ISABEL RUBIO ARROYO | Tungsteno

Climate change is fuelling longer and drier fire seasons. According to NASA, heat waves are intensifying, rainfall is declining, and conditions are becoming more favourable for large-scale burns. Recent studies confirm that extreme wildfires are becoming more frequent: their occurrence rose 2.2-fold from 2003 to 2023. In this article, we explore how burned landscapes recover, not only environmentally, but also economically and socially.

Decades for forests to 'breathe' again

The recovery of forests after a fire depends on several factors, including the intensity of the blaze, the type of ecosystem, how frequently fires occur, and the degree of human intervention. Vegetation usually returns gradually. Satellite-based analyses show that within the first five years, only about a third of what was lost reappears; after ten years, nearly half; and after thirteen years, just over half. In other words, while landscapes begin to regenerate quickly, it can take decades for a forest to regain its previous maturity. In some cases, full recovery may stretch beyond 40 years.

To speed up the recovery process, researchers recommend a range of techniques, such as covering the soil with mulch to protect it and help it retain moisture, planting fast-growing plant species to reduce erosion, installing physical barriers such as logs or straw mats on slopes, and introducing beneficial microorganisms that enhance soil fertility and structure.

 Flames advance, destroying vegetation in a forest area. Credit: Unsplash

Mobile factories to speed up housing reconstruction

In 2025, large wildfires struck Spain, Portugal, France, Canada, the United States, Cyprus and Colombia, destroying homes and forcing mass evacuations. After such disasters, rebuilding quickly and affordably becomes a top priority. While authorities often provide financial aid and subsidies for the reconstruction of affected areas, some experts offer technical advice to ensure that newly rebuilt homes act as "firebreaks". The focus is on incorporating fire-resistant materials and systems that reduce future risk.

New initiatives are also emerging to accelerate recovery. One, led by ABB Robotics and Cosmic Buildings, deploys mobile robotic microfactories to assemble modular homes directly in affected areas. "With AI-driven robotics and digital design, we are cutting build times by up to 70% and reducing costs by 30%, with near zero waste," explains Marc Segura, president of ABB Robotics.

Mobile robotic microfactories that build modular houses after fires. Credit: ABB Robotics

In addition to destroying homes, forest fires have a major economic impact that spans multiple sectors and can last for decades. The economic impact of wildfires across Europe amounts to several billion euros per year. These fires particularly affect sectors such as agriculture, livestock, tourism and forestry.

When health is threatened by wildfires

Wildfires endanger the health of millions of people. They often cause death, burns, smoke inhalation and displacement. Exposure to smoke raises the risk of respiratory problems, such as asthma and infections, increases hospitalisations, and contributes to cardiovascular disease. It can also worsen pre-existing conditions and have long-lasting impacts on physical and mental health.

Wildfires also take a heavy toll on mental well-being. They can trigger anxiety, depression, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults and children alike. Research shows that children are particularly vulnerable. The loss of housing, forced displacement, and traumatic experiences can leave lasting psychological scars, hinder academic performance, and cause stress-related physical symptoms.

To mitigate these impacts, experts recommend providing a combination of medical care and psychological support. Detecting anxiety or PTSD in children and ensuring that older adults continue their treatments are crucial. Several studies also highlight the importance of strengthening social assistance through financial and housing support, as well as encouraging activities that relieve stress and foster resilience to aid full recovery.

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Tungsten is a journalistic laboratory that explores the essence of innovation.

Sacyr ha impulsado un estudio pionero para evaluar el impacto de los exoesqueletos en entornos de obra en el marco del proyecto Thematic Lab. Esta es una iniciativa de las direcciones de Innovación y de Seguridad y Salud de Sacyr para poner en marcha proyectos que tengan impacto en la prevención de los riesgos laborales. 

Esta actuación, que une tecnología, salud y seguridad laboral, analiza cómo estos dispositivos pueden reducir el esfuerzo físico, mejorar la ergonomía y transformar la forma en que se realizan tareas repetitivas y exigentes. 

A través de un riguroso protocolo de análisis muscular, cinemático y funcional, se comparan diferentes modelos de exoesqueletos para identificar el más eficaz para realizar una determinada actividad.

Un exoesqueleto es una estructura externa y flexible, basada en resortes o en bandas elásticas, que funciona como un dispositivo mecánico portátil. En ingeniería, los exoesqueletos robóticos o pasivos se utilizan para aumentar la fuerza y la resistencia de las personas, tanto para trabajos pesados y recurrentes, como para la rehabilitación de las personas con problemas de movilidad. 

Los dos departamentos de Sacyr pusieron en marcha un estudio para comprobar cómo impacta la introducción de un exoesqueleto en el trabajo de sustitución de traviesas ferroviarias. 

Los dos modelos de exoesqueletos utilizados, uno rígido y otro flexible.

El estudio se realizó a principios de octubre en un proyecto ferroviario que desarrolla Sacyr. Lass pruebas se realizaron en diferentes tareas, como el movimiento de elementos pesados, el reemplazo de traviesas o el bateo, actividades en las que existe una combinación de esfuerzo y repetición. 
En la prueba se equipó a los trabajadores con un exoesqueleto y con sensores corporales que miden el esfuerzo muscular y la cinemática de la actividad. Se analizó su actividad  con este aparato y sin él para compararlas y monitorizar las mismas variables.

En el experimento se testearon dos exoesqueletos que ofrecen apoyo a la zona lumbar. La principal diferencia entre ambos es que uno es  flexible mientras que el otro es rígido.  

Tras la prueba piloto, los participantes evaluaron el exoesqueleto desde diferentes perspectivas, como la usabilidad, el impacto en el rendimiento y las sensaciones que percibieron durante su uso.

Los datos de campo obtenidos servirán para medir su potencial repercusión sobre el esfuerzo muscular realizado durante las diferentes actividades, con el objetivo de tomar decisiones sobre su implantanción e impacto en la seguridad y salud de los equipos.

Ana Aurora Grande Barriga

Management Systems 
Quality, Environment and Energy

The new Sustainable Mobility Law marks a turning point, recognizing mobility for the first time as an accessible and inclusive right. For the first time, mobility is recognized as a citizen’s right, accessible and inclusive.

It also boosts state funding for urban transportation, accelerates the digitalization of our transport systems, and sets a clear goal: achieving climate neutrality in the transportation sector.

Its pillars include:

•    Clean and healthy mobility: Transportation accounts for 29% of Spain's greenhouse gas emissions. The law demands significant progress in decarbonizing the transportation sector and achieving climate neutrality.
•    Digitalization and innovation: The Integrated Mobility Data Space (EDIM) will be created to centralize mobility information and drive innovation.
•    Increased investment: Almost €10 billion in European funding will be available to support mobility projects.
•    Mobility as a right: The law prioritizes protecting state funding for urban transport, ensuring everyone has access to mobility options.

What does it mean for companies like Sacyr?

The bill mandates that workplaces with over 200 employees, or 100 per shift, must implement a Sustainable Mobility to Work Plan (SMWP). This SMWP, developed in collaboration with employee representatives, must prioritize active transportation (walking, cycling), public transit, carpooling and low-emission vehicles.

It also contemplates the possibility of appointing a mobility manager to coordinate these efforts. 

A monitoring report is required every two years, and non-compliance could result in fines of up to €6,000.
Furthermore, transport hubs and toll roads must meet energy efficiency standards, including:

•    Certification in environmental and energy management systems (ISO 14001/50001)
•    Carbon Footprint Assessment
•    Using energy from renewable sources and securing guarantees of origin for renewable energy.

What are we doing?

Sacyr’s Quality, Environment and Energy Department has already launched initiatives that align with the law's objectives. We provide bicycle and electric scooter parking, electric vehicle charging stations, hybrid and electric vehicles for staff and encourage public transport use through Sacyr Flex, our transit pass program. We also actively promote and encourage carpooling, which benefits the environment and economically incentivizes drivers through Energy Savings Certificates (ESCs) approved by the Spanish Government.

Flexible work arrangements, efficient driving training in our environmental best practices manual, and the use collaborative work tools that minimize commuting between worksites are also integral to our operations.

We also maintain a fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles (powered by cleaner fuels like LPG), which also generate ESCs for the company. We prioritize train travel over air travel for business trips, reducing our carbon footprint. And we are incorporating biofuels, which can reduce net CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared to traditional fuels.

Looking Ahead: New Opportunities

This law not only sets requirements, but also inspires innovation. It opens doors for pilot projects in mobility digitalization and encourages public-private partnerships to develop automated vehicles.

In construction, it promotes sustainable infrastructure like transport terminals, bike lanes, and energy-efficient buildings. It also champions rail transport through the creation of new rail freight corridors.

The law also encourages intermodal connections between bicycles and public transportation in concession areas and promotes rapid electric vehicle charging on highways.

Finally, subsidies are planned for companies developing SMWPs, helping them stay competitive while advancing sustainability.
In short, this law bill challenges us all to actively participate in creating a better future. At Sacyr, we’re prepared to lead the way toward cleaner, smarter, and more people-centric mobility.
 

¿Qué estamos haciendo?

Desde la Dirección de Calidad, Medio Ambiente y Energía de Sacyr, ya hemos puesto en marcha varias iniciativas que nos acercan a los objetivos de la ley. Contamos con aparcamientos para bicicletas y patinetes eléctricos, puntos de recarga para vehículos eléctricos, flota de vehículos eléctricos e híbridos para los trabajadores, y fomentamos el uso del transporte público a través de Sacyr Flex, nuestro programa para adquirir tarjetas de transporte. También promovemos y sensibilizamos al personal sobre el coche compartido, que además genera beneficios económicos para los conductores, gracias a los Certificados de Ahorro Energético (CAE) aprobados por e Gobierno de España. 

La flexibilidad horaria, la formación en conducción eficiente en nuestro manual de buenas prácticas ambientales y el fomento de herramientas informáticas de trabajo colaborativo que reducen los desplazamientos entre centros de trabajo son otras medidas que ya forman parte de nuestro día a día.

Además, disponemos de una flota de vehículos eléctricos y coches híbridos (con combustibles menos contaminantes, como el GLP), que también genera CAE’s con beneficios económicos para la empresa. Priorizamos los traslados de trabajo en tren, en sustitución del avión, que es más contaminante. También estamos incorporando el uso de biocombustibles (que puede reducir hasta un 90% de las emisiones netas de CO2 en comparación con el combustible de origen mineral).

Mirando hacia el futuro: oportunidades que se abren

La ley no solo exige, también inspira. Abre la puerta a proyectos piloto de innovación y digitalización en movilidad, fomenta la colaboración público-privada para el desarrollo de vehículos automatizados. 

En el ámbito de la construcción, promueve infraestructuras sostenibles como terminales de transporte, carriles bici y edificios energéticamente eficientes. Además, fomenta el transporte ferroviario, con el desarrollo de nuevas autopistas ferroviarias, para el transporte de mercancías y de personas.  En el área concesional, se impulsa la intermodalidad entre bicicleta y transporte público, y la recarga eléctrica rápida en autopistas. 

Además, se prevén subvenciones para empresas que desarrollen sus PMST, lo que representa una oportunidad para seguir avanzando sin perder competitividad.

En definitiva, este proyecto de ley nos reta a ser parte activa del cambio. En Sacyr, estamos preparados para liderar el camino hacia una movilidad más limpia, inteligente y humana.

Industrialization brings factory-style processes into the construction sector, enhancing productivity and introducing a high degree of automation. It encompasses research and innovation in mechanizing and assembling components in a factory setting, applying these techniques to prefabricate various elements like bathrooms, facades, and technical partitions.

This approach is faster and more sustainable, minimizing waste and requiring fewer energy resources, while also simplifying maintenance.

Bathrooms and facades are among the first elements to undergo this industrialization, according to Mónica Silva Laiz, Head of Building at Sacyr Engineering and Infrastructure Engineering department in Spain.

"Industrialised construction is here to stay, and we are today one of the pioneering companies in carrying out this transformation. It is a new way of conceiving construction," explains Mónica Silva.

Sacyr is implementing industrialization as a key component in projects across Chile, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy.

In Chile, we operate a factory assembling prefabricated bathrooms for three hospitals: Sótero del Río, Cordillera, and Buine Paine.

The construction of the Milan Hospital in Italy also incorporates industrialized bathrooms and facade sections.

In Spain, we've employed these factory processes at the 12 de Octubre Hospital, installing prefabricated GRC (glass fiber reinforced concrete on a metal frame) facades, among other elements. These methods are also being implemented in residential developments across several Spanish regions.

At the New Velindre Cancer Center in Cardiff (Wales, UK), we're constructing prefabricated facades using light steel frames with external finishes in wood and copper sheets, incorporating windows and glazing. The facade modules are manufactured in Spain and shipped to the UK for on-site assembly.

Furthermore, through the Valdesc project, we're exploring a novel industrialized construction system for facade envelopes using recycled materials, ensuring high rates of circularity and decarbonization. This system will enhance thermal efficiency and simplify component dismantling, combining efficiency, productivity, and safety.