Maintaining the safety of the public whilst working very close to their properties, extensive public liaison, an excellent environmental record and first rate safety record made this project stand out. Whilst some of the individual schemes covered by the package were not as technically challenging as other flood defence schemes, the proximity of the works to the public ,and time given to amount of planning required between construction sites to reduce the environmental impact of the works made these special. The core team set up by Birse as a result of the continuity of workload provided by the programme of works allowed valuable ECI which resulted extensive value engineering (VE) at tender stage. Almost all of this VE was designed into the schemes and resulted in “true” savings of over £3m on the cost of the schemes – 10% of the total cost.

The judges were impressed with the partnership approach taken by the Environment Agency, Halcrow and Birse and the sharing of knowledge and best practice between teams on different construction sites. The professionalism and enthusiasm shown by the team during the judging was exceptional and it was clearly evident that there was a true willingness to work as an integrated team to deliver outstanding projects which will protect the communities along the River Humber.

The aesthetics of the Winnersh Footbridge and novel cross sectional shape creates an innovative and distinct footbridge which made the project stand out to the judges. The close attention to detail is apparent and thought was put into the long term maintenance of the bridge with factors incorporated into the design and specification to reduce the need for future lane or road closures for routine maintenance. The judges were especially impressed by the incorporation of the nine mature trees along the main spans which are not only visually striking, but act to reduce surface water run-off.

A true partnership approach to the contract between Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and VHE Construction allowed the successful completion of this project. The judges were impressed with the sustainability considerations which were incorporated within the project and the use of innovative new high strength, long life road base materials which reduced the surfacing thickness by 15% and provides long term environmental benefits. The impact on the local communities of the scheme has had an immediate positive impact benefiting the day to day lives of the residents of Cudworth and West Green. The judges complimented the team on the liaison with local residents, businesses and land owners.

Attention to detail and sustainability were the primary attributes which stood out for the judges on the Forge Valley Community School project. The structural challenges to create large open plan spaces whilst limiting the size of steelwork was met by utilising large trusses and cranked steel members with complex geometry. The use of exposed precast concrete soffits to classrooms both reduces the work associated with traditional finishes as well as assisting night-time cooling. The judges were impressed by the construction of the sports block within an existing embankment which permitted a balanced cut and fill as well as creating a stunning frontage to the building.

Working on Yorkshire Water’s most complex facility which consisted of seven interlinked sites whilst keeping them live presented a huge Engineering and safety challenge to the staff designing and constructing this scheme. The judges were impressed by the sustainability considerations which were incorporated into the scheme which reduced the carbon footprint of the processes and also allowed for flexibility for further future expansion. Health, Safety and Welfare was paramount to the success of the project and resulted in an excellent record for the two year construction period. Closure of the site on several occasions to allow all staff to attend safety seminars particularly stood out to the judges.

The remoteness of the Bridge 30, its location within the National Park and the enthusiasm of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) Engineers involved in the project made this project stand out. The cooperation between the NYMR, main Contractor Construction Marine, and VolkerRail resulted in the successful completion of the bridge replacement under the £750,000 budget. The judges were impressed with the practical, minimum cost solution which was developed to fulfil the Clients tight budget whilst reducing the environmental impact. The NYMR took time to explain the project and the Engineering involved to the public as part of their fund raising and their website had regular progress updates. All of this resulted in Civil Engineering being brought to the public and promoted the profession.

The team designing and constructing the works at Ulley Reservoir had to work on a project which had received national TV coverage during the June 2007 floods and was of a very high profile locally. They came up with a scheme which not only works from an Engineering perspective but which blends in with the surroundings of the country park and has been constructed to a very high standard. The judges complimented the Contractor on the standard of finish to the top of the spillway concrete which is perfectly level and on view to the public from the footbridge directly over the top. Despite the extreme weather that was experienced during construction, the project was finished on time and below budget and has not only enhanced the existing country park, but ensured protection for Rotherham residents for many years to come.

The successful completion of the £340m project to widen a 23km stretch of the M1 whilst keeping three lane of traffic running in both directions without the use of a contra-flow, six months ahead of programme is testament to the thought and planning put into the project by the team. The judges were impressed with the construction methodology and traffic management techniques developed for the project which allowed for a much safer journey for the public during the works. They also noted the drainage design which allowed for maintaining the previous discharge rates despite a 35% increase in paved area and allowance for a 20% increase in rainfall due to global warming.

A rapid design and mobilisation of only 13 weeks to start construction of the new fish pass within the existing weir on the River Wharf created numerous challenges to the project team. Working around the remains of an archaeologically important mill, working in a fast flowing river and difficult ground conditions were all overcome to complete the works on time and budget. The final construction blends in well with the surroundings and the installation of cameras has proved the pass is working as envisaged.

The reclamation of over 60 hectares of former colliery land has not only developed a platform for housing but created an important facility for both the existing and future communities. An on-site chemical testing laboratory reduced the time normally taken to obtain test results on potential contamination. Considerable savings in fuel for site operations was achieved via a careful cut/fill balance and a “dig and dump” operation as opposed to excavation and stockpiling.

The closure of a main route into Bingley had the possibility to cause major disruption to the local community, however careful planning and the provision of a dedicated P&R facility alleviated this. The design work for strengthening of the listed structure had to comply with the requirements of many 3rd parties, all of which was undertaken to allow completion of the site works with minimal effect on the appearance of the bridge. Extensive community liaison was undertaken both before and during the works.

The provision of a new pedestrian bridge has significantly improved the access to Nunnington Hall for visitors parking on the opposite side of the river. Careful attention to detail was apparent on this project as well as excellent thought about the erection process and the health and safety of the work force. The design and detailing of the timber cladding to the bridge tied in well with the woodland surroundings and the use of mini-piled foundations resulted in minimal disturbance to possible archaeology.

Designing and constructing £1m of flood defence works around a police HQ operational 24hrs a day presented a huge challenge to the D&B project team. The innovative use of plastic sheet piles to create a bund as opposed to the puddle clay core within the original design resulted in savings of over 10,000m3 of excavation. To alleviate the concerns of local residents, extensive hydraulic modelling was carried out to demonstrate that the overall project would not result in any detrimental effect on their properties.

Careful programming of the works to the A19 bridge allowed the project team to combine bridge demolition with pre-planned road closures as part of nearby Engineering works on the 2nd Tyne Crossing thus minimising disruption to the public. Sub-base material was sourced locally and all demolition material was sent for recycling locally. Over 80,000 man hours of work were undertaken without accidents and the works completed on time and budget.

Gainsborough Flood Alleviation Scheme

Extensive modelling and assessment of the existing sheet piled river wall allowed an innovative temporary works solution to permit a drilling platform to be hung from the wall thus minimising the amount of work undertaken within the river. The modelling also permitted the existing piles to be retained and strengthened with ground anchors rather than constructing a new wall. Close cooperation between Client, Designer and Contractor allowed for substantial savings on the anticipated capital expenditure.