Welcome to the Community Insights blog!

This blog features posts from and about the EngX community. Want to contribute? Read our blogging guide to help you get started.

  • Global Engineering Grand Challenges

    Engineering Grand Challenges Initiative Following the successful 2013 Global Grand Challenges London Summit, organised by the Royal Academy of Engineering, EPSRC set out to identify Engineering Grand Challenges. In order to start this process, EPSRC organised a two-day retreat, bringing together 25 academic, industry and government experts in facilitated discussions. The outputs of the retreat are included in the following report: http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/newsevents/pubs/engineering-grand-challenges/ Seven areas have been identified as potential Engineering Grand Challenges: · Risk and Resilience in a Connected World · Controlling Cell Behaviour · Engineering from Atoms to Applications · Bespoke Engineering · Big Data for Engineering Futures · Suprastructures - integrating resource infrastructures…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • EMEA Communities Volunteer Conference (CVC)

    The 2014 EMEA CVC is upon us and we are making our final preparations! Many of you will have attended the CVC in the past and will understand that the CVC is an excellent opportunity to get together with other volunteers across the region to share ideas, case studies and new information. Being involved in the CVC is one of my favourite parts of my job as the senior staff member for the EMEA communities committee. It's highly valuable for me to be able to see so many members in one weekend and work with you on ideas or any issues. One way in which we help define the agenda is through a pre-CVC questionnaire. This year we'd like to invite all volunteers from the EMEA region (including those who are not attending the CVC) to complete the questionnaire attached to this blog post. This will help…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Beefeater Gin Visitor Centre

    Beefeater Gin opens London’s first ever Gin Distillery visitor centre, designed by Lee Boyd and Four-by-Two Lee Boyd has recently collaborated on the exciting new Visitor Centre for Beefeater Gin at their distillery in central London which now provides visitors an insight into the history of gin and an understanding of the process of gin making. A bold new extension providing a point of entry to the centre, links the different parts of the distillery and allows visitors to move from the exhibition floor to the stills house without interrupting the day to day workings at Beefeater. Beefeater Gin: Beefeater Gin is the world’s number one premium gin and has been made in the heart of London for over 150 years, the only international brand to have its distillery in the capital. Beefeater is uniquely…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Simple buildings, better buildings? CIBSE event

    Full details: http://www.cibse.org/symposium Thursday 16 - Friday 17 April 2015, University College London This is the fifth Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Technical Symposium. The Symposium aims to encourage the participation of both young and experienced industry practitioners, researchers and building users to share experiences and develop networks. Each year the Symposium visits a different city and in 2015 will be hosted in London by University College London (UCL). The 2015 Technical Symposium will address the theme of: Simple buildings, better buildings? Delivering performance through engineered solutions Are we making buildings too complex? Might that complexity be holding back lifetime performance? Are modern buildings, with all the range of technologies…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Getting public spaces right

    When city agencies set out to create public spaces, their top concern is typically making sure that people and goods can get to their destinations as quickly and easily as possible. But while efficiency is critical, another important factor — user experience — has all too often been overlooked. As any number of sad, empty plazas littering cities around the world attest, in the absence of high-quality aesthetics, comfortable seating, and consistent maintenance, people tend to stay away.. Article in full: http://www.arupconnect.com/2014/07/29/getting-public-space-right-in-new-york/

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member in Space

  • How can the UK innovate for the world's future cities?

    Two, FREE reports from the Future Cities Catapult: How can the UK innovate for the world's future cities? https://futurecities.catapult.org.uk/documents/2157622/0/FutureCitiesCatapult_UKCapabilitiesReport_Summary.pdf/97f15375-de1a-4122-ba42-7a3d9121c3fa What are future cities origins, futures and uses? https://futurecities.catapult.org.uk/documents/6697210/0/What are Future Cities_ July2014.pdf/4c93a7e4-44e1-4ee0-8e65-ad2a08f28506 Check out the IET's upcoming Future Intelligent Cities Conference, 4 - 5 December 2014 www.theiet.org/future-cities

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • EVs And Their Appetite For Power

    As the number of Electric Vehicles increases, the energy demands of these vehicles will become more of an issue. The ARTS TPN in conjunction with the Buckinghamshire Network recently organised a technical event which covered some of these issues.   The three, interlinked, talks given to the local Network in Buckinghamshire were entertaining and illuminating.  The three speakers gave insights into some of the practical issues met when introducing Electric Vehicles (EVs) into the transport infrastructure.   Pete James the chair of the TPN and also of Lyra Electronics, chaired the session with calm authority.  His talk looked at the power densities of the types of batteries used today.   Ben Godfrey from Western Power talked about the power infrastructure used for electric buses in Milton Keynes…

    Deborah-Claire McKenzie
    Deborah-Claire McKenzie

  • LAPD start trialling an Electric Stealth Motorcycle

    Los Angeles Police Department are evaluating electric motorcycles, including one that looks conventional but can run near silently and an extreme version that was originally developed for the US Special Forces, which the LAPD off-road division will use. For more details on this article and a video clip click here .

    Deborah-Claire McKenzie
    Deborah-Claire McKenzie

  • LED lighting

    Are you now working with the LED Lighting Code of Practice? http://www.theiet.org/resources/standards/led-cop.cfm Have you joined the Lighting MyCommunity Group? https://communities.theiet.org/communities/home/478 Filmed presentations from the Built Environment Sector's Summit: Lighting are available to view, here: https://communities.theiet.org/communities/videos/478

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Celebrating Women in Engineering

    4th August 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the start of Britain's involvement of WW1 Take a look at the online version of our wallchart illustrating how women played a significant part in WW1 as engineers and how the IET and the Women's Engineering Society continue to support women in engineering today. Read more and download the file...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • A Committee Meeting With A Difference!

    A couple of weeks ago the Aerospace Executive team enjoyed a break from their usual meeting venues in London/Bristol, when John Beirne one of the committee members kindly hosted a one-off committee meeting/visit to RAF Syerston. The base near Newark was used as a bomber base during World War II with operational squadrons of Wellingtons, Hampdens and Lancasters all flying from there at some point. After various changes following the war, the base is now used to provide engineering support (Forward and Depth maintenance) to ensure the Air Cadet Organisation can operate its aircraft. After our committee meeting and lunch, John showed us around the Glider Maintenance Section, which provides engineering and logistics support to RAF Syerston’s Central Gliding School and 25 Volunteer Gliding Squadrons…

    Deborah-Claire McKenzie
    Deborah-Claire McKenzie

  • 2014 IET Skills Survey

    The IET carries out annual surveys of businesses to gauge the state of skills in the engineering and technology sector. The IET interviewed 400 employers from a range of engineering and IT organisations across the UK and asked them about their recruitment plans and experiences. The results, published in the ninth annual IET Skills and Demand in Industry report, outline current and planned levels of engineering and IT recruitment, the difficulties that employers are experiencing in recruiting the people they need and the skills gaps they find with the people that they employ. The results have been compared to previous years to show recent trends. Read more...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • David Drakes' Personal Account of The IET PATW Regional Finals

    On July 16th our chairman requested that I attend the PATW as he was unable to do so as previously planned. Within twenty four hours I made all of the necessary travel arrangements to secure my attendance. I contacted Ms Baksh, and met with her prior to our departure to review her presentation, offer advice on ways to improve same, but generally to give her the assurance that I was her disposal should she require any assistance from our LN. Prior to our departure, I also received information from the coordinator of the event in California - detailing local arrangements, the PATW schedule etc. Our flight out of Port of Spain on July 24th was due to take us directly to Houston. From there Ms Baksh and I would travel to the conference location via Los Angeles (LAX) and Santa Ana (SNA) respectively…

    Jason Robert Rameshwar
    Jason Robert Rameshwar

  • Flugwerft Schleissheim Visit

    Deutsches Museum - Flugwerft Schleissheim Blue skies and warm weather failed to deter 25 visitors from spending a sunny afternoon indoors at the Flugwerft, the aerospace collection of the Deutsches Museum in Oberschleissheim, just outside Munich. Organised by the IET's German LN, the group was shown round by Kurt Rathmann, formerly of the Luftwaffe, who had served not just in Germany but also in the USA. The guided tour encompassed the history of aviation, from Ludwig Prandtl's collaboration with Frederick Lanchester, through to Dornier's Do-31 10-engine STOVL research aircraft, up to DA-1, Germany's first Eurofighter (which some members of the group had helped to design). Several people braved the steep climb into the cockpit of the museum's latest exhibit, a newly-retired F-4 Phantom. Kurt…

    Howard Gray
    Howard Gray

  • DECC closes Green Deal Home Improvement Fund

    The government has closed the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund after a surge in demand exhausted the allocated budget. The £120m fund, available to householders in England and Wales, was set up to offer people money back for making energy efficiency improvements to their homes. It has now closed less than six weeks after it opened for applications. Earlier this week ministers announced that they were lowering cashback levels available under the scheme due to its popularity. Around £43m of funding was allocated in the first six weeks and over £50m has been applied for. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said that 12,200 applications have been received and 7925 households have received vouchers under the scheme. Last night DECC issued a statement to say that the fund was closed…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Sharing knowledge and lessons learnt from the UK's first eco-town

    The Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development (OISD) at Oxford Brookes University and sustainability charity BioRegional have launched a new initiative designed to share the knowledge and experience gained from creating the UK’s first eco-town. The Eco-Bicester Living Lab (EBLL) will bring together research and disseminate lessons learned thus far as the Bicester eco-town in Oxfordshire continues to take shape. Cherwell District Council and A2Dominion, lead developers of the eco-town, are key stakeholders in the project that will capture the research and innovation taking place in constructing the major eco-housing development. 393 high-performance homes are being built on site, with plans for a further 6,000 homes in the near future. The first residents are expected to move in from spring…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Driverless cars trials in UK to start by early 2015

    Trials of self-driving cars on public roads in the UK could start as early as January 2015, the UK Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced on Wednesday, 30 July 2014. The technology, which has so far only been allowed on private roads, was supposed to see first trials integrating it into regular traffic in 2013 but was postponed due to regulatory issues. Ministers have now launched a review to look at current road regulations to establish how the UK can remain at the forefront of driverless car technology and ensure there is an appropriate regime for testing driverless cars in the UK. Read this online article in E&T Magazine for further details.

    Deborah-Claire McKenzie
    Deborah-Claire McKenzie

  • Faheema Baksh Wins The IET PATW Americas Regional Finals

    Ms. Baksh's journey began in Trinidad, when she placed first at the local network's PATW competition in June 2014.  In a little under a month she prepared herself to compete against the top finalists from around the Americas region.The Americas Regional final was held in Fullerton, California on Saturday 26th July. (Left to Right - Jenny Yu, Connor Scheu, David Drakes, Prof Andy Bazar, David McQuiggan, Kristen Facciol, Danielle Antonellis, Imran Mouna, Emily Hicks, Faheema Baksh ) The participants were taken on a tour of the California State University at Fullerton Campus and then treated to a welcome dinner at the Marriot CSU Fullerton, during which a token of the national instrument was presented to Mr. Harvey on behalf of the Trinidad and Tobago LN. (David Drakes presenting Julian Harvey…

    Jason Robert Rameshwar
    Jason Robert Rameshwar

  • Free Training? Seems too good to be true…

    They say the best things in life are free, but how many things do we actually get for free these days without there being a catch? We always end up reading the small print only to find that free doesn’t actually mean free . So when you hear the IET offer free training, you’ll probably want to know more before you sign up. Where’s the catch? Well, there isn’t one. The IET do offer free training sessions. We offer 15 different bite sized topics to provide you with key Lifeskills that you can use in both the workplace and in your personal lives. Many of us want to progress in our careers and better ourselves. Often, key skills are needed in order for you to move forward or remain current; however companies can’t always provide the training you need to gain these skills and external courses aren…

    Kathryn Bain
    Kathryn Bain

  • Construction of world's tallest railway bridge begins in Manipur

    Guwahati: Construction of the world's tallest railway bridge from the point of pillar height has begun in Manipur by the Northeast Frontier Railway Construction Organisation. The proposed bridge near Noney with pillar height up to 141 metres is slated to become the tallest in the world from the point of pillar height surpassing the existing tallest of Mala-Rijeka viaduct on Belgrade-Bar railway line in Europe where the height of pillars is 139 metre, said an N-F Railway spokesman. The bridge in Manipur is part of the 111 km-long Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal railway line to connect the capital of Manipur with the broad gauge network of the country, the spokesman said. The alignment of the railway line passes through steep rolling hills of Patkai region, eastern trail of the Himalayas, he said. While…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Qatar World Cup 2022: inside construction workers' accommodation – video

    Qatar is introducing reform after widespread criticism of the conditions endured by the migrant labourers who are building World Cup infrastructure. Robert Booth visits the construction site of the Zaha Hadid-designed al-Wakrah stadium, where workers now have clean bedrooms and Wi-Fi. But such facilities are rare – and employees say they are still poorly paid. Video: http://bit.ly/1k6Azdg

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Enabling BIM and the Crossrail Smart Railway

    10 September 2014 18.00 - 20.00 FREE to attend lecture About this event Ever wondered how BIM can help support asset management and asset information in the Railway industry? This event can de-mystify the situation for you! Join us on 10 September for a free to attend lecture discussing good practice and practical experiences of developing BIM to support Asset Information and Management for Crossrail. Overview of Crossrail & Progress BIM & Asset Information Fundamentals Good Practice BIM & Asset Management Quality Asset Information Enablers Asset Representation Building 2 Crossrail's Collecting & Utilising BIM & Asset Information Quality Asset Information Provision The Crossrail Smart Railway Smart Initiatives Sharing Good Practice Benefits Lecture speaker Ross Dentten, Asset Information &…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Grazia Equal Pay Campaign To Get Section 78 Of The Equality Act Enacted

    Grazia magazine is petitioning for Section 78 of the Equality Act 2010 to be enacted. This would mean businesses with 250 employees or more would have to publish anonymised details annually about the hourly pay of men and women they employ. This transparency would help end the gender pay divide. Read more...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Apartment Tower in Melbourne completed in just 5 days - Prefab

    The One9 building, a 9-floor apartment building was recently built in Melbourne, Australia in just five days. This was possible because the parts needed to construct the One9 building were manufactured off site, though the builders aren’t really calling it modular, since none of the modules are standard or fixed. The One9 apartment is comprised of a total of 34 one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. The construction process was based on Hickory Group’s UB (Unitized Building) system, which was created by architect Nonda Katsalidis. This is the highest building the group has constructed until now, though they are sure much taller buildings could also easily be built using this method. Their building method is currently being specified on buildings up to 70 storeys. The One9 apartment is comprised…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

Community Rules & Guidelines