Trades & Services : Civil & Heavy Engineering News

Delays and cutbacks in TMS plans cast doubt on entire Digital Railway

Changes to Network Rail’s Enhancements Delivery Plan (EDP) following the Hendy Review – including further delays to ETCS commissioning on the East Coast and Great Western main lines – mean that phase 1 milestones are likely being pushed back to CP6, “inevitably” creating uncertainty about the entire delivery of the

Read More »

£1.3b Windfarm Work Halted due to Spawning Fish

Work on a wind turbine farm in West Sussex has been halted by spawning fish; the work has been halted on the farm after just started on the foundations for the farm. The work is scheduled to resume in July on the Rampion Offshore Windfarm so not to disturb shoals

Read More »

EUA Points to Grid Decarbonisation as Way Forward

When looking at the primary challenges and solutions associated with the UK’s 2020 renewable energy targets for transport and heat, the EUA has highlighted what it considers to be the primary step forward in solving the problem – decarbonising the gas grid, it argues. Most specifically, the 2009 EU Renewable

Read More »

Featuring Conder Allslade: Interview with Mike Hunter, Managing Director

Conder Allslade – Building Quality with Steel (The Following is a Promoted Article) Steel continues to be the choice material in the construction industry, favoured for its sustainability, durability, versatility and affordability. Operating by those very same tokens, Conder Allslade has secured a resolute identity in the structural steel sector,

Read More »

Welsh Coastline to be Investigated

Most recently, the most prominent coastal investigation study has begun alongside the Welsh coast. Incorporating everything from mathematical modelling, the monitoring of water quality and field surveys, the study exists to provide the DCWW and Natural Resources Wales with the knowledge essential to better protecting Welsh coastal waters, not solely

Read More »

Featuring Virgin Media Business

The Need For Speed (The Following is a Promoted Article) Virgin Media has been at the forefront of UK broadband infrastructure for a number of years. However, its ambitious endeavours show no sign of slowing. Indeed, the accelerator pedal has been floored once again with the announcement earlier this year

Read More »

Featuring Roadbridge: Interview With Peter Byrne (Environmental Manager)

A Considerate Constructor (The Following is a Promoted Article) The completion of the Chelmsford Effluent Pipeline Works by Roadbridge was met with the glowing commendation that is expected by this award winning company. As one of Ireland’s most prominent and well-respected civil engineering businesses, Roadbridge has enjoyed significant growth over

Read More »
Latest Issue
Issue 330 : Jul 2025

Trades : Civil & Heavy Engineering News

Rail upgrades promised as part of Port of Liverpool developments

Rail links to the Port of Liverpool will be upgraded as part of a scheme to improve the port’s capacity. The Department for Transport will invest in adding a second line on the Bootle to Port link, increasing the line speed and improving signalling at Earlestown West. The schemes are due to be complete by 2019 and will double the number of trains that can enter the port every day to 48, or two every hour. Transport minister Andrew Jones MP, who visited the Port of Liverpool today to view two new options for increasing road capacity to the port, said: “We are determined to improve access to the Port of Liverpool so we can deliver a Northern Powerhouse by creating new jobs and an economic boost to the region.” The rail upgrades will be used to support the Liverpool2 port development, which will allow the port to simultaneously handle two vessels carrying the equivalent of 13,000 20ft containers each. It can currently only support vessels carrying up to 4,000 containers, and the new development is expected to create 1,000 new jobs in the area and up to 5,000 more in the wider supply chain. Warren Marshall, group planning director at Peel Ports, which operates the port, said: “Upgraded road connections are essential but it’s also important to recognise the benefits of other modes.” Port of Liverpool also recently opened a biomass terminal, which will supply up to 3m tonnes of wooden pallets from North America for rail transport to Drax Power Station in Yorkshire.

Read More »

Delays and cutbacks in TMS plans cast doubt on entire Digital Railway

Changes to Network Rail’s Enhancements Delivery Plan (EDP) following the Hendy Review – including further delays to ETCS commissioning on the East Coast and Great Western main lines – mean that phase 1 milestones are likely being pushed back to CP6, “inevitably” creating uncertainty about the entire delivery of the Digital Railway, Hitachi has said. In its evidence submission to the Transport Select Committee’s inquiry into rail technology, Hitachi Rail Europe outlined a series of concerns around the many ambitions for delivering the Digital Railway proposals. It cited, for example, reductions in the ETCS Cab Fitment Fund, delays to ETCS commissioning and the revision of the Innovation Fund for CP5 from £52m to £19m and the Strategic Research and Development Fund from £50m to £13.5m. “Beyond the above references to ETCS infrastructure plans, there is no mention of Network Rail’s plans to implement an accelerated vision for a digital railway, including the traffic management pilot scheme in Norwich and Great Yarmouth. This is in contrast to Network Rail’s Digital Railway plans for CP5 and CP6-7, as well as the DfT’s focus on digital solutions,” the company added. Hitachi, which has been contracted to provide the Traffic Management System (TMS) for Thameslink as well as a portfolio of train builds across the country, argued that rolling out TMS can increase railway capacity by around 40%. But the current plan “lacks the pace, prioritisation and scope needed to meet passenger and freight growth”, as has been pointed out by the Digital Railway Programme Steering Group. “There is a real need to address the capacity challenges for fare paying customers today – by rolling out TMS capacity enhancement can be achieved more quickly,” the company said. “This current plan is based on making the most use out of existing signalling infrastructure and achieving the lowest whole-life cost approach. It therefore fails to account for the range of economic benefits that could be derived from a faster programme of implementation.” It added: “Given the various complex elements involved in a digital railway, an effective joined-up approach to ERTMS is crucial. The current slow development of ETCS-enabled signals means that ETCS-enabled trains and TMS developments cannot fully take advantage of the capacity and reliability benefits proposed.” While the full business case of the accelerated Digital Railway programme is still being drawn up – with a target submission date of September for the CP6 initial industry plan – there is already “too much uncertainty” around the programme at present, Hitachi said, as well as around subsequent tender opportunities. In addition to that, a lack of information about existing assets and access to date is “discouraging the supply chain from investing in research and development, new services and skills”. “It is also a barrier to businesses within the supply chain to developing collaborative working arrangements on digital solutions,” it added. “Given the complex technologies involved, it is vital that suppliers across each of the different digital railway systems collaborate to better understand the challenges and interoperability of their technologies, and achieve stated milestones. “Likewise, supplier input needs to be greater on the Digital Railway Programme Steering Group. At present, industry representation is largely comprised of train operating companies, rather than those who would be providing the technology.” As well as including greater supplier input in the steering group, the entirety of Network Rail’s Digital Railway team must also operate “with a degree of separation” from the rest of Network Rail in order to “prevent any operational conflict with the day-to-day rules and organisational structure”. Greater supplier input and training To break down current barriers to achieving a digital railway in the UK, Hitachi recommended that Network Rail and the DfT publish a clear programme of works for this programme for CP6 and beyond, as well as develop a supplier steering group linked to the current general steering group “to drive collaborative and innovative approaches”. “In order to deliver the accelerated Digital Railway proposals, more extensive supplier collaboration is required at a technical level, and decision-making level within the Steering Group,” it said. “International expertise from companies such as ProRail can help to understand some of the challenges experienced with implementation in other European countries, looking at lessons learned and the most appropriate actions necessary to improve procedural developments.” But the Digital Railway programme will also require a digitally-talented workforce, Hitachi said, of which the requisite skills exist in the industry at the moment, but not in the necessary amounts to “bring innovation to scale”. “Greater visibility on plans for rolling out the digital railway will allow the supply chain to invest in the talent and training required,” it added. As well as placing greater focus on suppliers, Network Rail must work closely with TOCs to develop efficient plans for training on integrated systems. Read more about this in the April/May edition of RTM, where leaders from Network Rail and NSAR discussed the fundamental need to support suppliers to invest in skills and training.

Read More »

Seymour boss believes UK industry will reap the benefits of apprenticeship schemes

A CONSTRUCTION chief believes the apprenticeship model is “back in fashion” – and feels the future of the sector is in good hands because of it. Kevin Byrne is Managing Director at Seymour Civil Engineering, and has worked his way to the top having started off at the other end of the ladder. Kevin, who has spent 27 years at Seymour, has seen steady stream of apprentices work their way through the ranks at his firm and says they form a key part of his team. Kevin, who moved the North East specialist to a new headquarters at Hartlepool Marina earlier this year, said: “The whole issue around apprenticeships is very interesting. “I think there has been a sea change. People are getting to the crossroads of further education and giving it some serious consideration rather than going to university. “Different people have different beliefs, but I think that a degree is nowhere near as valuable as it used to be. Why fund an expensive university degree – and pick up the debt at the end of it – when you can come straight into an organisation like ourselves, get on the job training and earn a professional qualification at the end of it? “Graduates are equipped for later life rather than the here and now, whereas apprentices have to learn quickly and within a couple of years they have been given a headstart.” Kevin thinks industry in general could be in a better position in the future if employers adopt the approach used by the likes of Germany. And he welcomes schemes such as National Apprenticeship Week to help spread the word about the benefits of apprenticeships. He added: “There was a big drive into IT in the 1990s when the recession hit. All of a sudden, it wasn’t credible to be a standard plumber or an electrician anymore, and everyone was pushed towards technology. “That, in my view, was the biggest political mistake this country ever made. If you look at somewhere like Germany, there is a model in place. People start on the shop floor, there is a mutual respect and appreciation and doors open along the way to allow them to progress. You will find that a lot of people in the senior positions up at the top have worked their way up from the very bottom. “But now, back in our country, it seems to be coming back into fashion. As I said, the financial aspect plays a big part. But employers are becoming more receptive now, they can see the benefits. “If that continues, and I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t, then I think it benefits everyone. Campaigns like National Apprenticeship Week highlight the opportunities which are available to businesses and students, and I think that is very positive. “From my own point of view, at Seymour if we get an apprentice through the door then they learn from their very first day. They know the Seymour way, and pick up the good habits. It’s easier to give someone good habits than to try and take the bad habits they’ve learned away from them. “The other positive for me is that we are recognised as a local company, and we feel we have a responsibility to help people. The biggest asset to our business is our team, and the apprentices we have are a key part of that team.” Seymour is recognised as one of the North East’s leading civil engineering businesses, and employs a workforce in excess of 230 throughout the region. The firm specialises in drainage, urban renewal projects, restoration and development work as well as sea defence and coastal protection work.

Read More »

£1.3b Windfarm Work Halted due to Spawning Fish

Work on a wind turbine farm in West Sussex has been halted by spawning fish; the work has been halted on the farm after just started on the foundations for the farm. The work is scheduled to resume in July on the Rampion Offshore Windfarm so not to disturb shoals of the black seabream in their spawning season. The construction of the windfarm also had issues earlier last month when they discovered an unexploded ordnance so their teams will be spending this break trying to find a solution for the situation. The 116 turbine initiative is hosted by E.On and the UK Green Investment Bank said the the construction remains on track and is unaffected so far by the recent issues with the construction. Experts are currently determining the best course of action moving forward. A spokesperson for the project stated that 18 turbine foundations had now been installed and, as planned, piling and further work has been paused to help protect the black bream spawning season that could potentially slow down progress on the project. A spokesman for MMO (Marine Management Organisation) stated that the recent spawning issue was identified after the MMO recently received a marine licence application with the intention of disposing the unexploded ordnance and relocate boulders. The MMO placed a condition of the licence, stating that the work could not be completed between the 15th of April and the 30th of June in any year due to the natural environment. The condition can be waved if Rampion can provide evidence of high sufficiency stating the form of noise modelling proving beyond reasonable doubt that there will be no effect to the spawning black seabream. Boulder relocation can go ahead during the restricted person, though the MPI Discovery vessel used to lay new foundations has left the site and will return when major works resume.

Read More »

Design Partnership Announced for HS2 with the Mott MacDonald – Systra Joint Venture

Most recently the Balfour Beatty Vinci JV has announced its selection for the design partnership in delivering the project for HS2 – specifically, the Mott MacDonald – Systra JV, seeing synchronisation in the British and French pairing of contractor to consulting engineer. It is of no surprise that Mott MacDonald has been selected for the project, with the company having a great deal of experience in the high-speed rail sector globally, as well as its noted involvement in HS2 for the past six years – this has seen the company provide a wide range of engineering, environmental and planning services. On a global scale, Mott MacDonald has been working on a number of leading high-speed projects, including the management of environmental, public consultation and engineering for the Palmdale – Los Angeles segment for the California High Speed Train Project; additionally also providing engineering design services for the segment between Palmdale and Fresno. Mott MacDonald has also been working on the Taipei – Kaohsiung system in China, as well as the HSL Zuid system for the Netherlands. As for Systra, it is notable that the organisation has seen involvement in every single rail line for France, as well as 50% of those around the globe, making the company’s addition to the HS2 delivery team again, a logical choice. Most specifically, the company has been involved in Crossrail as well as the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme, and serves as a piece of the design consortium for the South East Atlantic High Speed line, also with Vinci. As for those contractors yet to be appointed to the packages for the main civil engineering side of the works, it is predicted that these will be revealed further into 2016, coming just in time for the enabling works to begin next year and previous to the commencement of the civil engineering side of works on phase one – between West Midlands and London itself.

Read More »

EUA Points to Grid Decarbonisation as Way Forward

When looking at the primary challenges and solutions associated with the UK’s 2020 renewable energy targets for transport and heat, the EUA has highlighted what it considers to be the primary step forward in solving the problem – decarbonising the gas grid, it argues. Most specifically, the 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set out the goal for 15% of energy consumption in the UK to be found from renewable sources by 2020. To hit this target, the government has subdivided areas of focus to try and see 30% of electricity, 10% of transport and 12% of heat to be found from renewable sources individually – this then allowing for progress to be made more easily, as well as ensuring progress is still made across all areas. Thus far, progress has been praised as being very positive on the electricity front, yet there are worries that transport and heat targets may not actually be achievable for us to hit by 2020. As such, the EUA, as explained by Head of External Affairs, Isaac Occhipinti, believes that the 2020 target for renewable energy target is not one appropriate for the overarching goal of lowering UK carbon emissions as a whole. Urging the Energy & Climate Change Committee to take a step away from “arbitrary and ineffective” targets for 2020, the EUA instead wishes to pin focus upon decarbonisation of the grid as a way of making progress. Isaac Occhipinti went on to say: “The only sensible, cost effective and deliverable solution to decarbonising hear it by ‘greening’ our gas. It can be done, it can be delivered effectively, and it is already being done on a small scale across the country.” He also went on to highlight that in “The Future of Gas”, written by National Grid, it could be seen that circa 50% of heat energy may be able to see supply from biogases by 2050, thus providing a renewable source of heat to residential homes across the grid without any action needed by the homeowner. As such, this is being regarded as a potential for where focus should instead be laid, looking to aim for achievable and meaningful targets.

Read More »

Featuring Conder Allslade: Interview with Mike Hunter, Managing Director

Conder Allslade – Building Quality with Steel (The Following is a Promoted Article) Steel continues to be the choice material in the construction industry, favoured for its sustainability, durability, versatility and affordability. Operating by those very same tokens, Conder Allslade has secured a resolute identity in the structural steel sector, and is continually favoured by clients for its high quality, comprising service. Following its establishment in 2008, Conder Allslade has solidified its reputation in the steel construction industry, fast-becoming a leader in the provision of high quality structural steel and now equipped to carry out both design-and-build and consultant-designed projects. With its network of regular partners and sub-contractors, the company realises itself much like a one-stop-shop in structural steelwork and continues to add further capabilities under its structural steel header. It’s with such a comprehensive service that the company finds itself working within multiple sectors, including: warehouse and industrial distribution, manufacturing, commercial, offices, town centres, car parks, cinemas, retail facilities, leisure centres, education and health. Inundated with a variety of projects though Conder Allslade may be, its focus on quality has yet to wane and the company prides itself on its ability to work exactly to individual clients’ needs. “We like to think we work with our clients rather than simply for them,” Mike Hunter, Managing Director of Conder Allslade insists. “We work across a variety of projects and, within that, undertake new builds, extensions and refurbishments. Whether we’re approached at a design, manufacture or erection stage, we strive offer superior, integrated customer service and support at all times so as to offer something which is tailored exactly to a customer’s brief.” Whilst each of the projects on which the company works necessitate a different approach and bear distinct challenges, Conder Allslade’s distinct hallmark of quality is consistent throughout. Having invested in a state-of-the-art processing facility, the company is now able to carry out shot-blasting, sawing, drilling and robotic profiling – each to CE Mark EX3. Now with over 15,000 square metres of production facilities, the company is well-equipped offer its customers maximum quality and flexibility in the manufacture of high quality structural steelwork and complex components. Cutting edge technology aside, the quality and accuracy of its steel is largely attributable to Conder Allslade’s highly-qualified manufacturing team who, followed up by dedicated inspections, enact various quality control measures before, during and after production. In view of the crucial role its staff play when securing contracts and carving out a unique identity in the sector, Conder Allslade has devoted real time and attention to its operatives, sourcing the best in the sector as well as providing opportunities for training and development so as to safeguard the quality of work carried out. “We tend to employ full tradespeople,” details Hunter, “And find that they come with a certain assurance in quality because of the breadth of experience they have in complex manufacture and precision engineering, rather than being purely single discipline specialists. We make sure everyone has that adaptability; our operatives are trained to both plate and weld so they do the whole job on the bar, they put the whole assembly together.” Emphasis on existing staff aside, there is the added pressure of securing a future workforce for which training and development simply will not do. It’s been widely reported that there is declining interest amongst younger generations in manufacturing and engineering industry and fewer and fewer people are going on to pursue a career in the sector. It’s resulted in a lack of specialist tradespeople and concern for the national face of the industry. With expressed determination to secure the future of the sector and its own esteem within that, the company has acknowledged those skills shortages threatening the sector and actively sought to address the deficits in technical expertise by engaging with local apprenticeship schemes. Hunter details further: “We engage with local colleges and have supported two apprentices through to NVQ Level 3 in the last five years. More than just a box-ticking exercise, apprentices are trained in other areas of the business; in particular, aspects related to shop-floor operation. With the additional opportunity to work with our Maintenance Engineer, they become multi-skilled engineers capable of getting the best out of the kit, and doing so in the safest possible way.” The two apprentices have since qualified as platers, and are employed full-time by the company. At each level of employment, staff benefit from the ability to train and work in multiple areas and thus gain insight and experience within a number of discrete but inter-related disciplines. Indeed, the company’s versatility can be attributed to the cross-pollination of practices and processes that occurs during its keen training and development schemes. A recent project for the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) made use of Conder Allslade’s flexible and all-encompassing structural steel service. It saw the company provide the entire superstructure, from the steelwork to the floor, and from the cladding to each window and door. Whilst the company has gone on to establish itself in a number of different aspects of steel manufacture and construction, Conder Allslade’s unique, end-to-end service is only made possible through the partnerships it sustains with sub-contractors and suppliers. After design and fabrication, the company utilises the services of fellow steel specialists for management and erection, and its role becomes that of ensuring all interfaces between trades are covered. Collaboration between itself and subcontractors inevitably throws up challenges to health and safety, as well as threatening lapses in either schedule or quality. With an ingrained health and safety culture, Conder Allslade refuses to tolerate anyone flouting the rules and retains a strict code of conduct by which partners must abide. Subcontractors must complete a health and safety questionnaire as part of the approval process in which they must detail their safety performance, competence, training, insurance and other issues. Risk to health and safety is taken incredibly seriously, as Hunter continues: “All our supervisors have gone through either the Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) or the

Read More »

Welsh Coastline to be Investigated

Most recently, the most prominent coastal investigation study has begun alongside the Welsh coast. Incorporating everything from mathematical modelling, the monitoring of water quality and field surveys, the study exists to provide the DCWW and Natural Resources Wales with the knowledge essential to better protecting Welsh coastal waters, not solely today, but tomorrow and into the future. The study itself, which is expected to be finished by the close of 2017’s first quarter, will see members of the DCWW Capital Delivery Alliance pursuing a schedule of works across 49 Welsh coastal sites as part of a project totalling in at a value of circa £8m. For the study, members of the alliance will create computerised models of Welsh coastal waters, then carrying out studies on bathing as well as of shellfish water to better assess how and where investment will be needed to sustain, or improve, water quality levels along the Welsh coast. Although the alliance already maintains considerable in-house expertise, to best ensure accuracy and proficiency in the study, partnerships have also been made with specialists in the field, including water consultant, Intertek, as well as APEM, Fugro and CREH to assist in the delivery of the study. As explained by alliance member, Mott MacDonald Bentley’s Project Manager, Mark Dives, the project will see a variety of innovative techniques for the survey as well as some of the latest specialist coastal survey technology ever used. This will include state of the art modelling and microbial tracers, pollutant transport and the simulation of coastal dynamics. He explained: “The sheer scale of the task in hand – to gather a huge amount of historic data to feed the study and drive a substantial survey programme to gather new data – in the time available will provide a big challenge.” Yet, despite the challenges laid out, Mark Dives remains sure that the alliance will be able to complete the study in a safe and efficient manner as well as find a sustainable outcome which can benefit both customers of the DCWW and the wider environment.

Read More »

Featuring Virgin Media Business

The Need For Speed (The Following is a Promoted Article) Virgin Media has been at the forefront of UK broadband infrastructure for a number of years. However, its ambitious endeavours show no sign of slowing. Indeed, the accelerator pedal has been floored once again with the announcement earlier this year of Project Lightning. In the single largest investment in UK broadband for a decade, Virgin Media is investing £3bn to extend its ultrafast capability to an additional four million premises, taking its reach up to 17 million by 2020. As the world’s most internet-based major economy, broadband infrastructure and the opportunities it offers, is increasingly central to the country’s growth over the coming years. Virgin Media is already central to this growth but it recognises that it cannot stand still. The £3bn of additional private investment it is making is essential for individuals and businesses to thrive in the global digital economy, currently  providing speeds up to 200Mbps with 300Mbps announced for 2016. Significantly, the investment also has the potential to create thousands of new jobs in what will be a multi-billion pound boost to the national economy. Certainly, Virgin Media Business has the potential to make a huge impact in future. It already provides products and services to a wide community of businesses and public sector organisations with most of its 40,000 clients being small and medium-sized enterprises. In a groundbreaking report issued recently, it found the economy could receive a £92bn boost if firms fully develop their digital potential. It also found that in the last 12 months, digital capabilities generated £123bn in business revenues, equivalent to 3.4% of total GDP. It is therefore fundamental for both the growth of business and the UK economy, that businesses of all sizes have access to cheaper, faster, more reliable broadband in order to fulfil this potential digital opportunity. Critically, Virgin Media Business works closely with key government departments including the DCMS to remain at the forefront of developments. This has included assistance to enhance commercial opportunities through the internet. For example, recently it launched a free small business broadband installation scheme to help them get online. This came as the Government’s Super Connected Cities (SCC) voucher programme closed in October. Following high levels of demand for the vouchers and the support the scheme provided to thousands of small businesses, Virgin Media Business committed to cover up to £1,000 of installation costs for new business customers in the same cities covered by the SCC. This is being trialled until the end of the year. Elsewhere, in September, Virgin announced it was bringing ultrafast broadband to Manchester’s Tech Quarter, giving a boost to the local economy and business productivity in the area. Through a package that has been specially designed to support the connectivity needs of businesses located in multi-tenanted buildings, 3,000 businesses co-located in 300 buildings will now have access to the fastest, cheapest and most reliable internet connections. This followed a similar launch in London’s Tech City earlier this year where more than 450 London businesses located in 70 buildings are being connected to Virgin Media Business’s dedicated connections. Delivery of its ambitious plans isn’t a straight forward task but these are challenges Virgin Media Business is confident it can tackle. When rolling out broadband there are numerous things that can get in the way – wayleaves, business rates and even things like parking restrictions – so it is vital that a close working relationship with local authorities is established. Innovative ways of deploying fibre cables such as narrow trenching are assisting the process through increased efficiency and speed of installation. Moreover, narrow trenching reduces the width of the trench used to lay fibre cables from around 40cm to just 10cm and enables engineers to cover up to 100m in a day, twice as fast as current methods. Crucially, Virgin Media is the only widely available provider to use DOCSIS 3 technology to provide broadband from the cabinet to people’s homes. It is the use of this coaxial cable which enables it to support faster speeds without deterioration over distance and is what allows for ultrafast speeds of 200Mbps and beyond. Yet, the advantages of this are only possible through support at a local level. It’s important local authorities work with Virgin Media to cut red tape and remove barriers to broadband rollout. Plans are now in motion with over 250,000 premises already earmarked for build in Manchester, Nottingham and Leeds with more locations to be announced this year.  

Read More »

Featuring Roadbridge: Interview With Peter Byrne (Environmental Manager)

A Considerate Constructor (The Following is a Promoted Article) The completion of the Chelmsford Effluent Pipeline Works by Roadbridge was met with the glowing commendation that is expected by this award winning company. As one of Ireland’s most prominent and well-respected civil engineering businesses, Roadbridge has enjoyed significant growth over the last few years, now boasting activity across the United Kingdom as well as further afield with projects completed in Poland, the South Pacific and the Middle East. Since its formation in 1967, Roadbridge has continued to develop around the family traditions on which its foundations have been built upon. This has seen it develop enduring relationships with clients, successfully delivering projects across a variety of sectors for customers serving the transport, renewables and energy, utilities, commercial, industrial, waste management and leisure industries. A key component of its ethos is consideration for the client’s needs, the community in which its endeavours may impact upon, and the wider environment in terms of sustainable, long-term value. Roadbridge – acting as principal contractor was responsible for the design and build of an 8km effluent pipeline between the Chelmsford Sewage Treatment Works in Essex to an existing outfall on the River Blackwater – brought it the attention of the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS). It came as little surprise to Quality and Environmental Manager Peter Byrne who said Roadbridge had exhibited the qualities of a “considerate constructor” since its inception; it is part of the company’s defining approach. Recognised by the CCS for its work on the Chelmsford Effluent Pipeline with the award of Bronze, the accolade joins others achieved by Roadbridge including Silver for a road improvement scheme in Wales. The Executive Summary recorded by CCS representatives following inspection of the site scored the company highly across all categories with the appearance of the site achieving particularly high marks. The report said Roadbridge clearly approached “everything in a very professional manner” and that this is “evident immediately when arriving on site”. The CCS award was a chance for the company to celebrate its work ethic – combining the elements that make a “considerate constructor” with sound implementation of civils expertise. Indeed, as Byrne notes, it was a fitting endorsement of the company’s abilities. “The Considerate Constructors award actually mirrors our ethos,” he says. “It gave us an opportunity to be externally recognised for our policies and procedures which we have always considered to be standard practice. “When we’re looking to stand out in a competitive market, awards such as the CCS Bronze gives us that edge. But, importantly, it is an endorsement of the successful systems we have in place – systems that have driven the business over the years, resulting in its success today.” The pipeline project, one of the biggest of its kind in the UK, saw Roadbridge install around 8km of concrete pipe alongside 2km of upgrades. The contract with Northumbrian Water involved the design, supply and installation of the underground gravity pipeline to run in parallel with the existing pipelines including numerous strategic crossings of roads and watercourses. The project was successfully completed on time, to budget and to the total satisfaction of the client in November 2014. The success of the project led it to being awarded Project of the Year Finalist at the Northumbrian Water Group Framework Awards for 2014 – 2015. One of the considerations when undertaking the contract was the close proximity it had to a caravan park. A popular destination for holidaymakers in the summer, Roadbridge liaised with the park owner in regards to working hours in order to mitigate noise, while measures were put in place to prevent potential pollution to nearby water courses from the site’s large areas of exposed soil. It was representative of the company’s overall approach. “When we leave an area we’ve worked in, we want only to have left a good impression. We will buy from local suppliers, we’ll help out with local interest groups in the area. We try to give back to the community meaning there’s a lot more value to our presence than merely the job at hand,” explains Byrne. This means mitigating disruption to daily life, communicating with local residents to keep them up to date with project works, caring about the wider environment and the health and safety of both the workforce and others who may visit or be affected by the site works. It all adds up to being an ideal “considerate constructor”. Byrne calls it the “non-adversarial approach”. He adds, “The very nature of civils work means we are inherently impacting on people’s day-to-day lives. We aim to be transparent and to work closely with the client as much as possible to limit the adverse effects of our work. Our ability to do this is paramount and it’s something that we’ve been able to highlight through the CCS awards.”

Read More »