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Briefing Newsletter of ICE Yorkshire and Humber August 2009

ICE Yorkshire and Humber Awards - 2009 The overall winner of the 2009 Awards was Sheffield Inner Relief Road. On 25th June, the achievement was recognised by the unveiling of a plaque on the new bridge over the River Don. Chair of ICE Yorkshire and Humber, Richard Dew, did the honours along with John Bann, of Sheffield City Council (client and designer). The contractor was Birse Civils. Entries for the 2010 Awards may now be submitted (see page 7).

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Welcome to this August edition of the Yorkshire Briefing. By the time you read this article, my year as Chair of the Yorkshire & Humber Region will be nearly over, Ian Parke will be taking over in September. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to inform you of some interesting developments which have recently occurred and those that are planned for the future. Honorary Treasurer Due to other commitments, Richard Gelder unfortunately had to stand down in April as our Honorary Treasurer. Richard has served on the main Committee for many years, with the last nine of those years in the role of Honorary Treasurer. He has carried out his duties quietly and efficiently to ensure that the Region managed its budget and finances in the best way and his services will be greatly missed. On behalf of the Region I would like to extend my thanks to Richard for his valuable contribution and add my own personal thanks. I am pleased to report that the Committee has approved the appointment of Sandie Forte as the new Honorary Treasurer; she started in the post in mid-July. Like many organisations, the Institution is not immune to the current economic situation and the financial challenges which it brings, and it is looking very hard at the total budget allocation, including the Regions’ share. Sandie is working hard with myself, members of the Committee and the RST to agree budgets for next year. Visit by the Vice President It was a great pleasure to accompany Paul Jowitt during his visit to the Humber Branch on 5th June. Together with the Humber Branch Chair and Secretary, Andy Thompson and Peter Towle, we scaled the heights (and depths) of the Humber Bridge on a damp Friday afternoon (it was June). It was a memorable trip, and we were courteously shown around by the Bridgemaster Mr Peter Hill. In the evening the Branch hosted a very successful AGM and Annual Dinner; more details are included in the article by Andy. Annual Report & AGM 2009 Our first Annual Report was published recently and I would welcome any feedback on its layout and contents. At the AGM held on 18th June 2009 at The Met Hotel, Leeds, the new Committee was approved (see the notice on page 7). The AGM was followed by a very successful evening meeting entitled “Behavioural Safety”. Howard Lees, an entertaining speaker, provided the opportunity for a lively

discussion on this particular topic and related safety matters. The event was attended by around forty people. Annual Conference This event took place on Wednesday 24th June at the Royal Armouries in Leeds with the subject of “Low Carbon Design and Construction”, which fitted in nicely with the two State of the Nation reports published by ICE (see also below). In these economically-challenging times we had been somewhat concerned about running an event like this but we achieved a reasonable attendance and the feedback from all attendees (and speakers) was very positive. There was a wide range of very interesting viewpoints but the common theme was that, as Civil Engineers, we will all have to play our part in meeting the inevitable challenges ahead. State of the Nation Reports The SoN Report “Defending Critical Infrastructure” was officially launched on the 24th June. It sets out very clearly the threats to our infrastructure of system failure, climate change and terrorism and makes recommendations for action - I urge you all to read it. Later this year the Institution will be publishing a second SoN Report on “Low Carbon Infrastructure”. Y&H 2009 Awards – Plaque Unveiling At the end of June I was very pleased to officially unveil the plaque for the winner of the Yorkshire & Humber Award 2009 in Sheffield (see front cover). I would like to congratulate the team for the Sheffield Inner Relief Road on their marvellous achievement. Looking Forward Looking forward to the 2009/10 session I would like to draw your attention to some prestige events planned to the end of 2009 which include:

• Chair’s Address (Ian Parke) – 22nd September 2009 • Birds Nest and Nou Camp Stadia (from Beijing to

Barcelona) – 30th September 2009 • High Speed Rail v Heathrow Expansion – 26th

November 2009 Venues are in the 2009/10 Programme Booklet and more details will be sent with our enews nearer the time. I hope that you will continue to support these events. And Finally….. I would like to say a thank you for the valuable support that I have received over the year from members of the Committee and, of course, the Regional Support Team. There are many people that work tirelessly behind the scene to make the year run smoothly and to ensure that all that we have planned finally comes together. I am sure that 2009/10 will be an equally successful year.

Richard Dew -

Chair

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Humber Branch AGM

On 5th June 2009, the Humber Branch held their 58th AGM and dinner at the Willerby Manor hotel near Hull. The event was attended by the Senior Vice President, Professor Paul W. Jowitt, who was invited to visit the Humber Bridge prior to the evening’s events. The Senior Vice President was accompanied on the tour of the bridge by Mr Richard Dew, The Yorkshire and Humber Chair, Mr Andy Thompson, Chair of the Humber Branch and the Humber Branch Honorary Secretary, Mr Peter Towle. The tour involved a visit to the top portal beam of the towers via a very cosy ride in a two person lift, a great way of getting to know someone! This was followed by a ride back down in the lift to the road deck level and a walk through a small section of the road deck, and finally a visit to the cavernous anchorages at the Hessle end of the bridge. The tour gave the Bridgemaster, Mr Peter Hill, and the Design and Major Projects Manager,

Mr John Cooper, a chance to discuss the current investigation works that are being undertaken on the cables as well as answer more general questions on the bridge. It was agreed by all that the visit was an awe-inspiring chance to visit one of the engineering masterpieces in the UK. The AGM was held in the evening and gave the Branch a chance to let the local member know what events were being planned for next year and to give feedback on the events arranged this year. It was also an opportunity for the members to question the committee and Professor Jowitt; as usual a lively debate ensued which we are sure could have carried on for much longer. The local Branch also took the opportunity to thank Mr. John Clark, Mr. Richard Crawforth and Mr. Jim Wilson who have stepped down from the committee. Both John and Jim have been on the committee for a number of years and both have held the post of

Humber Branch Chair in recent years, with Jim having also undertaken the role of Secretary for the Yorkshire & Humber Awards over a number of years. Richard has emigrated to New Zealand and the committee wishes him all the best in his new job. All three have been presented with small gifts to thank them for their time on the committee. The committee have also arranged a presentation for Mr. Stuart Blanshard to thank him for the many years of service he gave as Honorary Secretary. A new member of the committee was welcomed – Mr John Foster. The meal was attended by 38 members and non-members of the local Branch, an increase in numbers over the dinner in 2008 despite the current economic climate. It was good to see the Branch supported by both local and national consultants who had booked tables at the event.

Andy Thompson

Chair: Humber Branch

Your Regional Council Member writes…

Much of Council’s time (and the time of the UK Regional Affairs Committee) over the past few months has been spent on budgetary considerations. As has the Government’s, as we are all affected by the current financial situation.

One of the outcomes of the debate has been the reduction to 2.5% in the increase in subscriptions, the subject of the recent ballot. But the one that will have the greatest impact on the Yorkshire and Humber Region is the requirement of the Institution to balance its budget from 2010. From then on, the Institution will spend no more (and no less) than the revenue it receives. In 2009, the performance of Thomas Telford Limited (TTL) is being badly affected by the recession and, as a result, the Institution had to take about a million pounds from reserves to support the spending plans. This is OK for one year, but is not sustainable. The directors and staff at One Great George Street have been busy identifying efficiency savings in their departments but the

view was that these savings will probably be cancelled out by increases in external costs (such as energy). Therefore, additional cuts must be made to balance the books. Some core activities, such as training and qualifications, are untouchable but a process of prioritising the other activities of the Institution into must have / should have / could have / would like to have resulted in four groups which were subject to differing levels of cut, ranging from 10% for the must haves to 40% for the would like to haves. This has given the Regional Committee the framework for arriving at our Regional budget for 2010, the preparation of which is ongoing at the moment. The outcome of all this is that the Institution is in rude health going forward. As we move out of the recession, and TTL starts to contribute the substantial amounts it has in the past, so our spending levels will be able to rise. But in the future we will always be living within our means.

John Branton

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Recording of Historical Civil Engineering Works in Y & H. The Region has a rich heritage of civil engineering including canals, railways, highways, reservoirs and some more unusual subjects such as windmills. Many of these have their origins in the industrial revolution but a few are modern [e.g. Emley Moor TV tower] and some are medieval or older. Many of these works are considered to be of historical significance and records are held in the ICE archives. Examples of the wide range of items are Ribblehead Viaduct, Dutch River, the Humber Bridge and Glaisdale Packhorse Bridge. About forty years ago, the ICE set up the Panel for Historical Engineering Works [PHEW] with the object, inter alia, “to make members of the Institution and the public aware of our engineering heritage ...” The primary aims of PHEW are to arrange for the recording and publicising of worthy works or structures which illustrate the history and development of civil engineering. In this context, an Historical Engineering Work [HEW] is a work [or part thereof] conceived or designed by a Civil Engineer and considered by PHEW to be worthy of recording, listing, conserving or preserving. One of the first members of the Panel was Maurice Barbey, who nominated the majority of works currently

recorded in the Region. This list of some 150 items is not exhaustive and no doubt there are many other potential HEWs. Suggestions are welcome – please email: trevorhodgson@btinternet.com . Members can find out if any work is already included on the list of HEWS by looking on the ICE website. PHEW’s mission is “To identify, record and promote knowledge of works illustrative of the history and development of civil engineering and to encourage excellence in the conservation of significant examples.” The Panel is led by its Chairman, Vice Chairman and Technical Secretary and members are representatives from the Regions. Meetings are held three times each year, two in London and one in a Region. Administrative support is provided by the Head of Knowledge Transfer in Great George Street. Works are recorded in accordance with strict guidelines set out in the PHEW handbook. Details to be noted include location [by OS grid], significant features, owner, accessibility to the public, designer, contractor, date of construction, current condition/status and location of records. Supplementary information, such as drawings and photographs is also noted.

PHEW produces a quarterly newsletter and ICE members and others are invited to contribute, especially those involved in maintenance or refurbishment of historical works. Much of the Panel’s work is available to the public in the Civil Engineering Heritage books published by Thomas Telford.Ltd. In 2007 the last two [covering Scotland] of a series of eight volumes were published. These books describe many of the more important HEWs in the regions. A new series of more “tourist-friendly” publications is now being considered to encourage interest in our engineering heritage amongst a wider audience. Budding authors – this is an opportunity! The main task of Panel Members is the preparation and periodic updating of Record Forms for works in their Region. Since joining the Panel 3½ years ago, I have concentrated on checking the condition and status of the 150 items on the list I inherited. I have reported on nearly 100 sites, some with advice from other panel members and local helpers. I have also been consulted on other historical works. Sites should be visited every five years so there will always be plenty of work still to do!

Trevor Hodgson: ICE Yorkshire and Humber’s representative on PHEW

Leeds College of Building Librarian Anne-Mary Inglehearn.

Happy 285th birthday, John Smeaton! On Monday 8th June, staff and students at Leeds College of Building celebrated the anniversary of the birth of Leeds engineering hero John Smeaton. It is particularly appropriate that the Building College should do this as Smeaton was Britain’s first Civil Engineer (he coined the term.) The College teaches both full-time and part-time courses in civil engineering and many students will go on to become members of the Institution of Civil Engineers. The Institution features Smeaton’s greatest work, the Eddystone Lighthouse, on its coat of arms. As well as balloons and a lighthouse birthday cake, the celebrations included an exhibition about Smeaton’s life and the Eddystone Lighthouse. Also on display in the College Library were items on loan from the Leeds Museums Discovery Centre. These included a number of tools, which may have come from his home workshop in Whitkirk, and a working model of the foundations of the Eddystone Lighthouse, which dates back to the 18th century. Librarian Anne-Mary Inglehearn, who hosted the exhibition, said, “It has been really fascinating to learn more about this great man’s life. The way he worked and the techniques he used revolutionised the building industry. And he was from this region, so that’s something to be proud of.”

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ICE Papers Competition

Adrian Hudson - one of the finalists in the Papers Competition earlier this year - writes:

The Papers Competition is held every year to promote and reward excellence in the communication of civil engineering issues and ideas. Entries are often based on university projects, quarterly Development Reports or Professional Review reports. I entered the competition with my aim of becoming a professionally-qualified engineer in mind, knowing that the Professional Review is rigorous and candidates have to show excellent communication skills. The Papers Competition is an excellent way to practise these skills and to get blunt and honest feedback on how to improve. It is also a mechanism to test presentation skills in front of an audience of professional engineers and peers. My entry consisted of a 4000-word report entitled ‘Erosion of the Holderness Coast’. A PowerPoint presentation was also constructed for the 15 minute presentation. The entry (both the report and presentation) took approximately five days to construct. In the lead-up to the competition I felt quite nervous but soon calmed down during the presentation; afterwards I felt a sigh of relief and was pleased I had made the effort to enter. I believe that my confidence, presenting-skills and report-writing skills have improved as a result of entering this competition and speaking in front of a live audience, all of which will be of benefit when preparing for my Professional Review.

Next year’s Papers Competition, for Student and Graduate members, will be held on 4 February 2010, with a deadline for synopses of 8 January. Contact us if you are interested in entering.

Universities/ICE liaison In order to maintain good contact with our student members we currently hold meetings three times a year with the Student Liaison Officers (SLOs) from the universities across our Region. These highlight activities that will be of particular relevance to student members and also allow feedback from the students so that we can better determine if we are meeting their needs. We value the insights students have to offer and believe that early involvement with ICE as a student can only lead to a fuller relationship with the Institution as an individual’s career progresses. We provide Student Liaison Officers with details of events to ensure promotion within the universities via notice boards and word of mouth. We arrange some meetings in places where students can easily attend via public transport. The G & S Committee fully supports civil engineering societies in universities, by aiding students to find relevant speakers and to promote and hold events at universities. In addition, the liaison meetings provide a forum for discussion, ensuring that ICE remains relevant to students. Any concerns over the accreditation of courses, promoting the industry to students and encouraging student members to become ICE Ambassadors to schools are typical of subjects covered. So, do you have topics you would like to see discussed? In what ways can ICE help you as a student? Please contact your Student Liaison Officer with any ideas. For an up to date list of current SLO’s please contact us (see p 8).

Anne Carroll (G&S Committee member responsible for university liaison)

Year In Industry Awards

Award winner Douglas Readle receives his prize from MDO Peter Shapland

The Year in Industry scheme is for high-flyers who spend a year, usually between school and university, doing a real job. All students report on their year in front of a panel of judges, who select the best student from each discipline. One of our MDOs, Peter Shapland, was one of the judges at the Yorkshire and Humber heat in June and Douglas Readle, who worked for Halcrow in Leeds, was chosen as the winner of the civil engineering prize. On 15th July, Peter presented the prize at Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground, following a tour of the stadium and an explanation by the club’s Project Manager on the redevelopment, which increased the capacity from 44,000 to just over 75,000, and a talk from former player and manager, Wilf McGuiness.

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Professional Reviews: what are Reviewers looking for? Part 1 So the big day is looming! It’s probably the most important day in your career so far. If only you could read the minds of those two Reviewers! Well, hopefully this article will provide you with some important clues. You are seeking to join an institution of engineers. It is therefore to be expected that the reviewers will be looking at your engineering knowledge and understanding, and your ability to apply this to projects you undertake in your field of engineering. You are expected to demonstrate that you possess “a sound understanding of the applicable principles and theory relating to how things behave e.g. those that apply to structures, geotechnics, hydraulics, or transportation” (Membership Guidance Note 47). MGN 47 gives some examples of the engineering principles that might be discussed at review.

These are only some examples – there are many more engineering principles in these fields of engineering! Reviewers in recent years have expressed great concern that many candidates fail to understand the basic principles applicable to their engineering discipline. So be prepared! Moving on to another aspect of the same subject, Reviewers are also interested in your breadth of knowledge and understanding. Too many candidates come with a narrow band of knowledge. For example, a candidate who knows a lot about road alignment and pavement design in a particular highway scheme, but knows very little about the stability of the embankments, or how the drainage system was designed and constructed, has little breadth to his/her experience. A candidate who has been a “project manager” of a water treatment works, but cannot draw a simple hydraulic profile through the works, or discuss the reasons for the choice of the particular process used, has no breadth. Reviewers want to know that you understand the reasons why a particular option was selected for the overall scheme and that you exercised independent judgement when designing or constructing. They need to be convinced that you do not accept other peoples’ input “carte blanche”, but that you fully understand the reasoning behind the input and have challenged decisions where necessary. I have dealt with matters relating to the attributes concerning engineering and independent judgement. The next article will look at what Reviewers are looking for in other attributes, such as commercial matters or health, safety and welfare.

Peter Shapland (MDO)

Regional ICE Football Tournament Only five teams entered the tournament this year which meant that the tournament was down to one league. The one team that wouldn’t have been missed though turned up: the unbeatable LCC United

(Leeds City Council), and with a new kit it seemed that there was no point in their handing the trophy back. Although a bit windy, the sun stayed out and held the rain off. The tournament opened with a nail-biter of a match – three apiece to Scott Wilson and Faber Maunsell, Scott Wilson pulling back from two down. LCC United’s opening match was a 1-0 victory over Jacobs All Stars, not a comfortable win – was there hope for other teams? In Round 4, it seemed that this hope was alive – Bradford Council beating LCC United 2-1 with all LCC United matches played. This defeat opened up the finals – if Bradford Council and Jacobs All Stars could get wins in their next games, the finals would be down to goal difference. However, Faber Maunsell managed to hold Jacobs to a 0-0 draw and Bradford Council beat Scott Wilson 1-0, so the finals were set: Bradford Council vs. LCC United. The teams were well-matched and both teams fought hard for the ball. LCC United opened the score early on and Bradford upped their game. However, a few minutes from the end LCC United scored again to win the tournament. A very well-earned victory and the trophy retained. The National Finals are to be held in Edinburgh this year, and we wish the reigning National Champions all the very best luck. Congratulations to LCC United (again!).

Josie Chandler

Field of Engineering Engineering Principles

Water industry/Drainage Head losses in pipes or channels Temporary Works/Geotechnics Effective stress – how it applies to sheet piling or

cuttings Structural Refurbishment Overall stability against lateral loads Excavation below ground water level Flotation, Sequence of construction Highway Construction Materials options, layers in road construction

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RICE visit to Saltaire Our Retired Members Section organised a day out, open to all members and their families, to the World Heritage Site of Saltaire on Saturday 18th July. The day began with a short talk on the history and renovation of the rather ornate (for URC) church and was followed by a talk over coffee, and then a walk, under the expert, amusing and in-character guidance of two ‘Victorian’ ladies. After lunch in Salt’s Diner, the day finished with a private tour and demonstrations in the Reed Organ and Harmonium Museum.

Welcome to the Region This event, run for the second time last September, is aimed at all members, of any grade, new to the Region, to come and find out about ICE in Yorkshire and Humber and what we can do for them. We have short presentations from the Chairs of the Main committee and G&S committee, the Regional Support Team (RST) and Regional Education Team, then guests are free to mingle with the committee and RST members over a buffet supper to discuss how ICE could help them with career

ambitions or how they can be further involved with ICE Yorkshire and Humber. Following last year’s success our aim is to run the event in both Leeds and Sheffield, as this should enable more members to benefit from this informative evening. These will be on 12th and 24th November respectively. Look out for further details in the enews.

Cutting our cloth ……… John Branton has written on page 3 about the re-evaluation of budgets that ICE, in common with many organisations, has been undertaking over the past year. Despite the vote in favour of a 2½% increase in subscription next year, we have to cut our spending. One of ICE Yorkshire and Humber’s largest items of expenditure is on hard-copy communications to our members, ie the Briefing, the Annual Report and the Programme booklet. We asked in the Annual Report whether you would like to continue to receive paper copies of any or all of these. If you do wish to, and haven’t yet replied to say so, please let us know by the end of September (contact details on page 8).

Why do they do that?

Why do people use “effect” when they mean “affect”? (and why do people use ‘affect’ when they mean ‘effect’?)

Formal Notices Committee Membership Only one member of the Committee, Peter Caldwell, reached the end of his three-year term this year and had to stand down. As our Constitution requires that at least two elected places must be made available each year, Alex Holt offered to resign. Nominations were invited and notice was given of the election. Alex decided to stand for re-election and there were no other nominations, so he was duly elected to serve a three-year term. The Committee has the power to co-opt a limited number of people so, if you feel that you have something to offer, please contact us. The names of Committee members for the 2009-10 session, and the roles they fulfil, will be on our website in September.

Awards We are very keen to recognise the achievements of Civil Engineers in the Region and nominations are invited for our annual awards. Entries have been accepted since the beginning of August and nominations close at midnight on 28th September. Please consider whether you have any projects that may be worthy of recognition and contact us for a Nomination Form and details. Note that monetary value of the project is not a criterion and it does not have to be high-profile. AGM The Annual General Meeting of ICE Yorkshire and Humber will be held at 1800h at The University of Bradford on Thursday 8th July 2010. All members are invited to attend and professionally-qualified members will be entitled to vote.

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Highlights of Forthcoming Events For all meetings, see the Programme booklet and check the website. We do our best not to make any changes to the published programme but, inevitably, there is the occasional problem. The website and enews will be used to inform members of any changes so it is always worth checking these before traveling (see Contact Us). The enews is normally sent on the third Tuesday of each month but a special edition will be sent if it is necessary to warn of changed arrangements. If you are not receiving the enews, visit www.ice.org.uk/MyICE and specify your preferences.

Fleming award presentation Wednesday 15th SeptemberDesign and Construction of Limerick Immersed Tube Tunnel Temporary Works

'Civil Engineering for Everyone' Tuesday 22nd SeptemberChair's Address and cocktail evening. Speaker: Ian Parke. At The Met Hotel, Leeds

Efficient stadium roof design - from cantilevers to nests

Wednesday 30th September

Speaker: Darren Paine. Xscape Castleford, Colorado Way, Glasshoughton, Castleford

SCE Forum Wednesday 21st OctoberTo be held at Rogerthorpe Manor, Badsworth, Pontefract

High Speed Rail v Heathrow Expansion Thursday 26th NovemberJoint Meeting with Transportation Group

Qualification Surgeries Tuesday 1st/Wednesday 2nd/Thursday 3rd DecemberQualification surgeries are being held by the RST in Bradford and York on the 1st, Hull and Sheffield on the 2nd, and Leeds on the 3rd of December

Draft Floods and Water Bill Wednesday 3rd February 2010Chaired by Jean Venables, to be held at St George’s, University of Sheffield

Gala Dinner Dance & Awards Friday 12th March 2010Next year’s Gala Dinner Dance will be held at the Cutler’s Hall in Sheffield, a prestigious and historic venue that will add to the occasion. Provisional bookings may now be made.

All members of the Institution whose registered address is in the Region are members of the Yorkshire and Humber Region unless they have requested membership of another Region, in which case they may ask to be honorary members of the Region as well. Student Members and Graduate Members are automatically members of the G&S Section. Members with a registered address in the north and south Humberside areas are automatically members of the Humber Branch, as well as of the Region, and any other member of the Region may request membership of this. Members of the Institution who have retired or are nearing retirement are invited to contact us in order to join the Retired Members’ Section.

Don’t forget, if you would still like to receive hardcopy of this publication, please let us know (if you haven’t already) by contacting us at the address below.

Contact Us email: iceyandh@ice.org.uk telephone/fax: 0114 232 5044 write to: ICE Yorkshire and Humber, PO Box 4317, Sheffield, S6 9DT website: www.ice-yorkshireandhumber.org.uk