Research and practice papers on engineering a sustainable future.

ISSN: 1478-4629
eISSN: 1751-7680

Aims and scope

Engineering Sustainability provides a forum for sharing the latest thinking from research and practice, and increasingly is presenting the 'how to' of engineering a sustainable future. The journal features refereed papers and shorter articles relating to the pursuit and implementation of sustainability principles through engineering planning, design and application. The tensions between and integration of social, economic and environmental considerations within such schemes are of particular relevance. Methodologies for assessing sustainability, policy issues, education and corporate responsibility will also be included. The aims will be met primarily by providing papers and briefing notes (including case histories and best practice guidance) of use to decision-makers, practitioners, researchers and students.

The topics falling into the scope of Engineering Sustainability include, but are not exclusive to, the following:

  • Theories and principles of sustainability and their implementation
  • Methodologies for assessing sustainability in engineering and infrastructure
  • Sustainable engineering planning, design, and application
  • Social, economic, and environmental sustainability in engineering
  • Policy, education, corporate social responsibility, of sustainability in engineering
  • Net zero and carbon neutrality in building and infrastructure
  • Sustainable building and infrastructure assessment
  • Offsite prefabrication and modular construction for sustainability 
  • Smart and digital technologies for engineering sustainability
  • Infrastructure resilience and integrated approaches addressing complexity and dynamics.

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Award-winning papers

Each year, the paper rated best by the Editorial Panel is given the ICE's Richard Trevithick Fund Prize.

In 1888 a fund was established in memory of Richard Trevithick (1771-1833) which was used to provide a memorial window in Westminster Abbey, and to establish a Trevithick Scholarship at Owens College, Manchester. In 1890 the balance of the fund was accepted in trust by the Council of the Institution, and was augmented in 1932 by a gift from Mrs H K Trevithick, MD. The income is used to award a framed certificate, initially every three years, for papers presented to the Institution.

Each year we award authors from both industry and academia who have produced work judged by their peers to be of exceptional quality and benefit to the civil engineering, construction and materials science community. Papers outside of our archive (published after 2002) are free to read here in perpetuity as part of our commitment to furthering knowledge and best practice.

Year awarded Paper title
2022 Towards sustainable informal settlements: a toolkit for community-led upgrading in Durban
2021 The Liveable Cities Method: establishing the case for transformative change for a UK metro
2020 Mass timber in the circular economy: paradigm in practice
2019 Scenario analysis of embodied greenhouse gas emissions in UK construction
2018 Community-responsive adaptation to flooding in Kibera, Kenya
2017 Cycling infrastructure in London
2016 Towards a sustainable infrastructure company
2015 Educating engineers to embrace complexity and context
2014 Modelling cities and water infrastructure dynamics
2013 Halstar: systems engineering for sustainable development
2012 A 'engineer-client' framework for participation in community-scale infrastructure projects
2011 Low Carbon Housing design informed by research
2010 Estimating carbon dioxide emissions for aggregate use
2009 Water management at BedZED: some lessons
2008 The load-bearing duct: biomimicry in structural design
2007 Sustainable landslide risk reduction in poorer countries
2005 Sustainability and the formation of the civil engineer
2003 TravelSmart - large-scale cost-effective mobility management. Experiences from Perth, Western Australia
2002 Geotechnical aspects of lifeline engineering
1999 Bituminous surfacings for heavily trafficked roads in tropical climates
1996 Impact of vegetation on slope stability in a humid tropical environment: a modelling approach
1993 Free bending characteristics of axially preloaded spiral strands
1990 Yield design of reinforced earth walls by a homogenization method
1987 Assessing the reliability of supply and level of service for water distribution systems
1984 Buchan production system
1981 A computational hydraulic model for rivers
1978 The elastoplastic analysis of imperfect square plates under in-plane loading
1975 Free vibrations of coupled shear walls on flexible bases
1972 Seismic activity in man-made reservoirs
sustainable

This title is aligned with our sustainable structures and infrastructures goal

We recognise the transformative power of sustainable engineering, design and building practices in creating a world where our planet and its inhabitants can thrive.

SDG 3 Good health & well-being
SDG 6 Clean water & sanitation
SDG 7 Affordable & clean energy
SDG 9 Industry, innovation & infrastructure
SDG 11 Sustainable cities & communities
SDG 12 Responsible consumption & production
SDG 13 Climate action
Find out about our sustainable structures and infrastructures goal