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National Highways has opened bidding for a new £1bn, six-year framework to deliver a major concrete road replacement program. The new Legacy Concrete Roads Reconstruction (LCRR) Framework replaces the previous £400m, five-year arrangement, which focused more on repairs than full reconstruction. Under the outgoing framework, Morgan Sindall Group plc and John Sisk & Son Ltd conducted major reconstruction, while VolkerFitzpatrick Ltd, COLAS, Dyer & Butler, and Tarmac handled lifecycle extension works. The new LCRR framework will shift the focus to full reconstruction, requiring around double the spending. Applications are due in March, with the new framework launching in November. The six-year duration aligns with the RIS3 (2025-30) and RIS4 (2030-35) funding periods. Read more: [https://lnkd.in/dgFDi22x] Construction Enquirer

Subsidence prompts design review for Sydney tunnels The tunnel design on #Sydney’s M6 Stage 1 is being reviewed after two subsidence incidents this year. The M6 Stage 1 comprises 4km of twin tunnels The incidents occurred on March 1 and 9, about 150m apart. On the first occasion, a sinkhole caused a partial building collapse in an industrial estate. On March 9, workers were about 12m below the surface, excavating the face of the south-bound tunnel, when a hole developed. The workers were evacuated and none was injured. In a statement to T&TI, a #Transport for NSW spokesperson said the cost and timeline of the M6 Stage 1 were now under review. “Transport for NSW and its delivery partner CGU are currently reviewing the design of the tunnel in areas affected by subsidence and a revised construction programme, both of which will impact the cost of the project. Transport for NSW and the contractor continue to investigate the cause of the subsidence, which affected a 244m section of tunnel,” the spokesperson said. SafeWork NSW prohibition notices are still in place, and tunnelling can recommence in the areas affected by subsidence only when SafeWork gives approval. The spokesperson said tunnelling was continuing from the Arncliffe site, with 90% of tunnelling excavation completed across the project. “Tunnelling fit-out construction is also progressing, including laying road pavements and electrical and mechanical works. Surface road works are also continuing on President Avenue, as well as work on the 5km of active transport connections in and around Bicentennial Park,” the spokesperson said. “We will keep the community informed once the project’s revised construction timeline is known.” The M6 Stage 1 is a major road project to provide 4km of twin tunnels connecting the M8 motorway at Arncliffe to President Avenue in Kogarah. It will allow motorists to bypass up to 23 sets of traffic lights on the Princes Highway, and link with Sydney’s wider motorway network. Construction started in January 2022 and was scheduled to open to traffic at the end of 2025. https://lnkd.in/euCgJcDP

Farrans makes breakthrough on tricky tunnel job as part of a new £155m water pipeline project under the Tees. In other news, affordable and rental homes demand lifts brickwork contractor, while more fire safety provisions tip a firm into a £3.9m loss. The 3.3m sq ft Humber Tech Park is set to become one of Europe's largest data centres, and VolkerFitzpatrick will start work on the Winnall roundabout near Winchester in early 2025. A £205m Trafford housing upkeep deal has been announced, and a land deal paves the way for Amro Partners' 1,000-home London scheme. Cementation Skanska upgrades site safety systems, and a house builder remains bullish about shareholder returns after asking suppliers for discounts. The government buys five acres at a former Central Retail Park, while a project to upgrade an existing market and build a new library is underway. Tideway completes a connection to the existing Lee Tunnel sewer system, and the North Hykeham Relief Road is granted planning permission. A landmark cantilevered NXQ building is planned for Manchester's Northern Quarter, and infrastructure maintenance work continues to pay off for a contractor.

BRIDGES BARRIERS – UPGRADES, DESIGNS AND RISK 12th Australian Small Bridges Conference, 22-23 Oct 2024, Gold Coast Australia. www.smallbridges.com.au - including Geotechnical Engineering and Civil Works for Bridges, Road and Rail The appropriate design, construction and maintenance of bridge barrier systems is an important part of any road bridge project. Many older bridges also require upgrades to their bridge barriers to bring them up to modern design standards. What upgrades are required is an important are to be considered. Pedestrian and Cycle bridges over roads, railway lines or watercourses need safety barriers to prevent falls from height, and some require anti-throw screens as well. The use of suicide barriers are also required on many bridges structures. Bridge Barriers are one of the themes of the 12th Australian Small Bridges Conference. Three of our Bridge Barrier Abstracts are featured below. However, many more of our accepted abstracts/presentations will also feature bridge barriers as part of their presentation.  In addition, our comprehensive exhibition will include bridge barrier systems. BRIDGE BARRIER UPGRADES TO VARIOUS REGIONAL BRIDGES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA Howard Jiang, Structural Engineer, Jacobs Larry Yang, Principal Structural Engineer BRIDGE BARRIERS: WHAT CAN ASSET OWNERS DO TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS KEY RISKS ON THEIR NETWORK? Joshua Hniat, Senior Bridge Engineer, pitt&sherry Richard Cassidy, Senior Principal Bridge Engineer, pitt&sherry A NON-CONSERVATIVE DESIGN APPROACH TO DESIGN BRIDGE AND ROAD BARRIERS Huy Binh Pham, Technical Principal, SMEC Basim Matar, Graduate Engineer, SMEC TO REGISTER ONLINE go to https://lnkd.in/ebpXVHRq *Now is the time to register to secure our Earlybird Delegate Rate before it closes on 12 July. *You can pay with credit card while registering, or you can request a tax invoice to pay by EFT later. UPDATE- OVER EIGHTY ACCEPTED ABSTRACTS. The list of our accepted abstracts as of 2 July is at https://lnkd.in/gXdRF6_J Note that some abstracts are awaiting necessary approvals before they can be made public. #bridges #smallbridges #bridgeengineering #roadsafety

🌉 Acrow Bridge Installs Steel Bridge in New Jersey 🌉 🛠️ Delve into Acrow Bridge's recent project in New Jersey, where they installed a modular steel bridge to swiftly replace an aging infrastructure piece. This article explores the benefits and technical details of Acrow's prefabricated steel bridges, known for their durability and rapid deployment capabilities. Learn about the specific challenges faced during the New Jersey installation, including site constraints and traffic management, and how Acrow's innovative bridge solutions addressed these issues. Discover the wider implications for community connectivity and traffic flow improvement, demonstrating how modular bridges are a cost-effective and reliable option for critical infrastructure upgrades. 🚀🚧 👉 Read the full article on Highways Today: https://lnkd.in/ejzYgkJF #AcrowBridge #InfrastructureDevelopment #HighwaysToday #ModularSteelBridges #NewJerseyProjects #TrafficImprovement #RapidDeployment

Morgan Sindall discusses completion of £75M concrete replacement scheme on A12 Margaretting Bypass The £75M concrete surface reconstruction scheme on the A12 Margaretting Bypass in Essex was both challenging and precedent setting, National Highways and Morgan Sindall Infrastructure have told NCE. Work to repair the existing #concrete #road between junctions 13 and 15, that had to come to end of its #serviceable life, began in February 2023 with the road reopening on Thursday 8 August.  The #concretesurface of the road has been relaid as asphalt to reduce noise of cars on the road and also reduce the amount of #maintenance needed, with it now having a servicable life of 40-50 years. Almost 58,000t of asphalt was put down during the construction of the new road and the project team implemented several #innovative strategies that reduced the scheme’s #CO2 footprint by 58%.  Measures included recycling the existing concrete and base as part of the #construction of the new road, saving 106.8t of carbon. Additionally, the project team reduced the surfacing #thickness of the road which led to a total #carbonsaving of approximately 17,000t.  A lot of these roads are made of concrete and it was a big part of our inspiration to #recycle that to use in the new surface,” National Highways Project Manager on the scheme Nisar Ahmad CEng MICE MSc (Civil) BSc (Civil) said. “I suppose the big challenge for the scheme was we had, at the start, to keep two lanes of traffic in both directions running,” Morgan Sindall project manager Robert Colthorpe said. “It’s a three lane carriageway and we had to keep two lanes open so it was very much a geometric challenge. " The project is part of National Highways’ nationwide drive to #revitalise old concrete roads across the country. Concrete roads make up almost 640km (4%) of England’s #motorway and major A-road network. Mostly found along the eastern side of the country, around half of the old-style concrete roads in the region will either have #repairs or be #replaced. National Highways has set up a concrete roads Centre of Excellence for the renewal programme. Work being done for the scheme with two of the lanes open National Highways head of planning and development Simon Amor said: “A third of the country’s concrete roads are in the east region and this is the third big reconstruction scheme we’ve completed.  “We’ve completed one on the A11 in Norfolk, one on the A14 in Suffolk and now this one here in Essex. “We’ve got another one on the A12 due to finish in the next month or six weeks.” “We are absolutely capturing lessons learned. Obviously, carbon reduction is a big thing across the industry and we will be sharing these lessons within National highways and beyond.” Article: https://lnkd.in/eEGeFJvy

National Highways Launches £968m Concrete Roads Framework National Highways is kicking off procurement for a £968m framework to reconstruct 644km of concrete roads across England. The six-year contract covers major upgrades in regions like Yorkshire, East Anglia, and the South East, with an emphasis on extending pavement lifespans and reducing environmental impact. The Legacy Concrete Roads Reconstruction (LCRR) framework will include pavement demolition, rebuilding with long-life solutions, and upgrading drainage, signage, and central reserves. Contractors will also need to manage temporary traffic disruptions while keeping sustainability front and centre - concrete recycling and carbon capture reporting are non-negotiables. Previous frameworks delivered by firms like Morgan Sindall Infrastructure and VolkerFitzpatrick Ltd set the bar, including the £65m upgrade of the A11 in Norfolk, completed in 2023. But with bids due by 3pm on 5th March, it’s anyone’s game for this new round. Backed by RIS3 funding (2025–30) and extending into the early RIS4 period, this framework is a rare opportunity to shape England’s strategic road network while driving innovation in sustainable construction. ----------------- 🔗 Join 2,000+ industry leaders staying informed with Civil Edge, our free weekly newsletter. Get the latest news and insights from the civil engineering world - from groundbreaking projects to industry trends- all in just 5 minutes. 📨 Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/ejF2Q9iy Want to see what it’s all about? Check out our latest edition: https://lnkd.in/egT9S2gx

HS2 set for “fundamental reset” to lower construction costs New HS2 Chief Executive Mark Wild said the project is facing “a very serious situation” and is need of a “fundamental reset” in a bid to keep costs down to complete the rest of the route. His comments came as a construction update revealed the majority of the deep tunnel drives and earthworks needed for the high-speed railway have now been completed. Figures show that 70% of twin-bore tunnels have been excavated to date, representing 38 of the 55 miles being built for the railway. In all, five out of 12 tunnel drives have been completed. The update revealed that 58% of earthworks for the railway’s cuttings, embankments, stations and landscaping have been completed representing almost 92 million cubic metres of material moved in total so far. Additionally work has started on construction of 158 out of 227 viaducts and bridges – 70% – with 13 already built. But Wild – who joined the project at the start of December said: “HS2 represents a significant investment in Britain’s future and in the last month I’ve been inspired by the hugely impressive feats of civil engineering taking shape right along the route. New railways provide better journeys and they boost economic growth by fuelling investment in communities and businesses. “The prize is clear. However, the programme is in a very serious situation that requires a fundamental reset to enable it to be delivered to the lowest feasible cost. I am committed to delivering this reset over the coming year to ensure the railway can be brought into service safely and efficiently.” https://lnkd.in/egwDic4t

A Milestone Beneath London: The Final Seal on Thames Tideway Super Sewer 🏗️🎉 London's monumental Thames Tideway project has just marked a historic milestone by placing a colossal 1,200-tonne concrete lid, wrapping up the heavy civil engineering phase. It's a game-changer for our capital's infrastructure—think fewer pollutants, a cleaner Thames, and a marvel of modern engineering! From Vision to Reality: Thames Tideway's Journey 🛠️🔍 Eight years of unmatched commitment, a 25km tunnel stretching an awe-inspiring 67m below the city, and the cooperation of some of the industry's heavyweights - it's finally come to fruition. Completing this phase required the expertise of a trio of joint ventures, mastering the intricate balance between rapid progression and absolute precision. When the goliath lid was expertly fitted onto Abbey Mills' deepest shaft, it symbolised a triumph of collaboration and innovation in the face of complex urban challenges. Revolutionising London's Sewer System 💧🚀 We're talking technology that redirects overflow from over 30 CSOs into a main artery running to Beckton's sewage treatment works. The installation of valves and the use of TBM tech, which punctuated the project's primary tunnelling last year, demonstrates our bold leap into advanced engineering. What's next? A commissioning phase pulsating with potential, promising a cleaner, rejuvenated Thames by next year. Beyond Engineering: Creating Public Spaces 🌳🌆 But it's not just about the infrastructure beneath our feet. Tideway's vision extends to transforming seven sites along the tunnel's path into vibrant public realms, breathing new life back into reclaimed areas along the Thames. Thanks to the construction teams ✨👷 Celebrating the relentless spirit of the teams that brought us here is imperative. The tirade of underground civil engineering has concluded, declaring a bright future for London's environmental legacy. Testing and completing above-ground structures are on the horizon, but let's pause to revel in the seamless execution of a truly epic construction ballet. London awaits the full throttle of the Tideway super sewer's capabilities. As we embrace cutting-edge innovation and smart city solutions, the promise of environmental resilience and operational excellence remains unbroken. #ThamesTideway #CivilEngineering #InfrastructureInnovation

𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗼-𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟴: 𝗗𝗣𝗪𝗛 Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/g78psUGv The PHP19.3 billion Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) project is expected to be completed by September 2028, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 11 (Davao). Dean Ortiz, DPWH-11 spokesperson, said in a press briefing Wednesday that as of Nov. 25, the overall project accomplishment stands at 6.45 percent. The civil works are 3.51 percent completed, while the detailed engineering design (DED) is 97.97 percent finished. “All the remaining DED plans have been approved as of Nov. 5, 2024,” Ortiz said. Bored piling works, which began on May 1 this year, have made significant progress. On the Samal Island side, 100 percent (74 out of 74) of the bored piles for the land viaduct are complete. On the Davao City side, 46.36 percent (51 out of 110) of the bored piles are finished. Pile cap construction on the Davao City side commenced on Sept. 12, 2024. Ortiz reported that 15.38 percent (four out of 26) of the land viaduct substructure has been completed. In Samal, road-right-of-way issues in Barangay Limao have been resolved, with all 10 affected properties settled and expropriated. On the Davao City side, negotiations are ongoing for 52 properties -- 36 have been paid, while 16 are under processing. Ortiz said the DPWH aims to finalize these claims by the first quarter of 2025. The SIDC bridge, a 3.9-km., four-lane cable-stayed structure, will link Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) over the Pakiputan Strait. It will feature a vertical navigational clearance of 47 meters, landing points at the R. Castillo-Daang Maharlika junction in Davao City, and the Samal Circumferential Road in Barangay Limao. Once operational, the bridge is expected to serve up to 25,000 vehicles daily, cutting travel time between Davao City and Samal from 30 minutes via ferry to just five minutes. By Che Palicte