Progress continues in delivering decarbonized infrastructure following COP27

Mark Coates is the International Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at Bentley Systems.

In particular, the lack of commitment and focus on the built environment, one of the largest sources of CO²was obvious.

But forums such as the Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit hosted by Bentley Systems earlier this month show that important changes are taking place in the UK, or at least the infrastructure sector.

Last year, the government announced the Transforming Infrastructure Performance Roadmap to 2030. The roadmap focuses on his five focus areas: improving outcomes for people and nature, place-based regeneration, social infrastructure, retrofitting to achieve net zero, and optimizing the performance of existing built environments. increase. .

A year after publication, Nick Smallwood, Chief Executive Officer of the Infrastructure & Transport Authority, took the stage at the Summit to describe the “refreshing” level of progress.

As one of the main focus areas of the roadmap, Nick wanted to make clear that the government recognizes that all infrastructure has an interface with the natural environment, so that all aspects of the plan are best suited. I have to do my best.

Andy Bowles is Senior Regional Director for North Europe at Bentley Systems.

Working with a range of partners, including Bentley, for some of the nation’s largest public sector projects, from inception to final handover of infrastructure delivery, from digital tools and project costs.

Bentley has partnered with the government to create a digitization guide. This, as Nick points out, is essential when clients want their priorities clear from the start to their contractors and partners. If you don’t ask for it, you won’t get it at all, let alone the right cost and pace.

No matter where you are in the construction and infrastructure sector, there is great benefit in seeing government goals and what your projects can do to deliver on those environmental and social value goals.

For example, the A12 road improvement project allowed us to see temporary sites for sustainable energy installations that use solar, hydrogen and wind power to meet current electricity needs without being connected to the grid. We aim to develop this on a larger scale for a major construction site in our plans.

Improving productivity makes a difference at every level, from minimizing costs, environmental impacts and timelines, to maximizing economic benefits through jobs and opportunities for the wider community. .

However, the UK construction sector is still far from what it should be compared to other countries. In fact, it’s only about 40% of the required level. This is a “big problem” according to Nick given the scale of projects the country is targeting, including his HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rails and Hinckley Point C.

Literally, the more efficiently you build things, the more things you can build.

Digitization is making this change possible by helping governments build schools, prisons and hospitals, either by managing the complex range of programs and tools needed to manage projects, or through automation and offsite manufacturing. play a central role in making

New schemes aside, the success of retrofitting existing assets and infrastructure and future prospects will require recording and evaluating asset condition and usage to determine when and how assets need to be maintained or replaced. It also relies on digitization to help determine.

Some of the government’s biggest projects, which began before digitalization took hold, have made great strides in adopting digital approaches to ensure efficient management in the future. Crossrail, which was launched, is creating a ‘digital twin’ of the network, including stations and tracks, to refine its design and construction. What he learned from Crossrail is reflected in his ongoing development of the HS2.

Projects such as Hinkley Point C far exceed government digitization expectations by using a shared data platform for everything from engineering design to construction to commissioning. His fully integrated 4D models, like the one used by Hinkley, mean all partners can work together more effectively as a cohesive team rather than just the sum of parts.

This topic was also addressed at the summit by Turner & Townsend Chief Digital Officer Nathan Marsh. Nathan uses digital tools to consider complex challenges such as design, data, integration and net he zero before the scheme begins, identifying the types of technology and data to be used in the project to stressed the importance of bringing forward

As he said, this is a lot to keep in mind at the outset, but this approach reduces the likelihood of problems later on and increases productivity and efficiency throughout the project. Rather than letting technology drive people further apart, Nathan said, a holistic approach should empower contractors to “think like networks and not just individuals connected by contracts and schedules.”

Both speakers acknowledged that public confidence in the UK’s ability to deliver large-scale infrastructure had been shattered. However, they say this trend could be reversed as both sides of the client-contractor relationship take more responsibility for results and more interest in digital tools that enable efficiencies. I was sure.

From a contractor’s perspective, it becomes especially important to take this seriously. Nick said the UK will move to an era of more proactive government, seeking details such as lifetime carbon projections for projects and scrutinizing productivity.

This shouldn’t be a stick for the industry to beat itself into, but instead an opportunity to make meaningful change, whether it’s building schools or providing the infrastructure to level up the economy. .

Conferences such as COP27 may disappoint people with the lack of international progress and coordination, but the Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit shows progress is being made. As we approach his 2030 deadline for the roadmap, sharing best practices across the industry will be essential to our success.

*Mark Coates is the International Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at Bentley Systems.

*Andy Bowles is Senior Regional Director for North Europe at Bentley Systems.

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