GRAHAM’s Highways Director, Dave Brown, has praised his team’s “technical expertise” following the repair of two accident damaged bridges on the A47 in Norfolk. A time-lapse video has captured the painstaking work, which shows two 28-metre-long beams, each weighting ten tonnes, being lifted into position on the bridges at the
Network Rail’s £5 billion ‘next generation’ track works contracts is inviting bids through a contract notice. The suite is the largest of its kind being undertaken in the upcoming funding period, control period 6 (CP6), which runs from 2019 to 2024. The contracts cover 10 years of railway track works
Aggregate Industries, the leading construction material supplier, has proved its unrivalled credentials once again in its recent work at the ground-breaking Woodsmith Mine development in North Yorkshire. The £2 billion development will constitute one of Britain’s biggest mines; to incorporate a vast mine head at Woodsmith Mine, Sneaton, with shafts
Construction work has started on a new £3.3 million health centre in Neath, which will become the home of the Vale of Neath Practice, DR Cecil Jones Pharmacy and Health Board Services. The 17,911 sq ft project is being developed by The Healthcare Property Company Wales, in partnership with the
Roydon Primary School near Diss in Norfolk will double its student capacity to 420 places after an expansion delivered by Morgan Sindall. The features included in the expansion plans include the addition of eight new classrooms, as well as a new main hall, food tech room, reception area, offices, toilets
As the construction and road surfacing industry comes under pressure to reduce on-site accidents, Aggregate Industries’ Contracting Division has said that a ‘back to basics’ approach could be the key to improving site safety. With recent figures1 revealing that UK roads are the tenth most congested in the world, the
Specialist ground remediation and soil stabilisation company Deep Soil Mixing Ltd has helped with the completion of a £6.5 million project to strengthen the hillside, improve drainage and boost flood resilience at Scout Road in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, for client Calderdale Council. Deep Soil Mixing Ltd used their controlled soil
GRAHAM’s rail teams worked around the clock over the Bank Holiday weekend to deliver crucial upgrades to South East London’s rail network. The essential bridge replacements and supplementary works took place under abnormal track possessions at Bellenden Road Underbridge (Southwark) and Westdown Road Underbridge (Lewisham). Both projects involved the replacement
West Midlands demolition firm AR Demolition been named in a prestigious report celebrating the UK’s fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The ‘1000 Companies To Inspire Britain’ report is released annually by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and 2018 is the fifth year it has
Activity will shortly commence on a new 78 bed care home at the Carpenders Park Farm properties on Oxhey Lane, Watford. Released for sale back in 2016, the construction specialist Mick George Ltd will shortly begin earthworks for the project on behalf of Wildgoose Construction Ltd. Comprising 78 bedrooms with
GRAHAM’s Highways Director, Dave Brown, has praised his team’s “technical expertise” following the repair of two accident damaged bridges on the A47 in Norfolk. A time-lapse video has captured the painstaking work, which shows two 28-metre-long beams, each weighting ten tonnes, being lifted into position on the bridges at the Saddlebow interchange in Kings Lynn. The restorative programme was necessary following damage incurred by an over-height vehicle. The £3.1m project began last October and was completed in May 2018. It was delayed slightly as a crack was unexpectedly uncovered on one of the bridge decks. The scheme involved jacking the bridge, the hydro demolition of the bridge deck and the removal of the steel edge beam before the damaged beams on the bridge were replaced. The deck was subsequently concreted. “This was a very challenging project and one, which demonstrated the full range of technical expertise of our team,” said Dave. “The footage in the video showcases the complexity of the work involved and how our team rose to the challenge. We are pleased to have supported Highways England in improving road safety while also improving journey quality for drivers.” The repair work to the bridges at the Saddlebow interchange was part of a wider £18m package of work, consisting of approximately 70 different schemes, to maintain the A47 in Norfolk. GRAHAM has also carried out similar works in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. Highways England Project Manager, Ajith Nair, said: “We’re very grateful to drivers for their patience while we completed this vital work. The footage shows the amount and scale of the work we’ve been doing. It will help drivers to realise how busy we’ve been and why the roads over the bridges needed to be closed while we were repairing them.” GRAHAM has extensive highways experience and has delivered complex projects throughout the UK and Ireland including the award winning A138 Chelmer Viaduct in Chelmsford, Essex and the £277m M80 Stepps to Haggs scheme, which has transformed one of Scotland’s busiest stretches of road network. For more information on GRAHAM’s highways projects please visit: https://graham-uat.hosted.positive.co.uk/projects?expertise=Civil+Engineering
Network Rail’s £5 billion ‘next generation’ track works contracts is inviting bids through a contract notice. The suite is the largest of its kind being undertaken in the upcoming funding period, control period 6 (CP6), which runs from 2019 to 2024. The contracts cover 10 years of railway track works and will introduce three new geographically-focused alliances between Network Rail, designers and construction suppliers. The alliances include: the North Alliance (Scotland Route); Central Alliance (London North West, London North East and East Midland routes) and the South Alliance; (Anglia, South East, Wessex, Western and Wales routes). Each alliance will combine the development, design and delivery of plain line track and switches and crossings, as well as associated infrastructure works for each area. The step sees plain line and switches & crosses brought together operationally and commercially as a means of delivering infrastructure works more efficiently and effectively for customers, said Network Rail. This move is a key part of the Rail’s Infrastructure Projects CP6 procurement strategy, which aims to promote collaborative arrangements with the supply chain that offer better value for money for devolved route customers. “Combining our plain line expertise with that of switches & crossings will bring huge benefits to both our route customers and the wider supply chain. The proven alliance model offers a flexible and cost effective solution with a greater focus on each route’s specific requirements and needs,” said Steve Featherstone, Network Rail director for track. The pre-qualification period for the tender will start in June. Network Rail owns and operates the railway infrastructure, including 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges and viaducts and thousands of tunnels, signals, level crossings and points, in England, Wales and Scotland on behalf of the nation. It also manages rail timetabling and 20 of the largest stations in England, Scotland and Wales.
Aggregate Industries, the leading construction material supplier, has proved its unrivalled credentials once again in its recent work at the ground-breaking Woodsmith Mine development in North Yorkshire. The £2 billion development will constitute one of Britain’s biggest mines; to incorporate a vast mine head at Woodsmith Mine, Sneaton, with shafts 4,921ft (1,500m) deep, and a 23-mile underground tunnel to transport the potash to Wilton International near Redcar. The project needed the supply and delivery of a vast high quality, hardstone aggregate that was to be used for road construction and ground stabilisation works; therefore the contractor Collins Earthworks called for the services of Aggregate Industries. “Having worked on numerous projects of this size, we were able to apply our learnings to ensure an even more robust approach to the aggregate supply. From working closely with Collins Earthworks at the inventory stages, we have put a stringent plan in place to ensure a continuity of supply without disruption, ensuring the teams have the exact specific technical and quality specification of aggregate as and when they need it,” said John Taylor, sales manager, Aggregates North. During the period of May to December 2017, Aggregate Industries’ specialist team has supplied 81,000 tonnes of Type 3 sub-base aggregates and 9,000 tonnes of Type 1 sub-base aggregates, constituting a total of 90,000 tonnes. A further 20,000 tonnes of material was provided during January and February 2018. In order to effectively and sustainably manage the scale of supply demands, material has been sourced from the business’ Glensanda quarry and shipped to the nearby Teesside port, before being road hauled direct to the project. This approach has enabled the team to deliver in excess of 500 tonnes per day, while operating a stringent quality procedure to ensure the material exceeded the structure and strength values required for the project. “I would like pass on my thanks to Aggregate Industries for providing such a swift and efficient approach to our aggregate requirement which has been vital to keeping the project on schedule. Working on a project of this calibre and scale, it is vital to partner with genuine experts with not just the product capabilities but the expertise behind it, and the team haven’t failed to deliver. I’m sure this relationship will continue as we progress the project over the next four years,” commented on the project Dave Shaw, site manager at Collins Earthworks.
Construction work has started on a new £3.3 million health centre in Neath, which will become the home of the Vale of Neath Practice, DR Cecil Jones Pharmacy and Health Board Services. The 17,911 sq ft project is being developed by The Healthcare Property Company Wales, in partnership with the Vale Neath Practice and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, and is being supported by the Welsh Government. The new centre is to be located at former Washery Site at Aberpergwm and will serve Glynneath, Cwmgwrach, Pontneddfechan, Ystradfellte, Rhigos, Resolven, Melincourt, Clyne and Abergarwed. “All of the GP partners and staff at the Vale of Neath Practice are delighted to witness the witness the commencement of work on the new health centre, which will undoubtedly be a vast improvement to the facilities that we are currently utilising to provide primary care services,” said senior partner, Dr Paul Westwood. “Our registered patients in the various surrounding local communities have patiently waited more than 13 years for the development to reach this stage but there is a buzz of excitement within the locality as the new health centre ‘dream’ develops into a structural reality which will hopefully be open to our patients in early 2019,” he added. The building has been designed by architects’ firm Austin-Smith:Lord and will be built by John Weaver Contractors. “This development will significantly enhance the health offering for the Vale of Neath,” said Paul Stacey, HPC Wales managing director. “Our team has carefully considered the requirements of the surgeries, pharmacy and health board to ensure that we build a facility that is sustainable and flexible for future use. We are delighted that work has started on-site to see this much-needed centre come to fruition.” HPC Wales is a joint venture between The Healthcare Property Company Ltd and Gaufron Healthcare Ltd of Llandrindod Wells. With more than 30 years’ experience developing healthcare facilities, HPC Wales can handle every aspect of a development from financing and design, through construction and maintenance for the long-term.
Roydon Primary School near Diss in Norfolk will double its student capacity to 420 places after an expansion delivered by Morgan Sindall. The features included in the expansion plans include the addition of eight new classrooms, as well as a new main hall, food tech room, reception area, offices, toilets and storage space. Teachers will also benefit from a new staffroom. Moreover, the school’s main building, which dates back to 1886, will be refurbished, together with the library. The project also includes the removal of four old mobile classrooms from the school site at the end of the works. The scheme is part of a £169 million investment by Norfolk County Council to increase the number of local school placed in Norfolk by building new and extended schools in growing communities. “We’re pleased and proud to be working with Norfolk County Council to deliver this major expansion, which will double capacity and enhance the facilities on offer at Roydon Primary School – future-proofing this fantastic school’s offering for generations to come,” said Saul Humphrey, managing director of Morgan Sindall’s East region. “We’re looking forward to providing an outstanding learning and teaching environment that will help to meet growing demand for more school places in Roydon and Diss and the wider community. This will be one of six school expansions or new builds carried out by Morgan Sindall in Norfolk under the current framework. Together, these projects have created hundreds of new modern school places for local children in the county,” he added. Work on the expansion is expected to be completed in 2019. Morgan Sindall is the construction and infrastructure division of Morgan Sindall Group plc, a leading UK construction and regeneration group. The company delivers public and private sector projects and frameworks from £50,000 to more than £1 billion, covering a comprehensive range of market sectors and specialist services.
As the construction and road surfacing industry comes under pressure to reduce on-site accidents, Aggregate Industries’ Contracting Division has said that a ‘back to basics’ approach could be the key to improving site safety. With recent figures1 revealing that UK roads are the tenth most congested in the world, the role of the roadwork operatives, typically involving work on the live highways network, has become increasingly challenging. A previous study by Oxford University2 ranked it as the 16th most hazardous job in the UK, and Highways England estimates that 12 road workers have lost their lives on the network over the past 10 years.3 In response, there is an increased onus on all stakeholders from across the industry to take positive action to improve the health, safety and welfare of roadwork operatives – and while embracing new technological advancements has a part to play; Aggregate Industries says there is also a job to do in fixing the safety basics. Paddy Murphy, Managing Director of Contracting Services at Aggregate Industries, commented: “While there is certainly a raft of new technologies on the market which can play a huge role in aiding the road operative safety plight, the reality is that there is also a big job to do in ensuring that our operatives abide to the basic safety measures. This begins with not only providing all workers with the correct task-based training and awareness of site risks, but by leaders providing a visible personal commitment to safety and leading by example. “Site behaviours need to be monitored to ensure that everyone is adhering to current best practice by providing regular refresher sessions, as required. It sounds simple, but regardless of deadlines and pressures, it is vital that workers take the required rest-breaks and have access to adequate welfare facilities. “Asides from site safety, it’s also about ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. At Aggregate Industries, for example, our ‘Healthy You’ initiative provides workers with ongoing advice, guidance and support on how to deal with a variety of real health issues both in and outside of the workplace; from mental health and stress support, through to nutrition and fitness advice – all of which has been shown to help workers in their day-to-day.” Whilst Highways England delivers a £15billion programme designed to improve the UK’s motorways and main A-roads as part of their Road Investment Strategy, the government has also committed £350 million to improving the UKs local roads. Paddy added: “Amid hugely vast targets to improve Britain’s transport infrastructure, coupled with increased demand on our roads and levels of traffic, it has never been a more apt time for the industry to place a greater focus on the safety and wellbeing of staff than ever before. If we don’t get the safety basics right and iron out any issues now, the reality is that we may encounter even bigger issues down the line as pressures and workloads increase.” For further information about Aggregate Industries, visit www.aggregate.com.
Specialist ground remediation and soil stabilisation company Deep Soil Mixing Ltd has helped with the completion of a £6.5 million project to strengthen the hillside, improve drainage and boost flood resilience at Scout Road in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, for client Calderdale Council. Deep Soil Mixing Ltd used their controlled soil mixing technique to transform the challenging site, using Deep Soil Mixing Ltd’s Allu bucket on a 20-tonne excavator. They stabilised the soil and locked in the asbestos fibres contained in the ground, which proved to be an economical and practical solution. “Soil Mixing has proved to be an ideal solution for this slope stabilisation project, but it can also be used in a wide variety of other applications. In addition to the environmental advantage, stabilisation of soft soils by adding binders to reduce settlements and/or improve the stability of the land can be both a quick and cost-effective solution compared to some traditional methods including piling,” said Colin Critchlow, director at Deep Soil Mixing Ltd. The company also installed a King Post Wall at the bottom of the affected area to create an anchor point for the stability of the slope. This was to ensure that any slips during the soil stabilisation works on the upper slope would be contained and would not affect the surrounding buildings and services. It also created a stable working platform from which the mixing operation could commence. In order to work with and dispose of asbestos to commence work on thee 3,500 m2 site, the workforce was equipped with full face masks and disposable clothes, as well as decontamination when exiting the working area. The project proved to be challenging from both a technical and health and safety perspective. “The completion of work at Scout Road is a key milestone in Calderdale’s recovery from the floods. Along with borough-wide flood alleviation schemes and a range of natural flood management projects, it’s a powerful example of our determination to build resilience against extreme weather events. It has been carried out to the highest possible standard and many of the techniques used have shown real innovation, leading to improved protection for over 80 nearby homes and around 30 non-residential properties,” concluded Cllr Barry Collins, Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic strategy.
GRAHAM’s rail teams worked around the clock over the Bank Holiday weekend to deliver crucial upgrades to South East London’s rail network. The essential bridge replacements and supplementary works took place under abnormal track possessions at Bellenden Road Underbridge (Southwark) and Westdown Road Underbridge (Lewisham). Both projects involved the replacement and reinstatement of two underbridges within a restricted 72-hour rail possession. The railway closures began at 01:20 on Saturday 26th May and finished at 04:00 on Tuesday 29th May. The bridges carry National Rail, London Overground and Thameslink commuter services, as well as providing a busy thoroughfare for railway freight services. The works were part of Network Rail’s overall £78m investment in key asset maintenance and upgrades to more than 600 infrastructure schemes throughout the country. Successful completion Commenting on the successful completion of the bridge projects, Leo Martin, GRAHAM’s Managing Director – Civil Engineering, stated: “Both schemes underline the technical expertise of our staff and supply chain, and their ability to deliver complex rail projects safely and to the highest standards within possession constraints. “When working in these challenging rail conditions, safe and timely project delivery is only possible through close collaboration between ourselves, Network Rail, our supply chain partners and stakeholders. This was a real team effort and everyone pulled together to ensure the successful completion of these projects.” Works As part of the Bellenden Road Underbridge upgrade, the GRAHAM team replaced the existing 12m single span deck with two new Network Rail standard U decks, which were 66t each. The Westdown Road Underbridge project also centred on the replacement of the existing 12.5m bridge with two new Network Rail standard U decks, which were 74t each. It included the replacement of new station platforms. Both projects featured propping to restrain the existing abutments from potential overturning, the removal of tracks and ballast, the demolition of the existing bridge and the installation of the new superstructure decks. New pre-cast concrete cill slabs were placed at each location. Additionally, the reinstatement and re-tamping of the tracks were completed before reopening to rail traffic. Complexity The works involved setting up heavy lift cranes, including a 350t crawler crane and a 500t mobile crane, on the roadways below each bridge location in advance of the railway closures. The complexity of the works was made even more challenging by the severe weather conditions over the bank holiday weekend, with heavy thunder and lightning hampering crane lifts at critical times, and the team having to resolve a number of unforeseen issues as the project progressed. At its peak, over 100 people were on site to deliver each respective project. Meticulous planning GRAHAM’s rail experts have been meticulously preparing for the works over recent months in conjunction with a specialist supply chain, stakeholders, TOCs / FOCs and Network Rail. GRAHAM’s Rail Director, Jonny Kerr, believes this advanced planning and teamwork was the key to the success of both projects. “These complex bridge replacements were completed by our teams through their meticulous planning and technical expertise. The team worked closely with our various supply chain partners, stakeholders and Network Rail and their partners to ensure that there was minimal disruption to the rail network,” said Jonny. “There was a tremendous amount of planning done in advance, which allowed us to progress each project smoothly even with the challenges presented. Additional factors, such as operational High Voltage and S&T cable routes, required support and protection during the works.“ “It’s a tremendous achievement and I’m very grateful to everyone who rose to the challenge. “We would like to thank the public for their patience during the closures.” Rail expertise GRAHAM has completed a broad portfolio of award-winning work within the rail sector. Examples of GRAHAM’s expertise in delivering complex construction within an operational railway include the “Live Launch” of a 55m span, 515t bridge structure over ten railways lines in South London, slope stabilisation works in South Wales and the construction of a new railway station in the Midlands.
West Midlands demolition firm AR Demolition been named in a prestigious report celebrating the UK’s fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The ‘1000 Companies To Inspire Britain’ report is released annually by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and 2018 is the fifth year it has been published. To qualify this year, companies had to have revenue of between £6 million and £250 million, be operating for at least three years and be among the fastest-growing in their industry sector. Calculations were weighted to favour latest-year growth and any company with more than 20 per cent deterioration in net assets over the past three years was excluded. With growth at AR Demolition, based in Carlton near Nuneaton, escalating turnover to £16 million in 2017, managing director Richard Dolman said he was proud for his company to be included. “It’s a great feather in the cap for the company and a real fillip for all at AR Demolition to see us included in such a prestigious list,” he said. “We’ve worked hard over the past few years to set ourselves apart from our competition, creating something different from the typical demolition company and trying to build a business for the future. So it’s great to see that being officially marked by those outside the business. “Turnover this year is looking to be at record levels for us and we’ll know more on that soon. In the meantime, we also have some exciting initiatives in the pipeline, as well as some significant investments, which will further develop the foundation for our future.” AR Demolition was congratulated for its appearance in the report by David Tredinnick, MP for Bosworth, who visited the company in 2016 and said he was delighted to see evidence of its progress since then. “It is fantastic news that AR Demolition, a local company and employer, has been included on the LSEG’s flagship Companies to Inspire Britain list,” he said. “AR Demolition is an innovative company and it has been a pleasure to visit them in the past and see at first hand their approach to developing young people’s skills through apprenticeships. “I congratulate AR Demolition on this prestigious achievement and it is really beneficial for the region to have such inspirational, dynamic and growing companies in our area.” Nikhil Rathi, CEO of LSEG, said: “We warmly congratulate all of the companies identified in this year’s ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ report. “Five years on, the report continues to demonstrate the strength and diversity of British businesses across the country. These dynamic companies are the backbone of our economy, playing an important role in the UK’s ability to innovate, export and grow. “This report is a significant part of London Stock Exchange Group’s broader campaign to support UK high growth companies. We are committed to championing British businesses and Britain’s dynamic entrepreneurial spirit.” In April, AR Demolition announced the purchase of four new excavators, including three new versatile high reach Kiesel machines from Germany, in a £1.5m investment. The purchase followed a £1m acquisition of new machinery at the end of 2016 and heralded the sale of some redundant plant units purchased since AR Demolition was incorporated a decade ago.
Activity will shortly commence on a new 78 bed care home at the Carpenders Park Farm properties on Oxhey Lane, Watford. Released for sale back in 2016, the construction specialist Mick George Ltd will shortly begin earthworks for the project on behalf of Wildgoose Construction Ltd. Comprising 78 bedrooms with en-suite facilities for the elderly, specifically for nursing and dementia care, with associated amenities that include car parking and a private landscaped residents garden, the Carpenders Care home is the latest development to be added to the Frontier Estates portfolio, with the scheme developed in conjunction with Baycroft Care Homes. The care home will be built on the site of a former dairy; therefore its design takes cues from the existing agricultural vernacular to reminisce a series of barns and farm buildings. The scheme utilises glazed links, horizontal timber boarding and zinc dormers to provide a stunning design. “Increasingly our services are being utilised towards the London region for varied contracting provisions. Earthworks is one of our more established offerings and I’m sure that recognised in the quality delivery of this project,” said Michael George, Contracts Director at Mick George Ltd. Baycroft create luxury care homes and senior villages in beautiful surroundings, designed to cater to the varying and individual needs of all residents, providing the highest levels of care. Created by One Housing, one of the UK’s largest housing associations, the group possesses over 50 years’ experience, managing 15,000 homes in the South East.
