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In the summer months on this project, the lake has suffered from blue algae which can be deadly to the fish and the natural habitat on site. This contractor is using a device with a normal pump which has been modified to allow Venturi effects under the water surface. The Venturi effect is the reduction in fluid pressure that results…

On this project, part of the road is carried on a 5m high embankment which overlies a historical railway cutting. The railway cutting was up to 9.5 m deep and is infilled with landfill material, placed predominantly during the 1970s. Ground investigation was carried out to determine the composition of the landfill material, which generally comprised a clay/sand matrix with…

This contractor used over 180m3 of cement free concrete in the abutments for the flood barrier. This saved 44 tonnes in embodied CO2 which is 70% less than traditional OPC concrete. This product has never been used in these volumes before from the supplier and required new heated admixture tanks to be installed in the batching plant.

This contractor is using the Bowcom Bowdry MK11 which collects up to 60 litres of water per minute, it is simple to operate, transport and store. The environmental advantages include no power usage, and replaces wet vacs and puddle pumps. The device is manually pushed and the rollers are replaceable with another sponge. This is a non-powered, quick and safe…

This contractor has introduced inclusive cabins, sympathetic to the needs of individuals with neurodiverse conditions. These come with several enhancements to colours (walls and signage), dimmable lighting, acoustic sound barriers, textures on chairs and temperature controls. Environmental and sustainable improvements including water harvesting, B rated cabins (first across the industry), eco-grid walkways and recycled plastic lumbar fencing.

This contractor is using a generator which uses glycerin as its power source. This is a waste product from bio diesel production and when consumed in the generator it provides mobile power with zero particulate emissions, it is also non-flammable, non-toxic and biodegradable and therefore has a very low carbon footprint. This is an example of beneficial reuse of a…

Together with their client, this contractor engaged with The Lions Barber Collective to visit the site and offer free haircuts to site operatives, with the goal of fostering positive mental health conversations. The charities barbers are trained in conversations around mental health and offer their “clients” a relaxed environment to broach what are often considered difficult conversations The initiative was…

In order to allow works to the theatre roof alongside works to the auditorium below, it was proposed to install a hanging platform to provide a safe working platform for the works, whilst protecting operatives below from falling objects. A traditional tube and fitting platform is made up of long span beams tied together with traditional tube and fitting components….

This project is reusing plastic drums, painting them in corporate colours and dividing them internally. The top part of each drum is planted with flowers and has a permeable divider that allows excessive rain water to filter into the lower half. The water in the lower half is syphoned off by a tap and the water is then reused to water…

A Mud on Road App is used by logistic staff which creates a real time report on the state of the roads around the sites and if required a road sweeper will be called out. The Second element is the ‘Mud Cam’, which is an AI camera system which is currently being trialled which will detect any mud on the…

Nature Detectives is an initiative to encourage children, families, and also adults to engage in detecting what other ‘residents’ are making their homes. They are doing this on the estate by recording activity at bat boxes, bird boxes and swift bricks together with sightings of badgers, foxes, various butterflies, insects and different birds. ‘Detective Kits’ are provided for children with…

One of the issues this contractor is finding on site is stress, especially during the pandemic and the effect that this has had on their workforce. The contractor has set up a partnership with the Newcastle United Foundation to become ambassadors for the ‘be a game changer’ campaign, they have carried out a workshop and are following this up site…

The site is trialling an NFC chip, which can be located in a wrist band (for use by visitors), card, helmet tag or fob for operatives. This is a data storage device which is being used on the site for any medical information and as well as emergency contact details. By uploading this information to the chip using a tag…

This contractor is the first in the UK to use drone flight to be controlled from beyond the line of visual sight (BLOVS) and is intended to pave the way for them to be stored on or flown to site to carry out visual inspections without operators needing to travel to site. The drone pilot is located in a central…

Motion Frame is a Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) panelised wall system, made up of a traditional head track and 2 sided plasterboard sandwich panels with an insulated filling. The panels are lifted and installed by hand from the ground level with no working at height requirement. Once in position they are fixed in to place by adding ‘feet’…