Scan this code with your smartphone to read issue 45 online
Magazine of the Mott MacDonald Group
HEALTH 04 | MATERIALS 08 | EDUCATION 10 | TUNNELLING 14 | WATER 19 AVIATION 20 | HIGHWAYS 22 | BUILDINGS 24 | POWER 26 | OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION 28
FEEL THEMOMENTUM
NEW WEAPON IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DENGUE FEVER
Issu
e 45
2
CONTENTS4
14
22 2419
28
31
18
32
2640% REDUCTION IN PEAK ENERGY DEMAND
Building a better
education system
for India
Design for manufacture saves 20% build time
Space-effi cient expansion at Hong Kong Airport
USING FISH TO FIGHT
DENGUE FEVER IN
SOUTHEAST ASIA
UNIVERSITY REFURBISHMENT DELIVERS 70% ENERGY SAVING
DESIGNING DUBAI’S LOW ENERGY LANDMARK
SETTING STANDARDS ON SINGAPORE’S LARGEST ROAD TUNNEL
NEWSAWARDS, CONTRACTS, INNOVATION, PEOPLE
8‘Magic bullet’ against corrosion
LONDON’S ICONIC NEW CABLECAR
REVEALING THE TRUTH ABOUT WATER USE
STRENGTHENING TRANSPORT PLANNING WITH SATNAV DATA
3
INNOVATIVE ADVANTAGE
A key contributor to Mott MacDonald’s strength is our culture of innovation. By inquiring, encouraging creative problem solving and supporting new ideas, we generate solutions that are more commercially competitive, safer, more sustainable and that perform better.
As this edition of Momentum shows, one can’t innovate alone. We collaborate closely with our clients and delivery partners to develop and implement ideas so that the full potential advantages are realised while the risks associated with innovation are effectively mitigated.
Major cost, time and safety gains have been achieved by pioneering new construction techniques on two very different projects – Singapore’s largest road tunnel and a new hospital building in Scotland.
We’re harnessing information, communication and control technologies in diverse ways: to give unrivalled insight into travel patterns and strengthen transport planning; to give power companies a means of reducing peak energy demand; to provide consumer goods giant Unilever with insight into water use, enabling it to develop more sustainable products; and to identify ways in which India’s secondary education system can be strengthened.
Innovation always advances industry thinking, sometimes in major leaps. In the health sector, we’ve shown that dengue fever infections can be reduced 80% by using guppy fi sh to eradicate mosquito larvae. Our recladding of an ineffi cient university building has cut its energy consumption by 70%. And in the infrastructure sector we’ve developed an environment-friendly way to protect steel marine structures such as harbour walls from corrosion that is longer lasting while costing only 50% as much as conventional techniques.
It’s through fi nding better solutions to old problems and overcoming new challenges in the most effective way that Mott MacDonald makes its biggest contribution to social, economic and environmental progress. And it’s how we help our customers achieve success.
Keith HowellsMott MacDonald Group chairman
We collaborate closely with our clients and delivery partners to develop and implement ideas so that the full potential advantages are realised.
80%OF DENGUE FEVER INFECTIONS COULD BE PREVENTED BY PUTTING A GUPPY IN EVERY WATER JAR
4
This is the first time that the advantages of biological control have been clearly shown. In combination with simple behavioural changes, it’s a practical and sustainable solution to a major health problem.Henrietta Wells, Mott MacDonald project manager
We have led a two year pilot programme in Cambodia, Lao and the Philippines using guppy fi sh to eat the larvae of mosquitoes that spread the life-threatening tropical disease, dengue fever.
Following impressive results, the Government of Lao is introducing guppies into its national disease control strategy.
Worldwide, three billion people are vulnerable to dengue fever. Half live in south east Asia, where urbanisation and increased population density are contributing to the rapid spread of dengue-carrying mosquitoes. In Cambodia, Lao and the Philippines 80% of mosquito breeding occurs in large ceramic jars that most households use to store water, with 20% taking place in water accumulated within discarded waste.
“Dengue is a major public health issue, with seasonal outbreaks putting health systems under serious strain in many countries,” says Henrietta Wells, project manager with Mott MacDonald’s specialist health consultancy HLSP. “There is no specifi c medication and development of a vaccine is complicated by the existence of four different viral types. Prevention is key.”
USING FISH TO FIGHT DENGUE FEVER Mobilising our health, stakeholder engagement and programme management expertise, we’ve shown that guppies are an effective biological weapon in the fi ght against a major disease.
HOW WE’RE ADDING VALUE
Henrietta WellsMott MacDonald project manager
� [email protected]: Asian Development Bank Cambodia, Lao, Philippines
5
WINNING SUPPORT The guppy, a 25-60mm long freshwater fi sh, has been employed for mosquito control on an ad hoc basis. But use of guppies as the core component of a public health strategy had never been explored. In 2010, the Asian Development Bank contracted HLSP to lead and manage a programme exploring the possibility, working with the governments of Cambodia, Lao and the Philippines, plus the World Health Organisation.
Together we designed and piloted studies that targeted more than 6000 households across Lao and Cambodia with community-based education on dengue and how to use guppies. The project also incorporated other simple strategies for preventing mosquitoes breeding, such as turning over unused water jars and clearing away rubbish. Using motorised tricycle taxis known as tuk-tuks, healthworkers travelled from village to village teaching a catchy dengue song, giving talks and distributing leafl ets. School drama competitions were staged and judged by provincial governors. In Lao, primary school children played a central role in breeding and distributing fi sh.
“An important part of the study was to fi nd out if water jars are a good habitat for guppies – and how people felt about having fi sh in them,” says Henrietta. The team also analysed the costs of introducing the approach nationally.
100% KILL RATETwelve months into the study, following the fi rst full dengue cycle, none of the water jars containing guppies had any evidence of larvae. “Even a single fi sh could keep the jar mosquito free,” Henrietta reports. For comparison purposes, we set up ‘control’ jars without any fi sh. Larvae were found in a quarter of these.
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONThe guppies suppressed normal seasonal fl uctuations in mosquito breeding. Just how effective the fi sh are was demonstrated during a local dengue fever outbreak in Cambodia. Unplanned by the project team, local authorities used a chemical pesticide to kill off larvae, yet the numbers went straight back up only a few weeks later. In contrast, by using guppies to tackle the outbreak we were able to keep water jars larvae-free, demonstrating that the fi sh are effective in control as well as prevention of the disease.
© D
r To
Seth
a
6
DID YOU KNOWHealth sector projects we’re working on encompass the prevention of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, infant and maternal health, and the strengthening of health service provision.
Driven by European Union and national environmental legislation, Romania is mid-way through a 10 year wastewater
treatment investment bonanza and the volume of sewage sludge is rocketing. In 2010 the country generated 97,000 tonnes of sludge. By 2018 the quantity will exceed 400,000 tonnes. Appointed by the government, we have drawn up a strategy to guide management of this waste stream.
“At present nearly all the sludge is disposed of in landfi ll sites,” explains Mott MacDonald country director Toma Stoia. “That is unsustainable.” The strategy has mapped out alternatives, identifying seven cement kilns capable of using dried sludge as a fuel, plus four sites where waste to energy
sludge incinerators could be built. Using anaerobic digestion or thermal treatment technologies to produce combustible biogas are attractive options. And sludge can be spread on agricultural land to replenish and improve soil. “Depending on where in the country you are, different combinations of these methods will need to be used,” Toma says.
A fi fth of agricultural land is suitable for sludge application, the criteria being a gradient of less than 10% and alkaline soil. However, crops must be compatible with sludge disposal and land must be close enough to a wastewater treatment facility for cost-effective transport. In parts of the country concentrations of heavy metals in the sludge are too great to allow agricultural use.
Alongside the management strategy we developed a communication plan explaining agricultural sludge reuse to farmers and the wider public. This has been accompanied by workshops and trials to demonstrate the benefi ts. Wastewater companies are sharing information and expertise so that entrepreneurial successes can be copied and adapted country-wide.
With less than 1% of sludge going to agriculture in 2012, the aim is to dispose of 50% in this way by 2019. Entering the next decade, it is hoped that waste to energy facilities will be up and running, usefully diverting the other half from landfi ll.
SUSTAINABLE SLUDGE DISPOSAL FOR ROMANIA Romania faces a fourfold increase in sewage sludge in less than a decade. We have devised a strategy for putting it to good use.
7
In the early 1990s UK port operators noticed an alarming acceleration in the rate at which steel structures such as harbour walls and jetties were rusting through. “Steel was corroding up to 25 times faster than normal,
contributing to premature structural failure,” says Mott MacDonald project director Dr Neil Henderson. Research showed that this was caused by bacteria that were thriving as coastal waters became cleaner. Today, more than 90% of UK ports are affl icted by the phenomenon, christened accelerated low water corrosion – ALWC. “It is estimated that tackling ALWC damage in the UK alone will cost in excess of £250 million, not accounting for revenue loss to ports resulting from closure during repair or replacement of assets,” comments Neil, “and it’s a growing global problem recognised throughout Europe, the USA, Canada, the Caribbean and Japan. ALWC is not restricted to ports, meaning offshore structures such as wind turbine bases and oil platforms are vulnerable too.”
PROTECTION BREAKTHROUGH
Following a decade of trials, a ‘magic bullet’ in the fi ght against ALWC was launched at the end of 2010. Developed by Mott MacDonald with specialist contractor BAC Corrosion Control, the LATreat™ process is environmentally benign, quick and non-disruptive to apply, provides durable protection and is 50% less expensive than the next most cost-effective solution.
LATreat™ involves passing precisely phased electrical currents through seawater between a portable electrode and the steel structure being treated. All of the chemical agents required for treatment are derived from the seawater itself. The fi rst phase generates hydrogen that cleans away ALWC products – bacteria, iron oxides and sulphides. The second phase produces chlorine that sterilises the surface. The fi nal phase applies a protective alkaline coating composed of calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide, deposited from salts that are naturally present in seawater.
Treatment takes fi ve to seven days. “It can be carried out even while ships are moored alongside,” Neil comments. “LATreat™ requires no materials, creates no waste and needs no ongoing maintenance. Very little equipment and minimal manpower are required.” Projects can be initiated rapidly. All equipment is removed when treatment is completed, with no requirement for permanent installation of expensive control equipment or long-term monitoring.
OUTPERFORMING TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES
LATreat™ has been tested and optimised through trials at ports around the UK. These have demonstrated its effectiveness compared with conventional corrosion management techniques such as impressed current and sacrifi cial cathodic protection (CP), chemical coatings and concrete cladding. Key advantages of LATreat™ over the alternatives include:
� Easier to apply and less than half the cost of CP and chemical coatings � Environmentally benign, with no toxicity or waste issues � Non-disruptive – port operations continue as normal during installation
and treatment, meaning there is no loss of productivity or revenue � Can be applied regardless of weather conditions � Requires no ongoing maintenance � Targets ALWC-affected steel providing treatment and protection exactly
where needed � No risk of introducing contamination � Protects against the formation of new corrosion cells
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE AND POTENTIAL
A decade after the fi rst trials of LATreat™ were carried out at Ipswich Port, treated structures were inspected. The protective coating was found to have suffered no visible signs of deterioration, showing better durability than any alternative treatments.
Currently Shoreham Port on the UK’s south coast is using LATreat™ to tackle ALWC on its steel sheet pile walls. Ease and speed of implementation make LATreat™ an attractive ALWC treatment and potentially a prevention method for port and offshore infrastructure operators globally.
‘MAGIC BULLET’ IN FIGHT AGAINST CORROSION Our patented LATreat™ technology enables port, offshore wind farm and oil rig owners to protect their assets from an aggressive form of corrosion at half the cost of traditional treatments – and with better performance.
HOW WE’RE ADDING VALUE
50% LESS EXPENSIVE THAN THE NEXT
MOST COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION
8
LATreat™ requires no materials, creates no waste and needs no ongoing maintenance. Very little equipment and minimal manpower are required.Neil Henderson, Mott MacDonald project director
DID YOU KNOWLATreat™ has won the British Expertise International Award for Innovation and the Association for Consultancy & Engineering Award for Research, Studies and Consulting.
9
Neil HendersonMott MacDonald project director
10
BETTER EDUCATION FOR 200 MILLION CHILDREN
An improved education system is often cited as one of the main contributors to the economic rise of India. However, just 40%
of Indian adolescents attend secondary school and a third of the population remains illiterate. The Indian Government recognises huge investment is still required.
KEY CHALLENGES
� Access to schooling � Equality in education provision across regions,
classes and genders � Strengthening the management of schools
and education authorities � Raising teaching standards
“To achieve a step change in education provision, the nation requires reliable information about students’ achievement,” says Mott MacDonald project director Nick Santcross. We are helping to deliver this by supporting the Indian Government’s education advisory body, the National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT), in building a national testing and evaluation strategy. The project is funded by the UK Department for International Development.
IDENTIFYING STUDENT NEEDS
We are giving staff in national and state government institutions the tools and skills needed to identify strengths and weaknesses in the education system. This involves surveying students’ achievements in a group of subjects that the government sees as particularly important – maths, science and environmental studies. The nationwide programme will potentially benefi t more than 200 million children.
HIGH TECH SOLUTION
Previous surveys have been hampered by the vast scale and diversity of India. Organising surveys and then collating, interpreting and analysing handwritten responses has taken months, making it near impossible to gain a timely and accurate picture. We’ve tackled this challenge by using state-of-the-art testing techniques supported by modern technology. Test and survey sheets use a ‘tick box’ format that can be read by computer scanners. Data is sent from regional offi ces for analysis at NCERT’s national offi ce in New Delhi.
Employing advanced evaluation techniques for the fi rst time in India, we’re helping the government to strengthen schooling and raise education standards.
HOW WE’RE ADDING VALUE
MEASURE ATTAINMENT
11
UNDERSTAND STUDENTS’ NEEDS
Prioritise funding and design strategies for improving school management and teaching standards
Identify background factors affecting performance by surveying pupils, parents, teachers and school heads
Establish local and national ‘baselines’ against which to assess the impact of interventions
Eliminate human error and accelerate the collation and analysis of data
Carry out academic and psychometric tests on a large random sample of students
IDENTIFY STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
FIVE KEY TOOLS IN THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT SATCHEL
USE STA
TE-OF-TH
E-AR
T TECHN
OLO
GY
GET B
IGG
ER PICTU
RE
12
Gaining fi nance for major projects has been diffi cult
since the global economic crisis hit in 2008. Nice Eco
Stadium in France is one of the success stories. We
are lenders’ technical advisor, working for a consortium of
VINCI Concessions, Caisse des Dépôts and SEIEF to manage
technical and commercial risk involved in designing, building
and managing the 35,000 seat multi-sports stadium over the
course of a 30 year public private partnership contract.
The venue, to be delivered for the Euro 2016 football
tournament, will host events and house a museum and retail
facilities. We have drawn on Mott MacDonald’s expertise in
stadium design, project fi nance and programme management
to develop an exceptionally detailed understanding of the
potential risks – and resolve them.
PRIVATE FINANCE WORKING NICELY
13
Indian chemicals giant Atul is one of the world’s largest producers of cresol, used in disinfectants, preservatives and pesticides. Wastewater from its factory in Gujarat contains 0.5% cresol, requiring intensive treatment to
meet environmental standards. Initially appointing us to design an extension of the factory, Atul asked us to review water treatment options. “Cresol is expensive to produce and has a high market value. We calculated that the volume lost each year would have a substantial market value if it could be recovered and sold,” says Mott MacDonald project manager Arpan Shah.
Conventional chemical industry separation and distillation technologies were tested but were found to be ineffi cient. We initiated collaborative relationships
with a number of proprietary technology suppliers, carrying out laboratory tests and trials to determine the most effective cresol recovery methods. These were combined to create a unique three stage process achieving 100% cresol recovery at a commercially sustainable cost. Following treatment, the remaining wastewater was of potable quality, allowing it to be recycled straight back into the manufacturing process. An eight month pilot trial on a part of Atul’s facility has enabled minor improvements to be made. The environmental and economic benefi ts delivered mean that Atul is now gearing up for full-scale implementation.
WASTE INNOVATION BRINGS BUSINESS WINWe’ve developed a treatment process enabling the high value chemical cresol to be recovered from manufacturing effl uent and sold.
14
10% COST SAVING ON SINGAPORE’S BIGGEST TUNNEL
HOW WE’RE ADDING VALUE Our innovations on Singapore’s Marina Coastal Expressway have enabled faster, more effi cient construction while meeting the state’s famously tough safety requirements.
15
Singapore’s Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) is a game changing project. Built mainly in tunnel, the 5.1km long, dual fi ve lane highway will link existing expressways in east and west Singapore with the
New Downtown area in Marina Bay. The city state has become famous for mammoth cut and cover tunnels in the soft ground close to its reclaimed shoreline. But with a width of 60m, this project is “considerably bigger and more challenging than anything that’s been done here before,” says Mott MacDonald geotechnical manager Dr Nick Mace.
We have worked closely with two contractors to review conventional construction methods and develop more effi cient alternatives that have enabled nearly 3km of tunnel to be delivered safely, with cost and time savings. Our successfully proven approach is likely to become standard practice on future tunnelling projects in similar conditions.
SOFT GROUND TUNNELLING CHALLENGE
Cut and cover excavation (illustrated overleaf) involves installing temporary longitudinal retaining walls and then excavating the ground between them. A reinforced concrete base slab, permanent side walls and a roof are then cast in the excavation before ground is reinstated over the top. The method can become complicated in soft ground.
MCE traverses an area of man-made land consisting of 30-40m of marine clay, underlain by fi rm Old Alluvium and capped with 15m of fi ll. Marine clay has the consistency of toothpaste and fl ows when subject to force. As excavation advances external earth pressure becomes progressively greater. Retaining walls want to cave in and the base of the excavation wants to heave up. Sophisticated and robust engineering methods are called for to prevent undesirable ground movement.
Dr Nick MaceMott MacDonald geotechnical manager
� [email protected]: Samsung C&T and Ssangyong E&C for the Land Transport AuthoritySingapore
60% REDUCTION IN LIFTING AND MANUAL HANDLING
Indicative designs proposed fi ve levels of temporary support. Our design needed only two, allowing faster excavation (above) and tunnel construction (left).
Singapore’s construction safety culture has been shaped by the sudden and fatal collapse of a cut and cover tunnel in similar ground conditions at Nicoll Highway in 2004. The event graphically demonstrated the huge power of the forces at work and the potential danger of design or construction errors. Afterwards, government client body the Land Transport Authority (LTA) acted to improve safety by setting requirements for temporary works, including geotechnical parameters, retaining wall sizes and ground improvement.
BETTER VALUE FOR THE PUBLIC PURSE
When design and build contracts for MCE were put out to tender in 2008 the indicative design required that lateral defl ection of the retaining walls would be no greater than 75mm. “Historically, up to three times that amount of movement would have been acceptable,” Nick comments. To achieve the target, the LTA required two layers of ground improvement underlying the formation level, founded on bored reinforced concrete piles. Sheet pile retaining walls were to be supported from in front by I-section soldier piles toed into the Old Alluvium. In addition, the retaining walls were to be propped as excavation advanced with fi ve layers of struts at depth intervals of 3m.
We teamed with contractors Samsung and Ssangyong to bid for four of the six MCE packages. A combination of innovations pared more than 10% off the client’s cost estimates for contract 482 won by Ssangyong and contracts 483 and 486 won by Samsung.
VALUE ENGINEERED GROUND IMPROVEMENT
Ssangyong and Samsung saw an opportunity to save cost and add value for LTA by using deep cement mixing (DCM) instead of jet grout ground improvement. We examined the technical performance of both options and found that DCM worked better. Jet grouting involves drilling into the ground and then injecting cement grout at high pressure so that it mixes with the surrounding ground. Following a carefully designed pattern, jet grout ‘columns’ are joined up to form a continuous layer of improved ground. However, on MCE the slender drill strings used for jet grouting would be up to 25m long, making them liable to deviation from their designed path. This presented a risk that grout would not penetrate evenly, resulting in localised weaknesses. DCM uses augers to churn cement slurry into the ground. The larger diameter and resulting stiffness of the auger guaranteed better accuracy and therefore superior quality ground improvement.
16
EASTBOUND WESTBOUND
40% SAVING ON PILES
Underlying the stiff layer of ground improvement are bored reinforced concrete piles. On most previous cut and cover projects in Singapore, engineering solutions have considered the performance of piles in compression only. “But the piles work in tension too,” Nick notes. “Analysis showed that uplift exerted by earth pressure on the DCM layer would cause it to heave and bend. But we found that this was reduced by the action of the piles in tension. This is something that’s usually ignored – but by making the piles stiffer, we were able to anchor down the DCM layer.”
Stiffening the piles required additional reinforcement. To avoid unnecessary use of steel and resulting cost, we analysed the forces acting on every one of the 2500 piles across all three contracts. Normally, reinforcement would be designed to cope with the maximum load and applied to each and every pile. Instead, “we assumed a minimum and worked up from there,” Nick states. This delivered a 40% saving on steel reinforcement across the project.
The DCM layer restrains movement of the retaining walls. Its performance in combination with the piles meant that its thickness could have been reduced to 8m while providing the stiffness required. However, for comfort 10m of DCM
treatment was carried out. This was still signifi cantly less expensive than jet grouting and benefi ted pile design. “The bond between each pile and the DCM layer relies on the contact area between them,” Nick explains. “Increasing the slab thickness from 8m to 10m enabled a 20% reduction in pile diameter, delivering a 36% saving on concrete.”
US$70M SAVING ON STRUTS
In another departure from convention, the contractors proposed constructing retaining walls using 1.2m to 1.5m diameter pipe piles instead of the common sheet and soldier pile combination. “Pipe piles are far stiffer, making it easier to comply with the LTA’s very tight wall defl ection criteria,” Nick explains. “Their structural strength would in theory have allowed us to eliminate all but one layer of struts from the temporary works. In the context of the prevailing industry culture, we elected not to push for this option, but strongly argued against using the four to fi ve strut levels specifi ed in the indicative design. Two levels were more than adequate.”
With the fi rst strut level just below ground level, the second was installed at mid-height, 7m down, with deep level restraint provided by the massively strong DCM ground improvement layer. On each contract, the elimination of
Ground improvement
Pipe piles
Back� ll
2
78
1
17
Pipe pile retaining walls were a similar price to a conventional sheet and soldier pile combination but much more efficient.Dr Seok San Lim, Samsung design manager
every strut layer has saved almost US$24 million, yielding a US$70 million combined benefi t. Reducing the number of struts from fi ve to two layers has offered a huge time saving and dramatically improved worker safety, with lifting and manual handling operations cut by 60%.
Productivity has been improved by creating more working room. Construction equipment can move freely within the excavation. And concreting operations have been simplifi ed: “Normally the lowest layer of struts would be just above the fi nal formation level so you’d be laying reinforcement and pouring concrete for the base slab around a grid of temporary steelwork,” explains Nick. “On MCE, there was 7m clearance between the base slab and the nearest struts.”
The reinforced base slab of the highway tunnel effectively acts as an additional strut and we showed that the second level of steel struts could be safely removed once it had been created. This allowed the tunnel’s permanent reinforced concrete side and central walls to be created in single full-height pours. “Normally you’d be creating the walls in 3m lifts, each advance being restricted by the next layer of struts,” Nick explains. “This has enabled us to advance faster and reduce the number of cold joints, which benefi ts the strength and durability of the fi nished tunnel.”
Temporary prop during excavation
Bored concrete piles
Reinforced concrete base slab
3 4
6 5
DID YOU KNOWIn Singapore we’re also working on fi ve large-scale cut and cover stations for the Mass Rapid Transit Downtown and North-South Lines, plus the 18.5km long, 6m diameter deep bored North-South cable tunnel for national power company Power Grid.
We were technical advisor to Transport for London
(TfL) for the UK’s fi rst urban cable car. Opened in
June 2012, the iconic 1.1km ‘Emirates Air Line’ links
two of London’s biggest entertainment venues – the O2 Arena
and ExCeL exhibition centre – across the River Thames.
The cable car provides a journey time of fi ve minutes and can
carry up to 2500 people per hour, matching bus transport for
capacity. It has created a new cross-river connection in a part
of London with few bridges and tunnels at a fraction of the
cost of either of these options.
We assisted TfL in securing planning permission and
procuring the design and build contract, paving the way for
fast-track delivery. Construction was completed in 13 months.
Our role included route selection, ground investigation,
environmental impact assessments, design of building
services, utilities and ship impact protection, and design
co-ordination. Complex site constraints and extensive
stakeholder engagement required a fl exible, proactive and
responsive approach to resolve diverse issues.
LONDON SKY LINK
© T
im C
rock
er
18
Our research into just how much water and energy are used when people shower is helping consumer goods giant Unilever to reduce its environmental impact.
It’s an eco-myth that taking a shower uses only half as much water as having a bath, research we’ve carried out for Unilever reveals. In the UK, the average shower uses 62 litres of hot water compared to 80 for a bath,
while a power shower gushes 136 litres.
In 2011 Unilever committed to reducing its resource use and carbon emissions. “Supporting this drive, the company plans to design new products and infl uence the way people use them,” comments Mott MacDonald project director for market research Kate Spicer. Unilever estimates that 95% of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with its shampoos and soaps come from people using hot water, especially for showers. A clear picture of bathroom habits and their implications for water and energy use is a key starting point for product development.
Unilever’s in-house research and development department designed a small sensor enabling the temperature, fl ow rate and duration of showers to be logged. We visited 100 UK families and fi tted sensors that recorded more than 2600 showers over the course of 10 days. We interviewed each family
member. Throughout the study, participants also kept diaries to track who showered when. “Our research methodology produced far more accurate results than previous studies, which have used data from questionnaires fi lled out by householders,” Kate says. “When self-reporting, people tend to underestimate the time spent showering or forget to log the activity altogether, so the information’s unreliable.”
Before our study, it was commonly believed that showering took no more than fi ve minutes. But the average Brit in fact spends eight minutes luxuriating under the water. The cost of heating water meant that the families surveyed were spending an average of £416 a year on showering, with the most extravagant power shower costing £918 a year to run.
Using our fi ndings, Unilever has already developed a large-scale media campaign to encourage more sustainable use of energy and water through shorter showers. New, more economical washing products are in the pipeline.
19
SHOWER STUDY EXPOSES ECO-MYTH
QUANTITY MEETS QUALITY AT HK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT We’ve struck the balance between operational needs and passenger expectations to achieve a 15% capacity increase on a constrained site.
HOW WE’RE ADDING VALUE
DID YOU KNOWWe’ve been contributing to HKIA for more than 20 years, having drawn up the Port and Airport Development Strategy, which set out the need for a new airport; leading design, managing and supervising construction of fi ve airport core projects including Terminal 1 and the Lantau Link; and designing the North Satellite Concourse, opened in 2010.
20
© A
ed
as
21
David MephamMott MacDonald project director
� [email protected]: Airport Authority of Hong KongHong Kong
Ever since it opened in 1998 air travellers have consistently voted Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) their favourite airport. “Numerous factors contribute to HKIA’s success – it’s easy to fi nd your
way around, it offers fast, effi cient service, architecturally it’s fantastic and it has great facilities,” says Mott MacDonald project director David Mepham. “All in all, it’s a pleasure to use.”
Owner and operator the Airport Authority of Hong Kong has set out to uphold these standards in the new Midfi eld Concourse, which will accommodate anticipated growth in passenger numbers. We have been involved since 2008, seeing the project through master planning, preliminary design and detail design phases, the latter in joint venture with Arup. Construction is under way and due for completion in 2015.
10 MILLION PASSENGER CAPACITY INCREASEThe HK$10 billion Midfi eld Concourse will provide 20 new ‘frontal’ aircraft parking stands enabling 10 million passengers a year to embark and disembark aircraft via air bridges. Alongside the sleek new building will be a new apron and taxiway. Passengers will be shuttled to the concourse by an extension of the airport’s existing automated light rail system, which runs underground along the spine of the airport’s landmark Terminal 1.
A key challenge has been maximising capacity while delivering effi cient aircraft and passenger movements and upholding the airport’s excellent customer experience. HKIA is built on an island, meaning land is at a premium. The Midfi eld Concourse site is bounded to the north, south and east by taxiways and to the west by the airport’s maintenance area. We initially examined 14 confi gurations for the new concourse building with the aim of using space most effi ciently. Laying the concourse out as an X, H and K would have provided a larger number of pier-served aircraft stands, but
aircraft would have had to manoeuvre out of cul-de-sacs and taxi around the building to reach a runway on the far side. “Looking at aircraft movements, these confi gurations would have resulted in complex fl ows,” comments Mott MacDonald aviation planning manager Andrew Gibson.
“To create more effi cient aircraft movements we adopted an I-shaped building, with aircraft taxiing alongside to reach their desired destination.” At its midpoint, the I widens to provide a central ‘node’. “It’ll be an exciting space with a full-height atrium to provide travellers with a sense of arrival,” explains Andrew. “In a large building it’s important to have a visible reference point for wayfi nding.” The node will also house retail and catering outlets.
AWARD-WINNING USE OF BIMWe’ve carried out detail design with the aid of 3D building information modelling (BIM). This has enabled the effective integration of multiple design disciplines – civil, structural, mechanical and electrical, airfi eld and façade design – on an exceptionally complex project, being delivered to a fast-track programme. The project’s use of BIM won a prize at the Be Inspired Awards organised by software giant Bentley.
ADVANCING ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE � High performance glazing in the fl oor-to-ceiling façade refl ects
40% of solar heat, reducing the use of air conditioning � North facing skylights bring natural light into the centre of the building � Low energy lighting with daylight sensors reduces energy consumption � Recycled water will cool the chillers providing air conditioning � Solar photovoltaic panels on the roof will meet a proportion of the
building’s energy needs � The concourse is designed to achieve Gold status under Hong Kong’s
BEAM Plus sustainability assessment and accreditation system
STRENGTHENINGTRANSPORT PLANNING
22
We’ve developed a method for gaining more comprehensive information on road use, yielding better insight into travel patterns, at only 10% the cost of traditional traffi c surveys.
HOW WE’RE ADDING VALUE
Tom van VurenMott MacDonald project director
� [email protected]:Transport for LondonUnited Kingdom
23
To predict how travel patterns may change if you build new roads, provide new public transport or change the way infrastructure is managed, you need to understand what journeys people make and
why,” says Mott MacDonald integrated transport director Dr Tom van Vuren. Data on road travel is usually generated through travel surveys conducted ‘in the fi eld’ by counting vehicles and conducting face-to-face interviews. We have developed an alternative methodology, using data generated by GPS navigation – ‘satnav’ – devices, that is more accurate, safer and costs 90% less.
Traditional roadside surveys are labour intensive and expensive, costing £5000-£10,000 per day while providing information on only 1000 trips. Long queues can develop at interview sites, with tetchy drivers providing unhelpful answers and others using local knowledge to detour around the jam, meaning that results are not truly representative. And carrying out surveys can introduce safety risk, meaning that on many roads they are simply not allowed. “One of the challenges traffi c planners face is the diffi culty in obtaining exact information on which to base their decision making,” Tom comments.
Data collected from satnav devices gives the precise location of a vehicle every few seconds. “The innovation is in developing systems to analyse and manipulate that raw data so that it provides information that can be used to strengthen the transport system,” says Tom. In 2002 we began using satnav data to fi nd out how fast vehicles were travelling on key sections of the UK
highway network at different times of day and the average journey times between fi xed points. Over the last decade the volume of GPS data has increased threefold and continues to grow. In parallel, we’ve expanded the range of information we can extract from GPS data, which now includes the proportion of vehicles turning on or off a route at junctions and the origin and destination of journeys incorporating specifi c sections of highway.
“A great benefi t of our GPS survey method is that we can gather detailed information on sections of the transport network that normally transport planners have no access to,” Tom explains. “We can see where drivers stop en route and fi nd out whether their return journey takes the same roads. By cross-referencing origin and destination data with information on land use it’s possible to build a picture of why journeys are being made – for example home to school, work, the shops or leisure facilities. The method can be used anywhere that GPS data is collected abundantly and made commercially available.”
In 2011 Transport for London (TfL) commissioned us to plot travel patterns in east London in order to improve its understanding of river-crossing movements, which can be hard to capture in traditional surveys. Following the success of this project, TfL asked us to provide information on light commercial vehicles. “Although they’re ubiquitous, little is known about ‘white vans’. Better data is giving new insight into their behaviour,” Tom says.
The transformation of a tired university building in east London shows unsustainable older structures can be upgraded to deliver
industry-leading energy effi ciency – without breaking the bank. We were façade and building services engineer, working with architect Fraser Brown MacKenna, on a major upgrade of Queen Mary University’s GE Fogg Building, providing teaching and specialist biohazard laboratories for 70 staff and 1300 students in its biological and chemical sciences faculty.
HIGH PERFORMANCE AT LOW COST
“The seven-storey 1970s structure had not worn the years well,” states Mott MacDonald project manager Yudish Dabee. “Its leaky façade made the building uneconomic to heat in winter. Extreme solar glare meant staff were erecting makeshift blinds to provide shade. The reinforced concrete frame was corroded. Windows were leaking. We set out to reduce the university’s operating costs and improve occupant comfort in a practical, sustainable and economical way.”
By overcladding the existing structure with a striking new skin, we have protected the structure from further corrosion, improved thermal and energy performance, included renewable energy generation and reduced maintenance costs. For a budget of £3.95 million, Queen Mary University has gained a facility that matches the best new build projects for performance at a fraction of the cost.
LEADING-EDGE ENERGY EFFICIENCY
“We examined a range of solutions to reduce heating and cooling demand while maintaining stable internal conditions and came up with a threefold solution involving better insulation on the walls, high performance glazing and solar photovoltaic panels on the south and southeast facing roofs,” recalls Yudish. Thermal performance has been improved by 65% for the walls and by 75% for the windows.
“To reduce solar heat gain, we initially considered installing fi ns to shade the façade,” says Yudish. “But by opting for glazing that reduced solar thermal transmission we were able to do away with fi ns and reduce the capital costs.” The size of new windows was carefully calculated to provide the right balance between natural lighting, ventilation and heat transmission.
Tighter seals on the new cladding and windows have cut the volume of air leaking from the building by 35%, improving heat retention during winter. Windows making up a fi fth of the total façade area can be opened to provide ventilation and
natural cooling. “Building users report a signifi cant improvement in year-round comfort,” Yudish reports. Combined, these measures have cut the energy consumed by building services by 70%.
GENERATING RENEWABLE ENERGY
We seized the opportunity to replace the building’s roof lights and windows with new glazing incorporating monocrystalline photovoltaic cells. The outer pane is a solar panel, while the inner pane is coated with a fi lm that minimises solar thermal gain. “Solar energy can be expensive to install, but by combining the cells into the roof light glazing and façade, we signifi cantly reduced the
cost. With the aid of government subsidy for renewable energy, the cost of installing photovoltaic panels was close to that of standard double glazing,” Yudish says. In all 120sq m of photovoltaic generating capacity has been incorporated.
WORKING IN A LIVE ENVIRONMENT
The makeover of the GE Fogg Building had to be carried out during term time, with teaching and research activities still under way. We worked closely with the university and contractor Charter Construction to develop a room-by-room decommissioning, handover, refurbishment and
recommissioning programme. The project was undertaken in three phases, starting with the smallest. This allowed Charter to gain experience of the overcladding system before progressing to larger and more complex sections.
By recladding an unsustainable 1970s structure with a highly effi cient new skin, we have created one of the UK’s leading low carbon buildings for just £3.95M.
HOW WE’RE ADDING VALUE
We set out to reduce the university’s operating costs and improve occupant comfort in a practical, sustainable and economical way.Yudish Dabee, Mott MacDonald project manager
LOW CARBON LEASE OF LIFE
70%ENERGY SAVING
24
DID YOU KNOWOur redesign of heating, ventilation and air conditioning in the 1970s Capital Building, Liverpool UK, delivered a 70% energy saving. We’ve used inter-seasonal thermal energy storage to meet heating and cooling needs at the award-winning extension of London’s National Maritime Museum.
Yudish DabeeMott MacDonald project manager
� [email protected]: Queen Mary University United Kingdom
© T
im C
rock
er
25
REDUCING PEAK ENERGY DEMAND BY 40% We’re using communication and control technologies to cut power use, with fi nancial and environmental benefi ts for utility fi rms and consumers.
HOW WE’RE ADDING VALUE
A ir conditioning consumes 60% of all the energy used by buildings in the Middle East and 80% at peak. During summer power companies struggle to meet the huge demand imposed by cooling, using oil
fi red ‘peaking generators’ to produce the energy consumed when outside temperatures climb to their highest at midday. “In Abu Dhabi oil fi red generators contribute 8% of peak generating capacity but cost more to operate than the gas fi red generators providing the other 92%,” says Mott MacDonald project director, Ken Currie.
UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY COMBINATION
We have developed a communication and control system enabling power companies to ‘throttle back’ cooling and air conditioning plant, reducing peak demand by up to 40%. “In most buildings, air conditioning plant is running at a higher capacity than necessary for occupant comfort,” Ken comments. Linked via wireless transponders to chillers and air handling units, sensors are used to monitor temperature and air quality, ensuring there is enough fresh, cool air but that it is not over-supplied. Controls governing energy consumption in individual buildings are linked to the regional power grid control system. This allows demand reduction to kick in whenever consumption starts to exceed supply.
Reduction is phased over the three hour peak demand period, with a cutback of 20% in hour one, 40% in hour two and 20% in hour three. The control system is deactivated if thresholds for comfort in the building are exceeded.
26
co2 co2 co2
-20% -20%
-40%
Hour 1 Hour 3
Hour 2
Ken CurrieMott MacDonald project director
� [email protected]: Government of Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
“Our innovation has been in combining conventional communication and control technologies with custom programming to allow utility companies to reduce bulk power requirements whenever required,” says Ken.
CITY-SCALE ENERGY SAVING
In 2011 we outlined our demand management proposal to the Abu Dhabi government. Following its own feasibility investigation, the government appointed us to demonstrate it on a mix of building types – government, commercial, residential and offi ces – involving six buildings in all. It signifi cantly reduced strain on the power grid and showed that demand management can be scaled up to work on a district or city-wide scale.
Power companies have been wary of interfering with chillers due to concerns over occupant comfort and damage to owners’ equipment. But the trials showed that enough thermal energy is stored in the structure of a building to maintain a stable, comfortable temperature over the demand management
period – the greatest rise we saw was 1.2°C, which was hardly registered by building users. By working in partnership with chiller manufacturers we’ve developed a system that they are comfortable with and are keen to promote.
COST AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
� Implementing demand management costs signifi cantly less than building new generating capacity and can be delivered far faster
� The communication and control technologies used enable instantaneous balance between power supply and demand, benefi ting grid operation and frequency regulation
� In tandem with energy saving, our approach reduces carbon emissions � Consumers could potentially gain from new tariffs designed to encourage
energy saving � Demand management can be applied in cold climates to cut heating-
related energy use
27
Reduced demand
Normal power consumption
Communication and control
Air conditioning units
DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURE SAVES 20% TIME We’ve engineered one of the UK’s fi rst factory-made buildings, bringing time and cost effi ciencies plus improved safety and environmental performance.
HOW WE’RE ADDING VALUE
28
The schedule was reduced from an estimated 110 weeks using traditional techniques to 90. The building took shape with amazing speed.Kevin Burnett, Mott MacDonald project director
29
Requiring a quarter fewer workers and delivered 20 weeks faster than possible using traditional construction techniques,
a new healthcare facility at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital is one of the fi rst UK buildings to have been designed for manufacture and assembly. By value, 55% of the Royal Victoria Building was made offsite under factory conditions and delivered just in time to be craned into place. We provided detailed civil and structural engineering design for contractor Laing O’Rourke.
The £35 million facility has been built for NHS Lothian, part of the National Health Service. It provides 147 single occupant bedrooms, specialist geriatric, rheumatology and dermatology wards, plus assessment and treatment centres.
COMPONENT-BASED CONSTRUCTION“As well as saving time, design for manufacture resolved challenges presented by the site,” says Mott MacDonald project director Kevin Burnett. Located on the main hospital campus, working space was restricted and construction-related noise had to be minimised. The campus itself is bounded on one side by a main traffi c artery and on the other three by a one-way ‘blue light’ route used by ambulances. “The consequences of disrupting traffi c were severe so we set out to reduce the number of delivery trucks, concrete wagons and staff cars coming to the site,” Kevin says.
Design for manufacture and assembly involves bringing together large, ready made components instead of combining raw materials in situ, involving multiple deliveries and many different specialist trades. The Royal Victoria Building has been designed as a precast reinforced concrete structure. Walls, columns, stairs, lift shafts and fl oor slabs were all factory made. Wall panels were ready fi tted with windows, making the building weathertight without the need for glaziers. Stairs came with handrails pre-fi xed and were safe for use straight away. En-suite bathroom pods for each of the 147 patient rooms were delivered to site plumbed and fi nished, ready for connection to building services.
COLLABORATIVE 3D DESIGN Precast components came from Laing O’Rourke’s factory in Nottinghamshire, which uses robotic production methods comparable to those in the automotive industry. The design for manufacture process was carried out with the aid of building information modelling (BIM). It started with a detailed 3D model developed in close collaboration
with the architect and the client’s staff, the building services designer and Laing O’Rourke’s fabrication supply chain. 3D design allowed health service staff to visualise the facility and comment on the layout during the early design stages. It enabled alignment between the architectural vision and detailing requirements imposed by the method of construction. We co-ordinated and rationalised the structural elements to eliminate clashes. And with Laing O’Rourke’s supply chain we optimised the structure for fabrication.
AUTOMATED PRODUCTIONAt the factory, dimensions and structural information from the 3D model then became the reference point for production. Reinforcement was cut, bent and laid out robotically. Concrete was mixed to the right strength in precisely the right quantities, eliminating waste.
Components such as columns were selected from a predefi ned ‘kit of parts’. Unique elements such as walls were made on giant casting tables. As part of the automated process, formwork edges were positioned on the casting tables to create precast concrete panels with millimetre-accurate dimensions. The casting tables were shaken to achieve good concrete placement and compaction. Stairs and lift shafts were created in the same way.
After casting, all elements were cured in temperature-controlled chambers. The chemical reaction when concrete hardens generates signifi cant heat. Concrete cast in situ is prone to cracking as it cools. By carefully managing the cooling process, Laing O’Rourke was able to control concrete strength and minimise cracking.
We adopted a simple but highly effective method for joining the components together. Conventionally precast elements are made with reinforcement bars protruding from the edges. Bars from
adjoining elements are overlapped and ‘stitched’ with concrete poured in situ. The components for Royal Victoria Hospital had almost no exposed reinforcement, but were fabricated with matching sockets. 40mm diameter steel dowels were inserted into these and a permanent structural connection achieved by pouring cement grout around them. The grout cured within hours, allowing a swift erection process.
20% TIME SAVING, ZERO ACCIDENTS“The schedule was reduced from an estimated 110 weeks using traditional techniques to 90,” says Kevin. “The hospital took shape with amazing speed.” Laing O’Rourke handed the fi nished building over to NHS Lothian in April 2012, two weeks early. The manufacture and assembly process also delivered outstanding safety performance. “Approximately 60% of construction
injuries occur while workers are fi xing steel for in situ cast reinforced concrete. Lifting and fi tting lightweight formwork for pouring concrete on site can also be hazardous, particularly in windy conditions,” says Kevin. Considerate Contractors, a body promoting higher standards in the construction industry, gave the project its highest award – Gold.
Kevin BurnettMott MacDonald project director
� [email protected]: Laing O’Rourke for NHS LothianUnited Kingdom
DID YOU KNOWWe’ve been at the forefront of design for manufacture in the water industry, working with Anglian Water in the UK to realise savings of up to 90% time, 45% cost and 20% energy and carbon.
PIONEERING APPROACH TO DECOMMISSIONINGWe have designed a cocoon to protect two nuclear reactor buildings from the elements for the next century.
After 40 years in service, Bradwell nuclear power station in Essex, UK, stopped producing electricity in 2006. The site, owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and operated by Magnox, is now
being decommissioned. Non-nuclear infrastructure is being demolished. Two buildings measuring 84m long by 47m wide and 40m high will remain, each containing a reactor, boiler and gas circulator, originally used for heat transfer.
Final site clearance can’t happen until radioactivity in the reactors has decayed to a safe level. We are designing a £20 million envelope to protect the buildings from the elements and slow the ageing process, ensuring they remain safe until they are ready for dismantling in 80-100 years’ time. “The envelope is a key part of the care and maintenance programme, which is being pioneered at Bradwell and our Trawsfynydd site in Wales,” says Magnox plant and structures programme director Alan Bladon. There are 10 similar sites across the UK.
“A collaborative 3D design process has been used to visualise the envelope and improve the management of design and construction risks,” says Mott MacDonald project manager Ged Forkin. A millimetre-accurate 3D record of the reactor buildings was created using laser scanning technology. We developed our model of the envelope around this, sharing the design with design and build contractor VINCI Construction and cladding specialist Lakesmere.
Steel columns around the buildings will support rails onto which a steel inner lining and corrugated aluminium outer skin will be bolted. The cladding will be as near airtight as possible to minimise humidity within the envelope; insulation between the inner and outer skins will limit temperature fl uctuations. Construction will be completed by 2015.
30
LOW ENERGY LANDMARKD
ominating all around it, Dubai Pearl is possibly the emirate’s most ambitious mixed use development to date – and it will be among the most sustainable. With a value of US$6 billion, Dubai Pearl
will consist of four 70-storey towers joined at the top by a three-storey ‘roof’, providing 1.86 million sq m of offi ces, apartments, hotels, retail and entertainment amenities – a city within a city. We’re driving energy and water savings with leading-edge building services engineering encompassing mechanical and electrical, public health, communications, fi re and security systems. Our client is the Dubai Pearl FZ LLC consortium, led by Abu Dhabi’s Al Fahim Group.
Dubai Pearl will be 18% more energy effi cient than required by performance benchmark ASHRAE 90.1 and is designed to achieve a Gold rating under the internationally recognised LEED sustainability assessment system.
ADVANCING SUSTAINABILITY
� Solar thermal energy panels will produce domestic hot water � High performance façade will minimise solar heat gain � Carbon dioxide sensors will control ventilation, maintaining good air quality
while minimising thermal energy losses through excessive air exchange � Energy recovery on air handling units will capture coolth from exhaust air � Centralised chiller plant will provide comfort cooling to the entire
development – 40% more effi cient than conventional air conditioning � 100,000cu m of condensate from dehumidifi cation of fresh intake air will
be used to feed the chiller plant and for irrigation � Power will be saved by daylight and occupancy sensitive lighting controls,
low energy LED fi ttings and automated internal shading
31
Toronto-York Spadina Subway, CanadaBENTLEY SYSTEMS BE INSPIRED AWARDS Our North American business Hatch Mott MacDonald has designed a 6.7km extension of Toronto Subway. The twin bore tunnels pass under buildings, railways, highways, waterways and utilities to connect six subway stations.SUCCESS FACTORS 3D design and modelling enabled effective co-ordination and integration of this complex project, delivering high quality design against a demanding schedule. Bentley Systems CEO Greg Bentley said: “Innovative use of information modelling has resulted in intelligent, better-performing infrastructure.”
Foresterhill Energy Centre, UKBREEAM INDUSTRIAL AWARDWorking with design and build contractor Laing O’Rourke, we were building services, power, civil and structural engineer for a new energy centre providing heat and power to Europe’s largest teaching hospital, Foresterhill, in Aberdeen. The centre uses a combination of conventional fossil fuels and biomass to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy security.SUCCESS FACTORS This is the fi rst project of its type to be rated Excellent under the internationally recognised BREEAM sustainability scoring system. Compared to the hospital’s old energy centre, CO2 emissions will be reduced by 16% and energy costs by nearly 40%.
Heathrow Airport Terminal 2B, UKCONSTRUCTION NEWS SPECIALIST AWARDS We provided scheme design and detailed geotechnical, civil and structural engineering design for contractor Balfour Beatty on airport operator BAA’s largest ever airside construction project at one of the world’s busiest airports. It has involved construction of deep basement and foundation structures next to live airport infrastructure.SUCCESS FACTORS Innovation and value engineering have delivered savings of six months and £25 million. Schedule-critical groundworks were completed ahead of time in a way BAA described as “setting the standard for future works at Heathrow.”
Waterford Bypass, Ireland ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS OF IRELAND PRESIDENT’S AWARD We studied the feasibility, selected the route, procured, supervised construction and are now monitoring operation of a 22.6km dual carriageway diverting traffi c around the historic town of Waterford. The project has been delivered under a public private partnership for the National Roads Authority, Waterford City Council and Waterford and Kilkenny county councils.SUCCESS FACTORS Judges praised the effi ciency with which the project was executed, highlighting its technical and environmental complexity.
Top technical advisorINFRASTRUCTURE JOURNAL AWARDS For the third time in four years we’re top of the project fi nance advisors’ league table. We brought 20 projects worth US$10.5 billion to fi nancial close in 2011 – US$800 million more than our nearest competitor.SUCCESS FACTORS The Group’s technical breadth and local market knowledge gives us the edge in fl ushing out risks and fi nding solutions, providing lenders with the confi dence to invest. We were also named Social Adviser of the Year having “successfully moved into new, innovative and challenging areas as well as delivering in traditional ones,” judges said.
Qarn Alam enhanced oil recovery, Oman OIL AND GAS MIDDLE EAST ENGINEERING ACHIEVEMENT AWARDWe designed production, treatment and storage facilities enabling steam to be injected into the Qarn Alam oilfi eld. Heating the viscous oil makes it more fl uid, allowing it to drain into horizontal recovery wells. SUCCESS FACTORS This is the fi rst time that steam injection has been used across a full fi eld anywhere in the world. To date, only 4% of the reserve has been recovered using conventional gravity drainage. Heating the oil will allow up to 35% to be extracted and increase the fl ow rate.
AWARDS
32
The UK engineering apprenticeships programme we initiated is going from strength to strength, with a new scheme for building services engineers launching in September 2012.
In 2010 we brought together and led a consortium of six major engineering consultancies to develop the UK’s fi rst apprenticeship for civil engineering technicians. The consortium has now expanded to include more than 20 fi rms.
Apprentices can work towards professional
qualifi cations ranging from HNC and HND through to masters degree level. We sponsored four civil engineering technician apprentices in the initial cohort of nine at South Thames College, London. The college offered 24 places in 2011 and will do the same this year. In 2011 the programme was also extended to Leeds, where we are sponsoring two apprentices at the city’s College of Building.
We have negotiated provision of engineering technician apprenticeships with three additional higher education colleges in London and Leeds and
are working to launch schemes in the Midlands and the North East.
Working with the Chartered Surveyors Training Trust we launched an apprenticeship for chartered surveyors at Lewisham College in London in 2011, sponsoring two apprentices.
Our latest apprenticeship for mechanical and electrical engineers, run through colleges in London, Leeds, Liverpool and Bristol, follows collaboration with the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.
Expanding our presence in the infrastructure sector, our North American company Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM) has acquired Engineering Northwest in Ontario and Lambert Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana.
HMM has been growing rapidly in the Ontario region, where demand for infrastructure is expanding signifi cantly to service new resource extraction projects. Engineering Northwest brings
additional strength in highway, municipal, water and wastewater engineering and project and construction management.
“Engineering Northwest provides a highly talented group of people with the skills and expertise needed to play a signifi cant role inour continued growth in Ontario,” said HMM president and chief executive Nick DeNichilo. Our new presence in New Orleans complements
our other US Gulf coast offi ces from Florida to Texas. “It improves our ability to participate in the revitalisation underway along the coast, with New Orleans as the centrepiece,” Nick said.
“Joining HMM offers our staff the resources to undertake engineering and environmental projects in southern Louisiana that were previously well beyond the reach of Lambert Engineers,” said principal owner Dennis Lambert. “We’re excited.”
UK APPRENTICESHIPS PROGRAMME SPANS BUILT ENVIRONMENT
ACQUISITIONS SUPPORT NORTH AMERICAN GROWTH
STAMPS OF APPROVALThe Malaysian and UK postal services have featured Mott MacDonald projects on special commemorative stamps. Pos Malaysia is celebrating the unique Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel in Kuala Lumpur. Two decks carry road traffi c during dry weather. Following heavy rainfall the decks are closed and used to convey fl ood water. We were detail designer. Royal Mail has pictured Newcastle’s iconic Tyne Bridge, designed by Mott Hay & Anderson. Behind it is Newcastle High Level Bridge, designed by 19th century engineering pioneer Robert Stevenson and strengthened and refurbished by Mott MacDonald.
33
Programme manager Zoe Carter-Owen, second left, with new apprentices
Reaffi rming the success of our enterprise licence agreement with software giant Bentley Systems, we have renewed our contract for a further three years.
Mott MacDonald has been an early adopter of Building Information Modelling (BIM), enabled by the suites of design, analysis and estimating tools provided by Bentley and Autodesk, the industry’s other principal software supplier.
We have demonstrated the value of BIM on
award-winning projects including Victoria StationUpgrade, Heathrow Airport Terminal 2B and Crossrail in the UK and the Port Mann/Highway 1 upgrade programme in Vancouver, Canada. We are committed to using BIM to deliver all our key engineering projects by mid-2013.
The renewed Bentley agreement is in addition to a contract with Autodesk, providing our global staff with access to the latest software. We are one of very few consultants to have global deals with both
of the big software houses, enabling us to support clients and delivery partners using either platform.
“BIM further improves collaboration across disciplines internally, as well as with our clients and other project team members,” said Group BIM champion Richard Shennan. “That contributes to solutions that are faster, safer, more predictable and more cost-effective to deliver, that generate less waste, that perform better in use and that are easier to maintain and adapt over time.”
Group practice manager for water and environment Mike Blackburn is the new chairman of engineering and professional services trade body British Expertise.
British Expertise has more than 200 corporate members and promotes their skills internationally. It works closely with the UK Foreign Offi ce and British embassies and has a strong record of building links with governments and potential business partners.
“These continue to be challenging times for professional services companies,” Mike said.
“British Expertise appoints a new chairman each year to provide an infusion of new thinking. My role is to give advice that’ll help the chief executive and board of British Expertise to strengthen services to members. Our aim is to build new contacts, raise profi le and win new work.”
Mike has more than 35 years’ experience of winning and delivering projects internationally and remains responsible for co-ordinating, managing and developing the Group’s global water and environment business of 2000 staff and a turnover of £180 million.
MAKING THE MOST OF BIM
NEW CHAIRMAN FOR BRITISH EXPERTISE
SOCCER STAR Football fans will have seen this Mott MacDonald project at the heart of the action during the 2012 European Football Championships in June. Delivered for the tournament, the PGE Arena in Gdansk, Poland, is a 44,000 capacity all-seater stadium. We provided client BIEG2012 with technical advice on foundations, superstructure and utilities.
NEWS
34
AFRICA AND ASIAWe’re providing advice and management services on the UK Government’s two year Fragile and Confl ict Affected States framework contract, spanning 30 countries. Projects include governance, security and justice, infrastructure and basic services, social development and education. CLIENT UK Department for International Development
UNITED KINGDOMWith joint venture partner Balfour Beatty we have won a fi ve year contract to operate, maintain and improve 500km of motorways and trunk roads in north west England. We are also responsible for operating and managing assets in the south east. CLIENT Highways Agency
OMANWe’re owner’s engineer for a 2GW combined cycle power plant at Sur, including design review and supervision of construction, testing and commissioning. Construction value is US$1.5 billion. CLIENT Phoenix Power
NORWAYWe are providing detail design and managing procurement of a €220 million extension of Bergen’s light rail system. The 7.2km twin track route linking Rådal to Flesland Airport involves 1km of bridges.CLIENT Bybanen Utybgging Company
SOUTH AFRICAWe are leading the third national survey of communication programmes to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and encourage safe behaviours. Findings will shape future communication strategies. CLIENT South African Department of Health, USAID, Global Fund to fi ght AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria
WESTERN BALKANSHeading a consortium, we are identifying, evaluating and developing projects to strengthen infrastructure across the Western Balkans. Potential projects span the power, transportation, water and sanitation, environmental and social infrastructure sectors.CLIENT European Union
UNITED KINGDOMFollowing our route selection and demand forecasting roles on the UK’s proposed second high speed rail line, HS2, we are undertaking civil and structural engineering for the 25km London metropolitan section, as well as two of four land referencing contracts and two of four environmental impact assessment contracts.CLIENT High Speed 2
HONG KONGWe’re upgrading drainage master plans for the West and East Kowloon districts, with the aim of reducing fl ood risk. The project will account for future urban development scenarios and potential climate change effects.CLIENT Hong Kong Government
INDIAWe’re providing detail design for expansion of a polyester factory at Karanj, Gujarat, incorporating innovative energy saving and recovery technologies to reduce operating costs and minimise environmental impact. The facility is one of the largest in the world. CLIENT Nakoda
INDONESIA We’re detail designer for a new toll road in East Java, to be delivered under a public private partnership. The US$500 million, 50km dual two lane route is part of the Trans-Java highway. CLIENT Ngawi Kertosono Jaya consortium
NEW CONTRACTS
© High Speed 2
35
www.mottmac.com
SAFEGUARDING SAN FRANCISCO’S WATER We are managing construction of the 5.7km New Irvington Tunnel, needed to assure water supply to the San Francisco Bay area in the event of a major earthquake. Paradoxically, supplying local residents while work is under way has been a delivery-critical issue as lowering the high groundwater table to prevent the tunnel being inundated during excavation means drying up boreholes. A temporary pipeline has been installed to meet local needs until groundwater levels recover following project completion.
Design and editorial by Mott MacDonald. Printed using vegetable oil inks and environmentally sustainable laminate on paper made from 80% recycled and 20% sustainably sourced fi bre. This publication can be composted or recycled.
