Eurovia / Ringway - Insight Magazine - Spring 2011

Spring 2011

insight magazine

News from Eurovia Group

Picture perfect at the Palace

Also in this issue

3 LEaDing lights ZETA and Eurosigns join forces

7 Interview Chris Connor, Term Services MD

8 Fast Close Streamlining financial reporting

16 Health & safety In praise of the Foreman

Fit for purpose – reshaping the Group

insight comment

School for design A Lincolnshire schoolboy is lead designer for a road safety training facility to be built by Ringway and his fellow pupils on the school grounds. Eight-year-old Thomas Maund won the road safety design

On the right path 2011 is proving tough for many in the UK, but it is heartening that our operating businesses have seen a very busy start to the year.

It is true that many of our market sectors are still suffering from recession and public sector cuts, and our business is a bit smaller as a result. Our key business indicators, however, are showing steady improvements.

The Group is now debt-free. We continue to be cashpositive (demonstrating our good management and the inherent strength of the business). And our operating businesses are budgeting for strong performance for the whole year.

I am very impressed by the hard work that is going into our intense bidding activity (see page 10). VINCI Ringway is in the last three bidders for two long-term PFI projects. Ringway Jacobs has reached the last three for two integrated contracts. At the same time Ringway is vying for term service commissions with four county councils.

This dedicated effort will pay dividends in the next two years. It has begun to bear fruit with the excellent news that we have secured a new seven-year commission for maintaining the A417/419, the Highways Agency DBFO route.

I realise that the last three years have been tough and we still have challenges to face. Our Group’s teamwork and values are taking us through these difficult times on a path to sustain the success of our business in the coming years.

competition organised by Staniland Primary School and Ringway Construction. Thomas’s layout will be built during April with the help of pupils who will install timber edgings and level sub-base and soil.

When complete, the permanent learning centre will be used to teach pupils how to cycle on the highway and cycleways, and observe signs and signals, which can be moved to create different network situations. Thomas will be invited to open the completed facility, says Bob Sutton, Ringway’s Contracts Manager. “This is an ideal way to teach children about road signs and markings, and the safest way to behave on our roads.”

Designer Thomas with Bob Sutton, Contracts Manager and Ian Sweeney, Lincolnshire County Council.

A Flexi-fast solution Replacing the failing surface of the Dartford Tunnel’s westbound link posed a dilemma as a suitable waterproofing system was also required. Conventional spray-applied systems would take too long to install. But one product, Flexiplast, met the Highways Agency’s tight time constraints. Tankers sprayed a 2mm-thick layer of Eurovia’s elastic crack inhibitor which also has excellent waterproofing properties across the full width, and then a protective layer of Gripfibre, each in one pass. The asphalt surface

Scott Wardrop Group Managing Director

course could be added an hour later, allowing resurfacing to be completed in a reduced number of overnight planned works.

“Our key business indicators are showing steady improvements.

“

2

insight news Partners light the way to low-carbon signing The outlook for low-carbon LED-powered signing has just got brighter with the launch of a new partnership.

Eurosigns and ZETA – the UK’s leaders in signs

is also looking to harness ZETA’s unique solar power

collaborating on a new generation of illuminated signs.

technology for LED signs in remote locations, or where

Established in 1989 as a ‘spin-out’ from Oxford University, ZETA specialises in research and design, rather than manufacture.

fixed power infrastructure is prohibitively expensive.

The first major project for the partnership will be to replace conventional lamps in Eurosigns’ range of

“We are a good fit – our manufacturing strengths

illuminated signage with ZETA’s highly efficient LED units,

complement their expertise in research and

which emit twice the light for a much lower power

development,” says Eurosigns Divisional Manager Roger

consumption.

Habgood. “We and ZETA already have the number 1 and 2 LED signs on the market.”

The partners are also working on a range of solar lighting projects to provide bespoke solutions for highway

Eurosigns, which has the UK’s largest and most

PHOTO: Jonalan Vaughan

much bigger signs than was previously possible. Eurosigns

manufacture and LED and solar technology – are

sophisticated signs plant in Weston-super-Mare, won industry awards for its first energy-saving LED-equipped sign last year.

authorities striving to reduce their energy use and carbon footprint.

A Solis pole providing a full solar power solution and mounting for all types of street furniture, including LED

The use of ZETA technology can maximise the performance of LEDs and also enable the manufacture of

lighting, is part of the range of new products now available as a result of the Eurosigns - ZETA partnership.

AMBASSADORS OF SKILL: Operative Byron Smith and Site Agent Adam Campbell have become STEM Ambassadors, using their skills to inspire young pupils to learn about Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. The Ringway duo are pictured on the site of the Loughborough Eastern Gateway project (see page 10), where they have hosted visits from a local school. Ringway Infrastructure

Adam Campbell and Byron Smith installing the last section of drainage.

Services North and the Midlands Highway Alliance – the client organisation for the region’s local authorities – are working closely with the National Skills Academy to upskill the entire site team, says Adam. “Everybody has been enrolled on the NVQ II qualification in highway maintenance, and two of the team – Foreman David Leafe and General Foreman Michael Wallhead – have been enrolled on the NVQ Level III.” Two apprentices and graduate Engineer Joshua Heaney are also working on the project.

inshort

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HIGH SEAT: Gary Bodenham, a Supervisor on structures, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for Cancer Research. Walking with nine friends, including colleague Sam Radbourne – a Ringway Graduate based at Horsham head office – he reached the summit. “There were times I thought I couldn’t carry on, but with the support from my friends, family and partner I knew I had to finish,” he says. Gary’s partner had been diagnosed with breast cancer. He raised £2,300 for research to combat the disease.

POLICE CAMERA ACTION: A Ringway Kent crew came to the aid of police on the West Malling bypass – for the filming of a training video. Kent Police wanted to show officers and other road workers how to manage incidents safely on roads with fast-moving traffic. The film simulated an HGV breakdown in the inside lane of the dual carriageway and called on Ringway to install a full lane closure under Chapter 8 Part 1 of the Traffic Signs Manual.

3

Quality wins through again

A new specialist services division has been formed to carry out traffic management and safety fencing operations for Ringway clients.

National blue-chip companies from Barclays and GlaxoSmithKline to Siemens and Virgin Media are raising the bar in service quality across the UK. And Ringway too can compete with the best, according to the British Quality Foundation, which has singled out two parts of the Group for their achievements.

PHOTO: Keith Hutchins

Barrier and TM teams merge

In the BQF’s annual awards for 2010, Ringway Worcestershire received the award for Process Improvement. This was in recognition of the significant improvements achieved in the delivery of reactive highway works by area response teams.

This success is no flash in the pan either, as it follows the 2009 BQF award to Ringway Worcestershire and the county council for the Lean Six Sigma Partnership – a rigorous programme to reduce waste in the

three different teams: the local TM (Traffic Management) and

highways service and create value for customers.

Meanwhile, Ringway’s term services division in the East Midlands

VRS (Vehicle Restraint System) units and the TMU (Traffic

was one of only four organisations to receive a 5-Star rating for

Management Unit) serving Surrey and Kent.

excellence. This requires a score of over 500 in an external assessment

This merger will result in a stronger, more broadly based specialist business, says Ringway East Midlands Divisional Director John Upcott. “Our game plan is to build a sustainable business and branch out into new areas and markets.”

The existing TM and fencing teams are based in Marks Tey,

against the BQF Excellence Model. Achieving this is extremely difficult and shows the division is performing consistently at the highest level.

Ringway East Midlands was also shortlisted with Peterborough City Council in the BQF Partnership Award category.

Scott Wardrop, Group Managing Director, praised the hard work

near Colchester, and work on long-term contracts such as the

and commitment that earned this recognition from the quality

A1(M) Alconbury-Peterborough in Cambridgeshire and A130 in

experts. “This is a fantastic

Essex.

achievement for the

They have now been joined by TM specialists from the Surrey term contract, which ends in April, with more to follow from

divisions involved and for the whole Group.”

Kent in the autumn. The new division is led by Operations Manager Michelle Mitchell.

Following strategy workshops in January, the division developed service level agreements with internal customers in the Group. Its training plan proposes multi-skilling of operatives for installing safety barriers, traffic management and other works. “It makes sense that our people can switch between civils and, say, patching work to maximise opportunities and productivity,” John explains.

The East Midlands division is bidding to undertake 24/7 surveillance duties at Transport for London’s Victoria Station under a two-year contract with VINCI Construction and for work in the North-East and Wiltshire. It is also considering establishing new depots in Chippenham and Copthorne.

4

TOUR DE GROUP: Eurosigns’ highly reflective liveries, displayed on these police cars, were among the innovative products praised by Pierre Anjolras on his third visit to the Group’s operations.

The Eurovia SA International Managing Director, who is familiarising himself with the British market and Eurovia’s UK businesses, toured the Weston-super-Mare plant.

Pierre is pictured (second left) with Alain Simon, George Daville, Scott Wardrop and Roger Habgood. His two-day visit began with a Eurovia Group board meeting at Ringway Worcestershire, and included presentations on Euromark and the EVolution joint venture as well as the county term services contract. “Pierre believes that every business unit must have clear objectives in its business plan for 2011 – and that our diversity of clients and services will help the Group realise our ambitions in the coming years,” says Scott, Group Managing Director.

PHOTO: Peter McCallion

Based in the East Midlands, the Ringway division amalgamates

EVolution leads charge insight news to greener cars Charging points for electric cars are being installed across Britain by a Eurovia/VINCI joint venture amid a surge of investment in the UK’s new green transport grid.

EVolution, the company created by the Group and Vinci Energies to manufacture, install, operate and maintain electric vehicle charging point (ECP) infrastructure, is capitalising on a series of strategic contracts.

headquarters in Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire.

Plugging: Representatives of regional development agency One North East, Nissan and the Metrocentre launch the UK’s first rapid EV charger for public use

Meanwhile, London’s O2 Arena, where Nissan has a unique marketing site, is now equipped with both rapid charging and normal charging technology installed side by side by the EuroviaVINCI Energies joint venture (see below).

In London, which is aiming to become

The North-East of England followed London in

the electric vehicle capital of Europe,

winning Government match funding to jump-

EVolution is undertaking its first

start the switch to greener transport. EVolution

installation projects in the boroughs of

secured Newcastle Upon Tyne’s framework

Richmond, Camden and Hounslow

agreement for rapid chargers, and has already

under a framework contract with

installed the first unit at the Metrocentre,

Transport for London.

Gateshead.

EVolution will install 500 on-street

EVolution is also being retained by other car

charge points, another 2,000 off-street

manufacturers and local authorities. EVolution

and 25 rapid-charge units as part of the

will install charging bays at the Jaguar / Land

London Source charging network Mayor

Rover sites at Gaydon, Warwickshire and Whitley

Boris Johnson is launching this spring.

in Coventry to facilitate the roll-out of their

Up to £30 million of work could be

electric vehicle ranges.

procured from EVolution under the four-

In Scotland, EVolution installed charging bays

year contract, which is open to other local authorities and

for Dumfries and Galloway Council following a referral by an existing

organisations. Contracts have been agreed too with London

client, and similar contracts are expected to follow.

Underground for some of their larger station parking sites.

EVolution has forged a close relationship with Nissan Cars in the UK

“It is great for our Group to be in the vanguard of a new greener transport era in the UK,” says George Daville, Director for EVolution.

ahead of the launch of the Leaf – billed as “the world's first mass-

“This market has taken off in a big way since the turn of the year and

produced zero-emission car”. After several months of talks with the

it’s set for rapid growth.”

car giant’s International Electric Vehicle Unit, based in Paris, EVolution

“Our order book now stands at over £750,000, and it’s growing

secured the exclusive deal to install charging infrastructure for the

day by day,” says Mike Halliwell, the venture’s Business Development

initial wave of 30 Nissan Leaf dealers across the UK. Leaf production

Manager, who is busy following up leads across the UK. “Now our

starts in Sunderland in early 2013.

biggest challenge is satisfying this surge in demand, which is a nice

EVolution will also provide bespoke charging bays at Nissan’s UK

position to be in.”

ENCORE AT THE ARENA: Eurovia companies are in line for a repeat performance at the O2 Arena in London. Last summer Eurovia Specialist Treatments resurfaced two car parks at the internationally famous venue under a contract with the entertainment company AEG Europe and consultant WT Partnerships.

The works comprised a package of minor civils, patching, microsurfacing and roadmarking. Since the Millennium Dome’s construction areas of the car parks had suffered subsidence. EST proposed an economical solution involving patching to reconstruct the uneven and failed areas and resurfacing of the entire 39,000m2 with gripfibre microsurfacing.

Access to the North Greenwich venue had to be maintained throughout the project, which was delivered with the help of Eurovia Infrastructure’s Surfacing, Contracting and Euromark divisions. During the construction phase, the client called for the installation of electric charging points for cars – a need plugged by EVolution, the Group’s new joint venture with VINCI Energies, working with Nissan.

On site Eurovia Contracting’s Andy Page managed the project, which was handed over on time for a series of big concerts in September. The additional resurfacing works are scheduled for this spring.

5

insight strategy

New structure fit for purpose Restructuring has put the Group in shape for the challenges of a tougher economic climate and changing market conditions, says Scott Wardrop.

“We now have a structure that is fit for purpose and the sectors

and environmental services, he adds. “Ringway is recognised as

we serve,” the Group Managing Director explains. “It has

one of the strongest players in the sector by clients and

consolidated our standing with existing clients and opened the

competitors alike. Term Services will continue to gain great

door to more new clients for our specialist businesses.”

advantage from the values Ringway represents.”

The new structure, adopted at the start of 2011, is geared to the

On the other hand, Eurovia branding will increase the appeal of

two core sectors the Group serves – term services, and contracting

the Group’s specialist businesses to external clients. More than half

and production, which covers all specialist support services.

their trading is already with organisations outside the Group.

These two distinct business streams are now clearly labelled

The Eurovia brand is a natural fit for Specialist Treatments,

under the Ringway and Eurovia banners. Each also has its own

Roadstone, Surfacing, Contracting, and Airport Services, and it

managing director chosen for their particular expertise – Chris

signals their access to world-leading technical expertise.

Connor (see below) and Alain Simon (right).

Such a shift in perception can have a considerable impact on

For the business as a whole, the adoption of the Eurovia Group

sales as Euromark’s 2009 re-branding of the roadmarking division

name underlines its financial strength and stability, Scott points out.

showed. The signs business, which is jointly owned by Eurovia and

“It reinforces our credentials and bolsters clients’ confidence in a

Giraud, was also successfully re-launched as Eurosigns last year.

difficult economic climate.”

“These changes will help us take the business forward,” Scott

But the Ringway name remains synonymous with infrastructure

concludes.

EUROVIA GROUP UK

Health & Safety, Quality & Environment

Human Resources Training & Development

Joint Ventures

6

Fleet & Plant

Finance

Ringway Infrastructure Services – Term Services

ICT

Eurovia Infrastructure Ltd – Contracting & Production

Ringway Jacobs

Term Services – East

Term Services – West

Eurovia Surfacing

Eurosigns

BEAR Scotland

East Midlands

Wiltshire

Eurovia Contracting

Euromark

South West Highways

North East

Worcestershire

Eurovia Specialist Treatments

HIS Ltd

Kent

West Unitaries

Eurovia Airport Services

EVolution

Solihull

Eurovia Roadstone

Commercial & Business Development

Jean Lefebvre UK

“We must focus on clients’ needs” CHRIS CONNOR Term Services Managing Director Chris Connor’s career has been split almost

removing

evenly between the public and private

interfaces between client and contractor and

sectors. He spent 15 years in highway

reducing man-marking.

management and maintenance with

And Term Services? We need to focus on clients’

Hertfordshire County Council and two

explicit needs – not what’s in their strategy

London boroughs. Senior roles followed in

documents but what they tell us face to face. And

several national companies, including

pitch the real benefits we can achieve against

Mouchel where he established several highly

those needs, not least saving money while

successful integrated highways businesses and

protecting quality. I’m here to win things, but also

became Highways Sector Director. Back on

to make us more efficient and increase the return

the client side, as Director of Network

to our shareholders. Our business plan for 2011-

Management at Transport for London from

2016 will include a development process so we

2006 to 2008, he set up the capital’s new term

can organise ourselves better to deliver that plan.

contracts, revamped its approach to capital

There will be changes but not overnight.

projects and restructured the directorate.

Importing French know-how The Group restructuring brings a variety of contracting and production activities together in one division.

As Contracting & Production Managing Director, Alain Simon brings experience of these areas that can be measured by the truckload.

Over 25 years working for Eurovia and VINCI worldwide, Alain carved out a career that ranged from quarrying

For example? One of Ringway’s enormous

through asphalt production to

strengths is that we empower local divisions and

contracting. Based in Toulouse in south-

give divisional managers a lot of responsibility. We

west France, Alain ran seven quarries in

What’s your role? My job is to oversee the day-to-

need to develop accountability, as we cascade the

the Midi Pyrenees, supervised annual

day running and management of Term Services,

business plan objectives through the business, and

production of a million tones of asphalt,

but also to drive strategic development and

monitor performance against targets. And we

and managed nine contracting divisions.

growth – developing relationships with key clients,

must make sure our people are trained and

and working with our business development

developed to meet clients’ changing needs. That

leader in its markets. And my job

people to take the company forward.

may mean moving people so they are in the right

provided opportunities to achieve some

What skills do you bring to the job? My experience

place at the right time and promoting people

major schemes like constructing runways

has given me a clear understanding of what drives

early.

for the big jumbo Airbus A380 and

clients. I’ve developed strong change

Isn’t the market outlook bleak? There are huge

developing sustainable technologies such

management skills to make teams more focused

opportunities out there. We’ve got a peak in client

as Recyclovia and Tempera for local

and efficient. And I communicate and involve

procurement for the next two years, and bidders

applications,” he says.

people to make sure our aims are achieved.

are being more selective. Authorities that have

More recently, Chris has advised clients on procurement and contract performance.

“The aim was to make Eurovia a

Alain was also directly involved in

What’s it been like so far? Very hectic. I’ve been

kept their direct labour organisations are looking

training courses in a regional civil

involved in bids at different stages, including a

afresh at outsourcing. And there are other ways to

engineering college and recruiting high-

‘competitive dialogue’ process, which was very

grow our business.

calibre graduates

interesting. There’s also a day job to do. Ringway

Such as? We need to look at the wider demand

is a fabulous company with a great culture but

for term services in the transport and environment

there are big challenges facing us and our

marketplaces, and for more integrated services,

industry.

including streetlighting, telematics, waste

What are they? Our industry wastes money,

management and street cleansing. Apart from PFI,

duplicates procurement and tendering processes,

to which Eurovia is committed, there is also scope

while some clients retain big client-side

to say to clients: “You have an asset you need to

organisations too. We have made big efficiency

improve, but it will take many years. We can do it

gains on the contracting side, and can do more,

sooner – in a public-private partnership – and fund

but not on materials and labour. The big savings

it ourselves.” We have a strong offering and

are to be made by changing ways of working and

substantial resources behind us.

“I hope my experience and knowledge will contribute to the development of Eurovia in the UK,” he adds.

7

insight management

Countdown to Fast Close It is not just on site that we need to streamline the way we work. François Amossé, Group Director - Finance & ICT, describes the race to close our accounts faster.

This April has been a testing time for staff at Head Office in

mark of corporate efficiency and management capability, so bringing

Horsham and some of our colleagues around the country.

it forward will enhance VINCI’s image in the eyes of business

Since autumn 2010, we have been working to streamline the way we report our Group’s financial performance as part of project ‘Fast Close’.

partners, shareholders, financial institutions and analysts.

Faster reporting also means that senior managers know more quickly where the business stands and can take the necessary decisions without delay. For example, VINCI and Eurovia can approach lenders earlier in the year and obtain a better deal when raising the refinancing funds that are the lifeblood of every business.

So there are advantages both at the level of our parent company and for us in the UK. Since the autumn, the UK delegation has been planning how we can accelerate our reporting within the guidelines set by Eurovia.

The biggest time saving will come from anticipating the month-end on the penultimate Friday of each month. We can gain 7-10 days in our reporting timetable by adopting this date as the ‘hard close’.

Another five days will be won by streamlining the process itself, and VINCI is also speeding up its processes to achieve the target.

This is about speed, not haste. We will not compromise the accuracy of our reporting by using estimates, nor are we changing the processes in the divisions. But we are accelerating the reporting timetable and our new approach went live this April.

From April 2011 every division has three working days, instead of five, to complete its month-end accounts. As on site, when working to a tight timetable, careful planning makes this possible.

Divisional teams had to decide well in advance who would do what on those three critical days and make sure the March quarter-end was clean and complete – to

This is a VINCI project involving Eurovia and all of its subsidiaries.

The aim of Fast Close is very simple – to close the financial books

process. Recording revenue

sooner after the year-end so VINCI can publish its financial results

on a weekly basis also helped

earlier to the stock market.

and we need to improve how

Why is this important? VINCI is a major player in the business

8

help ease the April closing

we capture costs as well as

world, and its results matter to a lot of people in this global market.

respect the inter-company

International companies in the construction and engineering sector

payment rules. This is all best

tend to report a month or so sooner than VINCI currently does.

practice, which will become

Communicating your financial performance promptly is seen as a

the norm.

François: ‘We can do this together’

insight news

Blue means ʻgoʼ for bikes London’s mayor is well on the way to achieving his cycling goal, judging by the popularity of the capital’s first blue superhighways.

However, cash is still reported by the end of the calendar month. So we need to minimise cash movements between the hard close date and the calendar month-end.

We also work with our external auditors to post quarterly adjustments to the profit and loss account to fill this same hard close to calendar month-end gap.

April was the first test. Hard close was on April 22 and the Easter bank holidays left us just three days to close our books. The year-end in December will be very tight too. But don’t panic. We have been fully

The two pilot Barclays Super Cycle Highways were completed by Eurovia Specialist Treatments in July last year.

Within months the number of cyclists using the routes had doubled at peak times compared with a year before.

EST supplied and applied over 70,000m2 of specialised blue surfacing on the two radial routes – from Merton to the City, and Barking to Tower Gateway.

Working for Transport for London and its partner Ringway Jacobs, the Eurovia Group company tested a range of specialist products in the laboratory and on site pads at Eurovia Roadstone’s Dagenham asphalt plant during 2009.

Early in 2010, Ringway Jacobs endorsed its recommendation for the best products for each location – the high-friction approaches to crossings, carriageway edges, and shared pedestrian/cyclist sections off the carriageway.

In May, EST began applying the blue-coloured products – hard-wearing resins and water-based acrylic resin paints – on Routes C3 and C7, the first of 12 planned to help quadruple cycling rates by 2026. Five dedicated EST crews carried out the work, which had to be done at night and within a very tight timeframe, to meet the July 19th launch date.

involved in the project at Eurovia level and made our contribution to the entire Group. We have tested Kheops, our operations and management system, and there were further Fast Close workshops in the divisions at the end of March. There is no need to change our processes, just follow them efficiently and anticipate all that we can.

We now have four full years’ experience with Kheops and our 2010 year-end process has been the most efficient one we’ve done: the full audit fieldwork was completed by the end of February. So there is no doubt we can do this together and you can help the Group deliver on time for Eurovia and VINCI. Just be proactive: the Finance team will be here to support.

Audits get smarter Internal auditing across the Group is set to become more focussed and efficient as a result of two major changes.

The first change in process has involved switching the basis of registrations to the international standards for managing quality, environmental performance and safety (ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001). By the end of March these will be Eurovia-wide rather than division-based.

Group-level registration will help promote consistency across the Group, highlight innovations and areas for improvement, and target internal auditing where it is most needed, says Phil Morton, Group IMS Manager.

“Audit sampling will be more focused and time-efficient, and the divisions will have certificates that cover all activities for all locations,” he adds.

Independent certification body BSI – chosen as the Group’s new assessment partner following a rigorous selection exercise – led the

programme of reassessment and transferring registrations.

Saving assessment time is just one of the benefits of the second big change – to integrate compliance audits with assessments against the EFQM excellence model.

The first combined assessment took place in February in the East Midlands division. It showed how one visit can give a comprehensive picture of a location’s strengths, areas for improvement, and any non-conformances.

“The resultant report reflects performance over the whole of the management system and EFQM model, which makes planning for improvements more straightforward,” Phil explains.

The Group’s signs division in Weston-superMare is next in line for the new combined EFQM and audit check.

9

insight tenders

Bidding intense as PFIs advance Bidding activity is at an all-time high as the Group targets major business opportunities for term services and privately financed work from the Isle of Wight to North Yorkshire.

The tendering process is well advanced for two long-term PFI (private finance initiative) highways contracts. These cover all highway-related services for the London Borough of Hounslow and the Isle of Wight.

After successfully pre-qualifying, the Group’s bids progressed through the ‘outline solution’ stage and are now at the critical ‘detailed solution’ stage, when two of the remaining three bidders are chosen for the final phase of tendering.

Eurovia Group is seeking to build on established relationships with the two authorities. These have been built up over the years by the divisions – in Hounslow by Surfacing and on the Isle of Wight through Eurosigns, Special Treatments and – since winter 2009 – Ringway’s winter maintenance service.

At the same time as the PFI bids, the Group’s commercial team has been working on a range of tenders, including several county council term contracts.

Ringway is in the final three for Hertfordshire, where the client is following a ‘competitive dialogue’ process with bidders to arrive at the most innovative and economic solution for the county. The successful provider will be announced a year from now.

Ringway has also pre-qualified in North Yorkshire, Shropshire and West Cheshire, but missed out in West Sussex, having reached the last two. The joint venture Ringway Jacobs is also in the last three for two other major bids, Essex and Cheshire East. Members of the Ringway bid team are heavily involved in these important opportunities, both of

HOW PFI WOR KS

The Group’s pa rtner and sister company, VINCI Concess ions, would fu nd the major investmen t required unde r the PFI contracts. Ther e are three mai n phases: • In the core in vestment phas which involve competitive e, which lasts 5-7 years, many highway dialogue. assets must be replac ed or improved Ringway Infrastructure to an outcome specifi cation.

Services - Wiltshire has • The major m aintenance phas e covers secured a seven-year the 18-20 year life-cycle during which all highway asse contract for maintenance ts need to be ke pt at the required pe services on the A417/419 rformance leve l.

• Th e co ncessionaire ha Highways Agency DBFO s a duty over trunk road which runs from the full 25-year term of the contract to operate and m aintain the netw the M4 in North Wiltshire, ork – involving asset management, over the Cotswolds, to the ne twork stewardship an d all maintenan M5 in Gloucestershire, ce operations. worth circa £1.5 million per annum.

The surge in tendering for new business follows a strong vote of approval from five existing clients who have extended their term contracts with Ringway Infrastructure Services.

Wiltshire and Worcestershire County Councils, and Bracknell Forest unitary authority awarded Ringway the maximum follow-on period allowed under their term services contracts. These will now run, respectively, to 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Meanwhile, in Peterborough and Rutland, RIS has secured two-year extensions to 2013.

And having won the framework contract for the Midlands Highways Alliance, Ringway is at work in Loughborough on its first scheme (see below).

“The contract extensions are worth £14.5 million to our Term Services operation, and consolidate our platform as we plan for growth,” says David Binding, Group Commercial Director.

“We are pursuing a focused strategic approach to tendering. There is a massive amount of work going into all of these bids. There will be setbacks but we are confident that with continued teamwork we will deliver more success for the Group in 2011 and coming years.”

Gateway link lifts Loughborough A new link road in Loughborough is on course to enhance quality of life for local people and the visitor experience to this hub for Olympic athletes.

Ringway Infrastructure Services North East is constructing the half-mile road, which is a key part of the Eastern Gateway regeneration project for the area around the Leicestershire town’s rail station.

The £4 million single-carriageway route, to be called Station Boulevard, is being built across waste ground between two roads. It will allow residential streets to be closed to rat-running traffic, while creating space for pedestrians and cyclists.

RIS will also work with Charnwood Borough Council and Network Rail to revamp the station forecourt, creating a new transport interchange with improved lighting and landscaping.

The £20 million project also involves construction of affordable housing, and will pave the way for a hotel, retail and commercial development.

Charnwood hopes to complete the Eastern Gateway in time for the 2012 Olympics.

10

insight news

Closer lab links improve backup

Earlier this year the Eurovia Group’s Technical Department became a part of JLUK, which is responsible for the technology transfer and marketing of products and processes developed by Eurovia in France.

All technical, product and processes development, and pavement engineering consultancy activities will now be overseen by Divisional Manager Jonathan Core.

In recent years JLUK has worked closely with the Technical

New beams for bashed bridge A damaged Midlands bridge has re-opened after a challenging eight-month repair operation by Ringway Infrastructure Services’s Solihull Division.

PHOTO: David Langford

The technical backup available to Eurovia Group companies has been strengthened through closer links with sister company Jean Lefebvre (UK).

Department, playing a pivotal role in the establishment of the Technical Centre at Warrington.

The Technical Department also oversees Eurovia Roadstone testing facility at Dagenham; and between them the laboratories undertake hundreds of tests on hot and cold materials each year.

These range from general quality control tests to more in-depth mix designs and development activities on new and existing products.

Through JLUK, the Testing: At work in the lab

Warrington facility will have more direct access to Eurovia’s research centre in Bordeaux. Its commercial activity for external clients, both in the UK and overseas, is also expected to grow under the guidance of JLUK.

The edge beams of Showell Lane Bridge, which spans the busy A45 dual carriageway between Coventry and Birmingham, had to be replaced as a result of a vehicle collision. But the four prestressed concrete beams were so badly damaged it was too risky to lift them out, says Ringway Schemes Manager David Langford.

“Instead we chose to demolish them in-situ, 7m above the dual carriageway. We used remote-controlled Brokk 90 demolition machines so that our operatives could be stood clear of the

Loughborough University will be the training base for the GB Team and host also to Olympic athletes from Japan and other countries.

Eurovia is on schedule to complete the vital link this September.

The scheme, which is the first to be let under the Midlands Highways Alliance framework, was launched at a ceremony in November (see picture).

Its track-side location requires detailed risk assessments and method statements for Network Rail permits to work. A full-time site officer liaises with the surrounding householders and businesses, and hosts a fortnightly drop-in surgery.

“Work is progressing smoothly on this scheme, which is very important to Loughborough, and the feedback from the main stakeholders has been extremely positive, which is a credit to the professionalism of the site team,” says Divisional Director Kevin Graham. “It will improve traffic flow in and around the town, and also help ensure the town is ready as a hub for athletes in 2012.”

structure and away from the beams while they were being destressed,” he explains.

A temporary crash deck was constructed to support the bridge during demolition, and traffic was diverted using a mile-long contra-flow system.

Despite the difficult weather conditions, the new reinforced concrete beams, each weighing 38t, were hoisted into place in December by a crane, which blocked an entire carriageway of the A45.

The £570,000 contract for Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council was completed on schedule at the end of March.

11

insight sustainability

in the way we operate, delivering financial as well as emissions savings.

And what does the Carbon Strategy commit us to doing? There are four key steps: • Measure – We need accurate data for our fuel and electricity use to

Cutting carbon How do we do our bit to limit climate change? Group Corporate Responsibility Manager Jo Homer sets out the strategy.

measure our carbon footprint. This covers not just our plant and fleet, but also business travel by car, rail and air; activities such as surfacing and maintenance, and manufacture of products and materials; and offices and depots. We are also committed to measuring the waste we generate, recycle and send to landfill. We will work with our supply chain to measure the carbon impact embedded in their products and services, to help us calculate the Group’s overall footprint.

• Report – We will continue to report our Group’s carbon performance

The economic climate or another crisis may dominate the headlines but

to stakeholders in various ways, including our annual Corporate

climate change is still the biggest threat we all face. In any case, for

Responsibility Report. We must also report the carbon impact of our

businesses like ours these two challenges – financial and environmental

services to highway authorities on a contract basis. Carbon reporting is

– are closely linked. Our new Carbon Strategy recognises this, and

an increasingly important requirement when tendering. In some cases

maps out a clear path for us to follow over the next three years.

carbon outputs must be predicted for a 25-year period with carbon

Called Committed to Cutting Carbon, the strategy reaffirms the

performance built into payment mechanisms.

Group’s target of cutting carbon emissions by 5% year on year. And it • Reduce – We must reduce our carbon footprint by working more

spells out the steps we must take to achieve it.

efficiently, through behavioural change, and by consuming less virgin

materials, fuel and energy. Our Low Carbon Steering Committee evaluates the financial and environmental case for investing in lowcarbon solutions and technologies. We must focus first on our main greenhouse gas emitters: asphalt production and use, fleet and plant,

depots and offices, and programming our activities. And we must remember, as individuals we can make a difference by the way we drive, switching off lights and turning down the heating.

• Innovate – As we move towards a low-carbon economy, products, services and their providers will increasingly be chosen on their carbon credentials. We already have innovative low-carbon products. Our

laboratories at Warrington, Dagenham and Normanton give us a competitive edge, reinforced by the world-leading Eurovia Research Centre in Bordeaux. Through early contractor involvement (ECI) and partnership with our supply chain, we must promote these and new

What’s driving this ambitious strategy?

UK law already requires that we disclose our carbon emissions as part of a compulsory carbon-trading scheme. Changes made by the Coalition government mean this is no longer financially neutral. The carbon credits we must buy for our emissions will take a chunk out of the Group’s bottom line from 2012. Cutting our emissions will reduce this carbon tax bill.

Our customers and other stakeholders are also demanding robust reporting of carbon emissions to help them report and reduce their own carbon footprints. So every division needs to report in detail the carbon performance of its services and our products.

Another powerful driver is our continuous pursuit of efficiency and business improvement. Effective carbon management – for example, changing our plant and fleet, and how we use them – drives efficiencies

12

alternative solutions.

FOOTPRINTING – THE FUTURE Footprinting will go beyond carbon. Already we are being asked to assess our water footprint.

Climate change is expected to worsen shortages and drought, especially in the South of England. Isle of Wight Council wants PFI bidders to measure their water footprint – the amount used directly in producing products and delivering services, and indirect water use in the supply chain. Other clients are also showing an interest in water conservation.

We need to identify where we use water, measure it accurately, and set benchmarks and targets to reduce consumption.

As a business we can investigate options such as water harvesting.

And as individuals we can: turn off taps and hoses, when not in use; mend leaks; and avoid over-extracting water from hydrants.

insight project

Resurfacing by Royal appointment An intricately planned operation to renew the colourful asphalt beside London’s most famous address has received The Royal Parks’ seal of approval.

Millions of tourist footfalls and hundreds of thousands of vehicles passing Buckingham Palace had, by last summer, taken their toll on surrounding footways and carriageways. Asphalt was cracked and crazed, and potholed in places, while the distinctive red surfacing had begun to fade. So the Royal Parks agency and its consultant, Parsons Brinckerhoff, commissioned Eurovia to come up with a suitable resurfacing treatment.

As surfacing contractor, Eurovia specified different surfacing materials to provide a subtle distinction between footway and highway for the safety of pedestrians and drivers.

A 40mm-thick Fibrovia stone mastic asphalt (SMA) surface course was chosen to provide durability for pedestrian areas linking Buckingham Palace to the Queen Victoria Memorial. The Fibrovia included a 10mm red aggregate with a red pigmented binder. For the carriageways, a 40mm-thick red-pigmented hot rolled asphalt surface course was used with 20mm ‘red’ pre-coated chippings.

Eurovia completed its £400,000 contract in under two weeks during September 2010, working in shifts through the night to ensure tourists could watch the Changing of the Guard during the day without disruption. Roads reopened to traffic at 5am each morning. RIS East Traffic Management was on duty throughout to ensure safe access for pedestrians and vehicles.

By doubling up to two milling and paving teams during the second night’s work on the approaches to the Victoria Memorial, Eurovia was able to pull ahead of the original schedule, ensuring the scheme was completed before a high-profile VIP visit to London.

Eurovia Roadstone manufactured and supplied all asphalt materials, Eurovia Specialist Treatments applied a Gripclean bond coat to all surfaces, and RIS Contracting carried out the roadmarking.

“We planned meticulously to ensure that deliveries arrived in The Mall on schedule,” says Eurovia Surfacing’s Operations Manager, Paul Kidd. “We applied a Grand Prix ‘pit stop’ mentality to reduce delays.

Everyone on site knew exactly where they had to be, and at what time. The team really pulled together and we completed the contract

with a day to spare.

“This was a challenging contract not only because we had a tight programme, but we also had to get the quality of finish just right,” he adds. To minimise the number of visible surface joints in the pedestrian concourse outside the gates, two paving machines worked in echelon, laying the red Fibrovia SMA. Technical investigations prior to the works were critical to the success of the contract. These included coring and production plant trials with the LANXESS pigment to colour-match the materials, under the direction of Jan Hemsley, JLUK National Technical Manager.

Eurovia took a similarly fastidious approach to laying and compacting the hot rolled asphalt (HRA) and pre-coated chips used on all trafficked areas, both into the Palace and around the Queen Victoria Memorial.

This surfacing solution has lost popularity in favour of SMA in recent years. “This has resulted in a decline in the numbers of people with the skills and experience to lay HRA and pre-coated clips to a very high standard,” Paul says. Fortunately, Eurovia still lays a lot of HRA for clients around the country.

“It is a very labour-intensive process and requires an experienced team of operatives to get the right finish,” he adds. “A ‘right first time’ approach is absolutely essential, along with a great deal of planning and supervision to ensure the highest quality throughout.”

This is just the latest in a series of major highway contracts in the vicinity of Buckingham Palace for the company. In September 2009, the Group re-laid asphalt along the full length of Constitution Hill, and it resurfaced Horse Guards Parade on the opposite side of St James’s Park in 2008.

The Royal Parks was very pleased with the outcome of the autumn resurfacing. Its Project Manager, Caroline McDonagh, noted that not a single complaint or negative comment had been received from the public, adding: “If a project is scored against the number of complaints received, this scheme was a huge success!”

13

At your eService!

Not so long ago the highway contractor’s job was all about following orders.

But times have moved on and today’s service providers have a much bigger and more challenging role.

“We are having to evolve to think like the client,” says David May, Business Systems Project Manager. “Understanding and supporting our clients in achieving the outcomes required from a

contracts, half the components may come from the client side. eServe ensures they are always fully integrated. It also dovetails

modern local authority highways service is key – namely: a safe,

with Ringway’s integrated management system, The Way We

reliable network; travel information for road users; a highways

Work, and joins up all the key components required to run a

asset that gives best value for money; engagement with

contract – not

communities and local politicians; as well as measured proof of

least the Kheops

performance.”

business

And the technology that supports the business is having to

management

evolve too. To deliver those outputs and outcomes for clients and

system, as well as

their customers, all people, systems and processes behind the

the systems

service must be joined up and working seamlessly together. That

controlling

requires freely flowing information and an IT system to collect and

network

process it.

management,

eServe is the electronic Management Information System (MIS) that Ringway has developed to do this crucial job.

“We and our clients recognise that open, reliable, accurate and

works delivery, asset management and

timely information is essential for successful contracts that deliver

communication

effective and efficient service to the public. And we have a decade

and reporting.

of experience in customising systems to local authorities’ specific requirements,” he explains. eServe has evolved through years spent selecting, developing and

eServe can also be linked to highway

forging together tried and tested system elements. The eServe MIS

authorities’

can link dozens of software applications and databases – which

systems for

may be hosted by the client, Ringway or other partners – in an

permitting

easily accessible but secure environment.

streetworks under

The beauty of eServe, David stresses, is that it does this in a

the Traffic

-THE PHILOSOPHY • Functionality – support people and processes in delivering outputs and outcomes • Integration – fully integrated systems, shared data, ‘one source of truth’ • Visibility – current data, what we need to know, when we need it, with controlled access for internal/external customers • Intelligence – using data in clever ways, identify issues, design optimal solutions • Storage – secure and efficient data storage and retrieval

powerful, intelligent and, above all, flexible way. “Typically there

Management Act,

may be 40 different system elements. The shift in vision that eServe

customer contact

brings is the flexibility to bolt those different elements together so

centres, and even public websites for road users and residents.

as to match the needs of each contract and client.”

For PFI contracts where Ringway is required to take on the role of the highway authority, the MIS must provide all the supporting

DRAIN BRAINS eServe uploads details of the location and condition of gullies to authorities’ asset management systems in Bracknell Forest and Worcestershire (see page 19). The information, gathered on-board through Masternaut during cyclical maintenance, is driving improvements in planning and delivery of the drainage service

14

systems, whereas for the more traditional term maintain-type

And through eServe mobile, the system frees gangs and supervisors from paperwork and feeds back live progress data from road sites.

GREENER FLEET Using eServe, the environmental performance of the Group’s fleet is being monitored and improved by analysing the vehicle mileage, fuel and other data captured via the Masternaut tracking system.

insight services

GANG HANDED eServe mobile has streamlined reactive maintenance in Wiltshire and Kent. Gangs can navigate to pothole locations using hand-held devices, notify arrival and completion, take and transmit ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos, and receive new orders for any urgent jobs, updating the MIS back at base as they go.

At the heart of eServe is its Knowledge Centre, where eServe collects data from around its various elements, then analyses and

OPEN HIGHWAY Access to information on Buckinghamshire’s highway services has been transformed by an award-winning website, which shows live eServe updates on where gangs are working and the progress of winter gritting (see page 20).

communicates performance using various tools and reports. These include powerful tools to identify the root causes of problems and manage their resolution. eServe’s user-friendly graphics display all the information needed to support Ringway’s proactive performance management culture.

The Group’s Performance Coordinators lead the way in helping teams identify ways to make their part of the service more effective, efficient and consistent, and to drive performance improvement. They also share this knowledge with clients’ performance managers, identifying wider opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness. An example is using Lean techniques to re-engineer organisational structures and processes to reduce network congestion due to roadworks and the mileage driven each day by crews, thus cutting carbon emissions and increasing value for money.

“All this delivers powerful cost-benefits compared with paperbased or standalone systems that are inefficient and create work through error and duplication of effort,” says David.

CLASS ACT Linking eServe to Kent’s Mayrise permitting system for streetworks has reduced admin by almost two thirds. Permit applications are generated automatically when scheduling works. Jobs are only released when permitted. And gangs receive permit and works order together electronically.

And the eServe evolution continues. “We are working with software developers and end users to implement eServe even more widely, taking advantage of developments in Lean thinking and cloud-based computer systems.”

It is a big investment, but he predicts the benefits for Ringway, clients and customers will be as far-reaching and significant as the advances of recent years, sustaining Ringway’s position as a leading highway services provider over the coming decade and beyond.

LEAN SAVINGS As part of a Lean engineering process, eServe was configured to support new ‘operations hubs’ that have streamlined emergency response, boosted gangs’ daily output by 20%, and delivered maintenance savings of around £1 million a year in Kent.

15

Watch out for new safety films Two new safety DVDs are coming to a screen near you. And Ringway people have played a leading role in both, as David Campbell reports.

Breaking New Ground: The first is a joint Ringway production with the Highway Term Maintenance Association and will be used industrywide as a training aid. Called Breaking New Ground, it takes viewers through safe digging practices.

It was filmed on location at Ringway Infrastructure Services Worcestershire and in Loughborough, where RIS North is working for the Midlands Highway Alliance (see page 10). Ringway employees in both places did a really good job of showing how excavation works should be carried out.

Near Misses: The new near misses DVD was made in four Eurovia delegations – France, Chile, Germany and the UK – for Eurovia World Safety Day on May 26th.

The UK sequence was recorded at RIS Wiltshire’s High Post winter maintenance depot. It highlights the danger to passing operatives from a reversing gritter – using special techniques such as an aerial view of the scene, freezing the action, and panning around the operatives.

They discuss the importance of reporting near misses, while managers explain the process for recording, analysing and acting on the evidence.

We have received very positive feedback from both film production teams and hope the viewing of the DVDs will be rewarding too. Thanks to everyone who took part or contributed in other ways.

Raising the profile of the Foreman

Auditors aim to share best practice However safe our sites, none of us have all the answers – though we do tend to have similar problems. That’s why Eurovia has commissioned DuPont safety consultants to carry out a best-practice audit of their businesses around the world and see what we can learn from each other, writes David Campbell.

We are seen as Eurovia’s leading delegation on health and safety due to our well-established safety culture. This is driven by strong leadership and management commitment, and reinforced by the goal-setting approach of UK health and safety legislation.

Ringway based its approach to managing safety on the DuPont philosophy: no-one comes to work to be injured, all incidents are preventable, and managing safety is good for the business.

But we can still learn from others and share our success with them. DuPont will audit a sample of our locations following Eurovia World Safety Day on May 26th.

After all audits have been completed we will make the findings available so that we can learn from them.

It is the Foreman who turns an instruction into action by actually putting our operatives to work. If work is to be carried out safely, the Foreman must communicate clearly to the gang what needs to be done, where and how – including the main hazards and what control measures need to be put in place.

Another key responsibility is to communicate the company’s expectations to the gang. How should a site look? How are employees expected to behave? What are the standards for

FOREMAN

safe behaviour and the consequences of unsafe behaviour?

It is the Foreman who, on site, applies the Group-wide standards that define our safety culture. If operatives do not follow procedures or rules the Foreman must take appropriate

rs safety matte

action. Turn a blind eye and the operative will believe their unsafe behaviour is acceptable. No matter how many times they may get away with it, inevitably a safety incident will result.

That is why we will soon be giving Foremen a special high-

Managers at all levels play their part in promoting safety but none more so than the Group’s site Foremen, writes David Campbell, Group HS&E Manager.

16

visibility jacket. Members of the public will know whom to approach should they have a query concerning the site. Visitors to a site will also be able to recognise the person in charge more easily. And thirdly, and most important, it reflects our recognition of this key management role within our Group.

insight health and safety

Pick up a pack Better guidance is helping crews working on the roads. Chris Plant, HS&E Advisor, describes the new Gang Packs.

Looking good in 2011

PHOTO: Bruce Findlay

Another year, another calendar, and the theme of Ringway’s 2011 Health, Safety & Environment Calendar is ‘What does good look like?’, writes Rob Dyer, HS&E Advisor.

What are they?

The improved Gang Packs began appearing on our sites earlier this year, and the feedback has been good. They are colourful and informative, and all employees should take the time to have a look through them. These packs give a really good insight into how we manage our health, safety and environmental responsibilities when working out on the roads.

Why change them?

We needed to move away from the large, cumbersome documents that had become increasingly hard to manage. They were also very generic and too much reliance was being placed on their content rather than managing the actual risks on site. So we have moved to a ‘less is more’ approach. The new packs provide general information only, while risks on site are managed through ‘site-specific risk assessments’.

What do the Packs do?

The calendar shows real-life examples of good practice

They provide step-by-step guidance for carrying out any task safely. A

from across the business, including our joint ventures.

gang needs to be informed what PPE to wear for each task and what

We tried to choose images that were as varied and

action to take if a spillage should occur. This is the generic aspect of

interesting as possible and representative of the relevant

the work common to any site.

seasons. They also demonstrate the diverse nature of our work and how we are truly a national business.

And risk assessments?

We would like to thank those who took the time to

Other hazards vary with location. We need risk assessments for each

send in pictures along with an explanation of what they

site to show how hazards are identified and controls are put in place:

showed and why it represented good practice.

Why have we chosen that type of traffic management or kerb lifter?

Why are we applying road markings at that time of day? It is essential to record the control measures we use to manage these and other hazardous elements of the activities we carry out daily.

17

insight people

sharp end Ringway employees at work

Be well informed Are you worried about your health, or maybe just conscious you could be feeling better?

Well, there’s no excuse for not getting advice and information.

You are entitled to free and confidential help 24/7 under the

Name: Ashleigh Beecroft

Eurovia Group’s Employee Assistance Programme. And that now includes advice on medical matters and general health and

Age: 22

wellbeing.

Background: Ashleigh joined the Group’s two-year apprentice programme in September 2010. He spent seven weeks at Askham Bryan College near York and 12 weeks at the Ringway depot in Harrogate learning on site with the support of a mentor. He spent the first full week of his employment at the Stilton facility in Cambridgeshire, where he attained the Ringway 5 Core Skills in manual handling, first aid, abrasive wheels, cable / service avoidance and banksman.

widened in 2011 to cover these areas. Access to wider health and

The freephone and online service provided by FirstAssist was

Why become an apprentice?

I get to learn and work at the same time; so I get paid to learn and gain NVQs, which is good for me. It’s a once in a lifetime chance to learn a skill and be guaranteed a job. This can then lead to bigger and better things in the future.

How was college?

College really helped me understand the skills involved with construction and improved my reading tremendously. The whole course was very worthwhile and I would recommend it to anyone.

fitness information is also available online.

Prompt action to identify and tackle health problems, stress, or ways to enhance people’s wellbeing will benefit employees and hence the company.

And the same is true for all the issues covered by the EAP service – from family concerns, and legal and financial matters, to landlord and tenant topics, or statutory rights and personal injury.

“Remember that this service is completely confidential – all that FirstAssist reports to us is the number of users,” says Kristine Pollock, Group Human Resources Director. “And it includes telephone counselling on any subject at a time convenient to you.”

The main exception is any contentious issue about your employer. This is covered by the company’s HR policies and procedures.

To seek assistance from the service online, simply visit: www.first-assist.com and click on ‘FirstAssist Online’.

Enter ‘Ringway’ in both boxes. To access your free telephone helpline 24 hours a day, call: 0800 716 017.

And your site work?

It gives good practical experience; without it I would be stuck in college just learning, not doing and learning.

PHOTO: Richard Orr

What’s best about it?

I’m really enjoying my apprenticeship. I like the people I work with; they are friendly and support my learning. Every day brings something new; it may be similar work but the location is always changing, meaning different challenges.

18

And the worst?

Probably the pay! But I am getting paid to learn so that outweighs that. In truth I haven’t experienced anything bad.

YOU’RE PART OF OUR GROUP

Your aims?

The training has made me realise my ambitions and my aim now is to further my career and become a Foreman and have my own gang.

Now share in the benefits!

PHOTO: Ian Savage

insight services Innovation blooms in Bracknell Taking service to the next level Grass verges and safety barriers alongside roads in Worcestershire are the latest aspects of the county network to benefit from a proactive approach to service delivery.

These are covered by new service level agreements (SLAs) road gullies.

been transformed under service level agreements proposed by Ringway. Their success gave councillors the confidence to extend the five-year Street Care contract, which started in 2004, to September 2014.

Working together, the company and client first tackled the underperforming street cleansing service. Resources were costed on an switched to an annual lump sum.

The new cleansing regime has raised standards of cleanliness and

Called Drainman, this combined gully emptying and jetting with asset management planning so that gullies are managed more

accelerated removal of graffiti and fly-tipped waste. Along the way Bracknell Forest has garnered its first Britain in Bloom Gold Award for

effectively on the basis of need. The Worcestershire Highways

many years.

partnership has also agreed a flood plan targeting flooding

Similar efficiencies were achieved in gully cleansing after Ringway

‘hotspots’ before and after rainstorms.

took over from the council’s preferred subcontractor. Joint audits have

All the county’s safety barriers will be inspected, recorded and retensioned under the new rolling programme devised by Ringway.

Barriers are usually inspected using the same traffic management as grass cutting. Its new regime identifies areas that require more frequent cutting to prevent visibility problems for road users.

confirmed the service improvements, while the lump sum payment gives the council certainty of price, saves inspection and management time, and passes the risk of extra flood-related workload to Ringway.

The third service level agreement has changed the way minor footway defects are reported and repaired. A new dedicated Reactive

The locations of milestones have also been captured and growth rates measured to improve verge maintenance along with sign

Patching Unit has generated significant savings that are being reinvested in a microsurfacing programme to raise the condition of

cleaning and vegetation cut-back.

footways in the borough.

Meanwhile, the quality of road patching has risen under another programmed the work to exclude the winter months and boost

Street cleansing, gully emptying and highway patching have all

open-book basis, the contract specification was revised, and payment

proposed by Ringway and inspired by the success of its first SLA for

SLA introduced last year for Jetpatching works. Ringway re-

Partnership and open discussion are allowing innovative ideas to blossom in Bracknell Forest as Ringway delivers savings and service improvements for the Berkshire council.

“These changes to the contract have improved the service we provide to the council, bringing tangible benefits to both organisations,” says Ian Thorpe, Divisional Manager.

productivity. The cost of the service has been cut along with the number of defects picked up by highway inspectors,

PAN-TASTIC: Success is also breeding success in Bracknell’s annual pancake

generating further savings.

race. Ringway’s team again scooped first prize in the mayor’s charity event.

Road markings are next in line for an SLA. Ringway is

Running relay, Rod MacKinnon, Mike Frost, Rob Neesham and Lyndon Milam –

systematically mapping their condition, using the Group’s

from the Street Cleansing division – had to toss their pancakes at each

specialised Ecodyn survey vehicle. A three-year continuous

changeover. They finished ahead of staff from the local Bentalls store, while the

re-lining plan for A and B-roads is almost 65% complete.

Bracknell Forest Standard team, led by their Sports Editor, came third.

High-friction surfacings have also been mapped. They are now being tested to determine how effective they are

Contestants were “shrover-excited,” the local newspaper reported. Hopefully, no-one from Ringway added: “Our guys just get batter and batter…”

when part-worn and to plan their renewal.

“We are continuously delivering operational efficiencies, in collaboration with our partners, and will provide even more benefits with our new ways of working,” says Dave Rowley, Divisional Manager.

19

insight news

Bucks website’s greatest hits

PHOTO: Ross Mackenzie

A major road dualling scheme – one of the Group’s biggest – has finished ahead of schedule despite a threemonth hiatus imposed by snow and utility delays.

The £8.1 million project to convert the two/three-lane A414 in Essex to a full dual-carriageway required a suite of skills

way for completion in November 2010

from across the Group. A target-cost

until BT and then the severe December

contract, it followed two successful major

weather interrupted progress.

schemes in Harlow also completed by the

The nine-man project team, led by

Eurovia Contracting division under the

Project Manager Matthew Taylor, still

county council framework contract.

steered the scheme to early completion in

Work on the 1.8km-long route

March. They also limited the cost rise

between the M11 Junction and Southern

from substantial additional works and

Way began in November 2009. It ranged

design changes to just 4%. The Highways

from earthworks and drainage to

Agency, meanwhile, was relieved that

surfacing, safety barriers, streetlighting

traffic queues onto the nearby M11 were

and signs. One subway had to be

avoided throughout the 16-month

extended by 17m, while another was

period.

replaced with a new structure.

Careful programming was crucial on

“This project has been a major success, showing future clients the capacity of

the scheme, which was supervised by

Eurovia Contracting to tackle even bigger

Mouchel and included £3.5 million of

jobs,” says David Waggett, Operations

diversionary works. High output in the

Manager. “It also utilised and rewarded

civils and surfacing phases had paved the

the capabilities of the wider Group.”

AIR PACKAGE: Eurovia Airport Services has completed a large package of works at Glasgow Airport, demonstrating the division’s ability to self-deliver specialised civil engineering works.

The £1.75 million contract for BAA included repairs to taxiway areas paved with fast-setting PQ concrete, rehabilitating and overlaying aircraft stands with asphalt and airport-spec block paviors, installing drainage, and the resurfacing of taxiways. It also required a new fire access road to be constructed and the resurfacing of car parks at the passenger terminal.

The division, which faces the challenge of covering a large geographical area, provides all airports in Scotland – including 10 in the Highlands and Islands – with airside and landside services.

Other recent contracts involved a roadway for a new security gatehouse and fencing at Inverness Airport, and a car park at Insight is published by Eurovia Group Ltd, Albion House, Springfield Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 2RW Feedback to: Tracey Elms, Group Marketing & PR Manager.

E: Tracey.Elms@Eurovia.co.uk

20

Stornaway, while a new bus lane at Aberdeen Airport required the installation of shelters, signage and whitelining – delivered outside working hours to avoid disruption to the busy airport.

Current projects include installation of aeronautical ground lighting at Islay and Wick airports for Highlands and Islands Airports, repairing helicopter aprons at Aberdeen, and assisting BEAR with concrete repair works on the M90.

EAS also undertakes maintenance contracts from its base at Inverness including surfacing, civil engineering, runway marking, electrical and landscaping works.

PHOTO: Lewis Bridgman

Dualling defies delays

Buckinghamshire’s pioneering website for all things highways is proving a hit with residents and road users.

Developed by Ringway Jacobs, the online one-stop shop is attracting over 100,000 visits a month from people accessing a wealth of critical information on roads and transport in the county.

This includes live updates on where gangs are working and gritting progress, relayed from vehicles’ tracking systems. Users can also log and pinpoint defects on maps. If these are urgent, office-based highways staff alert the nearest suitable gang via their hand-held device, reducing response times and increasing productivity.

Winner of a Highways magazine Excellence Award, the website taps the power of Ringway Jacob’s Management Information System and Masternaut, the satellite tracking system for the Transport for Buckinghamshire highways fleet.

Visitors can sign up for email, text and Twitter alerts about traffic disruption and other news.

The service information centre fills a need for more easily accessible information identified after media criticism of gritting and pothole repairs following the 2009/10 winter. This December hits exceeded 135,000. And calls to the council’s call centre more than halved after the launch last May.

Edited & produced by E B Silke. E: mail@silke.co.uk Designed by Tom Thompson Design. E: tomtom@dircon.co.uk

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