Carbon & Sustainability Initiative of the Year

This award recognises initiatives introduced or championed within the tunnelling industry which have improved sustainability and reduced carbon emissions and embodied carbon on a project or programme.

AtkinsRéalis
Sizewell C Combined Drainage Outfall (CDO) - Detailed Design

The Sizewell C Combined Drainage Outfall (CDO) functions as a means to discharge water, wastewater, and effluent flows generated by the main development site construction activities into the North Sea. The AtkinsRéalis design team value-engineered the basic design to reduce the tunnel diameter and thus change the tunnelling methodology from pipe jacking to Horizontal Directional Drilling. The final detailed design lowered embodied carbon, reduced the construction programme and lowered construction costs. The design also had significant health, safety and environmental benefits, as it eliminated the potential of personal entry into the tunnel, reduced the reliance on divers for the marine works and proposed an innovative self-flushing system to limit sedimentation in the outfall pipeline.

Balfour Beatty Vinci Joint Venture
CRISP (Community, Resource, Information, Support, Platform) 

Effective resource reuse across geographically dispersed teams and sites within IPTAN demands a transformative approach to resource management. To maximize the potential of resource reuse, a system capable of capturing and efficiently communicating available resources is essential. Recognizing this need, the Innovation Project has developed the CRISP platform in collaboration with ISL. This innovative software solution aims to address the challenges associated with resource management within IPTAN.

Barhale and Thames Water
Zero/Forty initiative 

Barhale has committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040 through its Zero/Forty initiative. This combines universal company-wide environmental and sustainability measures with a project-by-project focus on identifying and implementing carbon reduction actions. Across Barhale, Zero/Forty is seen in initiatives including templated eco-site set-ups, introduction of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel, increased use of hybrid/battery powered plant and equipment, and investment in biodiversity initiatives. Rye Meads Sewage Treatment Works (STW) provides an outstanding example of a Zero/Forty at project level where the team, in collaboration with Thames Water have gone the extra mile to drive down carbon emissions and improve the overarching sustainability targets of the scheme. An in-house sustainability specialist was embedded with the team to identify carbon saving opportunities.

Cemex UK
Vertua Lower Carbon Spray Concrete

Cemex Dry Mortar Europe Specialist Solutions in partnership with Normet UK Ltd has developed a groundbreaking, high-performance, lower carbon product innovation: Vertua Lower Carbon Sprayed Concrete, which offers a 25.4 % carbon reduction compared with traditional like-for-like sprayed concrete product applications. The innovative new product solution was developed specifically for challenging site conditions on the Balfour Beatty Vinci JV, HS2, Long Itchington & Bromford tunnel design, as part of Cemex and Normet’s ongoing commitment to sustainable, product development. Climate action demands the industry to work together to embed new ambitious technologies with urgency - Vertua Lower Carbon Sprayed Concrete is testament to tireless collaboration across multiple disciplines in the pursuit of lower carbon end-to-end delivery and design excellence.

Mott MacDonald
Reducing carbon through the use of the Observational Method

In partnership with HS2’s Innovation team, the HS2 Area North design-and-build team undertook a trial at Bromford Tunnel East Portal to back-analyse the behaviour of the ground and structure performance to better understand real world ground conditions and ascertain if DAARWIN can deliver efficiencies to enhance the implementation of the Observational Method to deliver savings not only in cost and time but also carbon emissions. The findings from the trial enabled the remaining temporary props in the portal structure to be omitted, reducing construction time and carbon emissions by shortening construction activities and reducing material consumptions. The back-analysed outputs from the portal were then re-used for other deep retained excavations in similar geological conditions including Bromford Tunnel West Portal, supporting HS2 to achieve their "Net Zero Carbon Plan".

SMR UK

SMR UK pioneers sustainable solutions in civil and utilities, SMR (Structural Material for Reinstatement), a revolutionary product for construction and reinstatement. SMR combines with excavated spoil to crease NFSMR (Non Flowable Structural Material), increasing density and strengthening by up to 600% when compacted. An alternative to traditional backfill methods like Type 1, SMR eliminates importing aggregate and exporting material to landfills, reducing costs, lorry movements, and CO2 emissions. Our highly skilled team delivers tailored solutions, ensuring exceptional results, committed to quality and environmental responsibility. Our cementitious Binder meets industry standards, Appendix A9 approved, fully complaint with SHW industry standards.

Ward and Burke Construction
Royal Oak and Longsight Park Tunnel 

The Royal Oak and Longisght Park Tunnel scheme is an innovative initiative aimed at enhancing the water quality of Bradshaw Brook by significantly reducing the frequency of spills from two Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) during storm events. Our approach replaced the initially proposed construction of two large detention tanks with a more sustainable and less intrusive 900m pipe-jacked tunnel.