The UK government has announced that it will be mandatory to include Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in virtually all new housing developments in England beginning in 2024. This is a win for proponents of SuDS, but one that feels like it has been a long time coming. This will bring England in line with Scotland,…
Industry news
When storms cause flooding, we often want to make water flow as quickly as possible away from the problem. But water is an asset, not a problem. Just as with traffic on our highways, making the pipes wider and the flow faster doesn’t solve the problem. By holding on to water or controlling how quickly…
Drainage design
Last year at this time, I was riding a bike along the canals of Glasgow, tagging along with an extremely talented film crew from BBC StoryWorks to help document the incredible progress Scottish Canals has made in revitalizing their waterways. The film that came out of this trip, Europe’s First Smart Canal, is beautiful. We’re…
Industry news
At Autodesk, we believe in the power of collaboration and the invaluable insights that our customers bring to the table. Last week, we told you about the Autodesk Research Community, which is a good way to provide feedback across all Autodesk products and services. This week, we’re excited to announce a new initiative that empowers…
Product news
We recently organized a webinar with iAgua (article also available in Spanish) to discuss in depth the digitalization of the water industry. The event was organized to show how technological innovation is transforming water management in municipalities, which often comes not just from within their organization but also through work alongside their consultants and contractors. The webinar…
Events
This week, Colby Manwaring is a guest on the Geotechnical Engineering Podcast. Host Jared M. Green asks Colby about how digital technology is transforming the way water systems are designed, analyzed, simulated, and managed. Naturally, the talk turned to digital twins and how the industry is just scratching the surface of how useful a true…
Digital twins
In the town of Sidmouth on the South West coast of England, Jacobs, a leading technical water consultancy, not only designed a flood alleviation scheme that protects residents and properties but created an innovative, unique, impeccably sustainable, dual-use amenity for residents. It’s a strikingly beautiful example of blue-green infrastructure. The Sidmouth area has a long…
Drainage design
As we all know, the first step in solving a problem is understanding the scope of the problem. But getting a good understanding of the state of the world’s water problems can be a daunting task. The UN has led the way in collecting data around water and sharing it as broadly as possible to…
Commentary
“We need you to come back to the site. There’s been some flooding.” No general contractor wants to find a message like that in their inbox half a decade after wrapping up a construction project. But a representative from Magnolia Montessori was indeed coming back to Rogers-O’Brien (RO). They were concerned because water was ponding…
Drainage design
What do Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Raphael, Galileo, Brunelleschi, and Botticelli all have in common? They all, at one point, lived in Florence, Italy. Home to the powerful and beneficent Medici family, this Renaissance city located beside Tuscany’s longest river, the Arno, has long been a wellspring of art and culture. But it’s also…
Storm, sewer, flood