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CIRIA blog

Bringing industry leaders and experts together,  CIRIA offers an engaging platform for cross sector collaboration and discussion, and aims to strengthen links between research, innovation and practice.

The CIRIA blog keeps you up to date with the latest news, events and opinion from CIRIA and the wider construction industry.
Constructing and inspecting SuDS: are we still missing the point?
4/28/2026
Sue Illman, Managing Director, Illman Young Landscape Design and CIRIA trainer discusses there is much to do when it comes to constructing SuDS
 
Celebrating biodiversity excellence in the built environment
10/28/2025
Richard Thomas reflects on the 2025 CIRIA Biodiversity Challenge Awards, celebrating projects that put nature at the heart of development.
 
Build SuDS into developments – not bolt them on
10/14/2025
Paul Shaffer, Director of Projects at CIWEM, emphasises the need to integrate Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) from the outset of development, rather than as an afterthought, and introduces CIRIA’s new guide and animation.
 
What being named a SuDS Champion means to me
8/28/2025
Marcus Gayle, newly named 2025 SuDS Champion, shares how his passion for urban waterways drives his work to create sustainable, community-led spaces where people and nature can thrive.
 
Too busy to attend asbestos training? Think again.
8/19/2025
Joanne Kwan, Senior Research Manager CIRIA and Paul Nathaniel, Director, Land Quality Management discuss the importance of training.
 
Save the date in your diary, there is a new SuDS guidance document in town
8/18/2025
Faye Gennard, Director at Rennard Consulting Limited, highlights the growing importance of early consideration of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in development and introduces CIRIA’s forthcoming guidance and animation.
 
Buried pressure pipelines: designing for thrust restraint
7/2/2025
Phillip Clisham, Independent Consultant and Buried Pipeline Specialist at P.Clisham Consulting Ltd, explores the importance of understanding thrust restraint in the design and maintenance of buried pressure pipelines – and introduces CIRIA’s updated
 
Smart Roofs – Soil is critical to the success of new innovative practices
5/14/2024
Charlotte Markey, Green Urbanisation Manager, Polypipe Civils and Green Urbanisation explains the role of technology in optimising soil systems for green infrastructure.
 
CIRIA Annual Lecture: Increasing Infrastructure Resilience
4/19/2024
Dr Andy Moores, Research Director at CIRIA, summarises the key outcomes from CIRIA’s recent Annual Lecture.
 
Achieving best value through design of ground gas protection measures in new buildings
4/10/2024
Steve Wilson, Technical Director, EPG Ltd and CIRIA trainer discusses the importance of design of ground gas protection in helping clients and contractors achieve best value.
 
Can we ever achieve responsible soil management in construction
3/22/2024
Joanne Kwan, Senior Research Manager and Sustainable Land Reuse Lead, CIRIA, explores how the construction industry is responding to the challenge of responsible soil management to deliver environmental wider benefits.
 
Navigating the waters of change
11/16/2023
Fareita Udoh, Project Manager, BUILDOFFSITE, looks back on Future Water Associations first "Connecting the future" of 2023
 
PFAS - Something must be done!
10/16/2023
Paul Nathanail, Technical Director, Land Quality Management discusses PFAS and the upcoming PFAS conference.
 
Developing a community of practice, a cultural soil and substrate charter
8/17/2023
Richard Scott, Director National Wildflower Centre at the Eden Project discusses the development of a community of practice.
 
Meet the authors of CIRIA Culverts guidance
6/19/2023
This month, we catch up with Jeremy Benn and Amanda Kitchen, JBA Consulting and authors of C786 guidance + CIRIA trainers to discuss CIRIA's guidance on which Culverts training is based.
 
Engineering superheroes
5/3/2023
Dr Louise Walker, Senior Research Manager discusses blue-green infrastructure assets.
 
CIRIA annual lecture 2023 recap: What is the path to sustainable infrastructure?
4/24/2023
Discover the key messages from sector leaders.
 
Celebrating 25 years CIRIA Culverts guidance
12/7/2022
Jeremy Benn, Director, JBA Consulting and Dr Amanda Kitchen, Technical Director, JBA Consulting - authors of the CIRIA Culvert Screens and Outfalls Manual (C786) discuss the evolution and popularity of CIRIA culvert design guidance.
 
Being more spongey
12/7/2022
Dr Louise Walker, Senior Research Manager considers the implications of the recently published National Infrastructure Commission report Reducing the risk of surface water flooding.
 
CIRIA's sustainability champions leading by example
9/7/2022
Dirk Vennix, CEO, CIRIA shares his thoughts on the value of Sustainability Champions working within the construction and built environment sector.
 
Water damage
7/15/2022
Water is the new fire. Escape of water incidents have increased in frequency and severity in the past few years, with large losses now as frequent, if not more so, than fire-related incidents, according to the Construction Insurance Risk Engineers Gr
 
The influence of cleaning method on screen design
4/20/2022
Dr Amanda Kitchen Technical Director, JBA Consulting, co-author of the CIRIA C786 Manual and CIRIA trainer considers the influence of cleaning method on screen design.
 
Non-destructive testing of civil structures
3/2/2022
Chris Atkins, Technical Principal, Mott MacDonald and co-author of C798 provides an overview of new guide.
 
Working with wildlife in the construction industry
1/31/2022
Sarah Ive, Principal Ecologist, Temple Group and CIRIA trainer discusses the importance of dealing with wildlife issues on construction sites.
 
Keeping in PRIME condition: monitoring infrastructure using geophysics
1/17/2022
Jim Whiteley, Arnaud Watlet and Jon Chambers, Shallow Hazards and Earth Observation, British Geological Survey consider monitoring infrastructure using geophysics.