World’s first electric digger

World’s first electric digger announced as one of three finalists for most prestigious UK engineering award

The winning team will receive the signature MacRobert Award gold medal and a £50,000 cash prize, joining the pioneers behind innovations such as the Harrier Jump Jet, the Raspberry Pi micro-computer and the CT scanner.

The world’s first volume-produced electric digger, developed by JCB, a world leader in the manufacture of construction and agricultural equipment, has been named as one of three companies shortlisted for the 2020 MacRobert Award. Founded in 1969, the MacRobert Award is overseen by the Royal Academy of Engineering and is the UK’s longest running engineering prize. It endorses engineering achievements that demonstrate outstanding innovation, tangible societal benefit and proven commercial success.

The JCB 19C-1E digger, developed by Staffordshire-based JCB, produces no exhaust emissions and is much quieter than existing construction machines. As the only volumemanufactured battery-powered machine of its kind on the market, the hundreds of models sold around the world so far are already responsible for saving the equivalent of 15,100kg in CO2 emissions across 5,616 hours of work.

The MacRobert Award judges were impressed with the way JCB brought a range of engineering disciplines together in developing the machine. They also identified the optimised battery life and ability to operate indoors as important innovations.

The judges felt that in developing the 19C-1E, JCB has demonstrated the utility of electric machines in a construction setting and the potential for future sustainable innovation in the sector.

The JCB 19C-1E has been selected as a finalist for the MacRobert Award alongside the all-electric I-PACE sports utility vehicle from Jaguar Land Rover and ecoSMRT® liquid natural gas reliquification technology from Babcock’s LGE business.

All three finalists demonstrate the sheer ingenuity of engineers in developing significant engineering innovations that support the Academy’s drive to build a sustainable society, enabling faster decarbonisation and more sustainable use of resources.

The winner will be announced in July, with the winning team set to receive the signature MacRobert Award gold medal and a £50,000 cash prize.

Now in its 51st year, MacRobert Award-winning innovations have changed the world, delivering enormous economic and societal benefit and contributing to the UK’s standing as the world’s eighth largest manufacturing economy.

Tim Burnhope FREng, Chief Innovation & Growth Officer at JCB, said:

“To be nominated for the UK’s most prestigious engineering award is a tremendous honour for the JCB electric team, who have excelled and risen to the challenge of introducing a brand new technology to our business.”

MacRobert Award winners are chosen by an expert panel of Royal Academy Fellows, who have vast experience across engineering industry and academia. The JCB finalist team includes:

Tim Burnhope, Chief Innovation Officer, Bob Womersley, Director of Advanced Engineering, Lee Harper, Chief Engineer – Electrified Machines, Lee Milward, Design Manager, Corey Smith, Test and Development Manager, MacRobert Award judge Naomi Climer CBE FREng, said: “The team at JCB has put sustainable engineering on the construction map with the 19C-1E. Their electric digger is hugely impressive and it’s an extremely important engineering innovation. JCB has demonstrated to the construction sector that it is possible to develop powerful machinery that is also emission free at the point of use. We expect their example will spur further innovation in the industry.”

Professor Sir Richard Friend FREng FRS, Chair of the Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award judging panel, said:

”This year’s finalists raise the bar when it comes to understanding the part UK engineering has to play in shaping a more sustainable future. UK engineers are influential agents of change, and our shortlist represents the transformative impact that such innovations are having on a global scale.

”It is testament to the strength and experience of our UK engineering community – a sector that contributes 25% to the UK’s economy – that Babcock LGE, Jaguar Land Rover and JCB have established world firsts in their respective fields.“

Waterproofing solution for green roofs on extensive new-build housing project

When approached to work on a large residential new-build housing project in Walthamstow, leading waterproofing and roofing expert, Langley Waterproofing Systems Ltd was on-hand to provide the ideal solution with Approved Contractor, T & T Roofing Limited.

Walthamstow continues to be the centre of a large-scale modernisation and renewal strategy. Taylor Wimpey is one, of several developers, working to turn the former industrial area of Blackhorse Lane into a vibrant community that will attract a new generation of residents and businesses.

As a part of the ambitious regeneration, Taylor Wimpey’s Eclipse development on Blackhorse Lane will deliver 499 one, two and three bedroom apartments across three phases. Each block features innovative green roof spaces over both affordable and private properties.

Building pressure for national housebuilders to meet the targeted number of new build homes continues to increase year on year. Latest information included within a Commons Library Briefing (March 2020), now estimates the number of new homes needed in England is up to 345,000 per year. In 2018/19 the total housing stock in

On phase three of the development, Taylor Wimpey needed a supplier and trusted roofing contractor team that could reliably respond to the demand of delivering system installations swiftly. This project contributed towards achieving the defined number of new homes needed for the local area. To this end, it was important that the roofing system specified could reliably be installed swiftly to help meet this requirement. Speaking on the decision to choose Langley’s roofing system solution, Ryan Gow, Externals Site Manager at Taylor Wimpey, commented: “The huge scale of the Blackhorse Lane development presented several challenges that we needed to overcome. For the roofing, we needed speed of installation without compromising quality and durability. We were impressed with Langley’s HM-40 Paratech HotMelt Roofing System performance. As this was the third phase of the development space was a critical factor, it was therefore important that deliveries were closely managed to avoid delays to the build schedule. Langley ensured that this was always the case, so that delays never occurred.”

Langley’s innovative HM-40 Paratech Hot-Melt Roofing system offers a number of features and characteristics that made it the ideal choice. Unlike other hot melt solutions, which tend to use fleeces, the Paratech system incorporates a reinforcement mesh allowing the system to be rolled out and thus making installation quicker.

Speaking on the installation process, Thomas Peebles, Managing Director at T & T Roofing Limited, a Langley Approved Contractor, commented: “The features of the HM-40 system provide a seamless, issue-free, roof installation, with minimal disruption and speedy install times. Langley’s technical team is always on-hand to provide assistance when necessary, working collaboratively to guarantee a consistent and high-quality installation.”

The HM-40 Hot Melt Roofing system has been specially designed for new-build projects, particularly where a fast install and fully bonded system is required, meaning further trades can access the area. As such, the solution is primarily used for concrete substrates, but can also be used on plywood and for a warm or cold roof configuration. As well as offering quick installation, the solution can be used for weatherproofing for green roofs, terraces and podium decks. Additionally, when installed by an approved contractor, the HM-40 system provides up 40-years durability. To this end, the system also meets NHBC Technical Standards Chapter 7.1 for roofs and balconies and its performance has been certified by the British Board of Agrément (BBA).

Speaking on the specification of the HM-40 Hot Melt Roofing system, Chetin Ali, Area Manager at Langley commented: “The solution used at Blackhorse Lane perfectly encapsulates what sets us apart. As with all our projects, we provided the project team with a full holistic package, which includes technical and design advice, specifications, site monitoring, reporting and warranty inspections. The monolithic, elastomeric waterproofing system is long-lasting and has incredible tensile strength. Its rapid drying solution means it can be quickly accessed by following trades on-site. It also enables rapid installation, which was a big benefit on this project.”

Ryan Gow concluded: “We were thoroughly pleased with the waterproofing solution and how efficiently it could be installed. The 40-year warranty that is included to cover both the materials and workmanship, provides us and the new homeowners at the development with peace of mind and the quality of construction we pride ourselves on.”

The majority of the development is now complete, with the final homes due for completion in 2020, and a new community is developing as more residents move in. T & T Roofing Limited was awarded Langley Contractor of the Month in March 2019, for its extremely high standard of work on the project. For more information on Langley’s flat roofing solutions for new build developments, register and download their Flat Roofing System Guide www.langley. co.uk/technical-downloads.