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In several locations, the newly constructed flood wall ties in to Penwortham Old Bridge, a Grade II listed structure and scheduled monument. This contractor decided to bring in the skills of a concrete artist to create a surface for the flood wall that replicates the aged sandstone of the 266-year-old crossing. Although it wasn’t a requirement that the new wall…
Attempts to raise appearance standards helps to improve the profile for the site and industry as a whole. Sites should strive to improve first impressions in order to generate a high level of appearance for site visitors, the public and their own workforce. The example below demonstrates how a site developed an innovative approach to maintain an exceptionally clean and well-presented compound…
Litter – What is the problem? The appearance and condition of a construction site and its perimeter is often the first, only and lasting impression that members of the public who live and work around the activity have of the construction industry. The Considerate Constructors Scheme regularly receives complaints regarding litter on and around construction projects. This instalment of Resolving…
As part of routine maintenance of highways we need to cut extensive amounts of grass along the highway verges including on uneven ground and up and down embankments. We know that slips, trips and falls are some of our bigger risks, and that alternative plant to carry out these tasks can include use of vibrating tools (e.g. strimmers) with associated…
A new artist-designed play area created from soil excavated from the high speed railway’s Chilterns Tunnel was commissioned by the contractor and opened at Rickmansworth’s Maple Cross JMI school late last year. The initiative was sparked after a Year Six pupil wrote to the contractor asking whether soil from the nearby project works could be donated to create a new…
Natural capital refers to the elements of the natural environment which provide valuable goods and services to people. For example, a woodland can be regarded as a natural capital asset, from which flows valuable benefits, or ecosystem services, such as flood risk reduction and carbon capture. This contractor is creating 9 new woodlands in partnership with Blenheim Estate in Oxfordshire,…
On this project the new road cuts through areas of peat which is waterlogged and operations in this area are carefully managed to ensure zero impact on people, plant or the environment. As part of their Great Crested Newt license issued by Natural England, there is a requirement for habitat manipulation within 250m of Great Crested Newt inhabited ponds, in…
Trees play a central role in not only maintaining nutrient-rich soil, providing shelter and habitat for animals but they are also important for their carbon sequestration. This contractor has installed a tree and nature corridor protection zone along the entire east boundary of the project adjacent to a railway line maintaining a link between a wooded area to the north…
In keeping with current best practice and to reduce adverse environmental impacts from the use of plastic products, the project is using a biodegradable product instead of plastic tree shelters. 5000 non-plastic shelters are being installed at four locations with diverse micro-climates which allows their environmental specialists to monitor and understand the performance of the shelters in different conditions. The…
Whilst considering what could be included in their site handout leaflet this contractor realised that a lot of paper would be used that would damage the environment if it was not recycled. To combat this issue they have invested in plantable seed paper. All of their leaflets have been and will be printed on this paper with “plant me” logos…
Amongst the many different types of obstructions that occur in watercourses, culverts represent the most difficult structures through which to allow upstream passage of migrating fish and eels. Whereas natural waterfalls and weirs can be easily engineered with a sequence of open pools allowing fish to jump between the pools and swim upstream, culverts present a difficult design challenge due…
VOCs and hydrocarbon fumes arising from the handling of contaminated soils are easily detectable below hazardous thresholds as an odour and have potential to cause significant disturbance to nearby residents. A comprehensive odour management system has been agreed with the Local Authority and implemented to minimise this risk as far as practicable in a residential area where the local community…
Prior to the site boundary being installed the Project Manager noticed that students from a local school went to the bowling alley weekly, but walked across the site to get there. Once the hoarding had gone up the student’s route increased by about half a mile, which would be the new route when the medical centre had been completed. Sean…
With the recent problems we have faced with coronavirus, including access to resources and products, including certain food types, members of our North Bristol project, led by a green fingered supervisor, set up an allotment next to site. The site had to fully prepare the ground from scratch and planted a wide variety of vegetables including runner beans, lettuce, carrots,…
As part of the installation of a new dive under railway tunnel, it was required to move rail lines across onto the route of a watercourse (Brook Drain North). The project team therefore constructed an upgraded river section to replace this loss, with the installation of a 840 metre long, four metre deep open engineered earth channel. During pre-construction ecology…