1 1 0 37 th Issue - December 2017 News from the International Association of Engineering Insurers In this edition No. Topic Page 1 News from the Executive Committee 2 2 IMIA Annual Conference 2017 in Munich/Germany 2 3 IMIA Annual Conference 2018 in Singapore 3 4 IMIA Academy – 8th Engineering Training Course March 2018 in Singapore 4 5 Learning from Losses 4 5.1 Rhine Valley Railway subsidence during tunnel construction causes closure of important railway line 4 5.2 Scouring of bridge foundations and collapse (Paraguay) 4 5.3 Gas Explosion - Austria 5 5.4 Gas Explosion Tennessee 6 5.5 microbiologically induced corrosion causing bridge collapse 7 IMIA NEWS Group shot of the delegates at our 50 th Annual Conference in Munich, Germany
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37th Issue - December 2017
News from the International Association of Engineering Insurers
In this edition
No. Topic Page
1 News from the Executive Committee 2
2 IMIA Annual Conference 2017 in Munich/Germany 2
3 IMIA Annual Conference 2018 in Singapore 3
4 IMIA Academy – 8th Engineering Training Course March 2018 in Singapore 4
5 Learning from Losses 4
5.1 Rhine Valley Railway subsidence during tunnel construction causes closure of important railway line
4
5.2 Scouring of bridge foundations and collapse (Paraguay) 4
The last meetings of the IMIA Executive Committee took place on Sept 2nd in Munich and Nov.
22nd, 2017 in London. The detailed Minutes of Meeting can be found on www.imia.com (login
necessary, go to Members and see EC meetings in the column left).
The 50th annual conference was held from 2nd to 6th September 2017 in Munich.
The new working group topics proposed to be presented at the next conference in 2018 in Singapore, are:
• Construction in Mountainous Areas; • Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms; • Automation in the Construction Industry; • Construction and Operation of Scientific Instruments; • Electrical Failures not associated with Natural Perils; • Ageing Plant and Maintenance.
Kick-Off meetings of the new working groups were held on Monday Sept. 4th. - In some working groups, there may still be free slots for volunteering experts, simply write to the Secretary. Dieter Spaar, HDI Global was co-opted to join the Executive Committee of IMIA; Utz Groetschel, Secretary of IMIA from 2006 to 2013 and since then most efficient support of the secretariat will withdraw as per 31st Dec. 2017; Louis Wassmer, who also had contributed essentially to IMIA Secretariat past year, will also end this activity as per Dec. 31st, 2017.
The Executive Committee expressed their unanimous and most sincere thanks for their excellent support.
2. Annual Conference 2017 Munich / Germany
The 50th Annual Conference of IMIA took place from Sept. 2nd to 06th, 2017 in the Hotel Westin
Grand, Munich, German. Munich had been the venue of the first conference in 1968. A
comprehensive summary as well as the presentations given can be found on www.imia.com in
the Members area > Conferences > Information on Past Conferences – and also > Archive (log
8th Engineering Insurance Training Course - March 2018 in Singapore
The 8th training course of IMIA Academy will take place from 5th to 9th March 2018, in Singapore,
Asia. It is meant for underwriters with a minimum experience of 2 – 5 years and will not be a basic
introduction to Engineering Insurance lines. Contents will be the same as in previous courses,
including the burning topic “Cyber Risk”.
Information has been sent out to all members, registration is capped at 32 students and will be
closed by January 31st, 2018. The information brochure (including the registration form) can also
be found on our web page > login > IMIA Activities > IMIA Academy.
5. Learning from Losses
Many losses are just known from the press and no details can be revealed as settlement may still be underway and confidentiality has to be observed. Nevertheless, experienced underwriters will draw their own conclusions. Please also note that internet links will not work forever and may expire after some time.
5.1 Collapsing alpine railroad tunnel forces German contractor to bury TBM
A section of the international Rhine Valley railroad started sinking in mid-August 2017 as the 93 m long bentonite TBM with a 10.9 m diameter, worked a few meters below an existing important rail track in soil that was supposed to have been stabilized by freezing.
To stabilize this sensitive section, a subcontractor filled some 150 m of the tunnel with concrete. German engineers are entombing a 20 million dollar tunnel-boring machine in concrete to prevent the continuing collapse of the major railroad above into the tunnel the TBM was driving.
The German railway company DB immediately stopped rail traffic between Rastatt and Baden-Baden causing major disruption to local, national and international traffic.
Cause of sinking of the railroad is being investigated.
5.2. Scouring of bridge foundations by rain and flood causing bridge collapse (Paraguay) In September 2017 the Santa Rosa bridge of National route 12 crossing the river Guazú in Corrientes collapsed following extensive flooding of the river. Although the information on the internet is in Spanish, please see the short video and the photos using this link: - Misiones Online:
Ruta Nacional 12: Vialidad informó los desvíos tras la caída del Puente sobre Arroyo Guazú en Corrientes
5.3 Gas Explosion (Trans Europe Gas Pipeline), Austria Near Weiden at the March in Austria, a gas explosion occurred in December 2017in the gas station Baumgarten. A technical defect seems to have been the cause. The heat of the fire was so extensive that damage was caused even to property 300 m away. One person was killed and 20 injured. 240 firemen and other helpers were fighting the fire which was put out very fast.
Note this affects gas transportation from Russia to Central Europe and to UK
5.4 Another explosion in Tennessee FM Global leads $225mn Eastman Chemical blast cover
An explosion at Eastman Chemical Company's Kingsport, Tennessee in October has led to a loss notification in the region of $225mn on an FM Global-led insurance cover, The Insurance Insider reported.
Around 10:00 a.m. Eastman Chemical experienced a process upset in the coal gasification area of our Kingsport manufacturing site. The upset created a loud noise and a visible plume. There had been no serious injuries and no impact to the environment. Some operations at the Kingsport site were idled following the event as a precaution; however, unaffected areas are now in the process of safely restarting. We are currently assessing the impact to coal gasification operation and the acetyl stream. The company is putting alternate processes in place to maintain operations of all downstream derivative facilities of coal gasification as repairs are being made. Normal operations are expected to resume in early 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17sxCwrWpuc
5.5 One more interesting case for your further research and your
