Latest news from Loughborough University

19 Jun 2015

Development of the Slope ALARMS landslide early warning system wins regional civil engineering award

The Development of the Slope ALARMS landslide early warning system by Loughborough University was declared winner of the Studies & Research Merit Award at the regions’ major civil engineering event of the year.

The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) East Midlands Awards 2015, which took place on 5 June, was held at the The Belfry Hotel, Nottingham.

One of the major events of the regional built environment calendar, the 2015 Awards recognised outstanding examples of East Midlands’ design and construction completed in 2014.  The Slope ALARMS development project competed with 44 other projects from across the region to gain its well-deserved win.

David Balmforth, ICE President 2014-15 and Adrian Coy, Vice President 2014-2015 presented the awards at a ceremony during a black-tie dinner attended by over 360 guests.

The Studies & Research Merit Award celebrates safety and environmental management, innovation and project design application.

The judges said: “The development of the Slope ALARMS landslide early warning system could have significant benefits in protecting global communities and infrastructure from the effects of landslip damage. Congratulations to client, Loughborough University and partners, British Geological Survey.”

Research effort has culminated in the world leading Slope ALARMS system being established as a viable approach to provide early warning of slope failure. Field trials world-wide have demonstrated proof of concept and identified benefits over traditional techniques.

2014 was the pivotal year for Slope ALARMS with definitive field evidence showing AE rates are proportional to slope displacement rates, publication of five journal papers, new installations in the UK, Canada and Austria, and broadcast of a Discovery Channel film. Discussions are in progress to commercialise Slope ALARMS so that benefits can be experienced by organisations and communities world-wide.

ICE East Midlands Chairman, Andy Warrington who presided over this year’s awards ceremony and commented: “These awards are a great opportunity to celebrate the civil engineering profession with the inspirational people and teams delivering projects across our region.  Congratulations to Loughborough University and partners, British Geological Survey for gaining this award.”

Read more about great civil engineering projects on Twitter hashtag #thisisicivilengineering

Notes for editors

Article reference number: June News

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, putting it among the best universities in the world, and was named University of the Year in the What Uni Student Choice Awards 2015. Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. It was 2nd in the 2015 THE Student Experience Survey and was named Sports University of the Year 2013-14 by The Times and Sunday Times. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

In 2015 the University will open an additional academic campus in London’s new innovation quarter. Loughborough University London, based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will offer postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities.