The Institution joins a prestigious group of engineering projects that includes San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Forth Bridge in Scotland and the Statue of Liberty in New York. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has designated the Institution of Civil Engineers as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, in the Institution’s 200th anniversary
Balfour Beatty Living Places has won a £103 million highways maintenance contract from Telford and Wrekin Council. The contract is initially for seven years, with the option to extend it for a further seven years. “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract by Telford and Wrekin Council; it
The design contract for the new £12.5 million extension for Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) has been awarded to Watson Batty Architects. “We are delighted to cement our partnership with Leeds Bradford Airport with our biggest project to date. We have worked closely with the team at LBA over the last
The contract for the new £7.6 million waterfront link road for a new Isle of Man Ferry Terminal in Liverpool is yet to be awarded. The scheme will provide access from Waterloo Road to the £30 million facility in Princes Half Tide Dock, located within Peel Land and Property Limited’s
It has certainly been a case of full steam ahead for Aggregate Industries’ expert concrete division over the past few months in helping to provide the complex flooring concrete specification needed for the newly-launched Lake District’s Windermere Jetty project. Currently in construction, Windermere Jetty was commissioned by North West’s arts
An initiative which started late last year to repair more than 40 miles of drought damaged roads in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will enter its final stages this month, with multiple locations set for improvements. Having completed many of the routes, especially within the Peterborough area, attention has now switched to
The contractors chosen to deliver work as part of the new £500 million Medium Schemes Framework (MSF3) have been revealed by The Midlands Highway Alliance (MHA). Balfour Beatty, Eurovia, Galliford Try and Morgan Sindall have all secured a space on the programme, which will cover highways improvements, maintenance and infrastructure
One of the world’s leading manufacturers and distributors of health and safety solutions, Seton, has launched a pioneering speed bump which offers market leading strength and durability. With an innovative ground fixing rail system that significantly reduces deformation and distortion, the Seton Speed Bump has been developed following extensive research
Passengers have been urged by Network Rail to plan their journeys in advance as the rail company delivers more than 400 projects, part of a £84 million investment across the country. A 9,600-strong workforce will work around the clock over the bank holiday weekend to deliver more reliable infrastructure, improved
Bradford city centre could see the building of a new hub railway station that has the potential to boost the region’s economy by £1.5 billion, said new research from consultancy and construction business Mace. Conducted by senior ex-Treasury economist Christ Walker, the research has examined the impact of building a
The Institution joins a prestigious group of engineering projects that includes San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Forth Bridge in Scotland and the Statue of Liberty in New York. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has designated the Institution of Civil Engineers as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, in the Institution’s 200th anniversary year. More than 200 projects worldwide have earned this title, which recognises historically significant civil engineering projects, structures and sites around the world. A physical plaque has been installed at ICE’s London headquarters to mark the award. It was unveiled today during the Global Engineering Congress. “For more than 40 years, ASCE has recognised civil engineering achievements that have played a unique role in the development of America and the world as Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks,” said Robin Kemper, President of ASCE, said at the unveiling. She said that the programme highlights the “pioneering spirit” of civil engineers. ICE as a pioneer Kemper recapped the ICE’s history, which demonstrates this trait, during the dedication. “In 1818, a small group of young engineers met in a London coffee shop and founded the Institution of Civil Engineers, the world’s first professional engineering body. “After two years of struggling to attract new members, ICE asked Thomas Telford to become its first president. “His appointment in 1820 not only gave ICE a major boost, it also played a huge part in shaping who they are today.” ICE President Professor Lord Robert Mair added: “Our Institution was set up 200 years ago a group of young engineers with grand ambitions. I want that precedent to continue. “I see a great and vibrant future for our profession. But this future requires us to transform ourselves; how we think and how we act. Above all we need to be ambitious and bold. There are huge science and technology developments to exploit. “We are so grateful that one of your hugely valued Historic Civil Engineering Landmark plaques will be permanently on display here in One Great George Street, the home of civil engineering.” Glenn Hewus, President of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, was also present at the unveiling. “It is my esteemed privilege to acknowledge the efforts and commitment put forth by the Institution of Civil Engineers to forge ahead with steadfast determination,” he said. “It is because of this type of commitment that civil engineering has progressed to what it is today.”H How historic landmarks are named The ASCE’s History and Heritage Committee nominates historically-significant civil engineering projects for recognition as part of an ongoing programme. It reviews nominated projects and makes a recommendation to the ASCE’s Board of Direction for which one should be named as a landmark. “Those who are actively involved with the process can tell you that this is not an easy task,” said Kemper. ASCE’s landmark programme has been running for more than 40 years. Projects that have earned the designation include the Panama Canal, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Belfast Rail Link in Dublin, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and the Granite Railway, the first commercial railway in the US. Renewed cooperation ICE and ASCE also strengthened their close ties by renewing their Agreement of Cooperation, with Lord Robert and Kemper signing the document yesterday (pictured below). The agreement contains reciprocal arrangements, allowing each institution’s members to attend select meetings and participate in the local association activities of the other. Eligible members of ASCE will also be entitled to a discount for ICE Associate Membership (AMICE). Written by Anh Nguyen.
Balfour Beatty Living Places has won a £103 million highways maintenance contract from Telford and Wrekin Council. The contract is initially for seven years, with the option to extend it for a further seven years. “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract by Telford and Wrekin Council; it builds on our trusted expertise in highways services. We look forward to working closely with the Council and the local community to deliver tangible improvements across the Borough,” said Steve Helliwell, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty Living Places. Working together with the Council, Balfour Beatty will be maintaining the Borough’s 626 miles of highways and 743 miles of footpaths, providing drainage cleansing services, winter fritting and reactive highways maintenance as required. Moreover, Balfour Beatty Living Places will work closely with the council to help deliver its £20 million capital investment programme of planned highways and transport projects to improve roads, paths and highways structures. This will be delivered over the first two years of the contract. Approximately 48 full-time employees will be hired during the works, including four apprentices and graduates. “This is a key contract for the Council at a time when we are investing very heavily in improving roads and footpaths across the Borough through our £45 million Pride in Our Community programme. The savings from the contract will have no effect on the major capital investment that we are making between now and April 2021 targeting roads in particular,” added Councilor Hilda Robert, Cabinet Member for Transport, Roads and Broadband. With work due to commence in April 2019, this partnership is expected to bring an estimated saving of approximately £200,000 a year for the Council through an enhanced management of services.
The design contract for the new £12.5 million extension for Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) has been awarded to Watson Batty Architects. “We are delighted to cement our partnership with Leeds Bradford Airport with our biggest project to date. We have worked closely with the team at LBA over the last six years, assisting with detailed collaboration and consultation, to support a series of enabling projects, both airside and landside. It is rewarding to know that our transport expertise is helping to build the future of a critical northern hub,” commented Peter White, Managing Director at Watson Batty Architects. As part of the plans, LBA’s terminal building will be extended, adding to it a transformed international arrivals process, with immigration, baggage reclaim and customs, as well as improved departure gates, seating areas and new retail, food, and beverage outlets. Once completed, construction work will move to the existing terminal building, remodelling it and adding a new centralised security search area and a more intuitive departure lounge layout, with an expanded new retail offer. Work on the extension is expected to be complete in late 2019, while for the existing building it is scheduled for completion by the summer of 2020. A future phase will include the completion of the departure pier, replacing the current passenger walkway. The planned extension works will deliver additional job opportunities at the Airport for local people, including apprenticeship roles in key operational areas. Watson Batty has previously assisted Leeds Bradford Airport to improve circulation and flow of passengers around the terminal. It designed the new departure lounge extension last year which provided an additional storey and mezzanine floor to Gate Five.
The contract for the new £7.6 million waterfront link road for a new Isle of Man Ferry Terminal in Liverpool is yet to be awarded. The scheme will provide access from Waterloo Road to the £30 million facility in Princes Half Tide Dock, located within Peel Land and Property Limited’s £5 billion Liverpool Waters scheme. Part of the £45 million Liverpool city centre connectivity scheme, this scheme also includes the construction of a second waterfront link road to provide a connection between the existing Bath Street/Princes Parade/Waterloo Road junction and the new signalised junction at Leeds Street/Great Howard Street (A565). “The new Isle of Man ferry link road is a vital scheme and I’m delighted we are now at the stage to make the project live. The road’s core function of is obviously to support the new ferry terminal but it will also bolster the wider development of the Liverpool Waters scheme and we are grateful to Peel and the city region combined authority for their support in this scheme,” said Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson. “Creating this infrastructure is a huge priority for the city council because of its potential to fuel a renaissance in North Liverpool – not least the Ten Streets creativity district and the expansion of the Commercial Business District – which will underpin billions of investment that will benefit this city for generations to come,” the Mayor continued. The contractor will be appointed following a Europe-wide procurement process and a report to the council’s cabinet that will recommend the contract to be awarded. The highways contractor will be formally appointed on cabinet approval and then head of terms will be signed with Peel Land and Property Limited to lease the land to the council for the construction of the road. “The creation of these roads will make access to Liverpool Waters much easier for those living, working and visiting the waterfront, as well as the various construction and commercial vehicles that will be entering Liverpool Waters as the project continues to progress,” added Darran Lawless, Development Director at Peel Land and Property, responsible for Liverpool Waters.
It has certainly been a case of full steam ahead for Aggregate Industries’ expert concrete division over the past few months in helping to provide the complex flooring concrete specification needed for the newly-launched Lake District’s Windermere Jetty project. Currently in construction, Windermere Jetty was commissioned by North West’s arts and heritage association, Lakeland Arts, on the site of the original and iconic Windermere Steamboat Museum. The world class museum houses a collection of over 50 vessels of historic boats telling the story of boating on Windermere from 1780 to the present day. As part of the brief, lead contractor Thomas Armstrong Construction was tasked with providing a consistently dust free and durable surface flooring finish with no cracks to the museum’s extensive exhibition halls. The business subsequently awarded the work to industry expert, Aggregate Industries who oversaw the entire flooring specification; not only supplying the full product requirement but working with a design specialist to ensure a seamless solutions approach. “As a market leader, we have a raft of high performance concrete solutions at our disposal, all of which are based on carefully selected controlled binders, admixtures and aggregates, in order to provide enhanced and special technical properties for specialist applications,” said Neil Cochrane, specification manager at Aggregate Industries. Crucially, as a traditional dry shake topping would have been incredibly difficult to install over the museum’s underfloor heating solution, a tailor-made combination of internal Diamondcrete® slabs was used throughout. Carefully constructed from controlled binders and admixtures in conjunction with aggregates, Diamondcrete boasts superior durability and enhanced performance where abrasive elements are present. The result is a robust, superior strength concrete flooring solution able to withstand the harsh weather conditions associated with the area, along with high frequency and use expected of the museum. “This latest project at Lake Windermere is the perfect example of the importance of taking a tailored approach to concrete specification. We have no doubt that our combined supply of Diamondcrete concrete with its superior toughness, high volume stability and reduced shrinkage has created a durable flooring solution that will last for years to come,” concluded Neil.
An initiative which started late last year to repair more than 40 miles of drought damaged roads in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will enter its final stages this month, with multiple locations set for improvements. Having completed many of the routes, especially within the Peterborough area, attention has now switched to finishing the remaining routes in Cambridgeshire, with local business Mick George Ltd permitting enabling at six separate locations on behalf of the principal contractor, Skanska. The locations include: B1104 Prickwillow Road, Isleham A1123 Stretham Road, Wicken B1040 Ramsey Road, Whittlesey B1096 Benwick Road, Ramsey A1123 Hill Row Causeway, Haddenham B1040 St Marys Road, Ramsey In its entirety, the scheme includes 21 sections of road affected by severe weather conditions and owes largely to an investment of £6.25million made up of £3.5m secured funding from the Department for Transport and the surplus £2.75m provided by Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough County Council respectively. The major road reconstruction will include repairs down to foundation layers, and will also consist of maintenance to vegetation, drainage, signage and road markings along the specified routes. Cambridgeshire County Council, Peterborough City Council and its contractor Skanska are working together to minimise disruption to local residents and those who use the road networks. It is anticipated that the long-term approach to the maintenance of the roads included within the scheduled upgrades will prevent any need for repeated costly repairs and any extra disruption for drivers, in the future. Michael George, Director of Contractor at Mick George Ltd commented: ‘’As a business who operates on the counties roads daily, we are all the more aware of the importance of the conditioning of road infrastructure from a practical and safety perspective.’’
The contractors chosen to deliver work as part of the new £500 million Medium Schemes Framework (MSF3) have been revealed by The Midlands Highway Alliance (MHA). Balfour Beatty, Eurovia, Galliford Try and Morgan Sindall have all secured a space on the programme, which will cover highways improvements, maintenance and infrastructure works for the next four years. “We received high quality submissions from all the contractors, which, together with increased levels of investment by local authorities, will drive further successful delivery of infrastructure projects across the region,” commented Mark Kemp, Chair of MSF3 Steering Group. Replacing the Midlands Highways Alliance’s MSF2 framework, which ran for four years to June 2018, and is available to 21 member authorities in and around the Midlands including Leicestershire County Council and Nottinghamshire County Council, The MSF3 framework is expected to exceed the £200 million of works delivered through the previous framework as regional investment in infrastructure is programmed to significantly increase. “With regional investment in infrastructure set to increase over the coming years, it is a great privilege to be appointed to the MSF3 framework,” said Thomas Edgcumbe, Balfour Beatty Managing Director for its North and Midlands regional business. “Following a successful partnership on the Midlands Highway Alliance’s MSF2 framework, we are looking forward to continuing this momentum and delivering further transport infrastructure in the Midlands for our customers and communities alike,” Thomas added.
One of the world’s leading manufacturers and distributors of health and safety solutions, Seton, has launched a pioneering speed bump which offers market leading strength and durability. With an innovative ground fixing rail system that significantly reduces deformation and distortion, the Seton Speed Bump has been developed following extensive research into current customer needs and existing products within the marketplace. Designed to last, the Seton Speed Bump boasts a unique chevron interlocking shape for enhanced strength, while the rail system significantly reduces the stress levels of the ground bolts, minimising the risk of the speed bump being dislodged and damaging vehicles. A colour contrast lifetime guarantee ensures the speed bump remains highly visible for maximum impact. Ed Barnes, Traffic Innovation Manager at Seton commented: “Existing traffic calming products are notoriously characterised by low durability and poor quality, with recent research showing that almost a quarter of motorists have suffered vehicle damage due to such measures. As health and safety experts, we wanted to develop a solution to these problems, providing businesses and organisations operating a private car park the ability to meet their legal obligations. “The Seton Speed Bump is the result of an intensive and extensive research and development programme. It has been designed to tackle the common problem of speed bumps being ripped up, offering a durable, easy install solution for facilities managers, health and safety managers and estates managers as well as contractors and installers.” The unique Seton Speed Bump rail system enables bolt heads to be as close to the car park’s surface as possible, greatly reducing bolt movement. The upright surface of the rails improves lateral drag resistance and increases crush resistance, which provides additional strength and durability in comparison with standard non-rail installation speed bumps. Available in two height and material options, the Seton Speed Bump marks the start of an extensive programme of innovative product development for the health and safety manufacturer and distributor. With health and safety laws growing increasingly complicated, Seton aims to simplify the process by developing products that ensure compliance. For more information, visit: www.seton.co.uk/seton-speed-bump
Passengers have been urged by Network Rail to plan their journeys in advance as the rail company delivers more than 400 projects, part of a £84 million investment across the country. A 9,600-strong workforce will work around the clock over the bank holiday weekend to deliver more reliable infrastructure, improved facilities and better services for passengers, all part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan. The major investment projects this August include: The replacement of a vital junction outside of London Euston station at North Wembley to improve reliability of services. This will see London Euston station closed not only over the bank holiday weekend (25 – 27 August), but also the 18 – 19 August and 01 – 02 September. The £200 million investment to transform the track and signalling through the Derby station area will continue over the bank holiday weekend. The 79 days of engineering began on Sunday 22 July and runs until Sunday 07 October. The investment is a key part of the biggest upgrade of the Midland Main Line, which will support better journeys between Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham and London. The replacement of track near Coventry to improve the reliability of services through the area. Passengers travelling to Birmingham International Airport are advised to plan their journeys in advance as buses will replace trains between Birmingham International and Rugby. “This bank holiday weekend, thousands of rail workers across Britain will be delivering essential improvements that will lead to faster, better services and help relieve overcrowding to respond to the huge growth on Britain’s railways. While it will be business as usual on most of the network, we urge all passengers to check before they travel,” said Andy Thomas, Network Rail managing director of England and Wales. Some routes will see significant changes to normal services; therefore passengers should plan ahead of travelling this August bank holiday weekend.
Bradford city centre could see the building of a new hub railway station that has the potential to boost the region’s economy by £1.5 billion, said new research from consultancy and construction business Mace. Conducted by senior ex-Treasury economist Christ Walker, the research has examined the impact of building a new railway hub in Bradford city centre as part of the Northern Powerhouse Rail line to improve east-west connectivity from Liverpool, Manchester, Bradford, Leeds and Hull. Using data on growth in Birmingham following the construction of the new Birmingham New Street Station, the report has explored how securing a Northern Powerhouse Rail hub in the centre of Bradford could transform the local economy, create jobs and unlock housing and business growth. Moreover, the estimated result of having a new railway station in Bradford as part of the Northern Powerhouse Rail could add a £1.1 billion to £1.5 billion a year economic uplift to the local and Northern economy and support the creation of more than 1,000 jobs. “For Bradford, direct connections across the North will mean more investment coming into the city and residents will greatly benefit from the regeneration this will kick-start across the district whilst also supporting the wider economic contributions to the North’s economy,” said Lisa Bowden, head of infrastructure in the North at Mace. “Mace is backing Bradford’s campaign for Northern Powerhouse Rail as we believe this is a truly once in a generation opportunity to change the city for the better, boosting economic growth, supporting the regeneration in the city and supporting the young and dynamic residents and businesses that call the city home, both now and in the future,” she added. Launched at a workshop hosted by Mace Group in partnership with City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, the ‘Bradford Bonus’ report was seen by key transport leaders from both organisations, as well as by Transport for the North, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.
