Engineering Matters

At the end of the Second World War, millions of tonnes of unwanted explosives and weapons were disposed of at sea. For decades, these dumped munitions lay hidden beneath the waves as time and tide passed over them.

Now 80 years past that mass-dumping, corrosion has begun to expose the explosive chemicals inside these weapons casings. Lead, mercury and TNT breakdown products have begun to be detected in fish stocks throughout the affected waters. At the same time, the growth of offshore infrastructure such as wind farms is increasing the need to understand and manage hazards on the seabed.

But dumped munitions are not the same problem as unexploded ordnance (UXO). Instead of finding isolated dangerous objects, engineers face vast areas containing thousands of items, requiring new approaches to detection, removal, containment and disposal. This is a question of new technologies, new approaches, and still yet, convincing people of the scale of the problem.

Guests

Torsten Frey, post-doctoral researcher, Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel

Peter Nieuwveld, Solution Owner UXO Risk Mitigation, Fugro

Jennifer Yun, New Business Manager, Fugro

Resources

Sign up for the CAMMera & MMinE-SwEEPER Newsletter: http://bit.ly/3PDUcPj

Visit JPI Oceans Knowledge Portal for Munitions in the Sea: http://munitionsinthesea.eu/

Check out Munitions in the Sea Projects booklet: Munitions_booklet_October_2025.pdf

Check out UNOC 2025 Munitions in the Sea Factsheets: https://tinyurl.com/2x35pwwu

For the Engineering Matters episode on UXO mitigation, click here

Photo credit: Lukas Schröder

Partner

Fugro is the world’s leading geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.
The post #370 The Forgotten Arsenal of the Ocean: Clearing Dumped Munitions first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In this Engineering Matters Awards episode, we celebrate the winners of the Health & Safety Champion category, which recognises engineers who are changing how we protect people in some of the world’s most challenging environments.

Engineering is often measured by what we build: the bridges, tunnels, infrastructure, and systems that shape our world. But true engineering excellence is also defined by how we build, and how we protect the people who make it possible. This episode explores how innovation, preparation, and predictive technology are helping to reduce risk and improve safety across the board.

Our two award-winning entrants are:

Scott Shipley, Director of Swiftwater and Whitewater Parks at Caliber Engineering, who is transforming emergency response training by creating realistic, controlled environments where first responders can prepare for extreme flooding scenarios.

Monica Calle, co-founder and CTO of Geprode, is using predictive analytics to address one of underground construction’s biggest challenges: geological uncertainty.
The post #369 Health & Safety Champion – Engineering Matters Awards first appeared on Engineering Matters.

This episode is part of the Engineering Matters Awards series, recognising individuals and organisations making an outstanding contribution to the engineering profession and wider society. Engineering is often judged by technical achievements: better products, more efficient processes, and breakthrough innovations. But some of the industry’s most meaningful contributions happen beyond the core aims of the work itself.

The role of engineers in society is to solve problems and create a more liveable world. Through the development of a project or a product an engineer may have the opportunity to bring about a wider community benefit, beyond solving the primary problem. It is those choices that this award recognises.

In this Engineering Matters Awards episode, we celebrate two Bronze-level winners in the Community Champion category: Dremere Woods of Honda Development and Manufacturing of America, and Gaurav Mittal of Thermo Fisher Scientific. Join us as we explore why engineering excellence is not only about solving problems, but also about improving lives.

Guests:

Gaurav Mittal, Data Science Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific

Dremere Woods, Supplier Quality Engineer, Honda Development and Manufacturing
The post #368 Community Champion – Engineering Matters Awards first appeared on Engineering Matters.

For decades, infrastructure design has relied on ‘grey’ engineering: concrete flood walls, steel structures and rigid systems designed to control the environment. But with climate pressures intensifying, engineers are increasingly looking to work with nature rather than against it.

This episode looks at the growing role of nature-based solutions in building climate-resilient infrastructure that can help manage flood risk, restore ecosystems, improve biodiversity and create more resilient communities.

Nature itself should be considered critical infrastructure and an entire generation educated to undertake work differently to that which has been done before.

Guests

Hannah Joyce, Senior Fluvial Geomorphologist, AtkinsRéalis

Laura Liddaman, Associate Director of Nature Based Solutions, AtkinsRéalis

Resources

To access the paper discussed in this episode, a forward-looking vision for the role of nature-based solutions in future-resilient infrastructure, click here

Partner

AtkinsRéalis is a world-leading professional services and project management company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. Employing over 37,000 people across Canada, the US and Latin America, the UK and Ireland, and Asia, the Middle East, and Australia, AtkinsRéalis creates sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world’s infrastructure and energy systems
The post #367 Nature Based Solutions: The End of Grey Engineering first appeared on Engineering Matters.

In this special Engineering Matters Awards episode, we celebrate excellence across the industry, highlighting our Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners in the Diversity & Inclusion Champion category.

Engineering suffers from a ‘leaky pipe’ problem, where a great many potential professionals count themselves out of a career long before university. It is a problem that has been clearly identified, but that the industry has long struggled to correct.

Our featured guest and Gold Winner is Stuart Naismith, primary teacher, STEM communicator, and Gold Award winner, and the creator behind STEM with Mr N, a platform bringing accessible science and real-world STEM stories to young audiences worldwide. Click the link below to find out more about Stuart’s great work.

Special thanks to our judges from Engineers Without Borders UK, and from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Guest

Stuart Naismith, STEM with Mr N
The post #366 Diversity & Inclusion Champion – Engineering Matters Awards first appeared on Engineering Matters.