EG 17/2021

Giving up the coast?

“The risk is changing, the climate is changing, and we need to adapt.”

Issue | Putanga 17/2021 Hard work to achieve leisure Well played, engineers Green light for green hydrogen?

Aotearoa’s state of play and how engineers fit in Kaitiaki of the awa An engineer saves his river

In this issue I roto i tēnei putanga

08 Hard work to achieve leisure A round-up of some hard work that’s gone on so we can all enjoy some R&R. 20 Giving up the coast? “The risk is changing, the climate is changing, and we need to adapt.”

26 A complex vision This state-of-the-art swimming pool facility has been designed to meet the often complex needs of its users.

58 Inside job Invercargill-based Aparajita Goswami on why she loves being a Reduction Process Control Engineer at New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (Tiwai).

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Features Ngā āhuatanga

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This issue of EG was published in December 2021.

08 Hard work to achieve leisure A roundup of some hard work that’s gone on so we can all enjoy some R&R. 14 Green light for hydrogen? Is green hydrogen our great hope or a nonstarter, and where do engineers fit in?

20 Giving up the coast? “The risk is changing, the climate is changing, and we need to adapt.”

26 A complex vision This state-of-theart swimming pool facility has been designed to meet the often complex needs of its users.

30 Profile: High energy career Awardwinning energy sector engineer Juliet Oliver MEngNZ’s early career roles on oil rigs helped build her as a leader and mentor.

32 Profile: Kaitiaki of the awa The main reason Shannon Te Huia became an engineer was to save the Pūniu River.

Best practice Ngā mahi papai rawai 40 Diversity, equity and inclusion: a journey Aurecon New Zealand's Managing Director Tracey Ryan shares some award-winning tips.

41 Managing client relationships While hopefully most of your client relationships are harmonious, there’ll always be those whose behaviour is challenging.

42 Cycling comes full circle The bicycle could be set to – once again – revolutionise our lives as we look to reduce transport carbon emissions.

44 Grounds for intervention When structural engineers doing residential work are asked to provide geotechnical input, they need to ensure the work is within the bounds of their competence.

45 Intersection Crossing paths with engineers.

46 Managing the risks of temporary works The success of a construction project can hinge on its temporary works.

48 Time for climate action Do we need to put more effort into design to minimise our effect on the environment?

Shorts

Ngā tūhinga poto me ngā pito kōrero 52 Bedside table 53 Review

58 Inside job 61 Obituaries

55 Leading questions 56 The secret life of engineers

62 Engineering genius

Ngā Purapura

Ngā Purapura is the multi-million-dollar, self-described lifestyle advancement centre at Te Wānanga o Raukawa, a Tikanga Māori tertiary education provider in Ōtaki, north of Wellington. It features two indoor sports courts (capable of international grade netball), a gym, treatment rooms, offices, a cafeteria and teaching spaces.

The form of the building was designed using the holistic model of Māori health, Te Whare Tapa Whā. This model incorporates the four aspects of life which need to be in balance: tinana (physical), hinengaro (mental), wairua (spiritual) and whānau (social).

Engineered timber and laminated veneer lumber was used for posts, beams and rafters with precast concrete walls. The sports hall’s huge 36m span Tāhuhu (ridge beam) helps minimise the bulk of the structure. The kākano meeting room, designed and built to represent a seedpod, forms the physical and spiritual centre and was constructed offsite before installation.

Engineering Envy #13 Chosen by Engineering New Zealand/ Te Ao Rangahau staff

46m2

3,127m2

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floor area of kākano pod

construction completed

total floor area

prefabricated plywood panels used for the kākano

It’s awesome to see such an amazing facility in Otaki that is for the people. It’s a leap ahead for Ngati Raukawa iwi (which I am a part of)!

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What they said

A rētou kārero

05

Looking to the future

“Our addiction to fossil fuels is pushing humanity to the brink.

We face a stark choice: either we stop it – or it stops us.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Scotland.

“Kēpa has the ability to draw on a wide range of knowledge – from the field of engineering to Mātauranga Māori and lots in between – alongside communities and organisations in Aotearoa, and with other indigenous communities around the world.”

The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR)’s Board Chair Denise Church on appointing Dr Kēpa Morgan to ESR’s Strategic Science Advisory Panel.

“This method of testing wouldn’t require a skilled person to do it. We’re designing it to be automated so the patient could just come in, lay on the machine, and press a button to start the test.”

Mechanical Engineering doctoral candidate Jessica Fitzjohn is developing a tool for more equitable, less painful breast cancer screening.

“As a passionate fisherman and diver, I admire Sanford’s focus on enabling healthy oceans and protecting and enhancing the environment.”

Mark Cairns FEngNZ is appointed to the Board of Sanford as an independent director.

Nau mai koutou katoa.

Summer's here! After varying degrees of lockdown around Aotearoa I’m sure everyone will be looking forward to some time away from our desks, screens and devices. For many people that leads us to the water – in our favourite river or lake, or at a beach. In this issue we meet Shannon Te Huia MEngNZ, who became an engineer to help his awa, the Pūniu River. He was named 2021 Kiwibank Local Hero of the Year for his marae-based environmental work in the Waikato region.

If you’re heading to the beach you may start to wonder how will the coastlines we know and love change in the future? It’s a question many engineers ponder. I’m pleased Engineering New Zealand/Te Ao Rangahau has launched a climate change programme to support members, industry and the government to take positive action to address climate change mitigation, transition and adaptation.

How will summer travel be fuelled in the future? Will the day come soon when our local fuel retailers fill our vehicles with hydrogen? There are also visions of powering ferries and planes with

Meridian Energy seeking registrations of interest to develop the world’s largest green hydrogen plant makes the questions involved important for New Zealand and we look at hydrogen in more detail in these pages.

This issue also profiles some of the young engineers building our energy future and two more of the 2021 Fellows – Professor Alessandro Palermo and Donna Bridgman. Alessandro’s profile page at the University of Canterbury includes the tagline “Curiosity and passion make your working day a holiday!”… so maybe he’s not counting down to a summer vacation?

When he is at the office he has a passion for seismic design – definitely important in our shaky isles. Donna Bridgman is a future thinker, serving Engineering New Zealand/Te Ao Rangahau as a member of the Engineering Practice Advisory Committee who undertake foresight work.

Do enjoy whatever you have in your sights for the summer to make it a happy and relaxing festive season.

hydrogen. Will that become fact or is it science fiction? Contact Energy and

President, Engineering New Zealand/ Te Ao Rangahau

Dr Rosalind Archer FEngNZ

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20 Giving up the coast?

26 A complex vision 30 High energy career 32 Kaitiaki of the awa

Features

14 Green light for hydrogen?

Ngā āhuatanga

08 Hard work to achieve leisure

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Wild Thing – intermediate climb.

Image: Wildwire

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Hard work to achieve leisure WRITER | KAITUHI MATT PHILP It’s finally summer and time for Kiwis to catch up on some rest and recreation. But there’s a lot of hard work that’s taken place to create our leisure spots and activities – here’s a round-up of some developments from around the country.

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The Peninsula Connection, Dunedin Portobello Road, Dunedin’s link to Otago Harbour’s eastern entrance, is winding and picturesque – and, until recently, perilously narrow, squeezed between hills and the harbour’s edge. Cyclists took their lives in their hands, and the notion of enjoying a constitutional around the bays was pure fantasy.

The Peninsula Connection road safety project has changed all that. Jointly funded by the Dunedin City Council and Waka Kotahi, the multi-stage initiative has not only improved safety, it has connected communities and created a recreationalist’s dream of a shared harbourside pathway.

“It has totally opened up the Peninsula for walking and biking,” says GHD Project Engineer Bruce Buxton, adding the project has transformed the way people based on the peninsula live by making parts of the area that were previously only accessible by vehicle, now accessible by bike or foot.

It’s been quite an undertaking. The road has been widened and raised, and where widening wasn’t feasible, boardwalks were installed. Retaining walls of all kinds have been built. There has been landscaping and planting, water upgrades and seating. When it proved impossible to work around one of the harbour’s historic boat sheds, the team installed new piles nearby and moved it.

To achieve all this, they’ve had to reclaim 5–10m of harbour, a feat that involved placing by hand more than a million basalt rocks along the route.

I’m biased, but I can see the difference it’s made to the community.

Honestly, it’s been one of the most satisfying jobs of my career.

– Bruce Buxton

“I’ve been told it’s the longest hand-placed seawall in the Southern Hemisphere,” says Bruce, who adds that the less sustainable alternatives were to use concrete or tanalised timber.

The project is a finalist in the IPWEA NZ Asset Management Excellence Awards, and Bruce reckons that’s justified.

“I’m biased, but I can see the difference it’s made to the community. Honestly, it’s been one of the most satisfying jobs of my career.”

Maidstone Max Adventure Playground, Upper Hutt When the Upper Hutt City Council asked for feedback on a proposed upgrade to its dated Maidstone Max playground, the community had a bottom line: the flying fox has to stay. Months of construction and $5.2 million later, the flying fox remains, albeit refurbished and now encircled by a pump track. Elsewhere, there’s a new basketball half-court, a state-of-the-art skate park, tunnels, slides and swings, a sand play area, shade structures and picnic tables, all built around a central mound topped by a wooden castle.

Designed in a way that encourages free and unstructured play, Maidstone Max Tō Tātou Papa Tākaro stands out for the way it blurs the boundaries that usually exist in playgrounds, encouraging kids of all ages and abilities to explore and investigate. This open design means that features like the skate park have been seamlessly integrated into the wider setting. Project Manager and civil engineer John Price says accessibility and inclusiveness have been encouraged through the use of ramps, interactive panels and specialist rides.

Sustainably sourced Robina timber kitset playground equipment was used (it can be recycled at the end of its

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1. Maidstone Max Adventure Playground, Upper Hutt.

Image: Upper Hutt City Council 2. Lansdowne Park, Blenheim.

Image: Arthouse Architects 3. The Peninsula Connection, Dunedin. Image: Dunedin City Council and Fulton Hogan

life), and playtop surfacing material around the equipment is made of recycled tyre casings.

The biggest engineering challenges were civil, with the previous playground having to be cleared and lowered.

“In some areas the ground conditions included quite large boulders, which meant we had enormous holes when we put in the sail area. Generally we had a lot of trouble auguring,” says John, adding they also had to meet a number of safety considerations, which were externally audited throughout the project.

Lansdowne Park, Blenheim The new sports hub at Blenheim’s Lansdowne Park is a “good things take time” story. Mooted 10 years ago but finished late in 2021, the $4.3 million, two-storey facility brings together multiple sports codes on one site between the rugby park and netball courts. Downstairs there’s a first-aid room, toilets and services spaces, as well as changing rooms designed to accommodate particular codes. For a sport such as netball, it’s a major step up from temporary portable toilets, and

enables the code to put on tournaments.

Visually, the most striking aspect of the building is its folded roof, with a sequence of peaks evoking Marlborough’s famous Wither Hills. From the function room, you can see the range in the distance and have a bird’s eye view of the sporting action on either side.

“The whole upper floor has been designed so you can view the rugby or the netball at any time,” says architect Brian Riley of Nelson-based Arthouse.

In terms of engineering, the two potential challenges were a risk of liquefaction – tackled by incorporating a shallow raft foundation – and the unorthodox roof structure, which was mitigated by plenty of modelling work by the architects, engineer and steel fabricator.

Nick Meeten CMEngNZ, the mechanical engineer on the project, also cites a couple of energy efficiency moves: the hot water system uses heat pumps rather than gas or direct electricity, and the HVAC system in the function room was sized for 50 percent of anticipated peak load.

For those infrequent occasions when it’s packed with people, there’s a carbon dioxide monitor hooked up to an alarm that signals when the doors need to be opened.

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1 – 2. Lord of the Rungs – advanced climb

and Go Wild – beginner climb. Images: Wildwire 3 – 4. Canterbury Multi-Use Arena concept designs. Images: Populous

Feature | Āhuatanga

Wildwire Wanaka It’s the winner of a 2021 Qualmark 100% Pure New Zealand Experience Award, but the fallout from Covid-19 hasn’t spared Wildwire Wanaka. However, Mark Morrison, owner and founder of the attraction billed as “the world’s highest waterfall cable climb", says the pandemic has provided space to rethink the tourism model. He intends to follow a regenerative approach, with an emphasis on tourists giving back to the local community.

“We’re about to launch a couple of new products, with part of the fee going to planting natives and trapping pests.”

The core product, as such, is a waterfall climb.

In 2007, mountaineer Mark had “a crazy idea”. In Europe, he’d come across what the Italians call via ferrata, or iron paths – permanent climbing routes of cables, suspension bridges and ladders that date back to World War I, when Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces fought to control the high ground of the rugged Dolomites. Looking across at the Twin Falls, waterfalls west of Wanaka, Mark imagined a via ferrata strung up its 450-metre-high rock face as a tourist attraction.

“I talked to the farmer who owned the land and said ‘I’d like to build a climbing activity up your waterfalls’, and he just looked at me: ‘Why the hell would anyone want to do that?’”

The Global Financial Crisis delayed things, but in 2015 Mark reanimated the project, with the design spearheaded by his climbing mate and engineer Martin Wilson. They plotted the route by abseiling down the waterfalls, taking hundreds of photographs.

Anchors for the bridges and rungs were then stresstested (test anchors were found to fail at around 280 kilonewtons and 30 kilonewtons respectively – “ridiculously strong”). In 2015, Mark and two others started building the via ferrata, diverting from the planned route as they went “because we are all climbers and we just had to find the most fun way to climb it”.

It incorporates three stages, ascending in difficulty to the final Lord of the Rungs section, and includes rungs, ladders, seven suspension bridges and a 60-metre section where you climb behind the waterfall – always safely tethered to lines. “Technically the biggest challenge was stringing the bridges across,” says Mark.

Canterbury Multi-Use Arena, Christchurch If you were to use a sporting analogy, the build-up to breaking ground on the Canterbury Multi-Use Arena has been like waiting for the World Cup. Among Christchurch’s post-earthquake anchor projects, it’s the last to get started and, at $533 million, comes with the biggest price tag. Entrusted to a consortium known as Kōtui, which includes domestic and international companies including stadium design experts Populous and BESIX Watpac, the project will by mid-2025 deliver an arena for a sports event crowd of 30,000 (more for concerts by incorporating the pitch), a transparent ETFE roof, and a natural, sheltered turf pitch.

Mott MacDonald is leading the engineering design.

Structural Practice Leader Nick Gillespie CMEngNZ CPEng says among the most challenging aspects has been the roof, which spans 175m by 210m.

“One of the key decisions at the concept design stage has been what supports it? We’re working on designing it as an independent structure – a bit like an enormous shed spanning above the discrete bowl structures. The roof could derive its spanning capability from a series of portal frames, coupled with dome action to provide additional rigidity to the roof diaphragm.”

In addition, the design team needs to deliver project outcomes such as turf health, fan experience, multiuse functionality, and minimising noise breakout while maximising sunlight. Seismic resilience will also be crucial. To balance these requirements, an integrated architectural, structural and building sciences approach has been adopted. As for sustainability and inclusion, the design process has involved an analysis of life cycle energy and embodied carbon to enable whole-of-life decision making. Rainwater from the roof will be used for watering the turf, and for less mobile visitors there will be easy access to the level one concourse which spans the entire arena.

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Image: Ballance Agri-Nutrients

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Green light for green hydrogen?

WRITER | KAITUHI MATT PHILP Is green hydrogen our great hope, or a non-starter whose increasingly vigorous promotion is distracting us from the crucial task at hand? What hydrogen work is underway in Aotearoa – and where do engineers fit in?

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1. Ballance Agri-Nutrients’ manufacturing plant in Kapuni, Taranaki. Image: Ballance Agri-Nutrients 2. New Zealand's first hydrogen fuel cell bus by Global Bus Ventures. Image: Auckland Transport

When the next America’s Cup is raced, the yachts won’t be the only cutting-edge technology on the water, with Team New Zealand recently unveiling plans to develop a hydrogen-powered chase boat for 2024. Sleekly futuristic and 100 percent emissions-free, it could be a spectacular advertisement for what many argue will be a key tool in moving the planet to net zero carbon. Among hydrogensceptics, however, it’s likely to be seen as another instance of wishful thinking flying in the face of the facts.

Green hydrogen uses renewable electricity to split water into its two component molecules, hydrogen and oxygen.

Hydrogen gas is then stored and used like a battery to generate electricity when required. Advantages include the long-term storage of potential renewable energy.

Disadvantages include the significant energy lost through the electrolysis.

The Government’s hydrogen roadmap is expected next year, but based on a 2019 Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) green paper it clearly sees a role for green hydrogen in decarbonising heavy transport and industrial processes. That paper also suggests there could be an export opportunity for New Zealand.

A memorandum of cooperation on green hydrogen was signed with Singapore in July, following similar agreements to develop expertise with Japan and South Korea.

Meanwhile, the private sector is rapidly rolling out green hydrogen projects. Backed by $20 million from the Provincial Growth Fund, Hiringa Energy and Ballance Agri-Nutrients are building a $50 million windpowered hydrogen facility at Ballance’s Kapuni plant in South Taranaki. It will initially be used to produce ammonia and urea, but with the idea that as the market develops hydrogen can be diverted to fuel heavy transport. On that front, Hiringa Energy is now moving to the construction phase of its national green hydrogen refuelling network which comes online in 2022. Elsewhere, the Tuaropaki Trust and Japan’s Obayashi Corporation have completed a green hydrogen facility at the Trust’s geothermal plant near Taupō; FirstGas has committed to introducing 20 percent hydrogen (by volume) into its gas pipelines starting in 2030. Ports of Auckland plans to build an electrolyser for the port, and its refuelling station is already powering New Zealand’s first hydrogen fuel cell bus. Energy companies Contact and Meridian have committed $2 million to investigate a hydrogen facility in Southland that could use the electricity made surplus if and when the Tiwai Point smelter closes.

Clearly, it’s still early days – 95 percent of hydrogen is “brown hydrogen”, produced from coal and natural gas. There’s an argument that the government will have

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to financially support trailblazing projects to build the economic case for using green hydrogen over fossil fuels. But proponents maintain we’re ideally suited for a hydrogen future given our stock of renewable energy sources, adding that New Zealand’s emissions profile rules out electrification as a silver bullet. Our diesel truck fleet, for instance, accounts for only six percent of total vehicle kilometres travelled but is responsible for almost a quarter of road transport emissions, and that proportion will grow as freight demand increases and the passenger fleet decarbonises. Many believe electrifying large long-distance electric trucks at scale is unlikely.

Electrifying the entire economy isn’t feasible, so we need a range of solutions and they need to be integrated across the energy system.

– Dr Linda Wright

Dr Linda Wright, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Hydrogen Council, whose growing membership of more than 40 organisations includes industry, government and academic organisations, argues we need options to achieve our climate targets.

“Electrifying the entire economy isn’t feasible, so we need a range of solutions and they need to be integrated across the energy system,” she says, citing heavy transport and the need to reduce the use of coal for industrial processing heat, along with dry-year storage issues, as making a compelling case for green hydrogen.

being invested globally in developing a future for green hydrogen as a tradeable commodity. It’s at the fledgling stage, she concedes, but already companies such as Kawasaki and Mitsubishi are starting to export hydrogen.

“New Zealand is in a position where it can participate in that global trade with our international partnerships.

What that would offer is production of green hydrogen at scale, which would be beneficial for New Zealand Inc in terms of off-take agreements for reduced cost production and distribution of zero emission hydrogen to help us decarbonise domestically,” she says, adding that there’s a big role to be played in this future by “capable, technically astute” engineers. “We’ve got some who are

Linda is also adamant that there is “an incredible export opportunity” for New Zealand, with “trillions”

very familiar with hydrogen, but we’ll need a lot more across the hydrogen supply chain.”

Export opportunity?

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>> Dr Jim Hinkley MEngNZ, Senior Lecturer in Renewable Energy Systems at Victoria University of Wellington, sees the challenge for hydrogen as being the immaturity of the market rather than anything technical.

“We’re only just starting to build large-scale electrolysers and the biggest in the world is currently 20 megawatts, whereas Huntly is 450 megawatts. But it is coming,” says Jim, who thinks an obvious source for producing green hydrogen in this country will be geothermal, along with wind.

As for demand, he backs the prospect of New Zealand becoming an exporter to energy-poor countries such as South Korea and Japan, where thermal power generation using LNG is on borrowed time.

In transport? Trucks and buses are obvious

Susan Krumdieck, author of Transition Engineering: Building a Sustainable Future. Susan’s view is that the world needs to dramatically downshift its energy use, and that many touted sustainability solutions are merely fiddling at the edges. In the case of hydrogen, it fails on several fronts. In a 2009 analysis with Shannon Page, she quantified elements such as energy conversion, transmission and energy service demand conversion, and found that hydrogen didn’t pass muster on the basis of system-level efficiency.

Her scepticism is shared by Christchurch-based process engineer Johann Land, who did his doctorate under Susan at Canterbury. Made and used on-site, green hydrogen does have a role in decarbonising something like the production of fertiliser, he argues. But on the

candidates for hydrogen fuel cells, but he also includes passenger vehicles.

“It makes a lot of sense to have batteries around cities, but the periodic table doesn’t lend itself to using batteries for long journeys. Hydrogen gives you all the benefits of electric vehicles, but with much better range,” says Jim, who doesn’t subscribe to predictions of inexorable battery improvement.

“Yes, they will get a bit better, and maybe you could make larger batteries that charge really quickly and will be 30 percent lighter than today’s, but I don’t know how you’re going to have an electricity network to support that. Whereas with hydrogen, the decoupling of refuelling and the creation of the hydrogen is a very important factor.” As well, refuelling time is on a par with petrol.

bigger stage, it “always underperforms” compared with electricity. As for decarbonising heavy transport, says Johann, the answer is not hydrogen, but trains.

“We need to rethink our industries so they would be alongside rail, and massively invest in rail infrastructure.”

Hydrogen gives you all the benefits of electric vehicles, but with much better range.

– Dr Jim Hinkley

Highlighting the shortcomings Others argue that all of this is fanciful. Among other shortcomings, hydrogen is an inefficient vector, having to go from “wire to gas to wire” as one observer put it. For vehicles, that means much less of the energy needed to produce it ends up “in the tank”, compared with an EV. The most prominent engineering voice highlighting the shortcomings of green hydrogen is University of Canterbury Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Projects underway This argument over green hydrogen is playing out even as the market and the science are generating potential solutions. In New Zealand, innovative research includes a GNS Science-led project investigating direct sunlightto-hydrogen systems to enable off-grid generation, and using wastewater and seawater in the catalysis process.

Another project involves cryocooler developer AFCryo, the Christchurch-based outfit that Team New Zealand is working with on its chase boat. In collaboration with United Kingdom-based electrolyser manufacturer Clean Power Hydrogen, AFCryo is looking to develop a cheaper and more efficient on-demand green hydrogen production system. There’s also research led by Dr Chris Bumby at Victoria University of Wellington’s Robinson Research Institute investigating a zero-carbon method of reducing ironsand. Backed by $6.5 million of MBIE Endeavour funding over five years, the process replaces coal with green hydrogen, and could provide a solution to the heavy environmental cost of steelmaking.

Meanwhile, University of Canterbury engineers are focused on finding a way to use renewable biomass to generate green hydrogen. Professor Shusheng Pang FEngNZ is leading the project, which aims to use waste from forest harvesting and wood processing as well as low-quality logs as a hydrogen feedstock. The team is working with Lower Hutt-based Hot Lime Labs to capture carbon dioxide, and is developing a unique gasification technique (using steam) and a novel catalyst to enhance yield. Developed by Canterbury’s Associate Professor Alex Yip MEngNZ, the catalyst ensures the efficient conversion

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of carbon monoxide and methane in the gas to hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

Shusheng says the research, which is supported by a $1 million MBIE grant, is potentially a win-win, tackling inefficiency in the forestry industry while providing a method to use in parallel with electrolysis to boost production of hydrogen and maintain a secure supply.

Generating required renewable electricity for green hydrogen takes time and needs a lot of investment, and solar and wind are not always available, he says.

“With biomass you can continually produce hydrogen and know it’s a reliable feedstock. New Zealand has a lot of wood waste and low-quality logs, and we could also use biowaste from the agricultural sector.”

To date, the gasification and carbon capture technology is proven, with the catalyst still to be tested at laboratory scale. Assuming it passes muster, Shusheng reckons it will take three to five years to integrate the technologies into one system and prove it at demonstration scale, and a decade or more to achieve commercial production. Eventually, however, “we could have a similar share as electrolysis”, he says.

Dr Jim Hinkley

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1. University of Canterbury Chemical and Process Engineers Professor Shusheng Pang FEngNZ(left) and Associate Professor Alex Yip MEngNZ. Image: University of Canterbury

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Giving up the coast?

WRITER | KAITUHI RACHEL HELYER DONALDSON Human activity is changing our climate in unprecedented and irreversible ways, and extreme weather events are appearing with ever-more frequency and intensity. Against these, seawalls and other grey infrastructure may no longer be sustainable. Ultimately for some settlements, a managed retreat – the planned withdrawal of communities and infrastructure away from coastal areas or other risks – may be the only option. But how are coastal communities and engineers adapting?

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Image: Dr Rob Bell

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>> “The risk is changing, the climate’s changing, and we need to adapt,” says Dr Rob Bell FEngNZ CPEng, an environmental/coastal engineer who spent much of his four-decade career at The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) studying coastal hazards and climate change. Now running his own consultancy, Bell Adapt, he advises local and central government on issues such as climate change adaptation and adaptive infrastructure, as well as lecturing on environmental planning at the University of Waikato.

He says that the number of floods will “increase quite dramatically” over the next 20 years and all lowlying coastal settlements will be affected. Some areas “probably only have a couple of decades” to get their

“You respond as the change unfolds through monitoring, you set in place sequences or adaptive plans, and then you move when you have to. If sea level rise slows down and we get global emissions under control, then things won’t change as quickly as we thought. But, if it speeds up, we have the next stage of the plan in the top drawer, ready to go.”

A good example of the adaptive approach is Auckland’s SH16 Waterview Causeway upgrade, which Rob consulted on as a NIWA engineer.

“We put in the first stage of an adaptation option – if sea level rises beyond 0.8m there is the ability to add height to that road.”

The adaptive pathways approach to managed retreat originated in the Netherlands. New Zealand

adaptive planning in place.

“They need to know when they might have to do managed retreat, and plan for it, and put the brakes on any more development.”

was first to put it into its national guidance but is “struggling” with how to implement it.

“A lot of councils are on board with it but it’s going to take time to filter through.”

Funding and national direction remain major stumbling blocks.

“To be truly pre-emptive it needs some enabling statutes behind it. The present statutory system doesn’t easily enable managed retreat.”

It is hoped that the forthcoming overhaul of the Resource Management Act (RMA), including a new Climate Change Adaptation Act, will deal with complexities surrounding managed retreat and ensure change happens consistently and fairly.

When is managed retreat the best option?

Removing or relocating houses is controversial and costly, so how do you identify when managed retreat is the best or most viable option? Rob says the ideal is pre-emptive – taking time to plan and build around a flexible and dynamic “adaptive pathways approach” that enables communities to consider alternative sets of options for the long term. This acknowledges there is uncertainty about exactly when the coastal environment will be affected by climate change.

Flood-weary Westport considers options The devastating floods came during a stormy weekend in mid-July 2021. Both the Buller and Orowaiti rivers burst their banks, forcing more than 2,000 of Westport’s 5,000 residents to evacuate. Around 500 homes were damaged, at an estimated cost of $85 million. Some have been flooded three times in 10 years. There’s talk of red-zoning parts of town, compensating homeowners and rebuilding elsewhere, as a possible solution.

But, in September, the West Coast Regional Council (WCRC)’s pre-flood proposal of a $10.2 million flood protection scheme got the green

stopbanks and floodwalls will ringfence the town from the Buller and Orowaiti rivers. The only other option up for consideration was a partial stopbank scheme.

Some form of managed retreat for Westport within the next 100 years is a “worthy discussion”, says Buller District Council (BDC) Mayor Jamie Cleine. Post-flood, BDC sought advice from engineering firm Tonkin + Taylor who suggested alternatives to floodwalls. This was a “multipronged approach” that included “some hard structures, some red zoning or removing some housing, and floor height lifting”.

light. It received overwhelming support, with 71 percent of 182 submissions backing it. The extensive system of

This flood set new benchmarks for the type of protection Westport may need in future. One of the proposed

Feature | Āhuatanga

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1

Dr Rob Bell

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1. Flooding in Westport, July 2021.

2. A flood-affected Westport street lined with wet household goods.

Images: Buller District Council

stopbank schemes would have been of little use, says Mayor Cleine, as it provides no protection from the significant flows from the Orowaiti.

He says for now, the community has chosen the ringfence walls which will provide a level of protection.

“However, I think it’s an opportunity lost not to have advanced the broader conversation in partnership with the insurance industry and central government, but I get that we have an obligation to get people back into their homes.”

In the long term, Westport residents will be encouraged to move to higher ground areas under new zoning laws and building regulation rules via the West Coast’s “one

district plan”, Te Tai o Poutini.

Mayor Cleine says New Zealand is “not quite ready” for a conversation about managed retreat, certainly not within the timeframe of Westport’s rebuild.

“At a policy level, the mechanisms and the funding aren’t quite there yet.

“There are plenty of little towns like us all around New Zealand, built on river plains or other hazards. This will just be repeated as the climate gets more intense.

Sooner or later, the conversation will have to happen.”

>>

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>>

Engineers need to adapt, too

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There will be real demand for adaptation, including pre-emptive managed retreat, once new national guidelines come into place, says Rob. “We need engineers who think broadly, creatively, and who can think from a systems viewpoint, looking at interdependencies and linkages behind the changing parts, including the environment.”

How engineers cost and evaluate projects in the face of rising risks with climate change is another issue, comparing, for example, a short-term option for a road or airport, like a seawall, versus a long-term option like managed retreat.

Engineers are there to serve and empower, to provide guidance and designs that are adaptive, rather than steering the process.

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– Dr Rob Bell

Engineers need to co-produce solutions with communities.

“The old-school consult model, telling people what the options are and asking for their preferred option, no longer works. For communities, it affects their lives. Engineers are there to serve and empower, to provide guidance and designs that are adaptive, rather than steering the process.”

Te Ao Rangahau has launched a climate change programme, Engineering Climate Action, which supports our members, industry and the government to take positive action to address climate change mitigation, transition and adaptation. Find out more at engineeringclimateaction.nz

1 – 3. Matatā flooding, May 2005.

Awatarariki Fanhead. Images: Whakatāne District Council

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Feature | Āhuatanga

Managing Matatā In May 2005, intense rain triggered several large debris flows across six river catchments at Matatā near Whakatāne, causing $20 million damage, destroying 27 homes and damaging 87 other properties.

The worst damage came from the Awatarariki Stream’s debris flow. A terrifying torrent of boulders – some as big as houses, up to 7m in diameter – tree trunks and 300,000 cubic metres of silt surged 15–35kph down the steep catchment to the fanhead. Houses floated on the thick, concretelike slurry. It is “absolute sheer luck that no one died,” says Whakatāne District Council (WDC) chief executive Steph O’Sullivan. But the resulting years of

were repaired. Meanwhile the council considered a range of engineering options including an earth dam and a ring net structure. In 2012, detailed investigations confirmed there were no viable engineering solutions.

Quantitative risk assessments showed there was a high loss of life risk. A WDC consensus development group that included landowner representatives eventually agreed a voluntary managed retreat provided a potential option.

In 2017, changes to the Regional Policy Statement resulted in WDC having a statutory responsibility to reduce high natural hazard risk. With no viable engineering option to manage the hazard,

uncertainty have caused an incredible stress and impact on residents’ lives, she says.

WDC strategic project manager Jeff Farrell, who was involved in both the response and recovery phases, says the council tried to stop people moving back on to the Awatarariki fanhead in 2006. But the then Department of Building and Housing determined that position was not valid under the Building Act (Determination 2006/119 Dangerous building notices for houses in Matatā, Bay of Plenty).

Six houses on the debris fan were subsequently rebuilt; another 10 that were extensively damaged

reducing existing risk meant rezoning the land and extinguishing existing use rights through plan changes.

WDC sought government and regional council funding contributions towards a voluntary managed retreat buyout programme but was initially advised by government to utilise the existing legislative provisions under the RMA before funding would be considered.

“This was quite polarising and voluntary managed retreat effectively became compulsory retreat,” says Jeff.

From July 2019, residents were progressively bought out using a $15 million fund, with equal contributions from WDC, government and the regional council. One house remains until 31 March 2022 when their right to occupy the land ceases. One had to be demolished and 14 have been relocated either in full or in part.

Most of the sites have been cleared and grassed.

One other property owner remains for now. Next steps are to amalgamate the titles of the acquired properties and change the status to Reserve. A Matatā community group will lead the open space design process.

In 2005, there was a lack of information about debris flows.

“They are relatively rare and so not well-understood,” says Jeff. There was also the temptation to offer an engineering solution, even when it was not well understood, says Steph, who joined WDC in 2018.

“They are more palatable to the community who, after such devastation, understandably want something to happen, and quickly.”

Steph says an established national framework to enable managed retreat would have delivered a better outcome. This would “provide agility and flexibility and decisions to be made quickly for communities”.

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Exemplar: Engineering inclusion

A complex vision WRITER | KAITUHI ALEXANDRA JOHNSON The only resource of its kind in the country, in the new year Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ’s Homai campus will open a state-of-the-art swimming pool facility, designed and constructed to meet the often complex needs of its users.

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Special features: — Pool hall air temperature 28°C Pool temperatures: — Hydrotherapy pool 33°C — Multipurpose pool 29°C — High contrasting colours to define areas – benches in changing rooms contrast in colour to the walls — Vinyl lined Myrtha pools with anti-slip “soft walk” flooring to provide surfaces that are both safe and engaging — Internal matt surfaces to reduce glare — Different textural surfaces underfoot to indicate to students they’re approaching the water — Reduced natural light to decrease glare and reflections off water — Reduced patterns and horizontal lines that can create flickering light — Ceiling rail hoist providing access to both pools — Wheelchair ramps into both pools — Access from main buildings via undercover walkways

This is a way towards inclusion and we have tried to create the best environment we can for our cohort of learners.

- Karen Stobbs >>

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>> Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ (BLENNZ) is national network of educational services for children and young people who are blind, deafblind or have low vision. The Homai campus in Auckland consists of a specialist day school and a small residential component for older students, and around 300 children per year attend for assessment or short-term courses.

The school provides advice, guidance and direct teaching to well over 1,600 young people, 98 percent of whom live in their local area. BLENNZ Principal Karen Stobbs says the facility's existing pool was built 50 years ago.

“Back then, this was a residential school and housed a large number of students from across the country – it was the only school you could access if you were blind. Now, many of the young people who would have been residents attend their local schools.”

She says the pool has been much loved, but it was getting tired and needed a lot of investment to bring it up to code. It had limited hoist and no wheelchair access, and consisted of one large pool at a constant temperature. The brand new pool will be suitable for users with a range of needs.

“We cater to young people with complex needs and work with children from birth to the end of compulsory schooling.”

Karen says the 55 children enrolled in the day school and residence will have daily access to the facility.

“Additionally, around 400 children per year come here for assessment or immersion courses, for which the key purpose is about identity, building self-esteem and communing with people who understand what they are experiencing.”

She says: “First, we want to get it right for our young people, but once we get established, we will also be leaning into how our local community could benefit from the facility, such as other specialist schools and others our BLENNZ community.”

Catering for a range of needs The complex will have two pools, a larger multipurpose pool and small, warmer hydrotherapy pool, which could be used for example by a mother and baby, or a student could enter via a hoist with a therapist. The pools will suit a range of learners and confidence levels. Karen says the noise and high level of stimulation that occur in a public pool are overwhelming for children with sensory impairments.

“This is a way towards inclusion and we have tried to create the best environment we can for our cohort of learners.”

The complex is all about promoting physical wellbeing and there will be a small gymnasium attached with

static equipment such as weights.

“We have also put in a bike track and turf area for activities such as blind cricket, and would like to work with Blind Sports NZ and do some bigger events within our community.”

Unique challenges overcome Specialist multidisciplinary design practice CREATE was the lead consultant on the project, providing the architectural and aquatic design along with structural engineering services. CREATE Directors Toby Mason CMEngNZ CPEng IntPE(NZ) and Bryan Greig CMEngNZ CPEng IntPE(NZ) led the design construction stages, respectively.

Toby says managing warm, humid and corrosive internal environmental conditions within a pool hall space always requires careful consideration to balance user comfort, energy use, durability and lifecycle performance.

CREATE has worked on a number of swimming pool projects and has a breadth of understanding of aquatic facility design, but Toby says this project had some unique challenges.

“In terms of design, the key objective was designing an aquatic environment that catered for the specific needs of the students at BLENNZ and delivered a facility that was engaging, safe and provided access for the widest range of users within the available budget.”

Toby says effective spatial planning allowed CREATE to optimise the footprint and help control cost, while ensuring specific users’ requirements were met. This meant maximising accessibility and way finding, and efficient use of pool water services, and of the plant, for climate control.

“The pools are configured with a smaller hydrotherapy pool for children who are younger or have higher mobility needs, and alongside this, a larger 25m pool allows more-mobile, and older students to have access to deeper water and lap swimming,” Toby says.

The pool hall interior is climate-controlled and both pools are heated. There are visual and tactile markings or cues to assist students. Lighting was a substantial consideration, as the environment needs good lighting levels, but without glare as students can lose contrast.

The building envelope is intentionally straightforward, Toby says, with the focus on maximising the facilities and environment within.

“We wanted to deliver a facility that is easy to operate and cost effective to maintain in the long term.”

But it’s the “sum of the parts” that sets this project apart, Bryan Greig adds.

“The experienced and proactive contractors, external stakeholder group and the design team all working

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together to achieve a facility of enduring quality, with high levels of performance, within very tight project constraints.”

Colin Tunnicliffe, Project Manager at Nexus Property Consultants Limited, says generally, school swimming pools are not developed due to cost, and very few are covered and heated.

“Designing heated pools for blind and partially sighted students, some with additional complex needs, was probably the most challenging aspect as there are not many examples to refer to.”

He adds, “There wasn’t a template to start with so getting the project to completion will be very satisfying, and a recognition of the effort of all involved.”

Bryan and Colin agree Covid-19 created major challenges for this project regarding resources, importing materials and then more recently, Auckland lockdowns. All of these have had impacts on programme and construction costs.

But it hasn’t put CREATE off considering future similar projects – they’re currently in the early stages of looking at providing hydrotherapy pools for other specialist schools in Auckland.

1

2

Facts and figures — Construction began: 9 December 2020 — Anticipated opening: early 2022 — Cost: $5.2 million (fees and construction costs combined) — Pool dimensions and depths (in metres): — Multipurpose pool: 25 (L) x 5 (W), 1.145 to 1.645 (D) — Hydrotherapy pool: 12 (L) x 5.4 (W), 0.645 to 1.1 (D)

3

1. Existing pool facility.

2. Gym option.

3. Interior cross-section perspective.

Images: CREATE

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EG 17/2021

High energy career WRITER | KAITUHI ALEXANDRA JOHNSON

Award-winning energy sector engineer Juliet Oliver MEngNZ’s early career roles on oil rigs “cut a skill set” that has helped

2021 Young Energy Professional of the Year Award at the New Zealand Energy Excellence Awards.

transition options, like the proposed hydro scheme at Lake Onslow, the private energy sector should be more incentivised

First jobs are often highly formative and that’s especially true for Todd Energy’s Juliet Oliver MEngNZ. In her mid-20s, Juliet was a senior wireline field engineer for Schlumberger, working on oil rigs in the North Sea and off the coast of Australia. This involved determining whether new bore holes had struck oil or gas, “and whether they’d spent a lot of money drilling into nothing or had come up trumps”. There was a lot of pressure to perform and turn around data in a very short space of time, Juliet says. She was taken to rigs by helicopter and stayed there for weeks – or months – and, excluding the cleaners, was the only woman there. Conditions were harsh, including waves crashing over the rig and horizontal snow while working outside in the North Sea. “It took a lot of work to earn the respect of the men, or even get them to talk to you, but that’s the journey,” she says.

“I would go out to the rig with about eight guys that generally I had never worked with before, but I was the lead engineer running the job and had to earn their respect instantly. That cut a skill set that has definitely served me throughout the rest of my career and built me as a leader.”

Those leadership skills contributed to the success of Juliet’s more recent projects in Aotearoa’s energy sector, in production optimisation and lowering

“More than anything, I am primarily a leader of people, and that’s a big part of why I received the award. I’ve been able to find a way to marry engineering and process optimisation with something that I love, leading people.”

Responsible for implementing an organisation-wide project to extract more value from natural gas fields without more drilling, Juliet says the success of the initiative exceeded all expectations.

“From our well heads to our customers, the idea is you optimise every single molecule of gas – you don’t want anything to go to waste. Whether that’s an emission or you are using too much power or whether there’s an upset in the plant, you want to eliminate all of that, every moment of every day.”

She says, “Inherently, we were improving safety, reducing the environmental footprint and adding dollars to the bottom line. You end up optimising the whole system.”

Through this methodology they were able to combat field decline entirely, “and add a level of value that is world class". Because of the power of integrated operations and assessing what the rest of the country is doing, such as where and when gas is needed and the reliability of it, decisions become about what is the best move for the energy portfolio of New Zealand in real time, she says.

“And that’s powerful stuff, when you can actually consider far beyond your

to make emissions savings now. And she’s thinking ahead to future fuels.

“For example, using the whole tree instead of leaving the slash on the forest floor would initiate a whole economy in itself and a means and supply of biofuel.

Then you just need to get the biomass to where it is needed, which is the hardest part in New Zealand.”

She says making biofuels requires similar expertise and infrastructure that is used to produce natural gas.

“There is going to be a lot of equipment sitting out there doing nothing when natural gas peters off, which holds a huge amount of value for this country.”

She’s a mentor for the Young Energy Professionals Network, is involved with Business Mentors New Zealand and the Young Enterprise Scheme, and is establishing a start-up.

“I am building an app for women with endometriosis, taking my journey and success with the disease and giving that back to people in a way that an engineer would: succinct, precise and easy to consume.”

She’s also set for a more long-term project, expecting her first child.

“I’d like other female engineers to see that you can shift the dial in the workplace and in your personal life, with start-ups, mentoring and motherhood.”

the emissions of natural gas supply.

It’s work that’s helped earn her the

business footprint.”

Juliet believes that with large-scale

build her as a leader and a mentor.

Profile | Kiwhaiaro

Image: Tania Niwa Photography

I’ve been able to find a way to marry engineering and process optimisation with something that I love, leading people.

– Juliet Oliver

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Engineering has given me a lot of skills and tools to help progress our kaupapa [cornerstone values] and organisation.

– Shannon Te Huia

Profile | Kiwhaiaro

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Kaitiaki of the awa WRITER | KAITUHI RACHEL HELYER DONALDSON

Civil engineer Shannon Te Huia MEngNZ

at Waikato Institute of Technology in 2011, at the age of 30. In 2013, he began his degree in civil engineering. In 2012, his

a regional goal to restore the entire Waikato’s waterways. The father of four reckons this will take three generations,

river works supervisors, he found they

second year of studies, he began working for the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board, first as a project manager in charge of implementing Geographic Information Systems (GIS), then as a geospatial engineer.

His engineering background gave him the confidence to start Pūniu River Care (PRC) in 2015.

“I could see how the things I love about engineering – cost benefits, quantifying qualitative information – could apply to a river project, to understand its true value.”

Six years later, PRC employs 47 people who run the 2.5 hectare marae-based nursery. To date they’ve planted 1.36 million native trees and constructed 61.3km of waterway fencing to keep out stock. All staff affiliate to one of four local marae, and the company pays the living wage as a minimum. PRC is a charity but it is not funded. It is contracted by the likes of the Ministry for the Environment and Waikato River Authority for restoration projects.

PRC’s horticultural work is rooted in ecology, but engineering has been integral to its success too, says Shannon.

“Engineering has given me a lot of skills and tools to help progress our kaupapa [cornerstone values] and organisation.”

This ranges from geotechnical knowledge to using standard contracts.

Project management discipline helps break things down into more manageable chunks. Spatial analysis is useful for planting plans and tracing seeds, with GIS data, to designing a wetland using

around 80 years. Meanwhile his idea has lit up Aotearoa.

“Every single marae wants to do something similar.”

Much mahi needs to happen within urban environments too.

“Our whole design around engineering, for example, is ‘get the water off our infrastructure as fast as possible, because it’ll ruin it’.”

Huge dumps of water are detrimental to rivers and streams.

“Rethinking how we manage stormwater systems is critical. Get the water off infrastructure but let’s put it in places where we can enjoy it for a while, such as wetlands. Then it can be absorbed over a longer period of time.”

Shannon also runs environmental engineering consulting company Waka Huia. He recently advised the Department of Corrections on their new Waikeria facility, and works with tangata whenua groups.

He says it can feel like engineering provides enough tools to "solve all the world’s problems". But he cautions the next generation of Māori engineers not to forget who they are as they navigate the industry.

"Don’t diseducate yourself from what you already know. We’ve been so fast in developing the world, and look where it’s got us. Take a considered approach, and value your maramatanga [knowing your place in the world], taonga, all the things that you’ve been given by your family,

were all engineers. That led him to start his New Zealand Diploma in Engineering

hydrology analysis.

PRC is a long-term project. There’s

by your marae.”

(Ngāti Maniapoto) always loved solving problems and fixing things. But the main reason he became an engineer was to help his awa, the Pūniu River. His work as the Pou Tāhuhu (chief executive) of Pūniu River Care, a Waikato marae-based initiative that improves water quality and biodiversity by planting trees along the banks of the 57km-long Pūniu, saw him named the 2021 Kiwibank Local Hero of the Year.

A qualified boatbuilder, Shannon Te Huia ran a successful business building boat and car parts for 10 years. Then he started thinking about the impact his industry was having on the environment.

“I wanted to do something that was bigger than myself for future generations, for the earth. If I could be kaitiaki [guardian] of a river, I would have done something truly positive towards my river, my marae and my community.”

The awa needed help. Shannon grew up at Mangatoatoa marae, near Te Awamutu, on the banks of the Pūniu River. As a kid, he spent summers swimming and catching freshwater kai. But the Pūniu’s once-clear waters became murky and smelled bad. Thousands of tonnes of sediment are estimated to have run into it from surrounding land. He doesn’t blame any specific industry.

“It’s simply intensified land use; we all get ahead of ourselves sometimes.”

Shannon looked into what could be done. Talking to the regional council’s

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42 Cycling comes full circle 44 Grounds for interference 45 Intersection 46 Managing the risks of temporary works 48 Time for climate action

Best Practice

41 Managing client relationships

Ngā mahi papai rawai

40 Diversity, equity and inclusion: a journey

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Diversity, equity and inclusion: a journey Aurecon won the Engineering Diversity

backgrounds. But most importantly, it’s

percent. This policy and our flexible working

Award at the 2021 ENVI Awards.

New Zealand Managing Director Tracey Ryan explains why it’s important for organisations to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DE+I), and shares some tips from Aurecon’s journey.

the right thing to do. We all deserve the opportunity to have a rewarding career where we feel a sense of belonging, we feel valued and can contribute with equal treatment and access to opportunities.

arrangements have seen a notable increase in women in senior leadership roles.

Evidence continues to demonstrate that a diverse workforce in an inclusive culture delivers greater wellbeing and business performance. We know that teams made up of people who are similar to one another are less likely to question, demonstrate with evidence, or think through the challenges of a particular solution. When there is diversity around the table, people will constructively challenge, and that continues throughout the ideation process. You can imagine how much more mature a solution becomes by going through this continual cycle of challenge, assessment and enhancement.

The right thing to do For us as engineers, scientists and advisors whose clients look to us for innovative solutions, this diversity of thought is imperative. Bringing a broad range of people with different experiences to look at a problem also ensures our solutions reflect the diverse communities we live in. Having a diverse and inclusive culture enriches our employees’ experience and there can be significant personal growth from working with people from different

Starting the journey I joined Aurecon early in 2020, but Aurecon's DE+I journey began almost a decade ago. Around this time, evidence was emerging about the commercial benefits of focusing on DE+I and the value of diversity in enabling innovation. Societal movements were beginning to create expectations around businesses’ social licence to operate. Our journey began with the appointment of a DE+I Manager and exploring the accreditations that recognise progress in this area. We then developed a roadmap to identify where to start and how to track our progress. Our DE+I strategy has continued to evolve and is now part of our Blueprint and Ethos, embedded into performance frameworks and accountabilities for leaders.

This leadership piece is arguably the most critical as we know that for DE+I to be successful, it cannot be driven soley by the People team or the DE+I Manager or the various advocacy groups we have. It must be driven by leaders themselves. The importance of DE+I at Aurecon is evident in the time leaders commit to delivering on our initiatives. This commitment has garnered meaningful results. Since our Shared Care parental leave policy was launched in 2017, the proportion of men

Continuing to evolve Less quantifiable, but no less important, is the culture change. People are more open to sharing their experiences and are more empathetic towards others. We’ve also seen a positive shift in the way our leaders are leading – recognising the importance of curiosity, care and compassion for team members and how this can impact on performance. Our Inclusion Index results show inclusive teams do substantially better on several wellbeing and performance measures compared with somewhat inclusive, or non-inclusive teams.

There is always more to do, and in 2022 we will be launching new initiatives, including continuing to enhance and build engagement with the Talking Talent platform, which provides digital coaching to help carers navigate through their parenting and working journey. We’ll also introduce the option to select pronouns in our HR system and email signatures, and bring to life our Māori Strategy (He Rautaki Māori) through Tikanga Māori training for senior leaders, launching our Aurecon waiata and te reo Māori training.

For other organisations embarking on their DE+I journey, my advice is just to start and then to continue. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by what needs to be done so it’s really important to determine – through consultation and other mechanisms – your priorities, and stick

taking parental leave in New Zealand has increased from zero to more than 50

to those for a year or two, before reviewing and starting again.

Best practice | Ngā mahi papai rawai

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Managing client relationships CHRISTINE ANDERSON

The relationship you have with your client

outset to ensure they understand what

length of the meeting.

is the most important one to your practice and means return custom. Hopefully, most of your client relationships are harmonious, but there’ll always be those whose behaviours are more difficult to deal with.

is reasonable and realistic. Unmet expectations are one of the primary triggers for unreasonable conduct. This may be the first time your client has engaged an engineer; they may think an engineer is also a default project manager. Educate them about not only what you can do, but what you can’t do.

Be meticulous with your communication – make sure you have a clear agreement in place that gives realistic timeframes about when work can be achieved.

When thinking about how to respond to poor or inappropriate behaviour, try to separate the person from the problem.

You should respond to the problem, not the person. Remember, you must promote productive and professional interactions with everyone you interact with and be professional in all your dealings, even when people are acting unreasonably.

Set and enforce limits for those who are making unreasonable demands.

Identify the unreasonable demand (for example, completing work out of scope or out of your area of competency).

Politely tell the client the demand will not be met and offer the client a choice (if possible). For instance, you could offer to put them in touch with someone who can help. If you’re being bombarded with phone calls, visits or correspondence when it’s not warranted, politely ask the client to stop and tell them they will be contacted when necessary. Limit phone calls to short intervals and advise them they must book appointments to meet

Recognise the impact that unreasonable conduct can have on your company’s resources and efficiency, as well as staff productivity, safety and wellbeing. Put plainly, the time spent attending to unreasonable conduct affects your bottom line and the mental health and wellbeing of those dealing with the conduct.

Decide where the end point is. It’s important to know, or have policy that sets out, at what point you will terminate the contract. When making this decision you should decide whether you have all the information, what the risks/options are and what the consequences will be.

Ensure you are being consistent with the Code of Ethical Conduct and the law.

Talk through these types of questions and talk to your colleagues, manager or legal counsel to test your proposed course of action. Keep a record of what you decided and why, including who you consulted. This will be a useful reference if you ever need to explain the decision.

There are times when a client’s behaviour may escalate from difficult to potentially dangerous, including intimidation, threats or abuse. You and your staff should have a plan in place for what to do if this happens. This may range from putting limits on communication, through to immediate termination of the contract and, if appropriate, notifying police.

Many practices will be familiar with the client who is impatient to see action – persistent or demanding. Or the client who is better at giving advice rather than receiving it. Then there’s the client who wants you to complete out-of-scope work, or worse, work outside your area of competency. There’s also the more dangerous client who makes threats against you or others. You can reduce the stress posed by difficult clients by knowing your own limits about what you expect and will tolerate, and what you will do if a client doesn’t meet those expectations. Clear communication and boundary setting can go a long way to avoiding or mitigating disputes.

Make sure you’re comfortable with the work and the client before any work begins. Think about the practical implications of taking on the job, and test your comfort level with the work you’ve been asked to do. If you’re unsure whether to take on the client you can undertake reference checks or make enquiries to satisfy yourself nothing is amiss. If you have a gut feeling about a client before you’ve even entered into an agreement with them, trust your instincts. You’re under no obligation to take on the client or give them an elaborate explanation why you can’t.

Manage client expectations from the

with you, then limit the frequency and

Christine Anderson is Legal Manager at Te Ao Rangahau.

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EG 17/2021

Cycling comes full circle CINDY JEMMETT

The bicycle is a marvellous piece of engineering design. Its widespread adoption in the early 20th century revolutionised transport and offered independence, social freedoms and fun.

As we look to reduce our carbon emissions from transport and create liveable, peoplecentred cities, the bicycle is perfectly positioned to revolutionise our lives again.

The first bicycles, known as velocipedes, were invented in France around 1861. They soon captured the interest of mechanically minded New Zealanders who built and raced their own versions from 1869. The velocipede had a heavy iron frame and cranks and pedals attached directly to the front wheel.

Riders soon found that the larger the front wheel, the greater the distance travelled for each pedal stroke and the faster the bike could go. The penny farthing, with its up to 142cm diameter front wheel – the largest possible for the rider to still reach the pedals – was the racer of the 1870s–80s. The speed and danger of the penny farthing made them highly popular among daring young middle-class men.

tyre. This “safety bike”, as it was known,

1970s as the oil shock and concerns about

was comfortable and easy to ride, and with its gearing ratio, could also beat the penny farthing for speed. Cycling boomed as bikes became cheaper and more accessible for people to own and use.

Cycling clubs formed around the country. At first, these were just for men.

Women formed their own clubs. After some initial pushback, the sight of women on bikes became normalised and by 1897, many of New Zealand’s 64 cycling clubs were accepting women members. Cycling allowed people greater freedom of travel, independence, a new social activity and the simple joy of riding.

pollution pushed people to reconsider their car use. The introduction of the 10-speed bike with its streamlined racing design made hills easier and gave cycling a sexy new look.

In the 1980s, BMX and mountain bikes grew the recreational cycling market, but the importation of affordable used cars from Japan put more cars on the roads.

Commuter cycling waned. By 2001, only 2.4 percent of the population commuted by bike.

The safety bicycle and the cycling boom Two key innovations in the late 1880s made cycling safer and more comfortable, and opened the pursuit to more people.

The addition of a sprocket and chain solved the gearing ratio problem and allowed the wheels to be a safer size, with the rider able to touch the ground

The changing face of our city streets Economics, city planning and changing social norms have seen the popularity of cycling rise and fall throughout the 20th century. By 1900, cycling was firmly established as a convenient and affordable mode of transport. Bicycles were widely used for city deliveries and by many professions including salesmen, nurses, police, firemen, lamplighters and chimney sweeps.

In the first half of the 20th century, commuting by bike was popular and commonplace, but this waned as cars became more affordable and widespread in the post-war boom. In the 1950s, registered cars in New Zealand more than doubled. Car ownership was equated with independence, affluence and mobility.

New suburbs extended the city limits and motorways were built to get people there,

with their feet. The other breakthrough was the introduction of the pneumatic

with no provision for cycling.

Cycling enjoyed a small revival in the

Climate change and the future of mobility in our cities Emissions from transport make up 33 percent of our total long-lived greenhouse gas emissions. It is imperative that we shift away from car use and embrace walking, cycling and public transport.

Decades of urban and transport planning have prioritised cars and given people few other options. The freedom and speed that cars promised is not enjoyed by the many commuters stuck in heavy traffic every day.

Motorways have not solved congestion, but instead encouraged and increased it.

Engineers have an exciting role to play in urban and transport planning as we reallocate space on our roads and redesign our cities as liveable spaces built for people, not for cars, so we can once again feel the pleasure, freedom and flexibility of cycling as a viable transport option.

Cindy Jemmett is Heritage Advisor at Te Ao Rangahau.

Best practice | Ngā mahi papai rawai

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Group cycling along a road in Christchurch. Webb, Steffano, 1880-1967: Collection of negatives. Ref: 1/1004283-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.

1907

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EG 17/2021

Grounds for interference MARTIN PRATCHETT MEngNZ

Structural engineers doing residential work are frequently asked to provide geotechnical engineering input. Often, this work is within the bounds of our competence and we can undertake it.

But where do those bounds lie?

How does a client, architect or building consent authority (BCA) know what an average structural engineer is capable of undertaking? A recent Disciplinary Committee decision found an engineer had acted beyond his competence and experience concerning geotechnical investigations, analysis and design.

His approach did not represent good engineering practice – the investigations he undertook were insufficient and relied heavily on empirical solutions and third-party reports, prepared for other purposes. The engineer was censured, fined and ordered to pay costs.

This is not a new problem. More than a century ago in Dunedin, R A Lawson designed many schools, warehouses, commercial buildings and churches, some of which still stand today. But he also designed a psychiatric hospital on ground susceptible to landslides. Structural defects appeared before the building was completed and a major slip rendered the northern wing uninhabitable. In 1888, he was found negligent and incompetent.

Most structural engineers don't undertake complex geotechnical work and therefore cannot be assessed in the area when they apply to become Chartered. Te Ao Rangahau’s Registrar, Peter Lourie, says practice area descriptions and practice fields do not

preclude an engineer from practising

page flowchart that works through from

in other areas or fields of engineering.

Through self-regulation and an annual commitment to the Code of Ethical Conduct, a Chartered Professional Engineer is expected only to undertake work that they can complete successfully within their competence.

The confusion has led to some BCAs refusing to accept foundation work from structural engineers because of concerns those engineers are working outside of the bounds of their competence. That has led to multiple request for information (RFI) chains, and BCAs and clients laying complaints against engineers.

One BCA checking engineer says approximately half of all retaining walls raise substantial RFIs because the engineer has provided insufficient information for the design, or an inappropriate design approach.

Why is this problem occurring and what is the solution?

From speaking to engineers, BCAs, our Registrar and the complaints resolution team, the main drivers behind these problems are: — pressure from clients to push the competence boundaries, and engineers being uncomfortable saying “no” — lack of knowledge – you don’t know what you don’t know — an attitude of “I’ve been doing this for years, who are you to tell me I’m wrong?”

To help support engineers, we’ve developed a tool in conjunction with the Engineering General Practitioners Group, the New Zealand Geotechnical Society and with input from various BCAs. It’s a one-

the start of the design phase and moving onto the site.

We will be distributing the flowchart to BCAs, Architectural Designers New Zealand and the New Zealand Institute of Architects. We’ve deliberately made most of it interpretable by architects and BCAs. The intent is a designer will be able to look at the site and their design and let their client know upfront when a geotechnical engineer will be required. This prepares the client to expect the additional fees and time taken to have the engineering design go through to consent.

Likewise, BCAs can use the tool to reduce confusion and put parameters in place for a consistent approach. In the words of a BCA checker, “This flowchart will be useful for structural and general practice engineers to recognise several different factors in their designs. Firstly, do they have all of the information they might need? Reviews often find that the engineer has carried out insufficient desktop and site investigations even to undertake a design. Secondly, this will help alert engineers where they’re getting into more complex situations and normalise getting a second opinion from an expert on their approach.”

While it won’t solve all the problems, it will stop a lot of them. Download a copy of the geotechnical input flowchart at engineeringnz.org under engineer tools/ engineering-documents.

Martin Pratchett MEngNZ is Engineering Practice Leader at Te Ao Rangahau.

Best practice | Ngā mahi papai rawai

45

Crossing paths with engineers.

Along with researching aerosol chemistry, Dr Joel Rindelaub is a passionate science communicator who regularly appears on media airwaves and in news outlets. Originally from the United States, Joel moved to New Zealand as an ice hockey player in 2017 but says he “quickly found himself a home at the University of Auckland as the science nerd he always wanted to be”. He is a Research Fellow based at the School of Chemical Sciences, and his work focuses on air pollution, aerosol chemistry and environmental health.

How do you work with engineers in your role?

Whether it is working hands-on with the development and performance of analytical instrumentation or out in the field taking measurements, engineers are never too far away. I regularly collaborate with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Auckland, where we try to better understand the sources and fate of air pollution.

How do engineering decisions impact on your work?

As just one specific example, the ventilation and air flow within buildings have massive implications for the quality of air that people breathe every day, something that my research aims to quantify.

How does your work impact engineers?

When my research helps uncover new types of pollution, the next question is always: what can we do about it?

Enter engineers and insightful mitigation strategies.

What are three observations you’d make after working with engineers?

Engineers are good with numbers, they are very practical, and they get stuff done.

What do engineers all seem to do so well?

Look at the big picture and engineering solutions.

What do you wish all engineers knew/understood better about your role?

Chemistry is cool too! What’s happening on the molecular scale is important to the macroscale and vice versa.

Dr Joel Rindelaub Based in: Auckland Role: Research Fellow at the University of Auckland Education: Bachelor of Arts (Chemistry, Mathematics), Gustavus Adolphus College, Minnesota, USA, 2009; PhD (Chemistry) – Purdue University, Indiana, USA, 2015

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EG 17/2021

Managing the risks of temporary works GIL JOHNSTONE CMEngNZ

The success of a construction project can

permanent works design, often before

construction industry there’s been

Temporary works is a broad term covering temporary engineered solutions used during the construction phase of a project. Generally, these become redundant once the permanent works have been completed, and the responsibility for their design commonly falls to the contractor carrying out the works. But there are areas where the line blurs between temporary works and permanent works. Notably, where the permanent structures are subjected to construction live loadings or effects and if additional support is required for the stability of incomplete permanent works.

The ultimate responsibility for temporary works generally falls on the contractor as they’re often best placed to manage the associated risks. Temporary works are often intrinsically linked to the construction methodology and represent key opportunities for contractors to gain a competitive advantage during a traditional tender process. However, this does not absolve the permanent works designer and client of all responsibility for risks associated with temporary

a contractor has been appointed. A shortsighted view of temporary works as solely a construction phase issue misses these opportunities. Once the permanent works design is locked in, the temporary works designer’s options are significantly constrained.

The permanent works designer, through meeting their Safety in Design (SiD) responsibilities, will have identified at least one safe sequence of construction for their works. Through this process, they will have identified the constraints that apply to the construction sequence and the extent to which temporary works may be required. This is most relevant where temporary works are needed to support incomplete permanent works or are supported by permanent works.

The provision of this information to the contractor, ideally through early engagement or openly as part of a tender package, can help the contractor manage these risks early. The client also has a role to play in the proactive management of temporary works risks. For projects that require significant and complex temporary works, clients may engage construction method and temporary works specialists to provide input in the early stages of design development.

On simpler projects, the client, as a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU), should ensure that as a minimum, the principles of SiD are followed during design development and that a robust temporary works procedure

works. The best opportunity to eliminate temporary works risk occurs during

is being used by the contractor.

For many years in the New Zealand

a notable absence of focus on temporary works. Many other countries have more developed temporary works industries than ours. The United Kingdom, for example, has a wealth of definitive guidance and broad industry awareness.

This can be traced back to the British government’s intervention 45 years ago following a series of high-profile temporary works disasters. The challenge is to reach this position without being driven there off the back of catastrophes.

We have some catching up to do, but progress is being made in the New Zealand temporary works industry. The Temporary Works forum NZ (TWf NZ), established in 2018, developed a Good Practice Guideline document which has established a baseline for managing temporary works for projects here. We’re seeing this become widely accepted in the industry and often adopted by major clients as a specified requirement on new projects. The TWf NZ is a Technical Group of Te Ao Rangahau. We consider areas of focus and develop guidance for the construction industry, present lessons learnt from failures, and profile examples of good practice. Engineers with an interest in temporary works are encouraged to join.

The best results for all parties happen when temporary works are discussed openly from the outset and oportunities are taken to address risks early. Find out more, and get resources at engineeringnz. org/join-us/groups/temporary-worksforum-nz

hinge on the performance, efficiency and suitability of its temporary works, while the failure of temporary works can have catastrophic consequences. Temporary works can also account for a significant proportion of a project’s overall budget and programme, yet they’re largely overlooked until the last moment.

Is there a better way?

Best practice | Ngā mahi papai rawai

47

O PINIO N K AU PA PA WHAKAARO

About the author

Temporary works on the Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative (AMETI) Eastern Busway are a collaboration between the client, contractor, permanent works designer and their temporary works designer.

Image: Simoné Myburgh

Gil Johnstone CMEngNZ is National Temporary Works Lead for Fulton Hogan Ltd and the Chair of the Temporary Works forum (NZ). He has a background in temporary works design and management in heavy civil infrastructure in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

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EG 17/2021

Time for climate action

O PINIO N K AU PA PA WHAKAARO

WHAKAARO

ROSS ROBERTS CMEngNZ PEngGeol

In a time of climate change, do we need

we know will happen, and mitigation

That liability could be effectively reduced

to put more effort into design to minimise our effects on the environment?

is essential to limit these changes to manageable levels.

The decisions we make today need to consider how to reduce whole-of-life carbon emissions and simultaneously address the potential for changes in the environment.

by investing in natural hazard risk mitigation, according to the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research’s 2020 report Investment in Natural Hazards Mitigation.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s 2020 Building for Climate Change programme is making a promising start in this direction.

However, more emphasis is needed on the benefits of custom design and the need for greater involvement of engineers in the design of our built environment, even on smaller projects. Clients need to mandate an assessment of whole-of-life carbon and climate change risks on their projects.

It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.

This warming trend will have a dramatic impact on human life and as we adapt, will create financial and social problems.

Engineers have a significant role to play in managing this problem, both by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions created by our work and by designing in a way that allows for changing future conditions.

The built environment and its construction are responsible for about 20 percent of New Zealand’s carbon dioxide emissions, and emissions from the construction industry in New Zealand increased by 66 percent from 2007 to 2017.

New Zealand has committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 41 percent from 2005 levels. To achieve this in the built environment we need a reduction of at least 64 percent from current levels within the next decade. It’s hard to improve existing buildings and infrastructure, so new builds will have to make bigger savings. This will be a huge challenge and we’ve made little progress yet.

Custom design is efficient design Recent trends are towards standardised designs and components. This allows for cost savings through efficient construction. Standard designs are inherently conservative to allow them to be used in a range of scenarios, which means they are often inefficient in their use of carbon-intensive materials.

Achieving carbon-efficient design requires significant effort by the designer and an acceptance of higher design costs from the client. The way we regulate, procure and undertake engineering design discourages this from happening.

Most of our incentives are to minimise design effort and increase standardisation to reduce construction timeframes and up-front costs. Value engineering helps on larger projects but is rare on smaller-scale and residential builds.

Mitigation vs adaptation Mitigation focuses on our ability to control emissions, while adaptation is the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate changes and their impacts. It is generally accepted that both approaches are required in parallel. Adaptation is

Role of central government and clients The New Zealand government has a significant and increasing unbudgeted exposure to liability for natural hazard impacts. The mean projections suggest that the Crown’s annual contingent liability for natural hazards would grow from

essential to respond to the changes

$0.7 billion in 2020 to $3.3 billion in 2050.

Role of designers Despite the lack of guidance in this area, there’s a lot we can do.

— Customise our designs.

— Allow for environmental change. Identify how loadings and conditions may change, including the engineering geological model, over both the design life and the potentially longer service life.

— Balance longevity and adaptability.

Construction and demolition are carbon-intensive. Designing structures to last longer and adapt to multiple different uses without demolition is often much more carbon-efficient.

We need to look beyond building code minimums to get the best outcome.

— Consider sustainability in design throughout the design process. If we can account for carbon, and manage it as we do for other risks, we can start to minimise our emissions.

Best practice | Ngā mahi papai rawai

49

About the author Ross Roberts CMEngNZ PEngGeol is Head of Engineering Resilience at Auckland Council and Immediate Past Chair of the New Zealand Geotechnical Society. His areas of interest include natural hazard risk management, and increasing the quality of geotechnical designs through provision of better guidance, Coastal instability in east Auckland.

Image: Ross Roberts

data and standards.

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55 Leading questions 56 The secret life of engineers 58 Inside job 61 Obituaries 62 Engineering genius

Shorts

53 Review

Ngā tūhinga poto me ngā pito kōrero

52 Bedside table

EG 17/2021

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edside table

Professor Alessandro Palermo FEngNZ’s research focuses on finding novel sustainable and resilient solutions for bridges and buildings. He has worked as a structural consultant in Italy and collaborated with WSP bridges and building teams in New Zealand.

Alessandro has published more than 400 journal/conference papers and owns three patents. He has received many national and international awards for excellence in research, including recently the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering’s Outstanding Technical Paper Award, making him just the second New Zealand recipient since 1992. An outstanding educator, accolades include twice winning the University of Canterbury’s top lecturer award. He was a finalist in the ENVI Awards in the education category. Alessandro is Vice-President of Concrete NZ Learned Society, the NZ Head Delegate of the International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib) and Chair of the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering’s New Zealand chapter.

What’s on your bedside table?

To be honest, I don’t have a bedside table yet. I moved into my newly refurbished house eight months ago and I haven’t found the time to buy one. On the floor – or “virtual bedside table” – there is always my 12 hours companion of social/professional life, the smartphone. It is rigorously turned off during the night though. I used to

Professor Alessandro Palermo FEngNZ Role:Professor in Structural Engineering, University of Canterbury, Dept. of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering (CNRE); Director of Postgraduate Research (CNRE) Based in: Christchurch Education: Lauream, Technical University of Milan, 1997; Master of Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete Structures, Technical University of Milan, 1999; Doctor of Philosophy (earthquake engineering), Technical University of Milan, Italy, 2004

keep one or two books, but my toddler son takes them everywhere – he likes books.

What do you like to read?

I generally don’t read many books but if I have some spare time. I tend to read books related to leadership, personal growth, lifestyle and communication.

When I read, I like to uninterruptedly dive into it for few days. I tend to behave similarly when I have to write reports, reviews and journal papers.

How does your reading help your work?

It helps me to relax from my busy working days, but more importantly, those readings nurture my relationship with myself which then reflects onto others.

These books strengthen my empathy and ability to relate with people.

Which books would you recommend for other engineers?

I recently read Positive Leadership: Strategies for Extraordinary Performance

by K Cameron, recommended by my lecturer at the MBA programme I’m currently undertaking. Although I was aware of many aspects in the book, I found it astonishing how positive relationships, culture, networking are scientifically proven to reflect on our body and mental health. After reading that book, the architecture and the overarching vision of my leadership is clearer. Also, since people generally say engineers are not very good communicators (and I tend to agree!) I recommend the bestseller How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie, especially for managers or aspiring managers.

Shorts | Ngā tūhinga poto me ngā pito kōrero

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eview

What publication has most influenced your work?

A collection of six volumes (more than 1,000 pages) by Fritz Leonhardt, a famous professor of reinforced concrete/ prestressed concrete structures and bridges. Nowadays, it is rare to find such an extensive and comprehensive publication written by an academic. We are living in the achievements era where academics are managers, and universities want short-term impacts which translate into writing multiple journal publications (8–10 pages maximum)!

What’s on your must-read list?

My research passion is bridges but I always love reading about the history of bridges and bridge designers. I want to read The Tower and the Bridge: The New Art of Structural Engineering by David P Billington and A Span of Bridges: An Illustrated History by Harry Hopkins.

What do you read that’s not work related?

A lot of e-news. I generally start positive by reading the New Zealand news, then dive into the Italian newspapers. Moreover, I am passionate about soccer and keep constantly informed on the news related to my favourite Italian team.

Speed read Ebook/paper copy?

Borrow/own?

Bookmark/dog ear page?

Structural Performance: A visual record of strengthened vintage masonry buildings after the Christchurch Earthquakes to inform a safer future

By Dr Dmytro Dizhur Reviewed by Pete van Grinsven FEngNZ CPEng, Chair of Te Ao Rangahau’s Engineering General Practitioners Special Interest Group.

I saw this book in the September edition of EG, ordered it immediately and have not been disappointed. Aside from being a beautifully presented and printed coffee table book, it’s an invaluable resource, relevant to vintage masonry buildings, and for all engineers engaged in design. It’s especially relevant for structural engineers undertaking earthquake strengthening, and the clear, annotated photos show failure mechanisms in graphic and pertinent detail.

As structural designers, we have studied and are familiar with the mathematics and code clauses related to failure mechanisms. As important as this is, it is vital to see how these failure mechanisms manifest. The primary failures often lead to unforeseen secondary issues which may or may not be important for long-term serviceability. I think this is an essential resource for anyone engaged in earthquake strengthening or earthquake design.

Purchase the book at structuralperformance.nz/store

HELPING ENGINEERS LEAD THE WAY TO A HEALTHIER, SUSTAINABLE AOTEAROA. Te Ao Rangahau challenges engineers to be bold and creative in mitigating, transitioning and adapting to climate change, for a re-imagined and resilient future.

ENGINEERING CLIMATE ACTION

For resources to help you lead the way engineeringclimateaction.nz

L

Shorts | Ngā tūhinga poto me ngā pito kōrero

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eading questions

Donna Bridgman FEngNZ CMEngNZ IntPE(NZ)’s experience includes roles in engineering leadership, organisational governance, strategy, technical services excellence, project management, business continuity and high technology sectors.

With a career spanning New Zealand, APAC, Europe and the United Kingdom, her focus is now on organisational resilience, people and technical leadership in the digital infrastructure; diversity, equity and inclusion and talent development sectors.

What attributes make you a good leader?

Having personal courage, being able to challenge the status quo, demonstrating empathy, passion in your purpose, integrity, commitment and being able to clearly articulate a vision. Leading through change and disruption, thinking deeply, acting with commitment and managing with skill. Having strong conversational intelligence to build rapport and trusting relationships, to unlock creativity, set the platform for innovation and strategic thinking.

At the end of each day, what tells you whether you’ve been successful?

How many positive interactions I’ve had during the day and the quality of those touch points, whether I’ve created some sort of value, and when I know that I’m tracking with a sense of purpose. What have I learnt today that’s new or reflective?

Setting goals and circling back and being comfortable with progress. Looking for that balance between professional and personal lives.

What inspired you to become an engineer?

I did tri sci at high school and loved calculus – it was always likely medicine or engineering. My father was always on the tools as a carpenter and mechanic, and I grew up with a natural curiosity around engineering and science.

Who opened a key door for you?

An aunt who looked after me a lot when I was young was my role model. Sacrificing her prestigious London Drama School scholarship in the early 1960s, she encouraged me to aim high, work hard and take personal risks. Work-wise, the people and networks established working overseas as a graduate engineer were pivotal, at that time trusting a young Kiwi with amazing technical, project management and client engagement responsibilities which took me all over the UK and across Europe during the dot.com boom.

How do you connect your work with a sense of greater good?

Surrounding myself with people with positive mindsets and organisations with great cultures. Understanding personal and organisational purpose and having a shared role in strategy.

Being curious, developing a portfolio of skills and experiences that make me feel fulfilled, valued, and drive my sense of self-purpose, whether this be achieved through corporate, not-for-profit, mentoring or service roles. Being part of teams where inclusion is core and having a global mindset.

Donna Bridgman FEngNZ CMEngNZ IntPE(NZ) Role: Technical Director – Mission Critical (APAC) / Board Director Based in: Christchurch Education: Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic), University of Auckland, 1992 What mistake have you learned from most?

Saying no to some great opportunities when forks/hurdles appeared in the road.

Not backing myself and my ability enough, not following my intuition, or thinking timing wasn’t quite right. Also, possibly taking on too much at times.

Who is a leader in New Zealand you admire?

Jo Cribb as diversity and inclusion advocate, strategist and gender expert.

She’s not afraid to tackle the real issues of gender bias, inequality, the glass ceiling as well as promote fairness for women in the workplace.

What questions have you been asking yourself lately?

With uncertainty guaranteed and change constant, we should now expect the unexpected and learn to thrive in it.

Ongoing learning is central to succeeding as the nature of work evolves. Rapidly evolving new technologies, increasing globalisation and vast opportunities for innovations in water, digital, energy and the construction sector, coupled with Singularity by 2029, are exciting. I’m asking myself what’s next to remain current and relevant and what excites me most about our new engineering paradigm?

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EG 17/2021

The secret life of engineers

James Penrose MEngNZ Role: Mechanical Engineer at STR Fabrication Based in: Christchurch Education: Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) (Hons), University of Canterbury, 2017

Shorts | Ngā tūhinga poto me ngā pito kōrero

James Penrose MEngNZ began his career at BVT Engineering, working on projects including Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre and a range of plant, equipment and machinery designs. His legacy there includes creating a graduate training

How do your juggle motorsport commitments with your job?

Having a workplace that is supportive of my racing has been an enormous help. Also, communication and planning ahead are essential for taking time off

programme. As the mechanical engineer at STR Fabrication, which specialises in sheet metal fabrication, James is responsible for designing parts and preparing manufacturing drawings, nesting parts for laser cutting and pricing jobs. Outside of work, he’s making a name for himself in motorsports.

work, as it means I can switch mindset easily and focus solely on driving.

What first sparked your interest in motorsport?

My dad used to rally a Toyota Starlet, so it’s safe to say motorsport ran in the family. He got my brother and me into gokarts when we were young. Watching my older brother race and do well nationally motivated me to train harder. We spent most weekends at the go-kart track, either training at the local track or racing at different tracks around the country.

physicality when racing.

You’re the 2021 NZ Formula Ford Champion – what do you credit as the springboard to your success?

My 10 years in go-karts and the scholarship programme provided by the South Island Formula Ford Club played a large part in my success this year. Also, the championship was a team effort, with Dad as my mechanic. The car ran without a mechanical problem, so my confidence in the car was a credit to him.

When do you train, and for how long?

Most Fridays, I get out to Ruapuna Raceway in Christchurch to test new things on the car. I can’t be in the car every day, so regular strength and conditioning training is essential to help with the high G-force and overall

Have you suffered from any serious injuries with racing?

No major injuries, although a few crashes in my rookie year. But, with experience, you eventually figure out where it’s safe to find the limit of the race car and fortunately I’ve had no accidents this year.

What achievement are you most proud of?

Winning the national Formula Ford Championship. So many famous names are on the trophy – Scott Dixon, Shane van Gisbergen, Fabian Coulthard – and it’s pretty cool to have mine on there now.

What do you love about racing?

I love the high speeds and close racing.

Also, the culture of South Island Formula

How does being an engineer affect the way you approach race training and competitions?

Being an engineer has taught me how to problem-solve well, and motorsport has many unique challenges. The most critical challenge is improving lap time, so reflecting on each session is essential

1600 was great and I met a lot of awesome people during my time in the series.

so I can adjust my driving style or make changes to improve the car’s balance.

57

What’s something about racing that will surprise most people?

Formula 1 cars pull up to 4–5G while cornering or braking, and a driver’s heart will generally sit up to 170bpm during the entirety of a race.

At the Otago Academy of Sport camp in early 2021 you were assessed on nutrition, sports psychology and media skills. Why are these important for motorsport competitors?

Although nutrition and mental skills won’t make you a faster driver, they are vital in becoming a more consistent driver.

They’re easily overlooked but are essential to get right to maximise performance.

Additionally, motorsport is an expensive sport, so pure talent can only take you so far. Sponsorship is vital, which is why we focused on media skills, public speaking and specific sponsorship sessions.

How did you train during Covid-19 lockdowns?

Simulator training is the next best thing to being in the car, so using that was very helpful over the recent lockdown.

What’s your ultimate goal with motorsport?

I would love to take my motorsport as far as I can. Racing GT cars overseas would be pretty amazing.

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Aparajita Goswami Based in: Invercargill Role: Reduction Process Control Engineer at New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (Tiwai) Education: Bachelor of Chemical and Materials Engineering (Hons), University of Auckland, 2015; Master of Chemical and Materials Image: Dakota Brown

Engineering, University of Auckland, 2016

Shorts | Ngā tūhinga poto me ngā pito kōrero

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Inside job I describe my role to non-engineers as…

Someone who helps produce low-carbon, high-purity aluminium through a chemical process called smelting.

The part of my job that always surprises people is…

The beautiful drive to the Tiwai site.

The best emoji to sum up me on a typical workday is…

😛

The best thing I’ve introduced at my workplace is…

Designing a response plan portal for managing high-risk events, such as unplanned power loss situations to the reduction smelting potlines. Given we can run 200kA amperages (that’s roughly equivalent to 833 standard 240V power outlets), the impact of unexpectedly losing this power can be significant to the national grid supply as well as on the performance capability of the smelting process and switchyard gear.

In my role, I always challenge…

The status quo – be it spotting and working on unsafe/inefficient/redundant processes and practices, or working towards a proudly diverse, socially connected and culturally representative workplace ethos.

At work, I’ve never been afraid to…

Be my authentic self. Female engineers can feel pressured to act “masculine” to fit into male dominant industries.

Demonstrating sound knowledge of your process/plant, while holding onto your unique “feminine” traits, is the ultimate equaliser.

In the past year, I’ve pushed boundaries by…

Juggling work with volunteering at the

Southland SPCA and organising events as the Engineering New Zealand Young Engineer Representative for Southland.

Also, completing my duties as a Wonder Project and Great South Youth Futures Ambassador and making sure I head out for a row on as many weekends as I can.

I admire engineers who…

Can effortlessly explain complex engineering concepts to people at every level of their organisation (and to their grandmothers as well).

At school, teachers always described me as…

A chatterbox with a finger stuck in all sorts of pies.

My luckiest break was…

Landing the graduate position here.

The bravest thing I’ve done to get where I am today…

Living and working for three months as an Environmental and Regulatory Affairs intern in Austria, with only a basic level of German.

Best career advice I’ve received…

Look at challenges from the perspective of a hedgehog (micro-view) and an eagle (macro-view) and when problemsolving, engage your brain before your keyboard.

I’d advise other people interested in my type of role to…

Dream big and get involved with STEM initiatives like the Wonder Project and other education partnerships. Join professional bodies and develop a broad portfolio of experience in domestic and international companies in your field.

3

things I love about my job: — The invaluable support system provided by my team.

— Learning something new every day in a work environment that’s really big and full of opportunities.

— Great work-life balance.

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reasons why I chose to study engineering: — My passionate chemistry teacher mother instilled in me a genuine love of science from a very early age, from explaining the wooden DNA helix model as I clutched her hand on a personal tour of her school lab, to the science behind photosynthesis in our garden, to why the sky was blue, or why our windows fogged up on a cold winter’s morning and building DIY “volcanoes” at home. She’s the reason I love STEM so much.

— I wanted to keep experiencing the iterative cycle of pecking away at real-world problems, finding effective solutions and having the satisfaction of seeing their tangible benefits around me.

1

thing I wouldn’t change about my work day: — Never knowing how my day will pan out when I walk into the office every morning – no two days are ever the same.

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Obituaries | Ngā rārangi ingoa mate

Obituaries

Richard Paul (Dick) Gillespie CMEngNZ

Bernard Weinstein FEngNZ

1943-2021

1926-2021

Dick Gillespie CMEngNZ has been described as an engineer with a fertile mind.

Born in England, Dick studied engineering at London University and later qualified as a Member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, via the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (USA) examination route.

He began his career in 1963 in the United Kingdom and subsequently held roles in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, working within the fire safety community for more than 40 years. He had particular expertise in special hazards projects, especially foam systems for tank farms, smelter operations and power generation.

Dick was a founding member of the New Zealand Chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), helping establish a link with the SFPE parent organisation and with Te Ao Rangahau. These strong organisational linkages continue, and Dick is recognised for his long contribution to the Chapter’s Executive Committee.

From 2003 to 2018, Dick was based in Brisbane, initially working for Sinclair Knight Mertz, then as a specialist consultant. He was involved in the replacement of PFAS foams with fluorine free foams, and continued to work in this area when he returned to New Zealand.

Dick retired to Napier in 2018, but remained active within the special hazards field until his passing.

He was also a passionate and valued supporter and Ambassador of Te Ao Rangahau’s Wonder Project.

For the past three years he was a mentor for the rocket challenge and spoke of how he loved working with good teachers and students. Wonder Project staff described him as “an absolute delight to communicate with”.

Dick is survived by his wife, two sons and three grandchildren.

Wellington was Bernard Weinstein's FEngNZ home and love for all of his life, bar his years at the University of Canterbury’s School of Engineering. After graduating, he spent more than a decade at the Ministry of Works, designing the spillway gates on several hydroelectric dams. From there, he moved into private practice with George Vamos and Partners where he changed tack to mechanical engineering. In 1967, Bernard set up his own mechanical services practice, Bernard Weinstein and Associates, closing it reluctantly 10 years ago at the age of 84.

Bernard designed for several dairy factories in Taranaki, for Wellington Hospital’s theatres, School of Medicine and hydrotherapy pool, and for other hospitals in the lower North Island. Other projects included police stations, the Royal New Zealand Police College firing range and swimming pool, the National Army Museum at Waiouru, NZ Rail workshops and foundry, the then Department of Scientific and Industrial Research mineral lab, and the Institute of Nuclear and Geological Sciences computer room.

As flying was his passion, Bernard particularly enjoyed designing the services for the Wellington Airport control tower. Obtaining his pilot licence at the age of 60, he delighted in combining it with work, flying himself and clients to jobs outside of Wellington.

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Engineering genius

Minimalist, modern mobility FTN Motion’s 3D printers create internal battery parts, housings and small components.

The Streetdog is Wellington-based startup FTN Motion’s answer to modern mobility. This sleek, electric moped is designed to offer new and experienced riders a more sustainable way of commuting and exploring, and just a full car licence is needed. FTN Motion is co-founded by friends and engineers Luke Sinclair and Kendall Bristow.

The bikes are handcrafted in Wellington, and the body, frame, housing and other small components are all from the capital. FTN Motion plans to partner with local artists and companies to create custom bodies. Early adopter bikes sold quickly and the company has a waitlist for its 2022 production run.

Battery and motor location enhances bike’s functionality, allowing 30 litres of fully-secured storage.

Custom-built printed circuit board and central control unit designed by in-house electrical engineer.

Bike weighs 62kg and can take a second passenger.

Single-piece body fairing drops into a split frame.

The 72V Ion Lithium battery slides under the seat. It takes 6.5 hours to charge and provides 100km range.

Keyless start – powers up via near field communication tag. Security enhanced with a solenoid lock system.

Collaborate

What if you had access to the most innovative and creative future engineers and designers?

UC Engineering is looking to collaborate with organisations on projects they may not normally have time or resources to consider.

Engineering Pūhanga

Students’ areas of study include Engineering, Forestry, Maths, and Product Design. Projects and internships can culminate in the production of a prototype, or can be a feasibility report or case study that is made available to your organisation.

Contact Steve Frodsham, Industry Engagement Manager Tel: +64 3 369 0027 Email: engindustry@canterbury.ac.nz

www.canterbury.ac.nz/engineering/industry

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