2018 March Consulting Matters by Consult Australia

AUTUMN 2018

Disruption!

Disruption in Urban Design

Augmented and Virtual Reality Training: The Next Wave of Digital Disruption

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Consulting Matters

CONTENTS

14 20

Disruption in Urban Design

Global CEOs grapple with Digital Revolution Industry updates

Business essentials

Industry updates

New members

Technology and Architecture, Engineering, and Design: Where is it heading? 23

Corporate Social Responsibility

What’s happening in Consult Australia From the President

From the CEO

Division updates

RedR Report: Sarah Shouman

GHD driving change through Reconciliation

Project case study

Features

Digital Technology more than just shiny toys

3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing to reshape the built environment

The Hills to be adorned with unique development

Augmented and Virtual Reality Training: The Next Wave of Digital Disruption

Spiders, Goats and Biosteel™ 36

Global CEOs grapple with Digital Revolution

Digital Disruption Cyber Risks

Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) as a Disruptive Innovation

Disruption in Urban Design Disruption by digitalisation: it’s here!

Not a member of Consult Australia? To find out more about how your firm can benefit from membership contact Consult Australia on (02) 8252 6700 or email membership@consultaustralia.com.au www.consultaustralia.com.au

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Industry updates

Industry updates MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS Norman Disney & Young (NDY) was acquired by Tetra Tech in January and join their consulting and engineering services practice. Tetra Tech is a NASDAQ listed company, with 16,000 employees located in more than 400 offices worldwide. They are a recognised leader in the built environment, providing government and commercial clients with innovative solutions focused on water, environment, infrastructure, resource management, energy, and international development.

Pritchard Francis has diversified its market sector services with the acquisition of Scope Australia. Pritchard Francis will continue principally as a civil and structural consultancy, while Scope primarily offers multi-disciplinary services in the mining sector. Both will continue operating in their current forms, providing quality engineering consulting to their respective clientele.

In a move that will diversify its digital engineering and advisory offering and continue to drive its own digital transformation, Aurecon has acquired market leading digital agency Studio Magnified (formerly Squint Opera Australia). The team of 25 digital designers and creative strategists renowned for their work in infrastructure and the built environment joined Aurecon on 1 March 2018.

APPOINTMENTS Cardno has welcomed its new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Andrew (Andy) Goodwin, who took up his post to lead the global infrastructure and environmental services company on 1 March 2018. Andy brings more than 30 years’ international experience in engineering consulting services within the fields of energy and urban infrastructure. He was most recently CEO and Managing Director of SMEC, prior to which he held a number of senior executive positions including 12 years at Finnish engineering consulting company Pöyry in Thailand and Switzerland. Peter Chamley has been announced as the new Australasia Region Chair at Arup. Peter is currently a member of the Arup Group (global) Board and leads the Global Infrastructure Practice from his base in London. He has over 35 years’ experience in leading and delivering major projects across the UK, Europe, Australasia, East Asia and the USA, including Crossrail in London, HS2 in the UK, and Second Avenue Subway in New York. Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) is pleased to announce the promotion of Antonio LoMonte to Hydraulics Section Manager in the Sydney office. Antonio takes over the role from David Steblina who will be stepping down as Section Manager and who has been fundamental to the growth and success of the Hydraulics team and the Sydney office. SLR has announced the senior appointment of Technical Director Anthony Lane to assist in the growth of the firm’s Land Quality and Hydrogeological services in the Asia Pacific region. With over 40 years’ experience, Anthony is an advisor, investigator and auditor in contaminated site assessment and remediation; hydrogeology and groundwater resources; landfill life cycle; ground gas/soil vapour; risk assessment and communication as well as environmental approvals and

management. He's worked extensively across Australia as well as in New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Adrian Dwyer has been named the new CEO of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia (IPA) to replace the outgoing Brendan Lyon. Adrian spent four years as IPA’s Head of Policy before going to Infrastructure Australia in August 2015 to head up its research and policy functions. Brendan leaves IPA after 10 years at the helm. SLR Consulting has recently announced the appointment of Mo Daud to lead the firm’s Land Quality and Remediation services in the Asia Pacific region. Mo has almost 30 years’ experience in site characterisation and remediation projects across multiple sectors, including chemical and petrochemical, oil and gas, manufacturing, mining, property development, power and transport. His expertise also includes due diligence audits, facility environmental audits, environmental management system, hazardous materials and property risk. Further strengthening SLR’s land quality capability is the appointment of Ruairi Hanly who is also based in Asia Pacific. With over 17 years’ experience, Ruairi has managed remediation and audits of contaminated land projects of various sizes from small service stations to large former coal mines spanning thousands of hectares for a major infrastructure developments. Dr Collette Burke has been appointed Victoria’s first Chief Engineer to provide expert advice to the State Government on major project design and engineering, and to help the Government establish a registration system for engineers. Collette has experience in both the private and public sectors, having been appointed Director to the VicTrack Board in 2015 and currently serving as Managing Director of engineering consulting firm, Exner Group. She is also a former Director of the National Association of Women in Construction. In her new role she will be based within the Office of Projects Victoria.

Industry updates

Arcadis has announced the appointment of Greg Harrison as Business Leader for Advisory and Sustainability in Australia. Greg joined Arcadis in 2016 and has over 24 years' experience across infrastructure and development sectors, including strategic transport and land use planning, procurement and advisory, business case development, transaction and due diligence, master planning and environmental consulting. Aurecon has appointed Jane Moran as its Newcastle Office Manager to lead its Newcastle team in delivering innovative infrastructure design concepts and engineering advice for the key city-shaping and urban renewal projects that are helping to define Greater Newcastle and its future. Having Jane based in Newcastle adds to the company’s well-established team, and reflects the increasing number of infrastructure projects in the Hunter Region. Recognising the increasing pressure on road infrastructure from growing populations and transformative technologies, Aurecon has appointed Nial O’Brien as Global Service Leader – Roads. SLR Consulting has announced the Principal appointments of Subathra Ramachandram and Colin Stapleton to further strengthen the firm’s Advisory services in the Asia Pacific region. Subathra will be joining the Transactional Due Diligence team in Brisbane, while Colin joins the Waste and Resources Management team based in Melbourne.

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AWARDS Consult Australia congratulates David Singleton on his place on the Australia Day Honours list for 2018 where he was recognised as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to engineering, particularly through creating sustainable infrastructure for cities and communities. Amongst his many contributions to the industry, David was President of Consult Australia (2000-2002) has been on the Board of Standards Australia since 2010 and is currently a Member of Council at Swinburne University of Technology and Chairman and Director at Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia. Congratulations to the Consult Australia member firms who have been announced as citation holders for the 2017-18 Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Equal Opportunity Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE). A record 120 organisations received the citation this year, which recognises employer commitment and best practice in promoting gender equality in Australian workplaces, with WGEA Director Libby Lyons attributing the steady growth to the widening recognition of the business benefits and competitive advantage gained by improving gender equality in Australian workplaces. Our congratulations go to Member firms: AECOM, Arcadis, Arup, Aurecon, GHD, and Jacobs; Associate Member: Wollongong University; and National Partner: Cbus Super! We also congratulate all the member firms who were winners or finalists in the 2018 Client Choice Awards. Winner are listed below. Practitioner Award for most client-focused: Hamish Denize – Beca Profession Awards: Best consulting engineering firm… (>200m AUD): Beca (50-200m): Douglas Partners Special Award for most improved Net Promoter Score: Douglas Partners Industry Awards: Best provider to… Construction and infrastructure: Douglas Partners and Tonkin + Taylor NZ Government and community: Beca Power & Utilities: Beca Property: Douglas Partners

Editor Mark Rock

President Kiri Parr

Chief Executive Officer Megan Motto

Executive Assistant to CEO Eric Yang

Accounts Guillaume Marchand

Director – Membership & Commercial Services Kisanne Dulin

Director State Operations Manager SA & NT Jan Irvine

Director – Policy & Government Relations Nicola Grayson

Policy Advisor Stephen Kuper

Marketing Manager Mark Rock

Corporate Designer Voltaire Corpuz

Editorial submissions mark@consultaustralia.com.au

Advertising enquiries info@consultaustralia.com.au

NEW MEMBERS Cubitic Consulting Indochine Leigh Appleyard Family Trust Proactive Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd RGC Consulting University of Wollongong (Associate) WANT Geotechnical

Consulting Matters is produced by Consult Australia. Phone: (02) 8252 6700. Website: www.consultaustralia.com.au

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Industry updates

From the President Technological advancements are changing the way the industry operates day to day, but with that comes inherent risks and opportunities as business grapple with the digital revolution taking place including the reskilling and upskilling of its work force. For me this centres around practising: Curiosity

Welcome to 2018 and what a great topic to start this year's Consulting Matters edition with, Disruption. There is so much energy, optimism and creativity in our industry right now that it is hard not to be excited for what is coming. Technological advancements are changing the way the industry operates day to day, but with that comes inherent risks and opportunities as businesses grapple with the digital revolution taking place including the reskilling and upskilling of its work force. With digital disruption such a prevalent theme in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business environment, the rising threat of cyber risks and what businesses need to be aware of to combat them is another topic looked at in this issue. There is also the famous parable that talks about how a young man went out to change the world, then came back years later to change his village but ultimately as an old man realised the only thing he could change was himself. So as this issue talks about disruption â&#x20AC;&#x201C; our changing world and businessesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;we should also think about disrupting ourselves.

Last year I had the pleasure of hearing Jason Fox talk and one of the things he challenged the room to ask was how they become aware of new things. It can be easy in this algorithm driven world to narrow the information coming to us and default to what is comfortable, but it is just as critically important to open up your channels of information and be curious about the world and people around you. So what podcasts are you listening to, what new events have you been to and what new skill have you tried to learn? Diversity So I love working on projects and being part of groups that are full of people with different skills, backgrounds and ways of thinking. Every conversation takes me down new paths and perspectives and challenges my thinking. So, my ability to change my thinking and to be open to new and different ideas is intrinsically tied to building as much diversity around me as possible and to being part of diverse groups. This perspective also means I deliberately curate this outcome whenever I can. Breathing Space To handle disruption, we need our wells of resilience to be full and to have enough breathing space for our minds to wander and find solutions. We can feel it in our bones when we know we don't have the capacity to meet anything new being thrown at us. And we must shoo away feelings of guilt when we prioritise family and exercise over work

as these are the very activities where we find answers and thinking distils into action. And if you are looking for opportunities to do something different and get a broader perspective on the industry and our clients, get involved in a Consult Australia committee. Everyone is welcome. See you at an event soon.

Kiri Parr President

Industry updates

Consulting Matters

From the CEO This issue of Consulting Matters focuses around the theme of disruption, and it certainly will not be short of content! Disruption is happening all around us, from models of business to traditional relationships and ways of thinking. Our sector is one that should be well attuned to disruption—every day we are creating innovative and bespoke solutions for clients around the world—but I fear we are not as prepared as we might be for the seismic shifts that are coming… So here are the five things I think firms should be thinking about to take advantage of disruption: 1. D isrupt yourself! Most companies think about disruption from the outside in, but not many invest the time and resources to consider how they might disrupt from the inside out. While this is really innovation in the broader sense rather than disruption, this culture of questioning breeds the intreprenuers that could significantly streamline or replace the systems and processes slowing your business down. Rather than just thinking about how to make processes faster and easier, question why they exist at all and what value they add to the business. Not every problem needs a process solution so consider appointing a devil’s advocate in all internal meetings! 2. Think in scale The business models of professional services in the built environment are often heralded as innovative because they are bespoke (that is, every project has a different set of conditions and solutions that are unique). But there are aspects of projects that can be captured, commercialised and re-used. Our industry is often so used to signing away IP that we fail to consider how it can be applied outside the job at hand. As most great disrupters operate with some degree of scale it may be time for us to reconsider this approach—keeping in mind that scale does not need to equal commoditisation or loss of value! 3. Think beyond your client There are two aspects to this; firstly, firms should always consider the users (and broader community) of the projects and solutions they design. This helps to sharpen our focus, and certainly it can help to clarify scope and the conditions for success. While pleasing our clients is important we need

to remember that they have drivers which may sometimes limit their peripheral vision, and a great consultant can help them see outcomes they hadn’t necessarily envisaged. Secondly, firms should consider how they can contribute to the bigger picture. There are many external aspects of our business model and supply chain that are ripe for disruption (regulation and procurement come to mind). Firms who are participating at the forefront of this thinking will find themselves at an advantage in participating in the business environment of the future. 4. Move faster This may come as a surprise to some readers, but in my observation, built environment professionals are a conservative lot! And when I’m driving over a bridge, I’m glad you are! (and I’m sure a few of my President’s over the years have saved me from my own best ideas)!! But risk aversion can lead to perfectionism which can inhibit experimentation and slow down the pace of change. Firms need to identify areas of their business where calculated risk-taking is encouraged in safe-to-fail environments. They also need to prepare and embrace faster-to-market solutions. As a business leader, if you are feeling comfortable with the pace of change, you are probably not moving fast enough. 5. Set the Scene The culture you set in your business will either enhance the innovative thinking and energy of your staff—or completely destroy it! If the cornerstones of disruptive thinking are collaboration and diversity and inclusion, think about how, as a leader, you energise these concepts in your staff. Do your staff see you only ever focussing on the job/ client/project at hand, or do they see you participating in broader industry events, collaborating with academics or other professionals, or expanding your thinking? What messages do you send in terms of the value you place on time spent in creative and collaborative ventures? Do you pro-actively seek out diversity of feedback and opinion and value different perspectives? These actions will speak louder than words when it comes to fostering innovative culture in your organisation. The Association sector itself is experiencing a degree of disruption. Increased consolidation erodes membership income while increased

competition from non-traditional players places pressure on income from events and education and Members increasingly want to access services in different ways than they did in the past… Consult Australia’s Board and executive team have been contemplating these and other forces as part of our strategic thinking and are using different techniques (such as design thinking) to consider the challenges in ways we haven’t done previously. I encourage members to use this edition of Consulting Matters to consider how you might do things differently in your own business, in ways that will add value to your staff, clients and community.

Megan Motto Consult Australia

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Consult Australia’s Annual ASPAC Leaders Conference was held in Sydney on February 21–22 this year and provided a unique networking platform for consulting and engineering firms in the Asia Pacific region. Now in its fifth year the 2018 program included updates on the economic and political environment in the Asia Pacific region and a greater focus on internal emotional mechicanations within business. This years conference program can be viewed here and more photo’s from the conference can be found here. Next year's Conference will be held on 20-21 February 2019 so save the date now!

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What’s happening at Consult Australia

Division Updates With varying market conditions around the country Consult Australia’s state and territory managers share their insights on key challenges and opportunities for our member firms.

QLD

Jillian Carney The word disruption is not a new one to any of us, and certainly our industry is no stranger to it. In the last month Consult Australia Queensland has addressed and educated our industry, and more importantly our members, on the disruption of Smart Cities and the future of attracting and retaining staff. The mantra here definitely needs to be engagement, engagement, engagement. A collaborative project between Consult Australia and the Smart Cities Council Australia and New Zealand, a project initiated and led from Queensland, has resulted in a Smart Cities Guide for Built Environment Consultants. You can download the Guide from www.consultaustralia.com.au “The smart city is one that uses technology, data and intelligent design to enhance the city’s liveability, workability and sustainability.” Our industry is already adapting in order to deliver smart cities strategies, consultants are well placed to work with their clients and collaborators to successfully build and respond to the opportunities that the smart cities movement provides. Thomas Friedman, Bestselling Author and New York Times Columnist states that “Given the critical skills shortage and tremendous disruption we are facing through technology and globalisation, companies that don’t recognise and embrace new ways to attract and retain staff will not survive through the next decade”.

A desire for a well-paid salary is a fact, it may also be an incentive. However, the culture of an organisation can be a bigger incentive not only to attract talent, but an even bigger one to keep that talent. Research shows that in Australia the number one conversation that employees wish to have with their employers is one around career development and progression. Have you had this important conversation with your teams? The results may surprise you. Staff engagement is essential and thanks to a recent session “Mind Reading for Managers” by Kim Seeling Smith, CEO, Ignite Global (www.igniteglobal.com) our industry is a little richer in knowledge in attracting and retaining talent.

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VIC

Nicola Grayson Victoria and Tasmania have both had a lot going on in recent months. The Victorian Government is moving ahead with its election commitment to introduce a mandatory system of registration for engineers. Draft legislation is now before Parliament and the Government plans to pass the legislation through prior to the election in November 2018. In meetings with the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance, emphasis has been placed on the need to ensure that there is mutual recognition of other state schemes (i.e. QLD). Consult Australia’s Victorian Division has been proactive in providing feedback to key stakeholders including the Department of Treasury and Finance, which is responsible for drafting the legislation. Dr Collette Burke has been appointed as Victoria’s first Chief Engineer – to help oversee the state’s record infrastructure pipeline. Dr Burke will provide expert advice to the Government on major project design and engineering. The Chief Engineer role is based within the Office of Projects Victoria – a new expert body established by the Labor Government to oversee the planning and delivery of Victoria’s pipeline of major infrastructure projects, and provide advice to Government when developing and delivering new projects. Interestingly the Government has also tasked Dr Burke to help the Government establish a registration system for engineers to ensure that the industry is properly regulated for safety, compliance and competency. The Prime Minister and Acting Premier of Victoria has announced the Geelong City Deal, which will provide for: • An ambitious plan to generate economic growth, jobs and housing, reduce travel times and improve environmental outcomes to deliver measurable improvements to people’s quality of life and standard of living; • Engaging with the private sector to create better policy and regulatory settings for investment to accelerate the delivery of key infrastructure through consideration of alternative infrastructure funding models consistent with policy statements; and • Streamlined governance to enable effective collaboration, coordination within an across governments and strong leadership with clear accountabilities. Platinum Sponsor:

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TAS The Hobart Cities Deal aims to: •C ement Hobart’s position as the gateway to East Antarctica and a world leader in Antarctic and Southern Ocean scientific research. •B uild stronger partnerships between governments to promote coordinated strategic planning outcomes and service delivery. •G uide a coordinated approach to transport planning including assessing the feasibility of future public transport options such as busways, light rail or ferries. •S upport an innovative economy and build capabilities in STEM disciplines. •S upport affordable housing, improved amenity and residential options. •P rovide a catalyst for private sector investment and urban renewal opportunities at strategic inner-city sites.

Meanwhile, the Launceston Cities Deal will consider opportunities including: •R elocating and redeveloping the University of Tasmania’s main Launceston Campus; • I mplement the Greater Launceston Metropolitan Passenger Transport Plan; and •A ssist the private sector to redevelop buildings in Launceston’s CBD for residential purposes.

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Jan Irvine

Jan Irvine The smart city is one that uses technology, data and intelligent design to enhance a cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s liveability, workability and sustainability.

Urbanisation, population growth and competitiveness are all key opportunities for the Northern Territory to have a world class built environment capability. As different jurisdictions across the country transition to full, knowledge based economies, the demands upon our cities and built environment grow relentlessly. To respond to these changes and to take advantage of the emerging digital economy we need to rethink the way our built environment is planned, constructed and managed. New approaches must be adopted, harnessing information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance liveability, workability and sustainability. The Northern Territory is well positioned to be the gateway for Australia to the markets and opportunities of Asia and building better infrastructure is critical to making living and doing business in the north easier and more productive. With the release of both the Northern Territory Government 10 Year Infrastructure Plan and the City of Darwin Digital Strategy it is timely that Consult Australia has joined with the Smart Cities Council ANZ to produce the Smart Cities Guide for built environment consultants. The Guide has been developed to support built environment consultants to help their clients and other stakeholders in advancing the smart city agenda. It provides a clear definition for smart cities, articulates the benefits and identifies a suite of principles of practice for consultants. Consult Australia has historically enjoyed a collaborative government/ industry working relationship in The Territory and the Smart Cities Guide provides another tool for consultantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to further enhance their ability to support both public and private sector clients in their understanding and application of the principles of smart cities on their projects. The application and use of enhanced technology for more intelligent design and data capture will in turn see positive project outcomes such as the creation of jobs, ongoing upskilling of the Territory workforce, stronger communities and economic growth.

There has been a growing trend across Australia to look to a 'buy local' policy in public sector procurement as a means of securing local jobs growth and economic uplift. While it may appear that protectionism will preserve those industries that South Australia has traditionally relied upon to deliver growth and employment, it can only be a short-term remedy at best. It will not deliver long term solutions for growth and South Australia must avoid falling into its trap. In terms of infrastructure, all infrastructure projects and services create local employment and have the potential to attract and retain professional skills in the State more broadly. Increased national and international competition leads to improved standards and better quality through incoming expertise and capabilities. It helps reduce the delivery and operational risk of public infrastructure. It also can also lead to best practice and innovative outcomes. Maintaining an open and competitive economy in South Australia will drive infrastructure delivery, operations and investments. Conversely, protectionism can impede the flow of new ideas and capital across national and international borders. It can lead to increased costs and even lower-quality infrastructure. It compounds the skills shortages that already exist, for example in engineering, thus stretching resources and capabilities. It also creates political risk for investors which can in turn damage the long-term competitiveness of markets. While the current 'buy local' push, including via the Industry Participation Policy is encouraged, it is mainly aimed at blue collar workers and replacing jobs lost from the manufacturing sector. In the lead up to the SA State Election, Consult Australia advocated for a 'develop local' policy, where we provide a competitive market place driven by infrastructure projects and services, to foster, retain and grow local expertise, across all skills and professions. An open, competitive market together with a collaborative approach will make government agencies and departments more desirable clients for industry to do business with, which in turn will lead to both more firms competing to provide their services to government and retention and growth of a highly skilled workforce.

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NSW

Jody McGann The pace and proliferation of disruption in the Professional Services and Consulting Industry is undoubtedly transforming how we operate now and into the future. In its simplest form, disruption displaces an existing market, industry or technology with something new and more efficient. It impacts how we think and behave, our lifestyles and our learnings, and how we do business. With the current rate of technological advances and innovation, our industry is not dealing with just one disruptive force at a time, but a multitude of industry disruptions simultaneously. As this continual disruption shifts to a business as usual scenario, consulting firms will need to embrace this new paradigm with flexible, agile and rapid responses. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and manufacturing, Business Information Modelling (BIM), pre-fabrication, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are already having a profound impact on shaping the future of our industry. As we move to more than 200 billion connected devices by as early as 2020, the Internet of Things (IOT) will expand and develop from operating individual smart devices and micro systems to the interconnection of buildings, infrastructure, autonomous vehicles and smart citiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all of which will further disrupt the design and service offerings provided by consulting firms. Within the next 20 years up to 75 per cent of current jobs in the workplace will be automated. Rather than resulting in a corresponding reduction in the workforce, this automation will lead to the creation of entirely new jobs. Automation will see a distinct shift towards additional knowledge-based roles and a further widening between skilled and unskilled labour. Adaptive and flexible business models will be required to accommodate for these as yet defined jobs of the future.

Although the sharing economy has yet to take hold in our industry sector, there are already signs that the Construction Industry is taking part on the fringes. Online marketplaces, platforms for borrowing and renting equipment, and sharing resources are already emerging. It is anticipated that there will be a growing proliferation and development of more sophisticated shared economy platforms within both Building and Construction, and the Professional Services and Consulting Industries that will significantly transform with way resources and services are managed into the future. The Skills Shortage also has the potential for major transformational disruption. In addition to the need for increasing studies in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths), further pressure is being placed on industry skills shortages because of the ageing population. A decline in the dependency ratio (population of people of working age to those aged 65 years and over) sees more people exiting the workforce than entering. This also leads to the potential for knowledge loss and challenges in succession planning due to the fragmented nature of the industry. These are just a few of the many disruptive forces confronting the Professional Services and Consulting Industry. In this ever-changing environment, Consult Australia are helping to foster new ideas and inform our membership through our various committees, roundtables, events, and advocacy. As we progress through 2018, we will be holding a series of events and activities in NSW focussed on innovation and disruption. Keep an eye out in your inbox or visit our website for future event announcements on our innovation and disruption series.

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ACT

Kevin Keith Trust, collaboration and the power of the collective Innovation, procurement rules, and a pipeline of projects were some of the responses from senior Defence officials, contractors and consultants when asked what prevented industry and government from working effectively together. Yet of greater significance, from those in attendance at the first Defence | Industry Co-Lab, was the stated lack of trust between all parties. This is perhaps not too surprising. Numbers in the Edelman Trust Barometer, globally accepted as being one of the most credible surveys on this topic, have consistently pointed out that trust is declining across society—within and across firms, institutions, government and citizens. So where does this leave the possibility of working collectively? What is the impact on technology which increasingly requires multiple organisations, in multiple locations, from multiple sectors to work on the same project, at the same time? This year, Edelman was happy to report a revival of faith in experts: technical is now at 63 per cent and academic is at 61 per cent whereas "a person like yourself" dropped to an all-time low of 54 per cent. It highlights that in as much as trust can be lost, it can also be regained. To quote Hemingway, "the best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them." For industry and government to rebuild the trust they have lost in each other, the starting point almost paradoxically, is to trust each other—a process achieved only through collaboration. Not tokenistic collaboration where one side seeks to own the process, or is weighed down in pre-meetings and covert agendas, but genuine cards-on-the-table, effective collaboration based mutual understanding and the identification of, and progress towards, shared objectives. It is not rocket science but nor is it easy. One of my favourite quotes is by former President of the United States, Harry S Truman: "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." It is a prerequisite for any elite team, yet often the environment within which government, consultants and contractors operate, makes it difficult to build a sense of team. The bottom line, performance targets, the next news poll can make us seek maximum control in order to have most influence over outcomes.

Member of the RAAF marshals U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster at RAAF Base Tindal.

This is why in designing the Defence | Industry Co-Lab it was critical to create a ‘safe space’ where, as Hemingway suggests, people can build trust by trusting each other. To close off as many external influences as possible and develop an environment in which success can be shared and celebrated, vulnerabilities and weaknesses discussed and understood, common goals agreed, and outcomes worked towards. It is at this final stage when the value of collaboration, the power of the collective, comes to the fore as outcomes will always surpass anything achieved in isolation. The Defence | Industry Co-Lab is the first of its kind undertaken by parties involved. If you would like to know more, read the report from the first session here.

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Steve Coghlan The Hon. Mark McGowan, Premier of Western Australia, recently tabled in State Parliament the much-anticipated report by the WA Commission of Inquiry into Government Programs and Projects. This very comprehensive report which reviewed 31 major programs and projects undertaken by the previous government has made a number of key recommendations which aligned with those made by us in our joint submission “Procurement in WA; Government as ‘model client’”. In particular, the Inquiry quotes directly from our submission on a number of occasions (Vol.1, p.109 & p.110) when highlighting issues, and making recommendations, to do with Risk Management and Contract Development.

parties the comfort of knowing that risk and reward is allocated fairly to help avoid some…negative outcomes.” As such, Consult Australia broadly supports the Inquiry’s recommendations and we look forward to working with the State Government in an effort to ensure those recommendations are implemented as soon as possible. A copy of our joint submission is available for downloading here, and a link to the Inquiry’s report here. Platinum Sponsors:

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The quote on p.110 is of particular note as it specifically highlights the need for fairer contracts and better risk apportionment between parties: “ At present, risk is often being allocated not according to who is best able to manage it but according to bargaining power…The use of standard, fair contracts negotiated between industry and government, with input from relevant stakeholders, will reduce the need for costly legal review or negotiations, and gives all

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Disruption in Urban Design WHILE DISRUPTION CAN HAVE NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS, THERE IS A STRONG CASE FOR IT IN CERTAIN AREAS. URBAN LANDSCAPE AND DESIGN IS ONE SUCH DOMAIN. WE NEED THE GOVERNMENTS OF AUSTRALIA TO SHOW STRONG VISION AND COMMITMENT TO A NEW AND RADICALLY DIFFERENT WAY OF MANAGING OUR CITY PLANNING AND GROWTH.

In recent years, the New South Wales government has been pushing hard to get design excellence and quality on the agenda, to enable a more holistic approach to planning overall for Sydney. It’s a very progressive approach, one which might prove confronting and challenging for some operating within that sector, but which has undeniable longterm benefits for society as a whole. The greatest plus of this approach is it’s trying to put the design and planning framework for policy at all levels of government. That’s a powerful initiative, a big advantage and a big change. It is also absolutely necessary to ensure a sustainable future for citizens of this country. Singapore provides a significant example of the many benefits such an approach can reap. As an example, back in the 1960s, the government made it a priority to become a garden city. Green is adopted in all levels of planning and design outcomes, from the many skyscrapers through to the establishment of new, significant tracts of green such as the Gardens by the Bay. There are plans in place for a green Changi Airport too. The government leverages off this in many ways; it’s helping them not

Liverpool Waterfront Precinct

only be perceived as a green and healthy city, but also protects their future viability, safeguarding natural assets like their water. In Sydney in particular – but in all Australian cities – we are lucky to enjoy an incredible natural environment. Without significant commitment and foresight, however, without disrupting the old way of managing our city planning and growth and radically overhauling it, we risk losing some of that inherited natural wealth.

In Sydney in particular – but in all Australian cities – we are lucky to enjoy an incredible natural environment. Without significant commitment and foresight, however, without disrupting the old way of managing our city planning and growth and radically overhauling it, we risk losing some of that inherited natural wealth.

Throughout Australian history, various planning departments have articulated large green corridors, but with time and subsequent governments, those lands have been broken up or sold. Sydney now has a great opportunity to show the other cities in Australia and the world how we can incorporate natural elements into the design. The recent announcement about planting millions of trees, for example, is a great initiative. It works across many levels, to form a cooling effect, a comfort effect and a safety effect. We need to identify and analyse the strengths of particular areas and turn them into assets that can influence new urban developments. At the moment, we are seeing a rollout of subdivided land that needs careful management to ensure ongoing liveability and sustainability. In many places overseas, there’s a more confident approach about how a city or region is going to grow and what the overall ambitions and aspirations are. There is no doubt our cities are getting bigger, so we need to think more long-term and holistically

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Liverpool Waterfront Precinct 2

and develop more complex, more detailed maps to guide our ambitions. Getting all levels of government on side is a big achievement. Bringing the state government and local councils and all the layers together is critical. Getting them aligned to work towards the same outcome must happen. And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier said than done. That said, I am very positive about what is happening in Sydney. The work done by the Greater Sydney Commission, the draft policy for the greening of the city, as well as another called Better Places, are all very good initiatives. We simply cannot ignore the need for big picture vision and commitment any longer. If that involves significant disruption to the way things have traditionally been done, then bring it on.

Turrella Precinct Masterplan

Dajon Veldman Scott Carver

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Disruption by digitalisation: it’s here! keep up with new technologies, we should consider that the status quo will not be an acceptable ‘do nothing’ option, but rapidly leads to competitive decline. Some key questions we can ask are: 1. H ow can digitalisation improve our cost structure, especially in removing all forms of waste and inefficiency? 2. H ow can digitalisation improve quality and service, as recognised internally and by the client? 3. H ow can digitalisation improve our speediness of response? 4. H ow can digitalisation create a platform for continued innovation for us? 5. H ow best can such digital technologies improve our brand and reputation in the market?

Many industries have been either revolutionised or gone through rapid evolution already as a result of digitalisation. Stockbroking is a fine example, as is music distribution, and even book production and distribution. Digitalisation is more than just doing everything that makes sense to do digitally (on computers instead of on paper), but it involves sensing, connecting, controlling and changing business models because of digitalisation. For example, in manufacturing and construction, this means that from a computerised and computer-aided design, a bill of materials is automatically created, and then that 3-D printing of components, e.g. plastic parts for a product, or concrete building elements, can be automatically created and readied for final assembly. It includes the use of robots, transactional systems such as block-chain, and the use of automated ‘smarts’ such as artificial intelligence where appropriate. Some key questions for us all are how much to invest in such technologies, when to do so, and how to choose and configure these tools? From long experience, we know that this wave of digitalisation opportunities is compelling, but should not be considered on its own, and not because these things seem ‘cool’ in a technical sense, but if and only because they fit the business strategy and will likely deliver higher levels of value to customers, shareholders, suppliers and staff. Like any other tool or technology, we

put these technologies into the hands of our staff because they enhance some aspects of productivity/ cost, quality/ service, flexibility or innovativeness in the sense that they allow us to do new things. Ultimately digitalisation can create new business models: Uber and Airbnb would not exist in the old world before the connected set of digital technologies came to fruition. For those who design and project manage in the built environment, it is very useful to proceed by firstly remaining ever vigilant about what the new digitalisation technologies are and how their value and performance is trending. For most of them performance improves every month or two and unit cost reduces! Then a review of how strategy, business models and operating processes should be examined to determine how competitive advantage and value can be created through such technologies. The approach can be incremental, with the drawback that the hangover of legacy systems will constrain overall progress. On occasion, a radical approach to reinvent a business model, using a greenfield approach, makes sense, in which it is seen to be more valuable to almost completely rebuild business processes, in order to not be shackled by the past. While the radical approach is indeed riskier than the incremental, it might be necessary to bite such a bullet just to avoid being run over by new disruptors. Whether we consider Xerox, Borders, or a host of others who did not

Importantly, culture and skills might have to be reconsidered when a significant forward step is taken in digitalisation, which should be part of the overall plan. As they embrace digitalisation, National Australia Bank have announced that they will need to shed 6000 people, and simultaneously hire 2000 others for example, because the new technologies will need new human capabilities (and less in total because of the productivity gains). With the five questions as above, we should also consider the fit of such technologies with the overall mission and strategy, then crunch the numbers and evaluate, just like for any other strategic investment, the benefit to cost ratio, with adjustment for risk, on a discounted cash flow basis. The evaluation needs to consider the base case very carefully of what the consequences are of not making such investments, and possibly becoming the disrupted, rather than the disruptor! Would you rather be Amazon or Borders, Apple or Blockbuster? The last thing any company wants is to have a ‘Kodak Moment’ because they ignored digitalisation opportunities. Danny Samson University of Melbourne Danny Samson, Professor of Management at the University of Melbourne, advises firms on strategy and innovation and conducts the Consult Australia ‘Service Excellence’ program in Melbourne each year. (d.samson@unimelb.edu.au)

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3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing to reshape the built environment From the introduction of complex masonry, bricks and mortar, glass, steel and more recently, composite materials, whilst some materials and processes have evolved, largely, little has changed in the way of building and infrastructure construction since the earliest days of the built environment.

costs, cutting waste and enables a very sophisticated design…”; • An ongoing project from the Netherlands (begun in 2014) which set out to print a plastic house in Amsterdam; and

However, much like the automotive and advanced technology sectors; design and construction are now rapidly being transformed by the advent of increasingly complex 3D printers and additive manufacturing driven by equally impressive computer aided design (CAD) programs.

• A 2016 Spanish project which saw the world’s first 3D printed bridge, with a span of 12 meters and width of 1.75 meters made of micro-reinforced concrete printed and installed in a Spanish park. This also marked the first time such technology had been used in the field of civil engineering in a public space.

For engineers and designers, the growing use of building information modelling (BIM) —an evolution of CAD programs—is serving to reshape the way the built environment is designed, assembled and operates in the modern world.

However, despite these and other initial small-scale successes, the widespread use of 3D printing and additive manufacturing in the built environment presents a complex series of challenges to the building industry, including:

The growing pace of this technological and manufacturing revolution provides both potential disruption and immense opportunity for Australian businesses to become world leaders in the design and construction uses of 3D printing and additive manufacturing.

• The limited scale of 3D printers themselves (the Amsterdam project can only print components up to 2.2m x 3.5m), meaning that only key components can be built and incorporated into the traditional construction phase;

The potential benefits across engineering, architecture and construction sectors are numerous including rapid prototyping, opening new design possibilities through the collaborative and organic use of increasingly powerful BIM and related CAD design tools, as well as cost savings on materials, labour and transportation.

• The structural challenges placed upon building materials such as concrete, which typically require extensive formwork and time to cure once poured;

As the technology develops, the areas for disruption will become incredibly complex and prevalent throughout the industry, despite this, recent successful examples of the use of 3D printing and additive manufacturing in the built environment have been trialled internationally in a number of small scale projects, including: • A 2014 project by Arup in which engineers used 3D printing to fabricate a steel node for a lightweight structure, of which Salome Galjaard, Team Leader at Arup stated: “This has tremendous implications for reducing

• The costs associated with incorporating 3D printers and additive manufacturing facilities into the building site as part of reducing the project cost and delivery time frames; and • The interoperability of 3D printers and additive manufacturing when working in conjunction with other technological disruptors to the industry including, automation and robotic welding in complex, risky environments. Despite these challenges, 3D printing and additive manufacturing provides an opportunity for engineers and designers to reshape the way the built environment is built, operates and impacts its surrounding manmade and natural ecosystems.

It is critical to understand however that as our built environment becomes increasingly more connected and complex, the systems which are used to design and construct it will become equally complex and an interconnected part of a wider network of systems rapidly evolving throughout the smart cities and built environment space. For further reading: •3 D Printing of Buildings: Construction of the Sustainable Houses of the Future by BIM; • I s 3D printing the future for building?; • Printing the Built Environment; •A History of 3D Printing in Construction & What you need to know. •H ow 3D printing is disrupting the architecture and design industry. •W ant to build a moon base? Easy. Just print it. Stephen Kuper Consult Australia

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Augmented and Virtual Reality Training: The Next Wave of Digital Disruption In the digital era, disruptive technologies have started to play a key role in several sectors, including education and training. Increasingly, old-school training techniques are being replaced with innovative teaching methods that rely on augmented and virtual reality systems. Augmented and virtual reality training systems are student-focused, allowing individual students to progress at their own pace. Welding apprentices learn and understand welding procedures and techniques through a more interactive training method, gaining hands-on experience in a controlled, safe environment. With zero risks involved, apprentices can respond to realistic scenarios without pressure or fear of injury. Augmented and virtual reality training is enabling future welders to acquire the skills and the self-confidence they need before moving into real-world workshops. The new paradigm in vocational, technical and industrial training, augmented and virtual reality training technologies are proven to be efficient and environmentally sustainable, offering significantly reduced CO2 emissions when compared to traditional welding training and slashing consumable usage. These systems allow training centres and industry to save costs and time whilst training professional welders. In a bid to bring this disruptive new training method and technology to the masses, the Welding Technology Institute of Australia (WTIA) has partnered with both BOC (Part of The Linde Group) and The Lincoln Electric Company to introduce their augmented and virtual reality welding training systems into Australia. This disruptive training technology will become a key feature of the WTIA’s national network of Advancer Welder Training Centres, set to open from mid-2018. The purpose of the Advanced Welder Training Centres is to quickly qualify welders to the standard required by ISO 9606-1 Qualification testing of welders - Fusion welding. This will ensure a strong supply of capable welders, ready to deliver defence industry projects. The WTIA intends to establish a number of Centres around Australia to support defence prime contractors and SMEs looking to join the global supply chains of these prime contractors.

Soldamatic Augmented Reality Training Distributed in Australia by BOC, Seabery’s Soldamatic is the first augmented reality welding educational technology solution in the world. According to Antonio Fernández, Seabery’s International Business Development Manager, “We started applying augmented reality to welding because welding is used across so many industrial sectors, from oil and gas and infrastructure, through to the automotive and energy industries. And yet, there is an enormous shortage of skilled welders worldwide, in both emerging economies, as well as developed nations such as America, where more than 300,000 new welders will be required by 2020.” “Soldamatic enables training institutions, governments and welding associations to attract young people to industrial careers to close this ever-increasing gap between the market demand for qualified welders, and the available workforce,” said Fernández. Since its inception in 2014, over 1,500 Soldamatic units have been sold in more than 40 countries. The disruptive technology has been used in training by some of the world's

largest manufacturers, including Siemens, John Deere and Volkswagen, in addition to uptake by both international educational institutions and government bodies. This rapid, widespread adoption of the technology is not surprising, given the results that the Soldamatic system has already achieved, particularly in terms of reducing training time and costs. Soldamatic conducted tests comparing their augmented reality technology to traditional welding training. The results demonstrated that 34 per cent more welders were certified in 56 per cent less time, saving up to 68 per cent on the overall cost of welder training. In addition, Soldamatic increases the time on arc by three to five times, and enables training institutes to educate four times more students while maintaining their existing lab infrastructure. Geoff Crittenden, WTIA CEO, is looking forward to the introduction of Soldamatic to Australia. “The WTIA recently formed a partnership with BOC to introduce Soldamatic into Australia. We are in the process of integrating Soldamatic into our technical schools, particularly for the training welders in preparation for major defence

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projects. We are really looking forward to introducing Soldamatic into Australia, where we believe it will make a huge impact on the training of our welders,” said Crittenden. Workforce development training needs to educate tomorrow’s employees and help today’s workers improve upon their existing skill set. The result—a better trained, more knowledgeable worker at all phases of the employment cycle. This is particularly true when it comes to educating workers in skilled trades such as welding. Incorporating disruptive new training technologies designed to narrow the skills gap helps prepare graduates for real-world work. Sally Wood Welding Technology Institute Of Australia (WTIQ)

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Global CEOs grapple with Digital Revolution AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR THE WORLD’S FOREMOST BUSINESS AND POLITICAL LEADERS GATHERED IN DAVOS, SWITZERLAND FOR THE 2018 WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM (WEF) ANNUAL MEETING. SINCE WEF THEMED ITS 2016 MEETING ON THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (4IR) AND DISRUPTION OF INDUSTRIES, WE HAVE SEEN CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION AND DEBATE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS ON THE FUTURE OF BUSINESSES.

An epoch is in the making. In the next three to four years, every area of our life and work will be embedded with technology advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics and big data. World leaders are finding this pace of change to be far greater than anticipated. Siemens CEO, Joe Kaeser, set the tone by saying, “the Fourth Industrial Revolution is the greatest transformation human civilisation has ever known…it is not just about technology or business; it's about society”. As the global leaders accelerate the pace of digital transformation, the resultant societal impact was an area of major focus. Two broad priorities for digital transformation: • Accelerating digital transformation There is common agreement among top business leaders that even if the organisation is ahead today, they have to be continually prepared to change, take calculated risks and prepared to fail fast, or their business is likely to get disrupted. • Reskilling and upskilling people Last year, the WEF warned of a major disruption in the labour markets of 15 developed and emerging countries that would lead to a net loss of over 5 million jobs by 2020. Current challenges As digital disruption accelerates, the conversations indicate that major challenges for the global leaders are: • The leadership talent gap. Leadership skills obsolescence and legacy mindsets continue to slow digital transformation efforts of large organisations. • Large-scale reskilling of workforces. With new technologies such as robotics, 3D printing, AI rapidly changing the ways of working and redefining jobs, companies are anticipating a major need to reskill and upskill their workforce. • Legacy regulatory frameworks. Legislation in many developed countries has not yet caught up to dealing with the benefits and risks of digital technologies.

• Insufficient ethical guidelines. Some global leaders were critical of new age technology companies for breaches of ethical boundaries and trust, impacting young people, governance and national security. • Cybercrime and security challenges. The WEF published a comprehensive Cyber Resilience report in the run-up to Davos 2018. Global CEOs have rated terrorism and cyber-attacks as highly likely with severe consequences to organisations and people in 2018. Strategies to accelerate digital transformation The transformation has to start at the top. Leaders acknowledged the skills of current leaders, resistance to change, complexity and mindset issues are seriously slowing down organisations, making them vulnerable to disruptive forces. They concluded that the Chairman’s role to ensure the digital strategy becomes an enabler of the company’s corporate strategy. The role of the Chief Executive is to operationalise the strategy with a focus on new business models, customer value enhancement and competitive differentiation. Cultural change is a must. Cultural change is one of the most important drivers of success for digital transformation. The ground rules, beliefs, and assumptions that drive culture will require rethinking with the jobs of many people either changing and, in some cases, being replaced and eliminated.

Rapid reskilling the workforce. World leaders are calling for a major shake-up in the education system to help the workforce quickly reskill and upskill. Companies are revamping their learning and development strategies with firms like KPMG announcing a $450 million learning and development centre to reskill its people and to deal with challenges of automation and robotics. Invest in artificial intelligence, big data and robotics. Global CEOs leading companies such as Alibaba, Google, Microsoft, IBM and Siemens predict that artificial intelligence, big data and robotics will have a major impact on human beings. They all agree that this impact can be very unfavourable to human kind, if not managed properly. The main objective should be augmenting human skills, talents and outputs, not replacing people. Companies must invest in these technologies to enable their people and help them move up the value-chain. Globalisation, strategic alliances and partnerships. In the digital era, companies need to create new breakthrough value for their customers continuously, not just once. Unless companies embrace global thinking, and establish strategic alliances and partnerships with others in a global ecosystem, not just local, value creation will become very challenging in a rapidly changing business environment. Kumar Parakala GHD

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Cyber Risks – is your business protected? Are you prepared for the mandatory data breach reporting regime that was introduced on 22 February 2018?

Cyber risks represent one of the biggest threats to businesses today. We discuss some of those risks, some basic risk management tips, how you can insure yourself against those exposures and the Government’s response to this increasing threat through the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme. Cyber incidents are becoming more and more common and Australia is increasingly being targeted and is now the fifth most targeted country for cyber-attacks globally according to a recent Symantec Internet Security Threat Report. These attacks are not only targeted at what most would consider the normal targets (large corporations) but 40 per cent of all cybercrime is directed at small to medium enterprises (SMEs) according to the Government’s Computer Emergency Response Team. SMEs are often the least prepared to counter that threat.

Cyber incidents are becoming more and more common and Australia is increasingly being targeted and is now the fifth most targeted country for cyber-attacks globally according to a recent Symantec Internet Security Threat Report. Risk management strategies include:

interruption policies or business pack policies due to a lack of insured damage;

• Ensure all computers and portable devices have passwords and that they are regularly changed, (ensuring that passwords have a combination of upper case, lower case, numbers and symbols).

-C yber extortion costs such as the hiring of negotiation experts, covering extortion demands and prevention of future attacks; and

• Keep your operating systems up to date.

-E lectronic data replacement.

Cyber threats are commonly divided into three categories:

• Restrict and control administrative privileges.

Third Party losses include:

• Computer as a target - the target of the crime is the computer itself. These threats include computer viruses, denial of service attacks and malware.

• Always lock computers when leaving them. • Remove ex-employees’ access to your system.

•D amages payable to your clients resulting from data breaches;

• Computer as a tool - the target of the crime is the person controlling the computer. These threats include fraud and identity theft, phishing scams and other spam emails. Cyber criminals rely on the vulnerabilities of employees and business owners to work their way into your system and compromise your security. • Cyber Extortion – your system is locked and can only be unlocked by payment of a ransom.

Your Cyber risk management plan should also include Cyber insurance as not all risks can be eliminated. Cyber insurance provides a variety of covers and should provide an incident response solution to help you work through your breach response.

•D efence costs to fund the legal costs of defending claims; and •R egulatory breach protection to cover legal expenses and the costs of civil fines and penalties. Cyber Incident Response:

Cyber insurance policies will cover a variety of your exposures such as:

Policies should also provide cover to assist you to properly respond to a Cyber incident:

First Party Losses (losses that you would directly incur) which include:

•C risis management consultants – IT, legal, public relations;

- Business Interruption losses which are not covered under traditional business

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• IT security and forensics; • Assistance with mandatory data breach reporting; • Assistance with breach response and remediation action; • Costs of notification to your clients of a security breach; and • Costs of monitoring to prevent further attacks. Mandatory Data Breach reporting The Government has responded to the growing risk of Cyber attacks to individuals and businesses with the of the Notifiable Data Breaches Act which is an amendment to the Privacy Act. The new law requires businesses with an annual turnover of more than $3 million that are covered by the Privacy Act to report to the Australian Information Commissioner and clients if their data has been compromised. The Commissioner can impose civil penalties of up to $340,000 for individuals and up to $1.7 million for companies.

The onus is on business owners to notify all related parties of a data breach and you maybe also subject to significant civil penalties. The Act came into effect on 22 February 2018. Summary All businesses should have appropriate cyber risk management policies and procedures in place and consider taking out cyber insurance, and also be properly prepared for the new data breach regime. For further information see: https://www.oaic.gov.au/engage-with-us/ consultations/notifiable-data-breaches/ http://www.plannedcover.com.au/cyberinsurance/ Simon Gray and Shane Richards Planned Cover

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Subsurface Utility Engineering as a Disruptive Innovation By definition, Disruptive Innovation is “a term in the field of business administration, which refers to an innovation that creates a new market and value network and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established products.” The contention of this article is that the correct practice of Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) is very much a disruptive innovation, but in a very much intended positive context. National engineering consultancy firm Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) are working with Standards Australia and Engineers Australia to improve the country’s generally poorly regulated approach to managing underground utilities. The new approach looks to focus on solutions implemented during the engineering design process rather than waiting until construction occurs, as is current practice. The Standards Australia committee that has been formed to upgrade the content of the existing AS5488, to include for the SUE component, is being led by former Queensland Department of Main Roads Director General Bruce Wilson. SUE refers to an engineering management process that involves engineering, geophysics and geospatial disciplines and technologies to manage certain risks associated with utility mapping at appropriate quality levels, utility coordination, utility relocation design and coordination, utility condition assessment, communication of Subsurface Utility Information (SUI) utility data to concerned parties, utility relocation cost estimates, implementation of utility accommodation policies, and utility designs. Essentially, without SUE, the industry has no single 'rulebook' for relevant project or asset owners, local authorities or state government bodies to mandate for all design engineers.

Similar injury statistics are not readily available across Australia, however Dial Before You Dig reports that they receive more than 1000 reports of pipe damage incidents every month. WGE in conjunction with Engineers Australia, Consult Australia and Open Learning has created an on-line training course to lift the understanding and importance of subsurface utility engineering across the country. In short, the intent of the on-line training material is to inform all participants that SUE should be recognised as a specialist area of engineering and that as a positive disruption the new AS5488 will better serve the industry and all utility stakeholders. The primary aim of the AS5488 upgrade is to incorporate the engineering management of subsurface utilities to bring it into line with five other countries (UK, USA, Canada, Malaysia and Ecuador) that have effective equivalent standards in place.

Five countries have SUE standards in place— the USA, Canada, UK, Malaysia and Ecuador

In an attempt to mirror similar international standards relating to underground utilities, its subject matter is largely survey based but has neither the breadth, nor industry buy-in of its international counterparts.

Recent data from the UK indicates that on average each year there are 12 deaths and 600 serious injuries attributed to contact with the electricity network alone.

WGE’s National Underground Utility Manager Rob Sansbury, in association with Standards Australia and Engineers Australia is working to change this.

As the UK standard has not been in place long enough, there is no comparable data available to indicate how well it is addressing this safety issue.

“In short, we want SUE to be recognised as a specialist area of engineering and we want there to be a rulebook for all design engineers,” Sansbury says.

Sansbury notes that the upgraded AS5488 is likely to be released to the market in early 2019. “A key factor in the success of the upgraded AS5488 will be if it is released to an informed marketplace. The current AS5488 has not been well adopted and we realised that, in parallel with upgrading AS5488 we needed to create a training course that was accessible to all.” The on-line course is not expensive at $285, takes only 8 hours to complete and gives a strong overview of SUE as well as some detail about what the upgraded AS5488 is aiming to achieve. Course attendees are able to directly input what they think the upgraded AS5488 should include which is a first of its kind. In addition, the on-line training method could equally be viewed as a disruption to the previous normative manner of technical training “in a classroom during regulated periods”. “It has only been released to the market for a few months and the feedback that’s been received has been overwhelmingly positive” Rob Sansbury Wood & Grieve Engineers

Check out the on-line course here https://www.openlearning.com/eeaust/ courses/intro-to-subsurface-utilities-eng

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Technology and Architecture, Engineering, and Design: Where is it heading? The advancement of technology is happening at an increasing pace, and as new tools and technologies are developed and released, they leave a wake of change behind them— with the potential to revolutionise the way we work in the industry. With this in mind, let’s look at some of the technology trends that will shape the way architects, engineers and designers will work into the future.

The biggest change in this space is being witnessed in the retail and work space, and around connected homes, influencing the way people interact with the buildings and spaces they will occupy.

The Internet of Things (IoT)

solution for each occupant and individual.

This is not recent technology—it’s has been around for some time and in many things that we use daily. The swipe card you use to access your office, security sensors in the parking garage, or temperature sensors throughout a building. Experts estimate that the IoT will consist of about 30 billion objects by 2020.

Buildings of the future will use facial recognition to identify an authorised person, unlock doors, adjust the lights and temperature to an individual’s preferences, and even connect with the coffee machine to have their choice ready and waiting by the time it takes the individual to move from one part of the building to the next.

•A utomation of waste handling and recycling —all syncing with third party contractors.

How will this impact designers? The biggest change in this space is being witnessed in the retail and work space, and around connected homes, influencing the way people interact with the buildings and spaces they will occupy. Future designers will have to consider how to ensure buildings, spaces and the built environment will customise a

With a possibility space this diverse, buildings and spaces will use some form of digital solution to access, monitor, maintain and maximise the operation of all any facilities. These will include:

Artificial Intelligence and machine Learning

• Cladding, windows, or sun protection and weather protection that will self-adjust

dependant on the level of sunlight. Not only that, they will also operate in conjunction with the heating/cooling system to ensure optimal conditions.

•M eeting rooms that turn glass walls opaque for private meetings or turn walls multi-purpose (e.g. for use as whiteboards, projectors, monitors, screens and interchangeable artwork).

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have been branching out into our everyday lives more and more in recent years. As systems improve and the reliability

MANAGEMENT FOR DESIGN We provide strategic, financial and business management services that maximise the potential of architects, designers, planners, engineers and other design professionals. By helping you to run your practice efficiently, and enabling you to plan effectively, we free up your time to focus on what you do best — building your business and creating great design.

Our clients are at the forefront of technological solutions that enable them to control and build their businesses.

Get in touch and book a complimentary health check, and find out how we can help you to control and build your business. www.m4d.com.au

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of their results increase, these tools will be increasingly integrated into the design process, with the power to solve complex problems and the ability to create many variations. All replacing, enhancing or replicating what was historically the domain of the 'designer’. Through AI and machine learning, you’ll be able to fully unleash the power of your expensive design PC and software solutions. Using Big Data, parameters and constraints to empower the software to come up with many design variations far faster than any designer could. The underlying method is that the design is done via code—this is important because once you are happy with a design, that code can be codified, stored, repeated and altered —all making the design process far more comprehensive but also efficient.

Immersive Architecture (Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality) While the hardware and technology are still a bit too new to be truly useful in the actual design process, it is mature enough to impact the presentation and bid stages. Imagine walking into a presentation with a prospective client, passing the competing firm, as they exit with arms full of A3 printouts, USB keys etc. As you enter, you set down (a suitably powerful) laptop and pull out a pair of goggles. You instantly have everyone’s attention. You can then talk your client through the design while they walk through the building and see the details from a first-person perspective. No prizes for guessing who gets the gig! In the future this concept could stretch to remote presentations, where you could meet your client within the virtual building, even if their office is on the other side of the world.

Robotics and 3D Printing While this may not have a direct impact on designers, it will change the way construction is done in the future. Robots will become smaller and faster, with embedded AI allowing for a degree of self-correction and autonomy. 3D printing will also get more robust, with a larger range of base materials available to be printed. In the future—your next home might even be 3D printed. And while it may sound a bit farfetched, it’s already happening here in Australia. Australian company, Fastbrick Robotics has a developed a prototype for a fully automated robot (Hadrian X) for building houses using 3D printed bricks. The bricks are printed with all the channels for plumbing, electrical and other infrastructure, therefore drastically cutting down the time it takes to build a house.

Adoption of BIM The BIM (Building Information Model) is based on several principles that can be implemented with relative independence: • Projects are designed using a unique 3D model which is modified throughout the project’s life. • This 3D model is not only the volumetric surfaces, but also has metadata attached (like the material of the element) and parametric modifiers (like the height of a wall). • The 3D model can be stored in a multiclient database, as well as in the cloud, to be accessible at the same time by several people. • Multi-user permissions on the model can be defined to accurately reflect team member’s individual responsibilities on the project.

•A ll construction elements are classified using standard categories, namely the IFC. •L ibraries of construction products can be inserted into the model, and can even get actualisation if the product version changes. While these aspects are promising, adopting BIM design practices may create tensions with members of the construction team, who have historically been hesitant towards the shift. As the adoption of BIM grows, it’s looking likely that it will be the mainstream tool to design and deliver architecture in the coming years and it presents an historic opportunity for architects to lead and drive its adoption, working with the other design consultants to 'encourage' the construction industry towards its use. Despite the increasingly fast pace of change of technology, there is no one trend that’s more valuable or dominant above the other. It’s crucial that business leaders, architects, engineers and designers take a holistic look to the horizon regarding how all these trends will fit within their own business. When considering trends like the IOT, AI and Machine Learning, the industry need to understand how these elements will change the way design is performed, and their work is delivered, ensuring they are part of and lead the conversation from the start and are not tacked on at the end. Those who invest early in key technologies, and embed them within their workflow and processes, will without doubt benefit in the next 3-5 years, as these trends become more mainstream. Dinesh Rajalingam Management for Design

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Consulting Matters Corporate social responsibility

RedR Report: Sarah Shouman strategy for the agency that would ensure equitable access to services for all youth in the country. Thinking outside of the box to give marginalised groups like Palestinian refugees better economic opportunities, Sarah finalised a partnership with UNICEF to create a series of Innovation Labs, which she describes as “different to normal schools and different to normal education.” Bursting with all the latest technology, computer labs, a design thinking room, the Innovation Labs are designed as multi-purpose learning and working centres that run exciting and accessible courses free of charge. “The Labs teach introductory courses for anyone who’s maybe dropped out of education, to someone who’s done some vocational training, or even just someone with an idea,” says Sarah. Young people learn from a range of newtech areas, including digital skills, coding, design thinking, entrepreneurship, social responsibility, business, and even fundraising and advocacy. The Labs are providing a huge incentive for young people in all communities: “Imagine living in or near a refugee camp, but you can go every day to a space that looks like something you would only see on TV!” says Sarah. Whilst the term 'Innovation Lab' usually calls to mind the vast campuses of technological giants like Facebook and Google, a new project to get young people involved in evolving sectors is changing the outlook for refugees and young people across Lebanon. Behind these new facilities is Sarah Shouman, a Youth and Development Specialist working with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA). Deployed by humanitarian agency RedR Australia in 2017, Sarah helped to coordinate a national youth assessment of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, which investigated the youth’s perceptions of existing resources and opportunities available to young Palestinians, a group that had already been identified as

falling through the cracks. Under current local laws, Palestinian refugees cannot work in 39 professions in Lebanon that are reserved for Lebanese citizens – including engineering, law and medicine. “Once Palestinian youth in Lebanon finish school, they can go to UNRWA’s vocational institute but if they are not wealthy and don’t win a scholarship, they can’t go to university,” she said, noting that the fees are prohibitive for most in the community. “The assessment identified a lack of opportunities and was perceived as the most pressing issue for Palestinian youth.” Determined to take action, Sarah’s main role has involved establishing a youth unit for UNRWA and developing a youth

Bursting with all the latest technology, computer labs, a design thinking room, the Innovation Labs are designed as multi-purpose learning and working centres that run exciting and accessible courses free of charge.

The economic benefits the courses are providing are already visible, with several students who completed digital skills courses selling their own phone apps on the Google app store. The Labs also motivate young people to create solutions for their local context by distributing seed grants of up to $2,000 for innovative business ideas, which help towards setting up their own businesses, and professional coaching. One girl who studied physiotherapy at a vocational institute recognised the huge social and financial challenges people with disabilities or physical illnesses face in the refugee settlements, where access to proper healthcare can be out of reach. She used the seed grant and Innovation Lab space to set up a business and built an app with a friend, which allows families in the settlements to book their therapy at home with her online for a minimal charge, which in turn allows her to make her own side income. The Innovation Labs are also helping to foster community between different groups of society who wouldn’t normally come together, says Sarah. “We’ve got Lebanese nationals, Palestinian refugees and Palestine refugees from Syria coming together to access the labs, so it’s great for social cohesion.” Sarah also believes the Labs are helping to foster new industries at micro- and macro-economic levels. “Lebanon has no one community group, so the Labs help us

Corporate social responsibility Consulting Matters

to break things down and start looking at the localised context. But at the same time, we’re bringing youth in Lebanon closer to what’s happening on a global scale.” With over 1000 young people set to attend the Innovation Labs in 2018, Sarah is hopeful that the centres become self-sustaining and provide a sense of future opportunity for the marginalised youth of Lebanon. “The international community and everyone else talks about prevention of violent extremism and wants to put money into youth programs

for this reason, but if you give these young people the same opportunities as others have, then we wouldn’t have to be preventing extremism or developing special programs to prevent it… because they won’t be attracted to it.” Laura Cormack RedR Consult Australia is a founding member of RedR Australia. For more information about RedR Australia, take a look at their website at

www.redr.org.au. Sarah’s role is funded by the Australian Government.

Consulting Matters Corporate social responsibility

GHD driving change through Reconciliation

As a part of its commitment to diversity and inclusion, GHD has committed to a journey of Reconciliation with the development of it’s space Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). GHD’s RAP seeks to build new and strengthen existing relationships, by meeting its clients’ expectations and respecting the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Australia. Having developed the plan in collaboration with an independent external group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the RAP is a practical, action focused plan with specific deliverables to guide the company’s contribution to Reconciliation in Australia. Since the launch of the RAP in June 2017 during National Reconciliation Week, GHD leaders have undertaken cultural awareness training to better understand Australia’s First Peoples. GHD is committed to creating real employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and which has included working with the Indigenous Internship program CareerTrackers to provide the opportunity to gain work experience during university. GHD has also established a partnership with the GO Foundation to provide scholarships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school students. Raising awareness of Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) by

GHD is committed to creating real employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and which has included working with the Indigenous Internship program CareerTrackers to provide the opportunity to gain work experience during university. working with organisations like CSIRO aims to increase the talent pipeline for the future. Internal initiatives within the company include the installation of 40 plaques which recognise and acknowledge the traditional owners of land on which each of GHD’s Australian offices sits. Additionally, Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country are being used throughout the company during its events. GHD’s commitment to creating lasting community benefit has also seen them take part in several projects with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Some of these projects include cultural heritage management plans, remediation of a former mission settlement, socio-economic impact assessments on traditional lands and assisting in the development of the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School. Elle Davidson GHD

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Consulting Matters Project case study

Digital technology – more than just shiny toys When it comes to digital tools, equal measures of scaremongering and hyperbole have created a paralysis of indecision. Leaders know their organisations cannot stand still in a disrupted world. They see how digital tools have the potential to create a powerful advantage. But, understandably, executives are hesitant to commit to tech investments without an iron-clad business case. They don’t want to get distracted by ‘shiny toys’. At Beca, they agree. Their advice is to stop worrying about the technology itself and instead focus on the value it can bring to your business. All technology – digital or otherwise – is simply a means to an end. If it can add value to your business by providing staff with new insights and empowering them to making process more effective and efficient—then it’s worth a look. And the good news is: you can take that look with very little investment. they can use the model to ‘walk around’ the site far more safely and efficiently. This information will also improve engineering project schedules where digital information is required to design from. Attaching existing site information sources (SAP, SCADA information, drawings and document, and maintenance management system data) will further improve the value of this digital asset. The potential time and money savings easily justify the investment in these tools.

Real digital solutions in action Right now, Beca is collaborating with many of its clients to develop use cases that give corresponding business performance benefits. The idea is for digital pilots and proof of concept projects to ‘earn’ incremental funding by demonstrating measurable value. As you can see from the following examples, all kinds of digital tools can be overlaid on legacy systems to deliver immediate business benefits:

Asset information management (AIM) Called many things, including digital engineering and BIM, AIM provides a single point of truth for asset-related information so that accurate, up-to-date data is easily accessible for engineering, maintenance and operations. 3D models with associated asset information attached can provide easy access to data relating to new installations, however potentially of more interest is using reality capture (laser scans and high resolution 3D pictures from drones or ground based equipment) to capture existing assets. This information can then be viewed in a variety of environments such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and desktop mobile devices.

Over the last six months Beca have seen a shift in industrial clients adopting this digital approach as they start to realise the benefits of smarter ways of managing asset information. The benefits are clear in the design and build phase, but what’s becoming clearer is the long-term value of introducing rich digital models in the ongoing operation and maintenance of asset/s. • Streamlining operations and maintenance – Beca helped a major industrial client build a pilot reality capture model of a dairy processing plant, capturing high resolution information of every piece of equipment. Now there is no need to come on site to view things, complete job safety analysis’ or take measurements for engineering, maintenance and trade people. Instead

Augmented reality (AR) AR glasses integrate digital content—audio, video, checklists, overlaid schematics, sensor information—with the user’s view of the world. An augmented version of you, empowered to undertake activities you may not have been able to do without the technology. Typically fitted with a transparent heads-up display, scanner, GPS and an integrated camera and microphone. AR glasses give workers access to existing business processes, instructions, advice and information as they need it—resulting in super-charged convenience and productivity. •C utting the cost of plant repairs—Asahi Beverages is using augmented reality glasses to allow almost-instant access to specialist support when production

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If the QBCC suspects that an offence has occurred, it has powers to stop work, seize property and require documents and information be given, including requiring relevant parties to attend interviews.

•P reventing unnecessary investment—A major New Zealand waste water company was trying to gauge the impact of different operating strategies on their fleet composition. Using new data visualisation techniques to analyse the company’s existing data, they could help them test these 'what if' scenarios and measure the impact of different fleet composition on customer service levels.

Simulation software equipment breaks down in remote locations. Previously, technical specialists would often need to fly out to fix remote issues—an enormously expensive delay in a process where minutes of downtime count as many dollars in lost production. Now, local operators supply the eyes and the physical presence, with specialist expertise supplied remotely. On the back of estimated savings from the pilot, Asahi is enthusiastically expanding the technology to other locations. In the future, it will enable the introduction of automated instructions for standard maintenance procedures, with the headset walking a worker through the process in real time: “Press here… now use this tool (photo) to open this hatch…” – reducing reliance on specialists.

Virtual reality (VR) VR technology creates a highly realistic, immersive experience, enabling users to ‘walk through’ and interact with remote work environments from anywhere. • Inspect your plant before you build – Digital models can be placed into VR environment allowing stakeholders to experience a project before it is built. VR design reviews, operability reviews, maintainability reviews, HAZOP reviews, architectural feature reviews and stakeholder engagement sessions are just some of the many uses of using digital models in VR environments. There are huge savings in experiencing things before they are built and making design changes in lieu of physical changes. This removes a lot of unknown and cost risks from projects and Beca get incredible feedback about the benefits from those who use that service within their business. • Health & Safety training simulators – A major industrial client of Beca is also using its plant model to develop revolutionary training within H&S, environmental and food safety areas. VR-enabled courses are more effective than classroom training and substantially safer, more efficient and convenient than taking participants into an actual plant area. They expect industries like fisheries to use the same approach for inducting seasonal workers in boat

safety. VR can simulate dangerous, high sea conditions, getting workers used to the environment before they ever step on board.

Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensors Retrofitted onto existing plant, IoT sensors can communicate with remote computer systems about their status, location or the external environment. These sensors gather and analyse information, helping workers and managers make better decisions for very little outlay. • Improving safety—a New Zealand winery is starting to use IoT sensors to understand CO2 pressure inside wine storage tanks. Gathering this data will allow the winery to potentially redesign the tank access to significantly reduce the risks of working at height. The cheaply fitted sensors make this possible. • Reducing power costs—a food production facility is investigating using IoT sensors to understand and lower its power consumption. The facility is also hoping to use sensor data to track power as a production input for different products. • Monitoring operations—Christchurch City Council is in the tendering phase of installing IoT devices to monitor and collect data from 1,483 vacuum chambers in the wastewater system. The project takes advantage of new battery technologies and low power radio technology to remove the need for extensive cabling for power and communications while still providing alarms in real time to operators. High resolution updates of valve performance will also be collected to a central server allowing Council staff to easily assess which valves need adjusted and maintained. This data will also provide insights for future capital expenditure to improve and expand the system. Data visualisation Data visualisation software can help managers find new patterns in existing spreadsheet information quickly and simply, without the need for expensive modelling.

Computer simulation allows businesses to test out ‘what if’ scenarios on existing systems without risk. •P roviding capacity certainty—Beca is currently helping a dairy processing company use simulation modelling to answer plant capacity questions such as: Can we fulfil our customer demands using our existing equipment? What would be the impact of additional equipment on the quantity of high value products we can produce?

Limitless possibilities For me, the most exciting thing about all these examples is the original benefit the client was chasing often ends up being superseded by other benefits that hadn’t even thought of. Digital isn’t the prerogative of big business or of fancy new start-ups. Any company, with any type of legacy system can start using digital tools—right now. Information management is evolving towards a 'Digital Twin' (A digital replica of your physical plant). Many of the benefits of a 'Digital Twin' can be made available now by using BIM models, simulation models and financial models driven from the same data sets. Access can be cloud based or 'on Premises'. The result is extraordinarily powerful tools that are honestly only limited by our imagination. I can’t wait to see where our digital experiments take us and our clients next! Sue Bradley Beca

Consulting Matters Project case study

The Hills to be adorned with unique development

View from Old Northern Road looking east, mixed use development 299-309 Old Northern Rd Castle Hill

With innovation at the heart of the structures within the district, north west Sydney sees a boost in developments in one of the region’s most sustainable areas. It is the suburb that is envied for its great sense of community for young families and prime location to various facilities.

The suburb of Castle Hill is currently home to more than 36 000 people and the projected forecast for 2036 will see an increase of 22.68 per cent. The booming area has many employment opportunities with 80 000 jobs and several beautiful recreational parks and reserves.

Together with this issue’s theme of ‘disruption’, the term itself in engineering, is when innovators thrive on creating differences within the industry, and focus on its growth later.

Number 299-309 Old Northern Road Castle Hill, developed by Toplace Pty Ltd and designed by Krikis Tayler architects, is a unique mixed use construction in the heart of the district and its prime location, is what makes this project a winner.

Dr Anthony Hasham, Director and Founder of Australian Consulting Engineers (ACE) leads a team of qualified and experienced engineers, who in the last two decades have witnessed continuous growth, contributing tremendously to the engineering industry within Australia. The company is currently involved in a number of projects, which highlight unique aspects, innovation, leadership and the importance to the industry, one of which is in the heart of the Hills Shire District.

If you’ve ever heard the saying "it’s all about location", it’s fair to say that it is most prevalent with this project for since the very beginning, it has been attracting ample amounts of bookings. The building is also right opposite the new railway station which is currently under construction and scheduled for completion in early 2019. The project boasts its paramount location not only because of its public transport and

Project case study Consulting Matters

View from Crane Rd looking north, mixed use development 299-309 Old Northern Rd Castle Hill recreational services, but because it’s also within walking distance to one of Sydney’s best shopping facilities, Castle Towers, only 300m away. The unique look of this project shows off an architecturally elegant, glass façade making visible the escalators on the side of the building. Not only did the team purposefully design the building to prevent the effect of wind loading which can often be a challenge with high rise buildings, they did so using a Dincel structure. This is a permanent polymer formwork for walls and columns which, when filled with ready mixed concrete, produces an economically, strong and durable structure. Structural engineering configurations are an essential part of society in this day and age, so it’s important to get it right. The development will see the creation of two mixed use buildings being 20 storeys (Block A) and 21 Storeys (Block B) containing 378 apartments, 1,612 m2 of retail at ground level and an amazing 5 levels of basement car park space for 550 vehicles.

Not only did the team purposefully design the building to prevent the effect of wind loading which can often be a challenge with high rise buildings, they did so using a Dincel structure. This is a permanent polymer formwork for walls and columns which, when filled with ready mixed concrete, produces an economically, strong and durable structure. While the site may cause disruption to local residents in the short term, it’s worth asking how beneficial these towers, which will house 378 families with ample retail space, will be in the future. Dr Anthony Hasham Australian Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd

Consulting Matters Industry comment

Spiders, Goats and Biosteel™ No, this isn’t science fiction as odd as it may seem, nor is it an episode of the Simpsons involving spider pig. This is the potential future of increasing the strength and durability of steel. Originally developed as a high-strength, fibrebased material made of the recombinant spider silk like protein produced by transgenic (read genetically engineered) goats. The silk produced is reportedly seven to ten times as strong as steel if compared for the same weight, and can stretch up to twenty times its unaltered size with no loss in strength. This odd sounding concoction is the result of work conducted initially by Dr Randy Lewis at the University of Wyoming and now at Utah State University (which includes 30 transgenic goats) responsible for producing the necessary spider like silk. While in the initial stages of development and widespread application, the use of goats, while odd, improves the overall impact of this potentially widely disruptive technology. This is particularly the case given the complexity, cost burden and time taken to produce an incredibly rare, eleven by four piece of textile which requires one million spiders, seventy

workers and four years of consecutive years of silk collection. So where to from here?

materials used throughout the built environment, particularly throughout load bearing structures including bridges and buildings.

While still in the extremely experimental phase, biosteel™ presents many widespread engineering applications, recent attempts into developing next generation, super light and thin body amour for the Pentagon, provide the basis for incorporating the material into a variety of construction materials to leverage the high tensile, durability and strength.

Want to know more?

For engineers and designers, increasing the durability of traditionally limited construction materials provides the opportunity to further push the envelope of design and construction innovation.

• ‘Bullet-Proof Skin’, Made with Spider Silk and Goat’s Milk, Created by Scientists;

Like recent developments around the use of plywood and timber, reinforcing traditional construction materials, such as steel provides the opportunity to build higher, lighter and more resilient buildings and infrastructure by leveraging the strength of nature.

• W50: “Plyscraper” to be built in Japanese Capital Tokyo.

One thing is for sure, these naturally produced silk products like other engineered materials or fibre-reinforced composites, have the potential to revolutionize the

• Biosteel™ Goat; • The Silky, Milky, Totally Strange Saga of the Spider Goat; • Bridges made of Spider Silk? You can thank the Goats for that;

• Tangled webs: Why scientists want to recreate spider silk; and

Steve Kuper Consult Australia

Consulting Matters

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