New Civil Engineer
9 February 2012
View all stories from this issue.
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£500M boost for Northern Ireland road schemes
Road infrastructure in Northern Ireland is being given a £500M funding boost that should generate 2,500 jobs over the next four years. -
Arup wins £7M environmental contract with HS2
Scheme promoted High Speed 2 (HS2) has appointed Arup, supported by URS Scott Wilson, to provide Environmental Overview Services for the stretch of high speed rail line between London and the West Midlands. -
Atkins engineers to teach new postgraduate degree in railway design
Atkins’ rail business has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with University College London (UCL) to launch a new MSc in Rail Integrated Design Management. -
Atkins to work on Adelaide Oval footbridge
The South Australian government has appointed consultant Atkins to carry out detailed modelling for a new footbridge, which will be part of the redevelopment of the 140-year-old Adelaide Oval. -
Bentley confirms Crossrail BIM collaboration details
Software house Bentley Systems has confirmed the details of its initiatives that will aim to support Crossrail’s construction. -
Bilfinger Berger wins £193M worth of underground contracts
German contractor Bilfinger Berger has won contracts worth €230M (£193M) to build an underground railway in Berlin. -
Blackfriars Tube station reopens after three years' Thameslink work
Blackfriars Tube on the London Underground’s District and Circle lines reopened today following three years of extensive building work. -
Bond Street Crossrail contract award pushed back to 2013
The £200M construction contract for Crossrail’s Bond Street station has been postponed until the beginning of next year, a new report reveals. -
Build operate license approved for Westinghouse AP1000 reactor in US
US nuclear safety regulators have given approval for the first AP1000 nuclear reactor by manufacturer Westinghouse to be built in Georgia. -
CH2M Hill scoops Qatar World Cup programme manager role
The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee has today appointed CH2M Hill as its programme manangement consultant for the 2022 Fifa World Cup. -
Clients can generate the most construction cost savings, says Morrell
Clients must improve how they procure from the supply chain if they are to contribute what will likely be the biggest savings to be made in construction costs, the government’s chief construction adviser Paul Morrell said this week. -
Council relaxes transport and housing targets for new Spurs ground
Haringay council has relaxed its housing and transport commitment to help secure Tottenham Hotspur Football Club’s plans for a new £400M stadium. -
Crisis talks held to avoid summer drought
A drought summit is taking place today as parts of the UK have been experiencing reduced rain fall for months which may continue into the summer. -
Crossrail concrete batching plant up and running in west London
A tunnelling construction plant producing concrete segments for 42km of Crossrail tunnels has officially opened in west London. -
CTV building in Christchurch did not meet building standards
An official report into the collapse of the Christchurch (CTV) building in Christchurch released today found the construction failed to meet key building standards. -
David Richter: Hill International's global power play
US project and programme management giant Hill International is daring to be different, eschewing notions of one-stop-shops and sticking to what it does best. President David Richter tells Mark Hansford why. -
Edinburgh Tram latest phase of works announced
City of Edinburgh Council yesterday confirmed the latest phase of works for the beleaguered Edinburgh Tram scheme. -
Eton Manor complete as 200 day Paralympic countdown begins
Eton Manor, the only venue designed to be solely used for the Paralympic competition, has been completed after two years of construction, the Olympic Delivery Authority has announced. -
Faulty thermometer blamed for temperature rise at stricken Fukushima plant
Japanese officials believe a faulty thermometer signalled a spike in temperature at reactor two at the stricken Fukushima plant last week. -
Final three bidders for £600M Mersey Gateway Project revealed
A shortlist of three bidders has been revealed for the £600M Mersey Gateway Project which will be one of the biggest transport projects in England. -
Flood prevention scheme unveiled for Mythe Farm in Tewkesbury
Severn Trent Water has presented its plans to develop flood compensation works on Mythe Farm in Tewkesbury. -
Full investigation for West Coast Main Line derailment
A full investigation will be carried out into the derailment on the West Coast Main Line, which occurred in the early hours of last Thursday. -
GE Awards attracts record entries
Entries for the 2012 edition of the Ground Engineering Awards were up 50% on 2011 levels, making the shortlist selection more challenging for the judging panel than ever before. -
Government EfW guide too 'negative' and could undermine the technology
A draft government guide designed to help local authorities decide whether to choose energy from waste (EfW) technology is “unduly negative” industry experts have warned. -
Government figures show infrastructure spend at record levels
Infrastructure spending in the UK hit a record high in the final quarter of 2011, official figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) have shown. -
Government needs visionary approach to marine renewables
MPs called for the government to have a more “visionary approach” to develop wave and tidal technology powers in a report released by Energy and Climate Change select committee this week. -
Government told to do more to attract private sector funding for transport
Transport experts have told the government that it must do more to lure private sector investment into transport through pump-priming or commercially underwriting viable schemes. -
Grontmij to make £47M loss
Consultant Grontmij has today warned that it expects to make a loss of between £45M and £47M this year. -
Guidebook aims to give model results
Improving the quality of geotechnical analysis is the aim of a new guidebook called Obtaining Parameters for Geotechnical Analysis that will be published today at the Case Histories of Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering seminar in Nottingham. -
Hammersmith flyover cable replacement starts this week
Corrosion damaged post-tensioning cables to be replaced at eastern end of London viaduct. -
Highways Agency urged to act as maintenance awards delayed
Contractors speak out as deadlines pass for new asset support contracts worth £950M. -
Hill International eyes major UK cost consultant takeover
US project and programme management firm Hill International is planning a raid on one of the UK’s few remaining independent cost consultants, NCE has learned. -
Historic bridges and infrastructure awards: Repair, Refurb and Recreate
Judges made three awards, two commendations and singled one project out for a special mention in this year’s Historic Bridges & Infrastructure Awards. -
Kier Bam joint venture signs off on £100M Hinkley earthworks contract
A joint venture between contractors Kier and Bam has signed a £100M contract with energy giant EdF to carry out site preparation works for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset. -
Kings Cross piling: return fixture
Major piling and remediation works are underway in north London as a full scale regeneration of the King’s Cross railway lands gets underway. NCE reports. -
Lafarge/Tarmac merger may be 'unfair', says commission
The Competition Commission (CC) said today it has a “number of concerns” over the proposed merger between materials firm Tarmac and French rival Lafarge. -
Letters: Let’s not be seduced by the glamour of a new hub
Thirty-two years ago I was preparing evidence on behalf of the three county councils around Stansted on surface access issues for presentation at the long-running public inquiry into the airport’s expansion. It is surprising how few of t -
London council imposes tighter basement restrictions amid growing safety concerns
The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC) in London plans to tighten regulations for the construction of new basements. -
Malfunction of Port Mann bridge gantry crane under investigation
Investigators were this week trying to establish why a gantry crane on the Port Mann Bridge project dropped a precast concrete deck segment into the Fraser River in Vancouver. -
Midlands Metro extension gets green light
Construction of a £128M extension to the Midland Metro from Snow Hill Station through to New Street Station in the city’s centre has been given the go-ahead. -
MOD unveils £4.3bn worth of facilities contracts
The Ministry of Defence’s property management arm has today unveiled facilities contracts worth up to £4.35bn. -
New Fukushima report recommends seismic improvements to reactors
Latest research from a team of Japanese and Chinese academics recommends the stricken Fukushima nuclear power station in Japan will require additional seismic-resistant reinforcing. -
New Wear crossing inches closer to being built
The short-list of potential contractors for Sunderland’s multi-million pound New Wear Crossing is being finalised, according to Sunderland City Council today. -
New Welsh planning boss announced
Planning inspector Richard Poppleton has been appointed as the director for Wales in the Planning Inspectorate. Poppleton, who has worked for 22 years as a Planning inspector, will take up his new role officially from April 2012. -
No.4 Sizewell B completion
When it opened in February 1995, Sizewell B - Britain’s newest nuclear power station - was seen as vital to Britain’s new nuclear aspirations. -
North London waste and energy project reaches final stages of procurement
The North London Waste Authority (NLWA) has today announced its shortlist of bidders for its waste services and fuel use contracts that are estimated to be worth between £3bn and £4bn. -
Northern Irish contractors get Crossrail work nudge
Northern Ireland enterprise minister Arlene Foster has hosted a networking dinner for local construction firms to meet with Crossrail’s major contractors. -
Piling for Glasgow Conference Centre car park gets underway
New Bauer rig in use to case piles in unstable ground near surface. -
Prince Charles points the way to a brave new world
Prince Charles’ lecture at the ICE this week was a rare event and one that was, without doubt, designed to ruffle a few feathers.But that is, after all, HRH’s way - and his role as an independent yet highly informed and influential observer. His views should thus be discussed - and perhaps even acted upon.“We have been all too willing to direct and use the power of nature for our own ends, with scant regard for the long-term consequences of our actions,” he said, drawing on the -
Protests over pay due to roll out across power plants
Construction workers are due to start today a rolling programme of demonstrations refineries and power stations across the UK in the latest in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions. -
Rolls Royce to provide Hinkley Point nuclear reactors
Engineering giant Rolls Royce has today signed an “enhanced cooperation agreement” with nuclear reactor manufacturer Areva to provide equipment and services for new build site Hinkley Point worth £100M. -
Row breaks out over Hinkley Point council funding
A row between Sedgemoor District Council and energy firm EdF has broken out today over £2.3M funding to scrutinise plans for a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. -
Scottish firms get boost from £1bn Forth Bridge project
Multiple materials and equipment contracts for concrete production on the £1bn Scottish Forth Bridge project have been awarded locally to boost jobs and economy north of the border. -
Scottish Parliament sets out £72M transport package
Details of how new budget allocations will be spent have been unveiled by Scottish finance secretary John Swinney in the Scottish Parliament. -
Siemens to build £1bn subsea England-Scotland link
Engineering giant Siemens and cable manufacturer Prysmian has today won the contract to build the £1bn subsea link and on shore connections between Scotland and England. -
Sixty flood defence schemes win share of £250M cash pot to start construction
The Environment Agency has unveiled a raft of new flood defence schemes that have won a share of a £250M funding pot to begin construction from April. -
Special report: Prince Charles on rethinking the way we work
Prince Charles believes the ICE’s charter should be revised to encourage engineers to focus their efforts on sustainable construction and development. Mark Hansford reports. -
Suspended slabs for Welsh retail project
Foundation contractor Keller is installing more than 2,400, 350mm diameter continuous flight auger (CFA) piles to depths of 19m for a new retail development in Prestatyn, Wales, being built by Marshall Construction. -
Transport Scotland says no Scottish firms bid for FRC steel contract
Transport Scotland yesterday said that no Scottish firms had bid for the contract to provide steel for the Forth Replacement Crossing (FRC). -
UK and France sign nuclear energy agreement
Prime minister David Cameron and French president Nicolas Sarkozy have this week announced further cooperation between the two countries on nuclear energy. -
UK energy chief reiterates support for nuclear
Government advisory firm Energy Technologies Institute chief executive David Clarke said nuclear was a key part of the UK’s roadmap to meeting carbon reduction targets. -
URS buys oil and gas firm Flint for £800M
Consulting giant URS has bought Flint Energy Services for C$1.25bn (£800M) expanding its presence in the North American oil and gas industry. -
US to 'compete' for cleaner energy and jobs with £17.4bn budget
America must “compete in the global race for the clean energy jobs of the future” and be at the forefront of green energy technology for a strong economy said US energy secretary Steven Chu. -
'Vital' Welsh gas pipeline to be replaced
A “vital” gas pipeline providing energy security to thousands of households in North Wales is to be replaced, the Department for Energy and Climate Change announced today. -
Work set to start to cool Tube platforms at Green Park and Oxford Circus stations
Work to cool the platforms at two major central London Underground stations is set to begin next month, Transport for London has announced. -
Work starts on M4 link route
Work yesterday began on construction of a £13M on the former Llanwern Steelworks access road to create a new dual carriageway linking the Newport Southern Distributor road with junction 23a of the M4.
