Ageing infrastructures

Why are we focusing on ageing infrastructures?

Effective management of our infrastructure assets is critical to safety, economic growth, and reaching net-zero goals. Demand on existing infrastructure is increasing, especially with greater fluctuation and severity of weather events and growing urbanisation, while investment in maintenance hasn’t kept pace with demand.

To address this, the National Engineering Policy Centre has established a policy project on Ageing Infrastructures. We are taking a cross-sector approach, looking at transportation, water and wastewater, and flood risk defence. This project aims to make sustaining our ageing infrastructures a strategic priority for central, devolved, and local governments, reducing the risk of failure and loss of services, and ensuring government spending delivers the best long-term value for money.

The old viaduct bridge at Millers Dale, Derbyshire in the Peak District being repaired with mortar by building engineers. Credit: Shutterstock.

Through the project we intend to:

1. Convey the urgency and policy importance of addressing the UK’s ageing infrastructures, making a case for continued focus; 
2. Enhance understanding from an engineering perspective, supporting better informed decision-making on maintenance and investment; 
3. Identify actionable implementation pathways for better management of ageing infrastructure.

Acknowledgement

The project has been developed by the National Engineering Policy Centre, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, in collaboration with Institution of Civil Engineers, Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation, Institute of Highway Engineers, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Institute of Structural Engineers, Institute of Water, Permanent Way Institute, and Institute of Asset Management.

Working Group

This project is delivered by a National Engineering Policy Centre Working Group made up of the following experts:

Chair: Dr Steve Denton FREng FICE FIStructE, Executive Director & Head of Civil Engineering, WSP

Professor Andrew McNaughton FREng FICE FCILT FRGS FIET, Chair, Network Rail

Alan Ross FPWI MIET AIAM, Director Engineering and Asset Management, Network Rail Scotland’s Railway

Dr Andrew Ridley​​, Managing Director at Geotech Observations and Visiting Professor of Geotechnical Monitoring at Imperial College London

Ben Cook ​​FIHE, Head of Contract Management and Commissioning, Suffolk Highways

Eva MacNamara MIStructE, Director at Expedition Engineering and Useful Simple Trust

Graham Dalton FREng FICE, Non-Executive Director at energy & Utility Skills and Non-Executive Member at Scottish Water

Ian Hodge FICE, Chief Engineer, Director Standards, Asset Management & Engineering, Environment Agency

Jo Parker MBE FIWater FICE FCIWEM, VP of Engineering, Institute of Water

Karen Agbabiaka, Director Streets and Environment at Croydon Council and Non-Executive Director at Active Travel England

Professor William Powrie FREng FICE, Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, University of Southampton​​

Sean Anderson​​, Asset Management Strategy and Transformation Lead, Scottish Water