A remote Scottish island with fewer than 60 residents is set to benefit from a £45 million investment in harbour infrastructure. Bam Nuttall has secured a £31.5 million contract to carry out key infrastructure works as part of the Fair Isle ferry replacement project. This ambitious initiative, funded by Shetland
New and upgraded infrastructure at Cheshire site will drive regional prosperity and UK energy resilience Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, has been chosen as programme delivery partner by Urenco to deliver new and upgraded infrastructure at its site in Capenhurst, Cheshire. The framework is expected to see contracts awarded to
Senior position in rail follows recent contract awards and supports future growth. Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, has announced the appointment of Alistair Geddes as rail sector director. Alistair joins from Balfour Beatty where he held the role of operations director leading its rail system business. In this role he
United Living Group, the provider of infrastructure, affordable housing, property services, and telecoms, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, United Living Property Services (ULPS), has been awarded a £36 million contract with SNG (Sovereign Network Group), a housing association that builds and maintains affordable homes across London and the South
CONSTRUCTION of a crucial £18m surface water drainage system at the giant Teesworks site has reached a vital milestone. Water has now broken through from the River Tees into the South Bank Watercourse, which is designed to handle and manage the extensive quantities of surface water run-off from the Teesworks
GRAHAM has been appointed as the principal contractor for the new pedestrian, cycle, and equestrian bridge over the A10 at Waterbeach, Cambridge. The project, commissioned by Urban&Civic, aims to improve sustainable travel options between the new Waterbeach development, the Science Park, and Cambridge City Centre. The new bridge will provide
Balfour Beatty VINCI has announced a significant milestone at HS2’s Long Itchington Wood Tunnel in Warwickshire – the first deep tunnel on the high-speed route to complete its civil engineering phase. The development at the one-mile-long twin-bore tunnel – which will carry the railway into the West Midlands – sees
Akela Ground Engineering, part of the Akela Group, has appointed precast piling manufacturing expert, John Ward, to support expansion of its precast manufacturing operations in England. With over 35 years of industry experience and a wealth of operational insight from roles with Aarsleff Ground Engineering UK, Centrum Pile Ltd and
The National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC) regrets to announce that Duncan Rudall is stepping down from the position of CEO. Duncan has spent much time away from home and travelling on behalf of the NFDC. After his wife’s cancer treatment, he has made the decision that he must spend
New tool will help drive better social, environmental and economic outcomes for customers and local communities. Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, is rolling out a new social value tool designed to help delivery teams consistently measure and improve social impact and outcomes across all of its projects. Costain delivers social
A remote Scottish island with fewer than 60 residents is set to benefit from a £45 million investment in harbour infrastructure. Bam Nuttall has secured a £31.5 million contract to carry out key infrastructure works as part of the Fair Isle ferry replacement project. This ambitious initiative, funded by Shetland Islands Council and the UK government, aims to enhance transport links, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the island’s community. The harbour upgrades on Fair Isle will include the construction of a new, wider slipway, an expanded boat noust, and a winch house to accommodate a larger, modern ferry. Meanwhile, on the Shetland mainland, 25 miles away, Grutness Pier will undergo an extension with new tubular piling, and a breakwater will be extended to create a more sheltered berth. Work is set to commence immediately, with Bam Nuttall’s team arriving on Fair Isle this month to begin preparations. The Grutness Pier upgrades are expected to be completed by December 2025, while the Fair Isle works are scheduled for completion in November 2026. Alan Cox, Managing Director of Bam Nuttall, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating: “We are honoured to be entrusted with delivering this crucial ferry infrastructure on Fair Isle – a truly unique location. Our expertise in working in remote coastal environments ensures we can complete this project safely and sustainably, ultimately improving connectivity for both residents and visitors.” Shetland Islands Council leader Emma Macdonald also welcomed the development, saying: “It’s fantastic to see these contracts awarded so that work can begin on providing a new ferry for the Fair Isle community. This ferry is a lifeline for so many aspects of island life, and its replacement will serve the community for generations to come.” Shetland Islands Council has committed £18.6 million towards the project, while the UK government is contributing a grant of £26.8 million towards the total anticipated cost of £45.4 million. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
New and upgraded infrastructure at Cheshire site will drive regional prosperity and UK energy resilience Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, has been chosen as programme delivery partner by Urenco to deliver new and upgraded infrastructure at its site in Capenhurst, Cheshire. The framework is expected to see contracts awarded to Costain over a minimum of three years. Costain will lead and deliver an integrated programme of Urenco’s infrastructure investment activities, including developing the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of works and upgrades at Capenhurst. Urenco’s Capenhurst site provides uranium enrichment services to produce fuel for civil nuclear power stations in the UK and around the world to generate low-carbon electricity. The site is undergoing a series of complex work programmes to support the long-term resilience of the site, including establishing Europe’s first High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU) advanced fuels facility. Costain will work closely with local supply chain partners and provide strategic direction, integration, assurance and governance of the works. The programme will also deliver social and economic value to local communities, including supporting the creation of jobs and developing skills across the North West of England. Sam White, managing director, natural resources at Costain, commented: “Ensuring the supply of safe, low-carbon electricity is critical for creating a sustainable future. We’re bringing decades of experience in predictable, best-in-class delivery to help safeguard the UK’s energy security and support the transition to more sustainable energy generation. “Costain has a strong presence in the North West and this award reinforces our commitment to improving the lives of local communities through the provision of new jobs, developing skills and driving prosperity.” Costain is delivering a number of critical projects across the UK’s nuclear energy ecosystem, providing a range of services and solutions including project delivery, design, build, decommissioning, and maintenance of nuclear energy sites across the UK. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Senior position in rail follows recent contract awards and supports future growth. Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, has announced the appointment of Alistair Geddes as rail sector director. Alistair joins from Balfour Beatty where he held the role of operations director leading its rail system business. In this role he looked after a number of manufacturing facilities, frameworks and projects for clients including Network Rail, Transport for Wales, Transport for London and others in the private sector. He has also held leading roles for several significant infrastructure programmes including Crossrail, Hinkley Point C Marine Works and the Olympic Stadium transformation. Alistair will support Costain’s strategic focus on growth in strong markets, as well as ensure the business continues to provide predictable, best-in-class delivery to its customers. Alistair’s appointment comes following a successful period of growth for Costain’s transportation division. Costain recently announced two significant contract awards for HS2, including a £400m contract to deliver tunnel and lineside mechanical and electrical (M&E) systems as well as a separate award to deliver high voltage power supply systems across the entire line, worth in the region of £300m to the Siemens Mobility and Costain Joint Venture. The news is Costain’s second senior appointment of the year, following on from the recent appointment of Eva Soto Pérez as engineering services general manager, as Costain ensures a full-service offering for its customers and supports the growth of its consultancy service. Jonathan Willcock, managing director, transportation, at Costain, commented: “UK rail infrastructure is critical for creating a sustainable future and driving UK prosperity through improved productivity, greater connectivity, and job creation. But it faces challenges around resilience, particularly with rising demand and more extreme weather. Alistair brings a wealth of experience that will support our rail sector growth as we continue to deliver the strategic needs of our customers.” Alistair Geddes, rail sector director at Costain, added: “Costain has an excellent reputation and heritage in delivering complex rail infrastructure that improves people’s lives. I’m looking forward to drawing on Costain’s breadth of service offerings and expertise from across the organisation to continue providing best-in-class infrastructure services to the rail industry.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
United Living Group, the provider of infrastructure, affordable housing, property services, and telecoms, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, United Living Property Services (ULPS), has been awarded a £36 million contract with SNG (Sovereign Network Group), a housing association that builds and maintains affordable homes across London and the South of England. The five-year contract valued at £7.2 million per annum will see ULPS provide responsive repairs and voids service for SNG in the East of England and North and East London part of their operation. ULPS will be carrying out day-to-day responsive repairs, void repairs, and planned maintenance commencing in April 2025. Tom Bullock, Director of Responsive Services, United Living Property Services, said: “We are delighted to work in collaboration with SNG to maintain these properties. Our dedicated in-house teams provide a one-stop service of essential repairs and ongoing maintenance to provide a clean, safe environment for all residents.” Patrick Flynn, SNG Property Service Director (London and East), commented: “We are really pleased to be working with United Living Property Services to deliver a quality responsive repairs and voids service for customers in North and East London and the East of England. This new regional focus in our repairs delivery will ensure that we can deal with the number of repairs requests we receive from customers more efficiently.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
CONSTRUCTION of a crucial £18m surface water drainage system at the giant Teesworks site has reached a vital milestone. Water has now broken through from the River Tees into the South Bank Watercourse, which is designed to handle and manage the extensive quantities of surface water run-off from the Teesworks development. The watercourse will initially manage the large volumes of water draining from the 90-acre SeAH Wind turbine monopile manufacturing facility which is nearing completion. The vast scale of this facility means that rainwater run-off from the development will be significant, particularly under heavy storm conditions. As a result, all developments on the South Bank and Dorman Point areas of Teesworks need to have a means of efficiently discharging surface water so as not to hamper their operations, a role which the South Bank Watercourse performs. Extending up to 8m in depth and 1.9km in length, the new watercourse has been constructed largely as an open channel, natural stream, which supports the mitigation of water pollution through its natural filtration. It incorporates a gravel bed and carefully landscaped banks, discharging to the River Tees. The system also incorporates over 350 linear metres of buried culvert – where the watercourse passes beneath development land. The project incorporates a very large intertidal section where the watercourse meets the river. This will see an ecologically valuable salt marsh habitat created, which will be a natural haven for wildlife. The watercourse features extensive gabion basket walls – cages filled with stones – providing structural support to the open channels in most areas. These have been created using recycled aggregates sourced from land remediation projects on Teesworks – a former steelworks site – in lieu of importing natural quarried stone, saving cost and significantly mitigating the environmental impact of the scheme. In total, over 100,000 cubic metres of recycled aggregates were used on the project. John McNicholas, engineering and programme director at Teesworks, said: “We’re delighted to see the South Bank Watercourse reaching this pivotal milestone. “The sheer scale of the works has been something to behold, but equally, the logistical challenges that have had to be overcome in delivering the scheme through live construction sites where multiple remediation, infrastructure and building projects have been progressing simultaneously. “We are particularly pleased to see the extent to which we have been able to make best use of the resources on our own doorstep, through the extensive recycling of earthworks materials for use in the project’s channel bed and banks.” This important civil engineering project has been carried out by a number of different companies. The main civils contractor for phase one of the project was Hall Construction Services; for the other phases, including the final phase, it has been Applebridge Construction. The overall scope includes the diversion and upgrade of two existing watercourses – Holme Beck and Knitting Wife Beck – traversing the 60ha Dorman Point development zone on Teesworks, which will discharge into the South Bank section. For the Dorman Point section, the main civils contractor for the Holmebeck diversion and upgrade was Seymour Civil Engineering Ltd and for the Knitting Wife Beck diversion and upgrade first phase, it was Hall Construction Services Limited. The primary subcontractors used on the project were Phi Group on phase one, providing gabion basket retaining wall construction, and Enviromesh on subsequent phases, also providing gabion basket retaining wall construction. Following the watercourse works completion, the next phase of similar works will see the construction of the £3m second and final phase of the Knitting Wife Beck diversion on Dorman Point , followed by the £10m reconstruction of an existing four-bay bridge underpass beneath the Saltburn to Darlington railway corridor, which will enable the Holmebeck and Knitting Wife Beck channels on Dorman Point to connect through to the South Bank Watercourse. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
GRAHAM has been appointed as the principal contractor for the new pedestrian, cycle, and equestrian bridge over the A10 at Waterbeach, Cambridge. The project, commissioned by Urban&Civic, aims to improve sustainable travel options between the new Waterbeach development, the Science Park, and Cambridge City Centre. The new bridge will provide a crucial link between the Waterbeach development and Cambridge City Centre, connecting via the upgraded Mere Way and the proposed new busway. The bridge’s design draws inspiration from Waterbeach’s rich aviation history and the surrounding natural landscape, featuring sculpted edge beams and deck/parapet sections that create a striking silhouette, ensuring it integrates harmoniously with its environment. Work on the A10 project is scheduled to begin in February 2025, with completion expected by early 2026 from GRAHAM. This marks a significant step forward in the development of sustainable infrastructure in the region. Key features of the new bridge include: Andrew Henry, Contracts Director at GRAHAM, expressed his enthusiasm for the project: “We are delighted to support the delivery of this significant piece of infrastructure. The new A10 bridge will be a key feature in the community, enhancing sustainable travel and stimulating economic growth. Our team is in the final stages of finalising the programme of works for the bridge, and witnessing its installation will be a remarkable achievement.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Balfour Beatty VINCI has announced a significant milestone at HS2’s Long Itchington Wood Tunnel in Warwickshire – the first deep tunnel on the high-speed route to complete its civil engineering phase. The development at the one-mile-long twin-bore tunnel – which will carry the railway into the West Midlands – sees vital elements, including three cross passages, concrete finishing works and base slabs, and emergency and maintenance walkways complete. It comes before the internal fitting out of the tunnel with the complex systems needed to operate the high-speed line including the power, track and signalling. The tunnel is the first of five twin-bore tunnels on the HS2 project to reach this vital stage. In all, 27.4 miles of the route between London and the West Midlands are in deep, twin-bore tunnels. Work to create the Long Itchington Wood Tunnel initially began in June 2020. The 125-metre-long tunnel boring machine used to excavate the tunnel was named ‘Dorothy’ – after Dorothy Hodgkin who was the first British woman to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The machine was launched in December 2021 and finished excavating both bores of the tunnel by March 2023. The complex process to fully excavate two tunnel drives and the entrance sections produced around 750,000 tonnes of material, which has since been reused to build embankments along the route of the railway. Since the breakthrough almost two years’ ago, work has been ongoing to fit out the tunnels with its vital structural components. The tunnel is being built by HS2’s main works contractor for the West Midlands, Balfour Beatty VINCI, which is constructing 56 miles of HS2 between Long Itchington in Warwickshire to the centre of Birmingham and on to Staffordshire. Jules Arlaud, Tunnelling Director for Balfour Beatty VINCI, said: “The scale of this achievement is enormous. A dedicated workforce of around 380 people have worked tirelessly over the past five years to reach this latest phase of construction, where the tunnels are now fitted with three cross-passages and the concrete finishing works, base slabs, and walkways are also complete. “Throughout this project, our expert tunnelling team have installed a total of 1,582 concrete rings across both tunnels, with each ring made from eight two-metre-wide segments, each weighing up to 8 tonnes.” Doug Barnett, Senior Project Manager for HS2 Ltd, said: “It’s a small part of HS2 but it’s been four and a half years of my life in which I’ve seen this construction go from its very embers to nearing completion – a really proud moment for me personally. “Long Itchington Wood Tunnel is a tremendous feat of engineering and would not have been possible without a huge amount of continuous work put in over the past five years – I’d like to thank everyone involved working both onsite and behind the scenes for their support.” In total, 380 people have supported the Long Itchington Wood tunnelling project since construction work began. This includes recent engineering graduate Alfie Ward who used his new-found design knowledge and surveying skills to help HS2 engineers successfully complete the tunnel’s cross passage work safely and efficiently. Alfie Ward, Engineering Graduate at Balfour Beatty VINCI, said: “Working as a young engineering graduate on the Long Itchington Wood Tunnel was the perfect platform to launch my career from. This experience at such an early stage in my career meant I was able to learn lots of new skills, which I’m now applying at Bromford Tunnel, as a site engineer.” Long Itchington Wood Tunnel has been designed to minimise the impact of construction, with local land topography a key factor in the design and delivery process. At 30 metres below ground level, the tunnel preserves an ancient woodland above and avoids local villages. Construction of HS2 continues between the West Midlands and London, with the programme now supporting over 31,000 jobs. When complete, HS2 services will run between London and the West Midlands on a dedicated high-speed line before reaching destinations further north – creating economic growth and freeing up space for more local trains on the most congested part of the existing West Coast Main Line. In recent weeks, construction progress in the West Midlands has seen HS2 complete its first viaduct at HS2’s Delta Junction in North Warwickshire. HS2 has also revealed the latest progress on a new green bridge set to cross the high-speed railway near Kenilworth, Warwickshire. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Akela Ground Engineering, part of the Akela Group, has appointed precast piling manufacturing expert, John Ward, to support expansion of its precast manufacturing operations in England. With over 35 years of industry experience and a wealth of operational insight from roles with Aarsleff Ground Engineering UK, Centrum Pile Ltd and Green Piling, John joins Akela Group as Precast Manager and will be based between the Swadlincote and Glasgow offices. As well as managing the Glasgow facility, a key focus for John will be to source an English manufacturing base to increase capacity for Akela’s groundbreaking ABeam precast system, which was launched to market in early 2024. Currently manufactured at the company’s purpose-built facility near Glasgow, ABeam is a unique precast concrete beam system that uses a specially designed mechanical joint, allowing foundation ground beams to be installed in just a few hours. Not dependent on weather conditions, ABeam has been met with a positive reception from housebuilders in Scotland who have made significant time savings and efficiencies. Akela Ground Engineering is keen to grow the roll-out of the product across the UK and Ireland. In January the company announced its new Irish base in Co. Armagh and appointment of Barry Christy as Operations Manager for Akela Ground Engineering Ireland. Will Payne, Managing Director of Akela Ground Engineering, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome John to the team. His knowledge and expertise will play an important role in our strategic expansion plans in England. “Since launching to the Scottish market in early 2024, we have worked hard to roll out our ABeam system, with leading housebuilders seeing success at sites across the central belt. John will play a key part in our plans to create a manufacturing base in The Midlands which will enable us to offer this service to customers across England.” Speaking of his appointment, John Ward said: “I have been aware of Akela Group’s significant growth over the last few years and have been impressed with the company’s commitment to sustainable growth and innovative operations. The future of the construction industry will hinge on companies investing in innovative solutions and skills development and Akela Group has demonstrated its focus in these areas. “The launch of ABeam in 2024 was an exciting step change in our industry and I am looking forward to supporting its introduction and adoption by developers in England.” Leading housebuilders have praised ABeam for achieving significant efficiencies and helping to increase the number of homes built on their sites across Scotland. The system has received NHBC Accepts certification and the UKCA mark for its production facility, reinforcing Akela Group’s commitment to quality and reliability. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC) regrets to announce that Duncan Rudall is stepping down from the position of CEO. Duncan has spent much time away from home and travelling on behalf of the NFDC. After his wife’s cancer treatment, he has made the decision that he must spend more time at home with his family, where he’s needed most. Duncan has worked tirelessly to modernise the Federation, support current members, and remove barriers to make it more accessible to new members, which has been successful. He has built greater ties and bonds with other industry representations, including the Institute of Demolition Engineers (IDE), the National Demolition Association (NDA), and the European Demolition Association (EDA), as well as regulators, in the push for transparency and better levels of competence. Duncan will be in post until the 21st of May 2025 and will remain an active participant in the NFDC but in a lesser role. The NFDC would like to express its deep gratitude to Duncan for his dedication, leadership, and the transformative impact he has had during his tenure. His contributions have strengthened the Federation’s position as a leading voice in the demolition industry and paved the way for continued growth and progress. The NFDC will provide further updates in due course. John Lynch NFDC President Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
New tool will help drive better social, environmental and economic outcomes for customers and local communities. Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, is rolling out a new social value tool designed to help delivery teams consistently measure and improve social impact and outcomes across all of its projects. Costain delivers social value across a range of activities including community engagement, volunteering, skills and knowledge sharing, and STEM advocacy. The tool, which has been successfully piloted on some of Costain’s projects in the water sector, offers the unique feature of standardising data-driven evidence of the positive societal and environmental impacts achieved during a project’s lifecycle. The collected data is then analysed and converted into social, environmental and economic valuations, aligning with the UK Government’s Social Value Model. In addition, the tool can report against bespoke frameworks when required by customers, making it possible to benchmark performance and outcomes against similar infrastructure schemes. It also has built-in forecasting capabilities which allow Costain to predict how much social value a project will deliver before it begins, in turn helping to improve the accuracy of target-setting and providing a better understanding of a project’s expected outcomes. Following its successful trial in Costain’s water sector, the tool will be implemented across all Costain’s sectors including road, rail, integrated transport, energy, and defence and nuclear energy. Catherine Warbrick, chief people and sustainability officer at Costain, commented: “We’re investing in the tools and technology that will help us improve people’s lives, both through the services we provide and in the way we operate. More accurately recording our social, economic and environmental outcomes will give us a better understanding of the impact we’re making, and ensure a positive, lasting legacy for the communities we serve.” Costain’s investment in the new tool comes after the company, celebrating its 160th anniversary in 2025, announced that it was donating a record number of volunteering days to improve people’s lives through better employment prospects and supporting community projects across the UK. Last year, Costain announced its Social Value Plan, which aims to improve the lives of one million people by 2030 through activities such as volunteering and community efforts. Recent social value initiatives have included: Commenting on the partnership with DDP and Costain, Paul Rowe, project manager, The Phoenix Youth Project, said: “Youth work has the power to improve people’s lives and promote positive outcomes for young people, but charities like ours rely on the support of organisations such as Costain to ensure we provide services that make a tangible difference. “Costain has been a supporter of our charity for several years and has enabled us to deliver youth work services to hundreds of young people each year. Both the Frizington and Egremont youth centres have been transformed from buildings that were unfit for use into modern, vibrant centres that the local community is hugely proud of.” Julie Francis, head of people and customer at CMDP, which has been trialling Costain’s social value tool, said: “At CMDP, we place a strong emphasis on social value and recognise the profound benefits of utilising technology and tools that benefit local communities and help our supply chain as we deliver crucial updates for Southern Water. With Costain’s social value tool, we are able to accurately capture key information and measure the impact of how our initiatives are improving people’s lives and helping the planet. The tool also empowers our supply chain partners, ensuring that we continue to work together to drive positive change and create lasting value.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals