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Lessons from A disaster

The construction failures that caused the Nicoll Highway collapse

A fatal structural error and misinterpretation of computer modelling contributed to the collapse of this Singaporean MRT station.

These companies are building Australia’s biomedical capacity

From AI-enabled bionic limbs to the world’s first total artificial heart, here are eight homegrown innovations set to improve lives in years to come.

From the pacemaker to the cochlear implant, Australia has a long and distinguished history in building the world’s biomedical capabilities. The future is looking just as promising, with Australian engineers and companies embracing and exploiting rapidly advancing technologies to create AI-enabled bionic limbs, giving a voice to the voiceless with voice-cloning technology, and even developing the world’s first total artificial heart.

The leadership role of engineers in global sustainability

Why a new UNSW industrial decarbonisation initiative aims to put engineers at the centre of a transdisciplinary movement.

Why a new UNSW industrial decarbonisation initiative aims to put engineers at the centre of a transdisciplinary movement.

Industrial decarbonisation – reducing the pollution caused by use of fossil resources – requires deep systemic change, not just to energy technology, but to foundries, refineries and factories, infrastructure, cities and the structure of economies. UNSW has established the Institute for Industrial Decarbonisation to help drive the transition.

It’s a big call to move away from proven processes that have been perfected over centuries. But it has to be done.

It’s complex, highly technical and mission critical. In short, it’s a job for engineers.

As a profession, engineers design industrial technologies, operate them and certify them. It’s also their social duty to improve technologies and make them safer. Engineers of all kinds – civil, electrical, computing, chemical, mining, mechanical, see things in very practical terms – “What’s the problem and how can we solve it?”

Revolutionising efficiencies in the construction sector

Why stepping away from manual processes and embracing automation can enhance collaboration and quality on projects.

Is sustainable aviation fuel the future of aviation?

The energy-to-weight ratio that makes for efficient air travel means aviation is one of the hardest-to-abate sectors. How does the world reduce its reliance on jet fuel? 

Perched on its own continent, half composed of first- or second-generation migrants, Australia is hugely dependent on aviation, both economically and socially.

With Australians among the world’s most frequent long-haul fliers, we have a large stake in the success or otherwise of rapidly decarbonising aviation, one of the hardest industries to abate. The challenges are many, but so there are many engineering attempts to overcome them.

Already, aviation accounts for about four per cent of global warming. But that share is expected to swell rapidly as other sectors decarbonise. In fact, given projected growth in air travel, by 2050 aviation could represent up to 22 per cent of global emissions, according to Deloitte.

Forging Australia’s green steel opportunity

Decarbonising steel production is a crucial enabler of the transition to sustainability. And of all countries, Australia could have a disproportionately important role to play in this process.

Six ways mining is moving towards electrification

Automation and renewable energy are fuelling the development and uptake of electrified equipment across mine sites.

Mine sites are power-intensive, with energy required across a range of different equipment types and processes throughout the mining value chain.

In many cases, diesel is the predominant fuel source to create baseload power for a mine site, said Clare Larkin-Sykes, mining engineer and Managing Director of Forelight Advisory.

“Depending on where the site is located, it may not have access to grid power,” Larkin-Sykes said. “So often mine sites require the use of diesel as well or other fuels to fulfil the power requirements onsite.”

However, there is currently a “big shift” in the industry towards mine site electrification, with a key driver being to mitigate Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.

Turbocharging demand for BIM tools in temporary works design

The many benefits of BIM are widely understood throughout the construction industry, but there remains one corner yet to fully embrace the technology.

While BIM has been widely embraced in architectural and structural design, its integration in temporary works design remains in its infancy in Australia.

David Dragicevich, National Technical Engineering Manager at Coates, says there is an industry-wide lack of awareness on the advantages of BIM applications in temporary works.