Construction and Civil Engineering Issue 105 Final Edition

TH E

M AGAZINE

FOR

IN DUST RIA L

LE ADER S

FINAL EDITION 105

CONSTRUCTION

&CIVIL Engineering Mission critical

The construction industry relies on fluid power tools and equipment and this means proper training is essential See page 8

Sandvik drills are driving world’s longest sub-sea road tunnel

News: New training academy set up through Government pilot scheme

Unexploded ordnance: is your site at risk?

If you don’t have the time to read it all, read what you need Health & Safety Monitor is the newsletter of choice for professionals across all industries because it is: Clear, succinct and brief: With case summaries, indexes and bullet points so you can easily pick out what’s relevant to you Practical, informative and comprehensive: Health and safety news reported and analysed, with full references supplied for your ease of use Unbiased, trusted and critical: Gives you the facts

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CONTENTS FEATURES Chairman Andrew Schofield Group Managing Director Mike Tulloch

MAJOR PROJECT 2 AECOM takes a look at the distribution property construction market, and gives an example of a recent project

2

NEWS 6 How an effective asset management strategy can help petrochemical complexes maintain their facilities

Editor Libbie Hammond

libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

FLUID POWER 8 The mission-critical part fluid power and related equipment plays on the construction site is well-recognised. However, never forget the importance of training

Editorial Design Jon Mee Advertising Design Jenni Newman Staff Writers Matt High Jo Cooper Steve Nash Andrew Dann Editorial Admin Emma Harris Head of Research Philip Monument

Cover story

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10

Editorial Researchers Laura Watling Gavin Watson Mark Cowles Karl Riseborough Elizabeth Szabo Tony Wright

CASE STUDY: SUB-SEA ROAD tunnel 22 An ambitious tunnelling project in Norway features four Sandvik drilling rigs

EQUIPMENT 20 Lighting is an obvious and rewarding way to accelerate energy efficiency objectives but, as Chris Bedford explains, proper control is key

Sales David King Mark Cawston

Schofield Publishing Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K. Tel: +44 (0)1603 274130 Fax: +44 (0)1603 274131

GREEN DEAL 14 The Green Deal presents a solid business opening for many tradesmen and contractors, and yet it remains a largely untapped opportunity by most

INFORMATION TECNOLOGY 18 When Siemens Building Technologies decided to integrate a master data management (MDM) system into its existing IT infrastructure, it chose a solution from Stibo Systems

Sales Director David Garner

Office Manager Tracy Chynoweth

ENVIRONMENT 10 When it comes to unexploded ordnance, it is essential that risk analysis is undertaken at the outset so mitigation steps can be enforced if required

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CASE STUDY: UNDERWATER CONCRETE 22 In what is believed to be the largest continuous underwater concrete pour in the world, a total 16,869 m3 of concrete was poured in 364 hours

COMPANY PROFILES

AMMANN GROUP 24 KLH UK 28 Š 2014 Schofield Publishing Ltd

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SELWOOD 32 ITA 35

Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Construction & Civil Engineering 1

MAJOR PROJECT

Delivering the right

buildings AECOM takes a look at the distribution property construction market, and gives an example of a recent project

Sainsburys AECOM Basingstoke construction

Main image & above inset: Sainburys AECOM Basingstoke inside

D

istribution property has emerged from the recession with a revised business model at the same time as it is adapting to rapid technological change driven by internet retail. This is having a significant knock-on effect on the construction process, with rising construction costs also becoming an issue for developers to anticipate.

Since the property crash of 2008 there has been very little speculative distribution development, but activity is now on the rise. Funding for development had been virtually

2 Construction & Civil Engineering

impossible to secure, and many developers spent the last five years rebuilding their balance sheets.

Now, though, global investor and institutional interest is strong, with the likes of Blackstone, Brookfield and UK pension funds leading the charge, attracted by a lack of supply of new distribution space and easier supply of money. Developers like ProLogis, Gazeley, SEGRO, Roxhill and First Industrial are particularly active.

Investors funding their schemes are especially interested in prime areas where values have increased to pre-recession levels. Meanwhile,

we believe there remains value in secondary investments in the sector. Investors remain picky with what they want and will seek to mitigate risk by acquiring assets, which can be used for a wide number of uses.

For new space they want: l Floors that can accommodate 50 KN sqm of weight – allowing a multitude of uses l Strict floor to FM2 flatness levels, to ensure, for example, that racking doesn’t lean l 12 metres clear space to the underside of the building’s ‘haunch’

“

Buildings have been getting more efficient - with much more automation through internal management systems dictating how they are managed and stock is circulated

l Clear circulation space around the building for loading and parking l A sound fire strategy, in particular early suppression, fast response sprinklers l Internal space to be as clear as possible, with few columns l Loading space provided at ground and dock level, to accommodate different trucks l Five per cent offices in speculative space, ideally above a goods area, to ensure the footprint is not eroded l A minimum of 50 per cent building to site cover There are other, new technical

”

aspects to consider as distribution development increasingly hinges on the internet.

Buildings have been getting more efficient - with much more automation through internal management systems dictating how they are managed and stock is circulated. Local distribution centres focused on ‘urban logistics’ – or home deliveries – are enjoying a strong run, with Sainsbury’s actively increasing their presence and SEGRO is strong with its London portfolio faring particularly well.

But overall, many people still see building a distribution centre

as being similar to a ‘giant Meccano set’, with design and build usually the preferred procurement route, by offering greater certainty on price.

With building costs rising again in the southeast certainty on price will become an increasingly important issue for the developer or owneroccupier. With distribution markets also likely to recover in the M1 and M6 corridors it will be important to fix costs in these regions as well.

The distribution development freeze is well and truly over – but investors and developers are still wary of falling into the traps that besieged the sector between 2008 and 2010.

Construction & Civil Engineering 3

MAJOR PROJECT

Inside Sainsburys AECOM Basingstoke

Sainsburys AECOM Basingstoke site overhead

CASE STUDY

Sainsbury’s Basingstoke Regional Distribution Centre l AECOM has worked closely with Sainsbury’s since it decided it needed to expand its logistics operation in the Heartlands and Southwest area. To fully service this region, the redevelopment of the existing Basingstoke Depot was identified as the solution.

Providing a full range of cost management services, AECOM is helping provide Sainsbury’s with a new Regional Distribution Centre (RDC). The scheme includes the redevelopment of an existing 1960’s warehouse, the acquisition of an adjoining site to provide space to expand and the demolition of an existing building on the acquired land.

When completed, the RDC will provide an 18 metre high crossdocking warehouse for chilled and ambient food produce with an overall area of 615,000ft². This will comprise a main warehouse with

4 Construction & Civil Engineering

three compartments, main offices, ancillary office units for goods-in and goods-out, an energy centre and two gatehouses. Externally there is space for 500+ cars and a fully serviced yard with 130 HGV parking spaces and the provision of a balancing lake to provide on-site water attenuation. The warehouse unit has been designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent and deliver an EPC ‘A’ rating.

Phased development programme To maintain continuity of trade and uninterrupted use by Sainsbury’s existing operations, the project will be delivered through a phased programme. This was originally proposed as a two-phase development, but was subsequently changed to a three-phase programme as Sainsbury’s needed a more significant operational presence than first thought.

AECOM worked hand-in-hand with Bowmer & Kirkland, First Industrial and the Sainsbury’s Property team to accommodate the additional phase of work. AECOM also negotiated with Bowmer & Kirkland,

the scheme’s main contractor, to mitigate risks associated with the cut and fill exercise, the introduction of a ‘Colleague Village’ and the reluctance of the supply chain to hold to firm prices in respect of steel products and introduction of additional dock doors and doubledock doors.

The development’s first phase commenced in February 2012, and comprised the demolition of a building on the acquired land and construction of the chilled chamber.

When completed, this allowed the connection of a produce chamber in phase 2. Completed in July 2012, much of the excavated chalk was stockpiled for use in future phases (as fill) to provide a level site that which originally had an east-to-west fall of over nine metres.

Phase 2 began in August 2013 with the demolition of part of the existing warehouse and is due to complete in June 2014. This has allowed Sainsbury’s to continue operating from the remaining section and from the completed chilled chamber. Temporary provision for offices and canteen facilities were also provided.

“ As part of its efforts to

future-proof the building, Sainsbury’s is using LED lights throughout the building and in the yard and car park”

Kirkland and the rest of the project team. This helped overcome the various changes in the enhanced build provision that were instigated by the need for Sainsbury’s to react to the needs of its outlets while remaining at the forefront of the retail market. Such changes challenge the programme and budget and emphasise the importance of a flexible and open approach to project delivery, especially one that occurs over a number of years. m

Project team

Inset images

: Sainsburys

AECOM Basing stoke

The final Phase will begin at the end of July 2014 and will focus on the demolition of the last section of the existing warehouse, construction of the ambient warehouse chamber and the adjoining three-storey office complex. The overall completion and full occupation is scheduled for June 2015.

As part of its efforts to futureproof the building, Sainsbury’s is using LED lights throughout the building and in the yard and car park. It is also building a number of ‘double-dock’ doors for use by double-decker transport vehicles.

Internally, the warehouse’s main

ambient chamber is fully racked to 15 metres, complete with in-rack sprinklers and an electronic rack labelling system. The office is fittedout to current standards and has a full IT backbone with primary and secondary communications rooms.

Externally, the two gatehouses allow for peak transportation movements around the yard circuit and with on-site trailer wash and fuel filling station facilities, making the facility self-servicing.

Throughout, AECOM has worked in collaboration with Bowmer &

Client:

Sainsbury’sSupermarkets PLC

Development Partner / Project Manager:

First Industrial

Architect:

Chetwoods Architects

Cost Manager:

AECOM

Engineer:

RPS

M&E Engineer:

CPW

Refrigeration Specialist:

FJB

Main Contractor:

Bowmer & Kirkland

AECOM advises on distribution property across the globe, working in the UK, US, Australia, China, Russia and the Middle East for clients as varied as Gazeley, Asda, John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, Nestle and Qantas. AECOM has recently added development management capability to its traditional strengths in cost and project management, allowing it to help developers handle the fast-changing distribution development process.

For further information, visit:

www.aecom.com

Construction & Civil Engineering 5

Award recognition

£15m contract Mitie has been awarded a property management contract with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames to manage its Better Homes programme, an initiative to bring all Council owned housing up to the ‘better homes’ standard.

The contract is worth up to £7m in the first year, extendable by performance by a further year with a total value of £15m. Mitie will work with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames to deliver planned work for kitchens, bathrooms, rewiring, heating systems, roofing and window replacement. Work undertaken will also include concrete repairs and

external and internal decorations.

Mitie has already begun surveying external blocks in the Surbiton and Tolworth areas, and will extend to the rest of the borough over the course of the year.

Ruby McGregor-Smith CBE, chief executive of Mitie, said: “Cost certainty, consolidation and efficiencies are becoming increasingly important as budgets are tightened and standards become higher. We’re delighted that the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames has chosen to partner with Mitie to deliver leading, innovative services to residents, ensuring they get the right level of service in their homes.”

Government funded academy Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, is to set up a national UK training academy following the award of £4.4 million of funding through the Government’s Employer Ownership of Skills pilot scheme.

Balfour Beatty will more than match the funding, through cash and in kind investment with a further £9 million to be in invested into establishing the academy and new training opportunities.

The academy will bring together all of the company’s current training provision under a single umbrella to offer a wider range of skills and professional qualifications. The more standardised approach will mean that these qualifications are transferable across the business and the industry.

Andrew McNaughton, Balfour Beatty CEO said: “As the economic upturn gathers momentum, ensuring we have a workforce which has the training and skills to enable us to be a leader on the global infrastructure market remains our priority.

“We are delighted the Government, through the Employer Ownership of Skills Pilot recognises that the academy approach will enable us to develop and retain some of the best qualified and most knowledgeable people in the industry. We are building a sustainable and flexible workforce, which can deliver the innovation and value customers are seeking.

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Cobham-based Willmott Dixon has scooped several accolades for its considerate approach at the prestigious Considerate Constructors Scheme’s National Site Awards in London. Staff from the company’s office on Portsmouth Road were recognised for their excellence in considerate construction across several sites in the region.

Willmott Dixon walked away with four silver awards for its Bell Farm Primary School, Moorlands Primary School, Burhill Community Primary School, and St Augustine Academy developments. The company also received a bronze award for its WWF-UK Living Planet Centre development in Woking.

Since 1999, the Considerate Constructors Scheme has been rewarding the UK’s most considerate sites for the contribution they have made towards improving the image of construction. The Scheme looks at the measures a site has put in place to be more considerate towards local neighbourhoods and the public, the workforce, and the environment.

Willmott Dixon’s Managing Director John Waterman, said: “It’s fantastic to be recognised for all the hard work our team put into delivering a sustainable new development. We’re very proud of all of our projects and work to maintain a high standard of sustainability across the business.”

NEWS

Making the grade Built on greenbelt land prone to flooding, a new £5 million state-of-the-art primary school in Hull required an underground stormwater solution which would address surface water run-off. Used to create a large underground structure for the temporary storage of stormwater, the tried and tested AquaCell Core from Wavin, the UK’s leading manufacturer of plumbing, rainwater and drainage systems, provided the ideal solution.

Manufactured from virgin plastic for trafficked and deep applications, AquaCell Core was installed below an outdoor multi-use games area to create a storage tank for surface water prior to draining into the main sewerage system. Aquacell Core has the strength and loading capability to be able to support the tarmac paviour and vehicles during the play area’s construction.

“As the site didn’t lend itself to the use of an attenuation pond due to both the space required to install a pond as well as the safety issues at a primary school, Wavin’s AquaCell Core system met our requirements perfectly, as well as offering ease of installation at this Greenfield site,” commented Mark Boothby, project manager at the Sewell Group.

The right treatment Siltbuster Process Solutions has launched Biobuster, a new moving bed bio reactor which offers companies three times the treatment capacity for the same space when compared with traditional mobile treatment solutions.

Dr Richard Coulton, CEO of Siltbuster Group says: “We know that space is at a premium on many sites. Whether a company is looking for temporary treatment capacity during planned works or wants to extend or replace an existing plant, there’s rarely lots of space or time to play with. So we tasked our technical team with designing an effective temporary treatment solution which has a small footprint and which works on a simple ‘plug and play’ basis. That’s how the Biobuster was born!”

The Biobuster’s superior treatment capacity is thanks to some ingenious design work by the Siltbuster team. It is based on established aerobic biological treatment and combines the benefits of fixed film and suspended growth processes. The Biobuster is configured with three compartments; BOD removal occurs in the first two chambers prior to ammonia removal in the third, where nitrification is required.

The aeration system uses multiple diffusers within each compartment which provide an even air distribution and mixing, whilst also maximising the oxygen transfer efficiency. Its super-capacity is due to its plastic carrier media, which has a large spherical surface area enabling it to carry more biofilm. The movement of the media ensures biomass accumulation is regulated so there is no need mage which can stly datime. the coand of n sio ry for scour cycles – again saving space A dissolved oxygen meter controls the air flow rate es lle pr ga im t An artist’s leak in an ar detected waterprovides an unBiobuster through the unit, ensuring optimum biological treatment whilst minimising be caused bythe energy consumption. It is also self-regulating, automatically responding to load fluctuations.

Available in different sizes depending on the scale of the job, the Biobuster can be used on its own or as part of a packaged system when combined with other Siltbuster treatment solutions such as its DAFs and clarifiers.

BIM cited as the answer Building Information Modelling (BIM) could be the answer to modernising Britain’s hospitals in line with government patient legislation, according to 3D measurement expert Severn Partnership.

The bold statement comes at a time when the UK government has announced it will be making a £10 million pot of money available for UK hospitals to help them complete refurbishments of their maternity wards over the next few years.

Nick Blenkarn, director of Severn Partnership explained: “Hospitals are constantly dealing with increasing numbers of patients and are being expected to have patients admitted or sent home within four hours of arrival.

Refurbishment projects can be very disruptive and can have a significant impact on hospital resources and response times. With BIM, development projects can be quickly and safely planned and often delivered with no disruption at all to hospital services.”

He added: “Using BIM on existing buildings is increasingly becoming the most effective way to both plan and design refurbishment projects and manage facilities from a central database. It is a process that causes minimum disruption and can ensure that any building development work is carried out safely and conveniently. With funds available for hospitals to refurbish and modernise their maternity wards, BIM could be the solution to doing this effectively, without jeopardising performance rates.”

Construction & Civil Engineering 7

FLUID POWER

Checking an excavator’s hydraulic pressure hose system

Watching safety&efficiency The mission-critical part fluid power and related equipment plays on the construction site is wellrecognised. However, never forget the importance of training both in order to maximise plant efficiency and uptime, as well as secure an effective health & safety regime, writes Chris Buxton

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very day, the construction industry relies on fluid power tools and equipment for both excavation and building work. A site, for example, is likely to rely on everything from pneumatic actuators and air compressors to hydraulic valves, pumps and cylinders. There are also electrohydraulic/electro-pneumatic systems designed and deployed for a raft of motion control activities.

This is all well-understood. However, something else to bear in mind

8 Construction & Civil Engineering

is the importance of associated training; training that is able not only to provide operators, maintenance engineers and other relevant personnel with the very best guidance on how to get the best performance from plant and equipment on-site, but also able to guide personnel towards putting in place an efficient health and safety strategy able to minimise the risk of injury, or even death.

The good news is that fluid power equipment has in general sustained a laudably safe operational track-record

for many years. Nevertheless, when incidences do occur, this can not only be devastating for individuals concerned, but also for the professional reputation of the company, or companies, involved.

In extreme cases, an incident could even result in management being prosecuted for Corporate Manslaughter.

In terms of specific fluid power equipment used in construction and civil engineering, the hydraulic hose is one of the most common.

Such equipment may ostensibly appear unassuming in design

and appearance; however what has to be borne in mind is that this equipment has to be fit for the purpose of operating often at very high pressures and capable of handling extremely high shock loads and temperatures.

When a company has to rely on the efficient operation of hydraulic hose regardless of what demands are put on the equipment each day, a scenario to avoid wherever possible is one where ‘fire-fighting’ is necessary in the aftermath of a malfunction or breakdown. This is where an effective training regime can prove invaluable, not only in terms of knowing what to do when an unwelcome situation does occur, but also to ensure as best as possible that it won’t occur in the first place due to the instigation of

an efficient maintenance regime.

For example, it is important to be aware of different types of hose and fittings, and to ensure they are compatible, of a high quality and regularly maintained. Sourcing the right grade of hose is also extremely important from a health and safety perspective; after all, a high-pressure hydraulic oil injection injury is a very serious occurrence and something to be avoided at all costs.

With these points in mind, any hose fitter or maintenance engineer tasked with installing and testing equipment for new build or maintenance projects should ensure that the right grade of hose is fitted with the right coupling in the most safe and competent manner.

In general, hydraulic hoses are highly effective in their daily tasks; it is only when something goes wrong that serious problems can occur; such as costly downtime, environmental contamination and even physical injury. It is for these reasons, inter alia, that the British Fluid Power Association (BFPA) and British Fluid Power Distributors Association (BFPDA) have established their hose training courses: ‘The Foundation Course in Working Safely with Hydraulic Hose and Connectors’, ‘The Hose Assembly Skills Training Programme’, and the newly introduced ‘Hose Integrity, Inspection and Management Programme’. A number of reputable hose equipment and service providers are licensed to carry out these courses throughout the UK and Ireland.

It is also highly recommended that construction and civil engineering professionals only trust their hydraulic hose and related equipment to a reputable hose equipment provider; whether the provider in question is a member of the BFPA Hose Accreditation Scheme or runs a rigorous and reputable scheme of its own. And when it comes to hydraulic hose and fittings, do not accept anything but equipment of a high quality.

In summary, because the efficiency of plant and equipment, as well as the health & safety of the workforce is of critical importance, only the best product, training and service provision is acceptable. m

Chris Buxton is the CEO of the British Fluid Power Association (BFPA). The BFPA incorporating the British Fluid Power Distributors’ Association (BFPDA, represents hydraulic and pneumatic businesses commercially and technically throughout the UK. With some 240 distributors and manufacturers in membership the BFPA is a truly full-service trade association.

If you would like more information about BFPA courses and authorised training bodies, please visit: www.bfpa.co.uk.

Construction & Civil Engineering 9

ŠiStock.com/Coica

ENVIRONMENT

Beware bombs David Mole takes a look at unexploded ordnance and asks: is your site at risk?

I

t is almost 70 years since the end of World War II, yet Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) continues to pose a risk across the UK. It is estimated that ten per cent of bombs dropped on London alone failed to detonate and could therefore pose a threat if unearthed.

Add to this turbulent weather conditions, and we have seen a peak in the number of unexploded devices that have been unearthed as a result of the floods. In fact, it has

10 Construction & Civil Engineering

David Mole

been reported that since the middle of December 2013 to the end of February, the Royal Navy’s Southern Dive Unit recovered or disposed of 244 items of ordnance. When planning a new construction or civil engineering project, it is therefore important to incorporate UXO risk assessments as part of the Phase I site investigations to determine whether any potential risks may be present.

In particular, sites located in areas that were strategic targets

during wartime, such as London Plymouth, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham are likely to be at the highest risk, in addition to former military land. And, while the probability of detonation may seem a relatively low risk, the potential consequences are extreme. Steps must therefore be taken as part of health and safety risk assessments and the overall planning process to ensure the appropriate due diligence has been undertaken.

“ It is estimated that ten per cent of bombs dropped on London alone failed to detonate and could therefore pose a threat if unearthed ”

To identify potential risks posed by UXO, construction and environmental professionals have access to two desk-based assessments that support this process. The first is a Preliminary UXO Risk Assessment, which provides an initial screening report that includes a ‘probability assessment’ of UXO risk. This includes data analysis that breaks down a list of potential UXO threats; recommendations based on the probability of the identified threat;

a map displaying the probability of the UXO encounter; and another map that displays World War II high explosive bomb density in relation to your site. This Preliminary assessment is a comprehensive and cost effective UXO screening report to help you mitigate risk on site, and can be delivered in two days.

The second assessment is a ‘Detailed UXO Risk Assessment’ – this report differs by providing more quantifiable risk assessment.

It takes into consideration both the probability of the unexploded ordnance threat in addition to the potential consequences.

The Detailed risk assessment includes an executive summary in addition to a five stage assessment, which looks at the site location and description; review of multiple georeferenced historical datasets; detailed analysis of by a UXO professional; quantifiable risk assessment resulting in a clear risk rating; plus a number of relevant risk mitigation measures that could be employed. A report of this scale can be delivered in seven working days.

The level of data provided in the reports offers a solid basis on which to form your approach and to kick-

start any relevant action, for example if you feel the site would benefit from further investigation or specialist survey from UXO experts. What is important is that the risk analysis is undertaken at the outset so mitigation steps can be enforced if required, and work is not halted midway through the project due to an unexpected and potentially unsafe or harmful find. m

See Case Study over next page

David Mole is business development director (environment) at Landmark Information Group. Landmark Information Group is the UK’s leading provider of land and property search information, including digital mapping, environmental risk reports for land and property professionals. Working closely with data providers including Ordnance Survey, the Environment Agency, the Coal Authority and the British Geological Survey enables Landmark to offer current and historical environmental risk management information and desktop mapping solutions for the land & property, construction and environmental industries.

For further information visit:

www.landmark.co.uk www.envirocheck.co.uk.

Construction & Civil Engineering 11

ENVIRONMENT CASE STUDY

Crossrail’s management of unexploded bomb risk

C

rossrail was faced with an Unexploded Bomb (UXB) threat across certain parts of its scheme. Whilst it was clear that there was a UXB threat, not all parts of the scheme were exposed to the same degree of risk.

Crossrail appointed a specialist UXB consultant, 6 Alpha Associates, who was tasked to undertake a series of desk-based Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) risk assessments for the entire project; this included hundreds of site investigation exploratory positions, miles of tunnelling and numerous shaft and portal locations.

A three-step plan was produced for dealing with the UXB risk: Step One – establish the facts by conducting a GAP analysis and enhancing quality of the base data.

Whilst some sources of information related to UXB contamination had already been gathered, it was not complete. 6 Alpha collated further data by employing detailed historical mapping from Landmark, as well as historical aerial photography and sitespecific geotechnical information.

This proved vital on a project of this scale and incorporating the new information with the base data enabled a comprehensive

12 Construction & Civil Engineering

“ Crossrail appointed a specialist UXB consultant, 6 Alpha Associates, who was tasked to undertake a series of deskbased Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) risk assessments for the entire project ” UXB threat assessment to be conducted.

Step Two – establish the level of Risk, by developing a robust semi-quantitative risk assessment procedure. The aim was for the risk assessment process to be transparent, well balanced, repeatable, consistent and quantifiable.

However, it was appreciated that a wholly quantitative analysis was not appropriate to the type of UXB risks that had been exposed and a semi-quantitative analysis would have to be adopted due to variations in historical data (i.e. significant numbers of bombing raids were not recorded during WWII), and also detonation variables (i.e. the depth at which the UXB comes to rest within the ground etc.)

Step Three – manage the Risk at Best Value by applying the ‘As Low As Reasonably Practicable’ (ALARP) principle to the overall risk mitigation strategy.

This principle is established in law and employed by the HSE as a tool for benchmarking safety.

6 Alpha’s view is that working towards the total elimination of risk is quite impractical, not only in terms of effort and cost expended, but in relation to the benefit received.

There is a point beyond which further attempts to eliminate risk will only result in diminishing returns, for disproportionately increasing effort. ALARP application recognises that is rarely possible to prove (economically at least) that formerly contaminated sites are 100 per cent free from the UXO risk (even after undertaking appropriate and well executed UXB risk mitigation measures).

The final result The team was successful in benchmarking the actual UXB risk across the project and defining the appropriate level of risk mitigation required to deliver an ALARP sign-off. The approach taken reduced the requirement for on-site mitigation by some 85 per cent - in financial terms this would equate to a saving of over £1 million when compared with undertaking the options under initial consideration. This was achieved without compromising the client’s corporate governance, risk management protocols or, critically, safety.

Access the full case study here:

http://www.envirocheck. co.uk/products/ environmental/bomb_search/

NEWS

Facility goes ahead

What Londoners really think of tall buildings To coincide with the exhibition London’s Growing… Up! The rise and rise of London’s tall buildings, independent think tank, New London Architecture (NLA) has conducted an in-depth poll in conjunction with Ipsos MORI, to establish how Londoners really feel about the increasing number of tall buildings planned for their capital.

The Norman Foster-designed 30 St Mary Axe, better known as the Gherkin, was chosen as Londoners’ favourite building with 36 per cent from a selection of 13 tall towers. Western Europe’s tallest building, The Shard, ranked in second place and newcomer, The Leadenhall Building (nicknamed the Cheesegrater) ranked third. The Barbican was chosen as Londoners least favourite tall building.

When asked to consider the number of tall buildings in the capital relative to the 23 built in the past five years, 45 per cent felt that tall buildings had improved the London skyline. Forty per cent disagreed that there are too many tall buildings in London.

Ben Marshall, research director, Ipsos MORI, said: “With London facing a ‘housing crisis’ and keen to grow economically, the onus tends to be on the quantity of new building. Tall towers offer promise, but our new poll for New London Architecture underlines the importance the London public place on quality and design.

Opinion is mixed – Londoners might like looking at tall towers, but they are less sure about living in.”

Thousands of jobs for Brits New Zealand’s construction boom continues at pace with the country seeing more than 7000 new jobs created in Canterbury alone over the last year. The National Construction Pipeline recently reported a ten per cent per annum growth in New Zealand for four years, leading to an unprecedented level of building and construction work.

The areas of Canterbury and Auckland are both huge drivers of the construction industry.

Auckland is set to see a 150 per cent increase in housing demand over the next five years while the Canterbury rebuild following the earthquake has created more construction and trade jobs than there are workers.

The boom is also having a positive effect on the property market which will lead to further jobs for migrants. According to job site Seek, real estate and property jobs rose by 29 per cent last year.

Kevin Everett, managing director of Building Recruitment said: “New Zealand is in the middle of an economic boom and we are now actively searching for skilled Brits from within the construction industry and this is a great chance for those who want to migrate to start a new life and successful career down under.”

Interserve has been awarded a contract with The Christie NHS Foundation Trust to design, construct and co-ordinate a UK high energy Proton Beam Therapy facility. Subject to approval, construction work is planned to start on site in 2016, completing in 2018. The project is part of a ProCure 21+ framework, with Interserve appointed Principal Supply Chain Partner.

Proton beam therapy is a specialist form of radiotherapy that can very precisely target certain cancers, increasing success rates and reducing side-effects. Its introduction to the UK will bring the treatment closer to patients who currently have to travel abroad to receive it.

The team, consisting of HKS Architect, ARUP Engineers and Gleeds Cost Consultants, will draw on their experience and research to deliver Proton Beam Therapy in the UK. Over a twoyear period, Interserve travelled to various sites internationally to capture experience and lessons learnt from similar facilities, talking to clinicians and contractors, in order to enable a local team to deliver what the client required.

Commenting on the project, Ian Renhard, MD of Interserve Construction said: “The team’s knowledge, experience, innovation and expertise, together with their dogged enthusiasm to learn so much about Proton Beam Therapy, demonstrated through its field research abroad, has contributed greatly to us winning this contract. We are delighted to continue our working relationship with The Christie, and look forward to delivering the project successfully.”

Construction & Civil Engineering 13

GREEN DEAL

Paul Joyner gives a guide to engaging consumers through the Green Deal

H

Deal orno deal?

eadlines over the last few months highlighting rises in energy prices, Government green taxes and the need to be more environmentally friendly have made consumers more conscious than ever of gas and electricity usage and costs. As a result, making properties more energy efficient is rising ever higher on the agenda for homeowners and builders alike – and this can be an opportunity for many in the construction industry and related trades.

The starting point for many household initiatives aimed at cutting energy costs and making homes

14 Construction & Civil Engineering

Paul Joyner

more eco-friendly has been the Government’s Green Deal, launched last January. The aim of the scheme is to encourage more people to invest in energy-saving home improvements. The Green Deal presents a solid business opening for many tradesmen and contractors, and yet it remains a largely untapped opportunity by most: recent research

by Wickes revealed that 70 per cent of tradesmen have never even heard of the Green Deal, while three quarters of those that have say they feel insufficiently informed.

The Green Deal explained Simply put, the Green Deal offers energy-saving home improvements

such as installing new more efficient boilers and insulation – and in certain specific cases solar panels and double-glazing – through a loan scheme that allows people to borrow the money for these improvements and repay it over time through their electricity bills.

To date, more than 100,000 Green Deal assessments have taken place and applications from installers wanting to become Green Deal assessors are increasing month on month. It is a clear indication that the industry is beginning to understand the potential business opportunities the Green Deal presents, yet with the majority of tradesmen currently unaware of it,

there is clearly work to be done.

Opportunities for the industry Essentially, the Green Deal can be seen as an added value service that tradespeople should be offering homeowners as a package of home improvements that will substantially reduce their energy costs relative to what they would otherwise have been in the long run. One of the key aspects of the Green Deal is the ‘Golden Rule’, which states Green Deal loan repayments should not exceed the energy bill savings made from the installation of measures recommended in the assessment The upshot is that, while electricity bills – with the loan repayment included – will go up initially, this would be offset by a commensurate drop in gas expenditures. In theory then, this should mean no additional costs in the short term and energy savings over the long term – the most attractive selling point – as well as an individual boost to global efforts to cut green gas emissions.

While 100,000 houses have had a Green Deal assessment, fewer than 1000 have currently completed works through the Green Deal finance company. Therein lays the opportunity: some 80 per cent of those who have had an assessment have either already undertaken energy efficiency work or plan to in the near future, signalling a huge potential revenue stream for those able to carry this work out.

To take advantage of this opportunity however, tradespeople and contractors first need to understand how the Green Deal process works, and what energy saving improvements come under the scheme.

They are as follows: l Heating and heating controls, such as condensing boilers, district heating, heating controls, storage heaters, and under-floor heating. l Insulation products, including cavity wall insulation, draught proofing, floor, roof, loft and solid wall insulation, and heating system insulation (pipes and cylinders).

l Microgeneration, such as biomass boilers and room heaters, ground, water and air source heat pumps, micro-CHP, micro-wind, solar PV, and solar thermal. l Others, including chillers, energy efficient glazing and doors, heating ventilation and air conditioning controls, solar blinds, shutters and shading devices.

Qualifying for a Green Deal loan requires a visit from an assessor accredited with the Green Deal Quality Mark who looks at a household’s or business’s energy usage. Approved Green Deal installers, which include national contractors as well as some energy companies and DIY/builders merchants – some of which have support from an outside expert, such as Travis Perkins partner Toriga – then advise on suitable improvements, with a Green Deal provider financing the loan.

Qualifying criteri Any organisation can become a Green Deal provider, assessor or installer, providing they meet the requirements, with becoming an assessor or installer the obvious opportunities for tradesmen. For many contractors and tradesmen, becoming an accredited installer is the most direct route to working in this area.

Becoming an installer requires registering with a Green Deal provider, and undertaking training to cover the areas in which that business wishes to work, as well as courses enabling the operation of a Quality Management system in line with PAS2030. Access to these training courses is available from a number of energy companies, including Travis Perkins partner Toriga.

Assessors must meet the National Occupational Standards requirements for a Green Deal assessor, which demands successful completion of relevant training and exams, registration for the Green Deal Quality Mark, and compliance

with its code of practice.

Existing domestic energy assessors can top up their skills to become an accredited Domestic Green Deal Assessor through an intensive twoday training course, while those new to the energy industry with no previous experience can be fully through a longer, equally rigorous five-day programme. Both must pass an exam to receive the Level 3 Diploma in Domestic Green Deal Advice.

A win-win situation It makes clear sense for Britain’s homeowners to take every measure possible to reduce their energy bills and carbon footprint, and with over so many assessments already completed it is evident that they are serious about doing so. By enabling the building industry to take action in a regulated way, the Green Deal is helping it to accurately deliver energy and cost savings. The result is a scheme consumers can both trust and afford. With the backing of the industry therefore, the Green Deal scheme has the potential to make a huge difference to the UK’s housing stock while providing a new and welcome revenue channel for the industry’s tradesmen and contractors – a win all round. m

Paul Joyner is managing director, SBS, part of the Travis Perkins Group.

Established in 2010, SBS provides support and expert technical assistance to the construction industry, offering an integrated approach to energy efficient building and renewable energy projects.

SBS doesn’t only sell products; it provides technical advice, specifications, services and training. For further information visit:

www.sustainablebuilding solutions.co.uk.

Construction & Civil Engineering 15

CASE STUDY

Time for

tunnels

Andre Pas,

Sandvik drills are driving world’s longest sub-sea road tunnel

N

orway has to be Europe’s capital for drill and blast tunneling, particularly around the country’s fjord and island rich Western coastline where improving links between communities and effectively straightening major highways have been key attributes of the Norwegian Roads Administration (Statens Vegvesen)’s road development programmes. Currently many of the western Norway coastal roads are interrupted by the necessity of taking ferries, or taking long detours around

16 Construction & Civil Engineering

Sandvik i in Solbakk Norway fjords, and gradually many of these are being replaced by tunnels – and by bridges where the fjords are narrow enough for a bridge crossing to be more economical and practical.

Perhaps one of the most ambitious such projects to date is the Ryfast project of which a key element is the driving of the new 14.3km Ryfylke or Solbakk twin road tunnels which will be the major part of a tunnel link between Stavanger, Norway’s fourth largest city, and Solbakk, around five km south the small town of Tau, currently accessed by a 45 minute ferry ride.

Marti Projec t Manager

The principal purpose is to improve the links between the mainly agricultural area of Nord Jaeren and Stavanger itself with the Strand/ Ryfylke area which will also extend residential options for people working in Stavanger, Norway’s oil capital, as it will bring the area around Tau within a 15 minute drive of the centre of this city of some 200,000 people. Ryfylke is also an important area for tourism with extremely attractive scenery around the fjords and the mountains, which surround them.

The overall Ryfast project, which will include the Solbakk tunnel and the Hundvaag tunnel and will also connect with the Eiganes tunnel in north Stavanger, is an ambitious Statens Vegvesen project costing in the region of NOK six billion (€700 million) overall which will involve the building of 53km of new roads, much of which will be in tunnel. It will not only improve communications with the Strand area of the mainland, but will also aid the growth of housing on Hundvaag and in other residential areas served by the tunnel. The tunnel will, when completed, be the world’s longest and deepest undersea road tunnel.

Looking further ahead, an even more ambitious program of tunneling is due to extend the E39 main road north of Stavanger via several other islands en route towards Bergen, Norway’s second largest city. This will include an even longer subsea tunnel section – the Rogfast tunnel – that is currently proposed for contracts to be let for

a 2015 start up and completion by around 2022.

Rogfast is conceived as a 25km connection below the Boknafjord and Kvitsøfjord. The project would comprise yet another world record for a subsea tunnel system with respect to length and maximum depth (380m below sea level). The cost of the project was assumed to be around EUR 500 million–600 million back in 2010, but could have escalated since.

Regarding the Ryfast project, Statens Vegvesen put the Solbakk tunnel out to tender, with the initial contract for the 7.92km long northern half of the tunnel (EO2) awarded to Marti IAV Solbakk – a joint venture between Swiss headquartered private contractor Marti Contractors Ltd. (Switzerland), Marti Norge (Norway) and IAV (Iceland) – all Marti Group companies. Marti is well known in Switzerland and internationally for its tunneling work and it has already had other tunnel contract successes in Norway. The contract, worth around NOK 1.3 billion (EUR 155 million) was awarded in May. Marti mobilised on site in June and commenced tunnel construction in August. On week 3/2014 the twin tunnels are around 650m in from the portal, under the town of Tau and it will take another four to five months before it starts to move under the sea. This contract involves tunneling down to 290m below sea level and includes the deepest sections of the tunnel.

The Marti section of the Solbakk tunnel is scheduled for completion of tunneling by October 2016. Then there will be the completion of equipping and final delivery by 2018 when the finished tunnel section should open to traffic.

Statens Vegvesen, as the project owner, is responsible for the overall project plan which is to drive twin road tunnels to the Norwegian Highways T8.5 standard size – finished tunnel width of 8.5 metres for each tube allowing for two

Access to Solbakk Tunnel

Sandvik i in Solbakk Norway

3.25m wide lanes in each. This is the specification for Category E tunnels expected to carry between 7500 and 15,000 vehicles per day.

Marti is using four Sandvik drill rigs to drive the Solbakk tunnel.

Marti Group has been a long-term customer for Sandvik. Currently it has, for example, a Sandvik DT920i working at a site in Bhutan, a DT1131SC in Iceland and two DT1230is in the Holmestrand railway tunnel in Norway as well as the four Sandvk drill rigs working the Solbakk tunnel.

Marti has also used Sandvik rigs op projects in its home country of Switzerland.

Marti’s tunnel project manager for Solbakk, Andre Pas, says he is pleased with the performance of the new rigs to date. Primary face drilling is with Sandvik DT1131i three boom rigs using 20ft drill steels to drill 6m holes. Currently T38 profile steels are used with

T38 48mm drill bits. T35 rods were used initially but these were found to be unsuitable for the extremely hard rock – mostly basaltic gneiss.

A full round comprising 142 holes is currently drilled in around three hours – down from four hours when the drillers were first getting used to the new rigs. Sandvik site project manager, Michael Olsen, sees times improving further now the drillers are getting into their routine and as they become even more familiar with the rigs.

There are also two Sandvik DT921i twin boom rigs working on the tunnel project. One is primarily used for long hole drilling – because the project is heading out under the sea, precautions have to be taken against water inflow and 24m long probe holes are drilled with always at least an 8m length of hole ahead of the working face. This rig is also used as a standby face drilling rig should there be a breakdown on one of the primary machines, or when they may be withdrawn for maintenance. The other DT921i rig is primarily used for drilling cross passages, which are driven every 250m, roof bolting and other ancillary drilling work necessary in the tunnel plan. They have the Sandvik iSURE software data monitoring system installed, and according to Andre Pas this is seen as particularly useful in assessing performance as well as very user friendly.

The relationship between the supplier and client is very strong.

Sandvik provides two service technicians on site, who have a full control over the consignment stock as well as all service and parts the machines will need. There is also a daily meeting between Marti and Sandvik to plan the daily maintenance tasks. A mechanic from Marti participates in the service continuously in order to get a good knowledge of the machine model.

Sandvik service technicians also take care of operator training at site. m

www.construction.sandvik.com

Construction & Civil Engineering 17

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

STEP-change

S

From PIM to MDM: the management of master data takes the lead

iemens Building Technologies – a division of Siemens AG, head-quartered in Zug, Switzerland – is a worldwide leader in the fields of fire safety; security; automation; heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems; and energy management systems for buildings.

For its customers, Siemens Building Technologies is a technology partner, a service supplier, a systems integrator, and a supplier of products.

Its portfolio encompasses around 50,000 items, which are sold globally.

Customers are currently provided with information about the products and services via a number of printed

18 Construction & Civil Engineering

and online catalogues, online selection and configuration tools, and via apps and an ‘Industry Mall’ as an information and shopping platform.

Challenge Siemens Building Technologies manufactures, develops and tests new products through nine locations worldwide. Until recently, data that was created and managed across databases and distributed across the enterprise, was first entered into the product life-cycle management (PLM) system. Only when an item was ready for market was its data entered, sometimes manually, into the SAP enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and

then transferred into the product information management (PIM) system.

Here, yet even more information was added to enrich the data.

The duplication of systems and the inconsistencies in the data meant that there were governance and data quality issues. A large number of integrations and mapping processes not only led to delays in the flow of information about products, but also created duplicated efforts across the organisation.

Siemens Building Technologies realised that they needed to improve the processes and workflows to create a more efficient landscape.

“The STEP MDM solution and

Solution Siemens Building Technologies decided to integrate a master data management (MDM) system into its existing IT infrastructure.

The MDM solution needed to be the foundation of their IT architecture, being at the centre of global processes and work-flow for the creation, enrichment and maintenance of content. The MDM solution would push and exchange data to and from other internal systems such as the PLM and SAP ERP systems.

Siemens Building Technologies needed to increase its central data governance and data quality processes, making master data available globally – data that is more standardised, more complete and up-to-date, with fewer errors and duplication and with greater consistency. With the help of the MDM solution, the processes and work-flow to create, edit, enrich, version and approve data would be more efficient and shorten time-tomarket.

To find the best possible solution, Siemens Building Technologies compared the MDM solutions offered by several potential vendors. The most impressive system proved to be the Stibo Systems STEP solution, as it could best meet both the current and expected future requirements and expected scalability. Important selection criteria included the ability to integrate the new solution into the existing, complex IT landscape with ease.

STEP has been in use at Siemens Building Technologies as its PIM solution since 2003, directly supporting the product data.

However, after the evaluation process and the identification of a need for an MDM solution, the STEP solution was upgraded and it now manages the entire flow of information associated with the master product data. Today, when a new item is ready for the market, an entry for that item will be created directly in the STEP

the processes now mean that master data can be managed quicker, more reliably and more comprehensibly” MDM system. The STEP solution then fetches the new item number and the data entered during the development phase from the PLM system. From here, it controls the entire process and work-flow to edit, enrich and version the data and then push it to the marketing channels. Data governance and data quality are now integral to the processes within STEP, ensuring consistency and reducing data errors at source, as well as maintaining audit trails. The STEP solution uses a standardised workflow to funnel the exchange of data with the SAP ERP system through defined interfaces.

To ensure the organisation reaps the benefits of its MDM strategy, Siemens Building Technologies created an MDM/PIM team who ‘owns’ the processes, work-flow and governance for product data.

Within the company, the team is positioned between business and IT to keep the data processes harmonised to meet commercial and business requirements.

“We will now be well equipped to extend our leading position in the market around the world. For example, following an acquisition, it will now be easier to swiftly extend our product range. Our customers will benefit from this as we can now meet their requirements even quicker and more precisely,” said Jeannine Vythoulkas, demand manager global master data, Siemens Building Technologies.

Results In future, when creating new items and enriching their data, STEP will guide all product managers worldwide through the quality checks and approval processes, as specified in the work-flow. Master technical and commercial data can now be edited at the same time and quicker at an early stage and can be controlled from a single source.

The STEP MDM solution and the processes now mean that master data can be managed quicker, more reliably and more comprehensibly, also making it easier to integrate data following acquisitions and range more products quickly. “With STEP, we will create one single reliable source of product information worldwide. Building on this, we will streamline our processes and introduce clear responsibilities,” added Jeannine. m

Stibo Systems is the global leader in multi-domain Master Data Management (MDM) solutions. Industry leaders rely on Stibo Systems to provide cross-channel consistency by linking product and customer data, suppliers and other organisational assets. This enables businesses to make more effective decisions, improve sales and build shareholder value.

For more information, visit

www.stibosystems.co.uk.

Construction & Civil Engineering 19

EQUIPMENT

Shedding some

light

Lighting is an obvious and rewarding way to accelerate energy efficiency objectives but, as Chris Bedford explains, proper control is key

E

nergy efficiency is now widely considered to be one of the key objectives of any major engineering project. At a national level, energy efficiency contributes to meeting the UK’s carbon budget, reducing emissions from buildings, and supporting both energy security and the wider economy. From a commercial perspective, UK businesses stand to make savings of up to £1.6 billion through investment in energy efficiency, on top of a potential increase in worker productivity of around 14 per cent and other ‘softer’ benefits. Investing in energy efficiency also helps to protect businesses from increased reliance on electricity, spikes in energy prices and the impact of future policy changes.

Lighting is an obvious and rewarding area to start to make changes. Lighting is responsible for a whopping 20 per cent of all electricity consumed. With businesses increasingly committing to ambitious carbon reduction strategies and energy bills heading in only one direction, lighting has become a quick and easy target for driving down consumption.

With technology improving rapidly

20 Construction & Civil Engineering

in recent years, today’s advanced lighting solutions also offers the potential to significantly improve built environments.

LEDs in particular are now able to offer significant energy and maintenance savings across a range of applications, but LEDs alone are only part of the solution. Building owners and engineers often overlook the additional savings (often 30-40 per cent extra) that can be achieved simply by being able to switch the lighting off at night, or whenever the building is unoccupied. In the rush to install new technology we are forgetting that if we want to drive the

highest possible energy savings whilst creating comfortable, effective and responsive environments, we have to control it and control it correctly.

Controls are an integral part of any lighting project. Without them, LEDs still waste in excess of 30 per cent in unnecessary consumption; they cannot be monitored to verify savings, payback or lifetime claims; they cannot respond to the changing needs of a building, for example to match daylight levels, create different working environments or adjust to people’s presence.

Most buildings already control the vast majority of systems such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning through their

“Lighting is responsible for a whopping 20 per cent of all electricity consumed ”

building management system.

Simply applying the same solution to lighting can achieve additional savings in the range of 30-40 per cent, whilst creating environments that respond to your exact needs.

Proper control saves money, reduces carbon footprints and (done properly) will have no negative impact on business operation whatsoever.

As we look ahead to daunting energy challenges, it’s clear that delivering significant energy and carbon savings whilst continuing to grow, innovate and perform will be a key challenge for all businesses. Lighting is an obvious and rewarding area to start to make changes, whilst today’s advanced technology offers the potential to significantly improve built environments. Control is the key to meeting these objectives. Specified alone, LED solutions are impressive.

Coupled with intelligent control systems they represent the future of highly efficient, highly functional lighting design.

Solution Open Technology has undertaken a project at Europe’s busiest train station, which illustrates the benefits of intelligent lighting solutions. In fact, Clapham Junction is the latest in a series of projects that has seen Network Rail and South West Trains work in partnership with Open Technology to introduce intelligent lighting controls across its infrastructure.

Following an initial installation at Woking Station in 2010, LiGO has now been introduced at 25 stations and train maintenance depots across the Wessex Route.

Installing lighting control is one part of the South West Trains, Network Rail Alliance’s climate change and

energy reduction strategy that is estimated to achieve total annual savings of seven million to 12 million pounds and a payback period of approximately six years.

Delivery of a safe environment is of paramount importance in the transport sector, and the challenge is to achieve maximum savings for operators, alongside comfort and safety for staff and passengers. Open Technology’s LiGO control system is able to provide the exact light levels required across the station, matching lighting use to train timetable, passenger presence, daylight levels and other varying uses. The system is able to ensure maximum savings throughout the year as well as reduce light pollution in the surrounding area.

For the first time, Clapham Junction station will be able to automatically dim the lights down to a minimum value when the station is not in operation or switch the lights off when the station is completely closed. On average, this would amount to savings of 35 per cent of usual lighting use. “Intelligent lighting has enabled us to save, on average, 20 per cent at each location,” explains Amy Dickinson, environment manager Southwest Trains, Network Rail Alliance. “An automatic control keeps it simple for us. It enables us to save as much energy as possible, by dimming down and turning off automatically when not in use. It also tracks usage, which helps us to spot any areas for improvement and understand how our buildings are being used.” m

Chris Bedford is managing director of Open Technology.

Open Technology is a leading specialist in the innovation, design, manufacture and installation of intelligent lighting control systems that are tailored to the exact needs of your building.

For further information, visit: www.opentechnologyuk.com

Construction & Civil Engineering 21

CASE STUDY

h Road team

mping Fort

Concrete Pu Professional

Letit

Images courtesy of Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors

pour Company praised for record-breaking continuous underwater concrete pour

P

rofessional Concrete Pumping (formerly Pochins) has been highly praised for its role in the concrete pour for the Forth Replacement Crossing South Tower, believed to be the largest continuous underwater concrete pour in the world.

The record-breaking pour, also believed to be the third largest concrete pour of any type, took more than 15 days to complete. A total 16,869 m3 of concrete was poured in 364 hours.

Praising Professional Concrete Pumping’s role in the ambitious project, Christian Niemietz, head of the Forth Crossing Bridge

22 Construction & Civil Engineering

Constructors (FCBC) Caisson Operation, said: “The South Tower continuous concrete pour was a significant logistical challenge.

Everything went extremely well and Professional Concrete Pumping did an excellent job.”

The concrete was transported to the South Tower caisson by four barges dispatched from the FCBC’s batching plant in nearby Rosyth Docks. The barges made 273 individual journeys to and from the site, negotiating a busy waterway (the Firth of Forth) and covering a total distance of 1800 kilometres the approximate distance from John O’Groats to Land’s End. The success of the project

depended upon there not being the slightest interruption in the pour and an impeccable performance from the six shore-based Professional Concrete Pumping concrete pumps was therefore critical.

Professional Concrete Pumping managing director Peter Liddle said: “This technically challenging project is a testament to the commitment and professionalism of our staff and we were delighted to have been chosen by FCBC to work as part of their team.”

The operation involved the creation of huge concrete plugs inside the foundation caissons and Central Tower cofferdam. It was launched in late July 2013 with

Forth Road Concrete pumping

pour, also believed to be the third largest concrete pour of any type, took “ Themorerecord-breaking than 15 days to complete. A total 16,869 m of concrete was poured in 364 hours ”

Images courtesy of Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors

3

7400m3 being successfully poured into the North Tower caisson. This was followed, in early August, by a 4400m3 concrete pour into the Centre Tower cofferdam. Finally, in late August, came the world-recordbreaking South Tower caisson operation with a total of 16,869 m3 of concrete poured into the caisson to form a solid plug more than 26 metres in depth. The pour was completed on September 5.

The average pour rate for the South Tower caisson was 47 m3 per hour, with the total weight of the concrete almost 39,000 tonnes, the equivalent of 3,250 London buses.

Carlo Germani, FCBC project director, said: “The underwater

concrete pour operation has gone without a hitch thanks to extremely detailed advance preparation carried out by the team.

“This achievement is a credit to the skills of everyone involved. It is a huge milestone for the project because it means that the focus can now switch from below the waves to the upward construction of the three towers above the waters of the Forth.”

Construction on the Forth Replacement Crossing commenced in the summer of 2011, due to the deterioration in condition of the neighbouring Forth Road bridge, which opened in 1964, and concerns over its long-term

viability. The new three-tower 2.7 km (1.6m) cable-stayed bridge is due to be opened to traffic by the end of 2016.

The new bridge’s towers will be 207 metres above high tide, 25 per cent higher than the current Forth Road Bridge. A total of 30,000 tonnes of steel and 150,000 cubic metres of concrete will be used to construct the new bridge, which will support a two-lane motorway with hard shoulder and include modern wind shielding to protect traffic from the effects of wind buffeting. m For further information, visit:

www.pcpumping.co.uk.

Construction & Civil Engineering 23

PROFILE: Ammann Group

Switzerland headquartered Ammann Group launched its first motorised roller in 1911 and has since developed a comprehensive range of innovative products for the construction industry

E

Positive

vibes

24 Construction & Civil Engineering

njoying international success since its inception in 1869, family firm Ammann has spent the last 135 years developing its product portfolio, supply network and services through strategic acquisition to become a leading global supplier of asphalt mixing plants, compaction machines and services for the construction industry. Conducting business in the building industry through Ammann Construction Equipment and Avesco AG, the group has utilised its entrepreneurial spirit to establish itself in new and emerging markets with sales, services and local production in areas such as North America, Latin America, India, Southern Africa and South East Asia.

Elaborating further on the group’s history managing director of Ammann Verdichtung GmbH Bernd Holz begins: “Ammann was founded 130 years ago and has acquired a number of companies throughout this time; the entity I manage was added to Ammann’s group of companies in 1984 and was previously known as Duomat GmbH. It also acquired Alfelder Iron Works in Germany in 1984, before acquiring Societa Italiana Macchine SIM, in Bussolengo, Italy, in 1991.

More recently the group acquired Stavostroj in Nove Mesto, Czech

Republic, in 2005, and started paver and trench roller production in Langenthal in 2010. Aiming to further develop its presence in strong markets, Ammann founded Ammann South Africa, Ammann Brazil, Ammann Bulgaria and Ammann Singapore in 2012 and opened a manufacturing facility in Gravatai, Brazil, and founded a joint venture with Ammann Apollo India in Ahmedabad in 2013.”

He continues: “The division I operate in Germany is a small part of Ammann, operating as a production facility for light compaction equipment such as small rammers, weighing between 60 to 80 kilos, vibrating plates,

which can only move forward, and reversible plates, that can move both forwards and backwards.

We also produce very heavy, fully hydraulic driven plates, which have a maximum weight of 850 kilos.” Powerful, economic, operator-friendly and ergonomic in design, Ammann rammers are the ideal compaction machine for construction projects involving trench construction, backfilling and sub-layer compaction for basements and industrial buildings as well as road and pathway repair.

All rammers provide fatigue-free operation through an elastically supported guide and a sure-grip, vibration-insulated guide handle.

Meanwhile, the group’s vibratory plate product portfolio includes a broad range of equipment, from remote-controlled vibratory plates, which provides operator safety and a powerful performance through its diesel engine, to forward moving vibratory plates, which are hydraulically powered and user friendly to ensure high machine performance. However, it is the group’s fully hydraulic attachment systems that Bernd anticipates increased demand for over the coming years. “Within our product portfolio we have attachments that can mount on an excavator, such as vibrating plate attachments,

and we are seeing that these fully hydraulic attachment systems can increase efficiency on job sites by eradicating the need to jump out of the excavator and attach manually by hand. Tools can be changed quickly and the system is easily adaptable on all excavators from two tonnes to 30 tonnes. We are not unique in this market but we are the best and we anticipate increased demand for this technology once it becomes better known in the market,” he highlights.

Approximately 40-45 per cent of annual production at the facility is sent to the German market, with the rest being delivered to international markets such as France, Poland, Switzerland and Austria. “We produced approximately 15,000 units last year for our core customer base in Europe,” says Bernd. “We also sell overseas to Latin America for countries like Brazil, but these are emerging markets for Ammann; we began operating there two years ago, so it is a growing market, step by step.”

Boasting the claim: ‘Productivity partnership for a lifetime’ Ammann retains core values of independence, sustainability and credibility through maintaining a sustainable service network and

Construction & Civil Engineering 25

44 Construction & Civil Engineering

PROFILE: Ammann Group

delivering credible commitment to its customers around the world.

With factories in Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, India, China and Brazil, the group ensures its expert personnel are in close proximity to its customers and relevant markets 24 hours a day; it also has more than 60,000 spare and replacement parts in stock, with a spare parts service available at any hour of the day. Customer service and product reliability are critical keys to the group’s success and it is proud of the ongoing close relationships it has developed with clients through understanding their demands and striving to meet them every day, as Bernd highlights: “The reliability of our products is a major strength of the group, which is known for quality and lifetime cost effectiveness. Our slogan means we sell these products mainly through our distributors and dealers, with whom we have a long-term relationship alongside our end users; we work together, we are like a family. We are also committed to long-term results and don’t jump in and out of markets to gain over the short-term.”

Indeed, this commitment to longterm results led to Bernd finding opportunities for improvement within the production facility when he joined Ammann seven years ago; viewed as his biggest achievement so far while operating under the Ammann umbrella, Bernd introduced a lean manufacturing system that heightened efficiency and ensured the facility could reach targets during busy periods.

“When I began working here in 2007 it was a booming year for road construction equipment, so we focused on issues on the production side of operations and recognised that we were unable to produce enough units a week or month that our sales required. We also noticed that lead times were too long and that a lot of material was involved in the process so there was a lot of carrying material three or four times before it was

assembled on the assembly line.

This way of working was inefficient so we began a complete analysis alongside a third party consultant and also trained our personnel to understand the meaning of lean production.”

Using the medium sized vibrating plate product line for a test run, the facility set up new shelves with production tools and materials in close proximity to personnel; this simple improvement massively boosted efficiency through eliminating the need for staff to rush back and forth to get the item they required. “In addition we reduced long lead times in the facility through ensuring there is someone who will come and refill empty material boxes. These improvements led to reducing our inventory level of unfinished goods by 35 per cent and improving lead time production by 20 per cent; we now produce more machines with the same people on board as before.”

Keen to understand the needs of its major client base, the group regularly develops its products through innovative collaborations with experts to optimise product lines and also offer advantages to clients by listening to their issues.

“After summer 2014 we will launch a new fully hydraulic driven plate, which will weigh in at 850 kilos and will have a water cooled three cylinder diesel engine,” enthuses Bernd. “This is a new development for us, having previously use one

cylinder Hatz diesel engines, so this product is much more powerful and will in fact be the most powerful vibrating plate on the market. A lot of customers will use this big plate because it is cost effective and, judging from our calculations, far more efficient than a seven tonne compactor. The marketing campaign for this will begin in July 2014 and production will begin a few months later once testing has been completed.”

Renowned around the globe for its high quality products, the group has recently enhanced its presence with a major marketing campaign under the title ‘My Ammann’, which involves satisfied end users standing next to their product, as Bernd highlights: “Starting in 2013 the ‘My Ammann’ campaign came from our headquarters in Switzerland and involves one of our many customers standing next to a machine from our product range and saying they are proud of ‘My Ammann’; we are very proud of this campaign and have noticed that one of our competitors is now doing a similar campaign for their own products.”

Having set the foundations for ongoing growth around the globe, the future looks positive for Ammann as it focuses on further developing its impressive product range and becomes increasingly more competitive in a growing market. “After 2014 we will be completing a new range of small forward moving vibrating plates; in addition we will be focusing on being competitive in overseas countries by developing new products that can be produced not only in Germany, but in our facilities in India or China,” concludes Bernd. m

Ammann Group www.ammann-group.com Productss: Compaction machines, rollers and soil compactors Construction & Civil Engineering 27

PROFILE: KLH UK

City Academy

Changing the

code Forte’ Melbourne

K

LH UK was formed in 2005 promoting the KLH product, crosslaminated timber (CLT), which is manufactured in Austria. CLT is produced from industrially dried, quick growing spruce boards, with between three and seven layers, stacked in perpendicular layers and glued together over their entire surface.

28 Construction & Civil Engineering

Providing consultation, design, supply and erection services to the construction industry, KLH UK is tackling the market head on, and changing opinions on the use of timber in construction along the way The business additionally undertakes associated work such as glulam beams & columns and associated structural steelwork.

Operating globally, the group has sales partners throughout Europe, Japan, Turkey, Australia and North America. KLH UK is the only part of the group offering a full design, supply and installation package.

“The market throughout the recession has focused mainly on the commercial drivers, with perhaps less focus on sustainability. However, sustainability sits nicely alongside commercial as CLT offers added value to our clients by examples such as the reduction in the need for PV by providing a fabric first approach to carbon reductions or the inherent air tightness of the structure from precision cutting of panels and openings providing a more efficient building in terms of operational carbon use. Although the market has been commercially driven, we are still able to compete on the basis of the overall

programme advantages that we can bring by using CLT,” explains Nic Clark, managing director. Until now, the company’s market has been very much focused on education, but there is a growing requirement for multi-occupancy residential, student accommodation and hotels, alongside the educational builds.

“The market is definitely improving with new enquiries surrounding residential projects coming through,” he adds.

KLH UK has worked on a number of impressive projects such as the UK’s tallest timber tower: Murray Grove, and the UK’s largest CLT structure: William Perkins Academy in Greenford, where 23,000 sq metres of timber was used in the construction. The company was also involved in the formatting of the design and supply for the world’s tallest tower in Melbourne, Australia, and recently completed Kingsgate House which was the world’s first major construction project to achieve PEFC Project Certification.

Festival Termite Pavilion

Open Academy Norwich

Termite Pavilion

“We have a team of engineers focused on providing scheme designs, temporary works design, and full designs and connection drawings for our projects. A large aspect of their work is converting existing tender designs or architectural concepts into a CLT design, taking into account the

loading, spans, the fire requirements and vibration frequency requirements,” explains Nic. The next stage is the production of a 3D model detailing the design.

Once agreed with the customer, a full detailed design is produced, including the connection design. A team of technicians then produces a model that the factory can work to, manufacturing and cutting the individual panels. Information detailing all the cuts for the windows and doors, the chases for the electrical installations is inputted into the CNC machines at the factory in Austria.

The panel is produced in a standard size with the individual wall, floor & roof elements cut out and loaded for delivery in an order that suits the sequence of erection on site. “We use subcontract teams of improved installers for the site installation. However we do see a skills shortage in timber engineering and as a measure to tackle this we have sponsored a post-graduate at Napier to do a Masters degree in timber engineering for the 2014/2015 term, as well as having a home-grown approach to training.”

“Timber engineers are rare in the market so we recruit engineers

Construction & Civil Engineering 29

and provide on-the-job training in the Euro-code and timber design,” says Nic. Discussing training and attracting the right candidates into the industry he adds: “We need to look at the skills shortage that exists and as an industry we need to begin developing that. We are working closely with the University of Bath to generate interest in timber engineering but it really requires a drive on a more macro level. Young talent needs to see that there is a future in building in timber, and we need to generate some impressive structures to gain their interest.

Some Government intervention into research & training would lead the way to more sustainable construction taking place in the UK.” With the material supply chain fully in-house its clients are given the confidence in the process, offering a collaborative

30 Construction & Civil Engineering

Murray Grove

approach based on skills and expertise throughout the process.

As a straightforward thinking business, it understands that the technology and process is new and it is important to be clear with the customer about the process and its

design throughout all stages of the project.

“Bringing a new technology to the market has brought with it many challenges. People are happy with what they know and are very reluctant to try anything new, but it is a hurdle that we have worked on overcoming and we can almost see the finishing line.

There is a large proportion of the design community that is very interested in sustainability so that is where some of the momentum is and that has been fantastic. We know many contractors have a sustainability agenda but every so often we are confronted with negative views, but it is interesting to see their reaction at the finished article; they almost always impressed, if not converted,” explains Nic. There are still some hurdles

PROFILE: KLH UK William Perk

ins CofE

Montpelier Community Nursery

to overcome and KLH UK has recently invested money into testing and research into fire during the construction phase with the involvement of the HSE. “We are also meeting some resistance from the insurance market, specifically

around the hotel sector where they are concerned about insuring the larger hotel schemes, which is odd given they insure CLT hotels on the continent ” Nic points out.

However one factor that is clearly a challenge amongst subcontractors

such as KLH UK is the struggle it faces in the payments terms with main contractors, typically waiting in excess of two months from manufacture before receiving payment.

“The future looks positive, there is massive opportunity which comes from the shortage of housing in the southeast and London, and as the benefit of CLT becomes more recognised contractors are looking to use this model. The design works really well, it is quick and provides very good value for money. We are always investing in the development of the product, currently looking at hybrid offers so that we can supply to different sectors such as the retail or the commercial sectors, where typically the open plan spans required are beyond the economical reach of the CLT. The vision for CLT as a product is that it becomes fully recognised as a mainstream construction material, alongside concrete and steel work. We want the product to be considered as a first choice, not simply an alternative,” Nic concludes. m

KLH UK Ltd www.klhuk.com Services: Specialist supplier of crosslaminated timber panels Construction & Civil Engineering 31

PROFILE: SELWOOD

Proud to

deliver

With a history dating back to 1946, Selwood Ltd has a proud history of delivering high-quality pump and plant equipment within both the direct sales and hire markets

32 Construction & Civil Engineering

S

ince emerging in postwar Britain during a time of enormous rebuilding and development, Selwood has endured as a leading name within the manufacturing and plant hire sector and is considered to be only the second plant hire business established within the UK. As such the company can rightfully claim to have entered the market at ‘ground level’ and has since diversified to match the trends and demands of an ever-evolving marketplace.

Floods

sales and manufacturing division for example, produces pumps and sells them within the UK and to the wider export market. Although Selwood enjoys a strong presence within the UK around 75 per cent of the pumps that the company produces are exported globally via its worldwide distribution network.

“We exported to in excess of 50 countries around the world last year,” managing director Chris Garrett elaborates. “The traditional bases are with major European markets but equally Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

A key market for us is the oil industry where Selwood products are applied to the environmental protection side of the industry specifically. We can deliver our pumps to anywhere they are required.”

Furthermore Selwood has developed long-standing relationships with clients at home and abroad during its long history, which in turn have established the Selwood name as a highly trusted brand and a mark of quality as Chris further explains: “We have two relationships that date back to the 1960s and 1970s in South Africa and the Netherlands, so in this respect Selwood products have been around the world for many years and therefore clients know the product. We also take part in exhibitions around the world to demonstrate Selwood products as well.”

The range of pumps supplied by Selwood includes solids handing pumps, drainer pumps, high-head pumps, positive displacement pumps, hydraulic submersible

er Bristol Wat

Selwood is currently headquartered in Eastleigh, Hampshire and today enjoys a yearly turnover of around £50 million and has expanded to include eight locations dedicated to plant-hire and a further 20 locations dealing with pump hire in addition to its manufacturing facility, which employ around 420 personnel across the business.

Today the business is organised into three separate divisions that offer targeted services to the company’s chosen sectors within the UK and abroad. The pump

Construction & Civil Engineering 33

PROFILE: SELWOOD

pumps and super silent pumps as well as a full range of accessories and the patented Selprime selfpriming system, which encompasses an environmentally friendly design that has none of the associated drawbacks of oil vapour emissions and oil emulsification that can be associated with other designs. All pumps are produced in association with trusted contractors within the UK and Selwood constantly works to ensure that its standards remain high and that its designs remain innovative and market leading. The company’s hire operations focus on the UK market where it has established itself as the leading provider of pumps, plant hire equipment and accessories. “We assemble the pumps on site, they are all cast in UK foundries and machined within the UK before they come to us to be put together. We obviously own all the patterns and associated tooling, so we operate more of an onsite assembly facility with all work sourced in the UK. We also have an engineering section that makes modifications to existing products for bespoke options and development. The most recent changes to be undertaken are on tier changes to engines where we are moving to tier four, which has meant a lot of design work to package the new engines onto the product. Equally we have just launched a new range where we have revisited our H range of high head pumps and that was during 2013 and there are a few new products in this range that are still in the pipeline.”

The H range of pumps currently encompasses the H80, H100, H125 and H200 and includes capacities of between 95 m3/hr (H80) to 950 m3/hr (H200); the H design also includes mechanical shaft sealing that provides leak-free operation.

The most recently launched model is the H200, however general manager Tony Killick believes that the H150 offering a maximum capacity of 450m3/hr including solids of up to 38mm – will possibly be the H

34 Construction & Civil Engineering

range’s strongest selling variant.

“This is purely based on usage and enquiries,” he says. “It is good for

“We have segregated our rental business in the UK so that it is specialised. We have specialist plant and pump hire facilities so that the two do not become confused. The company’s personnel come to work and have one thing to focus on, we are not trying to run mixed locations and drive cost synergies out of the business. What we are focused on is giving the customer exactly what they need and that is a key strategy of the business.”

Although the global recession spurred a slowdown in construction projects within the UK and around the world, Selwood has remained strong and used the experience of weathering the economic downturn to increase the efficiency

the UK market in the quarrying sector and we are shipping a lot of these [H150] to Australasia, including Indonesia and Australia.

Canada has also had some of the H150 body units.”

The Selwood pump hire division and plant sales division and hire fleet are both focused on the UK marketplace, operating nationally as trusted partners in various applications. Selwood pumps can tackle clean water, water with fine and larger solids, sludge, slurries, oils and hydrocarbons screened and crude sewage, while the company’s plant equipment has applications within construction, earth handling and civil engineering. Although Selwood offers its clients a diverse range of products, its main focus is on providing first-class service and addressing the needs of its customers as Chris further explains:

of the business and ensure that it is well placed to meet the needs of a resurgent market. “We see a continued recovery in the UK construction industry and we are looking at that positively,” Chris concludes. “We have supply frameworks with eight out of 11 of the UK’s water and sewage companies and that is obviously a key part of our market, however we have also established a team who are focused on developing work away from the water industry. There are of course, huge opportunities overseas be that directly or through distributors. I think that over the next three to five years the plan is to stay true to the company’s missions and values. Obviously we focus on sales and numbers for the longevity of the business but I think service is what really drives our business forward.” m

FOREWORD ITA

The

third

dimension

When it comes to encouraging and promoting the use of subsurface space, the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA) is the world’s most experienced resource

E

stablished in 1974 and celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the ITA was created to support the use of the subsurface space for the benefit of public, environment and sustainable development and to endorse advances in planning, design, construction, and safety construction of tunnels and underground spaces.

Formed by 19 countries, today it has 71 member nations and 310 corporate or individual affiliate

Olivier Vion: executive director of the ITA

members. As Olivier Vion, executive director of the ITA explained, these members take the form of associations, where each association represents a country.

“We function as a UN body, with UN status, and that means each country gets one vote, regardless of the size of the population they represent,” he said.

One of the major benefits of being a member of the ITA is access to an enormous range of information and experience. Said Olivier: “Our main purpose is to

share technical knowledge between different parties and countries. This can be from places that have been building tunnels for centuries to ones that are just beginning or even haven’t built any tunnels yet. This knowledge exchange is facilitated through technical working groups that cover different topics, and can include members from any member country.”

Another benefit to members is that the entire supply chain of tunnelling and underground space is represented through ITA

Construction & Civil Engineering 35

membership, from design and economics all the way through to planning, engineering, contracting and supplies, and all these roles participate in working groups.

Furthermore, member nations can create a working group on a subject that is particularly of interest or relevance to them, or one on which they are looking for an international perspective.

Soren Eskesen, ITA president, noted that while some of the topics for these working groups have stayed the same since the

36 Construction & Civil Engineering

ITA was established, some have finished and new ones started “There is no limit to the number of working groups we can introduce, except practically,” he said “At the moment there are 14 active working groups, and in addition we now have committees, and these differ because the participants are companies rather than countries.

We have four committees: safety, training, the use of underground space and new technology.”

While of course safety is a top priority, Olivier highlighted the

Soren Eskesen: ITA president

fact that training and recruitment are getting a lot of scrutiny at the moment and this is likely to continue, especially as the amount of global underground projects continues to grow: “Many countries lack enough skilled people in this area and we have seen that in the UK on the Crossrail project, where they have had to create a lot of training programmes, and that will continue with HS2. Indeed, this is the case in many countries as the total market for underground work continues to increase.

“The main market is China, but Europe, the US and South America are all seeing a lot of projects on the horizon and to deliver these we need to have more skilled people such as engineers, but also blue collar workers.

“This is why we are so actively working on our committee on training, and why we are organising training sessions all over the world.”

Since it was established, the training committee has reached several milestones, including the creation of the concept of the ITA University Network, aiming to facilitate training and education actions, the exchange of students and professors, and the interaction of research; the creation of Training Sections (short-courses), the endorsement of Professional Master Courses on Tunnelling at international and national levels; and the creation of a task force on Training and Education to study the perspectives of these actions for the future of the ITA and how to implement and co-ordinate them.

It is clear that the ITA is a

FOREWORD ITA

highly regarded and influential organisation, and the findings and conclusions of its working groups and committees have far reaching effects. Olivier noted this was especially true in the safety arena: “Our safety working group is recognised worldwide for producing guidelines that are used by many countries,” he confirmed.

“ITA COSUF is the Centre of Excellence for worldwide exchange of information and know-how regarding safety and security of underground facilities in operation.”

Design challenges As cities become more congested and the population increases, underground tunnelling and the use of subspace offers designers and planners an option of expansion that is sustainable and can offer better quality of life. Soren noted: “When you move areas like traffic

place to not only visit suppliers at the exhibition side, but to network and learn from colleagues and new contacts: “At our conference the papers and technical solutions are often presented by designers, but the reason our conference is so successful is because it brings these people and contractors and owners together in a very useful knowledge exchange,” he said.

Over the four decades the ITA has been in existence it has witnessed many changes, in areas including technology, learning and safety. As Olivier highlighted: “Thanks to an incredible evolution of equipment and technology, it is now possible to build facilities and tunnels that could not have been constructed 30 or 40 years ago.” Soren agreed: “It’s true to say that the ‘easy’ tunnels have already been built,” he added. But as evolving nations start to create their own underground solutions, and first world countries share the wisdom of their experience, the next 40 years of tunnelling and subspace look set to be as exciting and innovative as those that came before. zz

ITA’s last event was the World Tunnel Congress 2014

underground you also move the noise and dust. It can also help to continue a growing economy as if a city gets too congested it may not be able to expand where it needs to – one solution to this is to consider the underground space.”

This inevitably brings design challenges, but this again is an area where ITA has a vast repertoire of experience and is one often discussed at the Association’s annual conference. Soren explained that this event has become an ideal

(WTC2014), which was held in the city of Foz do Iguaçu/ Iguassu Falls, Brazil, from May 9th to 15th, 2014. Focusing on ‘Tunnels for Better Living’, WTC 2014 discussed and illustrated the importance of tunnels, especially in big cities, as solutions for traffic jams, flooding, transportation, environmental conservation and also for saving surface areas for nobler uses, such as leisure and human relations.

WTC 2014 hosted a large meeting of the Brazilian and international technical community, involving a spectrum of participants – public managers, builders, designers, equipment suppliers, engineering service companies, professors, professionals and students. Together, tunnel experts discussed and put forward solutions that are most appropriate and used on a global scale.

WTC was also the place for many ITA activities, meetings of WGs and Committees’ activity groups, and the ITA General Assembly, which also saw the launch of a Young Members Group, designed to attract a younger audience to the ITA. For more information on WTC 2014, visit:

http://www.wtc2014.com.br/.

Construction & Civil Engineering 37

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