Working on behalf of Balfour Beatty VINCI, a team of 20 demolition experts from Solihull-based firm Armac Demolition have worked 24/7 to remove a 4,000 tonne two-span bridge over the M42 to make way for the HS2 railway in the West Midlands. The team used eight 50 tonne excavators and two
The Northern Engineering Division of one of the UK’s leading engineering and services firms, HE Simm Group, has won a £16m contract to deliver a commercial project as part of the new regional hub in Blackpool – that VINCI is constructing as part of Muse and Blackpool Council’s £350m Talbot
Nearly 2,000 jobs supported by the construction of HS2’s ‘super-hub’ station HS2’s landmark super-hub station is today celebrating a key milestone as it marks two years of permanent construction. In June 2021, the then Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, gave the thumbs up for
Deepki, the world-leading ESG platform for real estate, today announced its acquisition of Nooco, the French SaaS company created by VINCI Energies that measures and optimizes the carbon footprint of building construction and renovation projects. This strategic acquisition will allow Deepki, the leading ESG data intelligence platform for real estate
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
HS2’s plans for the Balsall Common Viaduct in Warwickshire, recently submitted to Solihull Council, incorporate local feedback focussing on environmental sustainability, landscape integration, visual connectivity and public access. HS2’s main works contractor, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), supported by a Design Joint Venture of Mott MacDonald and Systra together with architects
RDM Electrical & Mechanical Services has commenced a new working partnership with VINCI Facilities on a substantial Ministry of Defence (MOD) Future Defence Infrastructure (FDIS) contract with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). Over the coming years, the South Wales-based company will be working with VINCI Facilities on six MOD sites
Building work has begun on a new £30.5 million cancer diagnostic and treatment centre in Guildford. Developed in partnership with GenesisCare and Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust on the site of Royal Surrey County Hospital, this is the most recent private healthcare development from Prime PLC. Made possible by investment
BBV adopts drone software from Esri UK to digitise survey workflows, reduce costs and enhance safety on its 90km stretch of HS2 Esri UK today announced that Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) has rolled out its Site Scan for ArcGIS drone flight management and image processing software, to support its drone
A joint venture between VINCI UK Developments Ltd and St. Modwen Ltd (“VSM”) has received planning permission for a 26-storey residential tower in Nine Elms, London. The scheme, known as Apex 1, will deliver 201 new homes as well as 5,250 sq ft of retail space on land released as
Working on behalf of Balfour Beatty VINCI, a team of 20 demolition experts from Solihull-based firm Armac Demolition have worked 24/7 to remove a 4,000 tonne two-span bridge over the M42 to make way for the HS2 railway in the West Midlands. The team used eight 50 tonne excavators and two 40 tonne excavators to remove the 40 metre long, 10 metre wide bridge during a planned 56 hour closure of the motorway. Six articulated dumper trucks transported the excavated material to a local stockpile where it will be crushed and reused on HS2’s haul roads and working areas. The whole job was completed sooner than anticipated, which meant the M42 could be reopened 14 hours ahead of schedule, shortening the closure to 42 hours and reducing disruption to road users. Armac was working for HS2’s civils contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI to deliver the operation during the closure of the M42 near HS2’s Interchange Station construction site in Solihull. HS2 Ltd and Balfour Beatty VINCI worked closely with National Highways and their supply chain to enable the demolition works, with all existing motorway technology diverted or removed prior to the demolition. In the last year, Balfour Beatty VINCI have also diverted power and telecommunications cables away from the structure ahead of the demolition. The bridge, which carried the A452 over the M42, was removed to allow for a new twin box structure to be constructed, which will carry the high speed line over the motorway in the future. HS2 has built a new, improved road structure and roundabout which now carries the A452, and in future will also enable access to the new HS2 Interchange Station. Oliver Shore, Construction Director at Balfour Beatty VINCI said: “It is through relentless collaboration with HS2 and National Highways that we have achieved this latest milestone in less than two days, overcoming technical and logistical challenges along the way. “The demolition of the existing M42 bridge will kickstart the next phase of works, with our attention now turning to the construction of the new twin box structure which is designed to carry Britain’s new zero carbon railway – HS2 – over the motorway.” Ian Clarke, Senior Project Manager at HS2 Ltd said: “This is another fantastic milestone for our civils team in the West Midlands, as construction of HS2 moves on at pace. The team did a brilliant job to get the demolition finished way ahead of schedule, meaning the motorway could be reopened much earlier than anticipated.” “In this region, over 9,750 people are working on the many complex and exciting feats of engineering to build HS2 over the existing network of roads, railways, rivers and canals – creating our new zero carbon railway to connect London, the Midlands and the North.” National Highways Senior Network Planner, Frank Bird said: “We’d like to thank motorists for their patience while the work took place and for following our diversion routes during the closure. “This bridge demolition was a really big project and we have worked closely with HS2 over the past few months to plan the closure of the M42 and to try and limit disruption during the work. “Given the complexity of the work involved, we’re really pleased to see the work completed ahead of time and it’s testament to the hard work of those involved that we could open the road earlier than planned.” Noel McLean, Technical Director from Solihull-based Armac Demolition said: ‘’Armac were delighted to be working again in collaboration with our HS2 partners Balfour Beatty VINCI on the first of three major bridge demolition projects in this section. The detailed planning that had been put into the project over the last 12 months by Balfour Beatty VINCI and Armac resulted in an excellent performance over the weekend. “A safely executed project, completed well ahead of the closure schedule, and not a single mark on the carriageway. Great performance by all involved – looking forward to the next one.” From the full closure of the M42 at 00.25 on Saturday 12 August, a team of 30 people removed the motorway vehicle restraint system and installed protective matting. The 20-strong demolition team then moved in to remove the bridge deck, wing walls, central pier and abutments between 07.30 and 17.00 on Saturday 12 August. The matting was removed, carriageway cleaned, and central reservation and verge restraint systems reinstated, ready for the motorway to be re-opened at 15.00 on Sunday 13 August. Coming up next, the Balfour Beatty VINCI team will now start to construct the huge twin box structure, which will carry HS2 trains over the M42. The structure, measuring 300 metres length by 25 metres width will cover around 130 metres of the M42 and will be built in position whilst maintaining three lanes of traffic flowing on the M42. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Northern Engineering Division of one of the UK’s leading engineering and services firms, HE Simm Group, has won a £16m contract to deliver a commercial project as part of the new regional hub in Blackpool – that VINCI is constructing as part of Muse and Blackpool Council’s £350m Talbot Gateway Regeneration Scheme. The contract, which will see the firm deliver a full MEP installation, over a 37-week programme, was awarded to the company following its ongoing, successful delivery, at VINCI’s New Victoria scheme for end client Muse Developments. Starting on site in November, and running through to September 2024, the company will also utilise its internal offsite manufacturing team, to provide a modularised roof top plant room amongst other modular items, including risers – to the value of three quarters of a million pounds. Greg Simm, Managing Director for HE Simm Engineering in the North, comments: “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract, especially as it comes off the back of the work we are currently undertaking at New Victoria. “It will be the largest commercial scheme delivered by the Northern Engineering Division and we are looking forward to getting going in November.” Gareth Simm, Chief Executive Officer for the company, adds: “This contract award plays well into our continued diversification strategy, which sees more and more of our work completed in sectors including commercial, industrial and healthcare, whilst also staying true to our roots of delivering the very best MEP in the UK residential sector.” HE Simm was founded in 1948, 75 years ago this year. Since then, it has become recognised as a leading player in the design, delivery and installation of MEP, Fire & Security, Maintenance and Offsite Manufacturing capabilities across numerous sectors, for many long-term clients. To read more about the company visit www.hesimm.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Nearly 2,000 jobs supported by the construction of HS2’s ‘super-hub’ station HS2’s landmark super-hub station is today celebrating a key milestone as it marks two years of permanent construction. In June 2021, the then Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, gave the thumbs up for permanent work to begin on HS2’s super hub station, Old Oak Common, in West London. Work on the site has gathered pace and significant progress has been made. A total workforce of 1,900 people are supporting the delivery of the HS2 ‘super-hub’ station, with the site itself welcoming around 1,000 workers each day. After being given the signal to start permanent construction, HS2’s Station Construction Partner, Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA Joint Venture (BBVS JV) started work on the the installation of the 1.2 mile diaphragm wall for the underground box which will contain the six new high-speed platforms. The wall was completed back in March, with the team having installed 275 diaphragm wall panels and 161 bearing piles, the largest of these being 2.2m in diameter and 57m in length. The first base slab concrete pour in the western end of the station box has also taken place. The excavation of the box is also well underway with over 465,000m3 of London clay already removed out of a total of 930,000m3 from across the site. The excavated clay from the site is now being taken away via part of a 1.7 mile conveyor network, removing thousands of lorry movements from local roads. The conveyor was officially switched on in November 2022 by the HS2 Minister, Huw Merriman MP. Over 900 of the 1,600 concrete piles have been installed into the ground where the HS2 station superstructure and overground platforms for the conventional train network will be constructed. Piling work began earlier this year on the second half of the super-hub – the eight platforms that will be served by Great Western Mainline and Heathrow Express services. It will also become the 42nd stop on the Elizabeth Line. Platform construction will start later this year. The team also successfully completed the demolition of the Wycombe Line Bridge, over Old Oak Common Lane, at the end of May 2023. The disused rail bridge was removed following a weekend road closure, and makes way for the construction of the new Network Rail bridges which allow the Great Western Mainline track alignment to be widened as it approaches the new station. The team are not just focused on what they are building but also how they are building. HS2 is committed to eliminating the use of diesel on all its construction sites by 2029 and significant progress has been made towards this at Old Oak Common. The site has set a goal to achieve diesel-free by the end of 2024, with a collaborative team working on plans. Amongst a number of measures being taken at the site is a transition to electric equipment including the use of two fully electric crawler cranes, two of only five used across the world. There is also an abundance of green technology being used, including hybrid excavators and diesel equipment retrofitted to use more sustainable fuels. Speaking about the incredible progress at the site, HS2’s Project Client, Huw Edwards, said: “Here at Old Oak Common, we are well underway in our work to construct London’s newest super-hub station. Our work is supporting nearly 2,000 jobs and we are already seeing that the new station is becoming a catalyst for regeneration in the Old Oak and Park Royal area. “Upon completion, it will harness the close linkage with the newly opened Elizabeth Line, dramatically improving connectivity and creating a new destination to live and work in London.” Nigel Russell, Project Director for Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA said: “Together with HS2 and our supply chain partners, we have made great progress at Old Oak Common having most recently celebrated the first concrete base pour for the station box. “We now look forward to continuing this momentum as we work hard to complete HS2’s ‘super-hub’, which will become one of Britain’s largest, best connected and most sustainable railway stations.” Later this year, the eastern end of the ten-hectare site will be handed over the HS2’s London Tunnels Contractor, Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS JV), for the breakthrough of the Tunnelling Boring Machine, named Lydia, which will have completed the construction of an 850m long logistics tunnel from the nearby Atlas Road site. The SCS JV team will then receive two further TBMs delivered to Old Oak Common, in 2024, which will be assembled in the station box, ready to bore the 5 mile Euston Tunnel. Once open, Old Oak Common station will become one of the country’s most vital transport hubs, with services East, West, North and South. Plans to transform the wider area around the station, a former railway and industrial site, are being led by the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) and it projects that tens of thousands of new jobs and homes will be created around the new HS2 station. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Deepki, the world-leading ESG platform for real estate, today announced its acquisition of Nooco, the French SaaS company created by VINCI Energies that measures and optimizes the carbon footprint of building construction and renovation projects. This strategic acquisition will allow Deepki, the leading ESG data intelligence platform for real estate companies transitioning to zero carbon, to strengthen its offer by addressing the entire building life-cycle, including the initial stages. Founded in 2014, Deepki’s SaaS platform helps commercial real estate investors, owners and managers improve the ESG performance of their real estate assets, and in the process enhance their value. In March 2022, Deepki announced fundraising of €150 million, further consolidating its position as a global leader, and allowing it to make strategic acquisitions of both direct competitors and companies developing complementary solutions to Deepki’s own Deepki Ready, as is the case with Nooco. Nooco is a French SaaS company, which specializes in measuring the carbon footprint of construction projects (new projects, rehabilitation, renovation, operations, maintenance, and end-of-life). Created with an intrapreneurial approach, Nooco benefited from the support of Leonard, the VINCI foresight and innovation platform, during its three years of incubation. During this time, Nooco has become an established industry standard. Nooco’s platform quickly and reliably calculates carbon emissions, which is essential in the context of the French RE2020 regulation, which aims to reduce the contribution of buildings to climate change. Currently, Nooco assimilates the carbon impact data of 3650 types of technical equipment and materials, allowing its users to compare their respective impact and calculate the overall carbon footprint of their construction or renovation projects. Thanks to Nooco, fast access to reliable data allows companies to actively choose low-carbon products, evaluate alternative designs, and measure the impact of a reuse solution. Nooco’s 100-strong customer base is made up of manufacturers, design engineers and architecture firms, prime contractors, and building services, including Nexity, VINCI Energies, Elan, AIA Life Designers, Setec Bâtiment, Léon Grosse, Bouygues Energies et Services, and Eiffage Energies. This strategic acquisition enables Deepki, historically focused on the use phase of existing buildings, to broaden the scope of its impact to include new buildings and to increase the breadth of its offer, covering the entire life-cycle of the building (scopes 1, 2 and 3, and in particular “embodied carbon”). It will also accelerate the development of Nooco, which is committed to increasing the recognition of CO₂ as an industry KPI, taking into account all potential sources of carbon emissions. Vincent Bryant and Emmanuel Blanchet, co-founders of Deepki, state: “Nooco is a highly advanced technology company that has become a true benchmark in the construction and renovation industry. Its offer is complementary to ours, and will enable us to expand our expertise to include the measurement of scope 3 emissions within the real estate industry – which is responsible for 36% of energy consumption and 37% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.” Guillaume Jarlot, founder of Nooco, comments: “The Nooco team is delighted to join Deepki to further develop our offer as a leading platform for the decarbonization of the entire industry. As part of the Deepki group, Nooco aims to strengthen its position as a trusted partner to the French and, in 2024, European markets. Our sole objective: to support the industry’s organic transition by equipping decision-makers and end-users with the means to autonomously tackle the CO₂ challenges they face in their construction and renovation projects.” Olivier Genelot, managing director of the Île-de-France Building Solutions Division at VINCI Energies, adds: “We created Nooco to quickly calculate the carbon footprint of different projects. By handing it over to Deepki, we are allowing it to continue its development. We trust them to efficiently evaluate the impact of our decarbonization initiatives through the use of construction alternatives, low carbon products and reuse solutions.” 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
HS2’s plans for the Balsall Common Viaduct in Warwickshire, recently submitted to Solihull Council, incorporate local feedback focussing on environmental sustainability, landscape integration, visual connectivity and public access. HS2’s main works contractor, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), supported by a Design Joint Venture of Mott MacDonald and Systra together with architects Weston Williamson + Partners, have engaged with people in the local area over the last year to gather feedback on the viaduct – a 425-metre-long section of the UK’s new zero-carbon high speed rail line. Understanding the landscape context was a key focus of the design, allowing the team to create a viaduct that ‘reflects and reveals’ itself within the landscape. Planting and species selection was another key focus, with the plans now including wet woodland planting using native species to the local area; mixed native woodland plants such as midland hawthorn and black poplar, two notable local species; woodland edge planting to provide screening; and hedgerow planting to improve wildlife connections. Reflecting the historic local growing of flax for weaving into linen, an alternative grass species mix will incorporate blue flowered plants including blue flax, cornflower and forget-me-nots. Bird boxes will be added in the trees in various locations to serve common bird species such as robin, blue tit and great tit. A realignment of Bayleys Brook will increase habitat for fish, aquatic invertebrates and potentially water vole. Design changes have also reduced the size of the railway embankment running parallel to Bayleys Brook by 75 metres, improving the resiliency of the area to flooding, and enhancing views through the viaduct to the wider landscape. To improve connections, the Kenilworth Greenway will be extended to Station Road on the south-eastern side of the existing railway line and a further extension towards Lavender Hall is currently under consideration. Options for cycling and bridleway extensions are also being considered. HS2 Ltd’s Senior Project Manager for Balsall Common, Alan Payne said: “Over the last couple of years, we’ve worked closely with the community and local councillors to incorporate their feedback on Balsall Common Viaduct as much as possible. We’re confident that our plans respect and enhance the local history and natural environment of the area, and will provide new green areas for people and wildlife to enjoy. “The HS2 project supports nearly 30,000 jobs – of which nearly 9,000 are employed in the West Midlands, with local businesses across the region benefitting from supply chain contracts. Once complete, HS2 will transform journeys across the UK, help boost the economy and provide extra capacity on the existing rail network.” Shaun Ruffles, Landscape Architecture Director from HS2’s Design Joint Venture said: “The team have worked hard over the past 4 years to significantly improve on the hybrid Bill design to ensure that the environment and people using the area are at the heart of the design. “The finalised design for the Balsall Common Viaduct has been driven by its context and responds directly to it. The concept of ‘reflect and reveal’ has been key to this, with views of the viaduct revealed and filtered by the mature oak trees in the wider historic landscape. The viaduct is further integrated through its reflection in local water features and in the polished acoustic parapets which will reflect the skyline, lightening the structure further.” BBV will construct a total of 16 piers to carry the viaduct 10m above ground, crossing over Station Road, Bayleys Brook, Heart of England Way Walk and the local floodplain. Construction refinements have reduced the size of each pier by as much as 17% for single piers and 28% for double piers, giving the structure a lighter appearance. Responding to feedback about the look of the viaduct, a section at Station Road will be finished with a bespoke pattern, referencing the local history of the area. People can register to attend an event on Thursday 16 February at Balsall Common Village Hall to view the latest plans and talk to the team: www.hs2.org.uk/balsall-common Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
RDM Electrical & Mechanical Services has commenced a new working partnership with VINCI Facilities on a substantial Ministry of Defence (MOD) Future Defence Infrastructure (FDIS) contract with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). Over the coming years, the South Wales-based company will be working with VINCI Facilities on six MOD sites in the Oxfordshire area. The contract is part of the MOD’s new Future Defence Infrastructure Programme. The contract will see RDM inherit an additional two sites and more than 20 existing staff members. It will also see the company employ an additional five new staff in key roles, including senior management positions. The company has established an enviable reputation for delivering facilities management within the defence sector. It is highly regarded for its excellent service levels and considered, practical approach, as well as its ethos of utilising a local workforce wherever possible to help contribute to the local economy. Furthermore, the company is known for its passion for embracing the principles of the circular economy. Both VINCI and RDM Electrical & Mechanical Services share a commitment to work towards a lower carbon society, focusing on sustainable and innovative methods to exceed goals and add value for all stakeholders. VINCI Facilities is part of VINCI SA, a world leader in concessions and construction, and is the Facility Management (FM) and Building Solutions business within VINCI Construction in the UK. It has supported the defence sector for over 70 years, delivering maintenance, repair, project management, and refurbishment services to operational and support facilities. It was named the top-ranked FM service provider in the Sustainable FM Index for 2020 and 2021. It works with its partners, customers and supply chain to deliver lasting, positive and effective change in the built environment. Dave Kieft, Director, RDM Electrical & Mechanical Services, said: “We look forward to a very successful working relationship with VINCI Facilities over the next few years. RDM will be responsible for ensuring day-to-day delivery of great customer service and performance across the remit of our work, which includes electrical, mechanical building fabric and environmental engineering services at the six MOD sites in Oxfordshire. We will also be working very closely with RDM’s sister company EFT Consult on all the relevant design and innovation opportunities. “We are very proud to have a proven reputation for going the extra mile in all the projects we undertake. As ever, we remain focused on providing world-class services and solutions, which will make a positive difference to the end users – the forces personnel that do such important work in the defence of our country, and that live, work and train at the six MOD sites across the Oxfordshire region.”
Building work has begun on a new £30.5 million cancer diagnostic and treatment centre in Guildford. Developed in partnership with GenesisCare and Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust on the site of Royal Surrey County Hospital, this is the most recent private healthcare development from Prime PLC. Made possible by investment from Assura, this pioneering development will provide patients with access to the latest treatment options for cancer, including highly targeted radiotherapy using a Magnetic Resonance Image Linear Accelerator (MR Linac). This exciting technology is not widely available in the UK but has been shown to improve outcomes for tumours that are moving or difficult to reach[1]. GenesisCare has used this advanced technology to successfully treat renal, pancreatic, and lung tumours at its Oxford centre, where surgery is not possible due to the complexity of the cancer. Compared to conventional radiotherapy, treatment can be administered with greater sparing of normal tissues, over a shorter of period of time, resulting in fewer sessions and less disruption for patients. Royal Surrey County Hospital will be one of a handful of Trusts to be able to offer access to this technology to its patients. Alongside this build, at the same site, Prime have also secured planning to develop a 600 space multistorey staff car park serving Royal Surrey County Hospital. Both the cancer centre and car park are being built by VINCI Building and are expected to achieve a BREEAM rating of Very Good, with Excellent for the Energy component, and an EPC of A. It will include PV panels, LED lighting throughout and EV charging points. The site will also benefit from creation of a new sensory garden for patient and staff wellbeing. Assura Development Director for Strategic Projects, Jon Webb, said: “As we move beyond the pandemic, the need for more space and capacity for care right across the health system has been clear and this new, state-of-the-art facility is part of that, helping to address treatment backlogs. It’s a special day to see the ground being broken and we look forward to the first patients benefiting from this state-of-the-art site, where such advanced technology will be in use for patients every day.” Rob Ferris, Business Development Director for Prime said “We are seeing increasing demand for our specialist expertise in securing land, planning and funding for the development of private cancer care facilities, designed to the highest standards for functionality and sustainability. We have collaborated with GenesisCare and Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust to deliver a solution that will deliver outstanding benefits to the staff and patients of both organisations and improve health outcomes for the region.” Jason Griffiths, Regional Director at VINCI said “Vinci Building are proud to be delivering this amazing, state of the art cancer centre in Guildford. It will change people’s lives in Surrey and we are delighted to be part of the team”. Practical completion on the GenesisCare centre is expected in the autumn of 2023. [1] 1 Otazo, R., Lambin, P., Pignol, J., Ladd, M., Schlemmer, H., Baumann, M. and Hricak, H., 2021. MRI-guided Radiation Therapy: An Emerging Paradigm in Adaptive Radiation Oncology. Radiology, 298(2), pp.248-260. (Otazo et al., 2021)
BBV adopts drone software from Esri UK to digitise survey workflows, reduce costs and enhance safety on its 90km stretch of HS2 Esri UK today announced that Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) has rolled out its Site Scan for ArcGIS drone flight management and image processing software, to support its drone deployment strategy on its Midlands section of HS2. Faster and more efficient drone surveys are already saving around £20,000 a year on monthly construction progress surveys on a single site, instead of using physical surveys and the subsequent updating of CAD models. BBV estimates this could save around £1.6m if the same workflow was applied across 80 sites in the first year. Another benefit has been the removal of 800 ‘working at risk’ days and a cost saving of £30,000 per year from monitoring aggregate stockpiles, using a single drone operator to carry out 3D volumetric measurements in 20 minutes. Previously, contractors would take a full day to physically measure stockpiles and calculate transport requirements, often working in steep and difficult environments. Site Scan for ArcGIS is being used to carry out drone site surveys, manage aggregate stockpiles and monitor progress of construction. Various 2D and 3D outputs are being generated for sharing with multiple stakeholders, including high-definition imagery and 3D terrain models. The new software was rolled out across the BBV business to almost 400 users in autumn 2021, including 13 drone pilots. The major civil infrastructure project spans from Long Itchington Wood tunnel in the south to the West Coast Main Line tie-in near Lichfield in the north, with a major junction into Curzon Street Station in central Birmingham. The main works civil engineering contracts will deliver earthworks, ground engineering and many structures including bridges, viaducts and tunnels along a 90km stretch of the UK’s new high speed rail line. “We needed the right software to manage an increasingly complex and varied use of drones and meet the needs of multiple teams, from logistics to site managers to engineers,” explained Dan Fawcett, Innovation Director at Balfour Beatty VINCI. “New digitised workflows are rapidly replacing traditional, physical working practices and introducing new levels of efficiency, accuracy and safety. On major projects such as HS2, the ROI achieved is significant.” Other applications of the new software include helping to show compliance with design tolerances in built structures against BIM and CAD models, speeding-up design cycles, particularly in earthworks and excavations design and monitoring the installation of utilities. Site Scan supports RTK drones to ensure highly accurate data capture and point cloud creation. Super-user training for Site Scan is being provided by Esri UK partner Heliguy, the drone consultancy, hardware and training specialists. Site Scan for ArcGIS is Esri’s cloud-based drone flight management and image processing software, offering flight planning, hardware management, scalable image processing and unlimited data storage, plus seamless integration with BBV’s Esri enterprise GIS system.
A joint venture between VINCI UK Developments Ltd and St. Modwen Ltd (“VSM”) has received planning permission for a 26-storey residential tower in Nine Elms, London. The scheme, known as Apex 1, will deliver 201 new homes as well as 5,250 sq ft of retail space on land released as a result of VSM’s New Covent Garden Market redevelopment. This zone 1 site is adjacent to the Nine Elms Northern Line tube station and close to the new US Embassy, forming a key part of the Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea (VNEB) opportunity zone. Designed by Glenn Howells Architects, Apex 1 is the first building of the wider Apex development site which has outline consent for a further 422 homes and 66,000 sq ft of commercial space. Apex 1 will be a highly sustainable, near net zero development. It incorporates an architecturally distinctive two-storey pavilion to house ground floor retail and a first-floor amenity area for residents, as well as a roof garden. The development will include significant public realm, providing a permanent landscaped pedestrian link (known as Merchants Way) between the Nine Elms Linear Park and Nine Elms tube station. The Apex site is one of four surplus land sites which form part of the ongoing transformation of New Covent Garden Market by the VSM partnership under a Development Agreement with Covent Garden Market Association. The overall redevelopment of New Covent Garden Market will provide for a rationalisation and transformation of the market site and will create a vibrant and distinctive new London District once complete. Nick Smith, Senior Development Manager at St. Modwen, said: “Apex 1 promises to be a high-quality new scheme for Nine Elms. This latest planning decision means we can deliver new homes for the area while achieving another important milestone for the transformation of New Covent Garden Market.” Graham Lambert, Managing Director of VINCI UK Developments, added: “This Planning Consent represents a key milestone for the VSM Partnership and the redevelopment of New Covent Garden Market, and highlights our key priority of designing sustainable developments which create a positive legacy.” –
