Thames Water has extended Barhale’s AMP7 framework appointment by five years to the conclusion of AMP8 in March 2030. The AMP8 (2025-2030) programme will see Thames Water continue to invest in its water and wastewater network which serves 15 million people across London and the Thames Valley. The water company
Thames Water has selected Barhale to reinforce a section of what was once believed to the longest tunnel in Europe and a key source of raw water for East London. The strategically important Thames Lee Tunnel (TLT) was built between 1955 and 1959 to carry water from the River Thames
Working at historical British landmarks is nothing new for leading wet civil engineering firm Land & Water as it announces the commencement of works at Boughton House, having been engaged by Buccleuch, to return Star Pond, which dates back to the 1700s, to its original shape. Situated in Northamptonshire, Boughton
OnSite Pipelines is proud to announce that it has won a place to assist the Anglian Water @one Alliance partnership. This consists of seven companies who each provide specialist knowledge allowing the @one Alliance to deliver complex projects totalling over 50% of Anglian Water’s capital delivery programme. This drives efficiency
Land & Water, the UK’s leading wet civil engineering firm, is in the process of completing the largest winter dredge of Gloucester Dock. The firm, which carries out work at the dock and on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal each year as part of an ongoing framework with the Canal
Contractors, Onsite Central Limited, have started work on the Lichfield Canal at Darnford Moors Ecology Park. Onsite Central Limited was the successful tenderer and was awarded the contract. This was as a result of grant funding totalling £116,200 being received from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and HS2’s
Thames Water has appointed Barhale to its newly-established framework for Waste Network Services. The civil engineering and infrastructure specialist will provide reactive, planned and proactive maintenance services under the £139M Lot 5 of the framework which runs for a minimum of five years with an option to extend for a
In a major step forward, Portsmouth Water has appointed Future Water MJJV Limited to build the flagship Havant Thicket Reservoir in southern Hampshire – a contract worth £167 million. It will be the first large-scale new water storage reservoir in the UK since the 1980s and is being progressed under
Vinci Construction Grands Projects and Bachy Soletanche JV, the Costain, demanded mining support to install an air treatment unit (ATU) at Tideway’s Deptford Church Street site in Lewisham. The ATU will control and treat air exhausted from London’s 25km long “super sewer” tunnel. The Costain has installed the ATU alongside
Barhale has secured a £9 million package of schemes under Thames Water’s Raw Water Tunnel Inspection & Refurbishment programme. The civil engineering and infrastructure specialist will inspect 35km of raw water tunnels across West and North London. The Barhale teams will remove debris, silt and invasive species, such as Zebra
Thames Water has extended Barhale’s AMP7 framework appointment by five years to the conclusion of AMP8 in March 2030. The AMP8 (2025-2030) programme will see Thames Water continue to invest in its water and wastewater network which serves 15 million people across London and the Thames Valley. The water company is spending £2.3bn on infrastructure improvements through the current AMP7 period (2020-2025). Civil engineering and infrastructure specialist Barhale will continue to operate under FA1488 covering Lot 1, the Non-Infrastructure framework, and Lot 2, the Infrastructure framework. Lot 1 focuses on capital maintenance and enhancement across many of Thames Water’s own operational sites, and Lot 2 includes new installations and capital maintenance of existing key assets. Lots 1 and 2 will be the principal delivery route for the AMP8 capital programme. Thames Water has also confirmed the extension of Barhale’s appointment to FA1495 – Lot 5 of the AMP7 framework – covering the delivery of the water and wastewater AMP7 infrastructure programme across North London. Activities will include the new installation and replacement of existing trunk and rising mains; pressure management; the inspection of aqueducts, bridges and tunnels; the rehabilitation of sewers, pumping station refurbishment and gravity solutions to maintain asset health and accommodate growth. The programme will also continue work on SUDs and pipeline-related emergency works. Shane Gorman, Barhale’s Water Director – Southern Region, believes the extension reflects the strong positive relationship between the two businesses and Barhale’s deep understanding and experience of some of Thames Water’s most important assets. “We are very proud of the work we continue to carry out for Thames Water,” he said. “Water infrastructure across London and the South East presents some unique challenges – not least responding to the huge demand from the country’s most dense poplulation. “At Barhale, we have fully embraced Thames Water’s collaborative approach which has yielded some impressive benefits under AMP7 already including greater agility in the way we have been able to deploy our teams to react to changing conditions, better utilised and shorter planned outages and swifter programme delivery. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with Thames Water through the AMP8 period.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Thames Water has selected Barhale to reinforce a section of what was once believed to the longest tunnel in Europe and a key source of raw water for East London. The strategically important Thames Lee Tunnel (TLT) was built between 1955 and 1959 to carry water from the River Thames at Hampton Water Works to Lockwood Pumping Station at the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain. The 19-mile (31 km) tunnel, runs at a depth of 68 to 190 feet (21 to 58 m) and passes through 24 access shafts of 12 feet (3.7 m) diameter. It was designed to transfer 120 million imperial gallons (550 megalitres) of water per day. The contract will see civil engineering and infrastructure specialist Barhale reinforce a 70 metre length of the 102-inch (2.6 m) diameter concrete-lined tunnel water main where it runs across the route of HS2 in North London. The location of the works will necessitate an unusually long concrete pump – 800m horizontal plus the almost 50 metre depth of the Barrow Hill shaft at Primrose Hill – to the site of the works. Barhale has been working with Caumford to design a bespoke pumping solution. Shane Gorman, Barhale’s Water Director – Southern Region, highlighted the importance of the Thames Lee Tunnel as part of London’s water infrastructure. “The need for the TLT was identified both to address drought conditions and to meet the requirements of new housing and development in East London after the Second World War,” he said. “For more than sixty years it has played an essential role transporting water across the capital and these works are an important measure to reinforce a key part of London’s water distribution network. “The section we are working on offers some additional challenges: the actual site of the relining is an unusually long distance from an access shaft and the levels of service and utility congestion in Camden means that we can’t sink boreholes. So designing a concrete-pumping solution that will work over more than half a mile has been a key focus. “We have worked closely with Thames Water on the design and scheduling of this project. Such is the strategic importance of the Thames Lee Tunnel that outages can only be scheduled for certain times of the year and they are contingent upon general storage levels across the rest of the network. “We have now identified a suitable window and look forward to successful completion in February 2024.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Working at historical British landmarks is nothing new for leading wet civil engineering firm Land & Water as it announces the commencement of works at Boughton House, having been engaged by Buccleuch, to return Star Pond, which dates back to the 1700s, to its original shape. Situated in Northamptonshire, Boughton House dates back to 1528 when it was once the home of the Montagu family who took style inspiration from the French, leading to the House being coined the ‘English Versailles’. In the 20th century it became home to the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry who wished to preserve this national treasure. Over the last three decades, Buccleuch has been working to uncover long lost waterways and lakes dating back over 300 years. As part of this, Land & Water will be restoring Star Pond which earnt its name through its original star shape. Having become built up with silt, the wet civil engineering firm will be carrying out dredging works as well as ensuring the pond cascades back to link with other estate waterways and the River Ise. Roger Baines, Contracts Manager at Land & Water, said: “We are delighted to be working at another historical landscape and preserving the future of the waterways at Boughton House. “As well as the works to return Star Pond to its former glory, we will also be installing an aquatic channel to enable fish and other aquatic life to easily travel down to the River Ise, as well as to support flood protection. “The environment is front and centre of all that we do at Land & Water and as part of this we want to ensure that we are supporting the creation of habitats to increase biodiversity.” David Cullum, Parks and Gardens Manager at Boughton Estate says: “In their heyday, the gardens were considered to be among the largest and finest in the country and in the last 30 years, considerable work has taken place to restore various features. It is an absolute privilege to be involved in this next exciting step of this journey and the restoration of Star Pond.” “Everything we do should have a positive impact on the environment, whether that be designed or natural. We are excited to be able to do both with the restoration of Star Pond.” Land & Water is due to be working at Boughton House until the end of summer. This coincides with another historical project at World Heritage Site, Blenheim Palace, to remove 300,000m3 of silt from Queen Pool to preserve the legacy of the waterway for years to come.
OnSite Pipelines is proud to announce that it has won a place to assist the Anglian Water @one Alliance partnership. This consists of seven companies who each provide specialist knowledge allowing the @one Alliance to deliver complex projects totalling over 50% of Anglian Water’s capital delivery programme. This drives efficiency and reduces cost to Anglian Water’s customers. OnSite Pipelines will be working with Anglian Water Asset Delivery, and the other 7 partner organisations to assist in the delivery of over 700 projects. These are all designed to improve and expand the Anglian Water network to better serve existing customers. OnSite Pipelines’ main role within the @one Alliance will consist of the Infra program area, with a remaining works budget of approximately £200m for Asset Management Period (AMP) 7 and a further prediction of approximately £350m for AMP8. The successful partners will undertake mains laying works across all the Anglian Water region, with a focus on butt/electro fusion welding pipe, traditional push fit pipe methods, installation of fittings, backfill, open-cut road crossing and commissioning. “We are excited to join the @one Alliance and their partners to assist in contributing to the delivery of these important projects for Anglian Water’s customers,” said Adrian Brown, Operations Director at OnSite Pipelines. “Our expertise in main laying works will enable us to work with the @one Alliance and Anglian Water to deliver these projects efficiently and effectively.” The @one Alliance is currently embarking on a £1.2 billion program of work and is almost halfway through its current five-year AMP7. The @one Alliance partners work together to deliver complex programs of work, bringing specialised knowledge and expertise to deliver projects in the most efficient way possible. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Land & Water, the UK’s leading wet civil engineering firm, is in the process of completing the largest winter dredge of Gloucester Dock. The firm, which carries out work at the dock and on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal each year as part of an ongoing framework with the Canal & River Trust, will be carrying out backhoe dredging to remove approximately 5,000m3 of silt in order to improve navigation for vessels in the dock. The silt will then be spread onto local agricultural land as part of Land & Water’s environmental commitment as it prioritises enhancing local havens for wildlife and increasing biodiversity. Lucy Lee, Contracts Manager at Land & Water, says: “The lack of rainfall and increasing temperatures in the UK has led to a lot of sediment building up across a range of docks and canals, including at Gloucester Dock. “Up until April, the Land & Water team will be using its specialist equipment to increase the depth of the waterway in areas that require improvement in order to restore the navigation channel through the docks and free boats trapped by silt. “We are proud to be continuing our work with the Canal & River Trust to improve the UK’s network of waterways and to maintain Gloucester Dock and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.” Land & Water has held a framework contract with the Canal & River Trust for over 20 years and has been working at Gloucester Dock to carry out a range of services including water injection dredging in the east channel of the River Severn in Gloucester and debris clearance on Worcester Bridge. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Contractors, Onsite Central Limited, have started work on the Lichfield Canal at Darnford Moors Ecology Park. Onsite Central Limited was the successful tenderer and was awarded the contract. This was as a result of grant funding totalling £116,200 being received from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and HS2’s Community and Environment Fund (CEF). The funding is enabling Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust (LHCRT) to make habitat improvements to the area, including putting the canal channel into water east of the liftbridge, to create an aquatic habitat. LHCRT’s volunteers have already prepared the site and Bluetech Waterfront Solutions Ltd is overseeing the contract. Carole Mills, Chair of LHCRT, said: “This is an exciting time for the Trust as we look forward to seeing another section of the Lichfield Canal in water. This is all thanks to our volunteers successfully bidding for the funding from ERDF and HS2, and carrying out a huge amount of preparatory work to the area.” Mark Hunt, Project Delivery Manager at Onsite Central, said: “OnSite is delighted to be appointed by LHCRT on this prestigious project. Delivering projects that have such a positive impact on the local community and the heritage of this significant asset is something we value highly as a business. Works are progressing well and we look forward to seeing the benefit the work has brought to the public in due course.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Thames Water has appointed Barhale to its newly-established framework for Waste Network Services. The civil engineering and infrastructure specialist will provide reactive, planned and proactive maintenance services under the £139M Lot 5 of the framework which runs for a minimum of five years with an option to extend for a further three years. Lot 5 covers high value proactive and reactive emergency repairs on both the gravity and pressurised wastewater network across the Thames Water Utilities operations area. It requires the provision of a range of activities including addressing acute customer problems such as blockages, flooding and pollutions; and working on subsequent follow-on work and scheduled maintenance, as set out under Thames Water Utilities’ planned programme. Barhale will be joined by Cappagh Contractors, Clancy Docwra, J Browne, McAllister Bros and Morrison Utility Services on the framework. Thames Water’s Network Operations Engineering Lead Jason Moran said: “Waste Network Services Lot 5 offers an important opportunity within Network Operations not just to strengthen our supply chain but also to harness industry experience from suppliers. “Barhale’s emergency response team has already provided critical support to our front-line, tackling complex challenges whilst working collaboratively with our breadth of internal and external stakeholders. “It’s an exciting time within operations, as we focus on innovation and delivery efficiency for the benefit of our customers.” Barhale Director Phil Cull is pleased to extend the business’s relationship with Thames Water. “We work closely with Thames across a number of frameworks and sites and have built up a fantastic operational understanding,” he said. “Through collaboration we have been able to deliver faster, more effectively and with less disruption to customers and these efficiency gains are key drivers of the how the Waste Network Services framework will be delivered. “There is also an important emphasis on innovation – finding new, better value ways to deliver solutions and building long-term resilience into the network.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
In a major step forward, Portsmouth Water has appointed Future Water MJJV Limited to build the flagship Havant Thicket Reservoir in southern Hampshire – a contract worth £167 million. It will be the first large-scale new water storage reservoir in the UK since the 1980s and is being progressed under an innovative partnership between Portsmouth Water and Southern Water. In addition, a new £41 million tunnelled pipeline, running to and from the reservoir, is set to be installed by Ward & Burke Construction Limited. Future Water is a joint venture between leading civil engineering contractors Mackley and Jones Bros, which have a combined total of over 150 years of experience in tackling complex and challenging civil engineering schemes. Having worked across a wide range of sectors including water, energy, coastal protection and flood defence, Future Water MJJV is uniquely qualified to construct the reservoir, a vital new piece of infrastructure. Ward & Burke is one of Ireland’s principal Civil & MEICA Engineering contractors and has an outstanding track record for innovation. The company has built more than 130,000 metres of tunnels, including for water pipelines, in the UK, Ireland and North America, and has been involved in a wide range of major infrastructure projects. Bob Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at Portsmouth Water, said: “This is a major milestone for the Havant Thicket Reservoir project, and we are delighted to have these two exceptional contractors delivering the scheme. “We were highly impressed by the proposals put forward by Future Water MJJV and Ward & Burke during the tender process, with both companies being able to call upon vastly experienced teams, with strong track records in successfully delivering major infrastructure.” Mr Taylor added: “We look forward to working closely with both companies to progress and complete this environmentally led project on time and within budget. This includes honouring our commitment to leave a really positive legacy by creating opportunities for local employment and skills development through the reservoir scheme.” Future Water Director Ben Hamer commented: “Future Water is delighted to have been selected by Portsmouth Water to deliver this critical piece of water infrastructure for the South East of England. As a regional company, legacy projects, such as this, are central to the values of our staff and stakeholders.” Mr Hamer’s fellow director John Dielhof added: “It’s a project that we can’t wait to get started on because we know how much of a positive impact it will have on the region. The scheme will safeguard dozens of jobs for our skilled workforce, as well as create opportunities for apprentices and trainees to kickstart their civil engineering career with us. In addition, we are excited to see the impact this has on the local economy, through supply chain opportunities and spend in the local area.” Speaking about being awarded the pipeline contract for the reservoir scheme, Joe Dobey, Ward & Burke’s Project Director, said: “We are all very excited at Ward & Burke to be delivering this key pipeline for Portsmouth Water, its customers and the surrounding area. It’s a great opportunity to work with the company to bring forward innovative solutions that are better for both the local community and environment.” Havant Thicket Reservoir in Havant will secure critical water supplies for the South East of England, an area that’s already under serious water stress. It will also help protect environmentally sensitive chalk streams and create a new green leisure facility to benefit local communities and wildlife. Once completed in 2029, the reservoir will hold approximately 8.7 billion litres of water and be able to supply up to 21 million litres of water each day. It will be one mile from east to west, half a mile from north to south, with a new wetland on its northern shore, and is being built on a 160-hectare grassland site which has been owned by Portsmouth Water since the mid-1960s. A new two-mile long pipeline, which is designed to be largely tunnelled, will also be built to fill Havant Thicket Reservoir in the winter with surplus water pumped from nearby Bedhampton Springs. It would also be used to draw water from the reservoir to supply customers when it’s needed. The reservoir was granted formal planning permission in October 2021, with a further planning application for the new pipeline expected to be submitted in Summer 2023. Ofwat, the economic regulator for water companies in England and Wales, recently published its final decision to agree a revised budget for the Havant Thicket Reservoir scheme. This has enabled Portsmouth Water to award the two main design and construction contracts for the project, with further contracts, including for a new visitor centre at the reservoir, to be awarded in the coming years. Bob Taylor commented: “‘The final decision from Ofwat on the project’s updated budget will ensure the reservoir scheme can be funded and deliver good value for money for customers, while safeguarding water supplies and supporting nature. “The innovative regulatory and commercial approach that’s being taken has enabled us to deliver cost-effective local solutions to regional water resources challenges. We would like to thank our colleagues at Ofwat and Southern Water for their excellent collaborative work.” Portsmouth Water will finance the Havant Thicket Reservoir scheme through a combination of £150 million of equity funding, provided by investors in the company’s owner Ancala Partners, as well as money that will be borrowed. £120 million of the equity funding will be used this year, with a further £30 million to follow in early 2024. Ultimately, Havant Thicket Reservoir will be paid for by Southern Water, through its drinking water customer bills. These costs are expected to be spread over many years – to reflect the continued benefits of the reservoir. Portsmouth Water customers are not paying for the reservoir through their drinking water or wastewater bills. For more information on the Havant Thicket Reservoir scheme, please visit havant-thicket-reservoir.uk.engagementhq.com/. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Vinci Construction Grands Projects and Bachy Soletanche JV, the Costain, demanded mining support to install an air treatment unit (ATU) at Tideway’s Deptford Church Street site in Lewisham. The ATU will control and treat air exhausted from London’s 25km long “super sewer” tunnel. The Costain has installed the ATU alongside a 60m deep, 16m diameter shaft that is said to move effluent from street level to the main sewer tunnel downward. In turn, Groundforce Shorco supplied a sheet piling and structural support solution for the ATU excavation. It is located in a confined area adjacent to the main shaft and includes three separate sections. The section engineer, Freddie Gorman, pointed out: “When the sewer is operating, air will build up inside and needs to be vented,” “We can’t just let it come straight out; it needs to be filtered. When the shaft is completed, it will be capped and any air trapped inside will be fed through the ATU, where it’s treated. It then goes into a ventilation chamber before being vented out into the atmosphere.” For supporting the excavation, Groundforce supplied KD6 sheets and Larssen sheet piles with its Mechshore, Maxi and Mega Bracing frames. Three levels of the frame with the larger capacity Mega Brace frames located at the bottom to support the higher loads were installed. Arpad Nagy, Groundforce area manager, illustrated that the temporary works design was complicated since the three sections of the excavation, each a distinct size and depth, were built back-to-back. Nagy expressed: “The frames work with and against each other and are interdependent. That means we couldn’t make any changes to one frame without affecting all of the others.” In addition, the steel sheets lining the excavation act as the outer skin of the formwork necessitates to pour the reinforced concrete walls of the ATU chamber. He continued: “The original plan was to use formwork to construct the ATU walls, but by pouring the concrete against the sheet piles the project cost has been reduced.” The excavation’s complexity, merged with varying ground levels and the proximity of the main shaft, meant the temporary works design process was tough. Nagy claimed: “The whole evolution of the temporary works design took around seven months and went through eight different versions.” The first design meeting was in April 2021, and the first delivery of equipment to the Tideway site was not until December 2021. Another obstacle for the site team was the ground conditions on the site, which were extremely hard and stony. This made it challenging to install the steel sheet piles just with the excavator-mounted vibrating hammer. Therefore, a pre-augering method had to be acquired. Also, several sheet piles still remain to be installed. However, the proximity of the current shaft resulted in additional problems. Ross Hope, a senior engineer, explained: “We were tasked with designing a system to allow the removal of the sheets which were blocking the connection, as well as providing enough clearance to allow the concrete walls to be fully cast. We came up with using a trapezoidal frame in order to transfer loads to the existing capping beam, followed by a secondary temporary frame propping off the top of the capping beam in order to allow the removal of the frames below.” The task has now advanced onto a second phase which was the excavation to obtain a long culvert that channels the filtered air from the ATU to the ventilation chamber. Nagy clarified: “This excavation will be just as complicated, but we’ve learned a few things in phase one, so I’m sure we can provide a suitable solution.” The ATU is located near the historic St Paul’s Church in Deptford and is an element of the £4.3bn Thames Tideway Tunnel project. It is said to create a combined sewer, running mainly beneath the tidal section of the River Thames across London, to capture, store and convey 95% of the raw sewage and rainwater which presently overflows into the Thames. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Barhale has secured a £9 million package of schemes under Thames Water’s Raw Water Tunnel Inspection & Refurbishment programme. The civil engineering and infrastructure specialist will inspect 35km of raw water tunnels across West and North London. The Barhale teams will remove debris, silt and invasive species, such as Zebra Mussels, which form substantial concentrations across the network. It is anticipated that in the most affected tunnels as much as 140m3 of mussels will be removed. Once cleared, the tunnels will be inspected and any structural repairs will then be carried out. As a further part of the allocation, Barhale will also carry out inspections and replacement/refurbishment of the very large (up to 2.4m diameter) internal valves at sites including: Moor Lane shaft (gate and butterfly valves); Ashford Common shaft (gate and butterfly valves); Queen Mary Outlet – Hampton Leg (gate valves); Wraysbury Shaft (butterfly valve); and Queen Mother (penstock). Two gate valves at the King George VI Reservoir will also be refurbished. The work which comprises a total of 12 schemes is being delivered under the AMP7 Lot 5 Framework. Barhale will work closely with Thames Water to manage the isolation programme. Barhale Director Phil Cull sees the programme as a key element in the maintenance and upgrade of the South East’s water supply. “This is a hugely important part of London’s water infrastructure and we are delighted to get the go ahead from Thames Water,” he said. “We have built a huge amount of expertise and experience on the Thames Water network and to be selected on this project is great vote of confidence in our team’s capabilities. “While maintaining good flows through the raw water tunnels is essential, it is also of paramount importance that works are delivered efficiently and on time to ensure that there is no unnecessary pressure on the system. “We have been working closely with the Thames Water team to optimise isolations and are bringing a great deal of new thinking developed through the maintenance of the Thames Water Ring Main to the Raw Water programme. We will again be collaborating to minimise the length of isolations and to maximise what is achieved during each one.” Barhale Regional Manager John Prendergast adds, “This award builds on the successful delivery of the first three years of the Thames Water AMP7 Tunnels and Aqueducts programme in which Barhale has already completed monitoring and maintenance on almost half of the length of the Thames Water Ring Main tunnels and a further 9km of raw water tunnels.” Work is expected to complete in 2025. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
