Theme Description

Theme Descriptions
With five themes covering everything from coastal and civil engineering to construction sustainability, we guarantee there is something to suit your business. Take a look at what each theme has to offer and gain an insight into what to expect from your chosen theme:

Civil Infrastructure

The age of ‘digital design engineering’ and modern methods of construction, assessment and appraisal can bring significant opportunities to modernise the industry and address key challenges such as aging infrastructure; growth in demand; and increased environmental risks including climate change.

Considering the principles of sustainable whole-life infrastructure asset design and management, and technical guidance on the management of key assets such as bridges, tunnels, embankments, dams, culverts and reservoirs, we hold a wide range of seminars and webinars addressing these topics.

Previous events include:

Infrastructure risks and resilience in an interdependent world (Hosted by Arup), Annual geotechnical issues in construction conference, Developments in assessing and managing the effects of scour, Developments in design, application and construction techniques of Embedded Retaining Walls

Construction technology, processes and management

Meeting the targets and objectives of Construction 2025 will require paradigm shifts in working practices and an industry wide move towards ‘smart construction’ and ‘intelligent asset management’.

There have been many exciting developments in this area in recent years with huge advances in digital engineering and construction, standardisation and prefabrication methods (including DfMA and Offsite Construction), and streamlining construction processes through Lean methodology.

Events held previously include:
Infrastructure data technologies & Data driven decision making, Immersive visualisation technologies for construction sector (CH2M sponsored facility tour), Transforming construction by adopting a Lean Thinking approach (workshop series), Numerical modelling in construction (joint event with NAFEMS)

Green and blue infrastructure for the built environment

The benefit of integrating green and blue infrastructure into building and infrastructure projects is increasingly recognised across sectors. Increased urbanisation and built developments has led to issues in surface water management, urban heat effects, air quality, and biodiversity loss. Promoting and supporting the implementation of green and blue infrastructure solutions, at different scales across the built environment and during a construction project, to address these challenges, mitigate future risks and improving our built environment for the benefit of society is core to CIRIA’s work and ethos.

Events held previously include:
Water sensitive urban design and a water sensitive UK, Biodiversity and green infrastructure site tour of King’s Cross Development (Hosted by Kier), Benefits of large trees in the urban environment: design and management, Valuing urban ecology and city resilience

Coastal and marine engineering

Accommodating the various competing uses of our coasts for flood defence and tourism are some of the challenges being faced by industry and regulators. These are exacerbated by changing climatic regimes and demographics so the coastal regions often have a number of pressures and challenges that need to be carefully managed. The integrated and sustainable management of coastal and marine environments to ensure a good environmental status is achieved whilst still enabling the coastline and seas to be a productive resource for industry and local communities is a key focus for CIRIA.

Events held previously include:
Coastal infrastructure management workshop, Management of landfill sites and contaminated land on eroding coastlines, Environmental standards in marine environment, Old Waterfront Walls – management maintenance and rehabilitation

Environment and sustainability

For those working on construction sites it is crucial that they consider the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable construction that will deliver a project that minimises the impact of the surrounding environment, reduces the unnecessary use of resources and works within the regulatory framework placed upon the project. The construction industry also has a larger impact on the environment than just the land we use for buildings and infrastructure. Around half of non-renewable resources that humans consume are used in construction.

Protecting and enhancing the economic value of the natural environment is critical if we are to create a sustainable society. More needs to be done to value our environment as human health and wellbeing are dependent on it. The construction industry has a key role to play in helping to deliver these improvements and CIRIA is committed to supporting this agenda.

Past events in this area include:
Environmental best practice in major infrastructure projects (supported by Temple Group), Contaminated land and extreme weather conditions, Managing risk and enhancing reputation through responsible sourcing, ISO14001 and its implications for construction industry