Bridges to Schools Workshop

Published 15 September 2020 | No comments
Written by John Cairns
CategoriesCommunity engagement Schools and nurseries
Balfour Beatty supported 255 pupils from Aberdeen City primary schools through delivering the Bridges to Schools workshops at Lochside Academy during week of 4 November 2019. The sessions were arranged as part of partnership with Lochside Academy and engaged pupils from Loirston Primary, Abbotswell Primary, Charleston Primary, Walker Road Primary, Tullos Primary and Kirkhill Primary. The Bridges to Schools week...

Tracking Systems for Monitoring the Movements of the Existing Bridge Deck

Published 7 September 2020 | No comments
Written by Jack Endean
CategoriesControlled access
The contractor has utilised a combination of two tracking systems for monitoring the movements of the existing bridge deck during works to replace and widen an existing rail bridge with minimal disruption to the rail networks. The project required the replacement of a railway overbridge structure. As part of this, the clear span was to be increased from 17.50m to...

Interactive 4D Animation to Show Daily Construction Progress

Published 17 August 2020 | No comments
Written by Jack Endean
CategoriesRegular updates of progress Reviews and lessons learned
Creation of an interactive 4D animation that combines the BIM 3D Revit model with the latest animation technology. This model is then linked to the construction programme to inform the user on daily construction progress. This is interrogated by the site team using touch screen technology during daily short interval control meetings to inform construction planning, design issues and clash...

Webinar Support for Barnardo’s Training Groups

Published 29 July 2020 | No comments
Written by John Cairns
CategoriesSupport for local charities
During lockdown, Balfour Beatty have delivered webinars for young people involved in the Barnardo’s training groups based in Scotland. Balfour Beatty’s community team are supporting online careers advice and industry insights to participants that are involved in the Barnardo’s Works employability programmes. Participants involved in sessions are 16-24 years old and are being supported to find opportunities in further learning...

Support for Female Engineer Mentoring Scheme

Published 29 July 2020 | No comments
Written by John Cairns
CategoriesSupport for careers advice Training plans Workforce development plans
Balfour Beatty are supporting the University of Dundee’s new Civil Engineering mentoring scheme which pairs female engineers with students to support and empower their transition through University and into their chosen career. Balfour Beatty Construction Manager Leigh Clark, project team member on the Badenoch & Strathspey Community hospital in Aviemore, is part of the newly launched mentoring scheme to encourage...

Support for Career Ready Mentoring and Work Placement Programme

Published 29 July 2020 | No comments
Written by John Cairns
CategoriesCommunity engagement Promoting construction as a career choice Schools and nurseries
Balfour Beatty are supporting the UK Career Ready programme and are in the third year of supporting the programme which runs in Moray, Scotland. The Career Ready programme is a commitment to providing young people with mentoring over a two year period and also involves supporting a four week summer work placement for participants. In Moray, Balfour Beatty staff members...

Rainbow Flags on Sites to Promote and Support Pride Month

Published 22 June 2020 | No comments
Written by John Cairns
CategoriesDisadvantaged and minority groups support Engagement and commitment from the workforce
Balfour Beatty project sites across Scotland are flying the rainbow flag with pride as part of ongoing support for #pridemonth2020. Flags were put in place at the Skye, Lochalsh and South West Ross community hospital project in Broadford, the Badenoch & Strathspey community hospital project in Aviemore and at the Edinburgh IRR project in the Edinburgh Bioquarter.

Providing Biodiversity Net Gain Solutions

Published 22 June 2020 | No comments
Written by Nicky Paine
CategoriesInvestigation for environmental events Involvement Specialist input
We are supporting King’s Lynn Internal Drainage Board to achieve Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) on the project. It was essentially a generic construction project, with no requirement for us to achieve BNG during construction of the Pumping Station. However, during construction we decided to go beyond requirements and produce a Biodiversity Metric for the Scheme, enabling us to account for...

Activities for Families Working from Home

Published 26 May 2020 | No comments
Written by John Cairns
CategoriesCommunity engagement
Balfour Beatty’s Community Investment team published a booklet for staff in Scotland which contained the latest business updates on how critical sites have been adapting and delivering during the coronavirus pandemic and also contained a range of short activities for children to complete at home. The booklet contained games for all ages of children and included games such as spot...

An Improvement to Woodpole Construction

Published 12 May 2020 | No comments
Written by Amy Fraser
CategoriesConsultation on health and safety Falling objects Unsafe condition reporting
In December 2019 there was a communication sent across Power T&D with regards to an incident that occurred during works undertaken by another Overhead Line contractor. During the construction of an H-Pole Structure, there was a requirement to lift the top end of the structure with an excavator approximately 200mm to allow bolts associated with the steel work to be...

Mova M8 Traffic Signal Control Strategy

Published 12 May 2020 | No comments
Written by Jack Endean
CategoriesPlanning of traffic routes
On the A630 College Road Roundabout Junction in Rotherham, the latest MOVA M8 signal control technology has been specified to replace the existing control. This is the very latest traffic light system and is believed to be the first use in a temporary situation to manage traffic more efficiently during the roadworks. The main safety and user benefits are: MOVA...

Cabbed Dumpers

Published 27 April 2020 | No comments
Written by Jasvir Sandhu
CategoriesHealth risk assessments and monitoring
The use of cabbed dumpers on this project has given the operators a better working environment due to being able to work in a dry air-conditioned cab rather than an open air seat as previously. Also, several of the cabbed dumpers that are used can be driven by the operator in the direction that he is facing by rotating the...

Ultilow Low Temperature Asphalt

Published 20 April 2020 | No comments
Written by Jack Endean
CategoriesConserve of energy
The scheme required a 40mm surface course to be placed during night-time closures of the busy A630 College Road Roundabout in Rotherham. Tarmac proposed to use Ultilow, Low Temperature Asphalt to permit as early opening as possible of the roundabout junction to minimise disruption to road users. Ultilow asphalts embrace proven technology to ensure that the material supplied performs as...

Long Term Arrangement to Donate Surplus Pallets to a Local Community Group

Published 15 April 2020 | No comments
Written by John Cairns
CategoriesCommunity engagement Support for local charities
The project team set up an arrangement with a local business Strathspey Railway who rely heavily on donations and volunteering from local community. As part of long term relationship, Strathspey Railway were supported to register for waste and transportation transfer licences Strathspey Railway require large amounts of timber to power coal steam engines and will make use of surplus timber...

Noise Register and Promotion through Staff Poster

Published 15 April 2020 | No comments
Written by John Cairns
CategoriesWorkplace noise monitoring
The site foreman created a Noise Assessment sheet for site operatives The sheet was created as a poster and is displayed in the welfare area to raise awareness of the noise levels of various machinery which is used on site. The poster promotes noise levels from 1m and also whether ear protection is required when tracking machinery.

The Best Practice Hub is provided by the Considerate Constructors Scheme