Costain and A E Yates bring on board Hyperion Robotics to deliver 90 3D printed concrete sleepers, providing efficiency, sustainability and safety benefits Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, and A E Yates, the civil and structural engineering delivery specialist, have brought on board Hyperion Robotics to deliver low-carbon concrete sleepers for a landmark East Coast Cluster project on Teesside. Northern Endurance Partnership’s (NEP) onshore CO2 gathering system will provide the CO2 transportation and storage infrastructure for Teesside-based carbon capture projects. Costain is the delivery partner to NEP with A E Yates providing civil engineering services. Costain and A E Yates will work with Hyperion to produce approximately 90 high-strength concrete pipe support bases, or sleepers, along 1.3km of onshore CO2 pipelines across Teesside using its advanced robotic manufacturing and digital technology. Through innovative robotic 3D printing, Hyperion’s technology eliminates formwork and enables precise, repeatable production of the sleepers. This approach, when compared to traditional precast solutions, will require less soil excavation, reduce concrete and steel use by 40% and carbon emissions by up to 50%. The engineering-led solution is up to ten times stronger than traditional structures despite being up to 60% lighter thanks to a thin, reinforced base design. This will enable faster and safer installation of the sleepers, which will also be manufactured offsite to reduce on-site labour and plant. Hyperion will oversee its role in the project from Forge I, its new UK manufacturing facility near Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. Mark Howard, Programme Director at Costain, said: “Our supply chain serves as a key enabler for innovation, ensuring that we continue to deliver predictable, best-in-class solutions across our projects. Hyperion’s 3D printing solution will provide a myriad of efficiency, sustainability and safety benefits for this important project, while at the same time support economic growth and prosperity across Teesside. “We’re looking forward to collaborating with its team and working together with our other local supply chain partners as we continue to make strong progress in delivering a decarbonisation system that will be critical for creating a sustainable future for the UK.” Sven Till, Chief Executive Officer at A E Yates, said: “As a business, innovation and sustainability are fundamental to how we deliver for our customers, and having the opportunity to bring this innovative solution to Teesside for NEP, in collaboration with Costain and Hyperion, demonstrates this. “We hope that this is the first of many innovative solutions we are able to provide to Northern Endurance Partnership as we deliver the wider OSBL civil engineering works.” Fernando De los Rios, CEO at Hyperion Robotics, said: “Working alongside Costain, A E Yates and the Northern Endurance Partnership on this project shows what is possible when forward-thinking organisations come together to deliver infrastructure in a different way. By combining engineering expertise, digital design and automated manufacturing, we can reduce material use and carbon emissions while meeting the highest standards of quality, performance and code compliance. “This is more than a single project milestone. It is a practical example of how the UK can build critical infrastructure faster, more efficiently and with a lower carbon footprint by bringing together strong delivery partners, advanced technology and local manufacturing capability.” Rich Denny, Managing Director at Northern Endurance Partnership, said: “By working with Costain and Hyperion Robotics to harness advanced manufacturing techniques, we are not only reducing the carbon footprint of construction itself but also supporting the development of a resilient UK supply chain. This kind of collaboration is critical to delivering a world‑class CCS network that will help decarbonise industry, protect jobs and drive long‑term economic growth in the region.” Costain is also the delivery partner for Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power), which aims to be the world’s first gas-fired power station with carbon capture and storage. To date, approximately 200 people from Costain are delivering and managing the engineering, procurement and construction (EPCm) elements of the NZT NEP OSBL project, in addition to approximately 100 designers and engineers based in Manchester. Of the subcontractor contracts awarded to date, 90% are with UK-based suppliers. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Western – one of the leading specialist construction companies in the UK and Ireland – has welcomed two sets of international visitors. The delegations from Australia and The Netherlands met with senior executives from Western to review best global practice in offsite modular construction. The visitors also took time to tour Western’s extensive manufacturing facilities in Tyrone, which include a new fully automated timber panel production line.   This is the latest acquisition in an ongoing multi-million-pound programme to enhance innovation, operational efficiency and sustainability in construction.  The new timber panel production line brings together the latest automation technology with powerful digital design tools. It has been designed to deliver higher output, greater precision and improved safety alongside the provision of high-performance, energy-efficient building systems.  At the heart of Western’s latest initiative is a suite of next-generation machinery designed for one-person operation, enabling the manufacture of open and closed timber wall panels with minimal manual handling. The new automated timber panel production line will support Western’s ambitious carbon reduction goals. The investment also enhances Western’s ability to meet increasing demand for faster, greener construction in keeping with the UK and Irish government’s drive towards Net Zero buildings.    About Western  Western offers a comprehensive ‘right-fit’ solution for modern construction projects, combining design excellence, digital innovation, and a streamlined / manufacturing delivery model. Their next-generation, fully customisable buildings are designed to exceed compliance standards, creating adaptable and sustainable spaces that empower clients and communities.  Western’s Single Source Supply Chain model means Western can offer end-to-end project in-house supply chain management that ensures cost certainty, adherence to agreed-upon timelines, transparency, and consistent quality.   With a reputation for quality craftsmanship and technical excellence, Western has long been at the forefront of modern methods of construction, using a right-fit approach to a range of projects across the UK and Ireland’s health, education and commercial sectors.  The company has been in business for more than 40 years and blends traditional values with future-ready solutions.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Building membranes manufacturer, Industrial Textiles and Plastics (ITP) Ltd, is supporting its policy of continual product innovation with investment in a new Product Development and Testing facility at its headquarters in Easingwold, North Yorkshire. The company is redeveloping an old  warehouse unit to house a new laboratory for the ongoing development of its diverse product range which includes protective building membranes for roof and wall applications, ground gas barriers, and textiles for temporary site protection. The facility is expected to be fully operational this autumn. ITP Managing Director, Carl Morse, said: “Pioneering advances in engineered protective textiles is part ITP’s DNA. Across four decades in manufacturing, the company has driven innovations in our markets. We have been especially prominent in leading and advocating the development of flame-retardant and chemical-resistant technologies, and fire protection will be a key focus of our R&D in the coming years. The new facility will be a crucial part of our ability to refine product performance and optimise the balance of every metric, from combustibility to water tightness and UV resistance.” ITP Sales Director, Matt Thompson, said: “Enhancing and expanding our ability to carry out initial testing and prototyping in-house will be vital in enabling ITP to develop new products – we will be able to carry out exhaustive R&D before submitting each new product to independent testing bodies to certify their credentials before they are released to the market. ITP has never been one of those manufacturers that merely tries to replicate inferior versions of competitor products – we believe in developing new solutions and setting new standards.” At its facilities in Easingwold include logistics, storage and a wide  range of manufacturing processes, where  it has a UK and international sales team and supplying  products on a global basis. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

In a world grappling with climate imperatives, rising costs, and resource scarcity, one message is becoming increasingly clear from consumers: we want the right to repair. Across the consumer market, we are seeing major brands wake up to a shift in public sentiment. People want products that last longer, and when they do break, they want to be able to fix them. One of the most compelling examples comes from Philips, which recently launched its “Fixables” programme. This initiative allows customers to download 3D-printable files for select parts of their products, such as a comb attachment for the OneBlade trimmer. Instead of waiting weeks for a minor replacement or discarding a still-functional product, users can print a new part themselves. It’s a simple concept with profound implications: empower the consumer, reduce waste, and prolong product life. Other manufacturers are following suit. Logitech has partnered with the repair-championing website iFixit to provide spare parts and detailed repair guides, making it easier for consumers to fix their devices rather than replace them. Framework, the modular laptop company, has built its entire business model around repairability, offering laptops with easily swappable components. And Fairphone has long been a pioneer in this space, designing smartphones that allow users to replace batteries, screens, and cameras with basic tools. What unites these companies is a recognition of the growing consumer demand for sustainable, repairable products. They see the value in aligning with a circular economy — one that keeps products and materials in use for as long as possible, reducing waste and saving resources. And yet, when we turn our attention to the world of industrial equipment, this mindset is still relatively rare. There are manufacturers of industrial equipment who embrace repairability; those designing products with ease of repair as a consideration and improving after-sales support with documentation and spares availability. But the scale of adoption feels, to me, to be behind the consumer space. Cynics might point out that EU Right to Repair legislation, introduced as part of the European Green Deal and reinforced by the EcoDesign Directive, currently applies to a specific set of household and electronic appliances, suggesting this is a driver of the change we are seeing in the consumer space. But while the EU’s Right to Repair legislation has primarily targeted household appliances and consumer electronics, there is a clear trajectory toward including industrial equipment such as electric motors and pumps.  At the Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT), we work with a wide range of repair specialists who see first-hand how much valuable equipment is discarded simply because it wasn’t designed to be repaired. This is not only wasteful but also expensive. Repairing industrial machinery can be more cost-effective than replacing it, particularly when considering downtime, installation, and integration costs. Designing for repairability in industrial equipment isn’t just about making spare parts available. It’s about embracing modular design principles, improving documentation, and supporting third-party repairers. It means moving away from closed systems that lock out end-users and toward open, collaborative ecosystems. The consumer sector is showing us the way. Philips’ Fixables programme is just one example of what could be a broader transformation in product design and customer support. If individuals can 3D print a replacement part for a personal trimmer, why shouldn’t a maintenance engineer be able to access similar files or guides for a faulty motor coupling or panel component? We must take inspiration from these developments. Industrial equipment manufacturers have an opportunity — and, I would argue, an obligation — to respond. By prioritising repairability, they not only reduce costs for their customers and help the environment but also future-proof their own businesses in an increasingly sustainability-driven world. The right to repair isn’t just a consumer trend. It’s a cultural shift. It’s time our sector caught up. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

A new era in the construction industry will begin in Durham where the wall-laying terra-based robot – nicknamed WLTR or ‘Walter’ – is being first used on a development of 27 houses by high-quality development company JT Lifestyle Homes. The cutting-edge robot can lay up to 200 square metres of masonry per day – dramatically outstripping human output. It can also construct walls up to 3.5 metres high without scaffolding – with plans underway to increase this to 5 metres – and work in all conditions including wind, rain and extreme temperatures. Bosses estimate one robot could build hundreds of homes a year. Dr Jan Telensky, owner and founder of JT Lifestyle Homes, said: “The construction industry is currently facing severe labour shortages at a time when the government wishes to deliver 1.5 million more homes. “There are simply not enough bricklayers entering the trade to keep up with demand for affordable homes, so we must find new solutions.” Robot Walter was developed in the Czech Republic in partnership with GreenBuild and has been brought to the UK by JT Lifestyle Homes, who specialise in smart, affordable homes and commercial spaces of the future. According to the Office for National Statistics there are currently more than 35,000 job vacancies in the construction industry – the highest rate in any sector. In March, Chancellor Rachel Reeves promised a £600 million government war chest to train 60,000 bricklayers, electricians, engineers and carpenters over the next four years. Dr Telensky said: “The construction industry has an ageing workforce, with an average age of 46, and unfortunately not enough young people are looking for trade jobs. “The government has ambitious plans for growth and housing and we simply don’t have the manpower that’s needed. “Robot Walter’s cutting-edge technology has the potential to ease the burden and also create new, highly-skilled jobs for operators who will still be needed to oversee projects. “As well as building faster, intelligent monitoring means Robot Walter’s bricks are laid with ultimate precision which will enhance the overall build quality.” The Walter robot is currently being used on a development of 27 homes in Durham and will be rolled out to other sites in due course. Other projects by JTLH include a former Post Office building in Hull, a stunning development of one, two, three and four bed homes in Haywood Park, Southampton and an elegant apartment renovation in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, as well as commercial builds. Once built, the Durham homes will be available under JT Lifestyle Homes’ rent to buy scheme, allowing first-time buyers to use rental payments as a method of saving for a deposit. Dr Telensky, who received the Dahrendorf Responsible Capitalism Award, presented to him at the House of Lords in 2022, continued: “I am committed to providing affordable housing in the UK. With innovative building techniques and an innovative rent to buy scheme we can set people free from a lifetime of renting.” For more information visit jtlh.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals