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Arup’s experts around the world have a vast reservoir of technical and project knowledge, and Arup University’s role is to help share and garner this knowledge. You can find more information about most of the stories in this publication, including more images, and videos at the Arup website for experiments and off-project ideas, www.fieldsofactivity.com.
Research Projects Australian Water Consumer Outlook
Authorities and other agencies increasingly understand that to best manage our water resources and deliver improved customer experience they need to hear what customers know, don’t know and what their concerns are. To support that, Arup University helped the Australian Water Association and Arup survey Australians nation-wide to understand consumers’ views about water and produced the 2015 Water Consumer Outlook.
Key features
• Over three quarters of respondents (77%) were concerned or very concerned for water shortage in the whole of Australia. • Less than a third of respondents (31%) were confident there will be enough water in the future and only 34% thought the authorities were taking firm action on longer term water availability. • The top three perceived impacts on water were drought, climate change and population growth.
Daniel Lambert, Arup’s Australasia • Thirty-eight per cent of respondents Water and Urban Renewal Leader supports an increased customer focus, considered the price of water about right. Over half of the respondents “The water industry in Australia ( 54%) thought that changes in water has recognised the importance of prices were not explained enough. continuing to shift from a compliance focus to a customer focus. This • There was strong support for commitment has been reflected in alternative water sources with 90% the utilities statements of obligation agreeing water recycling was a which acknowledge the importance of sustainable non-drinking source their customers.” and 82% supporting stormwater reuse. Alternative water sources were The findings were extremely widely accepted for drinking, led by interesting, showing that while desalinated water (82% agreeing or there was some concern about the strongly agreeing), recycled water approach being taken to ensure ( ) 69% and stormwater (56%). our ongoing water security, there is strong support for alternative water sources, with 90% agreeing that water recycling was a sustainable non-drinking source.
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In order to maintain and enhance a customer focus, it is critical for the water industry to understand their customers. The 2015 Water Consumer Outlook provides the results of a nation-wide survey. This report provides a valuable insight into customer’s views on important issues facing the water sector.
Do we think and talk about water only when we are in drought?
Research Projects smartNodes
The fabrication of materials and forms through computer controlled machinery is opening up all sorts of opportunities for design and procurement in the built environment.
The connections in a large roof span can make up as much as 30 to 40 per cent of the total weight. Therefore, apart from creating beautiful new forms, 3D printing offers a way to reduce this weight, leading to a more cost effective solution, savings on materials, reduced foundation sizes, and in a seismic region, lower seismic loads.
3D printing is bringing about a shift in some of the fundamental assumptions of manufacturing for construction. For many years, design has been centred on repetition for cost effectiveness, but 3D printing is now We printed prototypes using both making bespoke elements feasible. steel and plastic and produced a 1:5 scale shell shaped pavilion prototype To explore the potential we with a network of 144 3D printed collaborated with RMIT University plastic nodes. It was exhibited at the and The Independents Group to look Engineers Australia Engineering at how we can print 3D nodes for use Convention in Melbourne & in construction. Autodesk Real2015 in San Francisco. Our motivation for sponsoring the project initially came from “For years architects and engineers the potential benefits we saw in have been working out ways printing bespoke steel nodes for of rationalising and simplifying geometrically complex large span geometry and making it more roofs, such as the Singapore Sports repetitive. Now we are saying we Hub or Adelaide Oval. Although can 3D print components and make these roof shapes may not necessarily each component bespoke.” be complicated, often the primary members connect at varying angles James.ODonnell@arup.com which requires many bespoke Senior Structural Engineer connections to be manufactured.
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Images this story—Marc Morel, except 1—Kristof Crolla
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3D printing is bringing about a shift in some of the fundamental assumptions of manufacturing
Research Projects Realtime Sensing
Cities should be designed for people, and in order to ensure that a city’s infrastructure is working to this end it needs to be measured. Technological advances are allowing more and more of the physical world to be interconnected through computers and the internet. This phenomenon, known as the Internet of Things, presents endless opportunity for designers of the built environment. To explore this intersection between the digital and built environments, we have been collecting data on trees. By placing sensors in different species of trees around Melbourne city we are developing a better understanding of the effects of different tree canopies on micro-climate. The project, in collaboration with the City of Melbourne and the University of Melbourne, will help local authorities plant trees that can help keep the temperature down on hot summer days. Internet of Things technology is applicable to many aspects of a city and is helping us plan and design better cities for our clients.
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The Internet of Things presents endless opportunity for designers of the built environment
Research Projects Bus Stop of the Future
Bus stops have barely changed since the days of the horse-drawn omnibus. But couldn’t these locations present an opportunity to provide users with more than shelter and a place to wait? Through an ARC Linkage Grant, and alongside the University of Technology Sydney, Sydney University, Grimshaw Architects, the City of Sydney and Transport NSW we are exploring how bus stops could become smart pieces of infrastructure. Through the research, we developed a “digital information layer” to improve the delivery of information in and around these public transport stations and interchanges. The stops are designed to provide personalised real-time information across different transport modes including schedules, public information, directions, ticketing. Cameras connect each stop with the next to improve surveillance and the safety of travellers. Communityfocused screens are embedded into the stop to allow commuters to treat it like a noticeboard; advertising their garage sales, sporting events, fund raisers and so on. It could ultimately incorporate social networking, online shopping, multimodal travel, recycling, as well as information supporting active lifestyles and sustainability initiatives.
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We have built a prototype of the next generation of Sydney bus stops, which features large interactive displays, sensors and sleek wooden panelling. The bus stop itself was digitally manufactured using laser cut timber layers and displayed at Sydney’s Customs House. Digital technologies are increasingly becoming more intertwined with the built environment and through projects like these we ensure Arup understands the opportunities and the implications for our clients. “I see a future in public transport infrastructure where all infrastructure items like bus stops, tram stops and train stations are connected to each other. One train station can tell another bus stop about the occupancy levels, how many people will come. You want to have real-time and live information in a public transport environment.” Dr M Hank Haeusler Built Environment Senior Lecturer UNSW
Images this story—Xavier Ho, except 1&2—Martin Tomitsch
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We have built a prototype of the next generation of Sydney bus stops
Research Projects Monash Industry Team Initiative
Designing meets gaming
The ability to prototype and test concepts is integral to ensuring we can deliver the best designs for our clients. One way that we are improving our ability to do this is with the latest visualisation techniques. Immersive and interactive technologies, predominately designed for gaming, are giving us the potential to simulate and test our designs before they become a physical reality, and we are continually improving the accuracy of our visualisations.
We are working towards being able to manipulate the design whilst “inside” the model to see how changes play out in context. We are developing a platform that not only allows users to visualise and interact with their environment, but also to highlight and correct engineering issues as they discover them.
“As soon as we began visualising some of Arup’s current engineering designs there was client interest. The digital environment allowed for intuitive identification of building elements such as clash detection, This year we teamed up with Monash and made communication within University students through the the design team faster. Our clients Monash Industry Team Initiative saw the immediate application (MITI) to take our visualisation and of the technology for stakeholder simulation capabilities to a new level. and community engagement. The work builds on Arup’s existing Together with the students we virtualisation work (like Soundlab) in developed better ways for our designers to move around inside and communicating complex engineering information in a way that’s easy for explore our digital design models. anyone to interpret.” The team was able to use virtual reality technology such as the Oculus Jonathan.Osborne@arup.com Rift, Leap Motion and Microsoft Senior Acoustician Kinect to enter our designs in a Unity3D environment. We now have the ability to allow multiple people to explore designs together at the same time as avatars, and to interrogate the data of the model by simply pointing at or selecting elements as users move around a space.
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Immersive and interactive technologies, are giving us the potential to simulate and test our designs before they become a physical reality
Research Projects Docklands Surf Park
If you posed the idea of designing a surfable wave for the centre of Melbourne, many would tell you you’re crazy. Not Arup.
“To bring the surf to the city is a great concept, especially to a site like Central Pier in the Docklands. I can imagine having surfers in suits heading for an after work session Damien Rogers Architects and kids coming to the Docklands approached us with the idea to do just carrying surfboards on Melbourne’s that. The project involves designing trains and trams.” a beach in Melbourne’s Docklands as part of a 21st Century Park where Max Wells Melburnians could surf after work Chief Executive Officer instead of having to drive 90 minutes Surfing Victoria to Bells Beach, or where families could enjoy a picnic on the sand.
For Arup University the project was an interesting example of how Arup’s technical knowledge can bring an idea to life and how we can bring together different skill sets such as our planning and water teams to provide technical feasibility for the concept.
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The surf park is an example of how Arup’s technical knowledge can bring an idea to life
Research Projects
Global Research Challenge Each year Arup sets a number of priorities. These priorities are what we as a firm feel are critical challenges facing our world. For us and our partners to address these issues we need to better understand them. That’s why we developed the Global Research Challenge. The aim of the Challenge is to encourage open innovation through collaborative projects from Arup staff in partnership with industry or academia around the world.
Last year, the team selected from the Australasia region based their research on developing an Index for Age Friendly Cities. It was a collaboration between practitioners of medicine and the built environment, as well as academia and the ageing community. They came together with the collective aim to influence city leaders and developers to improve the quality of life of ageing populations.
The research looked beyond the clinical definition of being healthy, and explored a broader meaning of Challenge participants are invited the term, taking into consideration to propose a short-term, collaborative, levels of happiness, creativity, research project and receive grants contribution, activity and both of up to £50,000 each. physical and mental health. For 2015, the priorities are: The ultimate aim is to make the index
• Enabling the urban circular economy
• Evidence-based decision making in cities • Low carbon multimodal mobility • New approaches to financing city infrastructure
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easily available to all.
Pumped Hydro Energy Storage
Arup has teamed up with the Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI) at the University of Melbourne to In today’s rapidly evolving and study the economic potential of increasingly renewables-based electricity PHES in Australia, deepening our supply systems, advances in energy knowledge of its capabilities and storage technology are changing the identifying potential sites for PHES nature of the electricity market. facility construction. Pumped hydroelectricity energy storage (PHES) is by far the most “The adoption of large-scale energy significant form of large-scale energy storage with existing technology, storage in use around the world will allow cheaper solutions for today. Energy is stored by pumping energy storage and further increases water from a lower reservoir to a in large-scale renewable energy to second reservoir at a higher elevation be pursued. This will facilitate the at times of low electricity demand. provision of cheaper renewable This stored potential energy is later electricity supply through the converted to electricity by passing existing grid, and underpin the the stored water through a hydrorequired investment in new smart electricity generating turbine and grid technologies to improve efficient returning the water to the lower electricity supply for all end-users.” reservoir. The energy is thus used David.Dawson@arup.com to balance times of low and high Energy Skills Leader electricity demand. Whilst this is not new technology, it is seeing a resurgence globally, as evolving electricity supply systems place greater value on stored energy. However, no large scale facilities have been installed in the last 30 years in Australia.
21st Century Electricity Networks The energy sector is changing, and changing fast. New technologies such as micro-grids and battery technology no longer fit snugly within the current regulatory arrangement and are forcing organisations to explore how they can restructure their supply and pricing to keep up. Changing prices have long been used to alter consumers’ behaviour and we’re exploring this approach in the electricity sector. In recent years the structure of the industry has led to higher prices for energy and as a result consumers have altered their consumption habits and are in turn using less. We have been looking at the electricity tariff structure in Australia to see if there are opportunities to alter pricing, both at a wholesale level and retail level, in order to change the way consumers use electricity. “We hope to help utility companies innovate and adapt to these new trends and see lower energy prices, more take-up of cheaper forms of renewable energy generation, leading to cleaner, more sustainable cities.” David.Dawson@arup.com Energy Skills Leader
Five minute guide: Energy in Cities
Electricity Network
Pumped hydro
Renewable energy
Centralised Grid Storage
Main Access Tunnel
Anaerobic Digester PV
Discharge
Surge Chamber
Powerplant Chambers
Transformer Vault
Breakers
Within City
Elevator
Intake
Reservoir
Outside City
Visitor Centre
Switchyard
Non-renewable energy
Fossil fuel generator
Renewable Energy Solar Farm
Research Projects
Mapping Our Green Infrastructure “A key intent of our work at Arup is to generate improved environmental and social outcomes and we seek to do this in part through the many projects we work on. Mapping our work represents a key way to track what we are doing, capture lessons learnt and to share our knowledge to ensure that we evolve in how we deliver green infrastructure related work to generate improved outcomes.
Bagasse research Australia is a large producer of sugar. We grow up to 35 million tonnes of sugarcane which can produce up to 4.5 million tonnes of raw sugar. Once that sugar is produced, where does what’s left of the cane go? One of the winners of this year’s Global Research Challenge was a project trying to solve this question. In 2013 Arup proposed a research project to the Queensland State Highway Authority (TMR) to undertake a joint research project together. The research project looked into how to improve cohesive soils using the bi-product from cane sugar, known as Bagasse Fibre and Bagasse Ash.
Mapping our Green Infrastructure is a project to unearth the best of Arup’s projects in terms of environmental and social impact. This project calls on the whole of Arup to rate our projects, to crowd “We thought the application was source information about them and perfect. Queensland’s sugar industry then to critically determine trends in could provide a new waste product green infrastructure. The best will that benefits the vast State Road be celebrated and the knowledge Network. The outcome would gained from these will be shared via demonstrate how TMR can support Arup University to improve the green the agricultural industry and create aspects of future projects.” sustained job opportunities. Ragini.Prasad@arup.com The research is on-going but Senior Environmental Consultant ultimately we would like to promote use of Bagasse in road and rail construction globally wherever both sugar cane and cohesive soils exist.
The research fits perfectly with Arup’s values of environmental and society responsibility. We are promoting commercial diversification of a perceived ‘waste’ product by putting it back to good use.” Robert.Jones@arup.com Civil Engineering Skill Manager
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Once sugar is produced, where does what’s left of the cane go?
Foresight Projects The Future of Urban Water
In a rapidly urbanising world, water is becoming ever scarcer. The challenge for major cities is how can they continue to meet the water needs of a rapidly growing urban population and provide equitable water services in a world increasingly faced with water scarcity and environmental degradation; and how they can do this without further compromising the planet’s ecosystem.
systems and small scale water networks will be achieved through cooperatives, virtual networks and community platforms.
Survival of the fittest
This will entail the development of applications to provide customers with real-time data and information about water consumption, availability and pricing. It will require the implementation of differential water Arup’s Foresight, Water and Econom- pricing and services according to ics teams recently worked with availability of supply, service plans Sydney Water to map out what the and customer behaviour. future of urban water might look like. These scenarios help us better Using Sydney as a reference understand possible pathways into the city, a report was produced that future and enable conversations about explores how a wide range of how we can influence and shape the social, technological, economic, direction we are travelling in. environmental and political trends The scenarios featured in this could shape our urban water future. report can be used to explore the We came up with four plausible viability of different strategies, scenarios for the future of urban inspire innovation and assist in longwater utilities in 2040: term planning for more sustainable and resilient urban water systems. Incremental improvements While the scenarios are based on This scenario entails a focus on Sydney Water, their implications customer services that are userare relevant to a wide range of other centric and provide greater personal utilities and organisations. choice and control over service levels and pricing. It requires higher levels of cooperation between water, energy “Australia is the driest populated and telecommunication companies continent, and due to the challenges with a focus on integrated planning of our climate Sydney Water has and maintenance. successfully undertaken water efficiency and conservation programs Better together to manage demand. As our largest Here there is an emphasis on creating city and one facing unique challenges a seamless customer experience however, it is imperative that Sydney across multiple integrated utilities, continues to remain at the forefront including shared billing, pricing and of innovative thinking as to what customer services. Better cooperation the future of water supply may look between urban utilities through like. This thinking should consider collaborative planning, integrated demand, operating models and asset management, shared protocols adoption of technological innovation and open data will be needed. to ensure value is able to be realised by the community.” Autonomous communities This scenario places greater focus Daniel.Lambert@arup.com on services that enable customers to Australasia Water Leader manage and maintain autonomous water systems at building, community or cluster level. Governance and operation of autonomous 1.18
A wide range of social, technological, economic, environmental and political trends will shape our urban water future
“Water underpins the liveability of our city. It is not just about plumbing our houses, it is also about how water realises the look and feel of our city, and supports its future prosperity. We recognise that there are big changes ahead for the industry and that it is vital for us to take a leadership role that is proactive in responding to change and planning for the future. We are excited by emerging opportunities to do things differently and be at the forefront of creative solutions that respond to the full range of customer needs. This Arup study is an exciting step towards securing innovative and efficient management of our water resources for the next several decades.� Kaia Hodge Manager Liveable City Programs Sydney Water
Foresight Projects Cities Alive
The majority of the world’s population now call cities home. The impact cities now have on the ecosystem is momentous and more than ever cities need to be designed to work with the environment rather than against it.
The Cities Alive report shows how the creation of a linked “city ecosystem” encompassing parks and open spaces, urban trees, streets and squares, and woodlands and waterways, can create healthier, safer and more prosperous cities. To realise this vision, green infrastructure has to take a more influential role in the planning and design of cities and urban environments.
Cities Alive is our look at how we can build nature into our urban systems at all scales through high quality landscape design, in new development or retrofitting through a The report is a collaborative initiative green infrastructure design approach. by our Landscape Architecture practice and our Foresight + We are already seeing “green” roofs, Innovation + Research team, and walls and façades in our cities, along was supported by the UK Landscape with water-sensitive urban design, an Institute and the Royal Botanic urban agricultural movement and low Gardens, Kew. carbon development. These smaller scale green infrastructure initiatives are vital and make good use of “What should our designs try to pressurised urban space. However, achieve? We must take a critical because of the scale of the challenges look at the brief, make it more ahead there is also a need to consider comprehensive. We must look design approaches that will work at beyond the narrow object and a city scale where real differences ask ourselves: What will be the can be made. ecological consequences?” Sir Ove Arup ‘Philosophy of Design’
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Nature should be a key driver for urban design
Foresight Projects Future Libraries
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The decline of the printed word has not killed off the library. In fact, libraries are going through a renaissance, both in terms of the social infrastructure they provide and by diversifying the services and experiences offered. Libraries still play an important role in our communities.
The research identified the direction and opportunities for the library of the future, including Arup’s very own. It covered changes in spatial design, services offered, customer base, digital experience, and impacts on the people working in libraries and providing the service.
To explore how the role of libraries is changing we undertook research to identify trends and benchmarks for the future design, operation and function of libraries, both in public and corporate environments.
We also considered the new skills for library staff that will be required to complement a shift in focus. It is the result of a collective exploration through a series of workshop events held in London, Melbourne, San Francisco and Sydney, attended by experts in the design and management of libraries.
The research identified the direction and opportunities for the library of the future
Knowledge Projects Knowledge sharing initiatives
Although digital technologies are making knowledge sharing easier than ever before, we believe that to foster a culture of knowledge sharing you need to go beyond the tools. That’s why we periodically run initiatives that promote knowledge sharing in a fun and interactive way. One of the latest initiatives was based on the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera House is not only iconic to Australia, it is iconic to Arup as our founding project in Australia.
We scanned the Lego Opera House to create a 3D map then overlaid the structural BIM models for the concert halls over the Lego, giving users an insight into the internal structure not visible normally. We also created an image recognition app, where looking at a series of icons though a smartphone camera showed users photos, videos and played audio clips from the Opera House’s history. These events are examples of the importance we place on knowledge sharing. Through them we foster a culture of sharers and helpers that translates to positive outcomes on our projects.
Through a series of technical and storytelling talks, a site to collect stories and experiences, music, films, building of the Lego Opera House, and a hack day, we collected all we “Using some of the data that we had learned from that iconic project collected, we were able to present that we began in 1959. some digitally innovative concepts back to the office. This showcased We pulled together a variety of what’s possible with our own technical datasets and people’s internal knowledge, sparking ideas stories of their favourite Opera House for future work and digital experiences and used them as the innovation in our projects.” basis for the hacks, employing the sort of technology that could only be Kim.Sherwin@arup.com dreamed of five decades ago. Arup University Leader, Australasia
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We collected all we learned from the Opera House project we began in 1959
Knowledge Projects Understanding how we share knowledge
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People tend to share in particular ways and at particular times—only some of this sharing behaviour is intrinsic to the person themselves; sharing practices are informed by the tools and structures that we work within.
The research is ongoing, but we have some interesting preliminary findings.
We found that an organisational climate that encourages collaboration and teamwork increases trust, which is an essential element for knowledge sharing. Good networks are vital At Arup, knowledge is at the heart of in terms of collecting and donating everything we do. Therefore we place knowledge. great importance on fostering the right Open work environments, such as environment for knowledge sharing. the Activity-based work environment In order to understand how we share at Arup, were found to increase knowledge and how best to foster a knowledge sharing behaviours. culture of sharing we have partnered Interestingly, self-described with the Australian National extroverts were more likely to also University. Together we have describe more successful networks. analysed the nature of knowledge They had generally developed these sharing within Arup and the results networks offline, but this assisted will help us design more effective them with their online knowledge processes to promote this. sharing, both collecting and donating.
Trust is an essential element for knowledge sharing
Skills & Technical Development Design School
Sir Ove Arup believed that engineering was more closely related to art or craft than the sciences and to this day we promote creativity in everything we do. Design thinking is integral to Arup’s work. We pride ourselves on delivering the best, most effective, most innovative solutions for our clients. We believe that nurturing the creativity of our staff leads to better outcomes for our clients.
Design School is one of the many activities that makes Arup unique; it is about sharing knowledge, thinking creatively, challenging preconceptions, building connections and investing in our staff. Arup University, as conveyors of Design School, pushes the boundaries of our projects, exemplifies our culture and puts our people, their skills and their creativity at its heart.
There are limited places in these Once a year in each region around Design Schools so in a number Arup we hold Design Schools of offices we have also been trialling designed to cultivate creative, critical “Design School Lite” with the aim and innovative thinking in our staff. of allowing everyone in the office the At this year’s Design School we chance to have a taste of the larger delved into the idea of design Design Schools. The plan is to have for social change and immersed everyone across the entire office ourselves in the opportunities design through these four-hour bursts thinking offers for tackling not only of design and inspiration regardless physical design challenges, but also of discipline. organisational, social and The sessions feature guest speakers community challenges. and exercises, and encourage For a little over two days, 30 eager experimentation and participants get staff from around the Arup world the opportunity to learn from failure. came to Melbourne for a programme of mind expansion, skill development and fun. Teams of participants were taken through a design thinking process to help them devise businesses able to tackle those tricky challenges listed above. Interspersed with this design thinking, participants were challenged by speakers on topics ranging from social usefulness to agency, from disruption to buy-in. At the end of a packed program, each team pitched its business proposition using new-found skills in selling an idea.
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Activities identified new ways of thinking and approaching problems
Skills & Technical Development Skills Activities
3D Point Cloud
3D scanning is not a new concept, it has been used for a number of Our teams are continually on the hunt years to map and assess existing spaces and objects. Arup too has for new ways to improve the way used the technologies on a number they work and deliver better quality of different applications together outcomes for our clients. Arup with external providers. University works closely with teams to help them explore new approaches However, we often found to a wide range of problems. a disconnect between the scans we received and the application we needed them for. It was difficult to convey to a third party exactly how to undertake the scan for us to best do our work. That’s why we decided to purchase our own 3D scanner.
“Using recent real world projects we have explored how using reality capture tools and software can allow design professionals, project managers and facility owners to realise fast and efficient data capture of information. Performing our own 3D scans has really allowed us to use technology to best suit the way we work and we are already seeing better quality outcomes. We are also exploring related applications and extending the technology into Unity3D, augmented reality, mobile device interaction and ‘Real World’ COBie for existing buildings and more.”
Arup University is now working with Michael.Alder@arup.com our designers to use our scans in new, Senior Technician innovative & powerful ways.
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Air3D Blast Analysis “Air3D is a blast propagation analysis tool often used by our risk team. Through Arup University research we have been able to develop a suite of tools that improve the robustness, ease-of-use and flexibility of Air3D software.
City Resilience Index: Testing for Usability
BIM/GIS Integration for FM in Existing Campuses
What is city resilience? It is the When many hear the acronym BIM (Building Information Modelling) capacity of a city to function, so that citizens survive and thrive no images of modelling new buildings matter what stresses or shocks they come to mind. encounter. Arup works to improve However, BIM is not limited to new cities for their residents and making buildings. In fact Arup is working cities more resilient is a high priority. closely with our clients to apply The new processes we have The Arup International Development BIM to their existing assets. Arup developed have virtually eradicated team is working with the Rockefeller University is assisting our Buildings errors, saved approximately 70% Foundation in the development of team to use BIM for Facility of model-building time and have a City Resilience Index (CRI) to Management and enable our clients vastly improved the visual output measure resilience and help cities set to manage ongoing improvements of blast analysis. With the outputs targets for their design. to their building and building now graphical, our clients are able to service assets and provide accurate better visualise the results rather than To do this, Arup University is helping information to the supply chain test and pilot the index, at a global having to comprehend the outcomes for tendering and construction of scale. The index will provide real through pure numbers. improvement works. results based on actual data and The outputs of the analysis now metrics available to cities in the The project has explored the use of also seamlessly integrate with other Australasian region. multiple technologies such as the use modelling software such as Rhino of COBie, laser scanning, tru-view, making the results far more powerful. The CRI will become a valuable tool mobile technology and Unity 3D. in building more resilient cities. The work has been adopted The project has been a powerful throughout Arup globally and has demonstration of how BIM can really changed the way we work in be used to deliver highly effective this area.� solutions to our clients. Sam.Noli@arup.com Engineer
Skills & Technical Development Hack Day
Experimentation and rapid prototyping are an essential part of the innovation process. We encourage our staff to test their ideas and concepts and apply what they learn to their work. To promote this we organise events such as our recent Hack Day. A Hack Day brings creative individuals together to work towards a common goal and, in this case, produce digital prototypes that help solve real world problems.
In the short 30 hours, teams produced some brilliant working hacks ranging from live monitoring of new types of office environmental data to tracking the location of hot-desking staff. Some teams chose to use their time to brainstorm and develop concepts of functionality they’d like to see integrated into Office Realtime, giving the team great insight into what users want from the platform.
We wanted to give everyone around Arup a chance to get involved and see first-hand how our digital products In February as part of Arup’s second come to life. From project inception Global Hack Day we asked some of to sharing code and working in our staff to consider the challenges development environments, we and opportunities they faced day to exposed participants to tools we day with office work and to prototype use for coding such as JIRA, Git solutions for them. repositories and Confluence. The hack centred on our Office Events like the Hack Day are Realtime platform, which collects, important for Arup as they help analyses and displays information promote the culture of innovation about the working environment and equip our staff with skills to in real time. Some 70 staff in 16 rapidly turn their ideas into working offices around the world took part. prototypes. This leap from concept The day was begun by teams on to testable product is often the Australia’s east coast. Offices in other most difficult part of the innovation regions joined the action as the day process and a hurdle that we are progressed and the event was seen trying to minimise. out some 30 hours later by the San Francisco team. Teams stayed in contact with those in other locations “I have discovered a new world of soft through video link. Questions, tips programming happening in Arup. It and progress were all captured in a is the beginning of something good. dedicated Yammer group. We have some very good ideas and developers out there.” Roberto.Campo@arup.com Senior Engineer, Madrid, Spain
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Hack Days equip our staff with skills to rapidly turn their ideas into working prototypes
Skills & Technical Development
Masters Modules At Arup we never stop learning. We are prepared to continually invest in our staff to up skill them and bring new skills into the firm.
“The Business Economics Masters Module provided a great opportunity to draw relevant economic theory together with the challenges of the business environment that we face at Arup, and then to arrive at practical conclusions as to how we can better respond to our clients.
One way that we do this is to partner with some of world’s top universities and educational institutes to develop Just as valuable was the opportunity masters courses that are then available to meet and make connections with to staff from all over the world. colleagues from all around the Arup world. A real highlight was the These courses are run every year energy and enthusiasm of the Arup and the topics can range from Smart staff who made this course possible Cities to Business Economics. and the Imperial college staff who delivered it.� Nick.Turton@arup.com Transaction Advice Skills Leader
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Lunch & Learn
“Being an Arup Fellow is an honour that carries the responsibility of Another way our experts impart their inspiring other Arupians, and knowledge is by holding the classic industry peers, to strive for lunchtime lectures. However, rather excellence in design and the than limiting the audience to those application of technology. Therefore, willing to give up their lunchtime before I retired I wanted to share the talks are broadcast via video some of my knowledge I’ve gained conference to other offices around the during my long career. region and are also recorded for those I worked closely with the Arup who can’t attend. University team to develop a series of six lectures about fire safety in tunnels, which were delivered throughout the region. It was a great way to give something back to the next generation of fire engineers.” Peter.Johnson@arup.com Arup Fellow
Skills & Technical Development
e-Learning
BIM training
We know that not all learning is done through formal courses and we understand that you don’t have to be a trained teacher to teach someone something. That’s why Arup University fosters an environment where people can undertake less formal forms of learning.
Technology is advancing rapidly and it is significantly changing the way we design the built environment. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the term most used now to describe technologically advanced, collaborative and information-centric processes used to drive design, construction and operation of the built environment.
One such example is our e-learning portal, home to all our technical training courses. There are a huge range of courses to undertake. Currently we have 538 different modules available to staff, on topics as diverse as Designing Sustainable Buildings, Earthworks Masterclass and an Introduction to Project Change Management.
Although technology is bringing about the change, we realise it has profound impacts on all areas of our organisation. All of our staff need to understand the impact and opportunities associated with BIM. That’s why we have put a lot of focus on training our staff.
We have rolled out a series They are a popular way to learn of BIM training courses across because they provide staff with a way Arup globally. The courses range to learn on their own terms. from delivering information relevant Many of the courses are designed by to our leaders, right down to the best technical people within Arup discipline specific courses. with help from Arup University’s We are working to ensure that all training experts. The modules are our staff understand the implications a great way to develop knowledge of BIM and realise how to best use within the firm and another way it to produce better quality outcomes our technical experts can share for our clients. their knowledge and foster the development of the next generation. “We have made great strides in creating an environment where BIM practice is widespread and our capability deep and shared - and are prepared to take advantage of the opportunities that BIM presents us all. We are now better connected globally, sharing and learning from our colleagues’ best practice in BIM.” Peter.Bowtell@arup.com Digital Environments Skills Leader
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Courses range from delivering information relevant to our leaders, right down to discipline specific information
Projects
Marq We believe it is important to critically analyse the way we work and continually reassess the tools and processes we use. And often this means developing tools to suit the way we work best. In 2011 we started to rethink the way we worked on-site. Our façade engineering team decided that using conventional inspection techniques— a pen, paper and digital camera—to record their observations onsite about a project was inefficient and outdated. From there an app was born.
The app has been used extensively around Arup for a number of years and has changed the way we undertake on-site data collection. Marq enables our specialists to prepare, inspect and report on the go, and is revolutionary in its ability to provide real-time reports to project stakeholders. Apart from the efficiency improvements, Marq is a great example of our ability to innovate. Starting life as a simple idea we were able to successfully transform that idea into a sophisticated commercial product through a process of innovation.
“It seemed remarkable that in this day and age our engineers were still very much reliant on pen and paper. We’re “The Marq tool has been used helping to tackle this, by developing by the global RSR team to great an app that is genuinely useful to the effect on a number of high profile industry” Asset Services Leader, projects. Often people highlight Paul Bartholomew. that tools save a percentage of time Under Arup University we developed on a project, but in all honesty the Security Hotel Investigation for the Marq, an app that allows users to capture data on-site using an iPad and Qatar 2022 World Cup would not manage that data on a web interface. have been possible without Marq. We investigated over 50 hotels over a 6 week period and were able to compile notes, plans, photos and recommendations into a single report. Without Marq, we would have needed to spend weeks compiling the information which would have made the investigation not cost effective for the client.” Will.Thickett@arup.com Senior Blast Consultant
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Arup University Spaces: Changing how we work Arup University embodies Arup’s culture of creativity, exploration and innovation, and it is therefore essential that we have a physical presence in each office to truly integrate these values in the way our staff work . Arup’s Sydney Office has recently launched a pilot project to try out new ways of working ahead of our move to new offices in 2018. We’ve refurbished a quarter of our existing premises to experiment with new ways of working and collaborating. The new space features a studio workshop, a new activity based working “neighbourhood”, 3D printer, and experiments with location tracking and the physiological effects of lighting.
The spaces aim to foster creativity and collaboration, and Arup University sits at the centre of the studio, symbolically and literally at the heart of the new approach. Andrew Pettifer, Office Leader at Arup Australasia, sums up what the new space is all about: “Some might use a new workplace as a cultural change mechanism. For us, it highlighted the opportunity to create spaces that better reflect and enable characteristics that already differentiate us; innovation, creativity, and diversity. We want our office to encourage that; if we don’t fail in some way, we haven’t pushed the boundaries far enough.” Staff are given freeform space— adaptable, writeable, mouldable— with the expectation that if they come to an area that has no fixed form and are encouraged to participate, they will share, design and cross-pollenate ideas between disciplines.
Arup’s digital team are trialling Radio Frequency ID or RFID tags and bespoke Raspberry Pi nodes to track bay and workstation usage, and ambient noise conditions across the length of the pilot. This will create a long term dataset which will help track the effectiveness of certain aspects of activity based working. It will also provide real time feedback, displaying location of employees, bay occupancy and surrounding conditions. Other Arup offices in the region will soon undergo a similar process, truly embedding Arup University’s values into the very fabric of our offices.
Awards
Arup recently won the Engineers Australia’s Bradfield Award for 2015, celebrating the firm’s holistic contribution to NSW.
Arup University was proud to have contributed to the win, with judges impressed by Arup’s commitment to technical excellence. They saw this through the breadth of Arup University, the internal research and education within the organisation.
Arup’s achievements were recognised in three areas—innovation, sustainability, and leadership—and for the impact the firm’s projects have had Workplace quality and corporate on the enhancement of the state. social responsibility were key components of the firm’s leadership. Judges credited Arup’s mission as a This focus has seen inclusion on “socially useful” firm, which aims to Fortune magazine’s inaugural improve the cities it works in through Change the World list, and continual best practice, efficient and sustainable recognition as a Top 10 firm by the projects. Recent major works were Australian Centre for Corporate highlighted, particularly those with Social Responsibility. a broader social and urban impact. The Sydney CBD and South East Light Rail, the Central to Eveleigh “This award recognises the masterplan, multi award-winning contribution that Arup makes to heritage refurbishment 50 Martin engineering excellence in New South Place, and Ausgrid’s Smart Grid, Wales across infrastructure, buildings Smart City project formed central and planning. Sydney is one of the parts of the submission. spiritual homes of our firm and as a consultant to cities we are passionate about continuing to shape its future. I was delighted to receive this recognition from Engineers Australia on behalf of our staff.” Andrew.Pettifer@arup.com NSW Region Leader
Engineers Australia
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Enquiries
Kim.Sherwin@arup.com Phone +61 3 9668 5500 Arup has offices through the Australasian region. Melbourne Sydney Singapore Brisbane Perth Adelaide Canberra Cairns Townsville Jakarta Auckland Christchurch