IPWEA Blogs

How China built the world’s largest highway network

By Anirudh Sharma posted 21 hours ago
According to an old Chinese proverb: “If you want to get rich, first build a road”. It is advice that Chinese policy-makers seem to have taken to heart: the nation has built 10,000   kilometres   of highway a year   since 2011   – and it’s not slowing down. Recent data shows the nation’s highway network now stretches 149,600 kilometres, making it the   longest in the world . According to Dr Miguel Hidalgo Martinez, a lecturer from the Department of China Studies at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, the rapid development of China’s highway network coincided with the centralisation of infrastructure spending that began in China in the 1990s. Before then, ...
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The international gold standard in integrated asset management

By Anirudh Sharma posted 21 hours ago
Effective and efficient management is vital to ensuring the safety of those who use a community’s assets. It also makes sound financial sense. That is why finance managers need a thorough understanding of all aspects of asset management, says Chris Morrill, CEO of the US/Canada Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). “Community assets are not only a major item on the balance sheet, they are also critical to delivering services to constituents,” explains Morrill. “Asset management is also important for intergenerational equity. In other words, not passing down major liabilities to future generations.” Morrill warns there are potentially dire consequences ...
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Opinion: Why the new IIMM is your essential companion for 2021

By Anirudh Sharma posted 21 hours ago
Coronavirus uncertainty, stimulus spending, climate change… The year ahead for public works engineers promises to be eventful, to say the least. In these tumultuous times, IPWEA remains committed to providing relevant and authoritative information for our members. That’s why we’ve recently released the sixth edition of our globally acclaimed International Infrastructure Management Manual (IIMM), featuring significant updates that directly address issues those in our field may face in 2021. In response to last summer’s horrendous bushfires and more recent flooding events along Australia’s east coast, the new manual includes expanded coverage of climate change ...
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Managing public infrastructure assets: trends and predictions for 2021

By Anirudh Sharma posted 21 hours ago
We asked two eminent municipal engineers how the year ahead is likely to unfold. It’s been 12 months since COVID-19 first disrupted the developed world, and now, many nations are shifting their attention from crisis management to economic recovery. Amongst public works engineers, there’s a feeling of cautious optimism, principally because governments are promising to invest in public infrastructure as a means of kick-starting their ailing economies. But some experts are concerned that the money may not go where it is most needed. John Thomson, the UK-based president of the International Federation of Municipal Engineers (IFME), says federal governments tend ...
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Why it’s important to have good asset and financial management planning

By Anirudh Sharma posted 22 hours ago
A good asset management plan can bring many benefits to an organisation, including measurable improvements in operational productivity and efficiency, lower lifecycle costs, sustainable levels of service and better management of risk and compliance. But just having an asset management plan is no guarantee for business success. What constitutes a good plan? And once a plan is in place, what should be done to get the best from it? Allen Mapstone, IPWEA’s Director of Strategic Asset Management, explains. Q: Why is it important to have a good asset management plan? A: Above all, an asset management plan is important for communication and transparency in an ...
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IPWEA supports greater emphasis on asset management in the renewables sector

By Anirudh Sharma posted 22 hours ago
Operators of Australia’s clean-energy facilities must deploy effective asset management tools now to remain viable in the longer term, according to experts. Although the renewables sector has experienced massive growth in recent years, market constraints – such as daytime overcapacity in the National Electricity Market (NEM) – and domestic fundamentals are beginning to squeeze profit margins, says asset management specialist Matthew Stubbs. Writing for clean energy publication   Ecogeneration ,   Stubbs points out   that managing renewables generation in Australia brings with it unique challenges. “Operating costs, although declining due to reduced ...
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Opinion: Why better asset management matters

By Anirudh Sharma posted 22 hours ago
Research shows asset management is increasingly important for an organisation’s future. Not only is it linked to the health and maintenance of its assets but its financial fortunes in the medium and long term. Asset management experts say they have difficulty overcoming the challenges and costs associated with implementing asset management strategies effectively. But they also talk about evolution in asset management in the last decade that requires a fresh approach by organisations; one that is neither ‘reactive’ nor ‘segmented’ and encompasses whole-company integration as well as new paradigms in innovation and technology. In this approach, value-based ...
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Why IPWEA’s IIMM e-book is faster, easier and more efficient

By Anirudh Sharma posted 22 hours ago
IPWEA has launched its globally acclaimed International Infrastructure Management Manual (IIMM) in a comprehensive online program. The IIMM E-Book provides members with an easier, faster, more collaborative way to access the information they need. A real challenge today is running a business or organisation that embraces technology and uses it to adapt and evolve with an ever-changing world. Digitisation has become increasingly important as organisations have enjoyed the benefits of moving key processes online. As part of its commitment to deliver new technology initiatives that benefit members, IPWEA is proud to offer the 6 th   Edition of its globally ...
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The Times They Are A Changin’

By Anirudh Sharma posted 22 hours ago
When Bob Dylan wrote this iconic song of a generation (or two) ago there is little doubt he was NOT thinking about benchmarking, performance measurement, or the power of trend data and reporting! However, there are fewer more powerful tools than tracking metrics to help understand and illustrate the impacts of change over time.  With many balls in the air in 2020, and communities and organisations rethinking priorities and a growing awareness of the importance of open space as essential community infrastructure, a new post-COVID normal will arise, with different funding priorities and levels.  Being able to measure impacts and progress going forward will ...
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Telco infrastructure resilience under review after disastrous bushfires

By Anirudh Sharma posted 22 hours ago
Last summer’s bushfires highlighted a spate of issues with telecommunications networks in the face of disaster. Now the telcos are busy developing new infrastructure to prevent it from happening again. Australia’s disastrous 2020 bushfire season was complicated by telecommunication failures and equipment destruction in affected areas at a time of their critical need. The emergency highlighted a range of infrastructure inadequacies that have required urgent action.   Following consultation with the Minister for Communications, Paul Fletcher MP, at a roundtable back in January, Australia’s telco industry leaders are now working through long-term initiatives ...
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Simple steps to smart asset management

By Anirudh Sharma posted 22 hours ago
Every community relies on an efficient infrastructure asset management system being in place. Here’s how to establish one that works. Effective asset management is about ensuring the provision of services that the community values today – and delivering certainty for the generations of tomorrow. This involves much more than the fundamentals of acquisition, operation, maintenance, renewal and/or disposal of physical assets – it requires ongoing analysis of costs, risks and performance trade-offs when making decisions regarding community-owned infrastructure assets.  As defined in IPWEA’s International Infrastructure Management Manual (IIMM), the aim of an ...
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Why asset management is the key to addressing the effects of climate change

By Anirudh Sharma posted 22 hours ago
How do humans reduce the impact of natural disasters and mitigate against climate change? Asset management is one crucial answer. The effects of climate change pose a significant risk to infrastructure, as extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, bushfires, storm surges and flooding become more frequent. The damaging effects of extreme weather events are evident now. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey ravaged the United States, causing $125 billion worth of damage. In 2019, fires raged out of control in the Amazon. The Australian 2019/20 bushfire season began in winter and went on to burn an estimated 18.6 million hectares and claim 34 lives. While the ...
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20 trending topics in civil engineering for a post-COVID world

By Anirudh Sharma posted 22 hours ago
From on-demand learning to changing urban landscapes, these are the 20 trends set to define public works engineering over the coming years. While the coronavirus pandemic has thrown everything up in the air this year, there’s still a host of emerging trends in the engineering and construction industries that are likely to become more prominent as we move forward. We asked a handful of industry mavens to identify the engineering trends that are emerging in the public works sector for education, leadership, disruption, asset management and waste. Education Learning On Demand The Director of Charles Sturt University’s Engineering Department, ...
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Technology transforming your asset management procedures – IPWEA

By Anirudh Sharma posted 22 hours ago
IPWEA CEO David Jenkins Whether you’re a local government or an infrastructure-intensive business, gaining meaningful insights into your assets no doubt pose a significant challenge. In this era of ‘big data’, raw asset information is readily available in huge quantities – but data for data’s sake can be overwhelming. We need smart approaches to collecting, synthesising and analysing this information so stakeholders can walk away with actionable intelligence. To meet this challenge, IPWEA released a software tool called NAMS+ in 2007 that enables users to both store and ‘crunch’ their data. Since then, the tool has assisted more than 600 stakeholders around ...
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Why investing in critical infrastructure builds resilience and aids disaster recovery

By Anirudh Sharma posted 22 hours ago
From flood protection to bushfire mitigation strategies, building resilient infrastructure is more vital than ever – and local experts are calling for urgent investment to aid future disaster recovery. If the climate alarm was not ringing before now, in recent years it has been sounding virtually non-stop. Last summer, Australia was subject to devastating bush fires, unprecedented in their scope and intensity. Above:   Mount Solitary burning in Blue Mountains, Australia The biggest fires created their own weather patterns, setting spot fires hundreds and sometimes thousands of metres ahead of the main fire front. In a bone-dry environment ...
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Australia ratifies the global Minamata Convention on Mercury

By IPWEA Insite posted 2 days ago
On 7 December 2021, Australia joined with 130 other countries by   ratifying the Minamata Convention on Mercury . Mercury is regarded as one of the world’s top ten toxic chemicals of concern because of its detrimental effects for both humans and wildlife. The treaty will enter into force for Australia on 7 March 2022. The most tangible impact of the Convention on IPWEA members and our broader community of stakeholders will be a ban on importing mercury vapour lamps from next March which is sooner than previously foreshadowed. Lighting owners will need to give their asset replacement plans attention if they still have mercury vapour lighting in their ...
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Minamata Convention: Big implications for local councils

By IPWEA Insite posted 2 days ago
We now have a better understanding of the risks associated with mercury – a heavy metal used extensively during the 20th century that can still be found in thermometers, cosmetics, pesticides and more. Mercury exposure harms the immune system, brain, heart and lungs, sometimes leading to permanent memory loss and language impairment. Even very low levels can cause irreversible damage to humans, animals and flora. Phasing out the use of mercury is widely supported by governments around the world, and a framework for doing so, the Minamata Convention, was drafted a decade ago. Now, after much delay, the Australian Government is expected to ratify the convention. ...
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IPWEA CEO David Jenkins: Automated asset tracking technology saving time and money

By IPWEA Insite posted 2 days ago
The emergence of new technologies is changing the face of asset management in construction – and further adoption is crucial for increased productivity.  Traditional methods of asset tracking are being gradually overhauled, with paper ledgers and Excel spreadsheets making way for software that provides a far more in-depth record of where assets are, how they’re being used and when they need maintenance. In short, interconnectivity and automation are being dramatically improved.  For a part of the industry that has often leaked money, the movement towards technological solutions is a welcome one. Millions of dollars each year are written off in lost or stolen ...
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Fleets lead the way on Electric Vehicle Adoption in Australia

By IPWEA Insite posted 2 days ago
Australia may be a world leader in many fields, but it trails the world in electric vehicle (EV) uptake. According to the  Electric Vehicle Council , 6,900 electric cars were sold in Australia in 2020, a meagre 2.7 per cent increase from the 6,718 sold in 2019. EVs account for just 0.7 per cent of total Australian car sales.   This compares to global sales, which  increased by 43 per cent in 2020 . The largest EV market is China, which saw EV sales rise 8 per cent in 2020 to 1.3 million.  Alexandra Kelly, a policy manager at the EV Council, says corporate and government fleets are leading the transition to EVs in Australia. However, several barriers are impeding rapid ...
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The Urgency of Controlling Light Pollution by Landon Bannister

By IPWEA Insite posted 2 days ago
Light pollution is defined as the inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light at night, and it is the fastest growing pollutant on the planet. Whilst astronomers lament the loss of stars, preventing over 80% of the world’s population from access to a natural sky, light pollution’s impacts are far more reaching. At the same time, it is also the easiest pollutant to address. Light pollution negatively impacts on wildlife, which, much like humans, rely on the cycle of night and day to determine the timing of their biological activity. Studies have shown these impacts to include everything from wide-ranging effects on species physiology; seasonal disruptions; ...
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