issue two: may 2009
Welcome to the second issue ofVox.
Editorial Anna Mann, editor mannal@halcrow.com Chris Warmoll, deputy editor warmollcj@halcrow.com Haidee Harrison harrisonha@halcrow.com Eloise Young youngel@halcrow.com Design Emilie Dadswell dadswelle@halcrow.com Tracy Newman newmant@halcrow.com Distribution Garry Whitaker whitakerga@halcrow.com
Vox is designed and produced by Halcrow’s corporate communications team. Printed by Rumbold Holland on Revive 50:50 silk recycled paper, it contains 50 per cent recovered waste and 50 per cent virgin fibre. It is manufactured at a mill accredited with the ISO 14001 environmental management standard. The pulp used in this product is bleached using an elemental chlorine-free process. This material is recyclable.
Editor’s comment
The Vox team
In this edition, we delve into the major projects programme – one of the cornerstones of Halcrow’s 2018 growth strategy. Interviews with the programme’s leaders and profiles of hefty schemes already underway set the scene for the company’s large-scale ambitions. Thirty per cent of Halcrow’s revenue is destined to derive from the major projects portfolio within a decade. Bulging with project updates, this issue also reports on employees’ charitable and sustainable activities, and their notable achievements – both at work and outside the office. In business beat, Halcrow’s chief executive gives us the ‘need to know’ on the 3Cs – cost control, cash collection and client care – along with the latest news on the company’s recession-beating 2009 performance.
Vox launched at the close of 2008 with a fresh layout and new-look visual style. Thanks to everyone who took the time to send in comments and feedback.Vox is constantly evolving in order to meet Halcrow’s communication needs, and we’ve incorporated suggestions for improvement wherever possible. We welcome our latest correspondents: Robert Davies for Malaysia, Laura Crawford for Peterborough, Liva Svarce for Latvia and Judith Turner for Bristol. If you would like to contribute to a future edition, get in touch with your local correspondent or a member of the Vox team.
Major projects: a blueprint for growth – 04
Featuring... Down, down, deeper and down
Correspondents Americas Argentina, Mariana Ojeda
Ambitious Tideway Tunnels get underway – 12
Canada, Cathy Spark Belize, Ian Rowdon Chile, Georg Welzel
Desert oasis Luxury five-star resort rises from the sands – 18
Saint Lucia, Mandish Singh US, Andrea Grinbaum Asia Beijing, Cathy Hu Chongqing, Guo Ping Yang Hong Kong, Irene Or India, Rajni Dhiman Malaysia, Robert Davies Philippines, Ricardo P Dela Cruz Seoul, Andrea Choi Shanghai, Victor Cheung Shenzhen, Victor Cheung Australasia
Innovation in action
Brisbane, Russ Evans Melbourne, Margaret Westman Sydney, Helen Orchard
Cutting-edge research – 28 Europe and Central Asia Ireland, Dijana Garwood
Major projects – 04
Sustainable solutions – 30
Latvia, Liva Svarce
Latin American trickle turns into torrent Halcrow’s first official major project – 08
Where the wild things are Natural environment tops list of priorities for road and flood alleviation scheme – 30
Romania, Gabriela Mehedintu,
An ‘outstanding job’ Jacksonville port opens to rave reviews – 09
Peterborough, Laura Crawford Andreea Pana and Eliza Pintilie Middle East
People
Gulf offices, Vanessa James Pakistan, Ali Khan
King of the road A-one+: Leading motorway maintenance – 10
Giving generously – 37 UK
Alumni Remembering Sir Alan Muir Wood – 45
London links Bechtel, Halcrow, Systra team wins Crossrail contract – 14
Bedford, Walter Makoni Birmingham, Peter Robery Bristol, Judith Turner Cardiff, George Ballard
Achieving ambitions – 46
Crawley, Stella Barber and Warren Crawley
People parade – 48
Derby, Peter Robery Edinburgh, Becki Fleming
Sporting success – 52
Exeter, Rachel Smith and Sarah Dawe
Baby boom – 54
Glasgow, Julie McSorley Gloucester, Andrew Prout
Wedding wishes – 57
Project profiles – 16 Human rights take centre stage Sculptural vision for Canadian museum – 17
Inverness, Kat Dearing Kent, Vijay Jain
Out of office Catch a fire – 58
Leeds, Phil Thrower London (Vineyard House), Christopher Warmoll London (Shortlands), Liz Wilson
Elgin marvel Millions saved on Scottish water plant – 23
Business beat – 24
Peterborough, Laura Crawford Reading, Beverley Tocock Swindon, Sarah Payne Waltham Cross, Dawn McGilchrist
State of the nation Peter Gammie takes on the 3Cs – 26
Worcester, Anita Inight York, Graeme Pollard
blueprint
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for growth
Halcrow’s major projects programme gains momentum ajor projects are by definition long-term investments. From their early pursuit and bidding through to completion, many will be decade-long concerns. They promise sizeable, ongoing benefits to the business, enhancing Halcrow’s brand, increasing profitability and supporting business growth on a global scale.
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Spirited employees will leap at career-enhancing opportunities as the company forges ahead on the major projects course laid down in Strategy 2018. The objective is to deliver £500 million – 30 per cent – of Halcrow’s earnings from major projects by 2018, from a current figure of £30 million. This is a challenging target that will involve all parts of the business. Driven in part by market need, clients are packaging out ever larger and more complex projects – a trend already underway in the UK, US and the Middle East, and one now emerging in Asia. Les Buck, chairman of the major projects board, believes Halcrow’s future success will be closely linked to its ability to move into major projects on a truly global stage. “Developing our major project capacity will open up new opportunities for high-profile, profitable long-term work,” he says. Major projects will play a pivotal role in helping the company achieve its turnover goal of £1.5 billion annually by 2018. “Major projects have the necessary fees, scale and growth implications to achieve a large slice of this,” says Les. “Their successful delivery can propel Halcrow into the role of global heavyweight.” The success of projects like the UK’s High Speed 1 and Abu Dhabi’s Grand Mosque offer proof that Halcrow has the potential to play a key role at this level. And the benefits are self-evident. The high-profile nature and 4
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political visibility of the £5.8 billion High Speed 1 project, for instance, put Halcrow in the headlines, offered great opportunities and job security for hundreds of employees and delivered significant profits over a number of years. The task ahead is to develop the company’s capability to pursue, win and deliver these projects as they emerge. Regional managing directors have already identified over 100 significant opportunities around the world to proactively target over the next decade. With an estimated capital expenditure of some £150 billion and associated potential fees of around £2.5 billion identified so far, the 2018 goal looks increasingly attainable. Of these prospects, Halcrow has already won a hugely ambitious water infrastructure project in Buenos Aires – the first scheme to gain the backing of the programme. The team has also announced its plans to pursue two further significant opportunities – to operate and manage the infrastructure for new cities being built in the Middle East and to take a key role in the UK’s nuclear new-build renaissance. Identifying the right projects is critical. Regional management teams will submit their recommendations to Halcrow’s development subcommittee, led by group development director Yaver Abidi. Its members will assess projects against five key criteria and pass their recommendations to Halcrow’s executive team, which will ultimately decide where investments should be made. Yaver outlines the criteria: “The first and most important precept is that the project must be passionately championed by someone committed to making it happen. Secondly, it must add value to Halcrow’s brand and be work that employees are proud to be associated with. It also needs to be big enough in terms of fees and scope
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Halcrow already has a number of major schemes under its belt, including the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the Busan Geoje fixed link in Korea and High Speed 1 in the UK
and far enough ahead that Halcrow can influence the way it develops during the pursuit stage. Finally, there must be a strong possibility that we can actually win it.” The spectre of global economic uncertainty is unlikely to pose a major long-term threat to the programme. It may impact the types of major projects emerging within the market short-term – but not necessarily their number. “We don’t see any reason to change our business course in view of the downturn,” Les Buck says. “It may bring delays, but the basic need for major infrastructure will continue – these things don’t change in the face of economic cycles. Governments may even accelerate infrastructure plans as part of their fiscal stimulus packages – as is happening in the US and UK markets.” Global drivers, such as climate change, rapid urbanisation and water scarcity will generate the need for bold major projects. “Halcrow must position itself to meet the world’s future needs – the programme will help us achieve this,” says Les. As part of this positioning, Halcrow will play an increasingly prominent role in thought-leadership with clients, governments and other opinion formers and policy shapers. “It’s important that we make our knowledge available to key decision makers, many of whom don’t have a background in engineering or sustainability. This will help make the Halcrow brand synonymous with major project opportunities. These
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are big changes and we need to take a step-by-step approach,” says Les. “We intend to expand through a three stage process,” he adds. “Initially, we will use our existing strength in design management to work in alliance with others to deliver major projects. The next step will be to take the prime role in project management, leading a team of subconsultants to deliver the project on behalf of the client. Later on, we’ll target projects in both construction and programme management, having built an ability to deliver a whole programme of works – such as a major games infrastructure or a high-speed rail corridor. ” The programme team is working with business groups across the regions to identify key individuals and to create, catalogue and replicate the right processes and environment for major projects to thrive and flourish. Programme director Steve Swain explains: “Halcrow already has experts in a range of project management fields and we are bringing a small number of them together to form a major projects office to serve the company. We’re focusing on project controls, planning and procedures, IT systems and their integration. We will pool our knowledge and develop best practice in these areas. The point is to ensure that project managers have the information and validated processes they need in place at the start of each new major project.”
Notable projects include Toronto Pearson International Airport; the Gharo Wind Corridor, Pakistan; and the Porth Relief Road (Rheola Bridge pictured), UK
A communications campaign is underway, to help pollinate the necessary cultural shift within the company. “Everyone has an important role to play,” says Steve. “The everyday commitment of individuals to both the big picture and the job at hand will be essential.” Success in major projects requires both effective management and high-level leadership. Projects with fees of hundreds of millons of pounds must be spearheaded by individuals with significant business leadership skills, commercial acumen and the ability to manage complexity. As Yaver Abidi explains: “The programme will foster the development and recruitment of such leaders into the business over the next few years.” Halcrow’s career and personal development opportunities for employees are already significant, with chances to experience different working practices and cultures. And the programme will only accentuate this trend, touching the lives of everyone in the company to some extent. Business groups, regions and market sectors will see an increased emphasis on the identification, pursuit and winning of major projects. Technical specialists and corporate services will be encouraged to position themselves to meet forthcoming challenges. “The support of all employees is essential to making the programme work,” says Steve. “In the coming months, this means keeping abreast of developments. When an opportunity comes up and you think you have the right skills for it – apply. Don’t be put off if you’ve never worked overseas, or don’t have the specific experience. Those with the enthusiasm, team spirit and willingness to work hard will enjoy rewarding experiences. Every major project needs a team with the passion to exceed expectations.” The future may arrive one day at a time, but when the future’s this big, every day counts.
Who’s who Major projects programme board: consisting of Les Buck (chair), David Kerr, Yaver Abidi and Alasdair Coates, the board will work closely with business groups and regions to put in place the right people, processes and systems to meet the programme’s objectives. Programme director: Steve Swain. Reporting to the programme board, Steve will provide a vital link between it and the business, supporting business groups, regions and corporate services to develop and deliver their plans for major projects. Major projects office: a dedicated ‘virtual’ office of project management specialists who will assist bid and project teams worldwide in the pursuit, bidding and start-up stages of major projects. The core team of specialists cover planning and control, commercial and contracts, modern project management, collaboration systems and fast-track recruitment. They will be assisted by experts in partnering and team-building, communications and stakeholder management, lean processes, bidding, finance and accounting. In 2009, selected projects will be able to tap in to the services of the core team at no extra cost. A UK-based team is currently being assembled, and plans are afoot to establish similar offices in the Middle East and North America by 2011.
Les Buck (left) and Steve Swain
Halcrow’s ability to react to change within a project is also critical. “We need to be flexible when change occurs – be it political, financial, commercial or within the project remit. This means using experts and good practice where we have them, recruiting from outside if necessary,” says Steve.
Latin American trickle turns into torrent Construction begins on Halcrow’s first official major project
Halcrow is partnering with global contractor Odebrecht to deliver the treatment plant and associated transmission works. North of the sleek skyscrapers and sprawling barrios of Argentina’s capital city, the design and build project will benefit around 4.5 million people, improving the supply and quality of potable water. Representing a major advance for the bustling metropolis, the scheme will extend supply services and replace existing underground sources by treating water drawn from the Paraná River. As lead consultant, Halcrow will develop the detailed design and provide technical support during construction. Project director Rodolfo Aradas sizes up the challenges set to arise as the project’s various phases and components kick off: “We’re preparing for what are effectively several projects rolled into one. The scheme’s size and complexity mean we’ll be working on different stages simultaneously, meeting a range of deadlines and deliverables. “Managing multiple interfaces and co-ordinating the multidisciplinary team are key to success. With people joining us at various stages, integration will be a central focal point, as will ensuring we’ve got the right skills at the right time.” Handshakes sealed the deal just as Halcrow’s major projects programme took its first steps off the drawing board. While many of the nascent programme’s management systems have yet to be finalised, this time frame has tied Halcrow’s first large design and build scheme in the region to its major projects strategy – effectively serving as a pilot. Buenos Aires’ progress will
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inform the major projects framework as it eases into gear, with the opportunity to iron out any unforeseen issues early on. Representing Halcrow’s largest commission in Latin America to date, the three-year project will swell employee numbers in Buenos Aires by around 50 – a huge increase on the current complement of 65. Two of the latest additions jetted in from the newly-established major projects office, tasked with helping the burgeoning team establish procedures and systems. Shouldering some of the project management functions, this specialised support frees up the technical team to tackle the contractor’s looming demands. Halcrow’s partnership with the Brazilian giant has already propelled it towards other strategic contracts – teaming up with Odebrecht in Panama for a sewerage tunnelling project, and another major Brazilian contractor on a sewage treatment plant, again in Buenos Aires. Add to the mix the Tigre (north potable water) project – led by Marina Arana Biscaldi – and it’s clear the team is experiencing an unprecedented workload. This flurry of large, complex projects has triggered a step-change in the region’s approach. Regional director Gustavo Gonelli said: “The team is moving up a gear. We’ve never faced work of this magnitude on a local level. We’re restructuring internally to respond Project fast facts and adapt. Clearly there will be • raw water tunnel extends 14km with a challenges as we 3.6m diameter manage rapid growth, • raw water pumping station will transport but we should all aim 1.2 million m3/day to embrace this as a • water processing plant will treat great opportunity to 900,000 m3/day expand our business.” • treated water pipelines will be 45km long, with diameters of 30-120cm
Buenos Aires skyline
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ulking piling rigs drill deep into the fertile soil, laying the foundations for a £535 million water supply works in Buenos Aires.
An ‘outstanding job’ JAXPORT project team receives glowing praise well surged around the Dames Point container terminal on 7 January 2009 as the £153 million facility received its first vessel. This marked the culmination of an extremely successful project for Halcrow with both Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) and TraPac, a leading container terminal operator, commenting on the team’s “outstanding” performance.
Led by Jack Belt, Halcrow’s on-site construction management team kept an iron grip on costs by controlling change orders. This secured the savings made through the innovative design solutions developed by their colleagues. A potential environmental liability – in the form of dredged material – was converted into a site fill solution, reducing costs even further.
As the ink dried on the 2005 contract, paving the way for one of the largest container ports on the US east coast, Halcrow was brought in to help deliver the megaterminal. Commissioned to gain the necessary permits and to design and manage the construction of JAXPORT’s flagship facility, Halcrow’s involvement spanned the entire 42-month programme.
“Construction management provided by the Halcrow field staff continually insisted upon a quality product, while at the same time being highly influential in the overall delivery of JAXPORT’s most ambitious project to date,” said TraPac’s terminal general manager.
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Covering 65ha – equivalent to 522 Olympic swimming pools – the new terminal will boost container capacity by 50 per cent, securing it a spot among the 12 largest ports in the US. Two 365m berths, complete with six container cranes, will process the huge volumes of freight, and an additional pair of cranes will be installed as the terminal becomes fully operational. Jacksonville’s port will welcome ships from Asia, via the Panama Canal, with docking vessels flying flags from over 100 countries. Integrating and overlapping the permitting and design processes, Halcrow’s teams worked seamlessly to successfully avoid time and cost overruns. The permitting unit built strong relationships with the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to prevent any barriers arising that could stall progress. Each design element was reviewed weekly by JAXPORT and its tenants. Dames Point container terminal
Maintaining a sense of continuity as the programme moved from design to construction also yielded significant benefits, for client and project team alike. As the first ships unloaded their cargo, JAXPORT praised project manager Paul Starr and his team, saying: “The bottom line is that the largest project in Jacksonville Port Authority’s history was completed on time and under budget. This fact is truly rare in public infrastructure construction projects and reflects well on the professional calibre team provided by Halcrow.”
King of
the
n unprecedented four contract area wins with the UK’s Highways Agency has catapulted A-one+ – Halcrow’s joint venture with Colas and Costain – to the position of England’s leading managing agent contractor (MAC).
swelled to over £750 million – distinct reasons to be cheerful in these troubled times.
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Kicking off in October this year, the £200 million, five-year Area 12 project was the latest MAC to be awarded – in March 2009. Encompassing the motorways and trunk roads of Yorkshire, this includes stretches of the M1, M62 and M18 motorways, as well as the A1 and A64, both key regional trunk roads. The win means A-one+ now manages 32 per cent of England’s motorway and trunk road network – the maximum market share permitted by the Highways Agency. The company’s annual turnover has increased to over £200 million and its forward order book has
Contractor of the year “A-one is fast becoming the benchmark to adopt for its pioneering approach and innovation.” Highways Magazine on naming A-one contractor of the year 2008
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A-one+ now England’s leading motorway maintenance provider
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The latest coup follows the award of the Area 7 MAC contract earlier this year. Out of the four Highways Agency area contracts up for grabs in 2009, A-one+ bid for three and scooped two. As the executive director for Halcrow’s transportation group, Geoff Brown, noted: “For any organisation to win one major MAC commission is a huge achievement, but to win two contracts of this size in one bidding round is unheard of in the industry.” The Highways Agency has declared the sections for which A-one+ is responsible to be some of the most challenging, heavily trafficked and complex in the network. As the MAC, A-one+ will plan, design and construct all maintenance schemes up to a value of £500,000 in the four areas. It will also design and supervise motorway and trunk road improvement and renewal projects up to £8 million in value.
The fabulous four Area 14 – a four-year contract won in 2003, with a threeyear extension secured in 2006. It covers the A1 and A66 – a total of 69km of motorway and 420km of trunk roads. Estimated value – £25 million per year. Managed from A-one’s Darlington office.
Area 10 – a £158 million, five-year contract with a two-year extension option won in 2007. The contract covers one of the UK’s busiest networks in the north west of England and is managed from the Warrington office.
Area 7 – the five-year, £220 million contract will commence on 1 July 2009. Covering roads in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland, the contract will be serviced from Nottingham.
Area 12 – covering 79km of motorway and 428km of trunk roads, the new five-year contract will be managed from the Wakefield area, west Yorkshire.
As principal contractor, A-one+’s role includes fulfilling the construction design management (CDM) regulations, as well as managing, designing and integrating all routine services, such as emergency response and maintenance of employer’s vehicles. Close liaison with the police, the Environment Agency, adjacent area service providers and other stakeholders, as well as working collaboratively with the Highways Agency’s traffic officers, are key to delivering an integrated service. Unsurprisingly, A-one+ is now undergoing a period of growth, offering long-term highways and design management opportunities in the east Midlands, Yorkshire and north west England. The Area 7 and 12 contracts will more than double the size of the existing business to over 2,000 employees. A-one+’s managing director, Andy Jamieson, attributes the success in part to cultivating a great client relationship, in which keeping promises is a key factor: “I am extremely proud of this latest success and our now dominant market position. We are winning
these contracts on quality rather than price and have established a reputation with the Highways Agency for delivering on our commitments and being easy to do business with.” Able to focus entirely on its client, the A-one+ team has aligned its business strategy with that of the Highways Agency in order to deliver its objectives. The emphasis has always been to deliver on time and to budget, with the team working in all weathers to meet the brief. “It is about understanding our client’s needs and adapting our organisation to suit – even when it is problematic for us – and delivering a quick response service,” explains Andy. The team is now preparing to re-bid for the Area 14 contract, which comes to an end in 2010. “We’re well positioned to win the new contract with established offices, service and IT. But we are not in any way complacent, and are determined to submit a high quality bid in July,” explains Andy. And with such a winning streak under its belt, A-one+ seems destined for continued success in the fast lane.
Down, down, deeper and down
alcrow is playing a leading role in the programme management of Thames Water’s proposed London Tideway Tunnels – the capital’s most ambitious project since its extensive Victorian sewerage system was built in the 1850s.
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The 11-year scheme will ensure that up to 32 million metres3 of untreated sewage no longer escapes into the River Thames after rainfall. Such occurrences have increased in recent years with rapid urban development, an expanding population and changing weather patterns. Halcrow will work on the scheme – the utility’s single biggest investment – as associate to CH2M HILL.
Halcrow played a major part in winning the commission and will deliver around 50 per cent of the cross-business, multidisciplinary programme management services. Not only will it strengthen the company’s project and programme management capability, it will enhance Halcrow’s relationships with Thames Water, and the strategic alliance with CH2M HILL.
Ultimately, the scheme will ensure London’s sewerage system fully complies with the European Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive.
The water and power business group’s managing director, Michael Norton, said: “This is a milestone in the development of Halcrow’s water business – the programme management of probably its largest ever water sector project. Following the successful completion of High Speed 1, it ensures that Halcrow remains centre stage of London’s tunnelling projects and has the opportunity to work on the largest current European sewerage scheme.”
The scheme consists of two distinct and independent projects: the Lee Tunnel – which will capture discharges from a combined sewer at Abbey Mills, responsible for half the volume of sewage discharged into the tidal River
Once completed, the work will not only benefit wildlife, but the river’s extensive leisure users. And it will ensure that ‘Old Father Thames’ remains a continuing source of pride for future generations of Londoners.
The London Tideway Tunnels will capture sewage that would otherwise spill from the combined sewer overflows and transfer it to Beckton Sewage Treatment Works for processing.
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Thames every year. And the more complex 32km-long Thames Tunnel, which will capture the flows of sewage from 34 combined sewer overflows. Up to 75m below ground, both tunnels will be the deepest in London.
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Extended merit Docklands Light Railway wins ICE merit award Metaphorical hats were thrown in the air at Halcrow’s London office as the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Woolwich Arsenal Extension project won the city’s highest honour for civil engineering excellence – the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) London Merit Award for Infrastructure. Undertaken as a joint venture between Morgan Est and Colas Rail – with Halcrow as designer – the DLR extension provides a modern and reliable public transport link from Woolwich Arsenal to King George V and Canary Wharf, as well as to the London Underground network. The judges’ criteria included factors such as creativity and innovation, sustainability and environmental sensitivity, and benefits to the client and wider public. They were particularly impressed with the team’s
co-ordination through the design, build and commissioning stages, which led to the project opening ahead of schedule. Halcrow project manager Andy Alder said: “The project was delivered through the ability and experience of the whole team. This award is testament to everyone’s hard work and desire to pull together.” The extension comprises 2.5km of new railway in a pair of parallel tunnels under the River Thames, connecting to a new underground station at Woolwich Arsenal. This new station is integrated with the existing Network Rail station at Woolwich, which was upgraded as part of the project. Alice Bhandhukravi (BBC), Richard Pollard (Morgan-Est), Robert Sharpe (ICE), Dave Duncombe (Morgan-Est), Christophe Chassagnette (Colas Rail) and Halcrow’s Alan Runacres
Artist’s impression of the proposed Isle of Dogs station at Canary Wharf
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Lond n links Bechtel, Halcrow, Systra team wins high-profile Crossrail contract hen Crossrail opens in 2017, it will increase London’s public transport network capacity by 10 per cent, supporting regeneration across the capital, helping to secure London’s position as a world leading financial centre, and cutting journey times across the city. And Halcrow is set to play a leading role in the delivery of this £16 billion scheme.
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A partnership between Bechtel, Halcrow and Systra has won preferred bidder status for the project delivery partner role for Crossrail, worth around £400 million to the team. The announcement was made on 1 April by Crossrail Limited – the organisation charged with delivering London’s highest-profile infrastructure project since High Speed 1. And it was the partnership’s phenomenal success in designing and project managing the delivery of High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel Rail Link) – on time and to budget – that helped swing the decision. On hearing the announcement, the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “This is the latest significant step towards the delivery of Crossrail and demonstrates its genuine momentum. It comes at a particularly pertinent time, as I believe the project will help London through the recession. At the height of construction, up to 14,000 people will be employed.”
Crossrail will run 118km from the Maidenhead and Heathrow stations in the west, through new twin-bore 21km tunnels under central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. It will bring an additional 1.5 million people within 60 minutes commuting distance of London’s major business districts. The central tunnel section will become the largest construction project in Europe. The team will be responsible for managing the successful delivery of the central London tunnel from west London, through Paddington and branching off to the north and south of Liverpool Street station. The 21km twin-bore tunnel will run through six new stations. And the team will take on the complex job of integrating Crossrail with London’s existing transport systems. Preparatory works will continue throughout 2009, with construction kicking off in 2010. David Watters, executive director of Halcrow’s rail sector, said: “Halcrow has made contributions to every major rail scheme in the city. As part of the Bechtel, Halcrow, Systra team, we’re ready to deliver for London. “At a time of global uncertainty, our team’s appointment to Crossrail is good news for Halcrow and for our Londonbased rail team.”
Project profiles Celebrating excellence
Cyber team helps harbour police
San Diego’s harbour police force will soon be able to tap into a sophisticated integrated geographic information system (GIS), with engineering drawings meshed into the existing maps.
A ‘cyber office’ environment sees employees working remotely, without the requirement to relocate. Jerry Wallenborn is leading the geographically-disparate team, drawing on technical skills from Long Beach, Houston and New York.
Layering technical data within the GIS, the project paves the way for further information tiers and future development of the district’s infrastructure management programme. As the port’s infrastructure evolves, users will be able to access changes in real time.
Cutting time, cost and carbon, the team has made ample use of the latest technology to stay in close contact. Weekly meetings via WebEx web conferencing allows employees in each office to view each others’ work and discuss progress.
In order for engineering drawings to be made available through the port authority’s GIS system, a standardised format had to be agreed on, established, and all data converted accordingly. With a testing five-month deadline, the team raced through this detailed process, enabling both live computer aided design information and legacy data to be displayed.
India’s new industrial age With the Indian economic tiger snapping at the heels of developed nations, investment in infrastructure is accelerating to match the country’s aspirations. Halcrow is taking a prominent role as the nascent plans evolve. Linking the powerhouses of Mumbai and Delhi, a proposed industrial zone will stimulate economic growth and integrate essential infrastructure. Flanking the planned 1,400km railway, the Delhi Mumbai industrial corridor will connect a series of investment regions and industrial areas. Edging out competitors such as Arup, Buro Happold, Scott Wilson and Faber Maunsell, Halcrow joined forces with Synovate and Knight Frank to secure contracts for the initial region. First off the drawing board, the Ahmedabad-Dholera investment region in Gujarat state is also the largest proposed zone and a perfect fit for Halcrow. With the development planning team gearing up for its biggest challenge Mark Brown at Gurajat Global to date, project Investors summit in January 2009 director Rajeev Vijay said: “As the first region to hit the market, we’re able to stamp our leadership on this scheme.”
Cleanup effort almost as big as Texas itself Tearing across Texas at 180km per hour and gouging a scar of destruction through the landscape, Hurricane Ike whirled past Houston in the early hours of 13 September 2008. With roads impassable and littered with debris in the wake of the category two hurricane, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) moved swiftly to clear access routes to stricken residents. TxDOT drafted in Halcrow’s regional manager, Joe Graff, to prepare emergency contracts for the large-scale cleanup and repairs to the battered transport infrastructure. Joe helped the TxDOT contract team put together 31 contracts worth over £13 million for work including signal, sign, guard rail and pavement repairs, ditch cleaning and debris removal. As Texas completed the mammoth rebuilding task, Halcrow compiled a final report for all post-hurricane contracts in the state – 84 agreements in six TxDOT districts, valued at over £19 million. Hurricane Ike caused widespread devastation
Halcrow is drawing on its multidisciplinary capabilities to deliver a range of services: • conceptual and detailed master planning for the entire site, new township and industrial park • social and environmental impact assessments • pre-feasibility and techno-economic feasibility studies • infrastructure assessment for transport, logistics, water and waste water, power, ports and airports • base mapping and GIS database management
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Human rights take centre stage etal bit into frozen earth on 19 December 2008, as prime minister Stephen Harper turned the first clods of earth on the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) site in Winnipeg, marking the start of an ambitious scheme.
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The Halcrow Yolles structural team faces the mammoth challenge of converting the architect’s sculptural vision – described as ‘a symbolic apparition of ice, clouds and stone set in a field of sweet grass’ – into glass, concrete and steel. Designed as a series of shapes and forms, the CMHR eschews all references to traditional building construction. This departure from convention has pushed the project team to devise novel methods of working, using the latest in three-dimensional software to plan internal spaces and calculate floor loads. Breaking the architectural whole into manageable, buildable chunks or structural concepts, the project team considered each segment as part of a complex engineering process. Most of the building’s steel supports will be hidden from public view, and with few of the steel spans presenting an easy design task – many are curved, unique and up to 40m long – the team faces a raft of vibration issues.
Museum – South Forks (images courtesy of Canadian Museum for Human Rights)
Visitors to the £137 million museum will be able to wander through a winding kilometre of interactive experiences, connected by a series of
Entrancing en
trance
bridges. Rising almost 100m above the exhibition halls and galleries, the prismatic Tower of Hope will offer panoramic views of the city. Given the green light in 2003, the CMHR is both the first national museum to be built outside the national capital region and the first new institution planned since 1967. Due to open in 2012, this sculptural feat of engineering aims to be the largest museum dedicated to human rights in the world.
Museum from north
Project profiles Celebrating excellence
Desert oasis
Let there be light
Luxury five-star resort rises from the sands
Calgary Eaton Centre (courtesy of MMC International Architects Inc)
Flooding the space below with natural light, Canada’s largest skylight will float above the Calgary Eaton Centre and TD Square development, bridging three city blocks. The property team is providing structural and glass design services for the 213m-long, 26m-wide structure which will feature steel tube arches with glass suspended below – without any visible expansion joints. Minimal discernible supports maximise visibility, while the sweeping, vaulted design provides a unique method of stabilising the external arches under gravity, wind and thermal loads. And just as the light is set to pour in, the redevelopment is attracting new tenants, revitalising the existing mall.
he Empty Quarter – which crosses Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen – is the largest continuous body of sand in the world, but is changing fast.
T
It’s already home to some of the world’s largest sand dunes (taller than the Eiffel Tower), a rich variety of plant and animal life, including the rare Arabian onyx gazelle, and a scattering of local villages. Come September 2009, it will also be the backdrop to Qasr al Sarab, a luxury five-star Arabian retreat. Located 90 minutes from Abu Dhabi in the Liwa Oasis on the northern edge of the Empty Quarter, this emerging desert resort will boast a luxury health spa, observatory, tented villages and a royal pavilion for visiting dignitaries, royal families and the global rich. The project – owned by Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) – sprang into life in 2007. Halcrow will provide multidisciplinary design and supervision services to Dubai-based architect Dubarch. This will include structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, roads and infrastructure design services, as well as civil engineering and construction supervision. 18
Vox | issue two
Halcrow’s assistant project manager, Fadi Azzam, said: “The fast-track nature of this project is a major – but surmountable – challenge for us. The contractor was already on board as we began work on the design. This meant we had to work fast and issue information at key stages to keep the contractor busy.” Another hurdle for the project team was the lack of utility services, as Fadi explains: “The site is in the middle of the desert, so there was no water, electricity or gas supply – just sand.” Adding to the already impressive degree of co-ordination required, Halcrow proposed a reinforced earth system for the 5km retaining walls. This is a fairly new method of construction in the area and helped reduce both costs and the environmental impact of the works. With an anticipated finish date of September 2009, the opening of Qasr al Sarab will be just in time to host some of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix’s elite away from the crush of the city.
Qsar al Sarab (from top): East entrance, west entrance and villas under construction
Making tracks Highways team creates way forward for Scottish cyclists As increasing numbers of Britons eschew their cars in favour of the environmental and health benefits conferred by the humble bicycle, Halcrow continues to build its expertise in the delivery of much needed cycle tracks throughout Scotland. Newly opened coastal route to Kentallen
The highways team in Inverness, led by Murray Innes, has taken the lead on a number of cycle track projects, secured through Transport Scotland’s standards advisor and auditor commission. Halcrow has taken design and supervision roles as well as construction, design and management (CDM) co-ordination and road safety auditor responsibilities on the bulk of the tracks.
Providing assistance in the feasibility stages of these projects is Halcrow’s transport planning team, headed up by David Stephens as project manager. And Inverness-based cycling enthusiast Cathy Kay has been a source of good advice when it comes to pinning down the needs of the average cyclist.
The study was commissioned in response to mounting pressure from the local community … following the death of a cyclist in 2005 Work began back in late 2006 with a feasibility study into the provision of an 8km cycle route on the Black Isle in northern Scotland, adjacent to the A835 between Tore and Maryburgh. The study was commissioned in response to mounting pressure from the local community and cycling groups for a safe link between the two villages following the death of a cyclist in 2005. The project completes a gap in the route between Inverness and Dingwall. The team’s feasibility study recommended combining existing footways with lightly trafficked local roads and a new 2m-wide shared-use facility. Delivered to budget at just over £500,000, the route was largely constructed along the A835 southbound verge to create a safe, direct route which minimised the need for trunk road crossings. Highland Quality Construction was the principal contractor for the works, with Alex Scott as Halcrow’s man on the ground. The local community welcomed the new facility which now attracts a high volume of cyclists and pedestrians. “Positive feedback from both Transport Scotland and The Highland Council helped us secure a number of other cycle track projects. These include routes in the Cairngorms National Park, Glencoe and Argyll,” said Murray. The team is currently providing design input for all trunk road sections on a cycle route between Oban and Fort William on Scotland’s west coast, led by sustainable transport charity Sustran. The route cuts through an old railway line, which Excavating Creagan Mound had been filled with surplus material from the construction of the road bridge at Creagan. Around 7,000m3 of material had to be removed. “The route also passes through a special area of conservation and site of special scientific interest,” explains Murray. The next project – a 6km route further along the A828 – is being designed by lead technician Kelly Gray from Inverness. Adjacent to the A82, it will link the recently completed Sustrans route and provide a community link from the Glencoe Visitor Centre to North Ballachulish, at a cost of around £500,000.
Scraping the sky Chicago’s emblematic Sears Tower remains the tallest skyscraper in the western hemisphere, 35 years after it was built. The property business group has been entrusted with renovating the windy city’s favourite landmark. Set the daunting task of replacing 6,000 panes of glass with insulating glass units, the team investigated the viability of the proposed material as part of a massive re-cladding exercise and submitted four design options to the client. Designing for such eye-watering heights brings its own challenges. Ensuring that the new panes remain adhered to the window frames – even in the event of breakage – was crucial to avoid sections of glass hurtling towards unsuspecting pedestrians below. Four retractable glass boxes – planned for installation in May 2009 – will add an additional dimension to the 103rd floor observation deck. Extending 1.4m from the tower’s exterior walls, the glass additions will provide an eye-popping view of the tower, Chicago skyline, and the ant-like people on the ground below.
Observation boxes (courtesy of SOM Architects)
On top of the world The Sears Tower held on to its title of ‘world’s tallest building’ for an impressive quarter of a century, only being usurped in 1998 by Malaysia’s Petronas Towers. Standing at a colossal 442m, the 110-storey structure remains one of the world’s most recognisable modern landmarks.
Project profiles Celebrating excellence Glowing reviews from Costain in a recent client survey culminated in an overall score of nine out of a ten, with the contractor enthusing that it would ‘definitely recommend’ Halcrow to others. The companies are teaming up on another design and build scheme in South Wales.
Taking its toll Halcrow took on design duties for contractor Costain during the tender and detailed design phases. Commissioned by Midland Expressway in October 2007, the design and build scheme opened to motorists – on time and to budget – in July 2008. Linking the M42 to the M6 toll road, the extended southbound section reduces snags on one of the UK’s busiest stretches of motorway. Halcrow’s tender designs sought to reduce work areas on the 2km scheme, cutting material costs and the need for lane closures. Given the heavy traffic flows on this arterial route, slashing traffic management costs was identified at the outset as a deciding factor in securing the contract. Detailed drainage analysis made the case for downsizing drainage works. Revising the road alignment shaved sizeable chunks from the verge width – trimming down the
earthworks and reducing the need for off-site disposal. These reviews enabled Costain to scale back the construction programme, cutting costs and improving the project’s sustainability credentials. Sharp contract negotiations and value engineering will also bring savings for Halcrow. Any differences between project expenditure and tender predictions were split 50:50 between the two parties, providing an extra incentive to review every section of the scheme and find areas for potential savings. Managed from Halcrow’s Cardiff base with specialist support from Swindon, Chichester and Derby, the contract is the first design and build scheme delivered out of the Welsh capital since regional empowerment. Project manager Paul Sandford reflected: “This has been a real team effort and a credit to those involved, characterised by
a commitment to deliver a quality service. Thanks in particular to Simon Rimell, Lesley Campton and David Smith.”
Before M6 Birmingham Road overbridge along the M42 southbound verge
Traffic streaks along the newly constructed third lane of the M42 motorway east of Birmingham, UK, a testament to the scheme’s success.
After
Shine a light Halcrow’s switched-on street lighting team has dazzled Chichester residents, lighting up four iconic landmarks in the historic West Sussex town. An architectural lighting trial made 21 October a night to savour, with illuminating results for The Market Cross, The Butter Market, The Council House and the cathedral. Halcrow’s David Hollingsworth, Rob Jones, Cedric Whiting and Kam Mak – seeking to push the boundaries of their Institution of Lighting Engineers (ILE) exterior lighting diploma – demonstrated bags of initiative. Not only did they liaise with local authorities to plan the display, but they got local firm Philips Lighting on board.
The Market Cross
The Council House
Donated floodlighting equipment and the latest LED technology in hand, the bright sparks set about flicking the switch on their central objective – creating a lighting scheme that enhances both the illuminated structure and the surrounding scene. Local residents and councillors swarmed around the lit-up monuments, ablaze in the night sky. City council property manager, Guy Clifford, applauded the team’s efforts: “This innovative demonstration gives the city council a valuable insight as to how these prominent buildings could be enhanced. The possibilities are endless, and I am certain that this project will help determine future plans for the lighting of these buildings.” 20
Vox | issue two
(L to r) Kam Mak, Cedric Whiting, Pa ul Ransley, Sarah Ni chols, Richard Benn ett, Rob Jones and David Hollingsworth
Watch this ISPAce Two years after Romania’s president, Traian Basescu, rejoiced in his country’s journey along “the road of our joy” to European membership, the first tangible signs of the millions of euros flooding through Bucharest are evident. Complemented by the rhythmic pop of champagne corks, Romania marked the official opening of its first instrument for structural policies for pre-accession (ISPA) project – in Satu Mare – with a ceremony on 29 September 2008. Taking a strategic overview of the £29 million project’s component parts,
Halcrow supervised the delivery of a water supply treatment plant and waste water plant, as well as sewerage and water supply networks. Residents across Romania are now sipping cleaner water, minus the detrimental manganese and iron concentrations that had previously blighted the supply. The overhauled treatment plant boasts an enhanced ultraviolet disinfection stage, ensuring that the torrent of discharged water pouring into the Somes River meets stringent quality standards.
The overhauled treatment plant
Marching east Part of the European Union’s mechanism to apportion funds to new members of the European family, instrument for structural policies for pre-accession (ISPA) projects have bolstered recent recruits’ transport networks and environmental credentials. Intended to improve infrastructure in accession countries, around £14 billion will be pumped into the ‘new Europe’ between now and 2013.
The sewer tunnel
Light at the end of the tunnel Halcrow helps complete ISPA-funded project in Romania A challenging sewer construction project in Romania – plagued by funding issues – was finally inaugurated in January 2009, 20 years after work began.
challenge thanks to the depth and difficult soil conditions under the water table.
The project in Braila – a port city on the Danube River in Muntenia, eastern Romania – involved building a new main sewer for the town’s 230,000 residents. Halcrow provided technical assistance to the scheme’s critical procurement and supervision phases of the final and most challenging stages.
Halcrow’s team leader, Stewart Neal, together with the Romanian supervision team, ensured this vital community asset was finally delivered.
Construction began in the final days of communism in 1989, but a lack of funds stopped work after the first three sections were built. The final hurdle was overcome after cash was secured from the instrument for structural policies for preaccession (ISPA) programme in 2000 – one of three European Union funding sources. This last 289m section of the 4km-long scheme was a major design and construction
Project profiles Celebrating excellence
UK traffic jam relief
RISAS to the top Putting on its figurative auditor’s hat, Halcrow issued certification to an industry supplier as part of the Railway Industry Supplier Approval Scheme (RISAS). A recognised assessor since 2006, Halcrow approved Rail Door Solutions (RDS) to undertake door maintenance services under the RISAS third party evaluation process. The team has been commissioned to carry out a further assessment of RDS after the first certificate expires in June.
Red-faced motorists can look forward to a calm new era in Tipton in the West Midlands thanks to a new road scheme, which will see Halcrow removing the last railway crossing on the West Coast Main Line running between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. West Coast Main Line
As part of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council’s aspirations to regenerate the local area, the £22.4 million project – partly funded by Network Rail – will see the railway crossing at Tipton station replaced by a relief road. At peak times, the railway crossing closes for up to 45 minutes every hour, bringing motorists to a grinding halt. The new relief road will allow traffic to flow freely. Working with construction provider BAM Nuttall, Halcrow has designed a 15m-wide, 9m-high, 53m-long concrete box to provide passage under the railway line. With the box successfully put in place in April, a 300m road realignment will be constructed and the level crossing will be decommissioned by the end of the year.
Halcrow’s David Mullins (left) presents the RISAS certificate to RDS managing director Jeremy Sprigg
The project included numerous design challenges, such as squeezing the road between the Birmingham canal which runs parallel to the tracks, a high-pressure gas main and the existing railway infrastructure – including the buried remains of old rail bridge abutments. The majority of excavated materials are being reused within the site to provide improved sports playing fields. Halcrow’s project manager Simon Ogborn said: “The scheme’s success is down to the commitment of John Sreeves, Mike Ball and Paul Wright from Swindon’s bridges team, who have overcome difficult challenges to find a workable solution.”
Halcrow has made a phenomenally accurate prediction of when a devastating, once-every-100-year cyclone would rip through Oman, warning the government of the Gonu cyclone’s imminent arrival. The team’s uncanny accuracy earned it a favourable write-up and glowing praise from Farhan Faraidooni, the executive chairman of client Sama Dubai, in the Gulf News newspaper. The article centred on Halcrow’s work on the £650 million Salam resort and Spa-Yiti project in Muscat.
Cyclone Gonu near peak intensity
Gonu with the wind
Farhan Faraidooni told Gulf News: “Not very many people took them seriously. Then came Gonu – and it devastated the area, as predicted by the consultants. That’s the kind of accuracy we have to ensure while we plan our projects.” The Salam Yiti project straddles a wadi and is prone to flooding during the cyclone period. Halcrow’s study helped the client avoid the worst excesses of the cyclone’s raw power. 22
Vox | issue two
Damage in Muscat, Oman
Elgin
marvel C
oastal communities scattered along Scotland’s Moray Firth are turning on their taps to a safer water supply, thanks to a Halcrow-led infrastructure overhaul.
Badentinan water treatment works
Concealed by hills and scrubland, the Badentinan water treatment works supplies the city of Elgin with 27 million litres daily. Villages strewn across the firth’s far-flung reaches and a soup factory also tap into the plant’s supply. Water quality tests consistently returned results of high turbidity or cloudiness. Readings were up to four times higher than acceptable levels, as determined by recent water quality directives. Undertaking work for Scottish Water Solutions, Halcrow’s team was heavily involved in the investigations, design work and production of tender and construction documents for the essential upgrade. Halcrow inherited several concept designs, a proposed rapid gravity filter (RGF) and an approved £12 million budget. Convinced there was a more effective method of treating turbidity and following discussions with suppliers, the team arrived at an alternative – an ultra-filtration (UF) membrane plant. Tenders for the revised design came in at £5 million – a hefty saving on the funds already committed. While the initially proposed RGF facility required a 9km pipeline to pump waste to Elgin’s sewage treatment plant, by-products from Halcrow’s option are minimal and easily neutralised. Recognising this, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency has permitted the discharge of treated waste flows into a local waterway, removing the need for the pipeline. After selecting the membrane supplier – and ordering the parts from Australia – the team designed a bespoke building to house the plant and associated machinery. This included a 50m3 reinforced concrete feeder tank and a 36m-long, 20m-wide, 7m-high steel-clad building. The new plant came ‘on stream’ at the close of 2008, four months ahead of schedule and several million pounds under budget.
The Inverness project team Neil Aimers Mathew Bot Murray Richardson Brian Carson Scot Bell Paul Brett Ali Muir Louise Ross Eddie Douglas Alan MacLaren Alexsej Frolov Richard Sewerniak
£
A quite beautiful award
Crystals at CityCenter in Las Vegas has won the engineering design and steel categories at the Best of 2008 Awards for Nevada, sponsored by Southwest Contractor magazine.
It is currently the largest privately-funded development in the US. One judge dubbed it “an incredible steel and engineering accomplishment that is also quite beautiful”.
Designed by internationally renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, Crystals is the high-end retail, dining and entertainment venue which will form the core of MGM Mirage’s CityCenter.
As well as providing complete structural engineering services for this noteworthy project, the property business group is involved with other elements of the 5.2 million metres2, £4.8 billion multi-use development.
Reaching high The mixed-use Gate development in Doha, Qatar, has won the best development and the high-rise architecture categories at the CNBC Arabian Property Awards 2008. The Gate’s podium hosts a new shopping mall, which includes retail outlets, fitness suites and restaurants. Emerging above the podium are three towers of prestigious office accommodation. Two of the towers rise 13 floors above the podium, with the three upper floors connected to form a portal, from which the title of the development is derived.
The Gate development
Halcrow Yolles is providing a host of services to this landmark scheme, including structural, architectural and interior design. The property team is also co-ordinating the mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering aspects and is providing technical support during construction.
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Ageing gracefully Halcrow has scooped a commendation at this year’s Institution of Civil Engineers Historic Bridge and Structure Awards. The work to rebuild the Oil Mills bridge on the Stroudwater Canal in Gloucestershire entailed building a reinforced concrete integral bridge to 21st century loading standards, while preserving its 18th century arch. The bridge abuts a company that provides fake snow for films such as Harry Potter and Quantum of Solace. Before work could begin some 214 slow worms and 18 grass snakes were moved.
(L to r) ICE president Jean Venables, Mark Craddy, Andrew Elms and Terry Girdler
Awards Celebrating achievement
A
issue
Halcrow’s legal agreements team has just completed a tour of UK offices to promote best practice as part of the Project Excellence programme.
Halcrow’s asset management and engineering skill group is making huge strides in fire damage assessment, yielding significant savings for asset owners and improving safety for urban residents. Helping to stave off demolition for fireravaged concrete structures, the team’s research is highlighting alternatives to the wrecking ball through cutting-edge testing and inspection techniques. The Concrete Society recently published a new technical report, TR68: Assessment, design and repair of fire-damaged concrete structures, which features sizeable input from Halcrow and is set to be adopted as standard reference material. Reinforcing Halcrow’s materials technology expertise, Jeremy Ingham recently spoke at the 4th International Conference on Forensic Engineering, held at the Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) London headquarters. Presenting a paper on Forensic engineering of fire-damaged concrete structures, Jeremy outlined the scope for inspection and testing, structural analysis and concrete repair methods. On the back of this, a revised version was published in a forensic-focused issue of the ICE’s journal, which landed on desks around the UK in April 2009. Jeremy commented: “Concrete has excellent fire resistance and fire-damaged structures are often capable of being repaired. Our work to preserve buildings following fires provides
Legal eagles take flight
Halcrow is blazing ahead in fire-related fields
substantial reductions in capital expenditure, and permits earlier reoccupation.” The work of Halcrow’s fire safety engineering team – designing fire-resistant structures – dovetails with that of the asset management and engineering skill group. The recently completed assessment of passive fire protection measures for Dubai International City’s buildings, involving extensive fire testing at Ulster University, is a pertinent example of this collaboration. Fathi Tarada, the team’s director, added: “The combination of our strong fire and asset management skills has already reaped dividends in terms of new project instructions, assessing fire-damaged structures, identifying the causes, and ensuring adequate future mitigation measures. Halcrow is recognised as a force to be reckoned with in all fire-related areas.”
Team members Nigel King, Rachel Griffiths and Rebecca Hunt have been giving employees a crash course on what to look out for when negotiating legal agreements with Halcrow clients. Advice includes referring to the agreed contract throughout the life of the project to check the correct processes and mechanisms are being used. Employees were also reminded that Halcrow is not insured for fitness for purpose obligations. Duty of care statements in contracts should be confined to ‘reasonable skill, care and attention’, but they are not always so clearly stated. Bidding practice also came under scrutiny, as the team stressed the importance of ensuring that only up-to-date Halcrow insurance policies – in terms of monetary limits and coverage – are used in bid documents. If in any doubt, employees are advised to contact the team, along with any client requests for parent company guarantees and performance bonds. Further information is available on Halnet’s legal agreements site under the support services menu.
Les in Lisbon Part of Halcrow’s business improvement programme, Technical Excellence provides a framework for mentoring relationships – supporting and encouraging future technical leaders. More experienced employees cast their net a little wider, and may get involved in cutting-edge external research to further develop their skills. For Les Batty, a senior ecologist based in Peterborough, the support of his Technical Excellence mentor, Val Cooper, spurred him to build on research he first started as a lecturer at the University of Algarve. Les outlines his aims within the programme: “One of my targets under Technical
Excellence is to establish a collaborative link with a university.” With support from the consulting business group’s research and development funding, Les recently visited Portugal to put together a major research proposal with an interdisciplinary team from the University of Algarve, the Technical University of Lisbon and the A Rocha Field Study Centre. Describing the project objectives, Les said: “The research hinges on developing an integrated ecosystem model for a small seasonally-arid estuary in southern Portugal. We believe that the inter-disciplinary approach we are developing, including the integration of different modelling styles, represents an innovative contribution to coastal science and management in Europe.”
The project proposal has been submitted to the Portuguese government’s science and technology fund to secure funding, while Les looks for backing from Halcrow’s innovation fund. Val is fully behind Les’s research: “The skills Les is developing are exactly what he needs to become a worldclass technical expert,” she said. Visit the Technical Excellence site on Halnet or email technicalexcellence@ halcrow.com for more.
Les Batty
Halcrow’s Technical Excellence scheme aims to boost technical experts’ skills profiles and serve to broadcast the company’s successes.
State of the
nation
Peter Gammie takes on the 3Cs oncluding a week of whirlwind talks and delicate negotiations, the Group of 20 (G20) leaders traipsed through London as March eased into April, having secured an historic £746 billion stimulus package. But while the international financial motor appears to be spluttering into life and the first encouraging green shoots of growth peep through, the slump is far from over.
C
As a world-wide company, Halcrow is exposed to the full range of global eddies and market surges – both positive and negative. The UK is facing a biting recession, while the Middle East’s turbo-charged growth has been pegged back. Dubai and Sharjah are experiencing sharp downturns, yet Halcrow’s markets in Abu Dhabi and Qatar remain steady. Recovery in North America is on the cards – earlier than anticipated – and other Halcrow markets are projecting growth this year, including Asia, Latin America and Australasia. Having seen out 2008 with a bumper order book and a hefty balance sheet, Halcrow has eased through the first quarter of 2009 ahead of budget. Chief executive Peter Gammie believes there is plenty to be positive about. “Overall, we are bearing up well as demonstrated by the profit figures just in for the first quarter. With Q1 profit of £7.1 million, we are performing £1.3 million above budget, but £1.1 million behind this point last year.” Work won in the first quarter has also been steady, and although a little behind target, it is
well ahead of the same period last year. “The highlight of this has been our Crossrail win in the UK, which will provide eight years of work for our rail and tunnelling teams. However, some markets remain weak and regrettably we have had to reduce our staffing levels in some regions and sectors,” explained Peter. Much of the resilience shown is attributable to teams taking on the 3Cs: cash collection, client care and cost control. Just as the banking crisis has crippled individuals lacking a source of ready cash, businesses unable to maintain the flow of funds have been mercilessly sidelined. “It’s not a lack of profit that bankrupts
With Q1 profit of £7.1 million, we are performing £1.3 million above budget
With clients seeking out partners to help them achieve value for money and maintain quality at lower cost, the path is wide open for securing new deals and strengthening relationships. Operating in the present climate of fragile frugality, many clients are facing their toughest times. “Remember our goal,” reiterates Peter, “to become the consultant that clients and partners naturally seek out when addressing their greatest challenges. The current times must surely be one of those challenges – this is our chance to show what we’re capable of.” Breathing in deeply while yanking on its collective belt, Halcrow is keeping a watchful eye on costs, tightly managing its cash flow. Prudency – as opposed to a panicked freeze on spending – is the company’s overriding objective. “Whatever action we take with respect to cost control,” Peter points out, “we shouldn’t compromise our ability to run – and grow – a successful business.”
companies,” Peter explains, “it’s running out of cash. I recognise that collecting cash doesn’t always sit easily with people. But we have to do it – and do it better.” The need to invoice and collect payments promptly remains as acute as ever.
And what of the accusation that values-based organisations turn their backs on ‘nice-tohave’ elements that don’t turn a profit? Peter responds decisively: “Our values make us who we are. Rather than it being a choice between saving money and living our values, we see these themes as being complementary.”
Clients are facing their stiffest challenges, and the deepening global malaise has caused many to tighten their grip on the purse strings. Building enduring relationships and delivering on client expectations is imperative if Halcrow is to weather the storm – and everyone has a part to play.
Peter is confident that Halcrow has taken appropriate steps to withstand financial pressures: “We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that we have a healthy business. We have a good order book. We have a strong pipeline of work and we continue to win new projects. And we are pulling together like never before.”
Budget beaters – Peter’s tips for saving, slashing and shelving costs • Planes, trains and automobiles: Halcrow racks up millions of pounds worth of travel costs. Unless they’re essential to deliver projects, bid for new work or build client relationships, think hard about whether face-to-face meetings are necessary. Technology is your friend – video conferencing, conference calls and web conferencing (WebEx) are cheap, convenient methods of keeping in touch. 26
Vox | issue two
• Bidding: during more barren times, the temptation arises to bid for any projects that come up. We need to be more rigorous during the assessment and decision-making stages, ensuring we focus on projects where winning is a strong probability. • External training and development: cut down or postpone where possible – but
don’t stop. Halcrow’s competitive edge is dependent on having the market’s top skills and expertise at our disposal. We have a well-equipped internal training resource – let’s use this to its full capacity. • Recruitment of non-fee-earning employees: avoid taking on new team members for the time being.
Sustainable business In February 2009, chief executive Peter Gammie joined regional managing director David Yaw in the Middle East to take part in the Arabian World Construction Summit. Hosted by Middle East Business Intelligence (MEED) in Abu Dhabi, the conference theme – achieving business sustainability in a challenging market – was a timely concept as participants discussed adapting to new realities. Peter took part in a panel of prominent chief operating officers, where he discussed Halcrow’s approach to achieving business sustainability based on the company’s 55-year pedigree in the region. “We focus on long-term relationships with clients who have the same values as us,” said Peter, “and we look for partnerships that combine equity and risk sharing.” Peter went on to request that those organisations involved in procuring services focus on value and not cost as this will create sustainable business into the future: “It is about balanced and fair contracts that recognise what the service provider is bringing to the table,” he said.
New Indian office inaugurated Halcrow has moved its offices in the Indian capital from Delhi to Noida. David Kerr, David Birch and members of India’s management team attended a special Hindu inauguration ceremony at the new offices towards the end of 2008. The Noida premises are spread over four floors, with 172 workstations, five meeting rooms and a soundproof video conference centre.
David Kerr joins India’s senior management team in a Hindu Pooja ceremony
L
arry Ellison, founder of the Oracle software empire, famously quipped: “When you innovate, you’ve got to be prepared for everyone to think you’re nuts.”
in action
Halcrow is clearly ready for sideways glances and furtive whispers. The company’s innovation fund pumps revenue from tax credit claims into an ongoing research and development programme. Established in 2007, the fund backs projects that channel research knowledge into new and improved products and services. The technology and innovation subcommittee allocates the grants, with individual projects able to secure up to £150,000 per year for a maximum of three years. Large scale or cross-business projects top the list for investment, which may supplement existing business group or external funding sources.
CanuteDS:
Asset management
managing flood risk
toolkit
£180,000 over 18 months
£77,000 over 12 months
Making huge strides in flood risk modelling and decision support software, this project is helping maintain Halcrow’s position as the leading integrated flood risk management consultancy.
Deciding when and how much to invest in infrastructure is a constant challenge for asset owners. Striking a balance between capital and operational expenditure while weighing up potential risks to service delivery is no easy task. Owners often struggle to determine the optimum time to repair, replace, or intervene to slow the rate of infrastructure decline.
As the waters receded after the UK’s sodden summer of 2007, the Foresight Future Flooding report warned that flood risk in urban areas could jump by a factor of up to 20 over the next century. Given this leap, existing flood risk policies will be ill-equipped to cope. While flooding stems from different sources – rain, river or sea – flood risk models tend to focus on the chief threat. By its very nature, climate change presents a series of unknowns. Sea level rises, intense rainfall and storm surges are on the cards, although no-one can foresee the ferocity or full range of potential scenarios. Bolstering the tools available to decision makers, CanuteDS will help those responsible for managing flood risk navigate a path through present and future uncertainty, delivering sustainable, robust investment decisions.
✉
Tim Wells – wellst@halcrow.com
Positioning Halcrow at the forefront of asset management, this project focuses on developing a software tool to optimise the design and realtime operational control of water distribution networks. Using the existing ENCOMS in-house software package as a starting point, the project aims to enable broader applications, and is exploring the potential for integration with Halcrow’s shoreline and nearshore data system (SANDS). A cutting-edge genetic algorithm optimiser underpins Halcrow’s rapidly evolving asset management toolkit. “In layman’s terms, the genetic algorithm will automate and accelerate complex decision making and find the best solution in a fraction of the time that it would take to solve the problem through trial and error,” explains project manager Paul Conroy.
✉
Paul Conroy – conroyp@halcrow.com
Got a bright idea? Visit the innovation fund site on Halnet under knowledge.
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Vox | issue two
Ordnance Survey
Digital data
MasterMap
classification
£100,000 over 12 months
£75,000 over ten months
Halcrow’s geographic information systems (GIS) capabilities received a welcome boost with funding for a web data server to manage the Ordnance Survey’s (OS) new mapping product, OS MasterMap.
Enabling Halcrow to reuse data at a fundamental level, this project serves to slash redundant reworking, improving profit margins.
Storing national mapping data in-house, the server will provide unrestricted access and allow Halcrow to tap into newly-available data mapping technology. With OS digital data previously stored as individual map tiles, identifying, acquiring and converting the tiles required for a particular project area typically proved a time-consuming exercise. The entire UK data set is now stored in a single geography markup language (GML) file. Halcrow holds a developer’s license, and faced the challenge of making this mammoth public data resource accessible for project teams. Halcrow’s spatial group originally proposed two solutions – developing in-house, bespoke software to eliminate costly software license fees, or using an ESRI ArcGIS server. The latter option boosts the team’s knowledge of this suite, which is widely used by clients. An application using ArcGIS has been developed and is performing well. Recognising the impact of Halcrow’s backing, GIS development manager Andrew Montgomery said: “The innovation fund support has allowed us to implement a project which reaps great cross-business benefits, yet which no single team alone could have afforded. I have no doubt that the project will also demonstrate Halcrow’s cutting-edge capabilities to clients.”
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Andrew Montgomery – montgomerya@halcrow.com
Halcrow is already striding ahead of its competitors in the use of Uniclass, an industry-recognised digital data classification system. Embedding Uniclass within Halcrow’s bespoke layer generator enables users to easily populate classified layers within a number of computer aided design (CAD) applications. The project is set to deliver web-enabled tools for classification within the design environment; and application-specific file naming and metadata population tools.
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Doug Bevan – bevand@halcrow.com
ISTAR £117,000 over 12 months With existing attempts to define and categorise ‘sustainability’ failing to adequately represent the topic’s complexity, the integrated sustainability toolkit and rating (ISTAR) system takes a bold step towards informed decision making. This market-orientated support tool will enable the lifecycle sustainability of any project to be appraised and managed. Consultants will have access to information detailing best practice, current legislation and design guidance. Eventually, ISTAR will be able to model different future scenarios, and explore interactions between infrastructure systems, society and the environment.
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Ollie Pearce – oliie.pearce@halcrowyolles.com
Sustainable solutions It’s in our hands
ince the industrial revolution, civil infrastructure has rightly been paraded as a measure of progress and modernity. Roads and railways scored their way through the countryside, enabling the rural poor to flock to cities in search of new opportunities. Steering the US out of the economic landslides of the 1930s, Franklin D Roosevelt boldly declared: “There can be little doubt that in many ways the story of bridge building is the story of civilisation.”
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Halcrow’s ecologists were involved from the outset, with environmental protection measures fused into the scheme as part of the design stage. Appointed ecological clerk of works (ECW) in 2007 when the diggers rolled in, Halcrow was tasked with minimising the ecological impact of construction on the site and surrounding areas.
But while last century’s transport routes linked A to B at the lowest cost, easing the impact on wildlife and the natural environment now tops the list of requirements. Nowhere is this more evident than the Cross Valley Link Road (CVLR) and Upton flood attenuation area phases 2 and 3, near Northampton, led by the Homes and Communities Agency (formerly English Partnerships).
Engagement and compromise within the multidisciplinary team were key to the project’s success. Project director Trevor Rackley explains the significance of this approach: “As well as exceeding our client’s requirements on environmental performance by achieving ‘excellent’ status through the civil engineering environmental quality assessment and awards scheme (CEEQUAL), our project team has managed to deliver the best possible solutions, balancing sometimes conflicting environmental and engineering objectives.
Arching around Northampton’s south west district, the road is part of a new suburban development for the East Midlands market town. Representing a marked departure from typical sprawling suburbs, the urban extension preserves large swathes of the natural environment.
“We looked at how both the design and construction process can be improved to reduce environmental impact. And our environmentalists recognised that engineers don’t want to ride roughshod over the environment, but cannot totally avoid having some impact.”
Aerial view of lakes in two county wildlife sites
Natural selection Much of the ecologically-sensitive work focused on the River Nene and its surrounds. Environmental impact assessments were carried out for each of the project’s components – CVLR and the two flood alleviation areas. In all, 19 ecological experts descended on the site, picking their way through thick foliage on the look out for badger setts and other signs of wildlife. Armed with comprehensive data, the team consulted Northamptonshire’s wildlife trust on the most appropriate mitigation measures to take. With construction set to disrupt numerous species’ habitats, protection during the works phases – and the creation of new foraging and nesting areas – remained priorities.
In all, 19 ecological experts descended on the site, picking their way through thick foliage on the look out for badger setts and other signs of wildlife Shaded by ancient oak trees, the project covers six county wildlife sites and three potential wildlife areas. Hedgerows, wetland grasses and other vegetation were successfully transplanted, and the embankment design was altered to avoid disturbing veteran tree roots. Where tree removals were unavoidable, 15 roosting boxes were installed for the local pipistrelle bat population. Strategically placed fences sprang up across the site, protecting tree roots and branches from heavy machinery. While the main badger sett was fenced off to prevent damage, animals remained free to roam around, meaning excavations and potential hazards had to be covered to avoid injuries. Effective communication – including ‘toolbox talks’ to keep the site team updated – safeguarded ecological protection, despite the rapid, ever-changing construction programme. Reflecting on the extensive cross-discipline co-operation underpinning the scheme, ecologist Abigail Meddings said: “During a meeting at the site office, I realised just how large and complicated a project this was. I counted nine Halcrow disciplines sat around that table.” Botanical and invertebrate surveys are scheduled for mid-2009, with the information to supplement future management plans for the county wildlife site. Meanwhile, vegetation clearance to reduce shade and encourage growth of other plant varieties is nearing completion, and 20ha of wetland habitat is set to be created.
As part of the works, a channel section was realigned to remove a meander – identified as having the potential to undermine the CVLR bridge structure. After excavating the new channel and connecting it to the river, the existing channel was filled in. Easing the effects of construction on resident wildlife, Halcrow’s team caught and relocated nine grass snakes; transplanted vegetation from the old channel to maintain habitats; and deftly caught over 1,000 fish as part of a rescue effort, releasing these downstream of the works. A silt curtain installed across the River Nene prevented sediment from the construction works contaminating local waterways.
Halcrow’s Trevor Rackley and Steve Collins of the Homes and Communities Agency collect the CEEQUAL award from ICE president Jean Venables
Sustainable solutions It’s in our hands
Two birds with one stone Environment Agency’s Dominic Nickson (far left) and Ian Winstanley (far right) with Halcrow’s Nigel Pontee and Emma Tovey
Halcrow celebrates award-winning coastal realignment project eptember 2008 saw the grand opening of one of the largest coastal realignment projects in Europe. The scheme has returned 168ha of land to its original tidal regime, countering flood risks from rising sea levels due to climate change – while providing a celebrated new wildlife habitat.
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Halcrow carried out the initial design and consent studies for the scheme at Hesketh Out Marsh West, on the south bank of the Ribble Estuary in Lancashire. The realignment manages flooding in the Ribble Estuary by allowing Hesketh Out Marsh West to flood. This creates a large salt marsh, absorbing tidal energy and reducing the risk of flooding the surrounding area. Additionally, existing inland sea defences were repaired to protect farmland on the eastern side of Hesketh Out Marsh with a new sea wall.
Before the 1980s, when local landowners built flood defences to block the flow of water, Hesketh Out Marsh West was a natural salt marsh. Returning the land to this state creates a breeding ground for wading birds such as the lapwing, redshank, avocet and oystercatcher, while acting as a vital wintering ground for species like pink-footed geese, whooper swans, wigeon, teal and golden plover. The Ribble is one of the most important estuaries in the UK for birds and will eventually become one of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ nature reserves. Halcrow’s project manager, Emma Tovey, said: “Halcrow was delighted to work on the initial design of this challenging realignment scheme – one of the first to extensively recreate the network of creeks that existed on the site before it was reclaimed for agriculture. The creeks allowed all the
Share and share alike Four eager car sharers at Halcrow’s Peterborough office in the UK have been doing their bit to reduce their collective carbon footprint since August 2007. The group – Sharon Duggan, James Negus, Clare Cox and Marcelle Psaila – all live in Cambridge and commute to Peterborough each day. Using a spreadsheet, they have diligently kept a record of the impact of their car sharing efforts. From April to November 2008, they saved 6.4 tonnes of carbon emissions which averages out to ten tonnes of carbon for a full year. 32
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soil needed to create and strengthen flood defences to be sourced from within the site itself. The creeks should also speed up the development of intertidal habitat.” Ian Rowland, the scheme’s Environment Agency business sponsor, added: “The excellent support of the Halcrow project team enabled a smooth transition through the planning process and provided an essential sound basis for us to progress the detailed design and to complete this project.”
The coastal realignment of Hesketh Out Marsh West has been recognised with a Best Practice Award from the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management. A paper on the scheme also won the Halcrow 2008 Best Technical Paper award.
IN BRIEF High five
Heavy weather in New York Every major world city is waking up to the realities of climate change and the need to mitigate its effects. New York is no exception, and a recent high profile project win puts Halcrow at the centre of efforts to defend the ‘Big Apple’ against climate change. The company has been selected by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) to undertake a £2.4 million climate change study project, as part of a joint venture with environmental engineering firm Hazen and Sawyer.
Halcrow will help the NYCDEP to identify and quantify the impacts of climate change and population growth on New York City’s sewer, drainage and wastewater systems. The team will also collate data on local rainfall, sea level rises and storm surges for use in simulation modelling. Halcrow climate change adaptation specialists – Murray Dale and Steven Marsich – will lead a team of international experts to provide adaptation strategies and processes to mitigate anticipated risks. Work is expected to begin in mid-2009.
Opportunity knocks Renewable energy generation systems? Check. Hyper-efficient building fabric to meet stringent insulation standards? Check. Intelligently controlled daylight dimming lighting systems, rainwater harvesting and natural ventilation? Check, check, check. With the full sustainability contingent carefully integrated, Okehampton Business Centre swept to a deserved victory at October’s District Surveyors Association (LABC) Built in Quality Awards.
West Devon Borough Council, through the complex decision-making process for renewable energy options, the combination of which has slashed the project’s energy consumption from traditional sources.
UK magazine Sustainable Business has ranked Halcrow fourth in its annual survey of leading environment consultancies. Gross sales for Halcrow’s UK environmental services in 2008 were estimated at just over £65 million – approximately 25 per cent of the company’s total UK turnover. The survey looked at the value of these services to clients across Halcrow’s market sectors.
Petronas in Pakistan Halcrow’s Pakistan team has been selected by Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas Carigalito to provide a complete range of environmental services to its projects. These include initial environmental examinations, impact assessments, and health and safety and environmental monitoring. Due to run for two years, the contract is extendable for a further year.
Electric dreams
The installed wood pellet boiler has cut emissions by 40 per cent, while the 6kW wind turbine and 8kW solar photovoltaic system have contributed savings of 10 and 15 per cent respectively.
Verging on carbon neutrality, ‘Opportunity Okehampton’ – for which Halcrow provided advice on building services and sustainability options – took home the prize for ‘best sustainability project’. Halcrow guided the client, Okehampton Business Centre
Top marks for sustainability Opportunity Okehampton’s all-round sustainability credentials have scored ‘excellent’ ratings from the Building Research Establishment’s environmental assessment method (BREEAM) and the civil engineering environmental quality assessment and award scheme (CEEQUAL). Halcrow was closely involved in the project’s scoring under BREEAM, having acted as an adviser to ensure compliance. The project is currently awaiting its 12-month post-construction BREEAM assessment, which measures the design specifications against what was actually installed. Given its success to date, Opportunity Okehampton looks certain to smash expectations.
Award winner Simon Wilson
A paper focusing on energy use and saving within the water industry has scooped top prize in the UK East Midlands heat of a worldwide competition run by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). Electrical engineer Simon Wilson from the Peterborough office beat ten competitors in this first stage of the competition, held at the University of Nottingham in January. He took home £150 and a year’s IET subscription.
River Itchen
Sustainable solutions It’s in our hands
Building trust in carbon Ian Behling from Halcrow’s environment team is now an accredited Carbon Trust assessor, empowered to verify the emissions of organisations wishing to meet the UK’s Carbon Trust Standard. The body separates tangible results from the ‘greenwash’ often seen in corporate claims regarding environmental and climate change impact.
Ian Behling, Carbon Trust assessor
It provides organisations with independent verification of their carbon reductions, allowing them to confidently shout about their success. The standard also provides companies with a significant benefit under the carbon reduction commitment, a new regulatory tool to be launched in 2010. One of only 25 consultants accredited to deliver this work in the UK, Ian has already begun his first three assessments, with a major mobile telecommunications company, a defence industry supplier and a major utilities company. This work builds on Halcrow’s carbon credentials, including carbon accounting in the water sector and dynamic carbon footprinting in the transportation field. It will further establish Halcrow’s credibility in the field of climate change mitigation consultancy.
Halcrow has been awarded the next phases of a feasibility study for the UK’s Environment Agency’s River Itchen water level management plan (WLMP). The project’s ultimate aim is to improve water level management practices in the Itchen, a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), in Hampshire. As part of the feasibility work, Halcrow will supply ecology, hydrology and river engineering expertise. The team also recently secured detailed design work following previous feasibility assessments. Regarded as one of the world’s finest chalk streams, the River Itchen’s clear waters support a diverse range of wildlife. Also, much of the ecological diversity of the flood plain is dependent on a steady supply of fresh water from the main river. This Environment Agency-funded WLMP initiative seeks to reconcile and integrate conservation objectives with those of other users including fisheries, agriculture, recreation and flood risk managers.
More than CEEQUAL to the task Glasgow-based Catherine Taggart has successfully qualified as a civil engineering environmental quality assessment and awards scheme (CEEQUAL) verifier. The CEEQUAL programme provides an evidence-based evaluation of a project’s environmental and sustainability performance. Catherine is the first Halcrow employee to achieve verifier status, and follows her appointment as the company’s first CEEQUAL assessor back in 2007. In addition to her current role, Catherine will now be responsible for independently reviewing external projects that are seeking a CEEQUAL award. She will ensure that the evidence provided is appropriate and that the process has been undertaken fairly before recommending an award grade for the project. 34
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To avoid any conflict of interest, Catherine will not be able to perform the verifier function on any Halcrow projects. However, she will continue to act as an internal CEEQUAL assessor of Halcrow’s work. Catherine’s assessment skills are currently benefiting Glasgow’s White Cart water flood prevention scheme and Sandy Lane relief road in Northampton. She recently completed an award for the Cross Valley Link Road in Northampton which achieved an ‘excellent’ whole project award with 85.9 per cent. CEEQUAL principles can be applied at any point on a project by clients, designers or contractors to promote environmental quality and aid the decision-making process.
Catherine Taggart, CEEQUAL verifier
It’s an urban thing Two Halcrow consultants presented papers at the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) inaugural Transport Forum in the Philippines at the end of 2008. Held in the capital, Manila, the event was designed to publicise the ADB’s new initiatives in sustainable transportation and related climate change issues. Attended by government representatives and consultants from across the world, keynote speakers included India’s minister of urban development and senior representatives from the ADB, the World Bank and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). Senior consultant Joe Wood presented his findings on the relationship between land development and urban transportation. His conclusions built on his previous ‘sustainable development for the urban fringe’ work for the World Bank, through new research into how cities cope with their future spatial expansion.
Modelling the likely carbon reduction potential of a range of transport policy interventions formed the basis of transport planning associate Robin Hickman’s presentation. He reported on studies – at national and or city level – in the UK, India and Canada. With carbon reduction and urban sustainability now key objectives for development agencies, Joe believes that the critical factor for urban transport policy is that it has to become better integrated with overall city development and strategies have to be based around public, rather than private, transportation. Delegate feedback indicated that these messages are likely to be increasingly adopted by Asian cities. The conference has already provided a positive spin-off in the likely commissioning of Halcrow to lead an infrastructure prioritisation study for Khulna in Bangladesh. Joe Wood
Pump it up W
ith Top Gear’s resident petrol-head Jeremy Clarkson an unlikely ambassador for the recent ‘eco driving’ craze, car owners are on the hunt for small changes to help cut emissions and save money.
Soft tyres are the latest environmental pariah, with under-inflated rubber forcing the engine to work harder, burning more fuel. Environmentally-conscious employees from Halcrow’s Burderop Park office took part in a drive for correct tyre pressure, with help from the local etyre branch. The etyre team visited Halcrow’s car park late last year to check the 68 vehicles whose owners signed up for the scheme, with cold tyres ensuring accurate pressure readings. Cars were issued with a sticker once their tyres had been inflated to the optimum level, and a safety assessment carried out. Regional director Chris Kearns said: “There was a great response to this initiative, demonstrating that Halcrow employees are keen to do their bit to reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions.”
Chris Kearns tests his tyre pressure
Tyred of under-inflation • 44 per cent of all UK cars are running with under-inflated tyres • 34,300 tonnes of CO2 could be saved annually if all UK cars drove on the correct tyre pressure • the Automobile Association found that 40 per cent of air pressure gauges in petrol stations and garages are inaccurate
Sustainable solutions It’s in our hands
Defocrothnetamination
An interview with Scott Ratcliffe One of Cardiff’s specialist brown field team dishes the dirt on contaminated land
nation
So Scott, tell us a bit about the Cardiff brown field team.
What’s the significance of brown field sites for sustainable development?
Has the current economic climate affected your workload?
Our team includes people from both the transportation and consulting business groups, providing the technical skills necessary to deal with diverse land contamination issues.
Remediation work reduces the pressure on greenfield areas – urban growth can take place with minimum habitat loss or environmental impact. Previously derelict or dangerous sites take on a new lease of life – such as the former steelworks at Ebbw Vale. There are also clear benefits to removing contaminants from the soil, which could previously have leached into local waterways.
Unfortunately, the economic downturn has curtailed our opportunities in the land development sector. We’re now exploring the potential for generating brown field work from existing frameworks and contracts across Halcrow. So if you have any projects involving previously developed sites, try and get some advice as early as possible – ideally at the planning stages. It’s well worth it for the time and cost savings.
Why are there so many issues with sites in the UK? Can’t we just bulldoze what’s there and start again? As a result of historical industrial uses, many of the sites we encounter have inherited a legacy of ground hazards that can seriously constrain their redevelopment. Hazards could be anything from old foundations to heavy metals or chemicals in the soil. Without thorough investigation at the outset, developers and contractors are taking a massive gamble, with the potential for time and cost overruns looming large.
What’s one of the biggest challenges? Even seemingly simple procedures, such as the excavation and reuse of soils on a redevelopment scheme, are subject to a range of regulations and may pose potentially significant risks – especially if contaminated soils are involved. We’re constantly updating our knowledge of the regulatory framework and best practice to stay ahead in this everchanging field.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve uncovered on a site? We’ve dug up ship cannons while remediating a site at Woolwich on the Thames, World War II incendiary bombs, and an entire underground World War II bomb shelter and hospital. Not to mention underground tanks full of tar and ammonia in someone’s back garden. And it doesn’t get stranger than that!
The state of things to come A Halcrow-designed data centre has scooped a Future Thinking and Design Concepts Award for its ability to deliver massive cost and energy savings.
Elean Business Park Energy Centre
Boasting up to seven data centre buildings, the Elean data campus promises to deliver reduced running costs through the use of energy efficient technologies. Such bold objectives are achieved through onsite energy generation, the reclamation of waste heat and the provision of chilled water from absorption cooling to the data centres. It is hoped that in the near future, the harnessing of such energy could also heat 400 homes at a nearby eco village. A 25MW electricity grid connection is used to provide supply security – a key element for data centres – and top-up power. The project was also the runner-up at the Uptime Awards held in New York in April. Up against stiff international competition, the scheme narrowly missed out on the top spot. The Elean Business Park Energy Centre won the gong at the Datacentre Leaders’ Awards 2008. The award was formally made to project developer BNB Developments, which is creating the 65,000m2 datacentre on a former airfield near Cambridge. Key to this success was an innovative energy system that consumes virtually no new power to generate all the site’s heating and cooling needs.
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Halcrow was represented at the ceremony by lead energy designer Trevor Thorogood. The shortlisted project was up against stiff competition from the likes of HP and Arup.
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Powering up the green way Generating 27MW of electricity and 34MW of chill capacity, the Elean centre will achieve an energy efficiency saving of over 75 per cent. And once it is connected to the adjacent eco-village, it will deliver over 80 per cent. This equates to an £8.5 million a year energy saving.
Transforming children s lives A brighter future for Romania’s orphans elping to drive forward a complete cultural change in how Romanian orphans are treated is a key goal of the Foundation for the Relief of Disabled Orphans (F.R.O.D.O).
deliver dramatic improvements to the children’s lives. It aims to accelerate the children’s development in the hope that it will shorten their time in the institution through placement with family members or foster carers.
And it is a step closer to reality, thanks to a £27,500 cash injection from the Halcrow Foundation, organised by project sponsor Elena Staicu.
F.R.O.D.O’s team has been chosen for its expertise in working with children with learning or physical disabilities. The group will visit the orphanage on a regular basis over the next 12 months, and has already started to form the policies and procedures that will underpin the new approach.
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More specifically, the funding will directly impact on retraining staff at Crinul Alb – a Bucharest placement centre for children with physical and learning disabilities. Crinul Alb was the subject of a 2008 undercover television exposé about a visit by the Duchess of York – now a F.R.O.D.O patron. Viewers were shocked by images of traumatised children tied to their beds for hours on end. With the full support of the Romanian authorities, UK charity F.R.O.D.O has been working with the children and staff to improve the quality of care. It aims to create a new concept of residential care that combines education, including practical vocational skills for older children, with a therapeutic approach. The charity will implement its ‘institutional transformation’ programme to
The Halcrow Foundation donation will pay for a full-time, Crinul Alb-based programme co-ordinator. Not only will he or she help care for the children, they will ensure that the lessons learned during F.R.O.D.O’s visits are not only maintained, but developed even further. Vanessa Cummings, F.R.O.D.O chief executive, said: “We are committed to do whatever we can to stop the damage that typically occurs to a child from long-term institutionalisation.” Despite the Romanian government’s commitment to deinstitutionalisation as a priority in its child-care policies, this cannot be achieved overnight, says Vanessa. “More than 20,000 children continue to be institutionalised in Romania,” she says. “By working with us, we can help ensure that they receive loving care, where their personalities and talents can be developed, where their disabilities can be managed properly and where they can look forward to a future of hope.”
A better life: many of Romania’s disabled orphans have the potential to live full and happy lives
F.R.O.D.O hopes to roll out the scheme as standard practice across Romania and believes the programme has the potential to change how orphaned and disabled children are cared for across Eastern Europe.
Find out more at www.frodokids.org
Giving generously Spread a little happiness
New patio for Prospect Hospice Representatives from Halcrow were delighted to officially open a new patio at Swindon’s Prospect Hospice on 17 April. Following the refurbishment and extension of the day hospice last year, it soon became apparent that a new patio was needed. The Halcrow Foundation stepped in to the tune of just over £8,000, more than enough to fund the entire project.
Halcrow’s group board director, Neil Holt, was there to witness the patio’s official opening, along with foundation trustees John Martin and Andrew Yeoward, and project sponsor Kerry Hammond. “It’s great to see what a difference the extension to the patio has made. I’m sure that its sheltered setting overlooking the hospice grounds will make it extremely
popular with both residents and day visitors,” said Neil. Fundraising manager at the hospice, Sheryl Crouch, agreed, adding: “During the summer months this is a lovely space for our patients and their families to use. The patio means that some activities can even take place outside. We are extremely grateful to the Halcrow Foundation for its support.”
more at
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spect-hos
pice.net
(L to r) Neil Holt, the hospice’s Sheryl Crouch, John Martin, Kerry Hammond, the hospice’s Mark Smith and Andrew Yeoward
Find out
Impoverished children with special needs in Mozambique have received a vital lifeline from the Halcrow Foundation which will help keep their school open throughout 2009. The school in Maputo is supported by a registered charity, Cooperativa para a Educação e Reabilitação de Cidadãos Inadaptados (CERCI), and helps educate and rehabilitate 24 children aged from six to 15. The Halcrow Foundation’s £10,000 donation will meet almost half the annual running costs.
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CERCI’s school provides a lifeline to many improverished children
Most of the children attending the CERCI school are from poor families unable to contribute any fees. In 2010, CERCI is planning to move the school from its rented, temporary premises, to a permanent site on land donated by the local council.
including Rob Clarke and Richard Shackleton. Richard, a water engineer, currently on a six month assignment in Maputo, has offered to support and monitor the school programme.
While Halcrow is not currently engaged on any project work in Mozambique, old Halcrovian Baghi Baghirathan is closely involved with the Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP)-supported Maputo water and sanitation project serving 150,000 people. Several Halcrow engineers have also been involved with the Maputo project,
Established by a group of parents seven years ago, CERCI, together with interested professionals, aims to provide education and rehabilitation facilities for children with special needs. It also aims to foster social integration where the disabled have traditionally been excluded and marginalised.
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Swindon therapy
Tough girl
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferers in Swindon will soon have access to a diverse range of holistic therapies, thanks to a £5,500 donation from the Halcrow Foundation.
As the UK experienced its most severe winter for over a decade and heavy snow brought London and other cities to a standstill, the ultimate endurance event was in full swing near Wolverhampton.
A not-for-profit organisation supporting people with MS and other neurological conditions, Swindon Therapy Centre for Multiple Sclerosis (STC) is a longstanding local charity. STC is upgrading to larger, modern premises, and a dedicated therapy room is high on the agenda.
“These therapies can help people manage their condition more effectively and remain in work, keeping them as mobile and independent as possible,” explains Halcrow’s project sponsor Charlie-Louise Presley. Restoring a semblance of normality to people’s lives, the centre boosts self-esteem and confidence by reconnecting potentially isolated groups with the wider community. Located near Halcrow’s Burderop Park office, a relationship already exists between centre staff and Halcrow employees.
Anna Pri ce
With holistic therapists offering reiki, reflexology, Indian head therapy, aromatherapy and body massage, the centre will provide an invaluable resource for MS sufferers.
Halcrow’s Anna Price was among the thousands of fearless challengers who signed their waiver forms, braving Arctic conditions for the annual Tough Guy Challenge on 1 February. On an endurance scale to rival the US Navy S.E.A.L.S ‘Grinder’ assault course, the aptly-titled event strikes trepidation into the hearts of the world’s hardiest competitors. While broken bones, dislocations and over 600 cases of hypothermia forced hundreds to retire, Anna conquered the mud, freezing water, underwater tunnels, electric fences and ropes to finish tenth in the women’s field, in under two hours. The Handforth-based ecologist signed the compulsory ‘death warrant disclaimer’ prior to tackling the ‘uniquely fear-ridden’ course to raise money for the Halcrow Foundation. Supporters pledged over £450, and further contributions can be donated online at www.justgiving.com/annaprice5.
Log on and make a difference Users of Halcrow’s ISIS software – one of the UK’s leading hydrodynamic river modelling suites – have helped raise over £850 for charity simply by logging on. In 2008, Halcrow set up the isisuser.com site to provide online support for users of the suite, with manuals, support forums, knowledge bases and other information. Since the launch, each user has generated points which convert into a monetary sum – totalling £852.30. Half of this amount has been donated to the Halcrow Foundation and half to WaterAid. WaterAid thanked Halcrow for its support, saying: “This generous gift will help some of the many people living without access to safe water and sanitation take their first steps out of poverty.” Halcrow Foundation chairman David Kerr agreed, adding: “This is a great example of how money can be raised while the company goes about its business.” Find out more at www.halcrow.com/isis
When she finally thawed out, Anna said: “It was a great experience – out of ten, I’d say it was ten for how extreme it was. With wind chill, it was -8 degrees Celsius. I couldn’t stop shaking. So many people got pulled out by the medics that they ran out of ambulances to get them to hospital! I am now able to take on the title of ‘tough guy’, and am mad enough to do it again in the future.”
Giving generously Spread a little happiness
Hampers for helicopters Halcrow recently added a touch of luxury to a charity event held by the UK’s Highways Agency to raise money for the London Air Ambulance’s medical helicopter services. Providing Londoners with emergency medical attention, the helicopters avoid potentially fatal delays caused by congestion in the city’s hugely busy road system. A Halcrow project team in Surrey is working closely with the Highways Agency to deliver a design, build, finance and operate project on the infamously busy M25. Halcrow’s project manager, Marc Glass, arranged for a Harrods hamper to be delivered as a prize in the event’s raffle, not only helping raise a total of £619 – bringing the overall donation to £1,500 – but delighting the team’s Highways Agency colleagues into the bargain. For further information, visit www.londonsairambulance.com
Nosey nonet Nine big-hearted employees at Halcrow’s Exeter office spent a lunchtime jogging around an industrial estate with the sole aim of raising cash for Comic Relief’s recent Red Nose Day.
Mike Kendon, Shane Phillips, Paul Hargreaves, Matt Tompsett, Natalie Rees, Nancy Collins, Jane Narramore, Siri Frost and Dan Fox
The nonet even found time to run into a pub, stop cars, lorries, and unsuspecting souls queuing up at burger vans and in offices in their hunt for donations. Their 45-minute adventure raised over £500.
Ten orphans at the SOS Children’s Village in Karachi, Pakistan, are benefiting from the rigours of education – and a passport out of poverty – thanks to the generosity of Halcrow employees. The orphanage belongs to the world’s largest UK-based orphan and abandoned children’s charity – and was visited by board members from the local Halcrow operation during its annual quarterly meeting in the former capital.
Halcrow’s Jim Fyvie, Bill Peacock and Ken Mair, together with Dubai-based personal assistant Jain Garrod, enjoyed a tour of the facility, chatting with children and teachers alike. Opened in 1987, SOS Children’s Village provides a number of opportunities for higher education, including an intermediate college and technical training institute.
Employees at Halcrow’s Edinburgh office with a distinct penchant for red, brightened up their office to raise cash for UK charity, RedR, on 13 February.
Halcrow’s Pakistan team is now actively sustaining and improving the lives of ten students at the orphanage through the sponsorship of their education.
Many arrived at work wearing various shades of red or clutching homemade red cakes, raising £80 in the process. RedR helps rebuild lives that have been devastated by natural disaster and conflict. Dressed for the occasion: the Edinburgh team
Vox | issue two
(Opposite page) It’s a pirate’s life for me: David Grigsby, Maria Herrington, Moranda Matthews, Lucy Lyall, Simon Pearson, Robin Baldwin, Dan King, Emma Wilson and Clair Anderson
As the largest community orphanage in the province of Sindh, it boasts a youth house, 15 family houses, a football field, computer lab and a vocational training centre for over 1,200 students receiving pre-school, primary and secondary education.
Simply red
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Pakistan answers SOS call
Christmas crackers Braving the December chill, a group of enthusiastic Worcester employees worked off any festive mince pie excesses while raising money for the local Acorns Children’s Hospice. Organised by keen runner Gav Vickers, the 4.3km fun run netted £237 for the charity, which has a centre in Worcester. The
Lend a hand(lebar)
Christmas-themed event saw a motley crew of super heroes and tinsel-adorned racers pound the pavements, with the route looping past County Hall and the Countryside Centre. Gav Vickers and John Owens set a blistering pace en route to being crowned ‘fastest men’, while Anita Inight and Jen Gillies strode to the front of the women’s field.
Worcester’s team gets into the spirit of giving
The girls
Arr me hearties Burderop Park went into charity overdrive on 14 November in support of the UK’s annual Children in Need appeal. The ‘pirates and princesses’ theme saw an eclectic mix of tiaras and hooked prosthetics roaming around Swindon’s corridors as the donations rolled in. Creative competitions pitted employees’ ‘guestimation’ skills against each other, with
prizes for accurate calculations. Tim Nicholls was the proud owner of a 2.21kg chocolate cake, Peter Reynolds lugged home his booty – 163 coins from the chest – while Nina Johanson-Brown discovered that a diminutive Smart car’s balloon capacity is 117. Ian Macey and his Castlewood busker organ raised £105, contributing to over £500 delivered to the campaign at the end of the day.
...
... and the boy
s
Eight clean shaven men from Halcrow’s Crawley office in the UK put away their shaving foam and razors to grow a dizzying array of moustaches during the month of November. In a phenomenon sweeping certain parts of the planet, ‘Movember’ sees participants grow moustaches in return for sponsorship to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer and depression. The Crawley team witnessed the rebirth of the ‘slug’, the ‘handlebar’ and the ‘Fu Manchu’- to name just a few styles being sported by Saber Razmjooei, Raymond Dobiecki, Oliver Evans, Colin Gittings, David Best, David Johnson, Ross Bransby and Giuliano Feliziani. And to reward their hirsute efforts, a competition was held to vote for the best ‘tache. Although nearly outdone by the girls, Ray Dobiecki emerged victorious with a fine handlebar moustache, while Saber Razmjooei’s ‘slug’, was a close runner-up. Both winners secured themselves much needed shaving equipment. An impressive £350 was raised.
Giving generously Spread a little happiness
Box of delights Some 21 shoeboxes bursting with toys winged their way around the world as part of Operation Christmas Child, thanks to donations from the Worcester office. Filling the boxes of joy on behalf of international charity Samaritan’s Purse, Halcrow employees helped to bring some Christmas cheer to children in homeless shelters, hospitals, orphanages and deprived neighbourhoods. As the gifts were handed over to customs officers for their onward journeys to Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia, organiser Becky Allen said: “For some of these kids, an old Nike box containing sweets and pencils is the only gift they receive all year. The team’s contribution will go a long way towards brightening up Christmas for children in need.
Leap of faith Throwing yourself off the top of a building in the depths of winter might not be everyone’s idea of a fun afternoon. But Bill Tate did just that when he demonstrated his support for Kidney Research UK with his first attempt at abseiling – a 25m descent from one of Peterborough’s landmark buildings. Bill netted £250 for his efforts, contributing towards the £15,000 raised on the day by fearless participants.
Bill Tate
The experience was over far too quickly for the senior electrical engineer who now plans to plunge down the side of Guy’s Hospital tower – a heart-inthroat jump of 140m – on 16 May 2009. Bill will again be pledging his support for Kidney Research UK, and would appreciate any donations – minus good-natured suggestions that he ‘break a leg’. To sponsor Bill, visit www.kidneyresearchukevents.org/bill_tate
Boxing day
A listening ear in Swindon Halcrow’s Burderop Park has opened up its facilities to the town’s Samaritans charity Samaritan volunteers are ordinary people, from all walks of life and backgrounds, who, every year, help tens of thousands of troubled, often depressed, individuals. People like transport planning associate, John Costello, who has been a listening volunteer at the Swindon branch for three-and-a-half years and is now a deputy director with responsibility for ongoing training. The charity has been using Burderop Park’s Tudor Rooms for training sessions since late last year, prompting a personal thank you from the charity’s director and an acknowledgement in its annual general report. The room offers high quality multi-media facilities, perfect for presentations and training, says John: “Each new volunteer goes through a well rehearsed and organised training programme and every qualified Samaritan 42
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is required to undertake five hours of ongoing training a year. This requires facilities to accommodate up to 20 people, working together as well as in break-out groups.” Maintaining 24/7 coverage of the phones requires around 100 volunteers in Swindon alone. “As this is a transitory town, volunteer turnover is high,” says John. “There is a constant need to recruit and train new volunteers.” Since Halcrow opened its doors to the organisation, two other employees are training to be volunteers. “I’m delighted that Halcrow is living up to its purpose of sustaining and improving the quality of people’s lives,” says John.
Help is just a phone call away
Find out more www.samaritans.org
Friends reunited Memories, stories and updates on years past – all coated with a liberal sprinkling of misty-eyed nostalgia – were the order of the day at the inaugural Caledonian branch pensioners reunion towards the end of last year. Recognising that many northern friends hadn’t ventured south for the national reunion, retired Halcrovian Roy Dargie organised the event – held at the Highland’s Atholl Palace Hotel in Pitlochry – a little closer to home. After catching up with old friends over lunch, regional managing director Neil Johnstone and Halcrow’s pension fund trustee chairman, Derek Pollock, cleared the mists of time, bringing the room up to date on the company’s current activities. Several members of the gathering shared their memories of meeting Sir William Halcrow, having joined the company in the1950s when the employee headcount numbered in the hundreds.
ering
A grand gath
Well-thumbed photos circulated the room, spurring people to recount their time on Scottish hydropower sites and other iconic projects. With plenty left to catch up on, plans are underway for a repeat event in 2010.
To remember John Wylie passed away on 9 March 2009 at the age of 79. John joined Halcrow as head of the architect’s team in Dubai in 1979, and then worked as principal architect in London and Iraq between 1981 and 1983. Robert Landau died on 10 October 2008, aged 86. He took early retirement from Halcrow in 1982. Herbert Archard died on 21 January 2009 at the age of 87 having worked for Halcrow from 1973-1983. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth. Arthur Beard passed away, aged 90, on 13 December 2008. He retired in 1982, having worked for Halcrow in the finance team since 1976. Louis Kirwan died on 4 August 2008, aged 89 years of age. He is survived by his wife, Rita. To send condolences, email pensionsteam@halcrow.com
Alumni Old friends
Edward Gosschalk (1924 – 2008)
A model of inspiration, dedication and courtesy At the age of 23, Ted Gosschalk embarked on a career with Halcrow that lasted nearly four decades. He stayed with the firm until retiring in 1985, continuing to work as a consultant. Ted specialised in dams and hydropower for most of his working life. Initially, he was concerned with surveys, designs and supervision of hydroelectric developments in Ireland, Scotland, Jamaica and Malawi. In 1955 he went to Ghana to supervise the construction of the first major bridge across the Volta River. After planning a rice milling complex for Guyana, he was engaged to design and administrate several hydro-electric projects and provide a hydrological assessment of the Muda irrigation project. He then supervised construction of three sizeable dams in Malaysia and a 7km tunnel. Later, he was resident engineer for Sri Lanka’s 100m-high Kotmale dam and hydro-scheme and prepared master plans in Ethiopia and China. He also designed post-tensioning works for the Mullardoch Dam in Scotland, UK. When problems inevitably arose on some projects, Ted was completely unflappable and was determined to resolve them in his clients’ best interests. He was an inspiration to younger colleagues and, as an external consultant and supervisor for the masters in irrigation course at Southampton University, took a great interest in helping the next generation of engineers. He wrote more than 30 technical papers and several books as well as being an active participant in The British Dam Society, the International Societies of Soil Mechanics and Rock Mechanics and the International Water Resources Association. Despite his considerable eminence in the engineering field, Ted remained highly approachable and was a model of courtesy and kindness to all who knew him. Ted died at his Bath home in November 2008. He leaves his wife, Kim, and daughters, Karen and Louise.
Alumni Old friends
Olek Zienkiewicz
(1921 – 2009)
An elemental influence in engineering history In the 1940s, Halcrow could count a future revolutionary among its employees. The late Professor Olek Zienkiewicz was principal creator of the computer-based Finite Element Method that was to revolutionise engineering design – and he not only worked at Halcrow, but first used the method on a major project at Halcrow.
Clywedog dam at Llanidloes, mid Wales, in 1963. Retired Halcrow employee Derek Parker, who project managed the design of what is still Britain’s tallest concrete dam, remembers: “This new analysis method was a turning point in engineering history, and I’m extremely proud that its first major application was to check our dam design. Olek used it to determine the stresses that could arise in the completed dam and foundations under various conditions of temperature and loading.”
Born in Poland in 1921, Olek completed his bachelor degree in London after his family fled the country in wartime 1940. After receiving his PhD in 1945, the young Olek spent the next five years as a senior engineer in design and dam construction with Halcrow. During his career, Olek earned a dizzying array of international honours in the fields of engineering, mathematics and academia. And his prime achievement continues to impact upon the work of Halcrow engineers today. As founder of the finite element method, he revolutionised design and analysis procedures in civil, mechanical, aerospace and other branches of engineering. Initially, the formulation of the method followed a
Since this trail-blazing exercise, the method has achieved worldwide recognition. As well as being used as a powerful analytical tool, it is still a flourishing research topic with considerable potential in new scientific areas, including biomedical engineering and the life sciences. traditional structural engineering approach but as the underlying mathematical basis became better understood, its application to other disciplines became possible. His first industrial application of the technique was a stress analysis of the Halcrow-designed
Olek Zienkiewicz died on 2 January 2009, aged 87. He leaves behind his wife, Helen, two sons and a daughter. His place in engineering history was secured with numerous obituaries in the world’s press, including the UK’s The Sunday Times.
Kunjukrishnan Suresh (1955 – 2009) Roy Lester A top flight engineer Water and power business group survey engineer, Kunjukrishnan Suresh, has died after suffering a heart attack while walking to his site office in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, on 19 January 2009. He was 54. Kunjukrishnan, a father of three, joined Halcrow in 1995 and started work on the fourth phase of the Sharjah Sewage Treatment Works as an inspector of works/surveyor. He later moved to the Amiri Flight Facility at Adia, Abu Dhabi, before leaving Halcrow in 1997. Kunjukrishnan re-joined Halcrow in 2000 as a survey engineer at the Abu Dhabi ship building site expansion. For the last three years he worked on the Ma’arid Bay reclamation project in Ras Al Khaimah. Here, he successfully supervised the contractors building two breakwaters and measured reclamation quantities. 44
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(1944 – 2008) Kunjukrishnan’s friends and colleagues at Halcrow have donated funds to help support his wife and three school-aged children, who all live in India.
Roy passed away on 22 December 2008, at the age of 64. He had worked as a document controller at Halcrow’s Cardiff office since February 2005 and was known by everyone as a true gentleman and a careful, highly diligent worker. On 17 January 2009, over 400 people attended his memorial service. At the service, regional director Barrie Jones presented a memorial book to his widow, Carolyn, filled with kind words and messages of condolence from Roy’s colleagues, many of whom attended. Following a suggestion from his family, Cardiff employees raised funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care, specifically the Holme Tower Hospice in Penarth, which helped care for Roy when he was unwell. Further information Visit www.mariecurie.org.uk
Michael Starr
(1942 – 2008)
Solar power expert and ordained minister After a 25-year career spanning many projects and responsibilities, Michael Starr retired from Halcrow in 2003. He died suddenly in Tripoli, Libya, on 4 November 2008, aged 66. Michael joined Halcrow in 1977 as a Swindon-based member of the power stations department, swiftly moving into alternative energy and becoming head of the energy studies unit. He left Halcrow for a short period before returning as director of resources, managing the areas of personnel, training and IT. He introduced much of the culture of support and communication employees now benefit from. He first made his mark at Halcrow with a World Bank commissioned study of solar-powered water pumping techniques in different parts of Africa. At the time, solar and energy planning were new ventures for Halcrow, and colleagues noted that the intelligence and application Michael brought to projects were key to their success. He tended to be at the forefront of whatever he did, and became an international solar power expert. Engineering wasn’t just a day job for Michael. For many years he led a technical hobbies summer camp for young people and introduced children to engineering at a local primary school. He also managed a rural youth work project and took great joy in driving and maintaining a double decker bus used for this work. As an ordained minister in the Anglican church, Michael’s Christian faith and assurance were central to his working life. Colleagues remember his compassion, warmth and openness. Many clients and colleagues from all over the world were invited to dine with Michael, wife Margaret, and three children – Andrew, Peter and Frances – at their home. On retiring from Halcrow, Michael became the vicar to a group of rural churches. In 2006, with Margaret in tow, he moved to Addis Ababa to serve the church there and by 2008 had been asked to move to Tripoli in Libya.
Sir Alan Muir Wood (1921 – 2009) A tunnelling legend Sir Alan Muir Wood, former senior partner at Halcrow, died on 1 February 2009, aged 87. Described as the ‘father of modern tunnelling’, Sir Alan dedicated his professional life to the delivery, research and advancement of geotechnics, tunnelling and coastal engineering. He was president of the Institution of Civil Engineers and honorary life president of the International Tunnelling Association. Sir Alan joined Halcrow (then Sir William Halcrow & Partners Ltd) in 1952. From 1958 he was involved in initial studies into the viability of the now well-established Channel Tunnel, culminating in formal investigations throughout 1964 and 1965. He was involved in some of the world’s leading tunnel projects, including South Africa’s 80km Orange Fish Tunnel, and the UK’s Clyde Tunnel, Potters Bar railway tunnels and the Heathrow Airport Cargo Tunnel. He also acted as advisor to the UK’s House of Commons on the alignment of London Underground’s Jubilee Line extension and was a review board member for mass rapid transit in developing countries. In 1964 he was made a partner of the company, becoming senior partner (effectively chairman) in 1979 – a position he held until his retirement in1984. Over the past 25 years, Sir Alan continued to work for Halcrow as a consultant. He was also a prolific writer and researcher, contributing to numerous papers, presentations and books. His contribution to the engineering world was acknowledged with a full page obituary in the UK’s The Sunday Times. A memorial service at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey, will be held on 4 June at 1pm, followed by a reception at the Institution of Civil Engineers London headquarters. Sir Alan leaves his wife, Winifred, and three sons, David, Paul and Robert. Praising his phenomenal achievements, chief executive Peter Gammie said: “His dedication to his profession and to Halcrow is an example to us all.”
Achieving ambitions Raising the bar
MD collects
MBE
The Queen honours Michael Norton
Michael Norton was invited into the inner sanctum of Windsor Castle to officially receive his Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) medal. Announced in the 2009 New Year’s Honours List, the award recognises the water and power business group managing director’s services to both the water industry and international trade. Michael and his family made the trip to Windsor on 7 April for the investiture ceremony, where he was presented to Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II. “It was a momentous occasion,” remembers Michael. “I was thrilled to share it with my family. The fact that I’ve achieved this doing what I love makes it all the more satisfying.” Michael joined Halcrow in 1985 after spells working with water authorities and companies in Yorkshire, Scotland and Merseyside. Appointed business development manager in 1990, he became a director in 1997, taking on the role of development director for Halcrow’s water and power business in 2005. Leading water and power since 2007, Michael is now responsible for around 1,500 employees and a turnover in excess of £100 million. A leading figure in the water industry and an ambassador for British commercial interests, he was appointed chair of the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) India water working group in 2007, while the following year saw Michael join UKTI’s water sector advisory group. In November 2008, Michael joined the Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) water panel – a coterie of eminent voices in the water sector channelling best practice in the delivery of sustainable water policy and infrastructure worldwide. Riding the tide of pivotal water issues, the panel has been instrumental in co-ordinating ICE’s response to a range of UK concerns through its support of seminars, industry awards, and the publication of technical papers and research.
The Norton clan: Robert, Michael, Shirley and Graha m
IN BRIEF
Reflecting on receiving his MBE, Michael said: “This recognition says a lot about the opportunities Halcrow provides, and the exciting projects Halcrow people get involved with. As a child I was sure that I wanted to be either an engineer or an explorer. My 24 years with the company have taken me to far-flung places from China to Colombia, so I feel like I’ve achieved both of my boyhood ambitions.”
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Halcrow blazed ahead with an 80 per cent pass rate in the recent Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) 2008 professional review session. Assistance from supervising civil and delegated engineers, sponsors and reviewers played a key part in the candidates’ achievements. The following Halcrow people are now corporate members of the ICE: Vox | issue two
• Fida Choudhury, water and power, Swindon • Robert Elfed Davies, water and power, Cardiff • Nicholas Dobinson, transportation, Swindon • Gareth Edwards, transportation, Cardiff • Kuruparan Kasilingam, transportation, London • Ka Ki Lee, transportation, Swindon • Sin Tan, maritime, Swindon
• Farzad Nikoukar, transportation, Worcester • Christopher Parry, maritime, Swindon • Matthew Stannard, maritime, Abu Dhabi • Chuan Ming Tan, water and power, Manchester • Shauket Kahn, water and power, Swindon • Jehangir Nawaz, water and power, Peterborough
Sandra Brennan recently graduated with a bachelor of arts in occupational health and safety management. The health and safety consultant received her degree from Glasgow Caledonian University. Glasgow’s Ken Stewart, a director in the property team, has been elected a fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers.
Audit glory
First up
EngTech is a level of professional registration exclusively for engineering technicians. Membership is recognised by the worldwide engineering community as tangible evidence of an individual’s competence. It can also be an important stepping stone to becoming an incorporated engineer (IEng) or a chartered engineer (CEng), and IMechE members enjoy the same access to information and networking opportunities.
A trio of Halcrow business systems auditors have each received their BSI British Standards certificates – confirming their full registration with the prestigious international body. Gill Cuss, Thomas Finkle and Tony Hoyle are now recognised by an organisation that has an unequalled reputation for independence, integrity and innovation in the production of standards and information products to promote and share good practice. The qualification is set to become the benchmark for quality, environmental, health and safety or information security management systems auditors.
A jolly good Fellow The adage that success breeds success has rung true for Glasgow’s Graeme Forsyth, awarded a clutch of industry accolades. Having been invited to take on honorary secretarial duties for the Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) Glasgow and West of Scotland regional committee earlier in the year, Graeme was subsequently elected as an ICE fellow. Hot on the heels of this appointment came confirmation of his election as a fellow of the Institution
of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland. Registration with the European Federation of National Engineering Associations, alongside membership of the American Society of Civil Engineers (MASCE), rounds off an exemplary set of achievements.
Eponymous award Halcrow’s highways and transportation market sector director has presented an eponymous prize in the inaugural ‘Paul Maliphant Early Careers Geologist Award’ event. The Geological Society Southern Wales Regional Group award – sponsored by Halcrow – was named after Paul, who founded the group in 1992 and is its current chairman. All entrants had to submit a geology-related synopsis of less than 1,000 words. The winner gave a presentation at a special evening at
the School of Earth, Ocean and Planetary Sciences at Cardiff University, before an audience of school and university geology students, and professional geologists. The Paul Maliphant Trophy was presented to Matthew Eynon of the Earth Science Partnership. He will keep the gong for a year. He also received a small replica as a permanent memento and a cash prize. Above: Paul presents Matthew Eynon with the inaugural awa rd
Graduate maritime engineer Karthikeyan Chandrasekaran took a top spot as one of three finalists at the Institution of Civil Engineers’ graduates and students’ papers competition 2009. Karthikeyan presented his winning paper – on seismic bearing capacity – along with the other finalists at a special evening event held in Glasgow’s St Enoch’s Square.
London-based Binky Patel is now a member of the IStructE, having flown through her Institution of Structural Engineers exams. Glasgow’s Doug King has gained accreditation from the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management. Othuke Okah has completed a masters degree in safety and risk
management from the University of the West of Scotland. Donna Wilson is now a member of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management and a chartered scientist. Jillian McCreath has been awarded a postgraduate diploma in safety and risk management from the University
of Strathclyde, Glasgow. Jillian’s course fees were paid through a Halcrow study award. Swindon-based market sector manager Sean Matthews has gained chartership with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Sean is already an elected member of its renewable energy committee and the young members’ board energy key theme ambassador.
Graeme Forsyth
Tony, Gill and Thomas receive their certificates
Mentor Stuart Dawson congratulates Paul (right)
Senior technician Paul Welbourn is the first Halcrow employee to be awarded membership of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) through its engineering technician (Eng Tech) programme.
People parade Taking a break
The most recently formed branch of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has opened in the United Arab Emirates. Over 250 ICE members, partners and their guests attended the inaugural annual dinner in January, held at the prestigious Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa in Dubai. Halcrow officially sponsored two tables of ten, but scores more employees attended to enjoy the networking opportunity, dinner and dancing. Also benefiting were the Lighthouse Club and RedR charities, with almost £3,000 raised in a raffle that included a variety of Halcrow-branded items such as caps, t-shirts, golf accessories and more.
Our man in China Shanghai-based Halcrow development director for China, Ralph Parkin, spent ten days on a whirlwind tour of the country with the UK government’s department of trade and industry and British Water. The tour targeted three provinces in eastern China, beginning in Shanghai, before heading off to Hefei in Anhui province, Nanchang in Jiangxi and ending in Fuzhou in Fujian.
Ralph’s presentations on ‘improving the quality of your assets’ and ‘urban water quality management’ were well received and laid solid foundations for developing deeper commercial relationships in the future.
At each location, the programme included a day of round table meetings with government officials and a second day of formal technical presentations to over 100 delegates. These were then followed by one-toone meetings with government officials and other interested provincial parties.
Ralph Parkin at a China Water plant
Middle Eastern ICE
Phone an
g n i s i r p d n r e i e r f t n e
Budding inventors transcended history at a recent Enterprising Inventors Challenge held in Scotland, dragging iconic technological innovations into the imaginative realm of the 22nd century.
The winning team
Held as part of the Scottish Government’s ‘Determined to Succeed’ initiative – in partnership with Young Enterprise Scotland – the event enabled inquisitive year seven students to explore the forefront of science and technology. Halcrow’s Glasgow-based Sarah Lee donned her judge’s hat for the 6 November innovation-fest, presiding over 15 teams of ten talented youngsters. Tasked with projecting pioneering Scottish inventions forwards 100 years to 2108, the students produced a refreshed version of their allocated avant-garde products
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and developed a marketing campaign to promote the revitalised gizmos.
Presenter Mary Queen of Scots (pre-execution) kept her head and the students on track Doppelgangers representing famous Scots – Thomas Telford (civil engineer), Alexander Graham Bell (father of the telephone), Elsie Inglis (suffragette and medical pioneer) and John Logie Baird (television inventor) – provided snippets of information on their discoveries, while presenter Mary Queen of Scots (pre-execution) kept her head and the students on track. ‘Phoneomenal’, a 22nd century take on Bell’s telephone, stormed to victory, and the winning team members – as judged by their peers – flew the flag for Glasgow at the national final in Edinburgh on 25 November.
Artistic licence National treasure
Away from the office’s formal confines, employees, clients and business partners toasted Halcrow’s ongoing success in Edinburgh at an evening reception late last year.
Nestled in the iconic Princes Street Gardens, in the shadow of the hulking Edinburgh Castle, Scotland’s National Gallery is home to an expansive collection of works by Old Masters, Impressionists and exponents of the Scottish School.
Under the watchful gaze of former kings rendered in rich oils, guests mixed and mingled at Edinburgh’s neo-classical National Gallery of Scotland – a visually enticing backdrop to the evening’s events. Regional director for Halcrow’s Edinburgh office, Jamie Baxter, said: “The event was an opportunity to not only meet with clients and colleagues in a relaxed environment, but to appreciate a small taste of the rich art and culture that the venue had to offer.” Regional managing director for UK North, Neil Johnstone, echoed similar sentiments: “This amazing turnout by clients – and their partners – is immensely gratifying for Halcrow. It helps underpin the importance we place on building client relationships, and allows us to better understand their needs and impart Halcrow’s values.”
Spanning 600 vivid, colour-soaked years, the collection opens with the dawn of the Renaissance in 1300, meandering through successive monarchs, ideologies and styles. Since first throwing its doors open to public view in 1859, the gallery has undergone countless restorations and face-lifts, retaining its status as the jewel in Edinburgh’s present-day cultural crown.
National Gallery, Edinburgh
Top: Neil Johnstone, Jamie Baxter and Peter Gammie
Sharjah lit up for Diwali The Sharjah office celebrated Diwali – the festival of lights – with an informal evening of colourful chaos. Over 100 employees and their families gathered for food, dancing and revelry, with the children performing frenetic impromptu dances. A focal point in the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain calendars, Diwali brought together some of the 30 nationalities within Halcrow in the Middle East. These festivities followed the more subdued Iftar – fast-breaking – meal.
Don’t Diss going back to school
Sharjah office employees and their families celebrate Diwali
Two Halcrow employees went back to school to give a talk on the Broadland Flood Alleviation Project (BFAP) at Diss High School, Norfolk, UK, in December. Matthew Philpot and Jamie Manners outlined the main engineering and environmental issues to consider when designing such a project. The event was part of a geography careers afternoon organised for 15 to 16-year-old students and included presentations from other organisations. A group exercise ensured the students considered the potential impacts of a fictional flood defence scheme and possible mitigation measures. Feedback hailed the day a success and a great opportunity for Halcrow to engage with local schools, encouraging students to explore the possibilities of a career in engineering or environmental consultancy.
People parade Taking a break
Sisters are doing it for themselves The construction industry’s gender chasm has been the subject of numerous studies, campaigns and initiatives, aimed at encouraging more women to don hard hats and enter the engineering industry. Women in the industry are few and far between – just one in ten within the construction sector. Halcrow is attempting to redress the imbalance by supporting Interconnect, a three year project to build a Scottish network for female science, engineering and technology students. Women count for just 12 per cent of these courses, and the pronounced gender gap at college level means there is unlikely to be a sudden influx in the near future.
Women in the industry are few and far between – just one in ten within the construction sector Developed by the Scottish Resource Centre (SRC) for women in science, engineering and technology (SET) at Napier University and financed by the Scottish Funding Council, the project is a partnership
between National Union of Students Scotland and Equality Forward. Designed to both support existing students and encourage fresh faces, Interconnect will establish student groups and provide careers advice. Boosting the visibility of professional women forms a pivotal part of the project, providing students with industry role models and contacts. As part of the programme, Halcrow’s Jet Cameron – who, along with colleague Shona Tait was key to organising the link up – shared her working experiences in the planning and design team with Napier University students. Both also feature on the Interconnect website.
Welsh dragon reaches middle age Revelling in four decades of work in Wales, Halcrow’s 40th birthday bash transformed Cardiff’s National Museum from a hushed exhibition gallery to a festive party zone. Over 380 people – present and past employees, their partners, clients and local students – crammed into the Welsh capital’s pre-eminent archive to pay tribute to the company’s successes, and look towards an equally glossy future. Halcrow’s chairman, Tony Pryor, and chief executive, Peter Gammie, cracked open the champagne and mingled with guests.
Welsh roots While 1968 marks the launch of Halcrow’s operations in Wales, the company’s involvement in the area stretches back through reams of black and white photographs to the close of the 19th century. Halcrow’s founder, Thomas Meik, was first commissioned to work on the Port Talbot Docks and Railway Company in 1898.
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At least 50 people crammed into the Edinburgh office for the Interconnect launch on 25 March 2009, held to raise awareness and promote the Interconnect website, with regional director Jamie Baxter addressing the guests.
The walls featured an unprecedented mix of irreplaceable artefacts and A-level artworks from Whitchurch High School’s Halcrowsponsored art and design competition. Guests’ aural tastes were catered to by the Cardiff County and Vale of Glamorgan Youth Orchestra string quartet’s welcoming serenade, while the talented students later swapped their visual feats for a choral programme.
University challenge For many students, time spent at university is characterised by endless baked-beans, last minute ‘all-nighters’ and familiarising oneself with the union bar.
engineers, experienced project managers and senior directors. Kat Kelly, a Glasgow-based graduate engineer, beamed in via a ‘video postcard’ from her base in Abu Dhabi.
For civil engineering students at Glasgow’s University of Strathclyde, daytime television recently took a back seat in favour of a series of Halcrow management insight lectures. After a well-received presentation last year on the challenges of design and build contracts, Halcrow offered a further four tailored talks.
Donald Bell, Halcrow’s regional director, reiterated Halcrow’s commitment to knowledge sharing and inspiring young talent: “By creating and nurturing new links, we are forging an important relationship between education and industry, and building on the students’ knowledge and ability.
Around 250 young minds traded familiar campus surrounds for City Park, to absorb the experiences shared by an assortment of Halcrow representatives – graduate
“One of the company’s core values is to advance our skills and experience – we want to share these with the engineering stars of the future.”
Back to school
Regional director Donald Bell presented the budding parliamentarians with the Halcrow award for teamwork, along with a stash of book vouchers. The pupils’ exemplary work to prepare for, attend and contribute towards the Scottish Parliament Europe Day in Holyrood earlier in the year –
where they represented Glasgow – earned their teachers’ nominations. Halcrow’s ‘back to school’ mentoring work saw St Roch’s notch up its best ever exam results in 2008’s spring term, contributing to the students’ collective sense of achievement.
Donald Bell with the St Roch pupils
Proving that not all young people want to be professional footballers or Big Brother contestants, six students from St Roch’s Secondary School have been rewarded for their active interest in politics.
Port planning goes global Halcrow’s maritime business group organised its first terminal planning seminar – in Felixstowe, UK – to discuss topical port issues facing global terminal operators. Developed and facilitated by Julian Johanson-Brown, the event brought together Halcrow employees from the New York, Oakland, Swindon and London offices, as well as representatives from hosts Hutchison Ports (UK) and the Port of Felixstowe. Andrew Harston, port development director for Hutchison Ports (UK), opened the seminar. Halcrow’s Quentin Holland spoke about the company’s relationship with this client, John Martin looked at terminal automation and Jim Kukucka discussed terminal management and staffing. Also, Ted Daly gave a presentation about equipment procurement, while Mike Fidler described Halcrow’s simulation capabilities. A comprehensive tour of the port’s berth, yard and rail operations at Felixstowe rounded off a thoroughly enjoyable day.
Picnic peace in India Children’s laughter and the rhythmic ‘thwack’ of bat on ball peppered the air as India-based employees and their families recently enjoyed a luscious picnic spread.
The India team spells it out
Relaxing beneath Krishna’s benevolent shadow amid 5,000 temples dedicated to the eponymous god, the group enjoyed the Vrindavan region’s scenic surrounds.
Felixstowe port
Pub Olympics Dusting off their knowledge of all things decidedly trivial to enter the realm of Grand National winners, capital cities and Coronation Street characters, the Cardiff office’s brightest young things claimed the bronze medal at the Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) pub Olympics. Halcrow’s graduates – Daniel Barnet, Nariba Gittens, Peter Halstead, Margaret Henderson and Alex Jones – plus a smattering of Cardiff University engineering students, celebrated their third place with the culinary delight of pizza.
Constructing a career
Raj masters half marathon Swindon’s rolling hills and shadowy valleys were no match for Raj Janmejay’s indomitable spirit, charging towards the finish line of the town’s half-marathon on 12 October. Halcrow’s associate bridges director completed the undulating 22km course in just under three hours on his first attempt at distance running. While some trained for months, Raj subscribed to the ‘less-is-more’ approach, cramming his build-up into two weeks. His supporters managed to pick him out from the 1,500-strong field, spurring him on for the final gruelling stretch. Pounding the pavement in preparation for this year’s race, Raj said: “That final kilometre was an absolute killer. I knew I had to keep going for my supporters – they’d come to see me reach the finish.” Raj celebrates at the finish line
Thousands of students and job-seekers milling around at JobServe Live 2008 – an annual careers event held in Cardiff – ambled up to Halcrow’s stand, stopping to discuss career prospects with company representatives. Sharing a stand with ConstructionSkills, the emphasis was on encouraging women to embark on a career in the built environment. Reflecting this, the booth was ‘manned’ entirely by women. Visitors to the interactive stand viewed presentations, browsed halcrow.com, trawled through current vacancies and posed questions for Halcrow as a prospective employer.
Structurally savvy Towering above a group of 11-year-olds, a giant tetrahedron emerged from a morning’s effort to grapple with engineering challenges at St Cenydd School in Caerphilly. Halcrow’s Nariba Gittens and another civil engineer from Glamorgan Engineering Consultancy helped the students to build the ceiling-scraping structure, introducing them to the built environment, structural engineering concepts and the idea of mega-structures. Nariba discussed material choices and construction techniques with the pupils, as well as routes into the industry.
Having a ball Trading their work shirts for dinner jackets and sparkly gowns, five young engineers from the Cardiff office scrubbed up for the inaugural ICE graduate and student companies ball. Decking out the Swalec Stadium, the event pushed Halcrow into the spotlight. Sally Sudworth and Simon Dunn were on hand to answer questions from potential employees. 52
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League of gentlemen Leather on willow provided the soundtrack for Halcrow’s annual inter-office cricket match in India. The Daredevils took on the Royal Challengers, with employees from the Delhi and Noida offices trading their business shirts for cricket whites. After electing to bat first, the Daredevils were reeling at 15 for three. The arrival at the crease of man of the match Subhash steadied the innings – peppering the boundary, he slashed a timely half century. Narender Kumar’s lethal arm claimed five Daredevil scalps to snare ‘best bowler’ accolades. Set 217 to win, Royal Challengers made a solid start, with eventual ‘best batsman’ Vishwadeep belting a quick-fire half century. Tight bowling and fielding heroics restricted Royal Challengers’ progress, and the batting team eventually faltered a mere ten runs short of the target. A delicious match tea followed the closely contested game, with the managing director of Halcrow’s operations in India, Pradeep Jain, presenting the awards. Daring to be devilish
Sporting success Field of dreams
Team Halcrow sprint to the finishing line
Run for it ... It’s Friday the 13th Over 550 people threw caution to the wind on Friday 13 February 2009 to take part in Dubai’s 17th Wadi Bih relay race. Among them were two teams from Halcrow. The run has been held every year since 1993 and is one of longest running (literally) sporting and social events in the expatriate calendar.
Sami Al Qazzaz
Some 108 teams took part in the gruelling 75km dash alongside a smattering of solo runners and cyclists – a record turnout for the event. The course was split into 2-4km legs with team members running each in turn. Participants pounded along the picturesque wadi bed, running as high as 1,000m above sea level before ending where they started at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Dibba. Despite a strong shamal – a northwesterly wind which blows over the Arabian Gulf states – the day before, the weather was pleasantly cool and allowed runners to enjoy the landscape and mountain air.
All the Halcrow runners and their support team camped on the beach the night before with some opting for another night under the stars after the event. With a 6:30am start, all Halcrow’s athletes had finished by around 2pm and merrily tucked into a well-deserved buffet lunch back at the hotel. Team Halcrow 1 – consisting of Sami Al Qazzaz, Jasveen Sidhu, Arun Kaushal, Guillaume Tamagnan and guest runner Russel Bowen (general manager of Corus in the Middle East) finished in 7 hours 05 minutes. James Milner, David Fox, Ashraf Alkhadrawy, and guest runners Ali Bushnaq (Wadi Rum Decor) and Paul Dunnage (Wozair Middle East) came in 18 minutes later.
... in the West Midlands Transferring industry rivalries onto astroturf, the annual Institution of Civil Engineers’ West Midlands five-a-side football tournament took place in Birmingham on 7 March. Trading bid documents for bone-crunching tackles, a team from Halcrow’s Birmingham office took on other consultants and contractors for the title. Split into two groups with the top four progressing to the quarter finals, the initial round-robin stage saw Halcrow going head-to-head with Birse Rail, Arup, Morgan PS and two teams from Mouchel. Striding through to the quarters in a wellearned third spot, the team’s slick passing and movement dispatched Atkins Rail in style, 2-0. With four teams remaining, Morgan PS stood in the way of a place in the final. In a reversal of their meeting in the group stage, Halcrow triumphed 1-0 courtesy of an early goal and solid defending.
Baggy trousers... the
Kent team
... and in the south east Late last year, football enthusiasts from the UK’s Kent, Crawley and Waltham Cross offices, along with a team from client South East Water, fought it out to be crowned the south east’s champions. After a series of close matches, the Kent office found itself up against South East Water in the grand final. Having held on to a 1-1 draw in the first half (following a goal by Andrew Halliday), the client team proved too strong, hitting the back of the net a further two times. Crawley defeated Waltham Cross in the third place playoff, winning a thrilling game 4-2.
Just one game away from glory and in another rematch from earlier in the day, the team faced Mouchel’s second team, winners of the previous encounter. Aching legs forgotten, Halcrow’s players battered the opposition’s goal, kept out only by the keeper’s acrobatics. A late Mouchel goal sealed victory for the third year running, Halcrow’s battlers having to settle for the runners-up medal.
After the match, friendly rivalries were thrust aside as everyone tucked into a buffet meal, washed down with a well-earned drink. Battling brummies
Baby boom Birmingham: Longbridge Development New arrivals begins...
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1) Syed Jaazib Ali made happy parents of Toronto’s Nazli Khan and her husband, Qurrat, when he arrived on 13 November 2008, weighing 3.12kg.
4) Ismail Haniff and his wife, Norliana Binti Hussin, welcomed their new little daughter, NurSyifa Auni, on 6 October 2008. She weighed a healthy 3kg.
2) Sarah and Mark Seward (Waltham Cross) and their sons, Sam and Joseph, welcomed another little man into the family – Felix James – on 28 February 2009.
5) Ross Bransby’s daughter Evelyn Nancy was the first arrival of the year at the UK’s Redhill hospital, born on 1 January 2009. She weighed a bouncing 4kg.
3) Kuala Lumpur office manager Robert Davies and his wife, Carolyn Teh, celebrated the birth of their new baby girl, Maya Yen, on 29 October 2008. She weighed 3.2kg.
6) Claire Sandhu and husband Tony celebrated the birth of their beautiful baby boy – Harveeia Singh – on 28 January 2009, weighing 2.8kg.
Connections Vox | issue two | July 2008
7) Danilo González of the Santiago office, wife Carola and son Cristóbal celebrated the latest arrival to their family – baby Gabriel Alonso – on 8 November 2008.
8) Ports engineer John Martin and partner Abi were overjoyed to welcome all 3.9kg of Eva-Grace to the family on 21 August 2008. 9) Ray of sunshine Candela was born on 24 July 2008, weighing 2.25kg, to happy parents Patricio Ormzabal from the Buenos Aires office and his wife, Laura. 10) A smiley Adam Nowakowski was born on 21 October 2008 to proud parents, Warsaw engineer Tomasz and his wife Zaneta.
11) Chichester consultant Andy Seek and his wife, Clare, were the happy recipients of a 3.7kg bundle of joy – Mariella – born on 1 November 2008.
14) Remi Ryan Velasco from Manila and wife Cinelle introduced their 2.3kg baby girl – Yonah – to the world on 28 August 2008.
12) Alvin Alvarado of the Manila team and his wife, Jemimah, celebrated the birth of their baby boy, Jelvin Alfred, on 7 October 2008. He weighed 2.8kg.
15) Chichester’s Beverley Bayliss and husband Chris are proud as punch of baby Edward John, born on 2 October 2008, weighing 4kg.
13) Jim Whalen of Halcrow Yolles, Toronto, and wife Kelley toasted the arrival of their third child, Jack, on 8 September 2008. He weighed 3.8kg.
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Connections Vox | issue two | July 2008
16) Isla Jadyn Towle was born on 8 November 2008, a healthy 3.2kg, to ecstatic parents Emma – from Halcrow’s Glasgow office – and her husband, Alan.
19) David Raeside from the Edinburgh office and his wife, Carol, welcomed a bonny baby boy named Calum on 4 October 2008. He weighed 3.5kg.
17) Iain Henry of the Glasgow office and his wife, Kirsty, are proud parents to a beautiful baby girl, Jessica Ann Nicola. She was born on 19 October 2008, weighing 2.8kg.
20) Iona Mercer made headlines on 1 January as the second baby to be born in Scotland in 2009. Parents Ken Mercer (of the Edinburgh office) and Debbie were overjoyed at her healthy weight of 3.7kg.
18) Glasgow’s Wendy Cameron was made a grandmother for the second time when little Cameron Kerr – a 4.2kg bundle of joy – arrived on 17 October 2008.
21) Angus Bowman from Glasgow and his wife, Jean, celebrated the safe arrival of their second granddaughter, Hannah, on 29 November 2008. She weighed 4.2kg.
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Halcrow’s summer party in Swindon, back in 2006. They tied the knot two years later on the shore of Rottnest Island off the coast of Perth, Australia, on 29 October 2008.
23) Matt Jones of Halcrow’s Cardiff office was made an honest man by Emily George on 23 August 2008 at Canada Lodge, Creigau. The couple honeymooned around Thailand, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
26) Sarah Payne from the Swindon office married Graham Nichols, among family and friends, at the height of the festive season on 20 December 2008.
24) Jacky Mou from Shenzhen in China married Xuerong Qin on 30 Jan 2009, amidst the good wishes of family and friends. 25) Marcus and Lindsay Rooney (née McLagan) met beneath the fireworks at
27) Delhi’s Amit Kumar made his wedding vows to Supriya on 23 November 2008. 28) Dana Rusescu from the Glasgow office and her groom, Gabriel Radulescu, celebrated their wedding day in London on 13 September 2008.
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Out of officeBirmingham: Longbridge A day in the life Development begins...
Tackling a bush fire
CA TCH A F IRE ng recruit
Chris and a you
Chris Zito on high alert to tackle Australian wildfires
hen Chris Zito, wife Kristie and their daughter moved into a new home on the edge of Australia’s Blue Mountain world heritage park five years ago, they were quick to realise just how fortunate they were to be living in such idyllic surroundings.
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So much so that the Sydney-based transport planning associate promptly signed up as a volunteer for the New South Wales Rural Fire Service. “It’s a beautiful area and I thought it was worth protecting,” said Chris. In fact, the area surrounding the home of the fledgling Zito clan is considered one of the finest eucalyptus forests on the planet, steeped in aboriginal legend and home to the dramatic Three Sisters rock formation. Save for a few small bush fires, there had not been too many serious incidents for Chris and the Faulconbridge Rural Fire Service to contend with over the last couple of years. Pressure drop
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But all that was to change with dramatic effect in February 2009 as wildfires swept through southern Australia killing at least 173 people and leaving destruction in their wake. The state of Victoria, some 1,000km to the south, bore the worst of the inferno.
Yet aside from one of the longest running droughts in Australian history, spiralling temperatures and tinder-box dry bush, it is the wind – or more accurately – changing wind direction which represents the biggest threat, as Chris explains:
Thousands of homes were destroyed in the fires, which coincided with a freak heat wave in which temperatures sent the mercury rocketing to 47 degrees Celsius. Perhaps most disturbing of all, many of the fires were started deliberately. Others were caused by electrical faults.
“The lives of many civilians and fire-fighters have been lost because of a sudden wind change. We try and keep abreast of weather forecasts when we are in the field to ensure we aren’t caught if a wind change arrives. But this is not always possible and the recent fires are testament to the devastation that a sudden wind change can bring.”
“It’s been described as the perfect conditions for fire,” explained Chris. “With 45 degree Celsius heat, a 100kph wind and humidity down to 5 per cent, it was a ‘perfect storm’.” The resulting deaths and carnage made it the world’s worst bush fire disaster – far more devastating than the previous record of Ash Wednesday in 1983, which claimed the lives of 73 people.
While nothing Chris has previously had to deal with has been on the same scale as the recent February fires, the father of two – Alexandra (six) and Nicoletta (four) – did take part in a search and rescue operation for a 15-year-old boy in 2006. He was found, dead, at the bottom of a ravine a few weeks before Christmas.
Chris and 11 of his fire service volunteer colleagues were placed on standby, ready to drop everything to help the exhausted fire crews tackle the blazes destroying homes and lives further south.
While a grim discovery, it did at least allow the child’s parents to bring closure to the mystery of his disappearance and begin mourning based on tragic fact, not conjecture, said Chris.
While four were sent down to Victoria, Chris never received the call. “For those that went it has been a very emotional experience – fighting fires next to dead bodies. They needed lots of counselling.”
Many people across rural Australia’s hinterland sleep better in their beds at night knowing that people like Chris are willing to give up their free time and put their lives on the line to ensure they can do just that.
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Overruns, changes or unforeseen events could derail your project. Don’t wait for problems to happen. Contact the team today and be prepared for any eventuality.
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