Rosh Pinah Zinc has commissioned Namibia’s first paste backfill plant at the Rosh Pinah zinc-lead-silver mine, enabling cemented paste backfilling of underground stopes to cut dilution, reduce surface tailings and improve ore recovery while being run by a locally trained operations team. The RP2.0 expansion, now over 85% complete and targeting Q3 2026 completion, includes a new portal and decline, new paste fill and processing facilities, a SAG mill and water treatment plants. In parallel, RPZ is executing more than 80 km of diamond drilling to 2027, covering infill, step-out and regional targets to extend mine life.

National Grid Electricity Distribution and UK startup Space Solar have begun a feasibility study into using wireless power transmission on Britain’s electricity network, assessing whether high-frequency radio or microwave links could move bulk power without new overhead lines or buried cables. The project will examine integration with existing 132kV–400kV infrastructure, potential use between substations or across constrained corridors, and impacts on grid stability, conversion efficiency and electromagnetic compatibility. Outcomes could influence future routing strategies where planning, geotechnical or wayleave constraints block conventional transmission assets.

Eramet’s Grande Côte mineral sands operation in Senegal has achieved IRMA 50 performance level, the first site in the group to complete an audit under the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance standard. The voluntary assessment, aligned with Eramet’s 2022 CSR roadmap “Act for Positive Mining”, covers mine planning, tailings and water management, labour and community relations, and closure planning. For engineers, IRMA 50 signals external verification of baseline practices on issues such as dredge mining impacts, rehabilitation of coastal dune systems, and control of process-water circuits.

Mackley has secured a £12m contract from Barking Riverside Limited to remodel 500 metres of Thames foreshore in east London, raising the flood defence crest from +7.1mOD to +8.2mOD in line with the Thames Estuary 2100 strategy. Works, starting February 2026 and lasting about 14 months, will use regrading, reinforced concrete walls and localised sheet piling, with surface water managed via swales, attenuation basins and storage tanks. The scheme adds a new riverside terrace east of Barking Riverside Pier, upgraded pedestrian routes and 1,250 m² of new intertidal habitat, integrating utilities corridors, fire access and ecological mitigation.

CoRE Learning Foundation is partnering with Australian miners to give secondary students hands-on exposure to real mine planning, using site data, block models and basic scheduling tools rather than just classroom theory or Minecraft-style simulations. Students work on authentic design problems such as pit layouts, haul road geometry and waste dump placement, guided by practising engineers and geologists from companies like Mineral Resources. The programme is intended to build STEM capability, demystify modern mining methods and create a more work-ready pipeline of future mining professionals.

Australia’s first purpose-built battery-electric heavy-haul locomotives have arrived at BHP’s Pilbara iron ore operations, each carrying a seven‑megawatt‑hour onboard battery system with regenerative braking to capture energy on downhill loaded runs. Built by Progress Rail and Wabtec for the 1,435mm‑gauge network between the Pilbara mines and Port Hedland, the units will initially operate in mixed consists with diesel to validate traction power, range and charging strategies under 40,000‑tonne train loads. Results will directly influence future mainline fleet replacement, rail power supply design and braking strategies on long, 1–2 per cent ruling gradients.

Only 7% of National Highways’ 7,500km Strategic Road Network has been upgraded to the climate resilience standards the agency adopted around 2004, leaving most trunk roads and motorways still designed for historic rainfall and temperature assumptions. The adapted sections typically feature improved drainage capacity, revised pavement materials and embankment strengthening to manage more intense storms and higher groundwater levels. For designers and asset managers, this signals a large backlog of climate adaptation works on cuttings, embankments and pavement structures that will need to be integrated into future renewals and RIS programmes.

WSP and Mott MacDonald have secured a £25M contract from Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE‑N) to deliver environmental services and permitting support for the proposed small modular reactor (SMR) development at Wylfa on Anglesey. The consultancies will lead environmental impact assessment, regulatory interface and consents strategy for the multi‑unit SMR site, a former nuclear location with complex coastal, seismic and ecological constraints. Early permitting work will be critical for geotechnical investigations, marine works and long‑lead nuclear island foundations once a reactor technology is selected.

Investment in constructing energy infrastructure delivers the largest economic growth multiplier among infrastructure classes, according to new modelling by Boston Consulting Group. The analysis compares grid and transmission upgrades with sectors such as transport, water and social infrastructure, finding that spending on energy networks generates the highest indirect gains through supply-chain activity and productivity. For civil and geotechnical engineers, the findings strengthen the case for capital programmes focused on high-voltage transmission, distribution reinforcement and grid‑connection works for renewables.

SSEN Transmission has begun onshore and nearshore construction for its 203km Spittal to Peterhead subsea HVDC link, designed to export renewable power from Caithness to Aberdeenshire. The scheme involves landfall works, transition joint bays and onshore cable sections tying into converter stations at each end, enabling bulk transfer of offshore wind output into the Scottish transmission network. Marine installation of the HVDC cable will demand detailed seabed surveys, burial design and protection measures to manage geotechnical risk along the North Sea route.

Momentum Technologies is commissioning what it claims is the world’s first dual-track demonstration plant near Dallas able to process both rare earth elements and lithium-ion battery materials using its proprietary membrane solvent extraction (MSX) system. MSX replaces football-field-scale solvent extraction circuits and kerosene with compact membrane reactors operating at moderate temperature and pressure, designed to cut footprint, energy use and time-to-commission for REE and battery-material refineries. The company is also progressing a 2,000 t/y commercial battery materials plant in Ohio and says its technology could ultimately support 20–50% of US rare earth processing capacity.

Tivan Limited has upgraded the mineral resource estimate for its Speewah fluorite project in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, describing the deposit as “globally significant” and strategically important for fluorine-based chemicals and aluminium production. The Speewah project, already known for its vanadium-titanium-iron mineralisation, now gains added value from a large, higher-confidence fluorite inventory within the existing mining lease. For geotechnical and mine planners, the combined polymetallic resource raises the stakes for integrated pit design, processing flowsheets and long-term infrastructure planning in a remote, high-cost logistics environment.

XCMG Group and Fortescue have unveiled early prototypes of “real zero” mining fleet equipment, signalling progress towards fully decarbonised haulage and ancillary machinery across Fortescue’s iron ore operations. The collaboration is targeting battery-electric and potentially hydrogen-powered platforms sized for ultra-class haul trucks and large loaders, aiming to integrate with existing pit infrastructure and high-capacity charging or refuelling systems. For mine planners and engineers, the move points to future requirements for redesigned haul profiles, power distribution, and maintenance regimes tailored to zero-emission drivetrains.

Growing demand, complex geology and shifting rare earth supply chains are driving miners to adopt MMD Group’s semi-mobile sizer stations at the pit rim instead of conventional truck-and-shovel haulage to fixed crushers. The sizers’ low roll speed and self-cleaning tooth design handle wet, sticky and variable ore, reducing fines and blockages while maintaining consistent product size for downstream flotation or leaching circuits. Relocatable units on crawlers or skids allow progressive pit advance, cutting haul distances, trimming energy use and limiting the footprint of permanent crushing infrastructure.

Glencore Coal has launched a First Nations pathway programme across its Australian coal operations, targeting roles in underground and open-cut mines, CHPPs and rail logistics. The initiative is focused on structured traineeships and apprenticeships in trades such as diesel fitting, electrical maintenance and plant operations, supported by on-site mentoring and culturally safe recruitment processes. For mine operators and contractors in Glencore’s supply chain, the programme signals stronger expectations around Indigenous participation in technical roles and long-term workforce planning.

Welsh Government has issued a green paper proposing “once‑in‑a‑generation” reforms to water governance in Wales, signalling potential structural changes to how water resources, wastewater and flood risk are regulated and managed. The proposals could reshape the roles of Welsh Water (Dŵr Cymru), Natural Resources Wales and local authorities in asset planning, abstraction control and river basin management. Civil and water engineers should expect future shifts in consenting, resilience standards and long‑term investment planning for treatment works, drainage networks and flood defences.

E-LIX™, the chloride-based hydrometallurgical process developed by electrochemist Dr Eva Lain in 2014, is progressing from lab concept to commercial deployment as a standalone alternative to conventional smelting for copper and polymetallic concentrates. The process operates at atmospheric pressure and relatively low temperatures, using selective leaching and electrowinning to treat high-arsenic and complex feeds that are difficult to place in traditional smelters. For mine developers, E-LIX™ offers a potential on-site refining route that could reduce concentrate transport, simplify arsenic management and change project flowsheet assumptions.

Clancy has begun a £10m Thames Water mains renewal in Haringey, replacing more than 8km of ageing distribution pipes across 29 streets over a two‑year programme. Initial works in February focus on The Broadway, Crouch Hill, Ridge Road and Oakington Way, targeting an area that has suffered multiple main bursts and supply interruptions in recent years. For civil and utility engineers, the scheme signals continued investment in network resilience and leakage reduction on older urban assets, with close coordination promised with Haringey Council to minimise traffic and resident disruption.

Gold built Victoria’s mining legacy, but the state is now targeting a new wave of critical minerals including rare earths, lithium and high‑purity alumina alongside its established gold sector. Exploration is intensifying in the Bendigo and Stawell zones, with juniors and majors using deeper diamond drilling and modern geophysics to chase structurally controlled deposits beneath historic workings. For geotechs and mine planners, the shift means more complex underground designs in highly altered host rocks and greater emphasis on tailings reprocessing, acid‑forming potential and multi‑commodity processing flowsheets.

Aqua Metals and American Battery Factory have signed a non-binding MOU to evaluate co-locating an Aqua Metals lithium-ion recycling plant next to ABF’s planned LFP cell gigafactory in Tucson, Arizona, creating a closed-loop route for manufacturing scrap. The proposed commercial facility would process up to 10,000 tonnes per year of lithium-ion materials and return battery-grade lithium carbonate directly into ABF’s supply chain or to designated offtakers, using Aqua Metals’ electricity-powered AquaRefining system instead of conventional pyrometallurgy or hydrometallurgy. Aqua Metals is already targeting 2027 supply of up to 1,000 tonnes per year of recycled nickel carbonate to Westwin Elements under a separate LOI.

Leveraging mining tyre management for cost and emissions gains, Kal Tire argues that optimising haul truck tyres can materially cut both fuel burn and tyre spend in open-pit operations where loading and haulage already account for roughly 50–60 per cent of operating costs. The company points to better inflation control, haul-road maintenance and tyre selection for specific pit profiles as levers to reduce rolling resistance and extend tyre life on 200–400 t class trucks. For engineers, the message is that tyre data, road design and maintenance planning should be integrated into mine planning, not treated as a consumables issue.

Glencore has frozen nearly C$1 billion of planned investment at its 100‑year‑old Horne copper smelter in Rouyn‑Noranda, including C$300 million earmarked for emissions‑reduction upgrades, after failing to secure a regulatory framework with the Quebec government. Without these projects, the smelter will be unable to meet new emissions limits taking effect from March 2027, forcing a review of the site’s future and signalling a potential closure. Capital spending at Glencore’s CCR copper refinery in Montreal will also be scaled back over the medium term.

Zoomlion is developing a wide-body battery trolley haul truck option that builds on the recent resurgence of trolley-assist systems at large open pits such as Collahuasi and Los Pelambres, which currently rely on diesel-electric trucks. The concept targets battery-electric trucks drawing power from overhead catenary on uphill hauls, using on-board batteries for off-trolley sections to cut diesel use and ramp emissions. For mine planners, this points to future pit designs and ramp geometries explicitly optimised for mixed catenary–battery operation rather than pure diesel haulage.

Biodiversity net gain requirements on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects are being framed as a source of “desperately needed” long-term climate resilience, with large linear schemes such as new highways, rail corridors and strategic energy infrastructure able to create continuous habitat networks at scale. Experts point to legally secured 30‑year management plans, species-rich grassland and woodland planting, and restored wetlands as measures that can buffer flood risk, reduce heat stress and stabilise soils around major assets. For designers and contractors, this shifts BNG from a planning obligation to a core part of geotechnical and drainage resilience strategy.

Anglian Water has opened procurement for a £1.5bn major projects framework covering AMP8 design-and-build works to cut pollution and upgrade water and wastewater assets across eastern England. The multi-lot framework will target schemes such as storm overflow upgrades, new or expanded treatment works and network resilience projects, with packages expected to span civils, MEICA and process engineering. Contractors will need strong track records in regulatory compliance for water quality and environmental permits, plus capacity to deliver large, multi-site programmes under tight outage and consent constraints.

University of Texas at Austin spinout Supra Elemental Recovery has raised an oversubscribed $2 million pre-seed round, led by Crucible Capital, to commercialise a proprietary refining platform for high-purity gallium, scandium and other critical minerals from US industrial byproducts, mine tailings and e-waste. The non-toxic process combines solvent extraction and ion exchange, claiming up to 100× greater selectivity and speed than conventional methods, with initial focus on semiconductor supply chains and validation for cobalt and lithium. Commercial pilots are targeted for 2026, directly addressing the US’s 100% import dependence on gallium and scandium.

Codelco and Schneider Electric have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a strategic alliance focused on digital transformation and energy efficiency across Codelco’s mining operations. The framework targets co-development and deployment of advanced automation, power management and data-driven optimisation solutions, likely integrating Schneider’s EcoStruxure platforms with Codelco’s existing process control and electrical systems. For mine operators, the move signals more systematic use of real-time energy monitoring, load management and process digitalisation to cut operating costs and emissions intensity at large-scale copper assets.

SLR Consulting’s mining sector lead for Africa and the Middle East, Angus Bracken, argues that sustainability decisions must be based on integrated insight across the full value chain, from conceptual scoping through operations to closure. He points to linking mine design, tailings and waste rock strategies, water and energy balances, and closure landforms in a single decision framework, rather than treating ESG, permitting and technical studies as separate workstreams. For engineers, this means earlier trade-off studies on haul profiles, processing routes and residue storage options to avoid costly redesign late in the project cycle.

XCMG has completed two ultra-class battery electric machines for Fortescue, the XC9260BEWL wheel loader and XC9260BEWD wheeled dozer, at its Xuzhou manufacturing base in China. Both units will be shipped to Fortescue’s iron ore operations in the Pilbara, targeting diesel replacement on large load-and-carry and dozing duties. The deployment will test high-capacity battery systems and charging logistics in a remote, high-temperature mining environment, with direct implications for pit power infrastructure and haulage fleet decarbonisation strategies.

The British Geological Survey has launched a multi-year programme to map and assess CO₂ storage potential in Triassic and Jurassic sandstone formations beneath the Central North Sea, using legacy hydrocarbon well logs and 3D seismic data. Geoscientists will evaluate porosity–permeability distributions, caprock integrity and pressure limits to define storage units suitable for multi-million-tonne injection linked to UK industrial clusters. Results are expected to guide site selection, well design and monitoring strategies for future offshore carbon storage licences.

SHED 5 has appointed 27 suppliers to Procurement for Housing’s fifth-generation Social Housing Emerging Disruptors framework, a £500m, three-year vehicle quadrupling the previous iteration’s £100m value as contract awards in 2025 surged versus 2024. Targeting early-stage tech that does not fit standard OJEU-style routes, the SME-focused process uses a rapid desk-based selection to let councils and housing associations procure solutions such as recycled-glass modular panels, self-testing fire doors, anti-mould coatings and smart heat schedulers. The framework aligns with UK procurement reforms aimed at simpler, more flexible, SME-accessible public purchasing.

US Department of Energy has issued a Request for Information inviting US states to host Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses covering fuel fabrication, enrichment, used-fuel reprocessing and waste disposition across the full nuclear fuel cycle. Depending on regional capabilities, campuses could also integrate advanced reactor deployment, power generation, advanced manufacturing and co-located data centres, with states asked to specify priorities such as workforce development, infrastructure investment and economic diversification. Responses, including proposed funding structures, risk-sharing mechanisms and federal partnership models, are due by 1 April 2026.

The Federal Government will invest $75 million in Alpha HPA to build a high-purity alumina production facility in Gladstone, described as the world’s largest of its type and focused on supplying LED and lithium-ion battery markets. The plant will use Alpha’s proprietary solvent extraction process to refine aluminium-containing industrial feedstocks into 4N+ purity alumina and related high-purity aluminium salts. For process engineers and materials specialists, the project signals growing domestic capacity in battery and electronics-grade alumina, with associated demand for reliable reagents, utilities, and port-side logistics.

Cleantech firm EnviroGold Global (CSE: NVRO) will begin trading on the TSX Venture Exchange on 4 February, maintaining its NVRO ticker, with a current C$51.5 million market capitalisation and shares at C$0.11. The company is advancing its NVRO hybrid acid leaching process for mine waste and tailings, claiming >95% gold and silver recovery, strong copper recovery, and operation at low temperature and atmospheric pressure to break sulphide bonds. EnviroGold reports up to 70% reduction in plant footprint and capex and as much as 96% lower carbon emissions versus conventional processing.

BHP has selected its largest Xplor cohort to date, backing 10 early-stage exploration and technology groups with a combined US$5 million in seed funding, with each participant eligible for US$500,000 equity-free plus access to BHP technical mentors. Tech recipients RadiXplore (Australia), Mineural and Discovery Genomics (Canada) and VectOres Science (US) are developing data analytics and genomics tools aimed largely at copper targeting, while exploration cohorts span uranium (FrontierX), copper-zinc (Orion Minerals), multi-commodity base metals (Litchfield Minerals), and copper-gold projects from South America to Indonesia. The inclusion of the Utah Geological Survey signals stronger integration of public geoscience datasets with private-sector targeting workflows.

Electrification of mobile fleets is emerging as the key performance differentiator for Canadian mines, with an EY report linking early adoption of battery-electric haul trucks and loaders to lower operating costs and access to federal GHG-reduction incentives. The report points to Canada’s grid mix and federal tax credits for zero-emission equipment as structural advantages over jurisdictions reliant on diesel power. EY flags grid capacity, on-site charging infrastructure and mine power distribution upgrades as immediate engineering constraints that will shape project timelines and capital allocation.

Skanska has completed Anglian Water’s first integrated constructed treatment wetland at Everton Water Recycling Centre in Bedfordshire, designed to strip phosphorus and iron from final effluent using a nature‑based flow path rather than chemical dosing. The wetland forms part of the WRC outfall stream, using engineered reed beds and controlled hydraulic residence times to polish treated wastewater before discharge. For civil and water engineers, the scheme signals growing scope for low‑energy, passive treatment trains to meet tightening nutrient consents on small to medium works.

Southern Water has launched a £1.3bn framework tender for sustainable drainage and habitat restoration across its catchment, targeting large-scale SuDS retrofits, nature-based flood management and river corridor enhancement. The multi-year programme will call for design-and-build teams to deliver measures such as swales, wetlands, infiltration basins and floodplain reconnection to cut surface water inflows to sewers and reduce CSO spills. Contractors will need strong geotechnical, hydrological and ecological capability, with emphasis on whole-catchment modelling and long-term asset performance.

Orca Fuel Solutions and VERIDAPT will present an integrated fuel management platform at Investing in African Mining Indaba 2026 in Cape Town from 9–12 February, targeting tighter control of diesel use across African mine sites. The partnership combines Orca’s on-site storage and dispensing hardware with VERIDAPT’s real-time monitoring, automation and data analytics to track fuel from bulk delivery to individual assets. For operators, the pitch is reduced fuel theft and shrinkage, auditable Scope 1 emissions data, and better optimisation of haul truck and plant fuel consumption.

The UK Concrete Show will return to Birmingham’s NEC on 25–26 March 2026 in Hall 17, bringing more than 170 exhibitors covering cementitious materials, admixtures, test equipment, pumps, volumetric and truck mixers, and digital monitoring solutions. New technical features include the Live Demo Zone for in-situ demonstrations of production, placement and finishing equipment, and an expanded Concrete Connect Seminar Theatre hosted by Susannah Streeter, with sessions on decarbonisation technologies, advanced carbons and lower‑carbon precast design. Suppliers range from Cormac Engineering’s Frumecar batching plants (30–150 m³/h, fixed and mobile, wet and dry) to Arrow kerbing machines and Betonblock steel block moulds.

Gateway 2 approval has been granted by the Building Safety Regulator for the first two higher-risk buildings in Viridis Living’s Fallowfield Campus redevelopment at the University of Manchester, both 14-storey blocks providing 205 and 207 beds. The consortium of Equitix, John Graham Construction and Derwent FM has submitted seven HRBs in total, with structural works on the first two to start this month after a 15-week turnaround from planning to approval. Key technical choices include a precast cross-wall system and extended concrete use for inherent fire resistance, within a 3,300-bed masterplan targeting Passivhaus certification at European scale and BREEAM Excellent.

Holcim UK has promoted former northern aggregates regional director Shaun Elliott to managing director for recycling, tasking him with maximising recycling performance and integrating it across the business. The company now operates eight recycling centres after acquiring PJ Thory, Gemmix, Pro Minimix and Thames Materials, expanding capacity to process construction and demolition materials into certified secondary aggregates and cementitious products. Globally, Holcim is targeting annual recycling of 20 million tonnes of CDM by 2030, lifting cement recycled content to 30% and using 70 million tonnes of waste and by-products as alternative fuels and raw materials.

Morgan Sindall Construction has begun a £16.2m, three-phase rebuild of the Burnside Secondary Pupil Referral Unit in Chingford, delivering two new blocks totalling 1,815 m² – a teaching block with six multi-purpose classrooms, a science lab and art & design studio, plus a hall and sports block with sports hall, dining room, food tech and fitness rooms – linked by a glazed corridor. Existing single-storey buildings will be demolished sequentially to keep the 48-place PRU operational, with handovers from late 2026 to spring 2028, and safeguarding measures including controlled public interaction and privacy in play areas. The design uses closed panel timber for insulation, solar PV, an air source heat pump system for net-zero operational carbon, and robust, damage-resistant finishes with muted colours and lighting to support pupil wellbeing.

Magnetite Mines is advancing its Razorback magnetite project in South Australia to supply high-grade iron ore concentrate tailored for low-emissions and green steel production, targeting direct reduction (DR) pellet and pellet feed markets. The company is ramping up global partnerships with downstream steelmakers and technology providers to align Razorback’s product specifications with DR furnace and hydrogen-based steelmaking requirements. For mine planners and process engineers, this signals growing demand for consistent, low-impurity magnetite concentrates optimised for DR-grade pellets rather than traditional blast furnace sinter feed.

A new electric bus depot has opened in Preston, Melbourne, incorporating a Victorian-first overhead gantry charging system to maximise yard space and increase charging capacity for Zero-Emission Buses (ZEBs). The gantry layout removes the need for individual ground-mounted chargers beside each bay, allowing denser bus parking and simplified cable management for future fleet expansion. The facility is a key node in Victoria’s shift from diesel to ZEB operations as the state targets net zero emissions by 2045, with implications for high-load electrical supply design and depot pavement performance under changed traffic patterns.

International Tower Hill Mines has raised $118 million for its Livengood gold project in Alaska, including a $40 million private placement and an extra $3.3 million from hedge fund Paulson & Co., lifting Paulson’s stake to 35% at US$2.22 per share. The 2023 technical report pegs initial capex at US$1.93 billion with an after-tax NPV of US$2.35 billion at US$2,500/oz gold, but shows the project becomes marginal with modest price declines. About US$50 million is earmarked for feasibility and technical studies and US$35 million for permitting and community engagement, with additional metallurgical work planned on antimony recovery from stibnite veins.

Glencore remains deadlocked with Quebec over the future of its nearly 100-year-old Horne copper smelter in Rouyn-Noranda, where arsenic emissions must be cut from current levels to 45 ng/m³ by March and 15 ng/m³ from 2027—still five times the provincial standard. The company is weighing a US$200 million modernisation to meet the 15 ng/m³ target but is demanding an 18‑month transition period and guarantees against tighter future limits before committing. Closure would also threaten the Canadian Copper Refinery in Montreal, which relies on Horne’s 210,000 t/y copper and precious metals output, and comes amid an authorised class action over historical emissions.

Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc Nation told the AME Roundup conference that meaningful reconciliation in British Columbia mining requires shared decision-making, recognition of Indigenous law and early engagement under DRIPA and UNDRIP. She warned that a large portion of Stk̓emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation territory is already staked through the province’s online mineral tenure system, often without consent, and that crown reserves frequently overlap culturally and environmentally sensitive areas. Casimir cited New Gold’s Afton copper-gold mine and the Ajax proposal to stress that SSN is not anti-mining, but will oppose projects in high-impact locations and expects proponents with claims to initiate early, relationship-based consultation.

Bouygues has completed a post-tensioned timber wildlife bridge over the Zurich–Bern motorway, reconnecting fragmented habitats while separating animal movements from high-speed traffic. The structure uses longitudinal post-tensioning in engineered timber elements instead of conventional reinforced concrete, reducing self-weight and material-related embodied carbon while enabling a slender deck profile. For designers, the scheme signals growing acceptance of large-span timber with prestressing on primary highway infrastructure, with implications for dynamic performance, durability detailing and fire design.

Codelco has signed an agreement with Neuvol, Chile’s first collective management system for used and end-of-life tyres, to comply with the country’s Extended Producer Responsibility (REP) Law and embed circular-economy practices in its large mining tyre stream. The alliance’s first milestone is the processing of Codelco’s mining tyres through Neuvol’s system, shifting material from on-site stockpiles and potential landfill towards recovery routes such as granulation, pyrolysis or co-processing. For mine operators, the deal signals growing regulatory pressure to design haulage tyre logistics, storage yards and contracts around traceable collection and certified recycling capacity.