Why is Global infrastructure facing pressure like never before in the developed nations? Would the MENA countries have to go through the same traumatic phase in their development? In the meantime, let us see what The role of technology in safeguarding global infrastructure and mitigating climate risks is about and how climate resilience is the new sustainability in the development of infrastructure. But could the role of technology in safeguarding global infrastructure and mitigating climate risks rest solely on technological input and advancement?
The above-featured image is for illustration and is of the WEF
The role of technology in safeguarding global infrastructure and mitigating climate risks
Global infrastructure is facing pressure like never before. Growing populations, time, and the impact of global warming are putting our built environment to the test – and it’s a test it’s currently failing, explains Andrea Bartoli, chief technology officer at Worldsensing
More than two in five bridges in the US are at least 50 years old, and over 45,000 are deemed ‘structurally deficient’, while US infrastructure and technology failures exploded by 800% between 2021 and 2022.
But ageing infrastructure isn’t just a US problem. Countries around the world are wrestling with decades-old infrastructure and the risks they pose.
The UK’s Royal Institute of British Architects called last autumn for a public building audit as the country grapples with its RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) crisis – where cheaper concrete used in postwar Britain is reaching the end of its lifespan, putting public infrastructure at risk of collapse.
With lives on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and inaction isn’t an option. So how can authorities and organisations get ahead of safeguarding our global infrastructure, and what role can technology play?
Age is much more than a number
Urban infrastructure is quite literally the fabric of our society. But ageing architecture coupled with a growing population means building integrity can be, in many cases, at risk of collapse.
The issue is only exacerbated by the growing spectre of climate change. As extreme weather events become ever more common, our infrastructure is having to withstand conditions that it was simply not designed to stand up to.
Extreme heat can lead to buckling, increased freeze-thaw cycles can cause materials to fail, and rising flood risks can mean previously safe structures become overwhelmed.
From dams and railroads to bridges and viaducts, when our global infrastructure fails, lives are put at risk, and billions of dollars worth of vital assets are lost. Investing in resilience by monitoring the integrity of our structures is critical to avoiding future failures.
Yet, despite its importance, sectors of our industry are slow in embracing new technology and automating their systems.
Instead, many continue to rely on outdated monitoring that relies on deploying civil engineers to identify risks in person.
This reactive approach is limited. However, new technology is enabling us to shift towards proactive, continuous, automated monitoring that identifies emerging issues before they even occur.
Continuous monitoring is crucial
Thankfully, modern advancements mean that we now have the power to effectively monitor even our most remote infrastructure, collecting data that provides invaluable insight and, crucially, can help prevent future failures.
It’s all powered by digitisation. The Internet of Things (IoT) technology is bringing large-scale infrastructure to life by enabling us to continuously monitor the stresses and strains that it experiences.
No longer do you have to send out engineers to monitor structures or complete spot checks.
Instead, modern technology, like Vibration Meters, enables us to collect data in real-time using connected and low-power embedded sensors. This data can then be automatically uploaded to the cloud, where it can be remotely monitored around the clock.
Considering that something like vibration analysis would previously require engineers to place accurate seismic sensors in the fields, collect all the raw data, return to the office, convert the data into ground motion and analyse all the information, this is a game-changer for infrastructure.
It enables civil engineers to monitor any architecture anywhere in the world at any time. Not only can it help us spot potential failures, but it can also lower costs, reduce operational burdens, aid regulatory compliance and give you an edge when it comes to winning bids.
Life-saving potential
Cost-saving benefits aside, one of the true values of remote monitoring is its contribution to helping save lives.
Engineers can now, for example, use tools such as Tiltmeters and Vibration meters to detect early faults in infrastructures, replacing manual measurement with uninterrupted data and anomaly detection.
We’ve seen the life-saving potential of this technology first-hand as Tiltmeters were able
to prevent casualties in a bridge collapse in Johor, Malaysia.
On the day of the incident, two devices detected movement in the bridge triggering an automated alert. This warning was then picked up by a team of expert operators who monitored the situation remotely and contacted local authorities to evacuate the area and immediately close the road leading to the bridge.
As the data had suggested, a 25-meter-long section of the road and bridge had collapsed, but thankfully casualties had been avoided due to the automated early warning.
This is just one real-world example of how investing in resilience and IoT technology can help to safeguard against major infrastructure failure. Whether it’s bridge collapses, train derailments or mining disasters – future-proofing infrastructure monitoring can de-risk projects and increase safety.
Safeguarding the planet and profits
The value of these technologies extends to the environment as they play a part in sustainability efforts. By averting failures, construction and wider civil engineering projects can become more sustainable as maintenance can be managed over time.
There’s also an economic consideration at play here. Infrastructure failures cost billions in damage and compensation.
The current numbers are eye-watering, but even they might soon be eclipsed with experts predicting that nearly $1tn of assets are at risk from climate impact within the next five years.
Monitoring provides a cost-effective solution to help prevent these costs, which means that every dollar spent on resilience can pay dividends in the future.
Infrastructure resilience is essential to our future
The march of time has a heavy tread which, coupled with global challenges, is weakening the structure of our world. But there are solutions.
Leveraging wireless technologies can help build and maintain a safer, more sustainable world that sets up global communities for the future.
Pioneering research projects have demonstrated how Protecting buildings, power plants and bridges with metamaterials against any possible earthquakes is not a fantasy but a good reality. Here is CORDIS elaborating on how metamaterials can help.
Protecting buildings, power plants and bridges with metamaterials
Pioneering research projects have demonstrated how metamaterials can be used to protect the built environment against ground-based vibrations.
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES
We know that earthquakes, caused by disturbances that occur far below the ground due to the movement of tectonic plates, can wreak havoc on the surface. But ground-borne vibrations can also be caused by other sources, including passing cars and trains as well as construction and mining operations. “Depending on the intensity, resonating features and proximity of the source, all these vibrations can have significant impacts on the built environment,” says INSPIRE project coordinator Marianna Loli from Grid Engineers in Greece. “These impacts can range from noise disturbance to life-threatening collapses of buildings and infrastructure, with far-reaching consequences for society and the economy.”
Innovative solutions using metamaterials
The main objective of the INSPIRE project, which was coordinated by the National Technical University of Athens in Greece and supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, was to design innovative solutions to better protect the built environment from hazardous ground vibrations. These solutions were developed using metamaterials. “Metamaterials are engineered materials that do not exist in nature but can be manufactured to demonstrate exceptional properties,” explains Loli. “This might include the ability to redirect seismic waves to mitigate structural shaking.” The project built on a growing body of scientific evidence that suggests that metamaterials have the potential to enhance the resilience of buildings, bridges and other critical infrastructure during earthquakes. They might also provide superior noise isolation capabilities, thus improving urban living conditions.
Making use of cutting-edge technologies
New concepts were developed through a pioneering training programme that brought together eight European universities and 11 industry leaders. A total of 15 doctoral researchers were then selected through a highly competitive process, from over 100 candidates from around the world. “Through their 3-year-long PhD programmes, the researchers investigated a wide range of anti-vibration metamaterial concepts,” notes Loli. “These included below-ground constructions to act as shields with dispersive, filtering and waveguiding properties, novel damping devices and passive vibration absorbers, and engineered gravel materials that can protect pipelines.” Other innovations investigated included vibration-control devices customised to optimise the seismic response of bridges, and rail-engineering solutions for controlling train-induced vibration to minimise noise in urban areas. Another researcher looked into acoustic surfaces and dynamic vibration absorbers, tailored for low-frequency sound isolation. In developing their ideas, the researchers made use of cutting-edge technologies such as 3D printing, as well as advanced numerical simulations facilitated by supercomputers. These technologies were employed to optimise designs and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solutions.
Safety and liveability of the built environment
The INSPIRE project successfully showed how metamaterials can be used to enhance the safety and liveability of the built environment. “The feasibility of the proposed designs was demonstrated through advanced analytical simulations and small-scale experimental campaigns,” remarks Loli. The project has also delivered a diverse toolkit of algorithms, numerical methods and processing tools, which can be used by researchers involved in similar projects in the future. Next steps towards market uptake of the solutions include large-scale pilot testing and further optimisation of designs. “End users could be the seismic isolation market, companies that promote R&D in the field of structural protection, public sector departments and construction companies,” says Loli. “We think that INSPIRE’s results can also contribute to improving professional guidelines for seismic design.”
The pressure to meet global climate targets has never been greater and with buildings accounting for 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions, there is an urgent need to advance sustainable building technology to help enterprises meet net-zero goals while accommodating continued growth.
“The Smart Building of the Future,” a new paper from Johnson Controls outlines how smart buildings equipped with advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, IoT, cloud and cybersecurity will help enterprises create a future where our buildings integrate with human and environmental ecosystems.
Smart buildings offer a harmonized environment that prioritizes both well-being and sustainability, using technology to adapt and unlock potential, support productivity and drive peak performance of building occupants.
“Never has it been more important for organisations to consider advanced and efficient ways to reduce their carbon footprint – especially in the buildings industry, which is the single largest source of our planet’s greenhouse gas emissions,” said Johnson Controls chief technology officer Vijay Sankaran.
He opined that the smart building of the future offers new and more effective ways to help companies meet critical climate goals, reduce costs, enhance daily operations to achieve business growth and improve personalized experiences.
“When a building ‘comes alive’ with smart technology, all stakeholders benefit from the integrated approach that ultimately creates a healthier, safer and more productive environment,” he continued.
Factors Accelerating Smart Building Trends
Several factors are converging to accelerate the development and adoption of advanced building systems technology. As building owners work to respond to challenges such as rising energy costs and changes in occupancy patterns, among others, sophisticated IoT devices and the implementation of data analytics and AI have become more important than ever.
Key insights for building managers
Ubiquitous connectivity through cloud-based services on the edge breaks down barriers between siloed and integrated devices, enabling the flow of real-time information that business leaders can analyse for insights and continuous improvement.
AI-enabled autonomous smart buildings will be at the core of the next generation of smart buildings, driving efficiencies, enhancing the user experience and enabling advancements in sustainability. AI at the edge reduces privacy, compliance and cyber concerns by allowing data to be securely processed and stored within the building operator’s network.
Digital twins enable a continuous feedback loop between the physical and the virtual by facilitating the integration of AI, IoT and cloud technologies to generate strategic recommendations for improving building performance and user experience.
As many of the technical foundations required to turn buildings into smart buildings already exist, organisations should take additional action to prepare for and improve their future building operations.
This includes developing a strategy that includes user experience, partnering with IT and cybersecurity teams, establishing partnerships with external consultants, investing in education and training, and running pilot projects.
The survey found building operators believe smart buildings are important in helping organisations accelerate sustainability initiatives and that adding or upgrading building automation and digital technologies to optimise energy use are among the most impactful sustainability investment areas. The survey also found that most leaders seek partners, like Johnson Controls, who can provide a digital platform across sites and use cases, which Johnson Controls provides.
The theme for the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos is “Rebuilding Trust,” a timely choice given the pledge that 190 nations made at last year’s UN climate conference (COP28) a few months ago to transition away from fossil fuels. The gathering at Davos is an opportunity for the government leaders and powerhouses in business and culture in attendance to take on the challenge of delivering this promise of a clean energy transition. The World Economic Forum is putting its stated goal of driving trust and accountability to the test, and the world is watching.
Like many in the environmental NGO community, I was disappointed that COP28 did not deliver a more decisive call for a full phase-out of oil, gas and coal. The language from the COP agreement still leaves ample room for those with fossil fuel interests to dither and make excuses. Nonetheless, this is a historic commitment and the first time the COP officially acknowledged that burning fossil fuels is at the heart of the climate crisis. This agreement is a positive affirmation of the parties’ commitment to the energy transition, but at best it’s a milestone, not an outcome. Now that countries have publicly pledged to decouple their economies from fossil fuels, triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency investment, the natural question is whether the parties are going to follow through on their promises.
The shortcoming of the Paris Agreement is that there is no enforcement mechanism. No United Nations body can prohibit a country from expanding its use of fossil fuels or penalize it for failing to meet its COP commitments. This is why it’s critical for the leaders of finance, industry and civic society at Davos to hold countries accountable. One way for them to do that is through the process of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), whereby individual countries proclaim their carbon emission reduction goals and establish action plans for delivering on them.
Business leaders must weigh in on what is included in their country’s NDC and commit to making major, immediate course corrections. After all, companies account for a large percentage of global carbon emissions. They must lead the way by walking the talk on transparency, consistency and accountability for their carbon emissions. Efforts like the global nonprofit “Fossil to Clean” campaign, which aims to drive the necessary business and policy action to cut emissions in half by 2030, represent a good start.
It is said that trust may be had where we find the marriage of word and deed. If the World Economic Forum means to “rebuild trust” on the world stage, leaders across every sector of society must reject equivocation and excuses, take up the yoke of change, and start pulling. Who among the many movers and shakers at Davos will lead the way?
Of course, businesses can’t do it alone; government policy is needed to create the enabling conditions for lasting, large-scale change. The first and most concrete action that countries can take to prove the seriousness of their intentions is to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies. The time has come to rein in public financing for the production and use of fossil fuels. Countries must invest those subsidies into clean energy infrastructure. The International Monetary Fund has stated that governments spent a whopping $1.3 trillion last year in “explicit” fossil fuel subsidies by undercharging for the cost of supplying fossil fuels to consumers and businesses. If “implicit” subsidies from local air pollution, health costs and damage from climate change are included, that number rises to a record $7 trillion. Removing fuel subsidies can be tricky, but countries can design their NDCs to create new fiscal systems that allocate a portion of increased revenues to compensating vulnerable households for any subsequent rise in energy prices.
With the trillions from subsidy savings, we can begin to change how we generate energy, improve how we distribute it, reduce how much of it we use, and reinvent how we manage the processes around every aspect of our energy economy. The same goes for transportation, agriculture and the built environment.
From Davos until the world meets again for COP29 in November, the inquiry we need to make at every gathering of world leaders is this—can we trust you to undertake the actions to execute on all the promises to transition away from fossil fuels? Will you be transparent with us about what steps you are taking to triple renewables and double our efforts around energy efficiency? The 60% emissions reduction that must be achieved in the next round of NDCs is a significant undertaking. Goals like these require large scale plans that deliver maximum benefits in a small amount of time. And we need to do this while still making every effort to minimize negative impacts to communities and to nature. These are big tasks that require a big commitment of cash and resources. We know we can redistribute the money we currently spend supporting the fossil fuel economy—if we have the strength of our convictions to demand it.
It is said that trust may be had where we find the marriage of word and deed. If the World Economic Forum means to “rebuild trust” on the world stage, leaders across every sector of society must reject equivocation and excuses, take up the yoke of change, and start pulling. Who among the many movers and shakers at Davos will lead the way?
Parametric Architecture PA informs that Egypt plans to have the world’s tallest structure to crown its new development of an administrative capital, west of the actual capital city.
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Egypt plans to have the world’s tallest structure at a height of 1000 m
The proposed mega-tall skyscraper Oblisco Capitale is located in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) of Egypt. Currently, many countries in the MENA region are announcing large-scale projects. While Saudi Arabia and the UAE are well-known for their projects, other countries, such as Egypt, are also working on structures.
Oblisco Capitale has gained attention again due to TikTok videos circulating around the internet. This project was announced in 2018 as a part of Egypt Vision 2030 with the aim of becoming the world’s tallest structure, reaching a height of 1000 m.
IDIA, an Egyptian architectural design firm, is responsible for designing the Oblisco Capitale project, which includes residences, hotel apartments, and units of various sizes on its planned 165 floors. Also, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation are project partners, and El Nasr Housing and Development is the project’s developer.
As reported by Invest-gate, “It is a complete community with a business hub, medical city, educational complexes, etc. It will be an integrated project,” said Lina Hesham, communication manager at IDIA, and added, “The first inspiration was to make a Pharaonic design inspired by the obelisk, so we added up the Art Deco as a theme to the project since it is a style inspired from Pharaonic civilization.”
The tower’s architecture is based on both Pharaonic and Art Deco styles, with Ancient Egyptian obelisks serving as a reference for its proportions. The tower’s facade design is inspired by the Egyptian lotus flower, and it features louvres that rotate according to the sun’s inclination, reducing heat throughout the day, inspired by the Art Deco style. The project’s design represents the Nile River through the canal that connects the corners of the land.
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