYCE
while demolishing them is both carbon-intensive It is often the case that such information is
MEng, CEng, MIStructE and expensive. not immediately available. Our experience
Director, Walsh, London, UK This article will explore some of the key from several projects is that one has to
practical considerations that engineers need to persevere and diligently explore numerous
take into account when reusing and repurposing sources and avenues. This will invariably
Introduction concrete-framed structures, as well as some uncover the vital information.
With 60% of UK waste coming from considerations for specific building types for On a recent project, the author was told
construction demolition, helping clients to viably change-of-use projects. they wouldn t be able to find any information.
reuse buildings wherever possible is vital if we, fter carrying out si di erent archive visits, an
as engineers, are to support the drive to achieve Delve into the archives abundance of information was located.
net zero. When working on a reuse project, regardless of Places to look include libraries at professional
Concrete has been one of the main building construction material, the first and an often- institutions, building control/planning archives
materials since the early 19th century1 and underappreciated step is to obtain as much and contemporary magazines and periodicals.
the World Economic Forum estimates that archive information on the existing structure as Librarians can greatly assist in searches with
around 80% of buildings in cities today will still possible: when it was constructed, the code their knowledge and experience of possible
exist in 20502. of practice or standard it was designed to information sources.
This makes concrete-framed buildings ideal and associated material strengths, as well any The information may even be stored
candidates for reuse and repurposing in situ, associated developments or known alterations. somewhere in the building itself. Another
both now and in the decades to come. These This is incredibly important and can significantly potential avenue is to identify the original design

CASE STUDY 1: OFFICE TO RESIDENTIAL

9 Millbank, London (Structural Award winner 2023)

he ill ank si e had een he su ec signi can his rical de el p en inding

his rical in r a i n ena led he ea us i reusing he unda i ns a s p er
s a i n a iding he need reak u appr c ncre e he sis er lis ed ce
uilding had a di eren ial se le en pr le here fl r le els aried up
his as s l ed hr ugh he use an inn a i e ul ra-ligh eigh sel -le elling a erial
including p l s rene eads

Embodied carbon
al s ruc ural e died car n e issi ns r pr ec e
al s ruc ural e died car n e issi ns n r alised al kg e
al s ruc ural e died car n e issi ns n r alised e ensi n kg e

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 Reuse of concrete frames Technical

team members and contact them to see if they

still hold records.

The past informs the present

Once archive searches have been exhausted,
one can start to understand the history of the
site. This can reveal not only risks but also
opportunities. Inner-city and urban sites have CASE STUDY 2: OFFICE TO HOTEL
usually experienced numerous redevelopments.
Gaining this information can have a great Hercules House, London
bearing on the future development of the site,
particularly in the ground, because viable his s c ncre e- ra ed ce uilding as repurp sed as a h el i h e addi i nal
opportunities may be limited by historical fl rs riu s ere lled crea e h el- riendl fl r plans and gr und-le el c lu ns ere
substructures and obstructions. Engineers re ed acc da e a sui a le l and recep i n area
should place importance on the reuse of ne s eel peri e er ra e had e in egra ed i h he e is ing ahl n cla -in ll
existing foundations – see the very informative fl rs hich ere ragile and re uired prepara r pening e re a rica i n his
BRE guidance3 for more detail on this. necessi a ed an agile appr ach de ailing signi can fle i ili and c lla ra i n i h
Quick reference to historical maps, particularly he c n rac r
those produced by Ordanance Survey, can also espi e e r s preser e he riginal c re upda es ee dern s andards r li s
help you understand the site’s history, revealing s airs and risers led i s replace en and e is ing pad unda i ns ere rein rced and
key information such as potential contamination supple en ed i h ne piles ake he addi i nal l ad
issues from former uses or risks of obstructions
from previous below-ground tanks, shafts or Embodied carbon
large foundation bases. For instance, on one
of the author’s projects it emerged that the al s ruc ural e died car n e issi ns r pr ec 1936t CO2e
1 0s o ce block had been constructed on
al s ruc ural e died car n e issi ns n r alised al kg e/m2
the site of a Victorian electrical power station 2

that had substantial substructure, the removal al s ruc ural e died car n e issi ns n r alised e ensi n kg e/m2
2
of which would have had a significant impact on
programme, budget and embodied carbon.
When appraising existing structures, a good
understanding of the historical approaches to both vertical and lateral, are fully understood: it wealth of relevant guidance available10,11, as well
design is also essential. The IStructE will shortly is particularly important to exercise caution in as British Standards on material testing and
be publishing a compendium of structural ensuring there is a solid and robust structural testing requirements.
typologies to assist with assessing structures ustification for any change in load. Testing is recommended as early as possible,
under the Building Safety Act4. The evolution Foundation strengthening is complex, especially during due diligence stages, to
of design theory and practice, as well as costly and carbon-intensive. Consideration ensure possible risk items are identified and
the development of concrete and concrete should be given to new vertical load paths communicated to the client so that they can be
structures, is well documented5–7. Knowledge of where possible, or load-balancing, as this will be managed and mitigated from both a health and
the material and of the various forms of concrete more cost-e cient to ensure foundation loads safety and commercial perspective. However,
oor types such as hollow-pot oors, clinker remain within existing capacities. given the potential range of testing, this can
filler- oist oors and proprietary precast systems Where possible, existing load paths should continue to be obtained as designs progress.
– is useful. be retained. While column removal is often Often, access can be di cult for surveys,
required for changes in use, it is likely to require especially if buildings are still in use or are
Run the numbers carbon-intensive solutions. If unavoidable, tenanted. Again, a proactive approach may
Access to existing general arrangement then great care is required in the proposed reveal areas that can be accessed to enable
drawings accelerates the initial preliminary sequencing and load transfer to avoid shock early information. For example, surveys can
checks, allowing a quick understanding loading or structural distress. be obtained before vacant possession by
of element sizes and existing structural identifying unused/unimportant areas, and
capacities. This existing information Testing and corroboration – an limited-headroom equipment can facilitate early
becomes especially useful for less visible or o o e ort ground investigations.
inaccessible places, notably foundations and Even when existing information is available,
reinforcement. Foundation information, such surveys are fundamental to corroborate archive Usage considerations
as pile arrangement and capacities or pad information, such as checking element sizes While there are obvious common aspects to
sizes and depths, greatly assists in assessing or details, but also to establish the structure’s the structural viability assessments, which
potential load paths and capacities. Similarly, durability and to identify possible visible defects. include strength, serviceability, structural fire
existing reinforcement details will help with back The IStructE publication Appraisal of existing performance, robustness and durability, needed
analysis of existing slabs if there are increases in structures9 provides general guidance, as well to ustify a reuse strategy, there are di erent
oor loads. as useful information on the consideration of approaches depending on the original and
The recently published IStructE guide modifying partial safety factors. planned usage.
on Circular economy and reuse8 is a useful Often, a suite of testing (both destructive
reference containing detailed information on and non-destructive) will be needed to High-rise buildings
various methods and options in assessing comprehensively assess and determine the Reuse of high-rise buildings requires particularly
existing structural elements. The author would structure’s design life, including the need for careful assessment of stability systems. The
stress the importance of ensuring load paths, possible repairs or remedial work. There is a change of commercial buildings to residential

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 Technical Reuse of concrete frames

units will likely re uire structural modifications

to circulation cores to create greater access
and circulation. When carrying out strengthening
and modification works, careful se uencing
and an assumed sequence of works will need
to be communicated to the contractor for a
safe method of working. or e ample, this
may mean that works can only take place on
a certain number of oors at a time, with works
on these oors needing to be fully complete
before work commences on other oors.
imilarly, the works may need to commence
from the top downwards rather than traditional
bottom-up sequencing.

Life sciences buildings

n recent years, there has been a significant
trend of repurposing existing buildings for use in
the life sciences. Depending on the employer’s
re uirements, life sciences facilities can often
have stringent oor serviceability re uirements.
sers of life science buildings, such as
laboratories, are typically more susceptible to
footfall vibration than users of standard o ce
spaces. Footfall vibration is expressed as a
response factor. This is typically taken as 6–8
for an o ce but can be as low as 1 2 for life
sciences use. Analysis of existing structures
often shows that significant areas of the oor
experience a response to vibration that would
exceed the limits for a life sciences building.
or refurbishments to life sciences, the
response factor can be reduced in several ways:
traditional strengthening to increase sti ness
adding mass – either universally with heavier CASE STUDY 3: OFFICE TO OFFICE
build-ups or locally with furniture and planting
(sub ect to load capacities) spatial coordination 127 Charing Cross Road, London
to remove foot tra c from sensitive areas or
interrupt rhythmic pacing of occupants or using This four-storey concrete-framed building with a single-storey basement was originally
passive or active mass dampers to absorb uil in he s he clien planned a re ur ish en and up ards e ensi n er
vibrations at the structure’s natural frequency. uch-needed high-end ce space i h u s anding accredi a i n
removing some of the existing loading and using lightweight structure, an additional three
Commercial to residential storeys were added. The majority of the existing structure was reused while minimising
ommercial properties, depending on their strengthening works.
age, were often designed with generous The project is partially situated over existing third-party assets with loading restrictions
imposed loading compared with current code hich ere e respec ed ee his re uire en e ensi e ni e-ele en
requirements. This an area that has been12, and modelling of the substructure and supporting soil strata was carried out, and the existing
foundations were incorporated into a larger raft foundation in order to adequately
redistribute the load away from the existing assets.
The other key constraint this project presented was that the existing tenant situated
n he gr und fl r re ained in situ, open and operational throughout the works. This
was achieved by reframing the upper levels and rearranging the vertical load paths to
prevent the overloading of existing columns, which removed the requirement to implement
strengthening works within the existing tenant’s demise.
Working closely with the frame contractor, the permanent works were designed and
sequenced in such a way that the need for any temporary works within this area was
negated, further minimising the impact on the existing tenant’s business and allowing them
to be operational throughout.

Embodied carbon
al s ruc ural e died car n e issi ns r pr ec 2
e

al s ruc ural e died car n e issi ns n r alised al kg e/m2

2

al s ruc ural e died car n e issi ns n r alised e ensi n kg e/m2

2

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 Reuse of concrete frames Technical

continues to be13, widely discussed.

REFERENCES
Surplus loading capacity can often create
the potential for additional stories, as can the 1) Concrete Society (s.d.) The birth of modern concrete [Online] Available at: www.concrete.org.uk/
removal of heavy oor finishes although fin erti s nu ets as d dis lay id essed ar h
in both cases care should be taken when
2) Grainger D. (2022) To create net-zero cities, we need to look hard at our older buildings [Online]
considering load balancing to check that these
ailable at e ru r a enda net er ities retr fit lder buildin s
were part of the original structure’s original essed ar h
design, e.g. that screed finishes haven t been
erroneously retro-installed! 3) Butcher A.P., Powell J.J.M. and Skinner H.D. (eds.) (2006) Reuse of foundations for urban sites: a
best practice handbook, nd n td
The author has also encountered
existing structures that have been designed 4) Hayes P. et al. (2024) Assessing higher-risk buildings under the Building Safety Act: a compendium
with future e ibility in mind, with built-in of structural typologies, nd n tru t td
redundancy for additional oors, change of use, 5) Sutherland J., Humm D. and Chrimes M. (2001) Historic concrete: Background to appraisal,
or infilling of atriums. nd n C ublishin
n either case, a robust load ustification is 6) Concrete Society (2000) TR54: Diagnosis of deterioration in concrete structures, la ater
essential, as is the need to verify increased C n rete iety
lateral loading on the existing stability system.
7) Gold C.A. and Martin A.J. (1999) Refurbishment of concrete buildings – structural and services
options: guidance notes, ra nell uildin er i es esear h and n r ati n ss iati n
Further reading
For further advice on reusing existing buildings, 8) Gowler P. et al. (2023) Circular economy and reuse: guidance for designers, nd n tru t td
explore the climate emergency resources on 9) Institution of Structural Engineers (2010) Appraisal of existing structures rd edn , nd n
the IStructE website, including the interactive tru t td
Sustainability Resource Map (www.istructe.org/ 10) Cobb F. (2021) nderstandin e istin buildin s fi e studies t lete be re desi n r
resources/climate-emergency). starts’, The Structural Engineer, , htt s d i r
11) Mathew M. (2021) nalysin e istin stru tures a brie intr du ti n , The Structural Engineer, 99
, htt s d i r
12) English Heritage (1994) fice oor loading in istoric buildings, nd n n lish erita e
13) Minimising Energy in Construction (MEICON) s d emonstrating oor loading eport [Online]
ailable at ei n net r l adin essed ar h

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 Technical Circular concrete

A concrete answer for

circular construction:
three prototypes
reusing saw-cut
elements
SYNOPSIS
Existing concrete buildings should be retained for as MALENA BASTIEN-MASSE
long as possible to reduce the environmental burden of Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Structural
Xploration Lab, Fribourg, Switzerland
demolition and new construction. However, when urban
pressure makes demolition unavoidable, salvaging and CÉLIA KÜPFER
reusing concrete elements elsewhere in new structures, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Structural
Xploration Lab, Fribourg, Switzerland
r t er t re t e to r bble e e tl rolo t e
use of existing resources at their highest structural value. CORENTIN FIVET
Concrete reuse is not a new approach: pioneer cases have Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Structural
demonstrated its potential, but broader adoption has still Xploration Lab, Fribourg, Switzerland

not been seen across the wider industry.

Three prototypes recently built by Ecole Polytechnique Circular strategies for concrete
Fédérale de Lausanne researchers and students in Concrete is the most used construction
material worldwide1 thanks to its numerous
Switzerland demonstrate the feasibility and potential qualities, including its availability, low cost,
of reusing elements saw-cut from cast in situ concrete versatility, workability, strength, durability and fire
tr t re e rotot e e l t ere t le resistance. Its manufacturing process, however,
combined with widespread and growing use,
of elements, from small blocks to large slab elements results in significant environmental impacts
e bl e e le e e t o fir related to global warming, raw material depletion
and the destruction of natural ecosystems2,3.
that reusing concrete elements drastically reduces the Concrete also comprises 30% of the
upfront global warming potential of new construction, industry’s waste stream in Europe4. Buildings are
being demolished after an increasingly shorter
providing a new lower-bound benchmark for sustainable, service life5, driven by the obsolescence of the
circular construction. spaces they create rather than by the structural
material’s degradation6. Decommissioned
concrete structures are today commonly
crushed into aggregates, depriving them of their
initial geometry and structural capacity. These
concrete aggregates are then used as backfill
or as partial replacement for natural aggregates
in so-called recycled concrete mixes. While
this strategy reduces natural gravel extraction,
recycled concrete mixes require quantities

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 Circular concrete Technical

concerns and showcase the potential of reusing

elements saw-cut from cast in situ structures1 ,
three distinct prototypes were recently built
by teams at Ecole olytechni ue d rale de
Lausanne (E L):
| an arch footbridge made of 2 small blocks
| a loadbearing o ce oor made of four large
slab elements
| a community pavilion made of si slab and
column assemblies.

n all three cases, a process-based lifecycle

assessment (L ) was carried out to uantify
the upfront GW of the prototypes and compare
these numbers with e uivalent structures made
EPFL

of new concrete. ystem boundaries begin with

the donor building demolition ( 1 4) and end
ÒFIGURE 1: Concrete elements extracted by sawing before demolition of building, stored next to commonly after the new construction ( 1 )1 . The GW
produced concrete rubble impact factors are taken from the wiss national
database and, when needed, completed with
of cement at least e uivalent to conventional dismantled the top seven oors of an 11-storey on-site measurements.
mi es, leading to a comparable level of global prefabricated building using sawing and lifting
warming potential (GW )7. equipment12 The salvaged wall and slab panels Re:Crete footbridge – reclaiming
Before recycling, circular strategies consist were used to build new three- and four- compressive strength of concrete
of, in priority order, refusing, reducing, repairing storey apartment blocks. imilarly, in 1 7 in The prototype named e: rete (Figure 2) is
and reusing . pplied to construction, to prevent Link ping, weden, 1 0t of large concrete wall a post-tensioned segmental arch, spanning
the production of both concrete waste and elements, oor beams and foundations from two 10m with a 1.2m rise and 1.2m width, which
new concrete structures, this translates into source buildings were reused in a new 2 - at was built with 2 reclaimed concrete blocks17.
reviewing our needs for new buildings and building 4km away1 . o technical problems esigned as a footbridge, for a 1. k /m2 live
e ploring solutions for renovation, strengthening were reported, and an environmental analysis load, the arch makes optimal use of the high
and transformation of e isting structures. showed that reusing the elements saved 0 of compressive strength of concrete while the
When maintaining the structure in place is GW compared with an identical building with contribution of the steel reinforcement bars
deemed impossible, another circular solution the same structural re uirements, constructed present in the reclaimed blocks is ignored. Two
is the reuse of concrete elements after minimal using new concrete. government subsidy post-tensioning cables ensure that the blocks
transformation, such as e tracting elements by o set the 10 1 higher costs compared with always remain in compression, even when
sawing from buildings planned for demolition conventional practice. However, the contractors sub ected to asymmetric live loads.
(Figure 1), and then reassembling these into felt that these e tra costs were transient, as they sing circular diamond saws, the reclaimed
new loadbearing structures. were primarily due to the pioneering nature of blocks were directly cut at the final dimensions,
the operation14. 120cm 40cm, in the 20cm thick cast in situ
Reuse of structural concrete egardless of these promising stories, reinforced concrete basement walls of a building
euse aims to e tend the service life of the reuse of concrete struggles for widespread that was undergoing transformation. Once
reclaimed elements beyond that of the original adoption as it still raises questions associated e tracted, two holes were drilled in each block
structure by using their pre-e isting geometry with economic, logistical, technical and for the post-tensioning cables. The blocks were
and structural capacities. fter assessing environmental considerations. To alleviate these then transported to the prototyping hall and
the e isting reinforced concrete structure
to evaluate the reusability of its elements ,
relatively large elements parts of walls, slabs
ÓFIGURE 2:
or complete frames are e tracted by sawing Re:Crete footbridge:
and lifting, transported, stored if re uired, and completed arch
finally reassembled into a new structure, using
connection techni ues analogous to those used
in prefabrication.
n central and northern Europe, there are
do ens of e ecuted pro ects where precast
reinforced concrete panels have been reclaimed
from one building and reused in another10. n the
cases where it was verified, a clear reduction
of the upfront GW was demonstrated. ome
even show a financial advantage, particularly
when elements are reused without heavy
reconditioning or when the owners of the
new buildings are also the owners of the
decommissioned buildings11.
EPFL

or e ample, in 1 in iddelburg
in the etherlands, contractors carefully

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 Technical Circular concrete

EPFL
a) Sawing
Single strand Drilled hole PT duct
of obsolete prestress cable 1T15S ø32 mm ø27 mm
basement ø15.7 mm
walls b) Nominal
20 cm e etry bl

40 cm
120 cm

c) Placement of
blocks on centring
EPFL

EPFL
ÒFIGURE 3: Re:Crete footbridge: extraction
and asse bly

placed on a timber centring (Figure 3).

Before post-tensioning and subsequent
lowering of the centring, oints were filled with
mortar to ensure complete contact between
the blocks and to compensate for sawing
tolerances. Finally, to enhance the durability of
the structure, the ducts of the post-tensioning
cables were injected with mortar, and the joints
were waterproofed using epoxy-glued plastic
strips covered with an anti-slip layer.
A railing was installed, also made from
reclaimed materials: metal tubes from obsolete
festival tents and steel wire meshes from shop

EPFL
furniture. The footbridge now spans a river in
Switzerland (Figure 4).
A comparative LCA of the Re:Crete arch ÒFIGURE 4: e Crete tbrid e, ith railin s and ater r fin stri s, used by edestrian t r ss a ri er
showed that its production generates a GWP in Switzerland
63% smaller than a similar arch made from
monolithic recycled cast in situ concrete, 74% concrete elements to build low-carbon slabs19. from the 1970s (Figure 6). Both donor buildings
smaller than an arch made from steel beams, FLO:RE consists of a 30m2 portion of an were in Switzerland near the prototyping hall.
and almost the same as an arch made from o ce oor slab built by combining four 2. m Although each building’s structure was still
glued laminated (glulam) timber beams17. The 3m, saw-cut, reinforced concrete slab elements in good condition, they were scheduled for
largest share of GWP for the prototype is due with three reused, m long, wide- ange H demolition to make way for new developments
to the production of the timber centring and steel girders for the main span (190mm high on the sites.
the transportation of the blocks. Nevertheless, for the two side ones and 230mm high for the Structural capacities of the elements were
the blocks could be transported over 600km central one). It is designed to comply with all estimated with data from standards on existing
before the emissions attributed to the Re:Crete code requirements for new construction with a structures and geometric measurements,
prototype exceed those of a new concrete superimposed permanent load of 2kN/m2 for including steel reinforcement bar spacing
monolithic arch. the screed and ooring and an o ce building and diameters measured in an opening in
live load of 3kN/m2, as well as fictitious lateral the concrete. Because of the tight planning
: b l oor re l loads for wind and earthquake. of the demolition site operations, the material
be t o re or e While the Re:Crete arch prototype only made properties of the concrete and steel (rebars and
o rete l b use of the compressive strength of the blocks, beams) were only tested later, in the prototyping
s building oors typically account for the this new prototype takes advantage of the hall18. In normal conditions, a complete
most upfront GWP of buildings, the FLO:RE contribution of the existing steel reinforcement assessment of the elements, using destructive
prototype (Figure 5) demonstrates the in the reclaimed reinforced concrete elements, and non-destructive testing methods, would
feasibility of constructing an extremely low- reusing them in bending. have been carried out before deconstruction9.
carbon loadbearing oor structure using The reinforced concrete elements were Once salvaged, the reused steel profiles were
only reclaimed elements18. This prototype saw-cut from a 1 cm thick at roof slab of an cut to the required 5m length, and the surplus
further validates recent theoretical and o ce building built in the 1 0s, while the steel was used to build the prototype’s vertical
analytical work on reusing saw-cut reinforced profiles were reclaimed from an industrial hall supports. With the change of static system

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 Circular concrete Technical

from a continuous slab in the donor system to

ÓFIGURE 5: a simply supported slab in the new system, the
buildin r bending moment at mid-span became critical
completed prototype
for the reinforced concrete elements and their
length was hence fi ed to m appro imately
three-quarters of the span of the donor slab.
The reinforced concrete elements were installed
on the reused steel beams (Figure 7).
The connection between reused steel and
concrete elements is designed to transfer the
lateral loads to the vertical bracing system
through friction, and no composite action is
EPFL

considered. The load transfer is ensured with

bolted preloaded threaded rods in each corner
of the slab elements (Figure 8). Thanks to these
dry connections, the oor structure was fast to
assemble and is also dismountable and thus
fully circular.
In a full-scale building, the number of
connections might need to be adapted to
ensure the vertical tying of the structure.
oreover, fire protection measures should be
planned for the steel elements, such as fireproof
paint or plasterboard enclosing.
The LCA of the construction process of the
FLO:RE prototype shows that it has an ultra-low
GWP compared with an equivalent 22cm thick
reinforced concrete slab: 80% reductions when
built 140km from the donor buildings; 92% if
EPFL

EPFL

built within a radius of 20km around the donors;

and 94% if built on the same site as the donors,
i.e. no transportation. This corresponds to 15, 6
ÑFIGURE 6: FLO:RE and 5kgCO2e/m2, respectively.
buildin r e tra ti n
of concrete elements rebuiLT pavilion – reclaiming
and steel beams
cast in situ reinforced concrete
connections
The rebuiLT pavilion (Figure 9) is an
e perimental construction pro ect designed and
managed by EPFL students with the academic,
legal and technical support of researchers and
construction professionals20. Designed as a one-
storey, 95m2, multipurpose community space,
the pavilion combines reused and biobased
ÍFIGURE 7: materials as well as low-tech construction
buildin r
methods and systems.
placement of reclaimed
reinforced concrete The main loadbearing structure is made of
EPFL

slab elements over si reinforced concrete assemblies e tracted

steel beam from the structure of a 1970s industrial donor
building located 4km away and scheduled for
demolition (Figure 10). Each assembly is self-
ø16-mm
threaded rod standing and comprises one mushroom column
and portions of the top and bottom slabs.
Reused reinforced- Saw-cut reinforced concrete slab elements are
concrete slab interleaved between the assemblies to complete
the ground- oor slab (Figure 11).
Over the reinforced concrete structure,
the roof structure was built by combining
8-mm recycled reclaimed massive timber and glulam timber,
rubber layer completed with biobased insulation and
reclaimed tiles (Figure 12). The space between
Reused steel
EPFL

EPFL

the roof and the top of the reinforced concrete

profile
slabs is used for light storage, with a live load
ÏFIGURE 8: buildin r nne ti n detail bet een rein r ed n rete slab of 2kN/m2. The vertical envelope is made with
elements and steel beams post-tensioned straw bales (Fig. 12) coated

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 Technical Circular concrete

with clay mixes and salvaged windows from ÎFIGURE 9: rebuiLT

other nearby buildings, while the oor system pavilion: reclaimed
is completed with biobased insulation and reinforced concrete
ele ents in their final
second-hand ooring. position
The rebuiLT project showed how reusing
large saw-cut assemblies requires the co-
design and close coordination of the donor
building’s deconstruction and the receiver
pro ect s construction. The final shape and
volume of the pavilion are highly dependent on
the geometry of the donor building structure.
For the pavilion, this meant mushroom columns
provided a fi ed height between slabs. The
dimensions of the top slabs also depended on
the available capacity of the existing structure
and their new use as cantilevers.
The shoring, sawing, lifting and
transportation of the saw-cut assemblies,
each weighing 20t, re uired specific

EPFL
attention (Fig. 11). To ease and speed up
the construction process, the self-standing
assemblies were not connected. fter
extraction from the donor building, the ÔFIGURE 10: rebuiLT
a) Interior
assemblies and at slabs were therefore pavilion: deconstruction
view
installed in one day, creating the main volume of donor building
of the rebuiLT pavilion (Fig. 9). first rough
L of the complete construction of the

PIERRE-JEAN RENAUD, REBUILT

pavilion demonstrates that it has a GWP at
least half as small as an equivalent pavilion
made of cast in situ reinforced concrete and
similar to a complete biobased solution with a
timber structure.

Learnings and outlook

The construction of these three prototypes
demonstrates the technical and logistical
feasibility of reusing reinforced concrete
elements for structural applications. oreover,
they confirm the drastic reduction in GW b) Sawing of
compared with conventional concrete reinforced
construction while simultaneously diverting concrete slab
large volumes from waste streams and
reducing natural resource e traction needs.
The diversity of element scales in the proposed
solutions confirms that reuse should not hinder
the creative e ploration of design teams.
However, the starting point of the design
should already involve considerations about the
potential donor building(s) and the related scale
of the reclaimed saw-cut elements.
Today, concrete sawing is still too often seen Ô FIGURE 11: rebuiLT
EPFL

as an exceptional technique, which contributes pavilion: lifting of slab–

to additional pro ect costs. evertheless, when column assemblies
the donor and receiving buildings have the
same owner, costs can be optimised, leading a) On
to expenses comparable to conventional deconstruction
concrete construction11. oreover, when site
concrete reuse gains a broader acceptance
in the industry, extraction methods will be
rationalised, leading to a further reduction in
costs over time. n the case of the rebuiLT
pavilion, three other projects were supplied
with reinforced concrete elements sawn
from the same donor building. n total, 1 7 b) On
construction
EPFL

EPFL

reinforced concrete elements had to be site

extracted, which allowed the optimisation of

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 Circular concrete Technical

a) Construction of REFERENCES
straw-bale walls
PIERRE-JEAN RENAUD, RE:BUILT

1) Gagg C.R. (2014) ‘Cement and concrete as an engineering material: An historic appraisal
and case study analysis’, Eng. Fail. Anal., 40, pp. 114–140; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
engfailanal.2014.02.004
2) Monteiro P.J.M., Miller S.A. and Horvath A. (2017) ‘Towards sustainable concrete’, Nat.
Mater.,16, pp. 698–699; https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat4930
3) Habert G., Miller S.A., John V.M. et al. (2020) ‘Environmental impacts and decarbonization
strategies in the cement and concrete industries’, Nat. Rev. Earth Environ., 1, pp. 559–573; https://
doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0093-3
4) Giorgi S., Lavagna M. and Campioli A. (2018) uidelines r e e ti e and sustainable re y lin
of construction and demolition waste’, In: Benetto E., Gericke K. and Guiton M. (eds.) Designing
sustainable technologies, products and policies: from science to innovation, Cham: Springer
International Publishing, pp. 211–221; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66981-6_24
5) Aksözen M., Hassler U. and Kohler N. (2017) ‘Reconstitution of the dynamics of an urban
PIERRE-JEAN RENAUD, RE:BUILT

building stock’, Build. Res. Inf., 45, pp. 239–258; https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2016.1152040

6) Thomsen A., van der Flier K. and Nieboer N. (2015) ‘Analysing obsolescence, an elaborated
model for residential buildings’, Structural Survey, 33 (3), pp. 210–227; https://doi.org/10.1108/SS-
12-2014-0040
7) Mostert C., Sameer H., Glanz D. and Bringezu S. (2021) ‘Climate and resource footprint
assessment and visualization of recycled concrete for circular economy’, Resour., Conserv.
b) Installation Recycl., 174, 105767; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105767
of reclaimed 8) Ellen Macarthur Foundation (2013) Towards the circular economy. Vol. 1: Economic
roof tiles and business rationale for an accelerated transition [Online] Available at: www.
ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/towards-the-circular-economy-vol-1-an-economic-and-business-
ÏFIGURE 12: rebuiLT pavilion: construction
rationale-for-an (Accessed: March 2024)
9) Devènes J., Bastien-Masse M. and Fivet C. (2024) ‘Reusability assessment of reinforced
the donor structure sawing pattern, limiting concrete components prior to deconstruction from obsolete buildings’, J. Build. Eng., 84, 108584;
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.108584
both the time and costs of the deconstruction.
In the hypothesis of mainstream application 10) Küpfer C., Bastien-Masse M. and Fivet C. (2023) ‘Reuse of concrete components in new
of concrete reuse in wit erland, it could o set construction projects: Critical review of 77 circular precedents’, J. Clean. Prod., 383, 135235;
about one-sixth of concrete production at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135235
current rates of demolition and construction. 11) Widmer N., Bastien-Masse M. and Fivet C. (2023) ‘Building structures made of reused cut
While not insignificant, this ratio highlights reinforced concrete slabs and walls: a case study’, Life-Cycle of Structures and Infrastructure
the pressing need for complementary circular Systems: Proc. 8th International Symposium on Life-Cycle Civil Engineering, Milan, Italy, 2–6 July,
economy strategies – refuse, reduce, repair London: CRC Press
– to limit the demand for new concrete. 12) Huuhka S., Naber N., Asam C. and Caldenby C. (2019) ‘Architectural potential of
Nevertheless, for as long as demolition deconstruction and reuse in declining mass housing estates’, Nord. J. Archit. Res., 31 (1), pp.
remains common practice, the generation of 139–179
concrete waste will persist. In response to the 13) Roth L. and Eklund M. (2000) ‘Environmental analysis of reuse of cast-in-situ concrete in
climate emergency, it is crucial to reconsider the building sector’, Towards sustainability in the built environment: Shaping the sustainable
the end of life of building structures, to divert millennium – Collaborative approaches, Brisbane, Australia, 5–7 July, pp. 234–243
these locally available concrete elements 14) Eklund M., Dahlgren S., Dagersten A. and Sundbaum G. (2003) ‘The conditions and
from the waste streams and to use them constraints for using reused materials in building projects’, Deconstruction and materials reuse:
at their full potential. As was shown by the Proc. 11th Rinker International Conference, Gainesville, Florida, USA, 7–10 May, CIB Publication
three prototypes, the techniques and know- 287, pp. 248–259
how for reuse of concrete elements exist, its 15) Küpfer C. and Fivet C. (2023) an ra a a r a hes t reuse n rete ie es identifi ati n
environmental benefits are undeniable, and its and critical comparison’, J. Phys.: Conf. Ser., 2600, 192006; https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-
costs are predictable. 6596/2600/19/192006
16) International Organization for Standardization (2006) ISO 14040:2006 Environmental
management. Life cycle assessment. Principles and framework, Geneva: ISO

Lifecycle analysis 17) Devènes J., Brütting J., Küpfer C., Bastien-Masse M. and Fivet C. (2022) ‘Re:Crete – Reuse
of concrete blocks from cast-in-place building to arch footbridge’, Structures, 43, pp. 1854–1867;
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2022.07.012
Readers wishing to explore the LCA
of each prototype in more detail are 18) Bertola N., Küpfer C., Bastien-Masse M. and Fivet C. (In press) ne r syste
encouraged to refer to the following made of reused reinforced concrete and steel elements’, IABSE Symposium: Construction’s role
for a world in emergency, Manchester, UK, 12–14 April 2024
open-access publications:
19) Küpfer C., Bertola N. and Fivet C. (2024) ‘Reuse of cut concrete slabs in new buildings for
Re:Crete – Devènes et al. (2022)17 ir ular ultra l arb n r desi ns , J. Clean. Prod., 448, 141566; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
FLO:RE – Bertola et al. (In press)18 & jclepro.2024.141566
Küpfer et al. (2024)19 20) Küpfer C., Bastien-Masse M., Grangeot M. et al. (In press) ‘From soon-to-be demolished
rebuiLT – No LCA currently available mushroom column slabs to reused reinforced concrete saw-cut assemblies: the case of the
rebuiLT pavilion’, World Sustainable Built Environment Conference, Online, 12–14 June 2024

37
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 Opinion Occabore
Book review
perrum dolupiet

Review
his career-spanning k ers insigh r an ne en uring in engineering and h
uild n he li e less ns u learn al ng he a ri es Patrick Augustin.

Home and away: HOME AND AWAY IS A from di culties or near failure, brings

A civil engineering RECOLLECTION of a civil engineering

career that spans mostly the British
it own satisfaction. He did not tire of
seeing the good outcomes the projects
odyssey Commonwealth countries as well as the
development of friendships and family.
brought. The trunk road in Hong Kong
and Kinabatangan in Sabah, Malaysia,
Peter Martin’s engineering designs come to mind. The unsuccessful bid for
Author: e er ar in progressed from slide rule, electronic work in Bhutan showed great potential
Publisher: us in acaule u lishers calculators and onto computers. which was unfortunately taken up by an
Price: £18.99 This book is also accessible to the ustralian firm.
ISBN: 978-1-3984-7811-4 general reader. My wife, an English Martin had all of the above and
Arts major, enjoyed reading it as it was also a successful family. He remarked
well crafted. that his career would not count for
artin traces his career from finishing beans if there was no Margo by his
school and then earning his degree in side throughout the years to share
cotland. His choice was in uenced by the joy and companionship. Then came
his father who was a merchant marine the three boys, David, John and Steven.
o cer who saw the works of British All stalwart young men with families of
engineers and contractors around the their own.
world in the 1940s through the 60s. He Martin’s recollection is remarkable in
was also in uenced by the owner of an a career spanning almost five decades.
estate in Perthshire for whom his uncle With Google aps at your fingertips,
worked as head gamekeeper, the ‘laird’, you can travel around the world in time.
himself a civil engineer, who had won What a privilege to share this adventure.
the Military Cross in a bridging operation His thoughts about the future of civil
under fire in the econd World War. engineering contract management are
Martin’s book does not set moot. The role of the civil engineer has
out to educate or teach. The joy been diminished in the new forms of
and satisfaction of a fruitful career civil engineering contract management.
shines through. Costs have multiplied with no discernible
The insight for engineers and others, improvement on quality. The promise of
that comes across in the book is, you better delivery has also not materialised.
make your own career. A career only I met Martin in September 1981
becomes rewarding when you have when I was seconded into his team in
been continuously applying yourself Kuala Lumpur for the Sabah rural trunk
and accumulating the lessons learned, roads. I designed several small steel
consciously or unconsciously, to make bridges under his guidance. He was
the next project better. Your career is open and easy to work for. In January
not a job. It is a calling that you may 1982, Margo, David and John attended
come to realise later, when you have my wedding to my wife Philomena.
given yourself to it: a vocation. The Over the years we remained friends
accumulated lessons had become and sometimes collaborated on work.
his entire career’s CPD. Tilbury Docks I had the pleasure of meeting Martin in
Floodgate in southeast England and Singapore in February of this year; 42
Smith Quay in Peterhead, Scotland, are years of a wonderful friendship.
just two examples of a lifelong CPD.
Immersing himself in the project
landscape brought joy in a small way,
he could see a way to harness the Patrick C. Augustin
power of nature in a way that would ng ng ruc
benefit society: ‘Engineering is the art
of directing the great sources of power a rick is a char ered s ruc ural
in nature for the use and convenience engineer and he ner erunding
of man,’ wrote Thomas Tredgold. Each aisal raha ugus in dn hd
completed project sometimes wrestled in ala sia

38
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 Opinion Letters

Verulam
Send letters to…
All contributions to Verulam should be
submitted via email to: [email protected]

Contributions may be edited on the grounds

of style and/or length by the Institution's
Readers’ letters, comments and queries publishing department.

Legislation where end-of-life use can be assured,

they may still o er the lowest-carbon
for design solution overall.
I think the key take-away here is that
checks while we should embrace all potential
opportunities for improvements in
ALAN ROSE construction, we also need to make sure
In response to recent letters in Verulam that we really understand the project
and many other letters over the years, specific implications and refrain from
surely it would be beneficial to the
construction industry if there was
Modern generalisations. This piece provides a
valuable case study to inform this debate
a scheme in place where building methods of and I would recommend you try and
construction was pre-emptive, where
the construction of any element construction: a peruse a copy.

could only commence on site once

the drawings had been lodged with
study of upfront MARK PNIEWSKI
I found it fascinating
building control? Equally it would be embodied to learn that as much

carbon
beneficial if the scheme applied to as 22 of the 1
all building structures that required a emissions in a CLT structure come from
building warrant, from minor house the plasterboard and screed required to
alterations, house extensions up to PAUL ASTLE protect the timber to meet fire standards.
the largest commercial, residential or In a rare moment Equally surprising is that only about
industrial project. during midweek 1. come from the steel connectors
What about checking of the childcare logistics, I across the structure (screws, nails,
design? Maybe the scheme could was able to read the various articles brackets, etc).
require that the design is checked, discussing MMC in The Structural Some very interesting nuggets in
the level of which is determined by a Engineer ( ebruary 2024), including a this article in The Structural Engineer
risk category, and that it is certified great piece by my Ramboll colleagues by my long-time Ramboll colleague
by a suitably experienced chartered Gavin White and James Morton from our Gavin White.
engineer, who takes a holistic view of ambridge o ce. It also hammered home the
the entire building, taking cognisance Gavin and ames discuss the findings versatility of concrete. Whether precast
of all the elements, including cladding, of a study they have undertaken to or in situ, I was comforted to see the
curtain walling, partitions, barriers and assess the upfront embodied carbon embodied carbon figures very similar,
the like. Now, it would be necessary associated with di erent forms of despite the assumption of 2 ground
to monitor the performance of this modular structure compared with an in granulated blast-furnace slag cement
certifier, by reviewing, say, 4 of the situ reinforced concrete baseline. replacement for in situ with none
pro ects they had certified and then Within the boundaries of their study, in assumed for precast.
auditing, say, 2 . most cases the modular systems have Some interesting suggestions for the
While this would appear to be a a greater upfront embodied carbon than applicability of modular for transient use
nut just too big to crack in most of a traditional reinforced concrete frame, and reutilisation.
the UK, what has just been outlined except for the cross-laminated timber And, as always, an emphasis on the
is the ‘bones’ of the Structural (CLT) system. nuance and hard-to- uantify benefits of
Engineers Registration Ltd, a Is that surprising? Often the on-site safety and constructability.
subsidiary of IStructE. This has been additional structure required to enable I would add to this the ability to craft
operating very successfully in Scotland the delivery of a pre-assembled artisanal features more safely and reliably
for the past 19 years and in Jersey for module results in both additional in a factory environment than on site, but
the past 16 years. material and transport ine ciencies. this is perhaps more applicable to the
Many engineers familiar with the However, there are also forms of o -site domain of facades than the structures
scheme just cannot understand why it construction, such as pre-assembled covered by this article.
has not been adopted elsewhere. horizontal elements like planks, where Great to see this kind of
the permanent loads are similar to research and honest discussion about
Many thanks for this letter. the temporary loads and hence these MMC and sustainability. Worth a read
Verulam suggests that this and systems ought to o er potential savings. and a ponder.
recent similar letters are While this study focused on upfront
specifically brought to the embodied carbon only, it is certainly Thanks to Paul and Mark for this
attention of the appropriate the case that many modular systems feedback. Everyone is learning and
Institution body to see what they lend themselves much better to potential the sharing of ‘what we found out’ is
think might be done. reuse with minimal losses. Hence, to be welcomed.

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 Letters Opinion

Masonry The national methodology for assessing

URM buildings notes that, because these
Fordyce also referred to NZS 4229
for the non-specific design of reinforced
buildings in buildings lack any form of reinforcement, concrete masonry buildings3. Although

New Zealand
the term ‘ductile’ is inappropriate. the current document is dated 2013,
However, as noted by Morandi et al.2, the original release date was 1999 and
URM buildings are often observed to the document was authored based
JASON INGHAM perform better in earthquakes than might on a substantial amount of full-scale
Recent letters have drawn attention to at first be e pected. laboratory e perimental testing to
opportunities and risks associated with One attribute that indirectly is augment and validate rational analysis.
unreinforced masonry (URM) or non- beneficial is that buildings have This document specifically applies
engineering masonry buildings in regions short natural periods of 0.2–0.4 to partially or fully grouted reinforced
of moderate to high seismicity (Denis seconds, and the earth uake e citation concrete masonry and limiting criteria
Camilleri in January 2024, Mike Fordyce at this period range is heavily damped for the overall configuration of buildings
in February 2024), and that New Zealand as the high frequency waves travel that fall within the scope of the standard
structural engineers have had some through the ground, such that shaking are clearly defined. n simple terms,
significant e perience with this topic in in the period range of interest is heavily the design philosophy is that vertical
recent years. attenuated. This issue is well known to reinforcement (widely spaced by typical
In New Zealand, the 1931 Hawke’s seismologists but less well appreciated New Zealand standards) in walls
Bay earthquake was the genesis event by structural engineers. So, in most responding out-of-plane spans between
that led to the formation of Standards cases, severe damage to URM buildings the foundation and reinforced horizontal
New Zealand, the evolution of national is attributable to shallow earthquakes bond beam, and the bond beam is
legislation for the seismic design of occurring in relatively close pro imity to responsible for distributing seismic
buildings, and the eventual outlawing the building. demands to the companion in-plane
of URM building construction that was The second point to note is that while loaded walls. So, although the document
phased out entirely in 1965. URM buildings are not ductile, they do is written for use by non-engineers,
Further, recent legislation following have very high damping as all the brick- the underlying logic for the document
the Canterbury earthquakes1 and and-mortar joints deform backwards and is based on well-established design
the associated development of a forwards during shaking on each and practice for reinforced concrete masonry.
national methodology for the seismic every joint plane, consuming considerable As a closing statement, it would
assessment of e isting buildings has energy. And a further point to note is seem obvious that engineering design
categorised all URM buildings as being that many URM fail mechanisms have documents based on comprehensive
potentially earthquake prone, with significant post-peak displacement research and practitioner e perience
the owners of these buildings having capacity due to attributes such as in- should be transferable between
the responsibility of demonstrating plane or out-of-plane rocking, or bed countries. However, there is a long
that their buildings have adequate joint sliding. Although URM buildings history of well-meaning engineers visiting
earthquake capacity via detailed are not ductile, for the majority of failure countries and communities where such
calculations or seismic strengthening, mechanisms these buildings are also not documents and skills are poorly known,
or otherwise being obligated to brittle, even if they have low strength. conducting various forms of training, and
demolish their buildings within a This combination of elevated damping then departing only to find that the local
prescribed time frame. and non-brittle response can be people revert to their earlier practices
So, while it is acknowledged that accounted for in e isting methodologies and ignore much or all of the resources
URM buildings are prevalent worldwide, in several ways (in conjunction with that were provided to them. Past
and that this is a common form of paying careful attention to the governing e perience suggests that the transfer
construction in some developing failure mechanism), including the of knowledge from developed nations
countries, including developing countries adoption of heavily damped spectra to developing nations involves comple
having moderate to high seismicity, instead of the usual 5% damped social issues and sustained e orts over
the New Zealand viewpoint that has spectra, or use of the q factor as is a long time.
prevailed for many decades is that URM adopted in the Eurocode to account
buildings pose an unacceptably high risk for the observed field response being Many thanks for this detailed
to occupants and nearby pedestrians. superior to e pectations. feedback. For readers not versed in
The New Zealand methodology is seismic engineering it might be
similar to the Eurocode approach, helpful to point out that the
where a reduction factor of three can be worldwide community of specialists
REFERENCES applied to ‘elastic’ equivalent static loads have developed their skills by
for non-brittle failure mechanisms. An repeated observation of what
1) Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment interesting quirk of the methodology is happens in real earthquakes: looking
Act 2016 [Online] Available at: www.legislation.govt.nz/act/ that the mathematics can be interpreted at the damage and trying to correlate
public/2016/0022/22.0/DLM5616102.html (Accessed: March as either the demand being reduced by it with design technique. That
2024) three or the capacity being increased opportunity is absent in most of our
2) Morandi P., Manzini C.F. and Magenes G. (2020) by three. Typically, the reduction factor structures because they are never
‘Application of seismic design procedures on three modern is applied to the demand, but in reality subjected to full design loading. In
URM buildings struck by the 2012 Emilia earthquakes: perhaps the more correct interpretation contrast, earthquake forces can be
inconsistencies and improvement proposals in the European is that the buildings are three times so large that damage is inevitable
codes’, Bull. Earthquake Eng., 18, pp. 547–580; doi. stronger than e pected But neither and the design strategy is to ‘survive’.
org/10.1007/s10518-019-00650-z statement is ideal, and the better Huge numbers of people across the
3) Standards New Zealand (2013) NZS 4229:2013 Concrete interpretation is that these buildings are Earth are at risk in URM buildings
masonry buildings not requiring specific engineering design, heavily damped with significant post- and building in survivability at
Wellington: Standards New Zealand peak non-ductile capacity. or ble o t lle

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 At the back Regional group news

Regional
focus
In this feature, we share news, updates and initiatives
from the Institution’s regional group network around
the world. If you have a story to share, get in touch at
[email protected]. The next deadline is 1 June 2024.

United Arab Emirates

UAE group examines structural
robustness and commits to
action for ‘people’ and ‘planet’
On 20 February, the UAE Regional Group
organised a hybrid talk devoted to structural
robustness as part of its monthly CPD
programme. Guest speaker Yasser Eljajeh, an
award-winning chartered structural engineer,
started the session with a brief introduction to
structural robustness, followed by an overview
of current international guidance, including
the new ASCE Standard for Mitigation of Ò ttendees itted t lle ti e a ti n r benefit e le and lanet
Disproportionate Collapse Potential in Buildings
and Other Structures (ASCE/SEI 76-23). The group chair ended the session with an including students, Institution members and
To better illustrate this concept, Eljajeh also announcement of Institution President Tanya de industry partners, made a collective commitment
presented an award-winning case study: the Hoog’s call to action, which she launched at her to sign the pledge of aligned and impactful
Viadux II Project. inaugural address earlier this year. Attendees, action for the benefit of people and planet .

Yorkshire
100 not out: Yorkshire group
begins centenary celebrations
n uly 1 24, the first o cial meeting of the
IStructE’s Yorkshire Branch (as it was known then)
was held in Halifax.
To begin the group’s centenary celebrations, a
packed lecture theatre at Leeds Beckett University
in January welcomed incoming President Tanya
de Hoog, who gave a truly inspirational talk, which
was very well received by the diverse audience.
While Tanya was a hard act to follow,
incoming Regional Group Chair, Peter Debney,
didn’t disappoint with his inaugural talk at the
University of Bradford in February. Peter described,
with both passion and humility, how he has
overcome various challenges, including dyslexia
and a stammer, to become a highly successful Ò Yorkshire Branch/Regional Group committee dinners in 1930 and 2024
computational engineer, having produced a
best-selling book and a highly viewed webinar on Humber Bridge some 50 years ago please send them to .f.carr she eld.ac.uk.
the topic. | a paper/talk on the history of the regional group, Finally, readers may be interested to know
The group’s plans for the remainder of focusing on a number of its notable members, that local stalwart Alasdair Beal has written a
2024 include: and their contribution to structural engineering. paper, with an accompanying presentation,
| a walking tour of the buildings and bridges of on Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity.
Leeds in June Further details of the above activities will Read the paper (https://anbeal.co.uk/relativity.
| a talk in October from a retired engineer be advertised in due course. If you have html) or view the presentation (http://youtube.
who helped to build the ground-breaking any contributions for the paper or talk, naturalphilosophy.org) online.

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 Regional group news At the back
GOKHAN CELEBI/ISTOCK

Ñ Guest speaker, Peter Taylor,

presented on the construction
of the Çanakkale Bridge

Canada – British Columbia

Special guest lecture: Constructing the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge
The British Columbia Regional Group recently motivated to deliver the pro ect cost-e ectively. previous world record suspension spans starting
held its inaugural special guest lecture, with To deliver the gigantic structure for a mere with the Golden Gate Bridge, and including
Peter Taylor presenting on the Çanakkale US$2.7bn in the middle of a pandemic, the the Severn Bridge, UK (which featured the
Bridge, a crossing of the Dardanelles Strait, team needed to save one year in construction world s first aerofoil bo -section deck). eter
Türkiye. Peter ran through the background to time – unprecedented for a suspension bridge also described the eight special uid viscous
this world record-breaking bridge and described of this size. They did this by extending the dampers that give large energy dissipation
the immense engineering challenges facing the main cables to connect with land-based rock capacity to the ultra-slender bridge towers under
design-and-build team. anchorages that were only half the size of their earthquake loads. They are characterised by a
These included the world’s longest span, marine equivalents. The team also elected to load capacity of 5000kN, a stroke of ±1.25m
which was set at 2023m for political reasons. This use prefabricated main cables (288 in the main and a maximum design velocity of 1m/s.
span was less than optimal for the crossing and span and 296 in the side spans) in preference to The contractor’s design team, led by Danish
resulted in longer than usual side spans and a aerially spun cables that take longer to install. consultant COWI, leveraged the contractor’s
massive overall length of 4608m. Also challenging The massive main span adopted two strengths to help achieve the project objectives.
was designing the bridge towers for ship impact – separated aerofoil box sections to support One key detail was to bolt up the sti eners to
the Dardanelles Strait is a very busy international the tra c lanes, which provide very high field splice the steel tower sections, which took
waterway and is tra cked by some of the world s aerodynamic stability – much needed at the subse uent field welding of the tower plates o
largest freighters. Finally, Türkiye sits on the exposed, windy site. This had been done the critical path and speeded up tower erection.
boundary between the Anatolian and Eurasian previously for the Stonecutters cable-stayed Peter’s presentation aptly described the
tectonic plates and is one of the most seismically bridge in Hong Kong and the East Bay extraordinary achievement of designing
active parts of the world. suspension bridge in Oakland, CA, but was the and constructing the Çanakkale Bridge in
Granted a mere 15-year operating first application on very long suspension spans. record time. His talk was well received by the
concession, the delivery team was highly Peter contrasted the Çanakkale design with enthusiastic audience.

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 At the back Diary dates

Most events run by IStructE

HQ are being delivered online.
For in-person events, a
location will be given.
History Study Group meetings
start at 18:00 and are free of

Diary dates
charge to attend. Registration
is not typically required
Meetings may be online or in
person.
For Regional Group events,
check the website for the
latest information. Note that more current information may be available from
the Institution website: www.istructe.org/events

CONFERENCES Speakers: Dr Meini Su and James Norman Venue: Online

2 May Time: 12:00–13:00 Price: Member: £245 + VAT; Standard:
Young researchers conference Venue: Online £325 + VAT
Time: 13:00–17:00 Price: Member: £45 + VAT; Standard: £70 + VAT Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/
Venue: Online Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ rapid-calculations-for-engineers
Price: Free novel-materials-concrete-alternatives
Register: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ Thursdays, 18 April–9 May
young-researchers-conference-2024 24 April Conceptual design for structural
Analysis and strengthening of concrete engineers: an introduction
18 June buildings 1950–1985: strengthening Tutor: Oliver Broadbent
Designing for construction productivity re e t o rbo fibre Time: 14:00–16:00
conference Speakers: Antony Darby, Steve Holmes and Venue: Online
Time: 09:30–17:30 Kunal Kansara Price: Member: £335 + VAT; Standard:
Venue: IStructE HQ and online Time: 12:00–13:00 £445 + VAT
Price: Member: from £175 + VAT; non-member: Venue: Online Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/
from £255 + VAT; student: from £35 + VAT Price: Member: £45 + VAT; Standard: £70 + VAT conceptual-design-for-structural-engineers-
Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ an-(1)
designing-for-construction-productivity- s reng hening-re edia i n-using-car n- re
conference Thursdays, 18 April–16 May
LECTURES Net-zero structural design
10 October 10 April Tutors: Will Arnold and Oliver Broadbent
SME business practice conference Touching lightly: the Nancy Pauw Bridge Time: 09:30–11:30
Time: 09:30–17:30 Speaker: Gerald Epp Venue: Online
Venue: IStructE HQ Time: 18:00–19:30 Price: Member: £575 + VAT; Standard:
Price: Member: from £215 + VAT; non-member: Venue: Online £765 + VAT
from £295 + VAT; student: £55 + VAT Price: Free Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/net-
Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ Register: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ zero-structural-design-(1)
sme-business-practice-conference-2024 touching-lightly-the-nancy-pauw-bridge
23 April
EXAM PREPARATION 22 May Reinforced concrete essentials
13–15 May Designing, fabricating and constructing Tutor: Jenny Burridge
Exam preparation course the FLOW bridge Time: 10:00–17:30
Tutors: Paul Toplis, Victoria Edmondson and Speakers: Andy Cross and Ahmad Kamara Venue: IStructE HQ
Matt Goswell Time: 18:00–19:30 Price: Member: £335 + VAT; Standard:
Time: 10:00–17:30 Venue: Online £445 + VAT
Venue: IStructE HQ Price: Free Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/
Price (early booking): Member: £675 + VAT Register: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/the- reinforced-concrete-essentials
(£615 + VAT) fl - ridge
Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ 25 April
exam-preparation-course CPD COURSES Building resilience: protective design and
16 April blast engineering for structures
WEBINARS Rapid calculations for engineers Tutors: Bob Sheldon and Mariella Gallo
18 April Tutor: Rachael De’Ath Time: 10:00–17:30
Novel materials: concrete alternatives Time: 10:00–13:30 Venue: IStructE HQ

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 Diary dates At the back

Price: Member: £335 + VAT; Standard: 28–31 May 2 May

£445 + VAT Expert Witness: an introduction River Clyde Swing Bridge
Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ Tutor: The Academy of Experts Speakers: Paul van Hagen and Giacomo
building-resilience-protective-design-and-blast Time: 09:30–13:00 Mauriello
Venue: Online Time: 18:00
30 April Price (early booking): Member: £635 + VAT Venue: Online
Structural engineering appreciation for the (£575 + VAT); Standard: £855 + VAT (£765 + VAT) Price: Free
integrated design of building structures Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ Register: www.istructe.org/events/northwest-uk/
Tutor: Chris O’Regan expert-witness-an-introduction river-clyde-swing-bridge,-glasgow,-scotland
Time: 10:00–17:30
Venue: Online 30–31 May SOUTH EASTERN COUNTIES
Price: Member: £335 + VAT; Standard: Seismic design of structures
£445 + VAT Tutors: Agathoklis Giaralis, Panagiotis Mergos Thursdays, 18 April–27 June
Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ and Miguel Bravo Haro Preparation course for the IStructE
integrated-design-approach-for-building- Time: 10:00–17:30 membership examination
structures Venue: Online Time: 17:45–20:00
Price (early booking): Member: £575 + VAT Venue: Online
7–8 May (£515 + VAT); Standard: £765 + VAT (£685 + VAT) Price: £150
Understanding structural behaviour Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ Booking: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/secrg-
Tutor: Mark Moppett seismic-design-of-structures preparation-course-for-the-istructe-membership-
Time: 10:00–17:30 examination-2024-tickets-863646208057
Venue: Online
Price (early booking): Member: £575 + VAT REGIONAL GROUPS SURREY
(£515 + VAT); Standard: £765 + VAT (£685 + VAT) Note that events are subject to change.
Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ Please visit www.istructe.org/get-involved/ 15 April
understanding-structural-behaviour regional-groups for up-to-date information and The circular economy
registration details. Speaker: Penny Gowler
Tuesdays, 7 May–4 June Time: 18:00
e le er ll EAST ANGLIA Venue: Lecture Theatre M, University of Surrey,
Tutor: Nick Zienau Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH
Time: 09:30–12:30 8 April Price: Free
Venue: Online Averting disaster – How to save a Register: www.istructe.org/events/surrey/the-
Price (early booking): Member: £735 + VAT collapsing building circular-economy
(£665 + VAT); Standard: £985 + VAT (£885 + VAT) Speaker: Chris Shaw
Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ Time: 18:00 18 April
influencing-and-leadership-skills Venue: Online Design of foundations to Eurocode 7 – a
Price: Free guide for structural engineers
Wednesdays, 8–29 May Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/averting- Speaker: Joshua Omer
Drawing gym for engineers disaster-how-to-save-a-collapsing-building- Time: 09:00–17:30
Tutor: Trevor Flynn tickets-851475685697 Venue: Lecture Room, De Vere Horsley Estate,
Time: 10:00–12:00 Ockham Road South KT24 6DT
Venue: Online EAST MIDLANDS Price: £250
Price (early booking): Member: £335 + VAT Booking: www.istructe.org/events/surrey/
(£295 + VAT); Standard: £445 + VAT (£395 + VAT) 9 April design-of-foundations-to-eurocode-7
Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ Building Safety Act and the implications for
drawing-gym-for-engineers designers 20 May
Speaker: Phil Southgate Sustainable multi-storey timber
16 May Time: 18:30 construction in London: The black and
Eurocode 6: masonry design Venue: Online white building
Tutor: John Roberts Price: Free Speaker: Kirsten Haggart
Time: 10:00–17:00 Register: www.istructe.org/events/east- Time: 18:00
Venue: IStructE HQ midlands/east-midlands-regional-group- Venue: Room PRJG0003, John Galsworthy
Price (early booking): Member: £335 + VAT building-safety-act Building, Kingston University, Surrey KT1 2EE
(£295 + VAT); Standard: £445 + VAT (£395 + VAT) Price: Free
Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ SCOTLAND Register: www.istructe.org/events/surrey/multi-
eurocode-6-masonry-design storey-timber-construction-london
23 April
23 May Ground engineering solutions: specialist
Eurocode 3: structural steelwork design techniques
Tutor: Bob Benton Speaker: Kevin Christie
Time: 10:00–17:30 Time: 12:30
Venue: IStructE HQ Venue: Online
Price (early booking): Member: £335 + VAT Price: Free Regional Group Committee members
(£295 + VAT); Standard: £445 + VAT (£395 + VAT) Register: www.istructe.org/events/scotland/ should submit details of forthcoming
Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2024/ ground-engineering-solutions-specialist- events to: [email protected]
eurocode-3-structural-steelwork-design-(1) techniques

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 At the back Spotlight on Structures

All articles in Structures

are available free of charge
to paying-grade members
of the Institution as one of
their e bershi benefits
The journal is available
online at:
stru tures urnal r

Read the latest issue

The Featured Article for Volume 59 of Structures is now available.
Chosen by Associate Editor Mark Bradford, the paper discusses
experimental results from a robustness assessment on precast
concrete connections.
This article is available free of charge.

Robustness assessment of precast Under sudden column removal the plated resistance following sudden column loss.
concrete connections using component- connection’s deformational capacity is limited, The paper shows that the pseudo-static
based modelling which in turn reduces the pseudo-static resistance can be significantly enhanced
Kamil Riedela, Robert Volluma, resistance. An alternative bracketed coupler by e ure and compressive membrane
Bassam Izzuddina and Glen Rustb connection is proposed in which the ductility action. Consequently, the authors suggest
a
Department of Civil and Environmental supply is controlled through debonding of that connection design in precast concrete
Engineering, Imperial College London, UK reinforcement. The design concept for the structures without topping should be based
b
Laing O’Rourke, UK bracketed connection is validated with test on a realistic assessment of the ability of the
results from two full scale sub-assemblies. structure to develop alternative load paths
Employing highly optimised precast concrete The experimental results are used to validate following instantaneous column removal
product-based building solutions increases a component-based numerical model rather than simplified tying rules.
on-site productivity through elimination of which is subsequently used to investigate
formwork and reduction in propping as well the in uence of boundary conditions, and | Read the full paper at https://doi.
as reducing waste, accidents and embodied debonding length on the pseudo-static org/10.1016/j.istruc.2023.105689
carbon. The construction related benefits
of precast concrete product-based building
solutions are maximised by eliminating
structural topping and designing connections
between members for ease of assembly.
A key challenge in the design of precast
concrete buildings is the achievement of
robustness under accidental loading. In this
paper, sudden column removal is used to
assess the robustness of a precast-concrete
building system without structural topping. In
this case, the development of an alternative
load path under sudden column removal
relies on the joint response. Joint behaviour is
replicated using a component-based design
procedure which captures localised failure
modes. Robustness is evaluated using a
ductility-centred approach and uantified
in terms of the pseudo-static resistance.
Two types of connection are considered for
the provision of continuity at a critical half-
lapped oint. The first is a plated connection
which was designed initially to meet the
tying requirements outlined in Eurocode 2.

Register for alerts

If you’d like to receive regular updates about new content in Structures, register for email alerts at www.sciencedirect.com.

46
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 Library update At the back

Curated by qualified librarians, the

IStructE collection of structural
Library update:
engineering literature spans more
than 250 years, making it one of
the UK’s most comprehensive
Sustainable (re)use of concrete
specialist engineering resources. From adaptive reuse of existing structures, to recycling as
Both print and electronic titles aggregates, or reusing elements from existing buildings, such as
are available (print titles can be
in the Re:Crete, FLO:RE and rebuiLT projects (page 32), there is
requested via postal loan).
great potential for reducing the environmental impact of concrete.
www.istructe.org/library
This month, we look at the Library’s resources in these areas.

The recently published Materials: an Butterworth-Heinemann, 2017)* studies, strategies (Birkhauser, 2022)*
environmental primer (RIBA Publishing, | Georgopoulos & Minson: | Cheshire: The Handbook to building
2024)*, edited by Hartman and Williams, Sustainable concrete solutions a circular economy (RIBA Publishing,
looks at the environmental impact (Wiley-Blackwell, 2014) 2021)*
of the various construction materials | Hillebrandt et al.: Manual of recycling: | Ashby: Materials and sustainable
holistically, including a chapter on buildings as sources of materials development, 2nd edn. (Butterworth-
concrete that considers reuse and (Detail, 2019)* Heinemann, 2023).
circular economy aspects. | Lyons: Modern methods of
To find out what else the Library has construction and innovative materials Titles marked with an asterisk (*) are
on concrete, recycling, reuse and the (Routledge, 2024)* available in the E-library.
circular economy more widely, search | Soutsos (ed.): ICE handbook of The Library welcomes suggestions for
the catalogue at www.istructe.org/ concrete durability. A practical other titles to be added.
resources/library-services. The catalogue guide to the design of durable
includes references to books (printed concrete structures, 2nd edn. IStructE bookshop
and electronic), reports, standards and (ICE Publishing, 2023)* While visiting the Library, why not
journal articles held in the collection. | Gorgolewski (ed.): Resource update yourself on the latest Institution
Books of interest to the topics salvation: the architecture of reuse publications, which include:
covered in this issue include: (Wiley, 2018)* | The regenerative structural engineer
| Dhir & Lye (eds.): Recycled | Sabnis (ed.): Green building with (2024)
aggregates: use in concrete (ICE concrete: sustainable design and | Circular economy and reuse:
Publishing, 2019) construction, 2nd edn. (CRC guidance for designers (2023).
| Kog: Appraisal and repair of Press, 2016).
existing concrete structures (ICE Contact
Publishing, 2023) On the circular economy more widely, Rob Thomas or Laura Cooper
| Dhir & Paine (eds.): Low carbon titles include: Tel: +44 (0)20 7201 9105
concrete (ICE Publishing, 2020) | Heisel et al.: Building better – less – Email: [email protected]
| Nazari & Sanjayan (eds.): Handbook different. Circular construction and Web: www.istructe.org/resources/
of low carbon concrete circular economy: fundamentals, case library-services

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 Telephone: +44 (0)1223 378 047 Email: [email protected] Recruitment

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 Are you an experienced or developing Structural Engineer
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 Attract
the right
candidate
for less
Advertise
for just £449
Only The Institution of Structural Engineers can provide such a dedicated and
receptive audience, whose experience and creative abilities are sufficiently diverse
to fill any vacancy, regardless of seniority.

Our five options offer various levels of targeting and visibility. These include:

Digital Digital and print Premium/Rapid response

l Ad live on jobs board l Ad live on jobs board for one l Ad live on jobs board for
for one month, with logo month, with logo one month, with logo
l Featured in top section of l Featured in top section of
search results search results
l Included in one fortnightly l Included in one
jobs newsletter* fortnightly jobs newsletter*
l Quarter page in l Quarter page in
The Structural Engineer The Structural Engineer
l Social media post on LinkedIn l Bespoke email sent to candidates
and X l Social media post on LinkedIn
and X
£449 £979 November/December 2023

£1,475
Volume 101 | Issue 11

October 2023
| Issue 10
Volume 101

Thermal effects on
building structures AWARDS SPECIAL

Historical defects:
High-alumina cement

Power Industry CPD: Accuracy

Battersea
Station and precision in FEA

Quay Quarter
Tower, Sydney

Profile: Albert lor

Williamson-Tay

Spanning
continents
How British, European and US engineers
competed to develop South America’s
19th century railways

ent
refurbishm
Reuse and
Nov/Dec print book.indb 1

challenges
and required
skills 01/11/2023 14:05

What are
the risks, existing buildings?
or modifying
when adapting
12:03
27/09/2023

v2.indd 1
pp01 TSE_Oct23_Cover

For more information and to get in touch with the media team,
contact Polena Boutwood / [email protected] / +44 (0) 1223 378 047
*Available from October 2022

pp50-52 TSE_Apr24_Recruitment.indd 51 21/03/2024 12:52

 e o b tte o r
ro e t et

Engineering changes in response to the

needs of society; but creative design and outstanding
structural engineering endure
and are always celebrated at the Awards.

Will your project become an icon of

structural engineering excellence?

te e eadline:

Enter now:
istructe.org/structural-awards/enter

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