Issue | Putanga 26/2024 More than a quick fix Solving sinkholes and other emergencies
A healing path The engineering – and thinking – behind the Pike29 Memorial Track
The alchemist of Canterbury The engineer with a mind for science, an ear for music and a nose for scent
Making space for women Engineering the final frontier
TAKE A WALK THROUGH NEW ZEALAND’S ENGINEERING HERITAGE Immerse yourself in the engineering that has shaped Aotearoa. Take a self-guided walking tour and bring engineering to life – from the heritage of the past to the innovative present. Heritage walking tours are available in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and, now, Dunedin. Use the map and directions to navigate your way through our fascinating past and the people that inspired the future, with in-depth photographs, illustrations and links to further explore each landmark. Where will you go first?
In this issue
8 Making space for women Engineering the final frontier. 16 The alchemist of Canterbury This multi-talented chemical engineer has a mind for science, an ear for music and a nose for scent. 20 More than a quick fix Engineering emergency fixes is a perennial requirement of the job, and often, time is short and the pressure is high. 34 A healing path The Pike29 Memorial Track, commemorating lives lost in the tragic mine explosion, has been designed with people and sustainability at its heart.
I roto i tēnei putanga
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Features Ngā āhuatanga 8
PO Box 12 241, Wellington 6144 New Zealand 04 473 9444 hello@engineeringnz.org engineeringnz.org
Making space for women Engineering the final frontier. 16 The alchemist of Canterbury This multi-talented chemical engineer has a mind for science, an ear for music and a nose for scent. 20 More than a quick fix Engineering emergency fixes is a perennial requirement of the job, and often, time is short and the pressure is high.
26 Distinguished careers Meet Engineering New Zealand’s latest Distinguished Fellows. 32 “… everyone deserves to be valued and respected” Why neurodiversity can be an advantage at work. 34 A healing path The Pike29 Memorial Track, commemorating lives lost in the tragic mine explosion, has been designed with people and sustainability at its heart.
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Jennifer Black editor@engineeringnz.org
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Angeli Winthrop Karlos Tui
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Advertising statements and editorial opinions expressed in EG do not reflect the views of Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau, its members, staff, or affiliated organisations unless expressly stated. This issue of EG was published in March 2024.
Best practice Ngā mahi papai rawai 42 A global approach to transport Why pairing local roading expertise with global knowledge is integral to working towards lasting resilience solutions. 44 Navigating natural disasters With extreme weather events in 2023 highlighting the need for a robust land classification system, how are things looking more than a year on? 47 Support our profession The Engineering New Zealand Foundation has celebrated some significant milestones in the past year.
48 Discover Dunedin’s engineering heritage A new self-guided walking tour highlights the engineering of well-known landmarks and engineering hidden beneath the streets. 50 Assuring quality work What role do engineers play in managing risk and avoiding mistakes?
Shorts
Ngā tūhinga poto me ngā pito kōrero 52 Inside job 54 Bedside table
58 Leading questions 59 Obituaries
55 Preview 56 Secret life of engineers
60 Engineering genius
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Engineering Envy #161
Chosen by Te Ao Rangahau staff
Jeepney: Philippines You won’t have to travel far to find one in the Philippines – in fact, to travel anywhere there, you’ll probably use one. The ubiquitous Jeepney, an enduring icon of Filipino culture, was invented in post-WW2 Philippines. With most of the Philippines’ transport infrastructure rendered unusable by the War, Filipinos took surplus jeeps departed militaries left behind. They repurposed them as small buses capable of traversing varying terrain and not reliant on other infrastructure. Quickly becoming a source of national pride, owners of these so-called “kings of the road” decorated their Jeepneys as elaborately as possible. The Jeepney is a famed symbol of the Filipino spirit, and there’s even a Hot Wheels vehicle, the Road Bandit, created in honour of the ride.
The Jeepney is a celebration of ingenious Filipino skill, embodying resilience in the face of war and natural disasters. A vital part of Filipino life, riding a Jeepney fills me with national pride. Alison Acuzar – Policy Advisor
Thanks to our Thrive 2024 sponsors and supporters. You’ve helped to inspire engineering employers across the motu.
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What they said
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EG 26/2024
Shaping a future
“They stared at me and then said sing something.” Tunnel engineer and tenor Mike Liu on the reaction from colleagues when he first told them he was in training to sing opera.
Nau mai koutou katoa.
“I’m only one part of a dedicated team that includes the staff, mayor and elected members whose mahi will address the challenges and opportunities we all face in making Rotorua an even better place to live and work.”
With 2024 well underway, I hope you had a relaxing summer and are now focused on what we can do this year to bring positive change in a world with increasingly complex challenges. These include climate change, and the effects of this have characterised my year as President, with extreme weather events such as the Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle prompting our members to work tirelessly to help affected communities. It’s pleasing to see engineers playing key roles in the post-disaster land risk classification system, helping affected homeowners gain certainty about the future of their properties – see page 44 for more. With 2023 confirmed as the hottest year on record, we are in a changing world and I urge you to ensure we lead the way in our engineering design work to mitigate the impact of any future climate events. It’s been noted that many of the devastating outcomes of extreme weather events could potentially have been avoided if we had considered future scenarios when past designs were undertaken – especially by helping clients or communities consider the risks and alternative solutions. Our members are also at the fore with emergency engineering work beyond climate events, and in this edition we highlight some of the mahi done in the
Andrew Moraes CPEng on his new role as CE of Rotorua Lakes Council.
wake of the Auckland sinkhole, and showcase two emergency repair projects
“Lawyers do well, even in recessions. But we need more engineers. They’re actually useful.” Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr in an article on potential pay rises in 2024.
“It is, in my opinion, extremely rare to encounter someone with such a deep and extensive knowledge of science and engineering who is also so highly engaged with industry.” A referee supporting the successful nomination of Dr Owen Catchpole FEngNZ for Royal Society Te Apārangi’s Scott Medal.
that scooped accolades at the 2023 ACE Awards. The recognition theme continues in March EG as we celebrate the careers and achievements of our four newest Distinguished Fellows – congratulations to them, and to all our new Fellows. I look forward to celebrating all these engineers and other award winners at our upcoming Fellows’ Dinner. Also in this edition, we meet a cybersecurity engineer who is generous with her personal insights about neurodiversity, an important topic as Te Ao Rangahau continues its journey to recognise, embrace and champion neurodiversity, both within the organisation and throughout the engineering profession. As you continue your mahi this year, please take any opportunities to help address Aotearoa’s STEM skills shortage. We need to all work together to help attract and retain talented individuals in the engineering profession. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my term as President, and getting to meet so many of you during this time. Please know I’ll continue to work with you as, together, we lead and shape the country’s engineering profession. Ngā mihi mō ngā tau kei mua i te aroaro. Glen Cornelius FEngNZ CPEng President Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau
16 The alchemist of Canterbury 20 More than a quick fix 26 Distinguished careers 32 “… everyone deserves to be valued and respected” 34 A healing path
Features
Making space for women
Ngā āhuatanga
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EG 26/2024
WRITER | KAITUHI RACHEL HELYER DONALDSON
Making space for women
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With a newly launched Aerospace Strategy, our first Minister for Space, and the local sector blasting off in all directions from rockets to satellites to solar power, 2024 is tipped to be a big one for New Zealand in space. But can Aotearoa be truly world-leading with so few women in the space sector?
Feature | Āhuatanga
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Aerospace engineer Kate Breach has had a stellar career, starting off as an engineering officer working on fighter jets, for both the Royal New Zealand Air Force and Britain’s Royal Air Force, before representing New Zealand at international space meetings on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In 2020 she joined the New Zealand Space Agency. She regulated space launches from New Zealand, and worked with local space companies, universities, international space companies and space agencies like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), to further develop Aotearoa’s space sector. Last November she joined Sydney-based space company HEO as Senior Partnerships Manager. For now, she remains the founding President of Women in Space Aotearoa New Zealand (WISANZ), which supports women and gender minorities in the local sector. Kate’s CV also includes working with stars of the Hollywood kind, with a stint on a movie set and studying screenwriting in Los Angeles. She would love to see a local film about space. “Not sci-fi but about right now. There are so many exciting things happening.” Certainly, the trajectory of New Zealand’s idiosyncratic, fledgling space sector – unexpectedly propelled into the role of a global leader in space technology in a decade – has movie-making potential. Aotearoa is just one of
rockets, behind the United States, China and Russia. New Zealand’s space agency was developed in response to its commercial sector. Kate says its policy and regulation have been developed to foster innovation and enterprise, and it is seen as a shining example. “Legacy” countries, with state-funded space programmes and more rigid regulations, are racing to adapt. “They recognise what’s driving the next phase of this new space era [is] commercial leadership.” With components on satellites so much cheaper nowadays, and the availability of “ride shares” on launches owned by companies such as Rocket Lab and SpaceX, space is now infinitely more affordable and accessible than it used to be. Rocket Lab’s first test launch blasted off from its Mahia Peninsula site in 2017. Since then, New Zealand’s astronautics industry has rocketed ahead. Kate says the past two years especially have seen “a lot of exciting change”. She says globally the local space sector is “incredibly well respected” when it comes to innovation. In 2022 Rocket Lab launched the first-ever lunar mission from New Zealand soil – the historic CAPSTONE Mission in partnership with NASA’s Artemis Program. The Kiwi-American venture has a number of projects in the pipeline. They include a contract to design and build
11 countries that can launch to orbit, and in 2022 it was number four on the list of nations launching the most
two satellites to go into orbit around Mars for NASA in 2024. A 2019 Deloitte report notes New Zealand’s space
Feature | Āhuatanga
Left: Kate Breach facilitating Women in Space Aotearoa New Zealand’s 2022 Pathways to Space event in Christchurch. Photo: Women in Space Aotearoa New Zealand/JIX Below: Kate facilitating an event in Auckland. Photo: Robin Smith Right: Kate was the Royal Air Force's first Junior Engineer Officer to work on the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. Photo: Supplied
industry contributed $1.7 billion to the economy in 2018–19. Deputy head of New Zealand Space Agency Andrew Johnson expects the sector has developed further since then, adding: “This dynamic sector will help grow our economy.” Rocket Lab may remain best-known, but it has been joined by a crowding field of entrepreneurial competitors. Each one, Kate says, is “leading-edge globally” within its niche. They include Dawn Aerospace, the Christchurch company whose rocket-powered Mk-II Aurora spaceplane – capable of flying multiple times a day – could pave the way for commercial payload flights. Auckland-based space-tech company Zenno Astronautics has invented a way of repositioning satellites in space using solarpowered superconducting electromagnets, rather than fuel. Meanwhile, Astrix Astronautics, also in Tāmaki Makaurau, has developed a way to deploy cost-effective and efficient solar panels. Kate says such companies have been encouraged by the government’s release of the 2023 Aotearoa New Zealand Aerospace Strategy. A 2022 agreement with the United States enables opportunity for collaboration with NASA. The creation of a new Minister of Space bodes well. “It recognises the importance and value of space – not just for economic development but also for developing
the space sector’s diversity, particularly in terms of women. Around 20 percent of the global space workforce are women, but that is across all roles. “Only around 10 percent of technical roles are women,” Kate says. There is no specific data on New Zealand, but anecdotally it is similar. “There’s been no improvement for a very long time. The sector is not set up, or armed with the right tools, to enable women to be as successful as their male peers, and to encourage them to stay.” Kate and Rocket Lab engineer Lara Collier attended the 2023 United Nations Space4Women Expert Meeting in Montréal, Canada. It resulted in the drafting of guidelines that aim to help space organisations and companies improve the gender diversity, equity and inclusion of their workforces. The high-level guidance will be released by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs in June. WISANZ plans to develop a New Zealand-specific document expanding on the United Nations' guidance to share with local space companies, universities and the New Zealand Space Agency. It is urging Minister for Space Judith Collins to consider funding this. Why is it important? “The government is banking on GDP from the space sector. But if you’re only mostly drawing talent from 50 percent of the population, New Zealand is never going to meet its true potential as a space nation. Every company knows they have to make that talent pool
solutions in space to global issues, like climate change.” Kate would like to see the government help improve
wider.” Kate adds that studies show a diverse workforce is an innovative workforce.
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“As a child dreaming of space, I never believed I’d be here” Rocket Lab’s Julia Rothman always wanted to work in space. She studied physics and maths at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington but, at the time, the only option was to go overseas. After an OE she “eventually found the US Air Force, the military and space” and completed a master’s degree in systems engineering. Julia went on to spend nearly two decades designing and launching space systems for the United States Government, returning to Aotearoa in 2018. As Director of Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 on the Mahia Peninsula, the world’s first commercial launch site, Julia ensures the launch site is ready for all launch operations. She says she feels “very fortunate to be the Director of LC-1, and very proud to be a woman engineer at Rocket Lab”. Rocket Lab is focused on ensuring the 18-metre Electron rocket is “the world’s best small-launch vehicle”. Small launch vehicles help with a huge range of space activities, from launching small satellites that carry out environmental monitoring to emergency response to geographic information systems (GIS). Julia says it is a small team and the work is very hands on. “You’re as close to the rocket as you can be.” For Julia, her job is a dream come true. “As a child dreaming of space, I never believed I’d be here, part of it.” She says there are countless ways into the space industry today. “The industry has grown exponentially. There are so many more companies, roles and opportunities, to grow a flourishing, competitive career in New Zealand.”
Feature | Āhuatanga
Broadening New Zealand’s market Betina Pavri is Senior Principal Engineer at the Paihau-Robinson Research Institute, part of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. She also has an out-of-this-world background in robotic space exploration with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) that includes designing, testing and operating Mars Rovers. In 2022 she and her partner Randy Pollock (the Institute’s Chief Engineer for Space) moved to Aotearoa to help PaihauRobinson make its first foray into space. Betina says the Institute is recognised internationally for its work with hightemperature superconducting magnets,
Superconducting materials conduct electrical current with no resistance, meaning they can create very powerful electro-magnets when a current is passed through them. Paihau-Robinson is looking to test a brand-new superconducting magnet and its wireless inductive power supply (called a flux pump) to make “applied-field magneto plasma dynamic thrusters” – or plasma rockets – more efficient, and to ensure they can survive in space. “If we can successfully demonstrate this technology… it will open a worldwide market for New Zealand companies to
while she and Randy are providing their experience of sending things into space and testing for that environment.
capitalise on.”
Top left: Julia Rothman. Photo: Phil Yeo Left: An Electron rocket secured in the launch mount waiting to rotate to a vertical position ahead of launch. Image: Rocket Lab Top right: Betina Pavri. Image: Robert Cross, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Above: Test of PaihauRobinson high-temperature superconducting magnet (encased in silver insulation) with plasma thruster provided by researchers from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Nagoya University in Japan. Photo: Christopher Acheson.
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“I felt like I’d hit the jackpot” Just three years into her career, Dawn Aerospace Flight Operations Software Engineer Juliet McLachlan is part of a team who successfully completed the company’s first rocket-powered flight in 2023. Juliet joined the Christchurch-based space transportation company after graduating from the University of Canterbury with an engineering degree. She’d majored in mechatronics, with the intent of going into the space industry. “I felt like I’d hit the jackpot.” The born-and-bred Cantabrian – who also happens to be an Oceania Karate champion – had assumed she’d have to work overseas, or in Auckland. But Christchurch now has a thriving aerospace industry along with an aerospace centre, Tāwhaki, at Kaitorete, south of Christchurch. Juliet, the company’s first woman engineer, says while New Zealand’s space sector is “quite receptive and welcoming” to graduates, WISANZ has been “epic” for networking and mentoring opportunities. As a young woman in a male-dominated industry, she needed to learn to back herself and admits it can be intimidating for those less confident. “We need to build an environment where there’s enough of us around to feel it’s normal, and more welcoming.”
Top: Team photo with the Mk-II Aurora on the tarmac at Glentanner Aerodrome after the first rocket-powered flight. Juliet McLachlan front centre. Photo: Dawn Aerospace Above: Juliet McLachlan. Photo: Dawn Aerospace
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contech.co.nz
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The alchemist of Canterbury WRITER | KAITUHI ALEXANDRA JOHNSON
Professor, perfumer, pianist – these are just a few of the professions and pursuits this chemical engineer has explored. With an affinity for science and the arts, the founder and head of the School of Product Design at the University of Canterbury has established unique, multidisciplinary degrees equipping graduates with knowledge and skills in science, engineering, business and marketing. Professor Conan Fee FEngNZ first practised his aptitude for merging disciplines when he crafted his own engineering degree in the 1980s. “While I began a civil engineering degree, I soon discovered it wasn’t for me,” he says. “But I started reading books on the biochemistry of the brain and became very interested in the idea of chemical engineering being applied to biomedicine.” Switching his studies to chemical engineering, Conan selected electives in biological science, such as molecular biology and biochemistry. “It was my way of creating a biochemical engineering degree, which didn’t exist at the time.” A PhD exploring the link between blood turbulence and atherosclerosis was
followed by industrial research into protein purification. He then took a postdoctoral fellowship in Canada and since then, his career has included sabbaticals in the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Australia. “I moved back to New Zealand to take up a position at the University of Waikato, co-developing a technology degree which ultimately became the engineering school.”
students, which I anticipated to be difficult.” Conan established two new degrees to attract students to the fractured city. “One was the Diploma of Global Humanitarian Engineering, which stemmed from my realisation that engineers had a bad rep for going into disaster relief or helping developing countries with a technical solution that was ultimately ineffective because they hadn’t considered the location’s culture. This diploma would
I wanted to create a degree that would produce graduates who are not only good technically, but also had user-focused design skills and an interest in entrepreneurship. An opportunity to take up a Chair at the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Canterbury meant a move south to his hometown in 2005. There, Conan also co-founded the Biomolecular Interaction Centre, which researches molecular interactions critical to biological function and new disease treatments. “Then post-earthquake, I became Academic Dean of Engineering, and the
require our engineering students to do some humanities subjects to get that understanding.” The other degree, the Bachelor of Product Design, was sparked by his view that New Zealand’s industry was too conservative and lacking in aspiration. “I realised that we needed a lot more entrepreneurial success, more companies that are globally competitive. We’d been
University was charged with the challenge of doubling the number of engineering
teaching engineering for 130 years and I didn’t think it was quite the right discipline
Profile | Kiwhaiaro
Photo: Momac
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to make that happen. We needed a different mindset. “I wanted to create a degree that would produce graduates who are not only good technically, but also had userfocused design skills and an interest in entrepreneurship.” He says while most design schools are independent or affiliated with the arts, “… all of our students study maths and basic quantitative engineering and fundamental sciences, so they get a better understanding of the solutions they’re making”. Additionally, business courses help them make a market-viable product. Conan says shortages in different
Chemical engineering has a big role to play in sustainability and combatting climate change, but the discipline also needs to attract more students. “It’s a broader degree than most people realise. Chemical engineers have a huge influence on the entire life cycle of a product, from the raw materials to where it finishes at the end of life. And of course, the production of alternative fuels using renewables is all part of the chemical engineering toolkit.” Prior to the pandemic, Conan and his wife were set to go to France to learn more about perfumery, but the world shutting down put a stop to that idea.
Fragranzi is now a thriving business located in The Arts Centre in Christchurch, with 3,000 people making perfumes in 2023. In addition to his mind for science and his nose for scent, Conan has an ear for music. He began learning the piano at the age of four. Throughout his youth he also learned the violin and played in chamber music groups and orchestras. His piano studies culminated in a Licentiate in piano performance from the Royal Schools of Music in 1981. “As a teenager, I competed in national piano concerto competitions and my vision was to become a concert pianist.
engineering disciplines seem to come in sinusoidal waves and are a global phenomenon. “At the moment, the flavour of the month in Canterbury is mechanical and mechatronics engineering, while three or four years ago, it was civil engineering. But now the industry is starving for those graduates.”
“I’m always telling my students to start up a business and I’d developed some expertise with perfumes, so I decided to start a perfumery. When we put it together, my chemical engineering came into play because I recognised a very straightforward way people could design their own perfumes.”
“While my musical interpretation was good, I think my technical ability never got to the flawless standard that you need, and I was drawn to the sciences.” Judging from his research successes and the impact he’s had on tertiary education, the engineering profession has significantly benefitted from this direction change.
Photo: Momac
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The Watercare team constructed New Zealand’s largest temporary pump station to divert wastewater after a massive sinkhole opened in Parnell, Auckland in September 2023. Photo: Watercare
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Feature | Āhuatanga
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More than a quick fix
WRITER | KAITUHI MATT PHILP
For many New Zealanders, 2023 was a year when the weather gods turned toxic, unleashing floods and pummelling critical infrastructure. That made it a demanding year for engineers, called on in the aftermath of disaster to find a solution to the impassable bridge or broken highway. But engineering emergency fixes is a perennial requirement of the job and, often, the clock is ticking. Loudly.
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The Auckland sinkhole It’s December 2023, and Sharon Danks CMEngNZ CPEng IntPE(NZ) is watching the rain through her window. No surprise there: Auckland experienced unprecedented rainfall in 2023, starting with a January rainstorm that broke all records, followed by Cyclone Gabrielle. Head of Service Delivery for Watercare, Sharon says among other effects, the incessant precipitation triggered at least 30 sinkholes across the region, most of which went unreported to the public. But then came Monday 25 September, when a massive sinkhole opened in Parnell. Within 24 hours, it had grown into a 12-metre-by-12-metre tomo, like a portal to the underworld suddenly appearing on the fringe of the city’s CBD. In fact, it was worse than that: 13m below, the historic brick-lined Ōrākei main sewer, part of a combined wastewater and stormwater network serving central and west Auckland, had been blocked by debris. Sewage was soon overflowing into parts of the Waitematā Harbour, closing beaches.
We had to get everything done in such a public way as well, in the middle of Parnell, with lots of media interest and pressure to minimise noise and disruption and keep traffic flowing and businesses open. – Sharon Danks
Faced with an environmental emergency, Watercare responded at pace. The immediate priority was to secure the sinkhole to prevent more debris raining onto the 2.1-metre-diameter pipe, and to redirect overflows to points in the harbour where stronger currents could help disperse the wastewater. Meanwhile, Watercare’s engineers were designing a temporary fix until the Ōrākei sewer could be repaired. The bypass they devised involved building New Zealand’s largest temporary pump station, with capacity to pump 600-litres-per-second, and laying 450-odd metres of 600mm polyethylene pipe overland along St Georges Bay Rd and through a reserve. Sharon says several aspects had to be carefully worked through. These included ensuring there was enough head to pump from and designing the hydraulics. Also, finding ways to prevent the polyethylene pipe from expanding in heat – they built plywood enclosures at critical points and used cooling fans. Plus, designing the connection where the temporary bypass discharges back into the Ōrākei sewer “so that it didn’t blow a small manhole out of the ground”. The main challenge, however, was the need for speed. “We managed to spec and design the pipe in half a day. It was made for us over a weekend, and then we had contractors working almost 24 hours a day to lay it,” Sharon says. “We had to get everything done in such a public way as well, in the middle of Parnell, with lots of media interest and pressure to minimise noise and disruption and keep traffic flowing and businesses open. “It took 20 days until we had the temporary pump station working, and throughout the team pretty much worked 24/7, in shifts. There was real pressure on our operations engineers.” At time of writing, rubble was still being removed, and a structural liner to support the sewer was being manufactured in Dubai. Created with climate change in mind, it is anticipated to last 100 years.
Feature | Āhuatanga
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Opposite: Plywood enclosures prevented the temporary pipe from expanding in the heat. Above: The 13-metre-deep sinkhole opened up in a car park on St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell, Auckland. Right: A stop log was put in place to stop flows from entering the area where the team needed to remove the debris. Images: Watercare
Sinkhole (Stabilised)
St Georges Bay Road
Hydroexcavation
(jetting water) is used to help clear the blockage
Removal of manhole and chamber lid
Stop Log (steel door) will prevent wastewater flowing through
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Lime kiln repairs Jan Snyman FEngNZ IntPE(NZ) answered the phone at 6am on a Sunday. During the night, the main lime kiln at the Kinleith Mill in Tokoroa had overheated, causing its protective lining of 300-millimetre-thick refractory bricks to collapse and its carbon steel shell to corkscrew, so that it looked like a 78-metre-long Christmas cracker. But it could have been worse. “Had it rotated an hour longer, the whole thing would have melted and catastrophically collapsed,” says Jan, founder and Managing Director of Rotorua-based mechanical engineering consultancy Index Engineering.
Left: Close up of the damaged kiln shell at Kinleith Mill, Tokoroa. Below: Completed repairs. Photos: Jan Snyman
“I got the call saying ‘We have a little job for you’.” That little job turned out to be the ultimate highpressured emergency fix. Kinleith is Oji Fibre Solutions’ flagship pulp and paper operation, and the affected kiln supplies three-quarters of the mill’s lime needs. Limping along at 25 percent was potentially going to cost millions, so Index had no time to lose. By the end of Monday, the firm had called in two 250-tonne cranes to cradle the kiln and was busy designing a temporary structure capable of supporting 170 tonnes (within three days the slab had been poured and was starting to dry). Meantime, Jan had sketched out a replacement for the damaged shell section and engaged Wellington-based Acme Engineering to manufacture it. By the time Acme’s truck arrived on site on day seven, the kiln was supported and the damaged section had been cut out. Alignment was critical. “We couldn’t just weld it up. There were 32 sets of docking gear on both sides between the old to new shell, with lugs and wedges to be adjusted to align the shell. You had to tension each bolt, and that lines the kiln up to where it is supposed to be. While doing that, we had a surveyor with us, plus 3D scanners running the whole time to get the alignment correct,” Jan says, adding that Index was in constant contact with the kiln’s European manufacturers, who hadn’t been able to send their experts to New Zealand because of Covid-19 restrictions. Lining up the shell took a week. The welding, which involved one person operating from a scaffold above the slowly rotating kiln, took another 60 hours, with a crew of welders taking one-hour shifts. That was followed by replacing the broken refractory bricks, and then bedding in and testing. On the 22nd day after Jan received that early morning call, the kiln was run for the first time fully loaded, a remarkable feat given that overseas kiln specialists had predicted it would take months to fix. In September 2023, Index Engineering won a Gold Award from ACE New Zealand for the lime kiln repair project, with judges noting the “enormous pressure” involved.
The profession “really shone” New Zealand’s geotechnical engineers must have cheered loudly on New Year’s Eve after a taxing 2023. “Frankly, our people are exhausted,” says Chair of the New Zealand Geotechnical Society Philip Robins FEngNZ IntPE(NZ) of a year that drew heavily on the profession’s resources. The big challenge was Cyclone Gabrielle, when geotechnical engineers from all around the country raced to Hawke's Bay to help with everything from washed-out bridges to underslipped roads. There, and elsewhere, it was all about urgency, with the pressures of tight deadlines compounded by the remoteness
“It has been quite a strain on our profession,” says Philip, adding that the demands of 2023 highlighted the scarcity of geotechnical engineers in this country, exacerbated by the University of Canterbury dropping its Professional Master of Engineering Geology programme. But 2023 did have a silver lining, giving the profession a bit of a nudge on climate change. “Rather than focus on design that is bulletproof, we need to focus on robust designs that are repairable,” he says, adding that “the profession really shone in terms of working together. We’ve been collaborative and
of the work.
creative.”
Feature | Āhuatanga
Right: Lifting the new permanent beam into place. Photo: Will Pank Below: A strut on Auckland Harbour Bridge was bent out of shape after being hit by a truck in 2020. Photo: NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA)
Auckland Harbour Bridge repairs When a freak 127-kilometre-per-hour gust of wind toppled a truck driving over the Auckland Harbour Bridge onto a load-carrying steel truss member in September 2020, the four central lanes were immediately closed. An initial analysis suggested it might take several weeks to return the bridge to safe operation, potentially costing the economy tens of millions. In the event, it took only 17 days. Auckland System Management (ASM), which manages and maintains the Auckland state highway network on behalf of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), engaged Beca to design the solution. There was no set programme. “It was just a case of work as quickly as you can,” says Beca Technical Director of Structural Engineering Will Pank. “The accident happened on a Friday morning. By Sunday, the team had done the assessment of the bridge structure and designed a temporary repair to get two more lanes, and that was fabricated on Monday and installed on Tuesday night. In the following two weeks the team completed the design, fabrication and installation of the repairs,” Will says. “The hard part, and the complex engineering aspect, was that when the member was broken all the internal tension force holding up the structure was released. We had to reinstate the dead-load forces into a replacement member by jacking the ends together to a specific force
The hard part, and the complex engineering aspect, was that when the member was broken all the internal tension force holding up the structure was released. – Will Pank and were able to reset the bridge to its original geometry so that it could carry the full traffic load as it was before the break,” he explains. “We used a bridge-specific live load which was measured from vehicle weights. That’s unique in New Zealand and rare for long-span bridges anywhere, but it meant that we could use a more realistic live load than the standards prescribe.” Crucial to success was close collaboration between all players, including the designers, constructors, NZTA and ASM. “Our alliance contract meant we could bring all the right people to the table to work together from the beginning,” says Will, who adds that there was no margin for error, and no shortage of pressure. Beca's work won an ACE New Zealand Silver Award.
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Distinguished careers Congratulations to our Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau members who were recently promoted to Fellowship and Distinguished Fellowship, recognising their valuable contribution to the engineering profession. Here, we showcase our four new Distinguished Fellows.
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Barry Brown DistFEngNZ Barry Brown is recognised for his contributions to technical and executive leadership, especially in the fields of structural and seismic design.
Barry was the inaugural Chair of the Structural Engineering Society New Zealand (SESOC) in 1988, in the wake of the 1987 financial crisis. He was elected to Engineering New Zealand’s Council Board from 1986–1992 where he promoted the
technical roles, and by attending to the wellbeing of engineers. He was appointed to the Technical Advisory Board for the earthquake recovery and was the SESOC representative on the Engineering Advisory Group that prepared technical
What makes you different from other leaders? At various stages of my career I have been confronted with problems in the course of my work, and “promoted in the field” to deal with them. For example,
development of the structural technical group as a national body, earning him a SESOC Life Membership. In the late 1980s, Barry convened a working group that developed the Producer Statement concept and made numerous successful submissions to the government on the Building Act 1991. In 2001, he was appointed by the government to chair the Building Industry Authority as the profession faced issues including the watertightness of buildings. An immediate respondent following the Canterbury earthquakes, Barry supported the recovery team through
guidance documents for the repair and reconstruction works. Barry has spent most of his professional career with Fraser Thomas Ltd where he led the structural team and for several years was Managing Director. A mentor to his team, Barry is also a point of reference for a much wider group including his long association extending back to the establishment of the Heavy Engineering Research Association. He has also been a key contributor to New Zealand concrete and steel standards and related codes of practice. He was awarded the MacLean Citation in 2005.
the formation of SESOC in 1988 – created by a small group of engineers who recognised the chaotic situation existing within then current development of limited state design standards for structural engineering, and the need to bring some order to it. Also, the building control reform of 2004 – creation of a specialist Overview Group to address the underlying causes of the weathertightness crisis. I don't see myself as different per se, but sometimes I respond to situational triggers differently from the way others might. In my experience, given the right mix of people, the fallout from the “situation”, once it is apparent, will ultimately focus the collective mind and drive the appropriate response.
How do you hope people feel about the work you do? Engineers, because of our training, are well placed to understand how the environment affects our lives, and lead teams of people to manage its effects. If your work is aspirational, and others see its value and are enthused by it, they may want to work with you on it. I think people see me as someone who at various times has identified a gap in a field of knowledge, or in an area of professional practice, and actively sought to fill it.
What are the key ways in which you’ve pushed boundaries in your career? Early on, I learnt that if you want to go fast, you should go alone, but this will involve some risk. If you want to go far, you must gather people around you, talk to them and take them with you – you should go together. The methodology I follow typically involves identifying the optimal solution based on what is known at the time, then progressively modifying that solution as better information emerges. This involves being prepared to live with the consequences of imperfect knowledge along with the need to communicate strongly to all stakeholders as the solution develops. Problems can come with shortfalls in the communication space. And for best outcomes, I find that project risks must be shared. We still have a lot to learn on that front.
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Don Cleland DistFEngNZ Don Cleland is recognised as an internationally acclaimed academic, entrepreneur and innovator, and a champion for diversity.
Don has been a Professor of Process Engineering at Massey University since 1993, including 10 years as Head of the School of Engineering and Advanced Technology from 2008. Don’s achievements have included
How do you hope people feel about the work you do? I hope other people feel I have helped them do their own roles more easily and to
having the entrepreneurial flair to transform his team’s world-leading research into advice and methodologies for use by industry practitioners, and innovating the seed grant portion of the Science for Technological Innovation (SFTI) National Science Challenge. Don was a strong supporter of the Challenge’s focus on Vision Mātauranga and promoting the opportunity for Māori to lead technological innovation of direct benefit to Māori, from research to commercialisation. Don is an inclusive, open leader who seeks optimum outcomes through a collaborative approach. A world-renowned expert in industrial and commercial refrigeration engineering, his work has received significant accolades recognising the eminence of his research and its practical engineering application to the combined interdisciplinary arenas of food refrigeration and energy-efficiency. These include the 2019 Scott Medal by Royal Society Te Apārangi, and the United Kingdom's Institute of Refrigeration’s J&E Hall Gold Medal. Don collaborates and shares his expertise to increase efficiencies in refrigeration technology worldwide. He stands out in the refrigeration community for his collegiality.
a better standard. My first boss, Dick Earle DistFEngNZ, always emphasised the value of academics working closely with the appropriate industry sector. I have tried to follow this advice and ensure that my work has been oriented towards helping industry solve both immediate and long-term problems. It gives me a lot of satisfaction to know that I have contributed to developing an industry training course for the refrigeration sector that has been delivered more than 40 times, in New Zealand and overseas to more than 700 participants. Further, this course remains in demand despite minimal advertising. How do you keep learning as an engineer? I have been fortunate to work for a research organisation which has enabled me to undertake projects at the boundaries of knowledge. Therefore, I have been continuously challenged to stretch my knowledge and test my assumptions about how things work and how they can be improved. Further, I have been able to regularly attend scientific conferences around the world. At these conferences there are numerous opportunities to rub shoulders with the brightest minds in my field and I am questioned about the
Such interrogation forces me to think more widely about a problem and to consider all possible explanations for an observed phenomena.
purpose, rationale and interpretation of my work. Such interrogation forces me to think more widely about a problem and to consider all possible explanations for an observed phenomena. What has surprised you the most about your engineering career? That I am still working for the same employer, Massey University, after nearly 40 years. I always expected to head offshore or into industry at some stage. The satisfaction of teaching students, expanding knowledge through research, and then packaging that expertise into methods and techniques that industry practitioners can use has kept me motivated, such that other opportunities have not tempted me to leave. Early in my career I did not envisage myself making a large contribution to Vision Mātauranga. However, I was lucky to work with some inspiring people at the Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge and they have helped me realise the potential of mātauranga Māori as a complementary adjunct to the western science viewpoint. I now see support for mātauranga as being part of what it means to be a New Zealander irrespective of ethnicity.
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Rob Jury DistFEngNZ Rob Jury is recognised for his contribution to the oversight and practice of seismic engineering in New Zealand and internationally. His work has made significant advances in the understanding and application of appraisal and design techniques across a wide range of infrastructure, industrial and commercial projects. He has also contributed to the structural design of some of New Zealand’s iconic structures, such as the Sky Tower and the Hāpuawhenua Viaduct.
Chief Structural Engineer at Beca, Rob leads a team of more than 400 structural engineers. Throughout his career, he has contributed to technical committees and specialist study groups that have developed the country’s standards and guidelines for the design and resilience of structures to earthquakes. He led the revision and adoption of the seismic components of the New Zealand Building Code. As a leader in his field, Rob is always focused on best practice and good engineering science in seeking out and achieving the optimal overall outcome for the community. What are the key ways you’ve pushed boundaries in your career? I’ve enjoyed bringing a practical view to projects – not just a pure structural engineering perspective, but also incorporating an understanding of elements including risk and constructability. The consulting engineer’s role is to help clients solve problems, and I’ve always been prepared to put my mind to anything that’s been put in front of me, even if, on occasions, this has come at some personal cost. Therefore, I’ve taken every opportunity – then figured out how it can be done. The end result was leading the technical delivery of projects like the
I hope this encourages the next generation to think broadly about how they can contribute to society and develop their careers.
and reputation, but there have been times when effort expended elsewhere might have yielded better returns for the shareholders! So I hope this encourages the next generation to think broadly about how they can contribute to society and develop their careers.
How will this recognition help you inspire other engineers? Some of the things I’ve championed haven’t always been in vogue and that’s even more challenging when there’s a focus on more immediate returns. My work for the past three decades on the Building
What has surprised you the most about your engineering career? I’ve been able to get everything I wanted out of one employer. I always wanted to be a structural engineer, and Beca has allowed and supported me over four decades to have a stimulating career. I like to see things built, and the latest buildings we are designing in New Zealand are regarded as cutting edge globally – more resilient and lower carbon than was imaginable even five years ago – and the recipients of major international awards. And I suppose I’m surprised that my thoughts are still valued – there are lots of smart young people coming through with great knowledge, but they are interested
Code and seismic assessment guidelines has become a big part of Beca’s DNA
in the hard lessons learned by those of us with greyer hairs.
Sky Tower and Hāpuawhenua Viaduct, the seismic assessment guidelines – very high-quality pieces of work by international standards.
Feature | Āhuatanga
Sulo Shanmuganathan DistFEngNZ Dr Sulojana Shanmuganathan is recognised for her contribution to furthering engineering practice, particularly in structures and large complex engineering projects in New Zealand, the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia.
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After earning qualifications in Sri Lanka, Scotland and England, Sulo continued this global theme in her professional life as she gained more than 30 years’ experience in significant executive, technical and governance roles with major consulting companies including Beca, Holmes and WSP, as well as eight years in research and academia. As Chief Engineer at NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), Sulo applies her deep technical knowledge, governance and project experience to challenge current practice in the transport sector, including bringing a strong sustainability focus to her work.
seismic and rehabilitation projects. Her involvement with Te Ao Rangahau includes serving on the Competency Assessment Board, representing the organisation on the International Review Team for the APEC Engineer Agreement with the Council of Engineers of Thailand, advising and assessing various complaints. Also, reviewing terms of reference and application processes for Fellowships and Distinguished Fellowships, and championing diversity.
A Fellow of Engineers Australia, of the Institution of Civil Engineers and of the UK’s Institution of Structural Engineers, Sulo has authored more than 30 technical papers, contributed to numerous technical manuals and is frequently an invited speaker at international conferences. She has received many awards and scholarships for structural,
possible with the right motivation has hugely helped in building my own confidence, especially through my formative years. If you keep doubting yourself and questioning your ability to achieve goals, then it will be an uphill battle to lead a meaningful life. If something does not happen the way I like, I don’t get agitated. I like to be flexible, within boundaries, with my approach that helps to see problems with a wide angle.
What are the key ways you’ve pushed boundaries in your career? Having “self-belief” that anything is
How do you keep learning as an engineer? There is so much happening around us all the time, including technological advancement. I prefer to learn things on the job rather than attending formal courses! I have done a few online courses, including Papa Reo (Te Reo Level 1) delivered by Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. A little bit of learning each day goes a long way, I believe. What has surprised you the most about your engineering career? I am pleasantly surprised by the support, mentoring and timely advice provided by people around me all the time, especially when I travelled from one country to another. It has been a wonderful journey – I never felt a lonely moment wondering what I should do now. There have always been caring colleagues, senior engineers, management, and above all the trust people placed on me wherever I worked. I feel truly blessed and am profoundly indebted to all those people who cared about me. It’s a very long list of people.
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“… everyone deserves to be valued and respected” WRITER | KAITUHI ALEXANDRA JOHNSON
From writer and librarian to social media consultant, Denise Carter-Bennett sampled multiple divergent careers before settling on cybersecurity engineering, a field in which this neurodiversity champion has excelled. The tech sector attracts a lot of neurodivergent people, although not everyone is diagnosed or comfortable talking about it, says Datacom Cybersecurity Engineer, Denise CarterBennett (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine). “For me, working in tech, and particularly in cybersecurity, my autism and [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder] ADHD is often an advantage,” she says. “Thinking outside the square comes naturally. When I’m engaged by the work, I can have hyper-focused attention and I like digging for answers.” She says her autism makes her detailoriented and proficient with processes and rules. “Being autistic helps me to detect anomalies and see things other people may not. The ADHD part of myself allows me to hyperfocus and think on my feet.” Her role at Datacom involves solutions delivery, project work and providing
for both growing the number of Māori and Pasifika in the tech sector and creating supportive working environments for neurodivergent workers. “I am open about my neurodiversity because a diagnosis and the tools to manage it can be life-changing. Māori and Pasifika are especially likely to be underdiagnosed and labelled as disruptive or lazy, instead of getting the support they need to be successful.” Citing figures from NZTech, Denise says only four percent of tech workers are Māori and less than three percent are Pasifika, and those numbers are even lower for Māori and Pasifika women, and lower again for neurodivergent people. “The population of Māori and Pasifika people is over 25 percent, so representation in the tech sector is not reflective of the society we live in. I share my experiences because I want people to see what is possible.” She says it’s very important that young Māori and Pasifika hear positive stories and see role models they can identify with, because there is often a focus on negative narratives which damage the way rangatahi see themselves. “I’m also drawn to cybersecurity and information security because I’m
Denise adds: “My hope is that as a neurodiverse Māori woman, I can inspire people like me to think about the opportunities that exist for them.” She openly shares her knowledge and experience at national and international events. Recent accolades include winning the Cybersecurity Champion award at the 2023 New Zealand Women in Security Awards, and the DEFSEC 2022 Indigenous Advocate of the Year Award. While she appreciates the recognition, Denise admits the best feedback is “when someone tells me my story resonated for them and they are considering a career in tech, or see more opportunities for themselves”. To encourage neurodiverse people into a company, Denise says they need to be able to see a space for themselves, “which is hard if there is no one like them or if the path to getting there isn’t obvious”. For example, she says Datacom has focused on creating internships, traineeships, mentoring and work experience opportunities to create different pathways into the business. “Making space for less traditional pathways is a good way to grow a more diverse workforce.” She believes flexibility is key to
security advice to customers. On top of this mahi, Denise is an outspoken advocate
passionate about protecting Māori data and Māori data sovereignty.”
creating an environment that works for neurodiverse team members, including
Profile | Kiwhaiaro
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the option to work from home or in a quiet space. “Flexibility also helps with balance for neurodiverse team members who might hyperfocus for hours on end, but then need some time to go for a walk or get away from their desk.” When recruiting, Denise says companies need to dispense with psychometric testing as it filters out people who could be an invaluable addition to the team. “Companies should also look at their interview processes and ask themselves how many people really need to be in the room, how many formal interviews need to take place, and whether they have provided the applicant with a broad outline of what they can expect from the interview.” She says ensuring questions aren’t ambiguous or abstract is important as is being aware that neurodivergent applicants tend to be more direct and literal and may not pick up on sarcasm or jokes. “Clear and honest communication is beneficial for neurodiverse team members, but that is helpful for your whole team. Remembering that everyone deserves to be respected and valued is a great place to start.”
Photo: 2023 New Zealand Women in Security Awards
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Engineering a place to remember
Pike29 Memorial track Connects the Paparoa Track Great Walk to the Pike River valley 11.6km in length West Coast of the South Island Opening February 2024 Commemorates the lives of the 29 men lost in the Pike River Mine disaster in 2010
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Walking down the Pike29 Memorial Track from the Paparoa Track Great Walk to the Pike Valley. Photo: DOC/Stewart Nimmo
A healing path The Pike29 Memorial Track commemorates the lives lost in the tragic mine explosion, and has been designed with people, and sustainability, at its heart.
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Te Whare Atarau/ Moonlight Tops Hut 20 bunks
Ces Clark Hut 16 bunks
Smoke-ho car park
Pike River Mine Interpretation Centre Under construction, opening date to be confirmed
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Pororari Hut 20 bunks
Pororari River car park Waikori (exit for Road car hikers) park (exit for Inland bikers) Pack Track junction
The 2010 Pike River mine explosion is one of Aotearoa’s most devastating disasters. In honour of the 29 men who died in the tragedy, the Pike29 Memorial Track has been built, opening in February. It connects the Pike River valley to the Paparoa Track, the first shared-use Great Walk constructed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) that caters to both hikers and mountain bikers. Rising 880m from the Pike
consulted the Ngāti Waewae hapū, the kaitiaki of the Paparoa National Park, who supported the proposal. “We ended up with an agreement about where Ngāti Waewae would tell their stories and where the Pike29 families would tell their stories. It was a healing path for the families and a way for Ngāti Waewae to reassert their status as mana whenua at Paparoa.” Building the 11.6-kilometre track was no easy feat. The
River valley floor, the Pike29 Memorial Track winds through the top of the Paparoa Range ridgeline. As bikers and hikers weave their way, they’ll encounter rest stops with display panels introducing the story of the mine disaster, and a viewing point that looks down on the vent shaft in the mine site. Central to the track’s construction were the Pike29 victims’ families, who first proposed the idea. “They wanted to see an economic opportunity return to the West Coast to offset the downturn in the extractive industries, but also to thank the regional community for the support they’ve given in the wake of the disaster,” says Tom Hopkins MEngNZ, a previous strategic projects manager for the Pike River Mine Transition Project. He adds that, facilitated by DOC, the families also
team had to contend with the remote location, rugged terrain and rough weather. “It’s like building a new road — but on steroids,” Tom says. To overcome those challenges, the team applied civil engineering best practices during the initial stages, including the use of GPS and Lidar for surveying and planning, as well as employing digital tools for terrain modelling and track design. Safety was paramount, so the team carried out a geological hazard assessment to determine the risk levels for workers building the track, staff maintaining it in the future, and the track itself over the long term. Ensuring safety for hikers and bikers entailed creating good sight lines, avoiding steep and long straight
Top: Elevation profile and track guide. Adapted from Department of Conservation Left: Logan Blythen from Nelmac removes treet stumps while working towards the junction with the Paparoa Track. Photo: Mark Nelson Opposite: Guy Wynn-Williams rides past one of the feature rocks. Photo: Hamish Seaton
Feature | Āhuatanga
sections, and providing good drainage. “When you have bikes descending, they can go fast, so we made sure the track has lots of wiggles and ups and downs, which slows people down,” says Hamish Seaton MEngNZ, an electrical engineer and expert track builder who designed the Pike29 Memorial Track. “But it also makes it more fun to ride and manages the water better.” Sustainability was another key consideration. The goal was to minimise the building footprint and damage from the track, as well as to disturb the least amount of trees and vegetation. “A lot of the materials required for the track were sourced on-site,” Hamish says. “If we needed to fell a tree that’s in the way, the wood from the tree was used to make corduroy to go underneath the track. If we needed rock to surface the track, we could often take that from areas close to the track.” The project was a team effort, and Tom attributes its success to the myriad people involved: DOC staff, Stantec as engineering consultants, Nelmac as contractors, plus the construction crews. “They’ve done an incredible job of implementing the vision of the families, DOC and Ngāti Waewae.”
Hamish echoes this sentiment: “You go from pristine bush to a messy worksite, and then as the crews wrap up the track and rehabilitate the area, you’d hardly know that anything else had been disturbed. It looks like it’s been there for many years.” He adds, “It’s been a privilege to be involved with a once-in-a-lifetime project like this. Everybody can be proud of what we’ve achieved. The big satisfaction will be in the sheer number of people that can now get in there and enjoy it.” For Andy Evans, Business Development Manager at Nelmac, being part of the project was an “opportunity to create an enduring memorial for the 29 workers lost in the Pike Mine disaster and build an amazing track asset for the West Coast region and the country, which will prove to be a major attraction for outdoor enthusiasts, boosting economic growth opportunities for the Coast for decades". The team’s engineering approach with both the Paparoa Track and the Pike29 Memorial Track was “very much about trying to achieve the best possible experience for the end users, but doing it in a respectful way — respectful of the environment, the families and the local hapū”, says Tom. “There was care taken in building the track and I hope people will be impressed by the quality of the outcome.”
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Snapshot Phase one of the Great Laxey Wheel conservation project on the Isle of Man has been recognised for the integration of conservation engineering with carefully specified and executed fabric repairs. The Victorian landmark, also known as Lady Isabella, is the world’s biggest working water wheel. Phase two of its structural repair scheme will repair and conserve the wheel’s rod duct and T-rocker. In phase one, old render and defective timbers were replaced, ironmongery repaired and the wheel, housing, railings and viewing platform repainted. Manx National Heritage was awarded the Institute of Historic Building Conservation North West Conservation Award for the work.
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47 Support our profession 48 Discover Dunedin’s engineering heritage 50 Assuring quality work
Best practice
44 Navigating natural disasters
Ngā mahi papai rawai
42 A global approach to transport
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A global approach to transport STUART WOODS FEngNZ
The impacts of climate change pose an urgent, significant risk to roading networks globally. To counter this, transport experts and authorities around the world are working to increase the climate resilience of vital transport infrastructure and systems. Our transport systems are more than just a way to get around. They connect us to the things that give our lives meaning – to the land, to each other and to vital opportunities. Transport systems play a crucial role in the wellbeing of our communities and businesses. At NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), we see the pairing of our own local expertise with global knowledge as integral to working towards lasting solutions. Our focus is intergenerational, and we are driven by the challenge that we must help to ensure a sustainable and thriving future for all. Aotearoa is connected by more than 90,000km of roading network, with NZTA responsible for more than 11,000km of state highway roads. This extensive network is already bearing the brunt of more frequent major weather events such as storm and flooding, which bring immediate disruption and damage, and have deep and lasting negative impacts on our communities.
task forces which undertake projects, share experience and knowledge and promote best practices on a wide range of transport matters. These include cycling, walking, car sharing, public transport, alternative fuels or energy, asset management, project delivery and operations, and natural hazards. PIARC operates on a four-yearly cycle. The next cycle, 2024–2027, will have a stronger emphasis on decarbonisation, resilience, road safety and digitalisation. Over the past 20 years, NZTA and its predecessor agencies have greatly appreciated the access to publications, events and extensive networks that PIARC membership provides. Our membership also means that we can have representation on relevant technical committees and task forces where we can best contribute and gain value. For the 2024–2027 cycle, NZTA will have representatives on five of those committees, including the committee focused on climate change and resilience. We value being part of a leading international forum that comes together on a myriad of transport issues. Together, we identify, develop and share best practice on key issues that all countries face, as well as develop and promote new and targeted decision-making tools on land transport matters.
International expertise network The World Road Association, also known as PIARC, was established in 1909. It facilitates global discussion and knowledge sharing on issues related
World Road Congress 2023 In October 2023, NZTA representatives, plus 6,000 other delegates, attended PIARC’s 27th World Road Congress in the
to roads and road transport. PIARC also coordinates technical committees and
Czech Republic. The Climate Change and Resilience of Road Networks Committee,
of which NZTA is a member, presented the recently updated International Climate Change Adaptation Framework for Road Infrastructure 2023. This framework guides roading organisations through developing an adaptation plan to address the impacts of climate change. It presented many case studies as examples, such as nature-based solutions to improve climate resilience. Nature’s way on the highway As set out in Tiro Rangi, our climate adaptation plan, NZTA is looking to develop nature-based solutions, or green engineering, as a key initiative in Aotearoa. On coastal state highways, nature-based solutions such as sand dunes can function as effective forms of coastal protection, in turn protecting the road. As we turn to innovation to address the impacts of climate change, we look to our overseas colleagues to learn from their experience. Global knowledge, practical case studies and real-life examples enabled by our PIARC connections, coupled with our own local expertise, can make all the difference as we work to achieve the vision of greater climate resilience for our transport sector. Stuart Woods FEngNZ is Lead Advisor – Resilience at NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). Involved in PIARC since 2020, he's the English Secretary of PIARC’s “Planning the resilience of road networks – climate change and other hazards” Technical Committee for 2024–2027.
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Navigating natural disasters KATHY CATTON
The 2023 Auckland Anniversary weekend floods and Cyclone Gabrielle highlighted the need for a robust land classification system so affected homeowners could gain certainty about the future of their properties. So, just over a year on, how are things working for engineers in Auckland and Hawke's Bay, and what are some of the lessons learnt? Part of the government’s response to the aftermath of devastation left by the Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle was a new three-category land categorisation system, released in May 2023. Its aim was to create a one-off system to mitigate the worst impacts of those two events, with no explicit intent for it to be used in future events. Before this land classification system, local and central government did not have a direct role in helping homeowners fix the damage when landslides or flooding occurred. Homeowners were reliant on making an insurance claim. However, the payouts were restrictive and limited by conditions imposed in the Earthquake Commission Act 1993, resulting in some people getting paid much less than expected for land damage. “The government recognised that this would leave many people trapped by financial constraints in their high-risk,
Resilience at Auckland Council, Ross Roberts FEngNZ CMEngNZ (PEngGeol) CPEng. “We were invited to give our input after the initial idea had been conceived. The Cyclone Recovery Taskforce met with our team of engineers with the shared objective of getting people out of homes where the risk was intolerable.” Ross’s role since then has been to assess all Auckland properties affected by the landslides using the new categorisation system. That involves interpreting the categories, devising a scheme to implement the categorisation system, then designing a process and engaging people to do the work. “We’ve created a template approach to doing these assessments in line with the government categories, and made it available on the Auckland Council website, along with some guidance,” he says. At its core, the system is about understanding risk and identifying which areas are more susceptible to natural disasters. The qualitative descriptions issued by the government have been interpreted by a calculation of annual individual fatality risk and the cost to mitigate the risk to a tolerable level. “This risk assessment methodology is based on the Australian Geotechnical
it allows us to be as fair as possible to everyone, including the ratepayers,” says Ross. In Auckland to date, more than 2,000 affected homeowners have volunteered to be part of the process of classifying their homes and land. With no legislative regime or legal mandates forcing people to move, homeowners can then decide whether to accept the categorisation and the subsequent options for buy-out or funding, where relevant. “So far, we have completed 512 geotechnical assessments and over 1,000 flood assessments. Of these, 106 are category 3, meaning these homeowners would be eligible for a council buy-out, although we expect the final number to be closer to 500,” says Ross. He says the system is now robust and working well. “We have nine companies working with the system, and all the reports they produce look the same, so the information is easy to interpret.” The balance between speed and robustness appears to be one of the biggest challenges for engineers with the new system. “People want a quick answer about their home, so they can move on with their lives,” says Ross. “And we also have to deliver a robust
damaged homes,” says geotechnical engineer and Head of Engineering
AGS2007c guidelines. Because this can be consistently and impartially applied,
answer that is right for them and their community now and in the future. Those
Best practice | Ngā mahi papai rawai
Below: Satellite image of Cyclone Gabrielle. Image: NASA Overleaf: A tree in Auckland is blown down by Cyclone Gabrielle, February 2023. Photo: IMAGO/Zhao Gang
The Cyclone Recovery Taskforce met with our team of engineers with the shared objective of getting people out of homes where the risk was intolerable. – Ross Roberts
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two things are not always very compatible. It’s a tricky line to walk. We have produced a timeline that goes some way to help homeowners navigate the uncertainty.” Ross and his team are using this natural disaster as an opportunity to collect information about landslides that previously hadn’t been available, and publish it in a national landslide database. “There are plenty of cases in the past where people have rebuilt in an area at risk, because they weren’t aware of the geotechnical risks of that area.” Best practices are also shared with other councils in regular meetings to ensure shared learnings. A Rapid Post-
“It was a model developed for the Eastern Busway in Auckland,” says Ross. “For instance, kitchen sinks went to local kindergartens to be used in outdoor play areas.”
Disaster Field Guide is also available online. In addition, instead of the traditional demolition model with the bought-out homes, Auckland Council is using a recycling approach, with as little as possible ending up in landfill.
share observations and provide updates on best practice and regulatory systems. “Dave Brunsdon [DistFEngNZ CPEng acting on behalf of Te Ao Rangahau] set up the Hawke’s Bay Engineering
Good communication helps communities In Hawke’s Bay, good communication proved vital as engineers banded together to help communities after Cyclone Gabrielle tore through the area. Structural Principal at Kotahi Engineering Studio in Napier, Aaron Kaijser CMEngNZ CPEng, identified early on the need for a meeting point for the region’s practising engineers, to understand the extent of the situation,
The community relies on engineers for answers, and this group has been a terrific conduit to allow this to happen. – Aaron Kaijser
Leadership Group (ELG) and tapped me on the shoulder to join and co-chair it with Cam Wylie [CMEngNZ IntPE(NZ)],” says Aaron. The group facilitated fortnightly forums throughout the year, with the 30–40 attendees joining in-person or online, as presenters from within and outside the region shared experiences and expertise. The group’s aim was to consider key technical issues involved in the assessment, repair and reconstruction of buildings and infrastructure affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. “We provided support and best practice [information] to engineering practitioners. The group worked to become an active linkage between engineers, the five local councils involved, central government agencies, the research community and local iwi.” Communication was initially “frustrating,” says Aaron, in part due to the unknowns in dealing with a flooding disaster and the isolated location of the region. But thanks to the ELG, engineers have been able to upskill on a range of pertinent issues, such as reinstatement of plasterboard, the many provisions within the Building Act (notably Sections 71–74), navigating complex building consent pathways and the insurance process. “It’s so much about communication,” says Aaron. “Getting people together on the same page and acting in a true consulting engineer role. The community relies on engineers for answers, and this group has been a terrific conduit to allow this to happen.” In Hawke’s Bay, terms of reference documents have been produced alongside the land classification system, and the Engineering New Zealand website has been updated to include guidance for engineers making structural and geotechnical assessments after natural disasters. “My recommendation and learning would be for engineers to upskill in the peripheral areas outside their specific discipline,” says Aaron. “Your awareness of these issues adds to your credibility both as a technical expert and leader in the community.”
Best practice | Ngā mahi papai rawai
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Support our profession HELEN DAVIDSON
The Engineering New Zealand Foundation has much to celebrate with several significant milestones achieved over the
With the Grant Programme underway for its second year in 2024, we’re excited to see how engineering’s changemakers
Scholarship in January, in collaboration with the University of Canterbury. A Master of Engineering student, in February
past year that should make Engineering New Zealand members proud. Through the generosity of Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau members, the Engineering New Zealand Foundation continues to help members through tough times, support the next generation of engineers and fund innovative initiatives that drive change for the better. Perhaps the most notable achievement in 2023 was the launch of the Grant Programme, after two years of planning and development. The programme funds projects that support a thriving engineering profession from a pool of $100,000. The recipients are: — Marie McCarthy for He Rau Aroha, a project to rally Māori leaders from the infrastructure sector to provide pro bono engagement with iwi and communities impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle. — Felicia Indrawidjaja for production of ENGGEN 101, a scripted mockumentary reflecting the experiences of engineering students at the University of Auckland — Engineering New Zealand Student Member Esther Blain for engineering outreach to female secondary students in Canterbury — Emerging Professional Member Alyce Lysaght for production capacity on her successful Māori in Engineering podcast series — The BeLongEng project to re-examine career commitment and turnover
continue to flourish with the strong backing of a profession that values innovation and creative thinking. Recently, the generosity of Dick Earle DistFEngNZ and his late wife, Mary, saw the establishment of the Matatā Initiative, to encourage more Māori and Pasifika people into professional careers in engineering and technology. The calibre and number of proposals received were inspiring, reflecting the importance our profession and engineering education providers place on this mahi. At present, the Matatā Initiative Selection and Monitoring Committee are working with Pūhoro STEM Academy, New Zealand Council of Engineering Deans, Royal Society Te Apārangi and Great South to finalise a nationwide programme for the first three years. The collaborative project will nurture and maintain a strong interest in STEM for Māori and Pasifika ākonga through the senior years of high school and support them through the start of their university journey. To help drive the Foundation’s strategic direction and ensure we can achieve our goals, we welcomed three new trustees to the Board in 2023. Josiah Simmonds MEngNZ, Adrian van Dyk and Mike Ferrand bring a wealth of experience, and with our continuing trustees, Derrick Adams FEngNZ, Sina Cotter Tait FEngNZ, Jamie Pye, Alexandra Hare and me, will provide diverse thinking to the Foundation.
she embarked on a trip to Antarctica to continue her mahi designing and developing new ice coring equipment, which will be used as part of the Tere Tīpako Tio: Rapid Extensive Antarctic Ice Sampling Project. We’re excited to announce that this year we begin our proud support of the Wonder Project, Te Ao Rangahau’s notfor-profit, free programme for schools. Our investment in the Wonder Project will support their mission to achieve a diverse and thriving future STEM industry by inspiring rangatahi with impactful, engaging STEM learning experiences. Your generous support helps us broaden our impact on the engineering profession. If you’d like to help build on the momentum and drive positive change, please donate to the Foundation, with options including a one-off gift, a monthly donation or a bequest in your will. In the meantime, we’ll continue to increase our profile, make progress with the Matatā Initiative, deliver the Grant Programme, and develop new initiatives to provide surety for the future – we’re here for the profession.
intention in engineering, off the back of a pilot study completed in 2021.
Jessica Macfarquhar was announced as the recipient of the Sir Francis Small
Helen Davidson is Chief Executive of ACE NZ and Chair of the Engineering New Zealand Foundation. Learn more about the Foundation, and donate to make an impact and improve the future of engineering at engineeringnz.org/foundation
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Discover Dunedin’s engineering heritage CINDY JEMMETT
Dunedin has a fascinating history, and engineers have played a large part in shaping the city’s development. In March Engineering New Zealand launches a new self-guided walking tour of Dunedin’s engineering heritage, highlighting the engineering of well-known landmarks and the hidden engineering beneath the streets. Māori occupied the Otago region from around 1100 AD. Pākehā settlers began their story, in what would become the city of Dunedin, in 1848. When the settlers stepped ashore by the mouth of the Toitū Stream, they would have seen a prominent hill by the shoreline, tidal mudflats behind it to the north, and steep forested hills beyond. The Toitū Stream now flows in a pipe beneath the streets of Dunedin’s downtown area. But in 1848 the gently sloped beach by the stream mouth was Toitū tauraka waka, a waka landing site, and the inland reaches, an important mahinga kai – cultivation and food gathering area. Over the next few decades, civil engineering works would change this shoreline, with its streams and forested hills, beyond recognition.
water’s edge, dividing the northern and southern parts of the city. Its demolition provided fill for reclamation and allowed the city to expand. Work began in 1862 and was completed 15 years later in 1877. Blasting the hard rock and carting away the material using shovels and wheelbarrows was tough work. At first, luckless diggers from the goldfields were employed on a minimal wage, and later, work gangs were made up of prison labour from Dunedin jail. Tens of thousands of tons of material from Bell Hill went into the harbour, adding acres of flat land to the city’s shoreline and reducing the hill by some 14m. On this new, valuable, flat land, warehouses, offices and factories sprang up.
Adding acres of flat land Gold rushes in Otago from 1861 saw a huge influx of settlers and money to the province. Dunedin grew rapidly and for a few years, it was the country’s largest and wealthiest city. One of the city’s first major engineering works was the demolition of
Sewage solutions Despite the city’s prospering industry, early Dunedin was not always a pleasant place to live. As the population increased, so did the sewage. In the city’s first years, residents dug a hole in their backyard and constructed an outhouse on top. Groundwater became contaminated and infectious disease was widespread. Construction of Dunedin’s first sewer pipes began in 1863. The raw sewage was then channelled into the sheltered upper harbour which soon became polluted. On hot days the smell would waft up the lower parts of the city, assaulting the noses of the ratepaying public. By 1900 the City Council could no longer ignore the issue. Its engineers designed a large intercepting
Bell Hill and reclamation of land around the harbour. Bell Hill sloped steeply to the
sewer beneath Queens Gardens. Sewage was channelled to Musselburgh and then
pumped into the ocean at Lawyers Head, outside the harbour, where it could flow away with the tide. The pumping station and new diversion lines began operation in May 1908. The pumps were powered by the first diesel engines in New Zealand. Come rail away Dunedin Railway Station is one of New Zealand’s most photographed and best-loved buildings. It too, sits on reclaimed land. It was proudly opened in 1906 in the glory days of rail. Its Edwardian Baroque design, with domed tower, stained glass windows and beautiful mosaic floor reflected this confidence. It was the fourth railway station built in Dunedin – increasing rail traffic having made the previous three sites too small. By 1878 rail linked Dunedin to Christchurch, and by 1879 to Invercargill. In the early 1900s, Dunedin Railway Station was the busiest in the country. Up to 100 trains departed the station each day. Dunedin has many stories, some visible, some hidden. Engineers have played a part in many of them. Understanding the layers of the city’s history will guide the part engineers will play in many more stories to come. Download the walking tour on our free app and start exploring at bit.ly/heritage-walking-tours Cindy Jemmett is Heritage Advisor at Te Ao Rangahau.
Best practice | Ngā mahi papai rawai
New Railway Station, Dunedin, New Zealand, 1906, by Muir & Moodie. Image: Te Papa (PS.002585)
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Assuring quality work MARTIN PRATCHETT MEngNZ / ADRIAN FERGUSON MEngNZ
What role do engineers play in managing risk and avoiding mistakes? Nobody sets out to make mistakes, and with more engineering tools and technology than ever before, we might expect that errors, omissions and mistakes in engineering work would be diminishing. However, experience shows that these issues still occur, and in organisations of all types, sizes and disciplines, on a range of projects and scales. Research shows that mistakes and quality issues can often be traced back to systemic issues. They typically result from multiple contributing factors and in most cases, could have been predicted and prevented. Given that significant, expensive and sometimes dangerous mistakes still occur regularly in engineering organisations, it seems obvious to consider why, and what can be done about it. Te Ao Rangahau’s recently published report, Quality Issues in the Building System – Overcoming inadequate structural engineering design, was inspired by issues associated with some specific structural engineering projects and formal complaints which have been well publicised in the media. While the report clearly focuses on the building system and the work of structural engineering consultants, errors and quality issues in the work of
engineering organisations. In response to the findings of this report, Te Ao Rangahau has identified specific interventions or focus areas where the engineering profession could positively influence the performance of the wider building system. The issues identified generally have a strong “systemic element”. Therefore, it’s likely that many engineering organisations and professionals could benefit from the learnings, practices and processes associated with several of these interventions, even if they’re not directly engaged in structural engineering or the “building system”. The initiatives proposed to strengthen technical and professional support are likely to be broadly relevant due to a focus on design reviews, understanding and improving competence, and an increased focus on continuing professional development. Key areas of response at an organisation-to-organisation level are to continue work associated with the Chartered Professional Engineer and occupational regulation regimes. Also, to enhance support for Building Consent Authorities to improve their management of the risk of poor-quality outcomes from the building system. These activities will be supplemented by further work to advocate for system-level reforms to increase quality across the building system. Development of guidance and benchmarking tools to support small-
when procuring and pricing projects is proposed. In addition, guidance to help with creation and implementation of efficient but robust organisational quality assurance processes, is being developed. It is envisaged that good practice in these areas at “project initiation” stage should allow identification and assessment of potential risks. In some cases, this could initiate a decision on whether the work should be discontinued. If work continues, appropriate reviews and resources should be agreed and implemented to help ensure a successful outcome. It is expected that utilising resources such as those outlined above, plus documents published previously by Te Ao Rangahau such as Practice Note 14: Structural Engineering Design Office Practice, will assist organisations to select and implement appropriate systems and processes to align with the needs of a given project. This approach should deliver multiple benefits for the organisations and professionals applying it, and for their clients, leading to enhanced business success and sustainability.
engineers should be a matter of concern for all engineering professionals and all
and medium-sized organisations to identify, communicate and manage risks
and Adrian Ferguson MEngNZ is a mechanical engineer.
Email hello@engineeringnz.org if you are interested in making volunteer contributions to the development of these initiatives. Martin Pratchett MEngNZ is Engineering Practice Leader at Te Ao Rangahau
56 Preview 55 Bedside table 57 Preview 56 Secret life of engineers 58 Leading questions 59 Obituaries 60 Engineering genius
Shorts
51 Bedside 54 Inside job table
Ngā tūhinga poto me ngā pito kōrero
52 Inside Secretjob life of engineers
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Dr Chris Rapson Based in: Auckland Role: Senior AI Engineer, Formus Labs Education: Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering (1st class Hons), University of Auckland 2005; Master of Space Science and Technology, the Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic, 2008; Doctor of Philosophy (plasma physics), University of Greifswald, Germany, 2012
Photo: TIm Hamilton/VisionWorks Photography
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Inside job I describe my role to non-engineers as… teaching a computer through trial and error – just like a baby learns to identify colours, shapes, words and concepts. Artificial intelligence and biological
In the past year, I’ve pushed boundaries by… designing a new type of AI that a few people around the world are researching but nobody has managed to commercialise, yet. If we can crack it, it will
intelligence really have a lot in common!
save surgeons even more time, improve the patient experience, and open new markets for Formus.
The part of my job that always surprises people is… how fast the technology is moving. Things that weren’t possible a few years ago don’t even raise an eyebrow anymore. The best emoji to sum up me on a typical workday is…
The best thing I’ve introduced at my workplace is… bringing our AI up to state of the art. The accuracy more than doubled, running in less than half the time. That significantly improved the quality of the plans we were able to provide surgeons, going “from scan to plan in under an hour”. In my role, I always challenge… what is the uncertainty on that prediction or measurement? Error bars might be small or large, but nothing is ever 100 percent precise, in any field from quantum physics to biology to marketing or project management. Understanding the uncertainty or the variance is often more powerful than the central tendency. At work, I’ve never been afraid to… fail, both by taking on big challenges, and by realising early when something has been proved infeasible.
I admire engineers who… foresee problems before they arise, especially in systems with many moving parts. At school, teachers always described me as… curious. My luckiest break was… many, from the supportive environment I grew up in, to being selected for an EU-sponsored master’s programme, to looking for a new career direction as AI was taking off. The bravest thing I’ve done to get where I am today… was leaving behind an established position in a great team working on exciting developments for nuclear fusion. Initially trying to launch my own renewable energy venture, then taking a step down the career ladder while I started learning about AI from scratch. Best career advice I’ve received… if you can find something you enjoy doing, you will be motivated to get better at it every day. Continuous improvement and lifelong learning make life interesting. I’d advise other people interested in my type of role to… give it a go! Pick a problem that’s interesting to you, find a similar example using open source software, and tailor it to what you need. Start simple, don’t be afraid to ask for help and never stop learning.
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things I love about my job: — Applying creative problem solving to challenges that are novel and haven’t been solved before. — Unambiguously working to improve people’s quality of life – hip replacements have been revolutionary in getting people up and moving again. Formus’ automated AI-driven patient-specific plans provide added value for surgeons and patients. — Working with a diverse, motivated, talented team of people.
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reasons why I chose to study engineering: — After narrowing down my choice to medicine and engineering, I heard someone say that improvements in life expectancy are as much about frontline healthcare, as engineering advances. Sanitation was possibly the biggest single boost. Seatbelts, airbags and ABS save hundreds of lives every day, then there’s the technology used by medical professionals. I like how one small innovation can have wide-reaching consequences. — A fascination for the future and the opportunity to be a part of shaping it. Or in other words… figuring out that I could get paid to try and make sci-fi into reality.
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thing I wouldn’t change about my workday — A balance between working with people (to understand problems, stimulate creative thinking, get feedback and exchange ideas) and getting stuck into some nitty gritty science.
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Bedside table
Paul Morgan FEngNZ CMEngNZ CPEng Role: Technical Leader, Water Resources at Stantec Based in: Ōtepoti Dunedin Education: Bachelor of Physical Education, University of Otago, 1989; Bachelor of Science, University of Otago, 1990; Diploma of Teaching, Wellington College of Education, 1991; Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), University of Auckland, 1997; Diploma of Te Reo Māori, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, 2018
New Fellow Paul Morgan has more than 25 years’ experience in the assessment, design and development of water infrastructure, particularly in hydropower, irrigation and
How do they help you in your role? In water, we are working out how we can integrate mātauranga Māori with our Western science and engineering,
rivers. He’s passionate about engineering better solutions for our environment, and has developed a strong understanding of the relationship between freshwater fish and engineering structures since becoming a leading expert in the protection of freshwater fish in Aotearoa. Paul is proud of his whakapapa to Kāi tahu and is providing leadership in the integration of mātauranga Māori into water projects at Stantec.
aiming to find a better balance with cultural needs and lift the health of our environment. Kāwai and Matariki, along with several other books, have helped deepen my understanding of Te Ao Māori. The Dictionary of Lost Words offers a different perspective on how to think about our world, and The Map that Changed the World holds a powerful message about the importance of just being out in the world and what can be achieved through focused observations. This links back to Matariki as Māori made sense of the stars through just observing them and how they navigated across the Pacific Ocean centuries before Europeans were able to do it with the aid of instruments.
What’s on your bedside table? While I don’t actually have a bedside table, I do have a mantlepiece close by. It holds books, boxes of treasures, medicines, various items that require current attention and sometimes the things I need to repair. Let’s focus on those books, why did you choose them? I’m currently reading Kāwai: For Such a Time As This by Monty Soutar, a historical fiction following a Māori whanau from the 1700s through to modern times. I am enjoying the insights into life before and during the time of European arrival and the impacts it has on this whanau. A few other favourites include The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams which, like many of my books, I found at an airport while travelling. Also, The Map that Changed the World by Simon Winchester. This is the story of William Smith, a geologist who created the first geological map of Great Britain, the first of any country. Finally, Matariki: The Star of the Year by Rangi Mātāmua, who has dedicated his life to increasing his knowledge in this area.
Which group of engineering professionals is this type of publication most helpful for and why? Those who frequently cross over between the engineering and science spaces, and also into the cultural space. In water, this should be all of us, and most other engineering fields, too. What is the top book you would recommend to other engineers and why? Books are very personal. I don’t think it’s possible to decide which book is best for someone else as we each must find the ones we can relate to. For me, these are books that tell stories of how Western science thinking has developed, as well as those which help grow my understanding of mātauranga Māori in the hope of finding how they can align. I also love books that expose me to new perspectives.
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Preview
What book has most influenced the way you work? I have read many books about the history of, and understanding, science. One favourite is E=mc2 by David Bodanis, a biography of the world’s most famous equation. What work-related books are on your must-read list? Currently, I’m reading various guidelines and reports and information provided by Poipoia and other sources of knowledge about Te Mana o te Wai. My work involves finding better ways to undertake engineering processes that integrate with Te Ao Māori, which links to finding ways to improve the health of freshwater, and these publications are providing a strong basis for a framework on how I approach projects no matter what changes are made around us. What do you read for fun? I enjoy unusual books that combine some fact with a story about people who see the world differently to those around them. Some favourites include The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler, and recently All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
Sculpture on the Gulf 24 February – 24 March Matiatia Bay, Waiheke Island, Auckland If you’re in Auckland in March and you fancy a day trip to take in some sculptures of a substantial scale, grab your walking shoes and sun protection and head to Waiheke Island. Sculpture on the Gulf (SOTG) is a biennial outdoor event showcasing contemporary art and sculpture on a grand scale on the 2.5km Matiatia coastal walkway. The 2024 event, named Anything Could Happen, marks 20 years of SOTG. The exhibition’s Director, Fiona Blanchard, says the artists are predominantly from and based in Aotearoa, with a number of Māori artists represented and one artist from Alaska, who will be in the country during the exhibition. She says: “Each artist has a unique perspective that comes through in a range of approaches, and we know this will be a truly immersive experience for visitors, who arrive with a curious mind and leave with a fresh perspective.” The diverse works, from large-scale installations to intricate and delicate pieces, include a dinosaur skull dangling from a crane; a shrouded scaffolding ruin; an abstracted prison watchtower; an outdoor shower and a heart monitor for a tree. The exhibition is a result of a lot of careful planning. “These are complex works, exposed to the elements of Mother Nature, publicly accessible 24/7 and exhibited on an island,” Fiona says. Event organisers advise visitors to allow about 1.5 hours to complete the walk.
SPEED READ Ebook/paper copy Borrow/own Bookmark/turn down page
Above: Natalie Guy, The Genius Loci of the Chapel, #2, #3, #5, 2020 and 2022. Photo: Peter Rees Photography
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Secret life of engineers As a Technical Director for civil work at Davis Ogilvie, Colin Forsyth CMEngNZ is strategically positioning the company for the future of Three Waters. His diverse engineering expertise includes a pivotal
with connections to Scottish culture within New Zealand, they asked me to help. Using connections here and in Scotland, we provided Highland dancing, pipe bands and heavy athletes for events such as
role with GHD during the Canterbury earthquakes, and leading the sewer response with City Care Ltd and Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT). Drawing on insights from the Scottish water industry, he aims to guide effective solutions for New Zealand’s Three Waters’ future, understanding the potential risks and opportunities amid ongoing reforms. Outside of work, you’re likely to find him sharing his passion for Scottish dancing.
caber toss, stone put and hammer throw. I also advised the committee about running an event of this kind. They’ve created the best Highland Games in the Southern Hemisphere – possibly one of the best in the world – I know, because I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to many.
How did you first get involved with Scottish dancing? My father is a former World Champion Highland dancer, so as children our family travelled across Scotland to Highland Games as well as the after parties, also known as a ceilidh. As someone who can’t watch from the sidelines, I got up and danced, and learned every dance plus how to teach them. I ran several ceilidhs at university and then was often asked to organise ceilidhs for birthdays and weddings. This led to me compering and teaching ceilidh dancing events most weekends. What’s your history with Scottish cultural events in New Zealand? In 2006, I moved to Christchurch and was asked to run a ceilidh for friends. I found a ceilidh band in the city, and across eight years I frequently ran events. After the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, Hororātā village, where I lived, was munted! The local community came together to fundraise for the village and came up with the idea of a Highland Games. As the local Scotsman
What was your role at the most recent Hororātā Highland Games in November? Having recently returned to New Zealand after 10 years back in Scotland, I was honoured with the accolade of 2023 Hororātā Highland Games Chieftain (head of the clan Hororātā for the day). It was fantastic to witness how far the Games had come. It was also special to see many of the Davis Ogilvie team at the event this year. How much time do you devote to this interest? I hope to continue my involvement in the Hororātā Highland Games, the South Island’s biggest Scottish games held in the Selwyn District, and to re-form the ceilidh band, host community events and indoctrinate my colleagues into Scottish culture. Where has it taken you? I’ve organised and run ceilidhs across the world including Europe, Canada, the USA, Australia and The Gambia in West Africa. Have you been able to influence Scottish dancing in Aotearoa in any way? The ceilidhs I run are very enjoyable and I hope that I have taught both Scots and
Kiwis how to party and I know that while I was in Scotland the ceilidh scene around Christchurch remained very vibrant. In Highland Dancing, I introduced several Scottish elements as part of the essentials for Hororātā Highland Games that were different to regular competitions in and around New Zealand. Why might people with no Scottish heritage get involved? A ceilidh is a far better way to keep fit than going to the gym every day. The dances are from slow (waltz) to fast (Gay Gordons and Military 2 Step) to very fast (Strip The Willow). The dancing can be enjoyed by everyone at any age as it is social dancing and a great way to meet everyone at a party. Why did you choose engineering as a career? I was in The Gambia in West Africa in 1984 at the height of the droughts and saw the devastation wrought on the people and animals. I decided I wanted to help and became an infrastructure engineer. My desire to help came to the fore during the Canterbury earthquakes when the public understood the importance of prioritising infrstructure. As I was in a leadership position, my work was able to help communities rebuild, and start to recover. What’s next for you? After buying the family business, a leading Highland dancing shoe supplier, we're excited to expand in the Australasian market. At Davis Ogilvie, I'm looking forward to using my expertise to drive our water and infrastructure strategy at a pivotal time for New Zealand.
Shorts | Ngā tūhinga poto me ngā pito kōrero
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Colin Forsyth CMEngNZ Role: Technical Director at Davis Ogilvie Based in: Christchurch Education: Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), University of Dundee, Scotland, 1990
Photo: David Baird Photography
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Leading questions
Shelley Wharton FEngNZ Role: Manager Infrastructure Programmes, Whangārei District Council Based in: Whangārei Education: Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental), Unitec, 1998–2001; National Diploma in Business, Unitec, 2008
New Fellow Shelley Wharton’s engineering career started as one of five founding directors of Morphum Environmental Ltd. The eco-city vision at Waitakere City Council then drew her to an engineering role in the Council’s EcoWater business unit, where she quickly became a team leader, then a manager. Leadership roles at Auckland Council followed, broadening in scope from healthy waters to development programmes. She then moved to Whangārei District Council for a department manager role with a wider variety of responsibilities. Shelley is also a Planning Manager in Civil Defence and a Board Member at Water New Zealand. What attributes make you a good leader? Empathy, integrity, courageousness, communication skills, my ability to build relationships, work with people’s strengths and share knowledge, and being a visible leader to inspire new engineers and leaders.
At the end of each day, what tells you whether you’ve been successful? Success is when my teams have clear purpose, know what is needed to do the job well, and have opportunities to grow and be successful themselves. What inspired you to become an engineer? After five years working in logistics and mechanical CAD design, I needed a deeper complexity and purpose within my work to create a fulfilling and interesting career. The newness of environmental engineering and the potential to solve some of society’s big problems in harmony with nature drew me to this emerging field. Who opened a key door for you? Tony Miguel, then Infrastructure Manager at Waitakere City Council, made me part of the regional teams establishing the Auckland Council Stormwater Unit and Watercare through the supercity amalgamation, which opened a new network of contacts and job opportunities. I’ve opened many doors for myself by simply asking, or by saying “yes” to opportunities that aligned with my values and goals. How do you connect your work with a sense of greater good? For me the greater good is about a holistic approach that sustains the natural environment, keeps people safe and improves their lives. Having a worthwhile vision that produces positive change on a large scale is what drives me, whether for the water industry, women in engineering and infrastructure, or in rethinking the status quo to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
What mistake have you learned the most from? Using an engineering approach to problem solving (ie putting forward a workable solution) when instead the community/ hapū needed to be enabled to find their own solutions with supporting practical engineering advice. How do you approach a difficult conversation with someone you lead? Early, honest conversations are best. Listen and find out what is really going on with a view to providing a work environment that is conducive to getting the best performance. Who is a leader in New Zealand you admire and why? I was privileged to experience Sir Bob Harvey’s leadership when he was Mayor of Waitakere City Council. He is eloquent, charismatic and driven by purpose. The strength of the eco-city vision guided the whole of the Council, from strategy to daily decisions. What questions have you been asking yourself lately? Many questions related to where we are heading as a society and a country. Where is the clear collective vision and simple strategy for all of Aotearoa to work towards? How can we innovate and simplify infrastructure to make it affordable? Can we reverse the trajectory of increasing pollution of our water and land for shortterm financial gain? How do we plan and execute a sustainable ultra long-term strategy across the water environment, land use, transport and primary industries? Can we become 100 percent uniquely Aotearoa by embracing the indigenous taonga (treasure) of Te Ao Māori and te reo Māori?
Obituaries | Ngā rārangi ingoa mate
Obituaries
Ormond Brian Stock FEngNZ
Wallace Gordon McQuarrie FEngNZ
1945–2023
1945–2023
Ormond Stock FEngNZ will be remembered as a computing pioneer within the engineering industry in New Zealand. As the personal computer, or PC, emerged in the 1980s, Ormond became convinced that the drawing board would be rendered obsolete by computer-aided drafting software and his firm was an early adopter of computer assisted design. Born in Gisborne, he graduated from the University of Canterbury in 1968 and worked in Wellington, London, Sydney and Palmerston North. While at then Beca, Carter, Hollings & Ferner Ltd in Wellington in the 1970s, Ormond worked on converting the American Seismic Building Code ACI 318 to metric and publishing it internationally. Ormond grew two businesses during his career: Ormond Stock Associates (OSA) in Palmerston North and Steel Pencil Ltd, with offices in Palmerston North, Brisbane and Manila. OSA developed something of a speciality in food processing structures around the world, from the Fonterra Dairy Processing Plant at Clandeboye, on to Indonesia, and even dismantling a Northland dairy factory for reassembly in Venezuela. Steel Pencil specialised in steel detailing and took on projects for the Australian mining industry, in New Zealand and in the Middle East. Ormond was a member of Te Ao Rangahau for 51 years, promoted to Fellow in November 1999.
Wallace McQuarrie FEngNZ was born and raised in Wallacetown, Invercargill, and studied civil engineering at the University of Canterbury, graduating in the late 1960s. He joined the Auckland Regional Authority in 1970 as a Graduate Engineer and spent the next 53 years working on key Auckland water infrastructure, advocating for dam safety and mentoring colleagues. He worked on projects including the expansion of the Ardmore Water Treatment Plant, the Cosseys Creek Dam upgrade and the Redoubt Rd reservoir project in Manukau, as well as establishing Watercare’s dam safety assurance programme and managing dams in the Waitākere and Hūnua ranges. Wallace, who was deeply respected in the country’s engineering and dam sector, contributed 31 years of service to the New Zealand Society on Large Dams Management Committee. He played an integral part in developing the first dam safety guidelines in New Zealand and advocated for dam safety legislation. He was a champion for the dam safety sector and its people and a recognised leader. In his more recent years at Watercare, Wallace found his place as a highly valued mentor, sharing his knowledge with the younger members of the team, happily admitting that they’d teach him a thing or two as well. He’s been described as someone who loved seeing people grow and develop their careers, and who took pride in other people’s successes. On Wallace’s 50th anniversary at Watercare, in a touching tribute, the organisation temporarily renamed the Mangatangi Visitors Centre “The Wal McQuarrie Visitors Centre”.
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EG 26/2024
60
Engineering genius
Meals on wheels
In response to hospitality staff shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic, Kiwi company G Robotics trialled a delivery robot by China-based manufacturer PUDU Robotics, and now distributes them in Aotearoa. With a cat-like appearance, the BellaBot welcomes guests, responds to orders and delivers food to customer tables in more than half a dozen restaurants around the country. The robot worker can carry 10–15kg of plates on each of its shelves and follow a mapped-out path around a restaurant. Kitchen staff load plates onto the robot’s infrared induction trays, then press a button and the robot takes the meals to the tables, returning plates to the kitchen once customers have finished eating. As it makes its way around the restaurant, the robot talks to let people know it’s coming. With sensors including a vision camera, light detection and ranging (Lidar), inertial measurement unit, an encoder, an RGB-D depth camera and an ultrasonic radar, the BellaBot can dodge people and objects at close range, and stop in a hurry.
Battery runs for 12–24 hours.
ABS/aviation-grade aluminium alloy.
Weighs 55kg.
Stabiliser suspension system allows for a steady halt without spillage. Battery charges in 4.5 hours.
Can detect obstacles up to 5,400 times per minute.
Clinton the Engineer to you.
to Paremata School.
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