West Midlands - civil engineering awards

This major project was vital to improve traffic capacity, reduce congestion, and improve safety. The old bridge had weak parapets, substandard waterproofing and drainage, and was too narrow. Used by 30,000 vehicles a day, it was an important transport link to the many businesses and public amenities in the area including the NEC, Birmingham Airport and the large Jaguar Land Rover plant, making effective programming essential.

The team met all milestones to deliver the bridge ahead of schedule, and the old bridge was successfully demolished over a 54 hour Christmas rail possession; the culmination of months of advanced planning and risk mitigation.

Traffic from the M42 to the airport has a dedicated slip lane, quality of life has improved for the road users through less congestion and new walking and cycle routes over the bridge have made sustainable travel choices more attractive for local people.

State Highway 16 (SH16) is a motorway of strategic importance connecting central Auckland to the city's western suburbs and beyond. On average, it carries 90,000 vehicles per day, and runs through an environmentally sensitive marine reserve.

The Causeway Upgrade is an alliance project comprising 4.8km of motorway improvements, raising the causeway, improving flood defences against coastal erosion and flooding, new structures and refurbishment of Whau and Causeway Bridges, which suffer from structural deterioration.

The Warwickshire County Council B4451/B4100 Dual Carriageway scheme (1.5km) forms part of a wider network improvement which was delivered in collaboration with the Highways England M40 J12 scheme. The schemes were developed to mitigate extensive queuing on the motorway hard shoulder (2km) and the B4100 (5km).

Commuters regularly experienced delays up to 30 minutes accessing Jaguar Land Rover's R&D site/Aston Martin HQ in Gaydon, as 6000+ vehicles arrived at the site during the peak. Scheme delivery has eradicated congestion issues, addressed serious safety concerns on the motorway, enabled planned developments to come forward and has acted as a catalyst for significant economic investment in the area.

Mott MacDonald Bentley are working in partnership with Severn Trent Water to leave a legacy of assets which will secure the quality and reliability of customer's water supplies for years to come. To drive efficiencies in design and construction and encourage collaborative behaviours, five distribution service reservoir (DSR) replacement projects have been batched into a single £22.6M contract to be delivered over the 5 years of Asset Management Period 6.

The £1M, 225m3 Bromlow DSR is the first of these projects to have been delivered by the MMB STW partnership, within a challenging timescale of just over 12 months from beginning of design to substantial completion. Close working relationships in a co-located office, key stakeholder consultation and collaborative planning ensured efficient and effective delivery.

The replacement reservoir increases resilience for customers by allowing for 9% population growth over the next 20 years. The two cell configuration enables one cell to supply customers whilst the other is undergoing cleaning and maintenance, allowing Severn Trent Water to fulfil their customer commitment to provide water that is 'always on and good to drink.'

The Bromsgrove Electrification project is a key project in Network Rail's £550m CP5 investment in rail in the West Midlands region. The project is extending the Cross-City electrification from Barnt Green to Bromsgrove, and will increase train frequency from the current one train per hour from Bromsgrove to Birmingham, to four trains per hour. It will provide crowding relief and better connectivity towards Worcester, Wales and the South West.

Mott MacDonald has provided multi-disciplinary design services since 2012. The overall programme includes:

• a new £24m station at Bromsgrove, designed and built on brownfield land, funded jointly by Network Rail, Centro and Worcestershire CC. The new station has 4 platforms and full station facilities, a vast improvement on the previous one;
• A remodelled track layout in the Bromsgrove station area;
• Resignalling between Birmingham and Ashchurch (Cheltenham);
• Structures clearance, design and installation of electrification equipment.

MMB carry out various education initiatives both internally and externally. Internal development includes apprenticeships and graduate development; then externally, various STEM events both locally and nationally to inspire the engineers of the future.

To help promote STEM in the area; MMB started running a stall in the STEM hanger at Cosford Airshow. We run 3 activities that teach some of the basics of engineering in a succinct and fun way. In addition to this we have taken the ICE Bridge to Schools into local primary school. Through the hands on approach we are hoping to inspire the next generation of engineers.

More recently MMB has offered two teams of engineers the chance to work in schools in the Shropshire and Wolverhampton area as part of the Engineering Education Scheme. The EES scheme gives a team of 16-17yr olds a project to work on from design to prototype manufacture, which involves a selection of engineering work from project management to working on workshop machinery.

The refurbishment of masonry arch bridge DCL121 on the B4455 Fosse Way near Leamington Spa forms part of Network Rail's Railway Upgrade Plan to provide a better railway for passengers. The arch structure has been in service for 120 years and in modern times has accommodated heavier and faster trains between London and Birmingham.

Previous works have been carried out to prolong the service life of the structure, but in previous years elements of the structure have suffered loss of performance. The spandrel and wing walls suffered due to excessive horizontal and rotational movements and the fibrous sprayed concrete underlining installed in 1981 to strengthen the arch barrel had areas of damage caused by vehicle collision.

The carefully thought out repairs to the structure have further prolonged the life of this railway asset, paving the way for this impressive piece of railway heritage for another hundred years.

Christian is an individual with great passion for education, continuous professional development and knowledge transfer. His work across the West Midlands and overseas has helped to advance the engineering profession through innovative research, establishing academia-industry collaboration platforms both at home and abroad and mentoring young engineers and students.

At 33, he has already been admitted to Fellowship with the Institution of Civil Engineers (the youngest in the U.K. in its history) and he is also a Supervising Civil Engineer (SCE), a Reviewer and guest speaker at Loughborough and Birmingham Universities.

His research has challenged empirical knowledge and his Doctorate alone yielded 18 publications, a record for the University. He has since been an advisor to researchers on how to unlock the impact potential of publications.

Faced with a skills shortage in the industry, Mouchel in Shrewsbury have embarked on a series of new initiatives dedicated to attracting, developing and nurturing talent and encouraging civil engineering as a fulfilling and rewarding career. The team support STEM activities working closely with local primary and secondary schools, provide fantastic work experience opportunities for secondary school and university students, as well as recruiting Technicians, Apprentices and Graduates (TAG) and guiding them through higher education and further learning & development to shape and enhance their careers.

Mouchel are committed to developing good technically skilled and competent engineers for the future through their bespoke TAG learning & development training programme which also includes promoting lunchtime staff presentations, mentoring, trainee rotations, in-house and external training, clearly defined career paths and routes to professional qualifications.

The historic Jackfield slip is a large area of steep hillside that has been continually slipping into the River Severn and affecting the daily lives of locals since the 1700s. There is only one road into the community and since 1982 this has been overlaid with timber boards to allow easier maintenance.

The objective of this technically demanding and complex project was to primarily stabilise a 300m length of moving hillside. The risk of a spontaneous landslip into the river causing a blockage and upstream flooding has been eliminated and the stabilisation has also allowed for improvement of transport links back into the area with a new road.

The permanent works involved the installation of 2200 no. CFA piles around 12m long in 9 rows across the hillside. These were designed, using a method designed by renowned Neapolitan civil engineer Carlo Viggiani, to penetrate just past the slip plane approximately 7m down and to mobilise passive resistance against further movement.

Ferry Bridge is a Grade II listed, three span wrought iron suspension footbridge across the River Trent. Built in 1889 to replace the existing ferry boat service, it was originally gifted to the town by the brewer Michael Bass. Its opening was a cause of great celebration and this iconic Victorian bridge has always held a special place of importance for the people of Burton. It is now owned by Staffordshire County Council and maintained by Amey.

Amey's restoration of this well-used bridge was undertaken without causing any detriment to the aesthetics. Initially the bridge was grit-blasted and painted to halt the ongoing deterioration. Complex strengthening works were then carried out to bring the bridge up to current design and loading requirements to give it a whole new lease of life and secure the future of this fine example of structural heritage.

Phase 1 of the Perry Barr & Witton Flood Risk Management Scheme is a £6.5m project along a restricted urban river corridor on the River Tame in central Birmingham. The overall scheme will deliver increased protection to 1400 residential properties and bring significant environmental enhancements to the river channel.

Part of the Perry Bar & Witton FRMS story shows how collaboration between the Environment Agency, civil engineering partners, local artists and Birmingham City Council looked to make the River Tame safer, as well as reinstating it as a positive focal point for the local community, preserving its rich local heritage. This has been achieved by incorporating unique features on the new flood wall along Brookvale Road, establishing a nature trail along the river, and through a new poem by Brendan Hawthorne inspiring people to walk, explore and re-engage with the River Tame.

Ludlow STW serves the town of Ludlow and several surrounding villages. The project undertaken by Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) and Severn Trent Water is an excellent example of how through great design and a focus on deploying many small innovations the overall result can be fantastic in terms of programme, cost, and quality.

To improve hydraulic capacity of the works the scheme included: additional primary (9m) and humus (13m) tanks; automation of the storm return system; installation of hydraulic flow control structures to maximise the effectiveness of existing equipment and general upsizing of pipework and channels. The scheme is valued at approximately £2.7m and has been delivered as part of batch of schemes grouped to maximise design, procurement, and construction efficiency. The team at Ludlow have developed a solution that challenges tradition, is cost effective and allows for safe and rapid construction.

Lack of capability to determine water safety of in areas of poor sanitation and following disasters can lead to widespread waterborne disease.

Diageo Foundation funding enabled researchers from the University of Birmingham's Department of Civil Engineering to develop a novel water-testing device for use in disaster relief. Using fluorescence spectroscopy, the instrument provides near-instantaneous indications of whether water is unsafe to drink, using only a 10ml sample and without the need for expensive reagents.

The device has applications for sampling water supplies post-disaster, and for community empowerment as an appropriate technology for longer-term water quality monitoring. Additionally, it can be used for process performance monitoring at water and wastewater treatment works in low resource countries.

The research team worked with NGO partners to ensure that the device meets end-user requirements, and has undertaken research in urban and rural communities in Africa and Nigeria to ensure the technology is appropriate and robust.

Stafford Western Access Route is a £62m project and comprises the construction of a 1.2km new road linking A518 Newport Road and A34 Foregate Street.

Promoted by Staffordshire County Council, with funding provided by Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire LEP, the project aims to relieve congestion in the heart of Stafford town centre while promoting economic growth and attracting inward investment.

The new road crosses the River Sow and associated floodplain to the north of Stafford Town Centre. The Amey design team engaged with environmental stakeholders and the supply chain to design a compensation scheme that maximised environmental benefits within the Doxey and Tillington Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The scheme involves the lowering of an elevated area of ground, re-alignment of the River Sow to re-introduce meanders following historic straightening, and creation of islands in a nearby water body for wetland habitat.

The works have been completed in advance of the main project to enable them to be carried out during a window that minimised the adverse impact on protected species.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC), Atkins, WCC and Balfour Beatty have collaborated to deliver a £4.5M investment in major highway improvements to improve bus journey times along the B425 corridor into Solihull Town Centre. B425 Lode Lane plays a vital role in connecting Solihull Town Centre with Jaguar Land Rover, Birmingham Airport and East Birmingham.

The scheme sought to accommodate Solihull's future growth by focusing on better use of the existing road space to give priority to buses and cyclists without affecting commuters who may still wish to use the car. The overall improvement strategy was based on supporting economic growth and a low carbon future by managing the existing levels of congestion. Extensive consultation has directly influenced the final design to facilitate a safer environment for all road users and promote the use of sustainable methods of transport. The scheme was completed on site in autumn 2016.

The Oculus - the 'eye' on Warwick University campus - is a unique and inspiring space for just under 1,400 students, borne out of the University's own research into the enhancement of teaching and learning. The aim of the design was to maximise the student academic and social experience, through provision of innovative spaces with strong visual impact, functionality, high level of sustainability, and abundant state-of-the art technology.

The building boasts natural aesthetics and presents an effortless blend of traditional and modern materials, with a gently curving central envelope that merges naturally with environment. It is a building designed with an easy flow of people in mind, with the glass façade providing a luxurious panoramic view of nature, and a large atrium hosting a café and a four-screen video wall. The building embraces flexibility by providing shared, multi-user learning spaces and teaching rooms that promote forward-thinking approaches to educational innovation.

The responsible sourcing of materials and the potential to reduce waste is an increasingly important topic of debate in the UK construction industry. This innovative and unique research programme between the AECOM Structures team in Birmingham and Loughborough University's Centre for Innovative & Collaborative Construction Engineering has challenged common industry perceptions regarding crushed concrete aggregates (CCA), and brought into question the existing limitations imposed by the design standards.

The findings have provided indisputable evidence that sustainable structural concrete can be a viable option for future responsibly sourced civil engineering projects, which highlights the requirement for a more robust framework for the re-use and recycling of concrete to be implemented. Additionally, the research has highlighted the benefits of segregating good quality structural concrete from other demolition arisings and the importance of additional testing to characterise materials.

Elland Road Bridge is single span bridge located in Elland, Halifax. It spans over the Calder and Hebble Navigation and carries Elland Bridge Road which is a vital link for the local community connecting the town of Elland and Halifax.

In the 2015 Boxing Day floods Elland Road Bridge suffered massive damage. The foundations were undermined and the bridge collapsed causing major disruption to the local community. Thanks to a collaborative approach and fully integrated team the bridge was successfully reopened to the public in February 2017 after complete reconstruction.

The original bridge was finished in the earlies 1800s and was over 200 years old. It was built entirely in white stone and classified as Grade II listed given its historical importance. The reinstated bridge retains the historic aesthetic of the old bridge.

The new bridge reinstates a link for boaters, pedestrians, cyclists and commuters.

The site was being redeveloped by Kier to provide affordable residential housing. The landfilled made ground below a section of road was of such poor quality that CBR values of 0% were not uncommon. The local Highways Authority and Severn Trent would not adopt the roads or sewers due to concerns over long settlement and required a significant improvement of ground conditions before construction could begin. Initial proposals were for the poor-quality hazardous landfilled material to be excavated, sent to tip and replaced with imported granular fill.

Patrick Parsons and Deep Soil Mixing provided a suitable ground improvement method as well as improving the waste classification of excess materials post treatment. The adoption of deep soil mixing to stabilise the fill material provided a significantly more sustainable solution than the previously proposed dig and dump method and had the added advantage of being quicker and more cost effective.

Highways England awarded AECOM the Midlands Spatial Planning Arrangement (SPA) contract in 2016. In addition to statutory responsibilities to operate a safe, reliable and sustainable Strategic Road Network (SRN), a major challenge for Highways England is to contribute towards and support sustainable economic development. Through the SPA, AECOM has supported Highways England for over 20 years to address these challenges through constructive engagement and collaboration within the planning system.

To deliver services in the West Midlands under the current framework AECOM is supported by SYSTRA, Turley and GVA; drawing on the specialist skills of each. Our integrated team collaborates closely with Highways England teams, key local authority stakeholders and developers to deliver effective outcomes that enable economic growth whilst safeguarding the future operation of the SRN. We undertake development planning and local plan responses, assess network needs, develop highway solutions and funding mechanisms, and evolve new practices and partnering arrangements.

The Hoobrook Link Road is situated within the South Kidderminster Enterprise Park, one of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership's (WLEP) Strategic Employment sites. This important link road between A451 Stourport Road to the A442 Worcester Road will provide improved access, connect two key employment corridors, promote much needed economic growth and relieve traffic congestion.

A critical component of the project was the construction of a key bridge across the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and the River Stour. The bridge was designed to be sympathetic to the visual setting of the canal corridor, which is a designated Conservation Area.

During construction one of Europe's largest cranes lifted the bridge beams into place and the crane could be seen for miles around, standing 50 metres tall (164ft) and lowering beams weighing 75 tons each and 60 metres long (196ft).

The project provides infrastructure improvements supporting business expansion, attracting further investment and job creation.

The Eurasia Tunnel in Istanbul is the world's first intercontinental road tunnel. Located near a UNESCO World Heritage site it passes through an active seismic fault, a challenging mixture of ground conditions and under high water pressures. The tunnel helps to address traffic congestion affecting the existing Bosphorus crossings and surroundings. At 5.4km long, it includes a 3.4km section of twin deck TBM-bored tunnel.

It was Turkey's first private-public partnership (PPP), seeking US$ 960 million in loans following the 2008 financial crisis, and involved a group of lenders from different time zones, each with its own concerns, objectives and business culture.

Arup's team provided Lenders with highway, tunnelling, geotechnical, environmental, traffic and cost/procurement advice. The 'advice flow' between lenders and partners was channelled through one Arup project manager, liaising with teams in Solihull to translate and make technical information more accessible. This model helped the project open eight months early.

Midlands Connect is a pan-Midlands partnership of local transport authorities, local enterprise partnerships and local business representatives working with the Department for Transport and its key delivery bodies. The Midlands Connect Strategy, published in March 2017, sets out proposals to transform transport connectivity across the region to drive economic growth, and sets out a long term transport investment strategy to support regeneration of the Midlands as an engine for growth.

The strategy supports economic growth by facilitating better local employment opportunities, improving trade and investment for local companies, improving opportunities for business expansion and creating better connected communities to thrive. The 'Midlands Rail Hub', is central to the strategy and will help release up to an extra 85,000 train seats across the network every day and allow up to ten extra trains an hour into central Birmingham - currently a key bottleneck limiting east-west rail movements. Midlands Connect was awarded £17 million of government funding to develop early priorities and a further £5million for Midlands Rail Hub.

Pratts Mill Aqueduct, is a Grade II listed structure on the Wyrley & Essington Canal, which was also designated in 2008 as a Local Nature Reserve. The 2-span aqueduct was built in 1856 and comprises a cast iron trough, lattice arches and parapets supported on blue brick abutments and a central brick pier.

It carries the canal over the twin track Walsall to Bloxwich railway line. The structure suffered extensive deterioration as there were no records of prior maintenance in its 162 year service life.

AMCO, executed on behalf of Network Rail the maintenance and restoration works designed by AECOM.

The works comprised cast iron structural repairs requiring metal stitching, masonry repairs, new waterproofing to address water leakage, restoration of damaged cast iron copers, new independent parapets and repainting to get the structure back to its former glory.

The rehabilitation intervention has been described as 'once in a generation'.

In early 2014 during the construction of two properties on a small development site at a development site in the village of Oakamoor in Staffordshire, a large landslip measuring approximately 200m by 75m was activated.

When the excavation for the construction of the retaining walls on the site removed the toe of a slope in a known landslip area, the landslip was activated affecting land in the ownership of four separate people.

David Symonds Associates were appointed to investigate the causes of the landslip and subsequently put forward remedial solutions.

The solution adopted involved installation of deep bored piles together with a reinforced earth bund to stabilise the landslip and maintain the original development site. The project required close collaboration between all parties to stabilise the landslip and prevent damage to the adjacent properties.