At a ceremony that bucked usual built environment trends, an all-female team championed the best people, initiatives and companies from across the industry and presented deserving winners of the ACE 2019 Consultancy & Engineering Awards. The winners, chosen by a panel of expert industry judges headed by Roger Bailey of
Adfil today announced the launch of a new synthetic macro fibre based on an innovative polymer architecture. Marketed under the brand name Durus EasyShot, the new product provides significantly improved reinforcement in sprayed concrete. Durus EasyShot 50, for which a patent has been filed, is the result of
The latest designs for HS2 west London super-hub at Old Oak Common have been unveiled. Kick-starting the UK’s largest regeneration project, the new high speed station aims to transform the former railway and industrial area, into a new neighbourhood supporting up to 65,000 jobs and 25,500 new homes. The high-speed
Seymour Civil Engineering is nearing completion on its award-winning role at the North East’s first ‘super roundabout’. Work on the £75m Highways England Silverlink triple decker roundabout is scheduled to finish in just weeks with Hartlepool-based Seymour Civil Engineering contracted by John Sisk & Son to install £8m highway and kerb drainage. Seymour has been
Having announced the appointment of two new Senior Stabilisation Managers at the back end of 2018, Mick George Ltd has further signalled its intent to grow their Stabilisation division with the six-figure acquisition of an impressive Wirtgen 250i ‘S Pack’. Having landed many high-profile contracts for its Stabilisation service in
Plans for the opening of a private terminal at Manchester Airport, which will provide travelers with the experience of a private jet when flying on commercial airlines, have been unveiled. The new PremiAir terminal will be open to all passengers regardless of airline or destination, with prices starting at £50. Completely separate
Multidisciplinary main contractor, Winvic Construction Ltd, announced its partnership with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) yesterday, to offer graduates a training programme in order to gain the specialist skills, knowledge and professional approach required to practice as a civil engineer. The ICE Training Scheme forms part of an employee’s
The first tower crane has arrived at Euston Station, marking a major step forward for the transformation project. The project, which will be completed as part of the HS2 project, will deliver extra capacity to the station. HS2 will now progress with the demolition of One Euston Square and Grant Thornton
Locals are being invited by Heathrow Airport to give their opinion on its future. The Airspace and Future Operations consultation is asking communities to help shape the plans for the airport’s existing runways, as well as its proposed third airstrip. The consultation will explore the local factors that Heathrow needs
After relocating to larger headquarters in Doncaster, civil engineering firm Specialist Engineering Services (SES) has centralised its commercial and operational arms. Employing more than 200 people and boasting a turnover of £9 million, the company made the decision to move its headquarters to Balby Court, Balby Carr Bank, Doncaster earlier
At a ceremony that bucked usual built environment trends, an all-female team championed the best people, initiatives and companies from across the industry and presented deserving winners of the ACE 2019 Consultancy & Engineering Awards. The winners, chosen by a panel of expert industry judges headed by Roger Bailey of Tideway, were announced at ACE’s black-tie dinner on Thursday evening. The event, hosted by CBRE’s Amanda Clack, and AECOM’s Charlotte Jones, herself the winner of last years’ Apprentice of the Year award, featured Heathrow’s Emma Jane Houghton, Huda As’ad of the Infrastructure Projects Authority, the DfT’s Catherine de Marco OBE, Dr Tauni Lanier of Eco-Capital, and Georgia Hughes of Arcadis, and Chair of the ACE Emerging Professionals group. ACE Chief Executive Hannah Vickers challenged attendees to spot the difference between the ACE and every other industry event they had attended, saying “To those of you who say there aren’t enough women in the industry or you just can’t find female speakers, I’m sorry, but you’re just not moving in the right circles. Try harder.” Hannah also challenged attendees to use every business situation and opportunity to develop and celebrate the success of staff at every level. “Instead of focusing on the usual corporate entertainment for tonight’s celebration, we felt it more productive and intuitive to invest that money in further training and development for our co-host this evening, Charlotte Jones of AECOM. As business leaders, we should be supporting our teams from the ground up. “I’d like to congratulate all of our winners and nominees, who have shown that the future of consultancy and engineering is incredibly exciting.” Future of Consultancy – Integrated Project Team of the Year, Public Sector Client Winner – Arup Future of Consultancy – Integrated Project Team of the Year, Private Sector Client Winner – Arup – Welsh Water Alliance Highly Commended – BuroHappold Engineering Best UK Business Performance – micro organisation (<10 employees) Winner – Rail Power Solutions Best UK Business Performance – small/medium sized organisation (10+ employees but less than 250) Winner – Geo-Environmental Services Ltd Best UK Business Performance – large organisation (>250 employees) Winner – Pick Everard Highly Commended – Curtins Future of Consultancy – Strategic Planning & Placemaking Champion Winner – WYG Highly Commended – Arup Future of Consultancy – Data Led Asset Performance Champion Winner – Amey Consulting Environmental Initiative of the Year Winner – IMC Social & Environmental Safeguarding Team – Freetown Landfill Feasibility Study Highly Commended – Mott MacDonald – Embedding PAS2080 across a global business Emerging Professional Employer of the Year Winner – WSP Highly Commended – IMC Worldwide & Stantec Emerging Professional of the Year Winner – Philippa Jefferis – IMC Worldwide Highly Commended – Elizabeth Side – Jubb Consulting Engineers Limited Apprentice of the Year Winner – Elliott Webb – Arup Highly Commended – Willow-Athena Hempell – WSP
Adfil today announced the launch of a new synthetic macro fibre based on an innovative polymer architecture. Marketed under the brand name Durus EasyShot, the new product provides significantly improved reinforcement in sprayed concrete. Durus EasyShot 50, for which a patent has been filed, is the result of more than two years of research and development work. Typical end-uses include tunnel linings. The new product therefore will be presented for the first time at the World Tunnel Congress. This industry event will be held at Naples, Italy from 3 to 9 May. “We are excited about the introduction of our new macro fibre and convinced that it will set a new benchmark for reinforced shotcrete”, said Product Manager Jeroen Smet. Durus EasyShot 50 has been tested in Switzerland at the Hagerbach Test Gallery. This underground facility has specialized in trialling of new materials for tunnelling and mining. “The results are more than convincing. Durus EasyShot is outperforming both existing steel and synthetic fibres. Tensile strength and modulus are 20 to 30 percent higher. This means that a lower dosage is required to obtain the same high reinforcement performance. Or that the same dosage will create more durable concrete, thus extending the service life of the finished structure.” While the geometry is similar to other Adfil macro fibres, what makes the new product unique are a polymer architecture and fibre length specifically tailored to the application in shotcrete. Smet: “In addition to the improved mechanical properties of each individual fibre, Durus EasyShot 50 also provides enhanced workability in fresh concrete. The shorter the fibres and the more regular their shape, the more easily the reinforcement can be mixed into the concrete. This leads to a more homogenous distribution of the reinforcement throughout the whole volume of the concrete and ensures consistently high performance in each part of the structure.” The Adfil Technical Sales and Product Management Team will be working closely with industry partners to have the new fibre specified for upcoming projects.
The latest designs for HS2 west London super-hub at Old Oak Common have been unveiled. Kick-starting the UK’s largest regeneration project, the new high speed station aims to transform the former railway and industrial area, into a new neighbourhood supporting up to 65,000 jobs and 25,500 new homes. The high-speed platforms will be built below ground with connections to the adjoining ground level conventional station with an overbridge to Elizabeth line (Crossrail) trains, to Heathrow and central London. The current station design also includes the potential for provision of future services to Wales and the west of England from Old Oak Common. The two halves of the station will be linked by a light and airy concourse with a soaring roof inspired by the site’s industrial heritage. The six 450 m HS2 platforms will be built in a 1 km long underground box, with twin tunnels taking high-speed trains east to the terminus at Euston and west to the outskirts of London. Passengers will be taken down to the HS2 platforms by escalators, while a new public park will be built above them. Material excavated during work on the tunnels will be removed by rail from the nearby former Willesden Euroterminal depot. The long-term planning and development of the wider site is being led by the Mayor’s Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, which is planning a mixed-use development, with commercial, residential and leisure uses. “The arrival of HS2 has the potential to transform Old Oak Common, unlocking thousands of new jobs and homes around the UK’s best connected transport hub. Linking HS2 and Crossrail, our new station will be a landmark piece of architecture at the heart of the development, designed around the passenger to ensure seamless, accessible and stress-free travel. We want the community to be a part of the design process and we are asking for their views on the latest plans,” said Matthew Botelle, HS2’s Old Oak Common Project Director. HS2 is currently working to clear the site and prepare the ground for the start of construction, later this year.
Seymour Civil Engineering is nearing completion on its award-winning role at the North East’s first ‘super roundabout’. Work on the £75m Highways England Silverlink triple decker roundabout is scheduled to finish in just weeks with Hartlepool-based Seymour Civil Engineering contracted by John Sisk & Son to install £8m highway and kerb drainage. Seymour has been on site for 102 weeks to date and has been crowned ‘Supply Chain Partner of the Year Civils UK’ at the Sisk Supply Chain Awards for the last two years for its work on the project, with particular mention made about the quality of work and its collaborative approach. Ryan Browell, Contracts Manager at Seymour, said: “It’s definitely been one of the largest projects that I have been involved in throughout my career. “I think the main challenge has been working around traffic management. We worked collaboratively with a host of other contractors such as those looking after the piling, bridges and laying of the roads.” He added: “We are very pleased with the work and we know that it’s going to make a real difference on one of the UK’s primary transport corridors.” Seymour has installed drainage utilising the latest shaft sinking and microtunnelling techniques which has enabled continuous traffic flow on the A19. The four key areas of Seymour’s work involved: Main highway and land drainage Trenchless crossing undertaken by micro tunnelling techniques Sinking three shafts – the deepest being 13.5m deep Installation of combined kerb drainage It has also provided 24-hour on-site support. Health and safety on this project has been of the highest calibre, working to Highways England’s ‘Raising the Bar’ standards given the nature of the location of the works and the risks involved. The scheme in North Tyneside, at the A19 and A1058 Coast Road junction, has been ongoing since summer 2016. Three layers have been created – the Coast Road on top, a junction in the middle and the A19 on the bottom. Once complete, the project will dramatically reduce queuing time for motorists travelling along the A19 at peak times. Highways England has confirmed the scheme is on schedule to finish in March and the work is now entering the final stages. Picture caption: Ongoing work at Silverlink.
Having announced the appointment of two new Senior Stabilisation Managers at the back end of 2018, Mick George Ltd has further signalled its intent to grow their Stabilisation division with the six-figure acquisition of an impressive Wirtgen 250i ‘S Pack’. Having landed many high-profile contracts for its Stabilisation service in recent times, the Wirtgen 250i has been thrust straight in to action at the National Trusts Wimpole Estate, Cambridgeshire as part of a ‘Welcome Project’ that Mick George Ltd are completing various enabling works at. The new machine adds to an already extensive fleet of equipment but will certainly advance the Stabilisation offering by Mick George Ltd. Commonly considered ‘unrivalled’ when it comes to mobile spreading machinery, the Wirtgen 250i offers cost-efficiency, technical sophistication, optimised control systems and the ability to confront the most difficult terrains. The ‘S Pack’ has the advanced capability to spread binding agent without generating clouds of dusts, thus lowering emission levels, permitting Mick George Ltd to tackle those environments where strict emission standards exist. Yet another advantage for Mick George Ltd over its counterparts that operate the more entry level equipment. Michael George, Managing Director of Mick George Ltd commented: ‘’To maintain the exceptionally high standards that we set, we recognise the importance in continuously investing right across the business; in personnel, sites, vehicles and equipment.’’ George continued: ‘’The construction industry is ever evolving, with Stabilisation and Remediation solutions more frequently utilised in many developments. The new machine allows us to extend our offering and ensure we’re providing the same high quality that we do with all our Earthworks provisions.’’
Plans for the opening of a private terminal at Manchester Airport, which will provide travelers with the experience of a private jet when flying on commercial airlines, have been unveiled. The new PremiAir terminal will be open to all passengers regardless of airline or destination, with prices starting at £50. Completely separate to the airport’s existing three terminals, the new facility will cater to different services in line with individual passengers’ preferences. Passengers departing from the PremiAir terminal will be offered a personalised welcome, faster baggage processing, a lounge with complimentary food and drink, and a dedicated security channel. As part of the ‘private jet experience’, travelers will also be driven straight to their aircraft in a private car transfer. “By introducing PremiAir, we’re offering something unique for all of our passengers, and creating a completely new way to travel,” said Manchester Airport Group (MAG) airport services CEO Andrew Harrison. “It is something a large number of customers have been telling us for some time they would be interested in and we hope the services it will offer will appeal to a wide range of passengers, whether they are travelling for business, want to mark a special occasion or just want to add something different to their experience.” In addition, the PremiAir terminal will be available to incoming passengers as a standalone service or part of a round-trip booking. They will receive a car transfer direct from the plane and have access to a dedicated passport control service, as well as the PremiAir lounge. “The launch of PremiAir at Manchester Airport is the beginning of an exciting new project for MAG and we plan to assess opportunities to introduce it at other airport sites in the future,” added Andrew. Scheduled to become operational by the middle of this year, the private terminal is currently under construction on a site next to the Runway Visitor Park.
Multidisciplinary main contractor, Winvic Construction Ltd, announced its partnership with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) yesterday, to offer graduates a training programme in order to gain the specialist skills, knowledge and professional approach required to practice as a civil engineer. The ICE Training Scheme forms part of an employee’s 12 month initial professional development period, which bridges the gap between education and professional qualifications. The structured training will be delivered in-house by Winvic and this leads to sitting the EngTech (MICE) Professional Review as a stepping stone to onward progression to IEng or CEng status. The diverse and thorough framework is tailored in relation to the individual’s previous, and often very recent, education route, specialist discipline and desired future professional qualification. The Scheme’s content is overseen by ICE, ensuring quality and methods, in order to maintain the highest standards. Tim Reeve, Winvic Technical Director, commented: “We have always taken the personal and professional development of our employees very seriously but with a significant increase in staff over the last few years we felt it was time to offer even more support. Our 93 percent staff retention rate indicates that the individuals who join our team after completing an Undergraduate or Master’s Degree are with us for a long time to come; it’s the people that make our business thrive and we owe it to them to help them be the best they can be.” Winvic will provide each trainee with a supervising civil engineer (SCE) and a delegated engineer (DE who will be experienced ICE Members; their roles will be to support and mentor, helping the individual to become multi-skilled, possess good technical, communication, commercial, people and legal knowledge, and understand the implications of their work across these areas. HR and Training Manager at Winvic, Rebecca Schwarz, added: “We are thrilled that ICE – such an important body within the global construction industry – sees our commitment for developing our employees, and that we have been chosen as a training partner. Educational qualifications contribute hugely in giving people the required competencies, but some things just can’t be taught in the classroom, as our year in industry students so often tell us. Winvic’s new ICE Training Scheme will help to create the next wave of innovative, first-class engineers that also share Winvic’s esteemed values.” Cath Mansell, Membership Manager, Mid England said, “It is great for ICE to see new companies implementing the ICE Training Scheme. I know that Winvic have been working hard with Ray Hulse, ICE Membership Development Officer, to get this off the ground and it shows an impressive focus on the professional development of their staff.” For more information about joining Winvic, please visit our Careers page, or contact the HR Department. Vacancies can also be found on LinkedIn and Twitter pages.
The first tower crane has arrived at Euston Station, marking a major step forward for the transformation project. The project, which will be completed as part of the HS2 project, will deliver extra capacity to the station. HS2 will now progress with the demolition of One Euston Square and Grant Thornton House, which stand above the entrance and exit to Euston’s old underground taxi rank. It is expected to take 10 months to complete. “HS2 will transform Euston, delivering much-needed extra capacity and better journeys for the 44 million people who use the station every year. We are already hard at work, delivering essential pre-construction work, including archaeology, utility diversions and of course, the demolition of the two Euston towers. The opening of the new taxi rank and the delivery of the project’s first tower crane is a significant milestone for HS2 and I would like to thank everyone involved in making it happen,” said HS2’s London Programme Director, Rob Carr. Early works contractor, a Costain and Skanska joint venture (CSjv), is currently working with expert subcontractors McGee, stripping out the interiors and erecting the scaffolding that will support acoustic screening around the buildings. “Costain and Skanska have successfully delivered many major infrastructure projects and are pleased to be delivering the HS2 enabling works programme in London. Our work continues to gather pace and constructing this temporary taxi rank to replace the underground taxi rank is vital to allow us to demolish the two large office towers at Euston,” commented CSjv’s Programe Director, Peter Jones. These landmark steps come after the station’s new taxi rank was opened to the public on Sunday 06 January. The new rank, delivered alongside TfL and Network Rail, has capacity for around 40 vehicles and has been designed to incorporate as many of the existing trees as possible.
Locals are being invited by Heathrow Airport to give their opinion on its future. The Airspace and Future Operations consultation is asking communities to help shape the plans for the airport’s existing runways, as well as its proposed third airstrip. The consultation will explore the local factors that Heathrow needs to consider in different geographic areas in order to deisgn the flight paths, as well as examine ways to manage noise and minimise impact through runway and airspace alternation, once all three are operational. Marked as the latest milestone in Heathrow’s £14 billion expansion, the Airspace and Future Operations consultation will run for eight weeks and span more than 30 events across the local boroughs surrounding the airport. “Heathrow’s aim is to design a sustainable, fair and more efficient future airport while connecting the UK to global growth,” said Heathrow’s executive director for expansion, Emma Gilthorpe, who is urging locals to get involved and offer their take on the development. “It is crucial that our plans maximise the benefits of expansion across the country, including for the communities closest to us—and working in partnership with our neighbours is just one way of ensuring they do so. We are committed to delivering expansion responsibly, and we encourage everyone to have their say and take part,” she added. Receiving green light in Parliament last summer, the Heathrow Airport project submitted an application for development consent straight after. A previous consultation, conducted this time last year, collected views on how the airport should deliver the expansion while keeping to promises made to locals and meeting strict environmental tests.
After relocating to larger headquarters in Doncaster, civil engineering firm Specialist Engineering Services (SES) has centralised its commercial and operational arms. Employing more than 200 people and boasting a turnover of £9 million, the company made the decision to move its headquarters to Balby Court, Balby Carr Bank, Doncaster earlier in the year. Funding for the firm’s relocation, as well as modifying the access point to its rail operating centre to allow for heavy plant access, has been secured from Business Doncaster, a partner of the Sheffield City Region Growth Hub Enhancement Project. “It’s great to see SES choosing Doncaster as the location of its headquarters and we are thrilled to have been able to support the team throughout this transition. Here at Business Doncaster, we are dedicated to offering comprehensive business support packages to established businesses and encourage all local business owners to get in touch and benefit from our independent advice and support service,” said Michael Stanley of Business Doncaster. Furthermore, with the help of Northern Rail Alliance and National College for High Speed Rail, SES is now in the process of rolling out an apprenticeship scheme that will allow students to benefit from their training programme. “Our move to the area contributed to boosting the local economy and creating jobs and so, as a result, we were able to benefit from funding which really helped us to transition between sites and improve the accessibility of our nearby operating centre,” said Emma Shrimpton, business services manager at SES. “We were delighted that Business Doncaster could introduce us to the Northern Rail Alliance which led to us working with the National College for High Speed Rail and getting access to students for work experiences and apprenticeships,” Emma added.
