Thirteen projects have been shortlisted for the ICE London Civil Engineering Awards 2012, in association with Speedy:

BBC W1

Completed: January 2011
Client: BBC
Engineer: Ramboll
Contractor: Bovis Lend Lease
Partners: MJP Architects, Sheppard Robson, McGee Group Limited, Bachy Soletanche, Giken Europe BV

The redevelopment of BBC Broadcasting House, the BBC's iconic west London broadcast facility, was completed in January 2011 after 10 years of phased activity, creating the world's largest live news centre. The project involved the construction of a 10 storey building housing acoustically isolated studios and flexible accommodation for television and radio studios, offices, production and support services. With construction activity taking place within two metres of the Grade II Listed All Souls Church and deep excavation activity only four metres away from the Victoria Line Underground tunnels, the project team had to devise innovative solutions to manage the challenges presented by the confined city centre site. These and other challenges were overcome by a combination of maintaining strong relationships within the team and with third parties; demonstration that innovative designs were robust; well planned construction activities; and close supervision and monitoring.

Blackwall Tunnel Northbound Refurbishment

Completed: November 2011
Client: Transport for London
Engineer: Mott MacDonald
Contractor: BAM Nuttall
Subcontractor: VVB Engineering Services

The refurbishment of the northbound Blackwall Tunnel was completed in November 2011, over a year ahead of schedule and within budget. The essential safety improvements have brought the 114 year old landmark tunnel – which is used by 50,000 vehicles a day – up to date with modern safety standards, thus reducing the number of incidences that force the tunnel to close in future. The works included the refurbishment of the four main ventilation shafts and the installation of new lighting and CCTV, ventilation fans and communications systems throughout the tunnel. Measures such as a noise minimising membrane over works, reduced disruption to nearby residents and steps were made to cut the number of weekday night time closures. There was also regular engagement with the local community, including the burying of a time capsule made by local school children and regular liaison with the O2 Arena, to minimise disruption to people leaving events at the venue.

Cannon Place

Completed: September 2011
Client: Hines UK
Engineer: Foggo Associates Ltd,
Contractor: Laing O’Rourke
Partners: Watsons Steel Structures Ltd, Expanded Piling, Robert Bird Group

The Cannon Place development has created over 39,000m2 of office and retail space above and below Cannon Street Station in the City of London. The project comprised of the following: demolition of both the 16 storey 1960’s office building and much of the existing mainline railway station, the construction of a new eight storey air rights office block, and the reconfiguration of both the mainline and underground Cannon Street stations including new retail outlets within. A number of engineering and construction challenges faced the project team, such as the site’s location over and around the two important rail stations, which had to remain open throughout the course of the works, the proximity of the underground tunnel structures and the presence of significant archaeological finds within the existing railway arches. An innovative balanced cantilever design overcame the site constraints in order to maximize the development opportunity, whilst inventive piling and construction techniques enabled underground structures and much of the archaeology to be left undisturbed. Innovative analytical and construction methods were also utilised to keep the public and passengers safe whilst the project was built.

Exhibition Road

Completed: December 2011
Client: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Engineer: Project Centre Ltd
Architect: Dixon Jones
Contractor: Balfour Beatty Regional Civil Engineering
Project manager: Schal

The transformation of Exhibition Road has created a world class streetscape, replacing a street filled with clutter and vehicle traffic with a fully accessible kerb-free public space. A major destination since the Great Exhibition of 1851, Exhibition Road attracts over 11 million visitors each year and is home to a unique collection of cultural and educational institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the Royal Albert Hall and Imperial College London. Through the project, pedestrians have more space and vehicle speeds are limited to 20mph. Having a less distinct ‘track’ for through traffic makes motorists drive more cautiously and slowly, with greater awareness and consideration for pedestrians. Sculptural street lighting ‘masts’ complement the grand buildings and the striking granite diagonal grid pattern reflects the way that pedestrians use the road and creates a sense of place. The project was completed in December 2011, on time and to budget.

Heron Tower

Completed: March 2011
Client: Heron International
Engineer: Arup, Foreman Roberts
Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
Contractor: Skanska UK

Currently the tallest building in the City of London, Heron Tower was completed in March 2011 and provides 40,836 sq m of office space, restaurants and a Sky Bar. Rated BREEAM ‘Excellent’, the building has a number of unique features including fully glazed double-decker lifts veiled with photovoltaic cells and Britain’s largest privately owned aquarium. Construction of the building demanded complex top down engineering to form the basement and an innovative steel frame design. Constructing to a height of 230m on a site footprint of ¾ acre, on one of the busiest junctions in London, was a major challenge for the project team. Often working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the project received no major complaints, and was awarded three successive Considerate Contractors Scheme Gold Awards. Heron Tower forms the first part of an extended redevelopment that will open a significant new public square opposite Liverpool Street Station.

Kings Cross Redevelopment Package 6

Completed: December 2011
Client: Network Rail
Engineer: Arup
Architect: John McAslan + Partners
Contractor: VINCI Construction UK
Partner: N.G. Bailey

King’s Cross Station Redevelopment Package 6 – which includes the construction of the new Western Concourse and its magnificent domed roof as well as the refurbishment of the historic Western Range Building – will ensure that King’s Cross Station is fit to serve London for many years to come. The project team collaborated to refurbish the Grade I Listed Western Range Building into a functional and modern space for station staff and passengers, while preserving and exhibiting the grandeur of the Victorian structure and its features. In parallel, the team worked to construct the new station concourse, featuring the already iconic semi-dome shaped steel lattice Western Concourse Roof, which will provide unequalled travel links to passengers using London’s busiest transport interchange. The project was completed to programme and within budget, and the entire station was kept operational and safe for station staff and passengers for the duration of the works.

Lee Tunnel Diaphragm Walls

Completed: December 2011
Client: Thames Water
Project Manager: PMT (CH2MHill)
Designer: Mott MacDonald, Morgan Sindall Underground Professional Services(UnPS), Bachy Soletanche
Contractor: MVB (a joint venture between Morgan Sindall, VINCI Construction Grands Projets and Bachy Soletanche)

Construction of the Lee Tunnel is currently underway in East London. When it is operational in 2015, the four mile tunnel will eliminate 40% of the total annual sewage discharges into the River Thames, greatly improving water quality. The Lee Tunnel's four shafts range in diameter from 20-40 metres and are the deepest ever built in London. The construction of the diaphragm walls, which support these shafts, was completed in December 2011. The design for the walls met stringent Eurocode standards, and materials used during construction, including the concrete mix, had to meet requirements set out by the Environment Agency to ensure they did not pollute a nearby drinking water aquifer. The use of nearby waterways to remove spoil from site further reduced the project's carbon footprint through minimising lorry journeys. Safety was the top priority, with all staff aligned to a "work safe home safe" ethos.

Old Ford Waste Water Recycling Facility

Client: Olympic Delivery Authority
Supplier and end user: Thames Water

The Old Ford waste water recycling facility forms a key component of the Olympic Delivery Authority’s (ODA) sustainability strategy. The facility turns sewage into non-drinkable water for irrigating lawns and gardens at the Olympic Park and was completed in November 2011. Water from the Old Ford Water Recycling Plant, which is jointly funded by Thames Water and the ODA, will also be used for flushing toilets at the London 2012 venues. The plant will produce a volume of water equivalent to over 80,000 toilet flushes a day, making it the largest urban waste water recycling scheme in the UK. The facility provides a vital new water resource for a water-stressed area. It produces 570,000 litres a day of recycled water, which is pumped into the Olympic Park’s network of pipes specifically for recycled water - separate from the pipes supplying drinking-quality water to taps.

The Shard

Completed: December 2011
Client:  Sellar Property Group
Engineer: WSP
Architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Contractor: Mace Group

At 310m, the Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe. A vertical city of offices, apartments, restaurants, a hotel and a public viewing gallery, the Shard will soon house more than 7,000 workers, residents and guests every day, and more than a million visitors annually. The building combines innovative and traditional design and construction techniques to produce a building that provides maximum benefit to users, while remaining simple and safe to construct. For example, the ‘spire’ at the top was fabricated in modules and trial-erected off site, giving valuable time and safety benefits. The Shard is adjacent to London Bridge station, thereby promoting sustainable travel: it has only 48 car parking spaces. The project includes a major station refurbishment, with new paving, a glass roof and a new piazza. The façade is triple glazed with a naturally-ventilated outer cavity and automatic blinds to limit solar gain, features which have contributed to the building achieving a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.


image copyright Morley Von Sternberg

St Patrick’s Soho R.C. Church

Completed: May 2011
Client: Westminster Roman Catholic Diocese
Engineer: Sinclair Johnston & Partners
Architect: Castanon Associates
Contractor: F B Ellmer Ltd
Partners: Godmon Partnership Limited, Hannaford Upright, Goddard Consulting, IHCM Ltd, Liminaires Ltd, STMC Building Control, GVA Schatunoswki Brooks

Completed in May 2011, the refurbishment of St Patrick’s Church in Soho provided the parish community with much needed high quality space for their range of activities and preserved the historic interior of the Grade II Listed building. The project, which unlocked extra space by excavating a crypt under the nave, made best use of a budget raised mostly through personal donations, without compromising on quality. Alongside updating the structure’s safety standards, the works improved accessibility and delivered sustainable features such as directing natural light and ventilation into the basement and the use of CO2 sensors to monitor the occupancy and regulate air volume and speed. The basement excavation required archaeological monitoring and careful coordination with Crossrail’s works on the adjacent site.

Engineered in London Awards shortlist:

image copyright Ros Kavanagh

The Peace Bridge

Location: Derry~Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Completed: June 2011
Client: ilex URC Ltd
Engineer: AECOM
Architect: Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Contractor: Graham Construction
Steel Fabrication and Erection: Rowecord Engineering Ltd
 
The Peace Bridge provides an important link across the River Foyle for pedestrians and cyclists. The project, funded under the EU PEACE III Shared Space Programme, has provided a new iconic bridge that will act as a catalyst for change, physically joining the city and promoting interaction and engagement among the historically divided communities. It is intended that the bridge will become a notable landmark and raise awareness of Derry~Londonderry, enhancing local tourism and bringing about a sustainable future for the city and the community. The Peace Bridge is unique in its appearance, structural form and in the use of sustainable materials for durability and ease of maintenance. The innovative design exploits the hidden strength of curved structures to achieve stability, and improves aerodynamic response. Designed as an exemplar of modern engineering, the Peace Bridge efficiently delivers functionality and was delivered efficiently within budget and to programme.

Peter's Bridge

Location: Norwich, UK
Completed: December 2011
Client: Jarrold (St James) Limited
Engineer: Ramboll
Contractor: R G Carter Ltd
Partners: Bidwell, SH Structures, EWP, Davis Langdon, PFB

Peter’s Bridge is the latest in a strong tradition of Norwich bridges. It opens up a new sustainable transport axis linking the St. James Court development, new regional home to the Broads Authority and Environment Agency, with Norwich Cathedral and the historic city centre. The bridge is a crafted response to the geometry of interwoven pedestrian, cycling and navigation routes at the location, which modestly defers attention to its unique surroundings. There are no applied finishes anywhere on the bridge, reducing maintenance requirements, and lifetime costs, to a minimum. Successful installation of the bridge structure was completed in a matter of hours over two days in November 2011. The bridge was lifted in three pieces and joined at invisible splices with tension control bolts and a hidden mass damper to counteract vibrations. The bridge was delivered on time and on budget with the final cost, of under £4K/sq m, being extremely competitive.


image copyright Expedition

Las Arenas

Location: Barcelona, Spain
Completed: March 2011
Client: Metrovacesa
Engineer: Expedition Engineering, BOMA
Architect: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Alonso Balaguer y Arquitectos Asociados
Services: BDSP and JG Ingenieros
Contractor: Dragados S.A.

Barcelona’s old bullring has been transformed into a major new arts, entertainment and retail centre that acts as a gateway into the City from the west and a landmark for the Plaça Espanya transport interchange. The fortress-like bullring has become accessible and welcoming, breathing new life into the old brick shell. The once-decaying masonry is now perched 5m above the old ground level, with another five storeys of newly excavated basements below. With a vibrant mix of arts, leisure, retail and office spaces, the development has been described by local press as Barcelona’s new “cathedral of leisure”. The work of the London based design team has been fundamental to the creation of this striking new landmark that celebrates both the historic façade and the stunning new elements within. Having been isolated and unused for some time, the revitalised cultural centre is now re-integrated into the City’s fabric and welcoming crowds again.