Wales Cymru - project awards

George Gibby Award (projects over £3m)

• Radyr Weir Hydroelectric Scheme, Cardiff

  

  • Client: Cardiff County Council
  • Key Design Organisation: Burroughs Civil Engineering Consultants
  • Engineer/Project Manager: Faithful & Gould
  • Key Contractor: Dawnus Construction Holdings Ltd.
  • AOKOIP: Spaans Babcock Turbine Supplier

  This challenging Archimedes Screw Project demonstrates how collaborative working allows a flexible and open approach to delivering a project, allowing an innovative approach to overcome what would traditionally be insurmountable problems. Here external issues resulted in the requirement for major programme acceleration.

  The team rose to the challenge by developing innovative permanent and temporary design solutions and putting in three months of 24/7 working. This project has delivered a wide range of environmental, economic and social benefits, including 1.6 GWh of energy per annum delivered to the grid, enough to power 550 homes; regeneration of community space; restoration of an historic structure, enhanced flood protection and state of the art fish migration facilities.

  The hydro facility acts as a permanent educational facility for green energy and has already facilitated knowledge sharing with the Low Carbon Trust, Cardiff & Swansea University, Radyr Primary School and given Constructing Excellence in Wales and CECA seminars.

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• Llangefni Link Road – Sections 1 & 2, Anglesey

  

  • Client: Isle of Anglesey County Council
  • Key Design Organisation: Amec Foster Wheeler
  • Engineer/Project Manager: Corderoy
  • Key Contractor: Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd.
  • AOKOIP: Archaeoleg Brython Archaeology

  The Llangefni Link Road Sections 1 & 2 Project is a strategically important infrastructure scheme promoted by Isle of Anglesey County Council to help enhance the many changes on Anglesey and the town of Llangefni over the next 20 years including the Wylfa Newydd Nuclear new build and other proposed major developments.

  The scheme was partly funded by Welsh Government and the new link road now enables traffic to move more freely around the town centre making it a more pleasant and attractive environment, and allowing it to flourish and become a thriving destination for people to learn and work.

  During the work numerous graves were discovered on the road alignment, which are believed to date back to early Medieval times and have initiated international interest. This discovery is considered to be one of the most significant archaeological sub-Roman/Early Medieval finds and is of national importance.

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• Colwyn Bay Waterfront Project - Phase 1b/c

  

  • Client/Engineer/Project Manager: Conwy County Borough Council
  • Key Design Organisations: Mott MacDonald & Coastal Engineering UK Ltd.
  • Key Contractor: Galliford Try
  • AOKOIP: BCA Landscape

  The Colwyn Bay Waterfront Project (Phase 1b/c) combined the construction of a new section of promenade and concrete stepped revetment with the importation of a million tonnes of golden sand to breathe new life into a deteriorating and underused frontage, providing a single holistic solution to the town's regeneration and coast protection needs.

  A 'shared space' promenade suitable for all users provides event spaces and business opportunities to drive regeneration in the town, while a high quality pre-cast stepped revetment and amenity beach, accessible at all states of the tide, provides coast protection for the town and a draw for local users and tourists alike.

  The multi-million pound investment in the town drew from multiple funding streams to deliver a project that is greater than the sum of its parts. An improved link between the beach and town centre has ensured that the regeneration benefits are not confined to the promenade.

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Roy Edwards Award (projects under £3m)

• Mynydd y Gwrhyd Wind Farm, Swansea

  

  • Client: Awel Aman Tawe
  • Key Design Organisation: Quad Consult
  • Engineer/Project Manager/Key Contractor: Raymond Brown Construction Ltd.
  • AOKOIP: Dulas Ltd; Adas Ltd; Wind Prospect Ltd.

  Mynydd y Gwrhyd Wind Farm scheme saw the construction of two Enercon E82s in the Swansea Valleys. What is special about the scheme is that it's 100% owned by the local community and now stands as the largest Community Wind Farm in Wales. Raymond Brown Construction and Awel Aman Tawe have worked together in the construction of this scheme which has taken eighteen years to bring to fruition.

  Mynydd y Gwrhyd stands as a best practice example of how construction, sustainability and community collaboration and cohesion can sit hand in hand. The scheme was developed from the will of the people in a response to concerns over pollution and climate change, through hard work and sheer determination the scheme will be commissioned in February providing green energy to the Swansea Valley and future profits from the scheme will be fed back to the community through renewable energy schemes and fuel poverty initiatives.

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• Risca Flood Scheme

  

  • Client: Natural Resources Wales
  • Key Design Organisation/Engineer/Project Manager: Arup
  • Key Contractor: Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd.
  • AOKOIP: Caerphilly County Borough Council

  The community of Risca suffered widespread flooding in 1979. Recent investigations identified the 1980s flood scheme defences were at risk of overtopping and sudden failure.

  Natural Resources Wales developed the case to manage flood risk to people and property for a £2.4m scheme comprising new embankments and improvements to existing defences. We worked closely with joint funders Caerphilly County Borough Council and the scheme supports regeneration of priority sites within the community.

  The emerging ecosystem approach was piloted to maximise the environmental and social benefits leading to the incorporation of fish habitat improvements, footpath and cycle path connectivity, and provision of a river viewing platform ensuring wider benefits to the community and the environment. The project team demonstrated exemplary collaboration and technical expertise.

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• A486 Llain to Synod Inn Improvement, near New Quay

  

  • Client: Ceredigion County Borough Council
  • Key Design Organisation/Engineer/Project Manager: Capita
  • Key Contractor: Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd.

  The improvement of the A486 Ceredigion Link Road, undertaken in stages since 2006, has resulted in a suite of road improvements along the route linking Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and the M4 corridor, totalling over 11.5km.

  The £2.4m A486 Llain to Synod Inn Improvement Scheme was jointly funded by the Welsh Government Local Transport Fund and Ceredigion County Council and completes a key element of the Ceredigion Link Road, delivering highway enhancements and improving the regional strategic highway network. The section involved construction of approximately 1.4km of highway realignment to the latest design standards, including a 7.3m wide single carriageway and shared use footway/ cycleway.

  The link road provides an improved and safer key route from west Wales through to Carmarthen, and is now delivering benefits to communities having transformed the links for business, agriculture, commuters and tourists, whilst helping to support the regional economy.

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• River Usk Bridge Strengthening Design, Newport

  

  • Client: Welsh Government
  • Key Design Organisation/Engineer/Project Manager: WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff
  • Key Contractor: Costain (construction works only)
  • AOKOIP: Atkins (Birmingham)

  The M4 River Usk Bridge is a strategically vital structure that carries the M4 and is currently the subject of extensive strengthening and refurbishment works as part of the Brynglas Tunnel Refurbishment Contract. Client requirements in terms of network availability and its location within a sensitive Special Area of Conservation (SAC)/Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) area imposed challenging constraints that would require an innovative solution.

  From the outset, the designers WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff have adopted a collaborative approach, engaging with Welsh Government (Client and Technical Approval Authority (TAA) and the Checking Engineer to develop a unique and innovative strengthening and refurbishment solution within a fast-track environment. Similar collaborative relationships have been developed with the contractor, their specialist subcontractors and the Client's Agent now that works are underway on site.

  Key delivery challenges addressed during the highly time constrained design development process were to maintain the operational status of the bridge whilst undertaking extensive structural rehabilitation, without impacting on the River Usk SAC.

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• Tank 114 Bund Lining Works, Milford Haven

  

  • Client/Engineer/Project Manager: SemLogistics Milford Haven Ltd.
  • Key Design Organisation: Mott MacDonald Ltd.
  • Key Contractor: Jones Brothers (Henllan) Ltd.
  • AOKOIP: Concrete Canvas Ltd.

  Tank 114 bund lining works was a £0.6 million investment in secondary containment for the high risk material in the storage tanks within SemLogistics facilities. Mott MacDonald was engaged to design a robust solution taking into account safety during construction, use and maintenance, and ease and speed of installation. Concrete Canvas Hydro system met the requirements. With its flexibility of installation, combined with its rigid, durable state once hydrated offered an opportunity to significantly reduce the construction time, operational disruption and cost of secondary containment works within the site.

  Hence Mott MacDonald worked closely with Concrete Canvas to prove that the system was suitable for adaptation as a bund liner and develop an efficient design for the project. The project was delivered by Jones Brothers (Henllan) Ltd who accepted the challenge of working with this innovative product and extend the range of their capabilities.

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Designed in Wales Award

• Outhouse, St. Briavals, Forest of Dean

  

  • Client: Jean & Michael Dunwell
  • Key Design Organisation: Loyn & Co. Architects
  • Engineer/Project Manager: WL Squared Ltd.
  • Key Contractor: Chris Milliner Construction

  The Outhouse is embedded into a sloping hillside within the Forest of Dean that benefits from long views across the Wye Valley to the Severn Estuary. The design exploits the site to the full without overpowering it. The elegant simplicity of the house is based on rigour and restraint in its design and detailing - a concrete house where the materials feel luxurious and warm.

  The design brings the outside environment into the dwelling, blurring the relationship between the interior and the exterior. Well positioned large roof lights allow natural light to penetrate the deep, single aspect plan of the property. The blend of natural light, varying exposed concrete surfaces and a well-considered palette of floor finishes form a stunning backdrop for the artist owners' own refined art.

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• Cuningar Loop Boulder Park, Cuningar Loop, Rutherglan, Glasgow

  

  • Client: Forestry Commission Scotland
  • Key Design Organisation/Key Contractor: Serious Climbing
  • Engineer/Project Manager: WL Squared Ltd.
  • AOKOIP: Gunform International

  The Cuningar Loop is a £5.7 million 2014 Commonwealth Games Legacy project that transformed 15 hectares of brownfield land on the banks of Glasgow's River Clyde into an attractive woodland where visitors are provided with an opportunity to get active and be inspired by the outdoors.

  The "Loop" has a number of specifically designed outdoor activity facilities including Scotland's first bouldering (climbing) park. The Boulder Park consists of nine amorphous shaped artificial sculpted boulders between two and four metres in height. The specifically designed boulders feature concave, convex curved homogenous 'almost natural' concrete surfaces that produce spectacular climbing surfaces for people of all abilities to enjoy.

  The design/construction of the boulders is acknowledged as pioneering work, requiring the balance of an understanding of materials used and necessary aesthetics with the practicalities of forming structural concrete objects using sprayed concrete expertly hand carved to finely replicate naturally weathered rock forms.

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