Engineering Matters

Reby Media

Five times winner of the Publisher Podcast Awards, including Best Technology Podcast, Engineering Matters celebrates the work of engineers who use ingenuity, practicality, science, theory and determination to build a better world. In the UK alone 5.7million people work in engineering related enterprises from manufacturing and agriculture to construction and transportation. Their work ensures that the country has sustainable power supplies, better connectivity between cities, increasing efficiency in production processes; advanced manufacturing methods; and is embracing the digital transformations that include virtual modelling of our environment, and development of intelligent machines. Our episodes will examine the vital work of engineers using a mix of interviews, analysis and site visits. read less

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#303 Engineering Matters Awards: Fugro RILA – Health & Safety Champion

#303 Engineering Matters Awards: Fugro RILA – Health & Safety Champion

Monitoring and maintaining an entire rail network can be costly, slow and, for those working on the track, very dangerous. Specialised trains were developed that could be mounted with sensors for collecting data on track gauging and track condition, however these couldn’t be mounted together. In this episode we look into the development of RILA... The post #303 Engineering Matters Awards: Fugro RILA – Health & Safety Champion first appeared on Engineering Matters.

Episodes

#303 Engineering Matters Awards: Fugro RILA – Health & Safety Champion

#303 Engineering Matters Awards: Fugro RILA – Health & Safety Champion

Monitoring and maintaining an entire rail network can be costly, slow and, for those working on the track, very dangerous. Specialised trains were developed that could be mounted with sensors for collecting data on track gauging and track condition, however these couldn’t be mounted together. In this episode we look into the development of RILA... The post #303 Engineering Matters Awards: Fugro RILA – Health & Safety Champion first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#302 Engineering Matters Awards: iNaturalist – Conservation, Community and AI

#302 Engineering Matters Awards: iNaturalist – Conservation, Community and AI

From habitat destruction, to use of pesticides, the arrival of invasive species and the growing impact of climate change, life, in all shapes and sizes, is fighting to survive. To protect the world’s biodiversity, first we have a better understanding of what and where that biodiversity is. In this episode we delve into iNaturalist, the... The post #302 Engineering Matters Awards: iNaturalist – Conservation, Community and AI first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#301 Electrifying Sydney: Transformational Energy Systems

#301 Electrifying Sydney: Transformational Energy Systems

In the early 1900s Sydney was transformed by its first electric lighting system, which was so bright compared to gas lamps it was hailed as “turning night into day”. The network did much more than just light up the streets. It democratised power, electrifying communities, homes and businesses for the first time. The system, designed by... The post #301 Electrifying Sydney: Transformational Energy Systems first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#300 Bonus: Powering Net Zero

#300 Bonus: Powering Net Zero

Governments and businesses around the world have made commitments to achieve Net Zero by the middle of the century. This will require engineering innovation, and changes to practices, standards and regulations, across the generation, transmission, storage and transport segments. In this episode we explore these challenges and how they intersect. The IET’s Powering Net Zero... The post #300 Bonus: Powering Net Zero first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#299e Highways UK Live – A Legacy of Excellence

#299e Highways UK Live – A Legacy of Excellence

The Thames had been for thousands of years London’s main route to the sea. But it is also an obstacle. The last crossing east of London is the bridge and tunnel at Dartford, and this is often congested. But a new crossing has been proposed further down the river. Throughout its planning, the focus has... The post #299e Highways UK Live – A Legacy of Excellence first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#299d Highways UK Live – The Journey to Net Zero and Resilience

#299d Highways UK Live – The Journey to Net Zero and Resilience

National Highways has adopted clear net zero targets: its own operations will be carbon free by 2030; those of contractors on its roads by 2040; and of road users by 2050. The challenge will be meeting those goals, while also fulfilling its mission of getting drivers where they need to go, safely and efficiently. The... The post #299d Highways UK Live – The Journey to Net Zero and Resilience first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#299c Highways UK Live – Next Generation Asset Management

#299c Highways UK Live – Next Generation Asset Management

In 2024, National Highways completely closed parts of the M25, London’s orbital motorway. This blockage in the arterial system of the UK economy wasn’t a mistake. Instead, it was an example of meticulously planned surgery, performed by experts. In the previous episode of this mini-series, recorded live at Highways UK, we saw how data is... The post #299c Highways UK Live – Next Generation Asset Management first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#299b Highways UK Live – Roads Reimagined

#299b Highways UK Live – Roads Reimagined

As an engineer, it is easy to think of roads as a challenge to be solved. Many of the innovations we will discuss in this mini-series will have a real impact on the safety, efficiency, and environmental impact of roads. But roads should be thought of as a service, not as an end in themselves.... The post #299b Highways UK Live – Roads Reimagined first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#299a Highways UK Live – The Future of Highways – Mini-series Preview

#299a Highways UK Live – The Future of Highways – Mini-series Preview

Why should we be thinking about roads as a service, not just an engineering challenge? What does it mean for a road to be a computer wrapped in asphalt? How can we use data from cars, highway assets, and even the road itself, to plan maintenance with minimal disruption to road users? How can roads... The post #299a Highways UK Live – The Future of Highways – Mini-series Preview first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#298 Making Everyone Welcome in Construction

#298 Making Everyone Welcome in Construction

We should all want to build workplaces where everyone feels safe and included. But how can we do that when we don’t know what everyone needs? How can we make sure that we understand our colleagues and potential recruits, and provide them with the tools they need to be welcomed, and to be successful? Engineering... The post #298 Making Everyone Welcome in Construction first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#297 Revisited: A Deep Dive Into the Past

#297 Revisited: A Deep Dive Into the Past

In 1985 diver Henri Cosquer discovered a submerged cave entrance in the Mediterranean near Marseilles. Exploring over the next six years he discovered a chamber filled with prehistoric art. Conditions in the caves and the submerged passages leading to it are extremely dangerous: three divers lost their lives exploring the caves. Efforts to map the... The post #297 Revisited: A Deep Dive Into the Past first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#296 A Safer, Faster, Way to Build Offshore Wind

#296 A Safer, Faster, Way to Build Offshore Wind

The North Sea’s natural conditions, with shallow waters and strong winds, make it ideal for wind farms. But, these same factors pose challenges for construction. To meet ambitious Net Zero targets, improving the speed and efficiency of installing wind farm foundations is critical. At the same time, these works must be carried out safely, without... The post #296 A Safer, Faster, Way to Build Offshore Wind first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#295 Decision Time for the Hydrogen Economy

#295 Decision Time for the Hydrogen Economy

The first stable atom to form after the Big Bang was hydrogen. Transformed into other atoms through stellar nuclear fusion, it is the foundation of all matter. Bound with other elements in water and hydrocarbons, it is the basis for all life, and the fuel of the industrial revolution. But can it also be the... The post #295 Decision Time for the Hydrogen Economy first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#294 A View of the Future from Coire Glas

#294 A View of the Future from Coire Glas

On Coire Glas, in the remote Scottish Highlands, geologists and engineers are developing a vision of Scotland’s energy future. SSE Renewables plans the first pumped hydro storage facility in the UK for decades here, taking advantage of the unique and awe inspiring landscape. But first, they need to understand conditions on and in the ground.... The post #294 A View of the Future from Coire Glas first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#293 Engineering Matters Awards: Community Champion, The Washing Machine Project

#293 Engineering Matters Awards: Community Champion, The Washing Machine Project

For 70% of the world’s population, doing the laundry means hours of difficult manual washing. It was this fact that led Nav Sawhney to leave his job as a design engineer at Dyson and try to come up with a way to fix this problem. After six different design iterations, Nav and his team at... The post #293 Engineering Matters Awards: Community Champion, The Washing Machine Project first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#292 Place is the Space for Growth

#292 Place is the Space for Growth

How should local and regional leaders encourage investment in their communities? Around the world, cities struggle with a legacy of industrial decline. In England, devolution of planning policy to mayoral combined authorities has allowed for regions like Greater Manchester to outpace national growth. But within regions, local areas can themselves fall behind, and require a... The post #292 Place is the Space for Growth first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#291 Making the Case for Cutting Carbon

#291 Making the Case for Cutting Carbon

Project managers have traditionally measured the viability of a project design or materials choice as a triangle, balancing cost, scope and performance. With the addition of carbon, this triangle becomes a three-sided pyramid, with four considerations each interacting with the others. Materials suppliers and project designers now have a wealth of carbon cutting innovations available... The post #291 Making the Case for Cutting Carbon first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#290 Racing for Innovation: Inside Formula Student

#290 Racing for Innovation: Inside Formula Student

Formula Student is Europe’s top educational motorsport competition, with students and teams from all over the world coming to compete. The competition is integrated into engineering degree courses, allowing students to take what they are learning in the classroom and lab, into the real world. It tests both engineering skills, and the project management that... The post #290 Racing for Innovation: Inside Formula Student first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#289 Engineering Matters Awards: Sustainability Champions, Intelligent Growth Solutions

#289 Engineering Matters Awards: Sustainability Champions, Intelligent Growth Solutions

Lean production techniques have become common across heavy industry. They cut resource use, and promote quality assurance. They were inspired by shelf stocking techniques used in US grocery stores. But can they now be turned to the start of the grocery supply chain, farming itself? That is the goal of Engineering Matters Awards Sustainability Gold... The post #289 Engineering Matters Awards: Sustainability Champions, Intelligent Growth Solutions first appeared on Engineering Matters.

#288 Engineering Matters Awards: Net Zero Champion – Whole Life Carbon Assessment, 2nd edition

#288 Engineering Matters Awards: Net Zero Champion – Whole Life Carbon Assessment, 2nd edition

We can only efficiently reduce those things that we can measure. The Whole Life Carbon Assessment standard, produced by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), established a method for assessing the carbon impact of buildings. Its updated version, which came into effect in July, expanded its scope to include infrastructure, and was designed to... The post #288 Engineering Matters Awards: Net Zero Champion – Whole Life Carbon Assessment, 2nd edition first appeared on Engineering Matters.