R and D Fund Case Studies

Where does the money go?
The R and D Fund provides that much needed injection of cash to help projects get underway. Here are some examples of how this money has been put to good use:

Project Inch	Seismic Hazard
CIRIA C660	Respect for People

PHEW Member Paul Dunkerley devised a way of inspecting and making information on `Historical Engineering Works´ in his Region publicly accessible in conjunction with the website www.engineering-timelines.com.  A Pilot Trial in Lancashire, funded by ICE R&D Fund and Engineering Timelines, was carried out in 2005/6.

HEWs were plotted on maps and grouped into tours of inspection and photography by Dunkerley and his wife Anna.   Afterwards, data gathered was used to update PHEW records and to prepare material for 67 website entries.The Engineering Timelines editorial and design team converted this raw material into user-friendly web content. `Snapshot in Time´ CDs were created and sent to recipients regionally and within ICE, for inclusion in the Lancashire SMR and for research, publicity and educational purposes. 

A second phase covering Cumbria and parts of Lancashire commenced in 2007, using many images from a 2006 photographic survey financed by ICE North West.  By end November 2007, a further 60 entries had been prepared.  Data from 2005 and 2006 has also been used in a tourist information leaflet, two magazine articles, and in the AIA 2007 Conference Gazetteer.

The work is intended to continue, with coverage extending gradually to include the whole of mainland Britain.

Project leader(s): Paul Dunkerley BSc(Eng), CEng, MICE, MCIOB (Self-employed Engineering Historian) & Member of PHEW for ICE North West and Clare Sims, Development Co-ordinator from Engineering Timelines.

Project Title: Eurocode 8 seismic hazard zoning maps for the UK/Establishing the need for seismic design in the UK Start Date: January 2007 End Date: July 2007

Two related studies were carried out, investigating seismic hazard and the needs for seismic design in the UK.  They followed the publication in 2006 of Eurocode 8 `Design of structures for earthquake resistance´, and the corresponding need to prepare UK National Annexes. Given this context and in order to ensure a broad consensus, it was essential that both studies should draw on a wide range of relevant expertise in the UK.  Accordingly, over 17 seismologists and structural engineers with an interest in earthquake resistance were consulted.

The first study, `Eurocode 8 seismic hazard zoning maps for the UK´, made use of an existing British Geological Survey (BGS) database of UK earthquakes.  Two maps were provided, with return periods of 475 years and 2,500 years.  The maps were primarily intended to demonstrate the variation of seismicity within the UK, rather than to provide ground motion values for the seismic design of specific projects, for which site specific studies were recommended.  The study was carried out by Roger Musson and Suzanne Sargeant of BGS Edinburgh.  Additional funding was provided by ABS Consulting, the British Standards Institute, and the British Geological Survey.

The second study, `Establishing the need for seismic design in the UK´, was carried out by means of a literature search, some desk studies and interviews with engineers with relevant expertise.  It reviewed the vulnerability of construction in the UK to earthquakes, and proposed guidelines for establishing whether new construction in the UK warrants an explicit seismic design, and if so, what measures are appropriate. The report was mainly concerned with new buildings, although other facilities were also considered.  It was prepared by Edmund Booth and Bryan Skipp.

The two studies have provided the basis for the UK National Annexes and Published Document to Eurocode 8.  They should also prove useful for any future review of seismic design requirements for the proposed new generation of UK nuclear power stations.  They were presented at a well attended seminar in October 2007, and have given rise to a debate in the Verulam column of The Structural Engineer.

Project Leader(s): Roger Musson/Edmund Booth

Project Title: CIRIA C660:  Early-age thermal crack control in concrete Start Date: September 2005 End Date: September 2006

CIRIA were approached by experts in the concrete industry who suggested that CIRIA´s publication R91, about early-age thermal crack control, needed to be updated following research at Dundee University into the effect of incorporating cement replacements into the mix.

Following meetings to discuss the suggestion CIRIA decided that an update would be useful but that the scope of the work should be wider than just considering the effect of cement replacements. In particular, designers would benefit from more detailed guidance about how to take early-age cracking into account in their designs and also how to align their designs with the requirements of the new Eurocodes.

Funding for the work was offered by various organisations in the cement industry and CIRIA also voted to use core member funding for the work. There was however still a funding gap and it was the ICE´s Research and Development Fund´s offer of funding which allowed the work to go ahead.

The technical work was undertaken by Dr Phil Bamforth under contract to CIRIA. He was supported by an expert Steering Group chaired by Keith Wilson of Fabermaunsell. The work done by the Concrete Technology Unit at Dundee University was provided to the project by Professor Ravi Dhir and his team. Dr Steve Denton of Pasons Brinkerhoff provided expertise in the Eurocodes and other Steering Group members contributed detailed comments from their detailed knowledge of the subject.

The output from the work was an entirely new guide, CIRIA Report C660, Early-age Thermal Crack Control in Concrete. The guide included a CD with spreadsheet calculators and supporting detailed appendices to the main printed text.

The guide was launched at the Institution in January 2007. The guidance caused something of a stir when it was launched as it suggested that the Eurocode advice was un-conservative and suggested measures to be taken to reduce the risk accordingly.

Empowerment offers the opportunity to create a workplace culture that promotes the participation and involvement of employees in the decisions that affect them. It is essential to retaining and developing a productive workforce in an increasingly demanding business environment.  A recently completed two year project, funded by EPSRC and ICE, Respect for People: Strategies for Improved Construction Project Performance developed a variety of tools, techniques and value enhancing practices aimed at improving:

• organisational empowerment and teamwork within the project supply chains
• operational employee empowerment and teamwork at an individual level

The research represents close collaboration with a wide range of construction companies and industry bodies from both the construction and process sectors.  The results, based on a series of workshops, interviews, case studies and an extensive questionnaire survey, have  been documented in several journal and conference papers, and the European Construction Institute handbook entitled “Managing People on Construction Projects”.

For more information contact Professor Andrew Price at Loughborough University:
 e a.d.f.price@lboro.ac.uk