Publisher’s pick: Our top 10 ICE Publishing articles of 2024

Author: Benjamin Ramster, Journals Commissioning Editor of ICE Publishing.

Dive into our top 10 civil and environmental engineering and materials science key articles. Each peer-reviewed article addresses pressing issues such as public health, urban resilience and safety, and environmental sustainability. Our journals explore innovative approaches that are shaping a brighter future. Are you ready to be part of the solution?

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1. Soil bio-cementation treatment strategies: state-of-the-art review - Geotechnical Research

Authors: Armstrong Ighodalo Omoregie, Khalida Muda, Dominic Ek Leong Ong, et al

Bio-cementation is a cutting-edge, eco-friendly method for enhancing soil stability. While it faces challenges like bacterial cultivation costs and ammonium production, enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation offers a promising alternative. This technique's sustainable procedures and future implications make it a compelling choice for geotechnical engineering.

2. Advanced in situ and laboratory characterisation of the ALPACA chalk research site - Géotechnique

Authors: Ken Vinck,  Tingfa Liu, Richard J. Jardine, et al.

Insights from Chalk Testing at St Nicholas at Wade

Recent offshore North and Baltic Sea wind energy-generating projects have demonstrated that current recommendations are insufficiently reliable to guide safe and economical driven pile design in chalk, a very weak to weak biomicrite limestone. This paper describes how the chalk at St Nicholas at Wade, UK, undergoes rigorous testing for driven pile applications.

3. Hydroxyapatite as an active ingredient in oral care: an international symposium report - Bioinspired, Biomimetic and Nanobiomaterial

Authors: Malgorzata Pawinska, Elzbieta Paszynska, Hardy Limeback, et al.

Hydroxyapatite is a bioinspired ingredient increasingly used in preventive oral health care. This interdisciplinary review gives an overview of the developments in hydroxyapatite research, highlights the research progress made regarding hydroxyapatite as a biomimetic active ingredient and summarises the state-of-the-art evidence in support of hydroxyapatite efficacy.
 

4. Coastal greening of grey infrastructure: an update on the state of the art - Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Maritime Engineering

Authors: Louise B. Firth, Jessica Bone, Aaron Bartholomew, et al.

Greening grey infrastructure (GGI) promotes native marine life on artificial structures like sea defences, breakwaters, and offshore energy installations, enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This approach supports UN SDG 14: Life below water. Despite its potential, GGI faces criticisms and knowledge gaps, with concerns about misuse by developers. Recent research emphasises the need for intersectoral collaboration and capacity building to optimise GGI for sustainable development.

5. Practical application of graphene-enhanced concrete - Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Construction Materials

Author: Lee S. Cunningham, Aldo F. Sosa Gallardo, Andrew S.J. Foster, et al.

This paper argues how graphene nanoparticles significantly improve concrete's mechanical properties, sparking considerable research interest. Despite promising lab results, challenges remain for widespread construction use. Recent experiments and field trials have successfully demonstrated graphene-enhanced concrete at scale, highlighting its potential for future construction projects.

6. Integrating life-cycle environmental impact and costs into geotechnical design - Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Engineering Sustainability

Authors: Ida Samuelsson, Johan Spross, Stefan Larsso

Construction projects, including geotechnical engineering, significantly contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions. Integrating environmental impact and cost assessments into the geotechnical design process can improve sustainability. This paper presents a methodology for incorporating life-cycle assessment and life-cycle cost analysis into geotechnical design, using a high-speed railway embankment fill example to illustrate the approach.

7. Tidal range electricity generation into the twenty-second century - Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Energy

Authors: David Vandercruyssen, Simon Baker, David Howard, et Al.

Tidal range electricity generation schemes are designed to last over 120 years, requiring careful planning for sea-level rise (SLR). These schemes can maintain tidal ranges and protect against flooding, preserving intertidal habitats. This paper lays out a strategy that involves using energy for pumping to maintain tidal limits, with minimal impact on annual electricity production.

8. Visual representation of safety in urban spaces: a tale of two neighbourhoods - Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Urban Design and Planning

Author: Azadeh Shahrad

Urban studies reveal how media influences urban life, promoting growth but also creating negative images. This paper analyses Swedish newspaper representations of two Malmö neighborhoods: Bellevuegården, depicted negatively, and Västra Hamnen, seen as safe and attractive. The study highlights Malmö's (Sweden) struggle with a dangerous reputation and shows that media representation affects public perception, impacting equality and integration efforts in urban planning.
 

9. Coloration and antibacterial treatment of aramid fabric: a comprehensive review - Surface Innovation

Authors: Rony Mia, Sania Habib, Mohammed A Assiri, et al.

Aramid fabric (AF) is popular in body armor for its low density, high strength, and high modulus. Dyeing AF is challenging due to its crystalline structure, but techniques like supercritical carbon dioxide and ultraviolet treatment show good colorfastness. This review summarizes the advancements in dyeing and antibacterial treatments for AF.

10. Hypoplastic predictions of changes in undrained shear strength during episodic loading - Géotechnique Letters

Authors: G. Medicus, K. A. Kwa

This study used clay hypoplasticity in simulations to investigate void ratio and undrained strength evolution, observed in direct simple shear (DSS) tests on normally consolidated clay. The clay hypoplastic model with intergranular strain extension effectively captures the response of normally consolidated clay to episodic loading.