LCRIG content director Alec Peachey carries out regular interviews with members to highlight the work they’re doing and the types of technologies that are driving innovation forward. This week, Ruairi Charlesworth, – Development Manager at Highway Data Systems – highlights how industry developments are opening the door to innovation and why using data to inform asset management is key.
Q. As an SME, what are some of the main challenges you face when it comes to engaging with the wider sector?
A. “I don’t believe that there’s a lack of engagement with SMEs in the highways sector; most contractors have someone in charge of innovation or business improvement, whereas Tier 1s actively have teams looking at new ideas from SMEs all the time. I think the issue that SMEs have, and often the cause of some frustration, is the cultural adversity that larger companies have to risk and the difficulty of manoeuvring innovation into framework/project contracts that are already established and underway. As a consequence, it is difficult to sustain development in R&D because investments are not recovered quickly and most improvements made are incremental.”
Q. What cutting edge technologies are you most excited about?
A. “We are particularly excited about using road quality assurance data in asset management. At the moment, surface level pavement surveys are conducted every year and that information is fed into pavement management systems to create deterioration models. Highway Data Systems believe that we should be taking information about how roads are constructed to inform that modelling. We’re part of some exciting research and development which will hopefully be improving the quality of asset management across the industry. McKinsey rank the construction industry in second to last place among other world industries in terms of our adoption of automation and digitalisation technology. The lack of productivity in construction costs the world economy $1.63tn a year so we’re particularly excited about any technology that might improve the industry!”
Q. In what ways does the sector need to evolve?
A. “The sector has come on leaps and bounds in our approach to safety, mental health, equality, diversity and sustainability – all of which are laudable improvements. However, it is also true that some of these high-minded ideals seem to be sacrificed quite quickly when they come up against cost considerations.
“I don’t think it’s fair to blame contractors or clients, because the industry runs on tight margins and local authorities, in particular, have been severely underfunded for some time. It means that innovations designed to improve the above aims are only viable if they can also save money at the same time. Better funding of local authority networks would help make space for innovation that requires up-front investment and perhaps innovation that requires some risk too.”
Q. Can regulation be a barrier to innovation?
A. “Yes. We at Highway Data Systems are restricted from using our automated materials testing systems in some circumstances because of regulation that is out of date. To be fair, this is hardly surprising, since a lot of specifications were written before commercially viable GPS, sensor, and laser systems were available. But the lack of forward vision that was employed when writing regulation is a significant barrier to introducing new and better ways of working.
“A good example from the world of materials testing are two specifications for measuring road surface characteristics: regularity and texture. The schedule of highways works (SHW) regulation that covers testing for texture mandates is an old-fashioned, potentially hazardous to execute measurement of texture commonly known as the sand patch test. There isn’t any exception to this for testing of the vast majority of the UK road network.
“Compare this to the rules governing testing for regularity. SHW 702.5 states that you must use a (similarly outdated) method of testing, the rolling straight edge but it, fortunately, makes provision for using ‘equivalent apparatus capable of measuring irregularities within the same magnitudes over a 3m length’.
“Using this regulatory approach, where one eye is kept on the future and an allowance is made for alternative methodologies, has enabled HDS to innovate and gain UKAS accreditation for a laser-based method of testing regularity all within the current regulations. A similar approach to regulation elsewhere would enable companies to innovate and introduce new ways of working much easier without reducing the quality of work.”
Q. In what ways can the industry work better with local authorities and should there be a greater sharing of knowledge?
A. “Yes, knowledge sharing is essential for industry-wide improvement. I think that this approach is gaining in popularity, and bodies like LCRIG are leading the way. In terms of technology innovation, proposing a change in materials testing specifications for example, is much easier when a group can share their thoughts and gain confidence from discussion in a forum setting.”
Q. Should more designated funding be allocated for local roads and what role can innovation play in ensuring money is spent effectively?
A. “Designated funding should be allocated for local roads because they are often the ones most in need of innovation to help improve their quality. Better quality assurance monitoring through technology, digital data and asset management all have a role to play in extending pavement life, but also help to ensure that money spent is monitored for its efficacy.”