The latest episode of the Engineers Collective is out now: listen in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, your usual platform or the player below.

This month’s guest is WSP associate structural engineer Sally Walsh, who joins the podcast to discuss steel reuse in construction, specifically on the Elephant & Castle Town Centre scheme.

The Elephant & Castle Town Centre scheme is regenerating a lively part of central London into a vibrant new mixed-use hub with ample living space, commercial offerings and public spaces. WSP is the structural and geotechnical engineer on the project and Sally has been at the heart of the decision-making, which has seen the firm push the contractor to utilise reused steel in some of the structures – a first for the consultant.

In this discussion, we cover how the decision was made to make this WSP’s first project to attempt steel reuse, how it was implemented and the learnings – both positive and negative – that have come out of it.

Sally and host Rob Hakimian then broaden out the discussion into how steel reuse could become business as usual in the sector – the types of projects where it is most suited, the barriers that stand in the way and the benefits that it could bring to the built environment.

Prior to the interview portion, Rob is joined by NCE senior reporter Thomas Johnson to discuss recent revelations about the HS2 “bat shed” and the upcoming outcomes from the government’s Spending Review.