It’s no surprise that live operational environments present the biggest challenges for civil engineering projects. The need for fast, efficient execution never goes away. If you’re dealing with transport infrastructure that people and businesses rely on every day, short project timelines matter more than ever.
The shortest possible delivery window would normally mean taking an asset out of service altogether during the project. This can be an unwelcome or impossible proposition.
Finding creative ways to square that circle can have a major impact on feasibility. Devising ways to keep assets fully or partially operational without compromising efficiency or safety reduces the impact of the project while it’s being delivered. It’s a capability that can make it easier to give potentially disruptive projects the green light.
Keeping The Trains Running
As innovative civil engineering specialists dedicated to simplifying projects, this is the type of challenge we enjoy. In the rail sector, Adjacent Line Open (ALO) works are becoming more common because they are so effective at minimising disruption.
Working safely alongside a live rail line typically relies on a combination of expertise, rigorous risk control systems and specialised equipment. Self-delivery capabilities are a distinct advantage.
Improvements Without The Pain
Closing a town centre car park for essential civil engineering work and resurfacing may seem less controversial than closing a major highway or rail line. Try telling that to the people and businesses that rely on convenient parking being readily available.
During a 23 week programme to update and improve Crescent Car Park in Taunton we were able to ensure that 50% of the parking bays remained available at all times. We also ensured that nearby retailers had full access for deliveries.
In the meantime we installed 19 EV chargers, resurfaced, reorganised and re-marked the car park to ease the flow of traffic, dealt with the safe removal of contaminated soil, and upgraded the access and street furniture.
You can read how we achieved this in our case study. As well as technical expertise and specialist equipment, working safely in live environments is also a question of mindset and creativity. When we talk about our projects:simplified approach, it’s as much about minimising disruption and inconvenience, as it is about rapid delivery.
To find out more, head over to our information and insights section.