Infrastructure Intelligence International - post-FIDIC conference special edition by FIDIC

September 2019 | FIDIC International Infrastructure Conference 2019 - Post-conference issue | www.infrastructure-intelligence.com

FIDIC on song in Mexico City DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

BUSINESS INTEGRITY

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Companies must embrace the technological revolution to survive.

Taking up the fight against global corruption.

Delegates leave Mexico City with confidence and enthusiasm.

page 4-5

page 6-7

page 10-11

September 2019 | Infrastructure Intelligence International 1

4-5 November 2019 The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) 2 Savoy Place, London, WC2R 0BL.

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2 Infrastructure Intelligence International | September 2019

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Contents 4: Digital transformation

Why companies that fail to embrace the digital revolution will cease to exist.

6: Business integrity

FIDIC takes up the fight against global corruption.

12: FIDIC Project Award winners

FIDIC Mexico City 2019

Taking up the fight against global corruption

New technology, powerful new legislation and a renewed emphasis on integrity can help win the battle against corruption on a global scale, say FIDIC delegates.

ACEC president and CEO Linda Bauer Darr.

IDIC conference delegates from around the world have called for a mix of new technology, powerful new legislation, and a new emphasis on integrity to help win the battle against global corruption. Opening a debate on the issue in Mexico City, Linda Bauer Darr pointed out that privacy and serious cyber security issues threaten both corporate and national security and were the clear pitfalls of new technology. Picture this scenario,” said Bauer Darr. “A company launches a massive campaign throughout your country to require engineering firms to purchase the company’s software as a condition for doing work for federal and state governments. The software is promoted as a way to identify and reduce fraud. What isn’t promoted, however, is what the software actually does. . . which is to take screen shots on computers and

Spain and China win big in Mexico City.

The FIDIC conference panel members for the session on integrity management issues.

Goratile Motswagole, Future Leader and geological engineer with HERBCO.

New FIDIC president Bill Howard.

log keystrokes, collecting potentially sensitive and proprietary corporate information to be delivered to a private third party. Not only does this raise privacy concerns, it raises serious cyber security threats to our industry and our respective nations,” she said. Bauer Darr, president and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies, also pointed out that the world was in an era of profound change - the fourth industrial revolution and said how the industry responds to mitigate these risks will define how it is perceived by governments and clients alike. She also invited FIDIC’s young professionals to play an active role in making new technology work positively to tackle fraud. FIDIC’s new Future Leaders group for young and emerging industry professionals had focused on the issue of fighting corruption at an earlier session at the conference, which graphically explained what the true effects of corruption were and who suffers as a result. Many of the watching delegates were left visibly moved and inspired by a presentation which highlighted the effects on real people of corrupt practices. Members of the Future Leaders group said that they had been inspired to take on the issue as a result of hearing about the experiences of their peers who had seen corruption and its

devasting effects in their own countries. Jorge Diaz Padilla, chair of FIDIC’s integrity management committee, also praised FIDIC’s young professionals and urged the industry to “follow the money” in the ongoing battle against corruption. “I was encouraged by what FIDIC’s Future Leaders were showing us at conference and would encourage us to lobby clients to use an integrity management system,” he said. “We need a global technology solution to help us with problems such as this. There’s terrific potential for keeping track of transactions and it opens expectations that there are good possibilities to move in that direction - and follow the money! Technology is opening a window to define how corruption is measured and how we can track risk,” Padilla said. Padilla also called for FIDIC and the industry to refocus its efforts on an

integrity-based system to complement any advances in new technology and new legislation. New FIDIC president Bill Howard agreed: “We need FIDIC and its member associations across the world to work together on this,” he said. “Governments and public organisations need to make the rules clear. We should also strive to make education programmes that are mandatory; make sure every employee knows the rules. So, let’s take action from the top,” Howard said. Søren Adamsen, executive vice president at COWI, said that FIDIC should have a dialogue with the world development banks to make transparency a key issue, while James Mwangi, chair of FIDIC’s African member federation GAMA, called for member associations to join the political process, partaking in making new laws including infrastructure, building the capacity of government agencies to fight crime and recognising people who want to live with integrity. FIDIC has a proud record of tackling corruption and is known across the world as an organisation that takes a zero-tolerance approach and the conference saw the launch of the new Guidelines for Integrity Management in the Consulting Industry. The guide sets out a road map on how consulting engineering firms can apply integrity management in their work and provides the details on how to develop a FIDIC Integrity Management System (FIMS) and use it in their day-to-day consulting practice.

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6: Business integrity

A Mexico City government minister outlines the city’s infrastructure plans.

FIDIC heading in the right direction Attendees left Mexico City energised by a successful FIDIC conference and in an enthusiastic mood about future opportunities, as Andy Walker and Rob O’Connor report below.

ark Pehlig has had a busy and productive first year as a FIDIC board member after being elected at last year’s conference in Berlin. As a member of the global management team at Netherlands based Fugro NV, he is no stranger to international construction sector and his wealth of global experience and understanding is proving to be great fit in his new role on the FIDIC board. Speaking at the FIDIC conference in Mexico City, Pehlig said: “I’ve been rolling up my sleeves and working with the board to help with strategic direction. It’s great to see the board doing the right things; we are discussing a lot and are really going in some good directions,” he said. Pehlig said that he thought that FIDIC was headed in the right direction following recent changes to its governance and it was now even better placed to capitalise on its unique global position. “FIDIC is doing great work in establishing a clear governance structure in the group and we also have a lot of good products,

Mark Pehlig, board member, FIDIC.

Mariana Moraes from TPF Engenharia in Brazil.

are developing new products and also bringing them to the market,” he said. Communications was singled out by Pehlig as being crucial to FIDIC’s success. This was also highlighted in the recent member association survey where the most popular communication output was the CEO Update followed by the Contract Users’ Newsletter and then FIDIC’s press releases. The most requested communications output was industry news and FIDIC is looking to up its game in that area with the launch of a new global news platform called Infrastructure Global. Pehlig said that good communications was important in bringing all the benefits of FIDIC to member associations and making them more aware of what the organisation offers. Another key area of FIDIC’s work that is very highly regarded by members is its work amongst young professionals. The newly established and renamed FIDIC Future Leaders group certainly made a mark at the Mexico City conference with a number of well-attended and well-received sessions and presentations. Most memorable was the Future Leaders workshop presentation on fighting corruption which saw many delegates visibly moved as well as inspired by the group’s determination to tackle a problem that was blighting the global construction sector. Throughout many of the conference sessions in Mexico City, FIDIC’s Future Leaders were a constant and vocal presence. Not only did they take part in the discussions, but it was the way they took part, posing challenging questions and coming at the issues with a fresh perspective and outlook. “The Future Leaders have an enormous network and, rather than just being empowered, they are now ready to take responsibility and I think that will really benefit FIDIC in future years,” said Mark Pehlig. FIDIC’s survey of members is an important part of the planning process for the organisation and the feedback from MAs showed that conferences, contracts and training were all areas where FIDIC is performing well. Areas where members want

FIDIC chief executive Nelson Ogunshakin.

to see improvement include lobbying, advocacy and policy, regional groups, committees and website and social media communications. These issues were given an airing at the directors and secretaries’ sessions at the conference and they also came up during the various business practice sessions at the event. The members survey results are summarised in the new FIDIC Annual Report, distributed at the conference and which also contains a raft of information about FIDIC’s activities over the past 12 months. It shows an organisation that is moving forward and heading in the right direction. Board member Mark Pehlig was keen to stress the importance of organisations like FIDIC in a changing digital world and uncertain political times. “It’s important to continue providing frameworks to governments, clients and financial institutions about how to work with integrity and best practice,” he said. “More importantly, looking at our members and member associations, engineers really are key to creating a liveable society. We continue to help our members in times of uncertainty and FIDIC can definitely take a leading role in dealing with digitalisation in a professional manner, including legal matters and the integrity of data and contracts,” said Pehlig.

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Going forward, Pehlig outlined integrity, sustainability and improved communications as key priorities for FIDIC. “Integrity is really a domain where FIDIC can play a role globally and we should really bring our voice to the fore there,” he said. “We also need to develop sustainability. In our role as engineers we are key communicators between the different stakeholders in developing sustainable societies. I think we can improve on what we do currently on that. And, with improving communications, we should aim to bring the best practices of FIDIC, our member associations, firms and engineering knowledge to the outside world,” Pehlig said. It’s an optimistic message and one that was echoed by many of the delegates in Mexico City who will have returned to their countries enthused, energised and optimistic about the future. As FIDIC chief executive Nelson Ogunshakin said as he closed the conference: “Our discussions and debates have been informative, illuminating and inspiring. We have much food for thought to take away and I know that FIDIC, the board and our staff will be working hard to ensure that we take the issues raised and work out how we best address them as an organisation and as an industry.”

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10: Looking to the future

Business leaders are facing up to technological change head-on.

Winning members take a bow

10: Looking to the future

FIDIC leaves Mexico City with renewed confidence and enthusiasm.

FIDIC MA Excellence Awards

Member associations from the USA, Canada, Denmark and New Zealand were all winners in the inaugural FIDIC MA Excellence Awards revealed in Mexico City.

Supporting imagery from some of the successful winning entries in the inaugural FIDIC Member Association Excellence Awards.

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16: MA Excellence Awards

Winning FIDIC members honoured in Mexico City.

20: Accreditation Why FIDIC is setting a global standard of excellence.

Former ACEC chief executive, Dave Raymond, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

IDIC is fortunate to have some of the best business associations in the world amongst its membership and the first ever awards specifically designed for members certainly highlighted some brilliant work. The first award to be announced was Member Association of the Year. This keenly contested category went to an MA that showed excellence in all areas of its work and which demonstrated a clear strategy, staff and member engagement, a proven track record and excellence in management. The strong shortlist included Mexico, Georgia, Russia, Norway, Vietnam, South Africa, Japan and China, but it was the American Council of Engineering Companies who won the award thanks to its consistent and measurable success across a number of areas, especially advocacy and communications. Second up, was the award for the Best Advancement of a Cause, Advocacy Campaign or Event. ACEC Canada saw off the competition, winning the award for its 20 days of Excellence campaign. Throughout November 2018, for 20 days on social media ACEC showcased a different award-winning project every weekday. The awards highlighted the outstanding talent and expertise of Canadian consulting engineering firms as well as their contribution to Canadians’ quality of life and the huge impact they have in Canada and around the world. The third award to be announced was prize for the Best Publication or Website and the award went to joint winners.

Member associations have their say at FIDIC conference.

Interview with John Gamble from ACEC Canada.

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9: Technology and digital

14: Directors and secretaries

15: Member associations

Looking ahead

8: Mexico City focus

Engineering a better and sustainable world, a publication from the Danish Association of Consulting Engineers (FRI), which highlighted the contribution of Danish consulting engineering companies to the UN’s sustainable development goals impressed the judges and was deemed a worthy winner. The other successful entry was Engineering Inc, the regular publication of the American Council of Engineering Companies, was the other

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support for FIDIC and its members and for being a brilliant advocate for consulting engineers. A richly deserved honour for a true leader of the sector. The first-ever Member Association Excellence Awards were deemed a success and, if the interest at the awards presentation is anything to go by, FIDIC can look forward with confidence to 2020 and even more entries as the competition for prizes hots up.

winner, which was praised for its excellence and the variety of its coverage. The Best Diversity and Inclusion Initiative award was won by the Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand (ACENZ) for their Diversity Agenda initiative, a set of six key guidelines, objectives and actions to help firms, large and small, to be more diverse and inclusive in 2019. Last up, was the Lifetime Achievement Award and this year, the judges selected Dave Raymond, immediate past president and chief executive of the American Council of Engineering Companies to receive the prize for his unstinting service to ACEC, years of

September 2019 | Infrastructure Intelligence International 17

16: MA Excellence Awards

22: FIDIC Geneva 2020

Showcasing Switzerland’s engineering sights.

Reporter: Rob O’Connor +44 7790 585396

awalker@infrastructure-intelligence.com

roconnor@infrastructure-intelligence.com

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Commercial Director: Brian Nolk +44 20 7227 1882

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Message from the editor

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the global infrastructure industry.

t was a real privilege to attend the FIDIC International Infrastructure Conference in Mexico City. This is an industry sector that literally shapes and changes the world in which we all live and those who work in it do not get nearly enough credit. This year’s conference was an excellent one, with serious discussion and debate and many inspirational speeches as FIDIC and its members grappled with the key issues facing the industry. Many of the discussions and debate are highlighted in the pages that follow but in 20 pages we can only offer a flavour of an event that shone the spotlight on how technological change is challenging and changing the construction and infrastructure sector. The vital role of leadership in digital transformation was a recurring theme of the conference, with a strong steer that all firms will be digital going forward – it really is ‘change or die’ time for the industry, many speakers said. That’s not to say that firms should fear change. Far from it. Digital should be seen as an opportunity and firms can use it to bring about change and make people’s lives better. Another key theme in Mexico City was the importance of integrity and the fight against global corruption. As with many other issues, FIDIC has a crucial role to play on this issue for the benefit of the whole world. I hope you enjoy our reporting from what was a brilliant conference – and I hope that we can do it all again in Geneva in 2020!

Andy Walker, Editor, Infrastructure Intelligence International +44 7791 997602 awalker@infrastructure-intelligence.com

September 2019 | Infrastructure Intelligence International 3

FIDIC Mexico City 2019

Digital transformat

A big data advisor to former US president Barack Obama warns that companies that fail to embrace the digital revolution will cease to exist. Andy Walker and Rob O’Connor report from Mexico City.

former presidential advisor to Barack Obama made a huge impact at the FIDIC International Infrastructure Conference in Mexico City, when he said that companies who fail to embrace the digital revolution will cease to exist. Keynote conference speaker Stephen Brobst said: “There are three choices in the new economy. Companies are either (1) already data companies (2) will become data companies or (3) will cease to exist. So, make your choices! You may not know it, but you are all data companies.” Now the chief technology officer for the multi-billion-dollar Teradata Corporation, Brobst was well-placed to outline the challenges and, more importantly, the huge opportunities presented by leadership, new technology and digital transformation to the industry. “Orders of magnitude of the data being made available will increase,” said Brobst. “Available data is doubling every two years. It’s affecting all industries. Nano technology is making this happen. Every 18-24 months the size of a transistor is being reduced by 50%,” he said. Brobst said that computing was being made smaller, more efficient and more deployable. “The phone in your pocket is a super-computer. It’s more powerful and has more devices that put a man on the moon in the 1960s,” he said. Looking positively to the future and outlining how the industry can take advantage of digital transformation, Brobst said: “People talk about the internet of things, but I don’t use that term. What we have is the internet of everything! Super technology sensor data can now be supplied for less than the

Stephen Brobst, chief technology officer at Teradata Corporation, speaking at the FIDIC conference in Mexico City. Read more online at www.infrastructureintelligence.com

4 Infrastructure Intelligence International | September 2019

cost of a jellybean. Sensor technology will change everything,” he claimed. Brobst described the internet of everything (IoE) as a third wave of big data that would have sensors everywhere and impact every area of the industry and that of society itself. As far as infrastructure was concerned, Brobst said that the IoE would connect and monitor the effectiveness of everything including “every plot of land, every building, every bridge, every office, every machine, every power switch, every water pipe, every car, every train, every train and much more besides”. This, said Brobst, means that infrastructure will be able to self-measure and monitor usage characteristics, environmental conditions, and performance, to provide critical data to

tion is here and now

manufacturers, service organisations and customers alike. Brobst also outlined the growing prominence of the digital twin, a virtual replication of a physical asset, and described how the original concept mainly focussed on machines but had now expanded to include smart buildings, smart cities, telecommunications networks and key businesses processes. The industry may have heard bold statements like Brobst’s before and some might assume things can just carry on as before. However, Brobst

thinks this is definitely a very different moment in time and one that the industry cannot afford to ignore. “The whole big data phenomenon, the economics of sensor enablement and the economics of exploitation of big data - this has really only become possible in the last few years,” he said. “So, although this digital twin concept has been around for almost 20 years, I would argue that only recently are companies actually serious about really doing it. There’s this transition from theory to engineering, which is huge, and that’s what’s going to happen over the next five years. It’s not going to happen overnight and it’s not going to happen in all markets simultaneously, but you will start see it in certain areas. And smart city is an example of that. Not all cities have yet become smart cities, but those that have are definitely are using the digital transformational techniques that I’ve described,” Brobst said. Brobst pointed out that the issue wasn’t about engineers becoming software experts, but that engineers need to be comfortable using the tools to help them become smarter, more efficient, and become better decision makers on the engineering decisions they are making. “Think of it in the same way as the old-style engineering that used drafting tables, and that was replaced that with tools such as Autodesk and so on,” he said. “Any engineers not willing to make that shift; they became obsolete. Now there’s a new generation, there’s another shift, and tools like Autodesk will then evolve into more advanced digital twins and so on, and it’s the same kind of thing. You will bring on the engineers who are open to change and evolution, and some will not!” But that doesn’t necessarily mean a wholesale change in the industry’s age demographic, with an ability and willingness to adapt to new technology being more important than age, Brobst claimed. “People that are comfortable with digital technologies and using applications tend to be natural learners. When I hire someone, I don’t hire skill sets, I hire people who are inherently curious and “Any engineers not have an appetite to learn, willing to make that and these can be older or younger people. You want to shift; they became hire people who are open to obsolete.” evolution, open to learning and who are open to change Stephen Brobst, chief technology officer, regardless of their age,” Teradata Corporation Brobst said. Highlighting the vital importance of experience, Brobst said: “Engineers who’ve been around for a while, they’ve seen a lot of things and already been through change, they’re the survivors if you will. And if you lose them you lose a lot of the experience of ‘we’ve tried that and here’s what we learned from that.’ Because if you get a whole bunch of newbie engineers, they’re going to make the same mistakes the experienced guys have already made, so you don’t want to lose that experience,” he said. Brobst boldly concluded that the competitive landscape will change beyond all recognition and that those companies and organisations both willing and able to adapt to that change would be best placed to benefit from the huge opportunities of the current and future digital transformation.

September 2019 | Infrastructure Intelligence International 5

FIDIC Mexico City 2019

Taking up the fight against global corruption

New technology, powerful new legislation and a renewed emphasis on integrity can help win the battle against corruption on a global scale, say FIDIC delegates.

ACEC president and CEO Linda Bauer Darr.

IDIC conference delegates from around the world have called for a mix of new technology, powerful new legislation, and a new emphasis on integrity to help win the battle against global corruption. Opening a debate on the issue in Mexico City, Linda Bauer Darr pointed out that privacy and serious cyber security issues threaten both corporate and national security and were the clear pitfalls of new technology. “Picture this scenario,” said Bauer Darr. “A company launches a massive campaign throughout your country to require engineering firms to purchase the company’s software as a condition for doing work for federal and state governments. The software is promoted as a way to identify and reduce fraud. What isn’t promoted, however, is what the software actually does. . . which is to take screen shots on computers and

6 Infrastructure Intelligence International | September 2019

Goratile Motswagole, Future Leader and geological engineer with HERBCO.

The FIDIC conference panel members for the session on integrity management issues.

Incoming FIDIC president Bill Howard.

integrity-based system to complement any advances in new technology and new legislation. Incoming FIDIC president Bill Howard agreed: “We need FIDIC and its member associations across the world to work together on this,” he said. “Governments and public organisations need to make the rules clear. We should also strive to make education programmes that are mandatory; make sure every employee knows the rules. So, let’s take action from the top,” Howard said. Søren Adamsen, executive vice president at COWI, said that FIDIC should have a dialogue with the world development banks to make transparency a key issue, while James Mwangi, chair of FIDIC’s African member federation GAMA, called for member associations to join the political process, partaking in making new laws including infrastructure, building the capacity of government agencies to fight crime and recognising people who want to live with integrity. FIDIC has a proud record of tackling corruption and is known across the world as an organisation that takes a zero-tolerance approach and the conference saw the launch of the new Guidelines for Integrity Management in the Consulting Industry. The guide sets out a road map on how consulting engineering firms can apply integrity management in their work and provides the details on how to develop a FIDIC Integrity Management System (FIMS) and use it in their day-to-day consulting practice.

September 2019 | Infrastructure Intelligence International 7

FIDIC Mexico City 2019

Infrastructure key to city’s transformation

At the FIDIC conference, a Mexico City government minister outlined an ambitious five-year infrastructure plan that puts people firmly at the heart of the city’s ambitious improvement plans.

ighlighting the scale of the challenge faced by his city, Jesus Antonio Esteva Medina, minister of public infrastructures and services in the government of Mexico City, said that although the city has an economy bigger than some small countries in Europe, the outskirts are still very poor in comparison. The minister said that he was determined to tackle social deprivation and lack of opportunities for some of the city’s population, as he outlined how bold infrastructure plans for next five years would cover a wide range of public works and societal projects, including housing, transport, roads, trains, schools, environmental and community initiatives. Speaking to Infrastructure Intelligence International minutes after stepping off the conference stage, the minister outlined how social infrastructure, sustainable mobility and better public services were the three main foundations that put people at the heart of the city government’s ambitious plans. “There are three main programmes which reflect the policy of the government,” said Medina. “One is for social infrastructure, which is schools, community centres, hospitals, clinics and infrastructure for justice, jails. Another is sustainable mobility, for which we’re constructing new bus lanes, constructing subways and train facilities and also 100km of cycle lanes. And the other main programme is providing better public services and new opportunities for people across and beyond the city,” he said.

Jesus Antonio Esteva Medina, minister of public infrastructures and services, Mexico City government.

In addition to refurbishing 17,000 homes in the region, the minister described how tackling deprivation and insecurity was a major driving force behind the plans. “One of the main problems now, not just in the city but also in areas further out, is insecurity,” Jesus Antonio Esteva Medina, minister of he said. “Insecurity has its public infrastructures and services, Mexico origins in social differences City government and lack of opportunity. So, the government visualises the programme as offering the right to education, and to help people from all cultures and backgrounds to have the same opportunities to progress in life. We are working hard to make sure that the causes of insecurity are being attacked. And that’s how we design and determine the public works we’re constructing this year,” Medina explained. Confident, warm and engaging, the minister, was delighted that his city was playing host to the conference this year. “For Mexico City, and also the country, it’s an honour to receive this type and this level of organisation and event,” he said. “It’s very important in two ways. Firstly, Mexicans can learn from the interaction of all the ideas and experiences being brought to the conference. Secondly, and importantly, the industry leaders and delegates visiting from all over the world can learn about us - and Mexico is a very special country. “We apply and adapt new technologies to our conditions and we are confronting our social inequalities with our infrastructure programmes. You’ll see a mixture of cultures working together with creativity and spirit, and I hope people will be inspired by that,” he said.

“For Mexico City, and also the country, it’s an honour to receive this type and this level of organisation and event.”

New infrastructure is seen as key to Mexico City’s improvement plans.

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FIDIC Mexico City 2019

Facing up to change head-on A key focus at the Mexico City conference was just how are corporate board, business leaders and decision makers dealing with technological challenges facing their organisations.

ore than ever before, to make “The future will be sensible investment forged by technology decisions in the face of technological change, and shaped by financiers and government innovation.” are increasingly being asked to adopt the forwardthinking attitudes of engineers, scientists, architects and designers. This creates opportunities for these construction professionals provided they themselves adapt to the challenge of change. Mitch Simpler, a partner at JB&B, one of New York’s leading consulting engineering firms and also the current “The soft skills are chair of ACEC, said it was going to be the key to crucial that engineers faced change head on. differentiation in future. “The future will be forged Our greatest assets are by technology and shaped by innovation,” he said. our people and we must “As true thought leaders, invest in them.” technology will be the most important tool for the engineering community to be able to differentiate itself from a commodity to the most highly valued partner. We are the people who will take technology to the next level!” Simpler said that the primary role of the engineer was to educate “Technology. Is it a and that includes the threat, a disaster, a client. It was crucial he said that engineers spoke magic wand or an up and spoke out on the enabler?” effect of infrastructure development on places and communities and “We need to explain to clients that they have a responsibility to be socially responsible,” he said.

Mitch Simpler, partner, JB&B.

Keith Howells, former chair, Mott MacDonald.

Benoît Clocheret, CEO, Artelia Group.

Former Mott MacDonald chair Keith Howells said that new technology meant that predicting the future was even more difficult that ever. “A new approach needs the right people to be in place and we need strong leadership and a clear mindset,” he said. Howells highlighted the example of the Thames Tideway project and HS2 as projects where digital was making a real difference, leading to significant efficiencies. In future, business models would need to change under the impact of technology speeding up delivery, he said. “The big challenge for us is when we are doing in a day what we used to do in the month,” said Howells. “Our commercial outcomes will need to be based on outcomes rather than inputs - people working more flexibly; smaller offices with fewer desks.” Howells predicted that there would still be full-time careers for those who want them and automation would not obviate the need for a human touch. “There are still many things that humans do better than machines. The soft skills are going to be the key to differentiation in future. Our greatest assets are our people and we must invest in them,” he said. Benoît Clocheret, CEO of the Artelia Group, said that organisations needed to develop the ability to be agile and resilient in the face of digital change. There was no hiding place he said. “Technology. Is it a threat, a disaster, a magic wand or an enabler?” he asked. There was no place for ‘business as usual’ and all firms would be affected by the onward march of digital according to Clocheret. The majority of his audience in Mexico City would certainly be in agreement with that.

September 2019 | Infrastructure Intelligence International 9

Looking ahead

FIDIC heading in the right direction

Attendees left Mexico City energised by a successful FIDIC conference and in an enthusiastic mood about future opportunities, as Andy Walker and Rob O’Connor report below.

Mark Pehlig, board member, FIDIC.

10 Infrastructure Intelligence International | September 2019

Mariana Moraes from TPF Engenharia in Brazil.

FIDIC chief executive Nelson Ogunshakin.

Read more online at www.infrastructureintelligence.com

September 2019 | Infrastructure Intelligence International 11

FIDIC Project Awards 2019

Spain and China win big in Mexico City

Representatives of Spain and China receive their winner’s trophies flanked by the FIDIC CEO, president and the past presidents who lead the judging panel, Jaewan Lee and Pablo Bueno.

Once again this year, the FIDIC Project Awards celebrated outstanding construction projects where FIDIC member firms have had a major involvement and which showcase the work of consulting engineering firms and the contribution they make to quality of life.

nfrastructure projects from China and Spain shared the top honours at FIDIC’s annual Project Awards ceremony in Mexico City on Monday 9 September 2019. The two hugely impressive projects topped a very strong shortlist of potential winners from around the world, many of whom were present at the awards. Shortlisted entries all promoted the FIDIC core principles of quality, integrity and sustainability and the winners of these prized global awards can be truly proud of their achievement. The China Xi’an-Chengdu High Speed Railway is the world’s first rail line that traverses rugged mountains with the proportion of the total mileage of bridges and tunnels up to 94%. Its 100km concentrated long tunnel groups, which

Read more online at www.infrastructureintelligence.com

12 Infrastructure Intelligence International | September 2019

comprise seven tunnels over 10km in length, are unprecedented in China’s high-speed rail history. Interestingly, an additional 35 million Chinese Yuan was invested to build a 33-km bird protection net along both sides of the rail track, the first of its kind in the world. The China Group First Survey & Design Institute Group, the company behind the project, are members of the China National Association of Engineering Consultants. Joint winners alongside China were the TYPSA Group from Spain, members of the Spanish member association, Tecniberia. Their ambitious project to widen a bridge over the Rande Strait saw all works planned under the principle that construction shouldn’t have an environmental impact on the Vigo estuary or the surroundings of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park. TYPSA said that extending the lifecycle of a significant infrastructure was a responsible decision that assumes that natural resources are not inexhaustible. The project is a unique milestone in the field of structural engineering worldwide as it is the first long-span cable-stayed bridge being widened in this way. Elsewhere, three other Chinese projects also picked up Special Merit Awards, together with one each for projects in Canada, France and Mexico. And, reflecting the strength of this year’s entries, a further 15 Merit Awards were announced on the night, including eight for China, four for the USA, and one each for Canada, Japan and Vietnam. As well as helping to promote FIDIC’s principles of quality, integrity and sustainability, the awards also encourage others in the industry to understand and support those principles and also highlight the use of FIDIC contracts and guidelines. Entries to the awards are always warmly welcomed from FIDIC member associations from around the world and a call for entries for the 2020 competition will be posted on the FIDIC website next year.

List of winning projects and merit awards Outstanding Project of the Year Country

Project

Company

China Spain

China Xi’an–Chengdu High-Speed Railway Widening of the Bridge over the Rande Strait

China Railway First Survey & Design Institute Group Co TYPSA Group – MC2 Estudio de Ingeniería

Award of Special Merit Country

Project

Company

China China China Canada France Mexico

The Beipanjiang First Bridge Zhuhai Opera House Xujiapeng Station Integrated Transportation Hub of Wuhan Metro Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway Redevelopment of the Halles site, Paris Atotonilco Wastewater Treatment Plant

CCCC Highway Consultants Co, Ltd Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (Group) Co China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group Co Kavik-Stantec | Kiggiak EBA Artelia FOA Ingeniería y Servicios / Ayesa México / Experiencia Inmobiliaria Total

Award of Merit Country

Project

Company

Canada China

Squamish Integrated Flood Hazard Management Plan Beijing Sanyuan Bridge (across Jingshun Road) overhaul project

China

Wuhan Yingwuzhou Yangtze River Bridge

China China China China China

Ship Lift Project of TGP (Three Gorges Project) Fusong Section of Hegang-Dalian Expressway Yunnan-Guangxi High Speed Railway Jinping-II Hydropower Station on the Yalong River in Sichuan Suzhou Southern Grid 500kV Unified Power Flow Controller Project Lancang River Xiaowan Hydropower Station New London Embassy Prickly Pear Creek Realignment Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Sarah Mildred Long Bridge Lach Huyen Port Infrastructure Construction Project (Road and Bridge Portion) Dinh Vu-Cat Hai Bridge Bach Dang Bridge Construction Project, Hai Phong City

Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Beijing General Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute Co China Railway Major Bridge Reconnaissance & Design Institute Co Changjiang Institute of Survey, Planning, Design and Research CCCC Highway Consultants Co China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co Yalong River Hydropower Development Company China Energy Engineering Group Jiangsu Power Design Institute Co Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Incorporated Arup Pioneer Technical Services Inc HDR Hardesty & Hanover Oriental Consultants Global Co

China USA USA USA USA Japan Vietnam

Transport Engineering Design Inc

The widening of the bridge over the Rande Strait, pictured left and right below.

The China Xi’an–Chengdu High-Speed Railway, pictured left and right above.

September 2019 | Infrastructure Intelligence International 13

Directors and secretaries

MAs have their say at FIDIC conference FIDIC’s members took centre stage in Mexico City to offer views on the organisation’s activities and strategic direction.

IDIC’s member associations (MAs) from across the world took centre stage at the FIDIC conference in Mexico City, with their traditional startof-conference directors and secretaries’ meeting and presidents’ meetings. Both gatherings, on 7 September 2019, gave FIDIC the opportunity to update member associations on its work during the past year and members and their presidents or chairs to give feedback to FIDIC and give their views on the organisation’s strategic direction. Opening the directors and secretaries meeting (DNS), John Gamble from ACEC Canada paid tribute to Andrea Šehić, the previous chair of the FIDIC directors and secretaries’ advisory council, who has stood down from that role. Gamble said that the DNS grouping plays a crucial role within FIDIC and it was only right that the DNS advisory council should become a statutory part of the organisation. “The advisory council provides insight to the board on policy matters and industry trends, facilitates collaboration and shares information and offers advice to the board on how FIDIC can better support capacity building amongst MAs,” Gamble said. This ensures that the important voice of member associations is heard by the board and is able to influence it, he said. FIDIC chief executive Nelson Ogunshakin spoke to the meeting about his first year in office as the head of FIDIC. Stressing that both he and FIDIC were on a journey, he outlined several positive developments that had taken place over the past 12 months, including a strengthening of the FIDIC staff in several key areas. More work was needed, but with the support of its members and the

Images from the FIDIC directors and secretaries’ and presidents’ meetings in Mexico City.

Read more online at www.infrastructureintelligence.com

14 Infrastructure Intelligence International | September 2019

board, Ogunshakin said that he was confident that the further changes being planned would make FIDIC an even more effective organisation in the future. Crucially, Ogunshakin said that FIDIC needed the active support of its MAs to become more effective and efficient. He made a plea for those at the meeting to get involved with FIDIC at every level, including playing an active role in the DNS advisory council. “Being an observer does not change things. Being a participant changes things. We need your involvement to ensure that FIDIC does what you want and what the industry needs,” Ogunshakin said. FIDIC president Alain Bentéjac addressed the MA presidents’ meeting and highlighted the work of the organisation over the past 12 months. Describing it as “a year of change”, he said that FIDIC had taken a number of significant steps forward since the arrival of its new chief executive and was now much better placed to serve its members. Feedback from MAs at both meetings mainly concentrated on FIDIC’s communications and getting the balance and blend right in a busy and crowded business space. The improvement in dialogue between FIDIC and its members was acknowledged and welcomed, both in terms of communication frequency and content. The feeling from some of those present was that FIDIC needed to ensure that it better targeted its services to reflect the differing capability and capacity of MAs. This, said both the FIDIC president and chief executive, was being addressed and was why it was important to see the best possible response to the recent members’ survey, which would remain open to gather more respondents.

Member associations

Reaching out to members across the world FIDIC’s directors and secretaries’ advisory council is stepping up its attempts to communicate and reach out to member associations throughout the world. Council chair John Gamble outlines its plans.

IDIC’s newly revamped directors and secretaries’ advisory council is set to play an important role in providing a link between member associations (MAs) and FIDIC’s board and staff. A face-to-face meeting is planned in Geneva in November and council members will be in regular contact in the run up. “We’ll have at least three or four teleconferences between now and when we reconvene in 2020 and if necessary we will also tap into some colleagues who may not be on the council, or we’ll look at our associations to get the expertise we need,” said advisory council chair John Gamble. “Pretty soon we hope to have some demonstrable progress on some of the issues in front of us,” he said. Those issues include feedback on FIDIC awards, establishing effective communications and reaching out to member associations and sharing ideas and best practices throughout the world. “We have around 100 member associations around

Read more online at www.infrastructureintelligence.com

the world who all put on conferences and award galas, all of whom have very sophisticated and specialist expertise,” said Gamble. “The opportunity is how we capture those best practices – not only to share amongst ourselves but also with FIDIC itself. “Another issue for the benefit of MAs is that we want to find the appropriate tool or platform that allows us to communicate effectively throughout the year and to try and increase that connectivity. We also want to give some thought about how we can support each other in membership development and membership retention. Many firms will be members of some associations and not others and we’re looking at how we can leverage those relationships to help strengthen the local MAs,” Gamble explained. Gamble is also CEO of ACEC (Canada), a large country in geographical terms, but an association that is often perceived as punching above its weight on the global stage. Gamble agrees. “I would like to think so,” he said. “I think the advantage we have is that we’re almost a scale model of FIDIC. We are a federation of 12 provincial and territorial associations spread over a large area – maybe not 24 different time zones, but big nonetheless.” Gamble stressed the importance of reaching out to smaller MAs as part of the FIDIC family. “We want to build capacity in the smaller MAs and support them because the stronger we all are individually, the stronger we are collectively,” he said. Gamble said it was important not to underestimate the strength of the smaller MAs. “They’re often very innovative and creative because they need to be and find ways to do things with fewer resources - so if we can help them grow capacity, then they’ve got all kinds of upside potential,” he said. “I think the real benefit of us getting together as MAs is that we can freely share each other’s ideas, then hopefully make them a little better and freely share them back again,” said Gamble.

September 2019 | Infrastructure Intelligence International 15

FIDIC MA Excellence Awards

Winning memb Member associations from the USA, Canada, Denmark and New Zealand were all winners in the inaugural FIDIC MA Excellence Awards revealed in Mexico City.

Former ACEC chief executive, Dave Raymond, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

IDIC is fortunate to have some of the best business associations in the world amongst its membership and the first ever awards specifically designed for members certainly highlighted some brilliant work. The first award to be announced was Member Association of the Year. This keenly contested category went to an MA that showed excellence in all areas of its work and which demonstrated a clear strategy, staff and member engagement, a proven track record and excellence in management. The strong shortlist included Mexico, Georgia, Russia, Norway, Vietnam, South Africa, Japan and China, but it was the American Council of Engineering Companies who won the award thanks to its consistent and measurable success across a number of areas, especially advocacy and communications. Second up, was the award for the Best Advancement of a Cause, Advocacy Campaign or Event. ACEC Canada saw off the competition, winning the award for its 20 days of Excellence campaign. Throughout November 2018, for 20 days on social media ACEC showcased a different award-winning project every weekday. The awards highlighted the outstanding talent and expertise of Canadian consulting engineering firms as well as their contribution to Canadiansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; quality of life and the huge impact they have in Canada and around the world. The third award to be announced was prize for the Best Publication or Website and the award went to joint winners.

16 Infrastructure Intelligence International | September 2019

Read more online at www.infrastructureintelligence.com

Engineering a better and sustainable world, a publication from the Danish Association of Consulting Engineers (FRI), which highlighted the contribution of Danish consulting engineering companies to the UNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sustainable development goals impressed the judges and was deemed a worthy winner. The other successful entry was Engineering Inc, the regular publication of the American Council of Engineering Companies, was the other

bers take a bow

Supporting imagery from some of the successful winning entries in the inaugural FIDIC Member Association Excellence Awards.

September 2019 | Infrastructure Intelligence International 17

Accreditation

Setting a global standard of excellence

FIDIC’s Certified Consulting Engineers Programme in China (FCCE) has been a great success.

FIDIC’s successful China certification initiative has paved the way to boost industry standards across the globe. FIDIC vice president Tony Barry spoke to Infrastructure Intelligence International about it and what comes next.

IDIC’s successful Certified Consulting Engineers Programme in China (FCCE) has paved the way to boost industry standards across the globe, with valuable lessons and experience gained from the three-year pilot initiative now setting the tone for FIDIC’s brand-new credentialing programme to accredit engineers around the world. “We’ve had a pilot programme in China over the last three years to train engineers and to accredit them as FIDIC certified consulting engineers,” said FIDIC board member Tony Barry. “The success of that programme has been terrific and it will complete at the end of 2019. We’ll then move into a phase of establishing a much more substantial credentialing programme for the whole of FIDIC which will be set up globally – and it’s based on what we learned in China,” said Barry. The initial training programme in China was so successful that it is now being extended to meet demand, as Barry explains. “Mandarin is a very interesting language and its very important to help our Chinese colleagues by translating a lot of FIDIC documents into Mandarin, so we’re picking that up too,” he said. “We’re also extending our training offer in China,” said Barry. “So far, we’ve trained 1,400 engineers and there are close to three million engineers in China, so there’s a tremendous demand for us to assist. Part of that is for the benefit of people working in China, but it’s also for the Chinese consultants who are coming out of China, working in many other countries in the world now. The more we can improve their understanding of FIDIC’s approach and the more they can participate in projects using the FIDIC code of ethics – the approach to quality and sustainability – the better off we’ll all be,” Barry said. The positive lessons and experience from China are now being incorporated into FIDIC’s credentialing programme, which aims

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Tony Barry, FIDIC vice president.

to accredit engineers from all over the world and, crucially, has the support of multilateral banks and international financiers across the globe. “There’s very few international engineering qualifications and we’re in the business of consulting,” said Barry. “So, our certification or accreditation that people are seeking is really focussed on what FIDIC does and what our consulting firms or member associations around the world do. “The importance from the point of view of multilateral banks, international financiers or international developers is that they can go anywhere and get a level of consulting engineering services in which they can really be confident. So, by offering these sorts of credentials we believe we’ll be able to lift standards across the whole industry. “We think it will also be attractive in terms of capacity building. People will want to get the credentials therefore they’ll do more training; they’ll do more personal and professional development and it’ll raise the industry standard. That’s the underlying object of it all and that’s very much supported by our discussions with the multilateral development banks,” said Barry.

FIDIC Geneva 2020

Showcasing Switzerland’s engineering sights Next year’s FIDIC annual conference will be hosted by the Swiss Association of Consulting Engineers (USIC) in Geneva. It’s an appropriate destination as Switzerland is an innovative country with amazing engineering sights.

xcitement is already building about next year’s FIDIC International Infrastructure Conference, which will take place in FIDIC’s ‘home’ city of Geneva from 13-15 September

2020. The venue, the Kempinski Hotel and Théâtre du Léman, are stunning places and recognised for their excellence, style, breathtaking views, abundant event and meeting space and also the largest private, indoor swimming pool in Geneva! Over and above the venue though, it is right that host member association USIC focused on some of Switzerland’s amazing engineering sights when they previewed FIDIC Geneva 2020 at the gala dinner event in Mexico City. Switzerland is renowned for its innovation and the unforgiving landscape that unites southern Europe via the Alps has encouraged the development of high-end civil engineering institutions, which turn out audacious engineers who design awe-inspiring schemes that connect people. And of course, Switzerland has a world-renowned public transport infrastructure to take you wherever you want to go – and always on time. Some of those engineering sights include Geneva’s own

The Poya Bridge in Fribourg, which boasts the longest span in Switzerland.

Mario Marti, director, USIC.

Click here to watch a video promoting FIDIC The Flexible Bridge in Geneva.

Flexible Bridge, which is normally flat but rises through a scissor mechanism to allow small boats to pass under it. The Poya Bridge in Fribourg, boasting the longest span in Switzerland, is also worth a look as is the stunning Klein Matterhorn aerial cableway in the Alps. Visitors to the FIDIC conference in Geneva should also try and see some of the country’s other infrastructures like the Felsenau Viaduct in Berne, the Gotthard Base Tunnel through the Alps or the Landwasser Viaduct at Graubunden. The Salginatobel Bridge, also in Graubunden, has a viewing platform on an exposed rocky promontory which offers a unique and stunning view of this world-famous structure. Meanwhile, the slender, clean lines of the Verzasca Dam in

Geneva 2020.

Ticino have helped it make cinematic history – 30 years after its completion, it featured in the legendary bungee jump in the James Bond film Goldeneye and it remains a bungee-jumping destination today. Switzerland may be a small country, but it is home to four national languages with four distinct cultures, food, wine and landscape. Exploring this diversity is worth the effort and could be seen as a must for an organisation as diverse as FIDIC is. Mario Marti, director of host association USIC, said visitors to Switzerland for FIDIC Geneva 2020 can expect a 360-degree experience. “Geneva is a very international city hosting many international governmental and nongovernmental organisations and so our international guests will feel comfortable and well-received here - no worries whatsoever!”

The Verzasca Dam in Ticino, a popular bungee-jumping spot.

September 2019 | Infrastructure Intelligence International 19

FIDIC Geneva 2020 INTERNATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE

Infrastructure governance and leadership 13-15 September 2020

Kempinski Hotel and Theatre du Léman, Geneva

The premier gathering for the global engineering community Join more than 800 delegates and visitors to discuss: How major construction projects are run The role of project leadership How best to engage with politicians to get the best results International business opportunities

Other future key event dates •

FIDIC Africa Contract Users’ Conference 2019 - Livingstone, Zambia – 4-7 November 2019

•

FIDIC International Contract Users’ Conference 2019 - London, United Kingdom – 2-5 December 2019

•

ICC-FIDIC Conference on International Construction - Sao Paulo, Brazil - 10-11 February 2020

•

FIDIC Contract Users’ Conferences, dates and locations TBC

Find out more at www.FIDIC.org

event International organised| by the International 20 InfrastructureAn Intelligence September 2019

Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC)