Figures released today suggests that UK construction & civil engineering is one of the least prepared industries to weather a mass home working strategy. Leesman has surveyed more than 700,000 employees worldwide. Of the 19,906 of those working in the UK construction & civil engineering space within its index, 49%
Maintaining its proud association with North East England, Cleveland Bridge UK has secured another project in the region to manufacturer a new structure in South Tyneside. As part of Highways England’s A19 Testo’s Junction Improvement Scheme, the Darlington-based company has been awarded the project by smart infrastructure solutions company Costain
A new pedestrian and cycle bridge has been installed on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. Contractors GRAHAM and Mace worked on Christmas Day last year to complete the installation, connecting East Bank to International Quarter London. The 350-ton steel Carpenters Land Bridge is a key part of the infrastructure
More than a thousand piles have been put in by Foundations specialist Aarsleff Ground Engineering for a warehouse development in east London. Segro Park Rainham is part of the East Plus Scheme to regenerate under-developed and brownfield sites with big sheds and warehouses. Phase one saw more than 200,000 sq
A major project which will see the A13 between Orsett and Stanford-le-Hope widened from two to three lanes and four bridges replaced has reached a key milestone. The first bridge has been demolished under the scheme, along with street lighting column removal and BT communication cable installation. Saffron Gardens Bridge
North East company, Seymour Civil Engineering, has recently been appointed to Yorkshire Water’s Minor Civil Framework, worth up to £290million, and is set to deliver requirements around the entire operational area of Yorkshire Water. Yorkshire Water has recently awarded £1billion of Civils Frameworks for 2020-2025, covering the full range of
CIVIL ENGINEERING and surfacing firm Thomas Bow City Asphalt has successfully secured a multi-million pound Leicestershire County Council and Leicester City Council framework contract to deliver road repair works across the county. The four-year patching contract – worth a total of £36 million – will see Thomas Bow act as
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
Figures released today suggests that UK construction & civil engineering is one of the least prepared industries to weather a mass home working strategy. Leesman has surveyed more than 700,000 employees worldwide. Of the 19,906 of those working in the UK construction & civil engineering space within its index, 49% have no home working experience, compared with 52% of overall respondents globally. As the UK government now asks even mildly sick people to stay home, leading researchers have suggested British workers who can work from home should be advised to do so, regardless of whether they are symptomatic, to reduce their risk of contracting coronavirus and fuelling the outbreak by spreading it to others. Many British businesses have released Covid-19 contingency plans including compulsory home working policies, and some have begun to close sites and ban external visitors. But Leesman’s data suggests the construction and civil engineering space must brace itself for reduced productivity and innovation. Of the employees across the industry that do work from home occasionally, 91% typically do so for just one day a week or less, and just 0.3% work from home for more than four days per week. What’s more, only 32% of sporadic home workers in the industry have a dedicated room to work from. In light of the actions that businesses are having to take in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Leesman is mobilising research tools that will enable employers across the private and public sector to support the newly remote workforce. The Leesman Index rating, which covers more than 90 indicators of the physical, virtual and social workplace infrastructures, shows how employees are supported and monitors key economic indicators like personal and collective productivity, knowledge transfer and pride. Tim Oldman, Leesman CEO, said: “Home working will undoubtedly prove pivotal in limiting the impact of coronavirus crisis. But the data suggests that many employers and employees across the construction and civil engineering space will be out of their depth should British businesses be forced into lockdown. Our advice is for organisations to quickly quantify where their main obstacles will be and seek support. We know how and why corporate offices impact employee sentiment but have significantly less understanding of even the short-term impact of dispersing teams to environments designed for living, not working. Industries must brace themselves, but the construction and civil engineering space must remain one of the most cautious.”
Maintaining its proud association with North East England, Cleveland Bridge UK has secured another project in the region to manufacturer a new structure in South Tyneside. As part of Highways England’s A19 Testo’s Junction Improvement Scheme, the Darlington-based company has been awarded the project by smart infrastructure solutions company Costain Ltd to fabricate and install a new 141.4m bridge at the centre of a flyover. Further alleviating traffic congestion on the redeveloped roundabout that connects the A19 with the A184, the flyover is part of a five-year £15bn programme by Highways England to improve journeys between the main North East arterial route and the surrounding areas. To date two additional lanes on both northbound and southbound sides of the roundabout have been completed, which has also created the space for the construction of the flyover that includes the installation of more than 130 concrete piles. The 1,393te weathering grade road bridge will be fabricated as a series of 25 paired girders at Cleveland Bridge UK’s 27,000 square metre production facility, 40 miles south of the project site. The scale of Cleveland Bridge UK’s factory will also enable it to undertake a test assembly of the structure, which will ensure a more efficient final installation on site later this year. Cleveland Bridge UK has a pedigree for the production of steel road bridges for major infrastructure projects, dating back to its formation in 1877, not only in North East England, but around the world. It is renowned for producing structures crossing rivers and road networks ranging from the iconic Tyne Bridge and Sydney Harbour bridges to, more recently, the Lincoln Eastern Bypass and the largest road improvement project in England, the A14 Cambridge to Huntington. Chris Droogan, Managing Director of Cleveland Bridge UK, said: “We are highly active in markets across the world, but it is always satisfying to secure projects in our home region of the North East, particularly those that will bring significant benefits to the efficiency of the area’s transport network. “We are also very proud to continue our long-term collaborative relationships with Highways England and Costain and look forward to the successful delivery of this project.”
A new pedestrian and cycle bridge has been installed on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. Contractors GRAHAM and Mace worked on Christmas Day last year to complete the installation, connecting East Bank to International Quarter London. The 350-ton steel Carpenters Land Bridge is a key part of the infrastructure for East Bank, the new £1.1 billion culture and education district being created on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The new connection will link the buildings of Sadler’s Wells, the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion and the V&A, including a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, with the new business district at International Quarter London. GRAHAM is the project’s civil engineering contractor and Principal Contractor for the Installation of Carpenters Land Bridge. Mace is the London Legacy Development Corporation’s project management partner and principal contractor for the East Bank development. GRAHAM’s team took advantage of the rail network Christmas shutdown to rotate the bridge in to position and minimise disruption to three Network Rail lines, two DLR lines and Carpenters Road. The bridge was manoeuvred into place using self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) rather than a traditional crane to reduce the risk of cancellation caused by potential high winds. Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said: “The installation of the Carpenters Land Bridge is another key moment in the East Bank development. It will provide access to local people and visitors from around the globe to the world-leading institutions that are set to be based at the country’s new powerhouse of culture, education, innovation and growth.” Jason Millett, Mace’s Chief Executive Officer for Consultancy, added: “The East Bank development at Stratford Waterfront is a vital element of the continued regeneration of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the installation of Carpenters Land Bridge is a major milestone in unlocking this new cultural and education district. “As LLDC’s project management partner and principal contractor on Stratford Waterfront, Mace has the privilege of overseeing the entire delivery of the East Bank scheme, but this bridge lift certainly stands out as one of the most memorable moments so far. The dedication of everyone involved to achieve such a complex operation under incredibly challenging time constraints – and on a day that’s very important to a lot of people – must be praised.”
More than a thousand piles have been put in by Foundations specialist Aarsleff Ground Engineering for a warehouse development in east London. Segro Park Rainham is part of the East Plus Scheme to regenerate under-developed and brownfield sites with big sheds and warehouses. Phase one saw more than 200,000 sq ft of unit space constructed. Phase two, to bring an additional 108,000 sq ft, is now starting. A&H Construction has awarded Aarsleff the foundations contract, which includes the structural and slab foundations of all five units encompassed within phase two. Aarsleff starts work on site on the 2nd December 2019. It is using three of its Junttan PMx22 and PM20 piling rigs to install 1,140 precast concrete piles of 250mm and 300mm square. The 300mm square section piles are for the building frame foundations; the 250mm square section piles are for the floor slab foundations. Some of the piles in a small area of the site were specified to be installed using minimal vibration methods due to their proximity to the London Tilbury rail line. Aarsleff was able to offer a continuous flight auger (CFA) solution for these piles, with its new Soilmec SF50 rig. Aarsleff is scheduled to complete its piling works before Christmas with construction to be complete and ready for lease in the third quarter of 2020. Senior technical estimator Dan Coe said: “It is also great to be working with A&H Construction again this year, having installed precast concrete piles in July for them on a new retail development off Newport Road in Cardiff.”
A major project which will see the A13 between Orsett and Stanford-le-Hope widened from two to three lanes and four bridges replaced has reached a key milestone. The first bridge has been demolished under the scheme, along with street lighting column removal and BT communication cable installation. Saffron Gardens Bridge linked a major farm to the A1013 Stanford Road, either side of the A13. An alternative access road was upgraded before the works to allow the farm to continue to operate as normal throughout the entire duration of the project. Kier used protective debris mats to protect the existing road surface underneath the bridge, with four demolition machines used to demolish the structure itself, as well as water cannons to control the spread of dust across the site and into public areas. Live vibration monitoring was also in place to ensure that the demolition did not adversely affect the nearby gas pipeline. At Saffron Gardens Farm the replacement bridge has been designed to accommodate larger agricultural machinery which is prevalent in modern farming, with the new bridge due to be installed in 2020. “Demolishing Saffron Gardens Bridge was a major milestone for our project and I would like to thank the team for their incredible efforts in planning and delivering this high-profile activity safely and successfully,” said Steve Mack, A13 Project Director at Kier, The three other new bridges will be installed before the existing bridges are demolished to ensure that roads and communities remain connected at all times.
North East company, Seymour Civil Engineering, has recently been appointed to Yorkshire Water’s Minor Civil Framework, worth up to £290million, and is set to deliver requirements around the entire operational area of Yorkshire Water. Yorkshire Water has recently awarded £1billion of Civils Frameworks for 2020-2025, covering the full range of civil engineering requirements across its clean and wastewater assets with a total of 18 partners after a 12-month procurement process. Seymour is the only company to be appointed within both Yorkshire Water’s Minor Civils Lot 1 and 2 and will be carrying out civil engineering works to existing assets on operational treatment and distribution facilities. This will also include refurbishment and repairs to clean potable water and wastewater structures including reservoirs respectively. Karl Brennan, Pre Construction Director at Seymour Civil Engineering, said: “This is a key milestone for the business to achieve this strategic growth in Yorkshire and it provides a platform for further growth and development. “The work will commence later this year or early 2020 and will last over an eight-year period with a review after five years. “This will result in creation of jobs and many opportunities to deliver social value as well as reinforcing our position as a multi discipline specialist civil contractor in the region.” The journey began in 2017 with a strategic objective to grow the business, as Seymour’s skillsets suit the water industry. This therefore made sense to look at Yorkshire Water as their ‘neighbouring water authority.’ Seymour were aware of the AMP 6 cycle coming to an end and that Yorkshire Water would soon be publicising notices for AMP7 frameworks. They attended the AMP 7 supplier events and were impressed by the actions Yorkshire Waters procurement team were taking, to engage with suppliers, stating that they wanted to achieve a ‘collaborative and family feel.’ Mark Baker, Head of Programme Delivery at Yorkshire Water, commented: “We are excited to see the conclusion of this process and welcome our partners to support our ambitions and challenges into AMP7. “They will assist in the formation of a truly collaborative, innovative and efficient delivery vehicle to help meet our Enterprise delivery model aspirations. “The alignment of our objectives and a Programme First approach is a new direction for Yorkshire Water and we are confident that our partners can support this ambition.” Karl Brennan continued: “As Seymour has grown from a family business, this appealed to us and the decision was soon made to declare an interest in the Minor Civils framework. “The framework was a three-stage process and we competed against some of the UK’s main contractors before securing our position. It took a lot of resource, input and effort from our team to get to this position and we are proud of our achievement. “We are now in the process of implementing our proposal to go and deliver the work and build our relationship with Yorkshire Water.”
CIVIL ENGINEERING and surfacing firm Thomas Bow City Asphalt has successfully secured a multi-million pound Leicestershire County Council and Leicester City Council framework contract to deliver road repair works across the county. The four-year patching contract – worth a total of £36 million – will see Thomas Bow act as the principal contractor for the project. The firm will be responsible for more than 3,000 miles of road and deliver everything from traffic management, road marking, road planning and surfacing for the scheme. Alistair Bow, sixth generation managing director at Thomas Bow, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed by Leicestershire County Council and Leicester City Council as it’s not only a really significant contract but the work really complements our stronghold across the East Midlands. “The framework win has also allowed us to take on a further two surfacing teams – a total of 19 full time roles – as well as invest in new equipment such as pavers and vehicles. As a firm, we have extensive experience working across the Midlands and Yorkshire, so this appointment will help boost the work we’re already doing in the region. “We’ve had an excellent few years here at Thomas Bow – from our 150th anniversary in 2017 to securing Highway England framework win via a joint venture with Breedon Southern Limited in 2018, this contract provides a great support to 2019.” A spokesperson for Leicestershire County Council said: “The maintenance and upkeep of our roads is a vitally important aspect of the work delivered by the county council. From pothole repairs to resurfacing, we’re responsible for more than 2,500 miles of roads. Ensuring the extensive road network runs smoothly is no mean feat and requires a large degree of co-ordination and flexibility. Carriageway repairs require quick solutions to make sure the impact on the travelling public is minimal. We’re pleased to be working in partnership with Thomas Bow City Asphalt to provide carriageway patching and repairs across the county, while, at the same time, ensuring that we’re delivering value for money for the council taxpayer.” Thomas Bow is based in Nottingham and has worked on some of most distinguished landmarks and transport systems across the Midlands and Yorkshire. Recent projects include the £10m contract to surface the second phase of the Nottingham tram system, the new car park 7 at Birmingham Airport and the Lincoln Transport Hub. To find out more about Thomas Bow City Asphalt, visit www.thomasbow.com or join the conversation on Twitter @thomas_bow.
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.
