Whitemountain Quarries won a £15 million contract to build a 1 kilometre road with two bridges in the Somerset town of Bridgwater. The construction work will begin on the 4th of April and it will include an access road to serve the Colley Lane Industrial Estate in the town and
GRAHAM Construction’s ‘visionary’ approach to whole person development has been celebrated at the prestigious Highways England Health, Safety & Wellbeing Awards. Seeing off a host of industry-leading competition, GRAHAM’s CONNECT personal development programme was named the ‘Health and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year’ at a glittering ceremony on Wednesday (7th
Leading infrastructure services company FM Conway has been working with Trime UK limited to develop a smart lighting tower that sets a new bar in health and safety. In line with its focus on innovation, the business – which operates across London and the south of England – identified the
The construction company BAM Nuttall has won an £85 million contract to deliver a new concrete deck extension for London City Airport. Part of the £480 million City Airport Development, the work will see the 75,000 m2 extension supported by over 1,000 concrete piles with steel casings. The City Airport
Family-run Cotswold civil engineering and construction company, Heming Group, has announced an expansion with the launch of Heming Plant Hire. Heming Plant Hire has been created to offer a digger rental and self-drive plant hire service to customers in a 40-mile radius from its depot in Willersey, near Broadway. Its
VIP-Polymers Ltd has won contracts to provide tunnel segment gaskets for two major tunnelling projects in the United Kingdom and India. The global specialist rubber seals and gasket manufacturer has been commissioned to supply its latest cast-in gasket for the 12.7km Thames Tideway Central wastewater tunnel in London. VIP, based
ECS Engineering Services has been appointed as Principal Contractor for the South East by the Environment Agency, under the MEICA (mechanical, electrical, instrumentation control and automation) Framework. This builds on the existing relationship that has seen ECS deliver maintenance services for over 15 years. Under this agreement, ECS can be
Greater Brighton Metropolitan College (MET) held the official opening of the Construction and Trades Centre at the Brighton East Campus with a special ceremony that local businesses, staff, and students attended. The ribbon of the £9 million building was cut by Tim Wates, Chair of Coast to Capital Local Enterprise
Jet Aire Services, the Leeds-based drainage and civil engineering contractor, has appointed a new Contract Manager. Mark Walker will coordinate the efficient delivery of projects throughout the UK. Mark had previously worked as Senior Area Agent at Ringway Infrastructure Services, a role that equipped him with outstanding experience in civil
Rope and Sling Specialists Ltd. (RSS) has completed proof tests on three runway beams at the Durward Street shaft site, part of Contract C512, a main station contract worth £110m, awarded as part of Crossrail, Europe’s largest infrastructure scheme. RSS accepted a scope of work to test newly installed, temporary
Whitemountain Quarries won a £15 million contract to build a 1 kilometre road with two bridges in the Somerset town of Bridgwater. The construction work will begin on the 4th of April and it will include an access road to serve the Colley Lane Industrial Estate in the town and two bridges: one an in-situ concrete arch structure over the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal and the second a 52m long single span steel composite bridge over the tidal River Parrett. “We are delighted to deliver the much anticipated Colley Lane Southern Access Road Project on behalf of Somerset County Council and fully understand the importance of the project to the local community. Whitemountain are committed to delivering a quality project that exceeds client expectations on time and within budget,” said Mark Kelly, MD of Whitemountain. “We look forward to engaging with and supporting Somerset County Council and are committed to providing social value and community welfare in the delivery of the project, fully aligned with Somerset County Council’s Sustainability Plan,” he added. The new link road will be crossing the site of a former brickworks, where the clay extraction pit has been filled with cellophane waste. The embankment of the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal Bridge will need to be built over it. The new carriageway will give motorists the opportunity to access the Colley Lane Industrial Estate from the South, avoiding travelling on Taunton Road during rush hour traffic. It will also open up brownfield development sites between the River Parrett and the Taunton and Bridgwater Canal to support the delivery of planned housing and employment land. One of the contributors to the development is Hinkley Point nuclear power station who invested £2 million as part of a £100 million commitment to support community projects.
GRAHAM Construction’s ‘visionary’ approach to whole person development has been celebrated at the prestigious Highways England Health, Safety & Wellbeing Awards. Seeing off a host of industry-leading competition, GRAHAM’s CONNECT personal development programme was named the ‘Health and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year’ at a glittering ceremony on Wednesday (7th March) in London’s Connaught Rooms. CONNECT is an innovative whole person wellbeing programme, which has been developed and championed by GRAHAM – a privately-owned company, ranked 16th in the Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250. Based on cutting-edge research across performance, health and wellbeing, CONNECT has already produced eye-catching results, as GRAHAM’s Managing Director – Civil Engineering Leo Martin explains. “Since the initial pilot programme, we have seen employee turnover for participants fall to just 1 per cent, while 85 per cent of participants have rated the programme as ‘excellent’ on an independent survey,” said Leo. “CONNECT has been an unparalleled success and as a result we are extremely proud to have been awarded this prestigious accolade by Highways England. As a business, we understand the importance of health and safety performance across the construction industry, particularly in the Highways sector. This award is further validation of our deep expertise and understanding.” The awards are dedicated to health, safety and wellbeing achievements, excellence and innovation across Highways England’s supply chain and road users. Indeed, the prestigious accolade follows GRAHAM’s recent attainment of Investors In People’s Platinum and Wellbeing accreditations. As a measure of GRAHAM’s belief in CONNECT’s ground breaking impact, it will invest over £1m throughout 2018-19 to roll out the programme to all of its 2,200+ employees spread across the UK and Ireland. “We are now beginning a full roll out across the entire business. Our commitment to driving excellence in health, safety and wellbeing led to the development of the CONNECT programme, and we are now reaping the benefits of its implementation,” continued Leo. “CONNECT is a valuable tool, which can significantly impact the attraction and retention of talent within our industry. It is adaptable to other construction companies and has the potential to be a unique, breakthrough model programme for wellbeing in the UK workforce.” Jim O’Sullivan, Chief Executive of Highways England said: “It’s well known that safety is our first imperative and I am delighted that these awards highlight that. The camera system, for example, will ultimately save lives. The submissions show how innovative ways of thinking will make things safer for those working on and using our strategic road network and these awards also highlight the mental health and wellbeing of staff is as important as feeling safe in the workplace. I look forward to seeing more achievements in years to come.” GRAHAM is continuing to develop its partnership with Highways England following the successful delivery of a number of contracts over the last few years, including the Chelmer Viaduct valued at £21 million, as well as the completion of the Great Howard Street bridge replacement scheme for Liverpool City Council (£8 million), procured through the Highways England CDF Lot 2 Framework. Last month the company completed a milestone beam lift at the A47 Saddlebow Interchange in King’s Lynn as part of a £3.5 million bridge strengthening project. GRAHAM is also currently undertaking a scheme to install conventional noise barriers on the M40 motorway as part of a series of improvements between Junctions 3 and 8 of the motorway, with the ultimate goal of reducing noise pollution along the route.
Leading infrastructure services company FM Conway has been working with Trime UK limited to develop a smart lighting tower that sets a new bar in health and safety. In line with its focus on innovation, the business – which operates across London and the south of England – identified the need for a safety feature to guard against towers becoming unstable in a site environment. Paul Cerexhe, Head of Plant and Workshops at FM Conway explained, “We are aware that most lighting tower suppliers offer a safety system that prevents a tower light unit being moved whilst the mast is in the upright position. However, in keeping with our ultimate site safety ethos, we wanted to create an additional system, just for our own use, that would only allow the mast to be erected if the stabiliser legs had been properly deployed.” Paul and his team approached leading lighting manufacturer, Trime UK and outlined its specific requirements. To comply with this request, Trime engineers set about developing a series of sensors attached to each of the stabiliser legs that relayed back to the control panel confirming that the legs were in position prior to the lifting of the main mast. Following several successful trials, FM Conway confirmed an order for 16 of Trime’s X-ECO LED lighting towers fitted with this individual accessory. Another deciding factor why FM Conway decided to invest in the X-ECO is its market leading environmental benefits. X-ECO LED is an energy saving lighting tower with many sustainable features built-in as standard. Trime has calculated that the X-ECO uses approximately £336.00 less in fuel each month, when compared to many lighting sets currently available. These savings equate to a reduction in C02 output by around 888kg per month. Thirteen X-ECOs can be loaded on one single truck which potentially means less traffic on the already busy UK highway network and potentially reduced delivery costs for users of Trime sets. “Keeping an open mind when we receive specific requests from organisations is just one of many factors that have pushed us on as a market leader in the manufacture of site lighting towers,” says Paul Hay, Trime (UK) Limited, Managing Director. Paul Hay continued, “We were pleased that we could work with FM Conway to satisfy their particular requirement. It is a testament to their focus on providing added safety features on the equipment they supply to site.” Trime has significant knowledge in the lighting tower market with individuals completing over 50 years of experience in developing and marketing environmentally sustainable lighting sets for the construction and rental markets. Trime UK is headquartered in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Based in Sevenoaks, Kent, FM Conway delivers construction and maintenance services for roads, buildings, structures and public spaces across London and the south east. The business has over 50 years’ experience in championing innovation to drive cost efficiencies for public and private sector clients.
The construction company BAM Nuttall has won an £85 million contract to deliver a new concrete deck extension for London City Airport. Part of the £480 million City Airport Development, the work will see the 75,000 m2 extension supported by over 1,000 concrete piles with steel casings. The City Airport Development is supporting a new infrastructure that includes aircraft stands, a parallel taxiway, and an enhanced passenger terminal extension. In addition, it will deliver improved facilities for customers, an expanded offer of flights, and greater space to accommodate increasing passengers, enabling annual passengers to grow from the current 4.5 million to 6.5 million. The airport will remain operational while the work will be carried out. Once the unexplored ordnance (UXO) survey is completed, the construction work can begin. The extension is expected to be delivered by early 2020. “The contract is the first big step forward in the airport’s development programme, essentially creating new land that will provide the base upon which we will build the majority of the transformational infrastructure, including the extended terminal building and additional aircraft stands,” said Peter Adams, Chief Development Officer at London City Airport. The new deck will consist of precast reinforced concrete planks with a reinforced concrete topping spanning onto precast concrete beams, which will be supported on more than 1,000 large diameter bored concrete piles with steel casings in the dock bed. Additional work will include the partial demolition of the King George V Dock wall, the construction of a partly submerged service trough and drainage channels and around 50 land based piles adjacent to the airport entrance. “This scheme will play a significant part in the overall Airport Development Programme and will support the planned infrastructure such as the aircraft stands and new world class passenger terminal extension. We are looking forward to successfully delivering this prestigious project, working alongside London City Airport and Bechtel,” commented Martin Bellamy, BAM Nuttall Executive Director.
Family-run Cotswold civil engineering and construction company, Heming Group, has announced an expansion with the launch of Heming Plant Hire. Heming Plant Hire has been created to offer a digger rental and self-drive plant hire service to customers in a 40-mile radius from its depot in Willersey, near Broadway. Its fleet comprises modern 8, 14 and 22.5 tonne diggers and excavators made by market leaders Doosan and Terex and are equipped with a wide range of buckets and attachments. Also available is a Terex TLB 890 Backhoe Loader, with four in one bucket, pallet forks, extender and breaker circuit, and featuring a curved boom, an internally extending dipper and higher hydraulic pressures for increased performance. Peter Heming, MD of Heming Group, said: “Whether customers need a vehicle delivered to their construction site for their staff to use, or need a complete manned service, we can help. With 50 years’ experience in construction, groundworks and civil engineering contracting, as well as agricultural engineering, vehicle maintenance and plant hire, we know which machine is best suited to individual projects. “We pride ourselves on first-class customer services and effective communication skills.” Heming Plant Hire – which can arrange evening deliveries – also offers a range of attachments including grabs, breakers, shears, selector grabs and multiprocessors – all suited for recycling or demolition works. Heming Group has invested heavily in recent years in new plant and tractor equipment as it consolidates its position as a leading player in contracting and civil engineering in the area. The company – which numbers more than 40 employees and celebrates 50 years of trading this year – comprises Heming Civil Engineering and Construction, Heming Agricultural and Plant Engineers, Ford Electrical, Major Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Services and Major Building Services. For further information visit www.hemingplanthire.co.uk. The website includes details about a hired in plant insurance policy – offered by JCB Insurance – and providing immediate cover for up to 30 days.
VIP-Polymers Ltd has won contracts to provide tunnel segment gaskets for two major tunnelling projects in the United Kingdom and India. The global specialist rubber seals and gasket manufacturer has been commissioned to supply its latest cast-in gasket for the 12.7km Thames Tideway Central wastewater tunnel in London. VIP, based in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, UK, has also won a contract to supply tunnel segment gaskets for a project to extend the Mumbai Metro. Matthew Levitt, VIP Technical Business Development Manager, said: “Our success with both projects demonstrates our ability to deliver a wide range of innovative products and technologies for supporting major water and transport infrastructure projects anywhere in the world. “These are exciting tunnelling projects that are vital to the sustainable development and growth of two great cities, and we’re delighted to be involved with them.” Thames Tideway Central is the longest of three sections of a 25km tunnel, due for completion in 2024, designed to prevent the discharge of untreated storm water and sewerage from 34 combined sewer overflows into the tidal River Thames. VIP is supplying its cast-in gasket referenced VIP028CI with patented corners to tunnel segment pre-caster Pacacar for the section, which will be 12.7km long, with an inner diameter of 7.8m. Supply commenced in December 2017. A consortium made up of Ferrovial Agroman and Laing O’Rourke (FLO JV) is the main contractor for the central section, which runs from Fulham to Blackfriars and will have 6,100 tunnel segment ring sets. VIP’s compliant compressible corner technology for cast-in gaskets delivers consistent load performance along the entire perimeter of the gasket. This eliminates the risk of high loads at one or more of the gasket’s corners during installation, which could contribute to segment cracking. The technology has already been proven on other tunnelling projects, including the 5km Shieldhall wastewater tunnel in Glasgow, commissioned by Scottish Water. VIP has been commissioned by J Kumar Infraprojects to supply tunnel segment gaskets for the Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Packages 5 and 6) tunnel, which is being built for the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation, a joint venture between the Indian Government and the Government of Maharashtra. The project involves the construction of a 4.5km twin tunnel, with an outside diameter of 6.6m, requiring a total of 17,800 tunnel segment ring sets. Production of the glued-in gaskets selected for the tunnel has already begun at VIP’s factory in Huntingdon. This latest contract continues VIP’s long-standing position as a major supplier of TSGs in India, having previously supplied four phases of the Delhi Metro project and the Ghatkopar High Level Tunnel in Mumbai. Matthew Levitt said: “The gasket has been specifically developed as a modification of our VIP024 gasket to provide additional sealing assurance sought by project engineers as the tunnel passes under the Mithi River.” www.vip-polymers.com +44 (0)1480 411333
ECS Engineering Services has been appointed as Principal Contractor for the South East by the Environment Agency, under the MEICA (mechanical, electrical, instrumentation control and automation) Framework. This builds on the existing relationship that has seen ECS deliver maintenance services for over 15 years. Under this agreement, ECS can be assigned directly to projects at all the Environment Agency’s 600+ sites in the South East, ECS also assumes responsibility for maintenance, servicing, repairs and emergency call-outs. The appointment complements other framework agreements ECS has with the Environment Agency. Dave Searle, ECS’s Project Manager for the South East, says: “We have worked with the Environment Agency for many years on a wide range of project types and sizes. This new appointment reflects our ability to deliver a true turnkey solution using our design expertise with in-house fabrication facilities, project management and site engineers.” ECS Engineering Services is headquartered centrally in Nottinghamshire and works all over the UK utilising smaller, local delivery centres, delivering high quality, reliable and cost-effective engineering solutions. It specialises in the bespoke design and construction of water, energy and environmental projects. About ECS Engineering Services ECS Engineering Services has over 20 years experience in delivering high quality, reliable and cost effective engineering solutions, specialising in bespoke design and construction of water, energy and environmental processing and management projects. In conjunction with key supply partners, ECS has the expertise and capacity to design and install a wide range of water control engineering projects. With in-house fabrication services, which have CE Marking approval to EXC3, well equipped and highly skilled engineers can also complete structural steelwork, bespoke fabrication work and access metalwork to the highest standard. With a complete range of site services available, ECS offers a full turnkey project managed service for mechanical and electrical installations including managing civils contractors and supplying pipework, control and automation work to ensure that every installation is installed and commissioned to the highest standard. Existing clients include the majority of the UK Water Utility companies, Government Agencies and Internal Drainage Boards.
Greater Brighton Metropolitan College (MET) held the official opening of the Construction and Trades Centre at the Brighton East Campus with a special ceremony that local businesses, staff, and students attended. The ribbon of the £9 million building was cut by Tim Wates, Chair of Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership. After the ceremony, those present there toured around the new facilities, which will be used to train bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, painters and decorators, plasterers, and plumbers. The plans for this construction were supported financially by local growth deal funding, through the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership, as part of a deal to boost skills in the wider area. The construction industry is expected to see the biggest percentage growth across the UK, with 21.9% and Sussex with 44% over the next five years. “We were delighted to provide Local Growth Fund investment for the Construction and Trades Centre and it is fantastic to see all the hard work by partners come to fruition,” said Tim Wates. He continues: “A tremendous effort has been made to improve Greater Brighton Metropolitan College’s infrastructure and throughout the process we have been impressed with their plans to address the skills deficit of the region. This centre will be a beacon for a city that has ambitions to be world class in construction and we are excited about the future development and growth at the college.” The MET was created from the merger of City College Brighton and Northbrook College Sussex. It offers a comprehensive range of qualifications for 16 year olds leaving school, full and part time courses for adults, apprenticeships, professional qualifications and university degrees. The MET operates across five campuses in Brighton, Shoreham, and Worthing and teaches around 3,500 16-18 year olds, 7,500 adult learners, 1,000 undergraduates and 800 apprentices.
Jet Aire Services, the Leeds-based drainage and civil engineering contractor, has appointed a new Contract Manager. Mark Walker will coordinate the efficient delivery of projects throughout the UK. Mark had previously worked as Senior Area Agent at Ringway Infrastructure Services, a role that equipped him with outstanding experience in civil engineering operations. He was responsible for producing and maintaining accurate programmes of work, including method statements, risk assessments, Health & Safety plans, communication and company procedures, cost and resource analysis, performance and productivity review, and training. Prior to this role, Mark was a Site Agent responsible for the planning, programming, and resourcing of highway construction schemes valued up to £5 million. As a Contract Manager at Jet Aire Services, Mark will make sure that projects are completed on time and within budget on behalf of clients in a range of key sectors, including chemical, commercial, environmental, industrial, residential, retail, and transport. “We are delighted to welcome Mark to the Jet Aire management team. He has the ideal combination of site experience and comprehensive programme management expertise required for this key position. Mark will play a vital role in driving efficiency and performance levels to help Jet Aire to maintain our consistent record of client satisfaction,” aid Jet Aire Services Director, Keith Ferris. The professional drainage and groundworks solutions provided by Jet Aire include CCTV surveys, high-pressure water jetting, drain/sewer cleansing and clearance, tankering, waste disposal, CIPP patching/lining, UV lining, infiltration sealing, robotic cutting, root cutting, epoxy spray Ultra Coating, surfacing, block paving, fencing and civil engineering works on behalf housebuilders, highways operators and local authorities. The company has been accredited and approved by many of the environmental and drainage industry’s leading bodies, holding both ISO9001 and ISO14001 internationally recognised standards for Quality Management, as well as OHSAS 18001 certification for Occupational Health and Safety Management.
Rope and Sling Specialists Ltd. (RSS) has completed proof tests on three runway beams at the Durward Street shaft site, part of Contract C512, a main station contract worth £110m, awarded as part of Crossrail, Europe’s largest infrastructure scheme. RSS accepted a scope of work to test newly installed, temporary beams at two locations—Levels 1 and 3—that will be used to lower parts for escalator installations. This part of the project principally covers the implementation of internal and external walls alongside new staircases, escalators, and lifts for passengers to get to and from platforms. At Level 3, RSS performed a 4t proof load test on a 3.2t working load limit (WLL) beam, while the assignment at Level 1 involved a gantry system comprising two beams that provide a total lifting capacity of 8t. Each beam had a proof load of 5t applied for the tests, which were covered by Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) and will be subject to six-monthly inspections for the duration of the project. The gantry system at Level 1 is used at an incline for moving escalators into place. Graham Dawson, RSS depot manager, explained that the beams were all the same depth and width but different lengths. The beam on Level 3 was a 5.25m x 457 x 152 beam; at Level 1, the first beam was 13m x 457 x 152 and the second was 10.85m x 457 x 152. To conduct the tests, the Level 3 beam was fixed via bolts to a concrete floor, whereas brackets and strong backs combined at the other location, Dawson said. He added: “We had already spec’d the job two days earlier; we were onsite over a three-week period to conduct six-monthly LOLER tests on the project’s lifting gear. Ian [Thompson, RSS engineer / surveyor] and I were asked to complete the work at Level 3 first, as the pulling plate had been installed onto the floor in advance. The plate was used on three beams; we took measurements of the beam for the deflection readings, and checked the fixings to make sure they were correctly installed.” Once an exclusion zone was in place the RSS team installed a trolley, 5t chain block, 5.3t collar chain, and load cell via shackles to complete the test. The Straightpoint (SP) 10t capacity wired load cell was utilised with a Handheld plus reader, while a Leica laser-measuring device read beam deflections. The first deflection reading was taken from the floor to the beam, before various loads were put on the beam and subsequent readings recorded. The process was repeated at Level 1. Upon completion of the tests four electric chain hoists and trolleys, sourced from RSS, were attached to the beam for lowering of the escalators. Connecting the City, Canary Wharf, the West End and Heathrow Airport to commuter areas east and west of London, Crossrail is a major new rail link project designed to provide a world-class, affordable railway with high frequency, convenient and accessible services across the capital. BBMV, the joint venture encompassing Balfour Beatty, Morgan Sindall and VINCI Construction, will be constructing the project in three distinct parts including refurbishment of the existing Whitechapel Station in the Hammersmith & City and District Line cutting, the new station bridge concourse above the East London Line cutting and the new ticket hall behind the retained building fronting on Whitechapel Road.
