Infrastructure Transformation

On 20 June 2016, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) published its Infrastructure Transformation programme, a year-long dialogue drawing on professionals from across the built environment that aims to develop and share new thinking about how high-performing infrastructure can be delivered and operated in the UK and around the world.

The programme has come about in response to the unprecedented challenges the construction industry faces over the next 25 years. Infrastructure needs are changing, and the way it is delivered will need to change too. This has prompted ICE to ask, ‘...what are these challenges, and how can the construction industry meet them?’ The outcome of the ICE Council’s October 2015 Annual Strategy Meeting was a radical agenda to change how infrastructure is planned, delivered and operated so that it meets the needs of society.

Access to goods and services is being revolutionised as society becomes increasingly digitally-enabled. Communications, energy and transport networks can be used in much more efficient ways as data allows real-time decisions to be made. According to ICE, ‘...a new approach from the construction industry is required in order to understand what society really needs from its infrastructure going forward.’ It suggests that priority should be given to high-quality infrastructure services and systems management over simply delivering more and more ‘major projects’.

ICE has launched a Green Paper focusing on four key areas:

Agile infrastructure: Infrastructure that is responsive and can adapt to the changing needs of the user.
Artificial intelligence: The prospect of technology that can think rather than just do has enormous implications in terms of the industry’s project delivery speed, out-turn cost, and carbon emission reductions.
Skills and delivery: The imperative to reduce cost, deliver faster, reduce emissions and improve asset performance.
Autonomous vehicles: These could offer significant potential for meeting mobility demand.

If you're a civil engineer, work in the built environment or have an interest in infrastructure, ICE are asking for your thoughts and answers to this question.

Over the coming months they will be running hackathons and workshops and producing a range of digital content in an effort to address the Green Paper’s questions. If you are interested in getting involved please contact [email protected].

You can find out more and download the report here.

--The Institution of Civil Engineers