Construction World June 2015

ROADS AND BRIDGES

LIVING

Stewardship for our PLANET INDEX Every single engineering activity contributes to the measurement of the earth’s Living Planet Index. We should be asking ourselves how

A summary of some comments by Mathis Wacker and Andre Schneider (Global foot- print network & Global advisory SA) which can be applied to the engineers’ strategic decision-making framework. • There is a strong competitive advantage to be gained by business if they manage the ecological risks and opportunities. • A business can establish the benchmarks, set qualitative targets and evaluate alternatives for future activities. • A demonstration of such market foresight can set the direction for the industry and communicate strategic strength to be the leaders in specific sectors. Engineering interventions: their maintenance and stewardship The definition of maintenance is: the process of preserving a condition or situation or the state of being preserved. The definition of stewardship is: an ethic that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources. Both these activities of stewardship and maintenance of engineering interventions presupposes that the responsible person or team cares enough and will act appropri- ately. Can we make this idea more simple by suggesting that each of these activities is thought of as onerous, but need not be so if the actions to process is easy to understand and readily available. An example that required little expla- nation and was easy to understand is the separation of waste according to the colour coded bins to separate paper from glass and biodegradable products. This has proved to be a global initiative to solve a waste management problem engineered in simplicity and an example of the application to good stewardship. Businesses that apply ecological responsibility There is a great opportunity for any business to choose an appropriate platform to declare its ecological responsibility and compliance within its particular industry. Those companies who have started to accumulate credits after many years of commitment to ecological responsible engi- neering interventions and are set to continu- ously grow their historical register of sound stewardship. It takes active involvement and

Mechanically stabilised earth wall (MSEW), MacRes (Umgeni interchange, KZN).

a conscious decision to support good stew- ardship and the maintenance of engineering interventions. The reward to a business is the repeat business, the marketing position and proof of its sector leadership. A simple aspect of stewardship is the observation and monitoring of performance The first reason to monitor an engi- neering intervention is the demonstration of due care to the performance and ongoing satisfactionof the functionality for the client. When a project team embraces a sustain- able ecological design and endeavour to be selective of the materials so as to reduce the carbon footprint, they will create a flag- ship status and demonstrate their laudable acclaim for stewardship. The SECI group with its head office in Italy has joined the long list of inter- national companies promoting a global ideal of ecological stewardship and encour- ages its subsidiary companies such as Maccaferri Africa, to respect the need for ecological stewardship in its offerings of engineering interventions. It is required that they demonstrate active involvement into the steward- ship of sectors that are sensitive to the road network, wetlands, river systems, mining sectors and marine environment. The choice of whether to propose a ‘hard’ but durable and longer life span engineering solution versus a more ecological, ‘greener’ solution with a sufficient lifespan, but which may be more susceptible to extreme envi- ronmental factors such as flooding and drought, challenges the engineering profes- sional on this loyalty to stewardship. A clear understanding of these two options encourages the engineers and specialists at Maccaferri Africa, to ensure all solutions and engineering interventions maximise the ecological benefits of mate- rials proposed. Accordingly performance monitoring of many retaining structures in the mining, roads, airports and marine envi- ronments have been implemented and seek to develop a corporate attitude of respon- sible stewardship. When will we be counted in, by our ecological correct decisions to solve indus- trial and private sector problems? The answer is: When we can say that

We are constantly being warned and reminded that the annual human demand on resources are exceeding what can be regen- structures, which intervene in the landscape, for mankind’s benefit the best we can do? > Because we are able to measure, can calculate the footprint and can assess what pressure this exerts on the planets ecolog- ical assets, engineering professionals are required to work with greater wisdom, take personal and collective action as a profes- sional body that continues to prove they will be remembered as worthy stewards during their working life. Hydraulic structures, gabions and mattresses (Hornlee, Western Cape). well does our scorecard tally and does it demonstrate a constant, conscious effort of stewardship of our natural resources? Is our design, choice of materials and the maintenance of the erated by the earth.

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD JUNE 2015