The latest episode of the Engineers Collective is out now: listen in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, your usual platform or the player below.

This month’s guests are WTW head of flood and water risk research Neil Gunn and WTW climate practice associate director Dulce Perez Romero.

They join rob to discuss where they sit in the civil engineering ecosystem when it comes to dam maintenance; working with asset owners on the risk of their dam fails and the liability should this happen.

The discussion touches on the history of dams, the status of dams in the world today, the increasing hazard of dam failure caused by climate change and some recent high profile failures.

They then get into the nitty gritty about how WTW assesses the risk of dam failure, how to prevent it – and how worried we should be about it.

Prior to the interview portion, host Rob Hakimian is joined by NCE senior reporter Thomas Johnson to discuss recent proposals for a £130bn high-speed Rail Loop around the UK and the political wrangling over the Hudson Tunnel in America.

This month’s guest is Billy Thursfield, Bam sub-agent for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), who joined us from Rothera Research Station in Antarctica.

He has spent seven seasons living and working on infrastructure projects on the southernmost continent.

He told NCE news editor Lee Kenny about the aims of the wider Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP), the partnerships involved in delivering it and the role of British Antarctic Survey (Bas) as a client.

His early seasons were focused on the wharf works, dealing with the many engineering and logistical challenges of operating in Antarctica. More recently, he has worked alongside teams in Scotland and Cambridge, supporting delivery alongside Hugh Broughton Architects, Ramboll, Sweco and the Bas team.

He discussed his work at Rothera and detailed the Discovery Building project to replace a number of ageing buildings with one centralised modern facility.

He talked about how the building has evolved over the different construction seasons, from enabling works and earthworks, through to steel erection, fit-out and commissioning, as well as off-site manufacture and sustainability.

He discussed the pre-mobilisation process and the amount of preparation involved before engineers are deployed to Antarctica, especially around health, wellbeing and the practical and psychological challenges of being away from home for extended periods.

Lastly, he described how he spends his time outside of work and the experience of living in one of the world’s most extreme environments.

The latest episode of the Engineers Collective is out now: listen in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, your usual platform or the player below.

Joining host Rob Hakimian this month is ICE Fellow and member of the Panel for Historic Engineering William Day, who provides a fascinating history lesson on the Menai Suspension Bridge.

The iconic bridge, which crosses the Menai strait between mainland Wales and the Isle of Anglesey, just celebrated the 200th anniversary of its opening on 30 January 1826. William tells the podcast about the landmark’s history: its design by Thomas Telford, the dimensions of its various elements and how workers overcame difficulties to complete its construction between 1819 and 1826.

The discussion then moves on to the various modifications it has had in the two centuries since its opening that have kept it in operation today. William also relays some of his own experiences working on those maintenance regimes and the feeling of renewing such a historic structure.

Prior to the interview portion, Rob is joined by NCE senior reporter Thomas Johnson to discuss recent developments in the UK’s rail network including the resurrection of Northern Powerhouse Rail, ongoing developments with the Railways Bill and more.