Issue link: https://geospatial.trimble.com/en/resources/i/1415426
MAY 2019 csengineermag.com 43 Jayne Hornsby, Head of Estimating and Business Development at Land & Water Group, explains why the business is passionate about tackling the disproportionate employment figures in the industry: "I truly believe that we are at a turning point in the history of gender equality and as a values led, community focussed business it is vital that we actively engage with the issues affecting the communities in which we live and work. The #BalanceforBetter campaign is vital on both a societal and boardroom level with many businesses waking up to the idea that gender balance is vital in every aspect of our lives from work, to the media and beyond. Our businesses should be repre- sentative of the society and shared goals that we are working for and therefore reflect the individuals that make it up. "This is why as a business we are extremely proud to have numerous talented women shaping and driving the Land & Water Group forward as well as fostering the next generation of talent through our appren- ticeship programme." From its General Managers, Business Development team and Divisional Business Managers through to Contracts Managers and Environmental Scientists, women are fundamental to the continued success of Land & Water. In fact, female employees make up 50% of the senior services team. A diverse leadership team leads to greater diversity of thought which in turn improves problem-solving and allows the business to take a lead in the industry. Collaboration is a key factor contributing to the company's success. Land & Water is an award-winning inland waterway and coastal civil and environmental engineering company based in the UK. There is more focus today on designing natural structures that of- fer stability as well as environmental benefits. As concern for runoff and flooding potential grows, engineers are rethinking how their designs can contribute to stormwater and mitigation initiatives without compromising their project's performance. Earth retention structures, commonly used in civil construction works, have spilled over onto sites with irregular topography, espe- cially related to transportation upgrades. Retention walls are used in place of simple earth slopes, generally dictated by the severity of grade change and the availability or cost of land within the project site. Concrete cribs and steel sheet piles are typical wall structures, but they aren't low environmental impact solutions and they don't promote stormwater infiltration. Living Retaining Walls Offer Design Versatility, Low Environ- mental Impact A natural alternative is GEOWEB vegetated 3D geocellular walls. GEOWEB walls offer green aesthetics through living plantings—as well as flexibility of design for a variety of wall configurations (e.g. gravity, reinforced, steepened slopes) and conformance to native landscapes. The unique feature of geocellular walls is their horizontal terraces and exposed outer fascia cells at the wall set-back. This open fascia creates a natural environment for selected sustainable vegetation to grow and is also highly permeable--acting as a multitude of plant- ing pots where rainwater can infiltrate, rather than run off onto hard pavements. Their stormwater benefit is ideally suited for Low Impact Development (LID) and Green Infrastructure (GI) design. Designing with Green Infrastructure Reduce Stormwater Runoff with Green Walls & Permeable Pavements