In today’s news, we will look at this week, as part of National Highways’ £128.9M wear-and-tear repairs in North West England, AmeySRM will replace the A533 Expressway bridge over the M56. The first span of the rolling bascule bridge that will be constructed at Lowestoft, Suffolk, has been put in place. The Grosvenor West Building, which serves as the domicile of the Manchester School of Art, is now undergoing refurbishment. The construction company scored a double victory by successfully delivering the £200 million Goole train constructing facility.

Amey and Sir Robert McAlpine to replace the M56 bridge

Original Source: Amey and Sir Robert McAlpine to begin work on M56 road bridge replacement

This week, AmeySRM will replace the A533 Expressway bridge over the M56 as part of National Highways’ £128.9M wear-and-tear repairs in North West England.

The new 67m road bridge was built on a platform close to the motorway, but the contractor, Amey and Sir Robert McAlpine, will need a weekend to raise it into place.

Jan. saw the start of bridge construction. It’s a two-lane road with a walkway and bikeway.

National Highways donated £18M for the £23M rehabilitation works that would block the A533 Expressway and M56 in Runcorn, Cheshire, for three days.

Works and road closures begin at 9pm on Friday, October 28, and last at 6am on Monday, October 31.

According to National Highways, if the new bridge wasn’t built on the side of the road, the work may have caused two weeks of closures.

The roads operator said the current bridge is at the end of its life and believes the new one will endure over 120 years.

AmeySRM project manager Chris Buckley commented, “Building the bridge on the side of the motorway is quite inventive and has decreased the impact on road users over the last 10 months.”

AmeySRM is also embarking on a £43M M6 junction refurbishment.

This will comprise a new bridge over the M6 and current roundabout to improve flow between the M6 and A556.

National Highways’ £128.9M North West program will cover 116 renewals in Cheshire, Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire, and Cumbria. It will improve the M56, M6, M60, M62, M65, A595, and A56.

The cash will go toward many major highway and A road developments.

• £18M for Cheshire’s A533 Expressway bridge across M56
• £4.5m for M57 resurfacing in Merseyside
• £2.5M for M67 St Anne’s bridge in Greater Manchester
• £2.5M for M60 Palatine Road viaduct construction in Manchester
• £2.5M for M65 verge safety barrier between Accrington and Burnley
• £2m for M6 River Dane bridge repairs near Holmes Chapel, Cheshire
• Barton bridge parapet repairs near the Trafford Centre will cost £1.5M.
• Lancashire’s A56 Woodcliffe cutting will cost £2 million.
• £6.6M for A595 Lower Moresby, Cumbria

Lowestoft’s bascule bridge begins construction

Original Source: Lowestoft’s rolling bascule bridge starts to take shape

The first span of the rolling bascule bridge at Lowestoft, Suffolk, has been set.

Gull Wing bridge is part of a £146M project to relieve traffic on local and important highways. The project includes a new bridge, two roundabouts, and 130 utility diversions.

It will be 342m long and 22m wide. Its 12m clearance is higher than the town’s other two crossings. Suffolk County Council chose Farrans as the principal contractor in December 2020, and work began in April 2021.

First, the 55m-long North Approach Viaduct (NAV1) was built. The steel segment, made by Victor Buyck Steel Construction, arrived at Lake Lothing in March.

Farrans’ crew has since constructed a reinforced concrete deck and parapets, raising the section’s weight from 380t to 1,450t. The contractor built abutment and pier constructions.

The first span of the rolling bascule bridge at Lowestoft, Suffolk, has been set.

Gull Wing bridge is part of a £146M project to relieve traffic on local and important highways. The project includes a new bridge, two roundabouts, and 130 utility diversions.

It will be 342m long and 22m wide. Its 12m clearance is higher than the town’s other two crossings. Suffolk County Council chose Farrans as the principal contractor in December 2020, and work began in April 2021.

First, the 55m-long North Approach Viaduct (NAV1) was built. The steel segment, made by Victor Buyck Steel Construction, arrived at Lake Lothing in March.

Farrans’ crew has since constructed a reinforced concrete deck and parapets, raising the section’s weight from 380t to 1,450t. The contractor built abutment and pier constructions.

As this span crosses the East Suffolk railway, the line had to be temporarily blocked. Neil Rogers, project director at Farrans, said the company has been preparing track protection measures to allow heavy rail traffic in recent weeks.

SPMTs in two rows moved NAV1 into its final location. “A big team of civil engineers and railway professionals, including Network Rail and Associated British Ports, worked on this difficult procedure,” added Rogers.

The operation began at midnight Friday and ended until 5am Monday, when Network Rail regained control. 120 workers worked in shifts over 52 hours to install NAV1 successfully.

Suffolk County Council head Matthew Hicks: “This is a huge and exciting milestone.” People can now see the bridge taking shape; it will have a major positive influence on Lowestoft and the surrounding area once built. It will attract investment by reducing congestion and enhancing access for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Work on other portions of the program is going well. Rogers notified NCE that utility diversions, the new access road, and most groundwork were completed.

He claimed Farrans erected 180 CFA piles with a 1200mm diameter to depths of 30m for the piers and abutments. Marine piling construction entailed installing 42 rotary bored piles at a depth of 60m.

For the installation of the dolphins, steel tube piles that operate as crash barriers around the piers and abutments, Farrans used the “auger-push method” rather than hammering them to reduce vibrations and protect a nearby UK Power Networks tunnel.

Rogers recalls, “We’d lower the tube into the ground, auger, then push it further.” By using this strategy, 800,000 pounds were saved.

More steel sections will arrive in early 2023, and building will be finished by late 2023.

Grosvenor West Building, home of Manchester School of Art, undergoes renovations

Original Source: Refurbishment work begins at university’s Grosvenor West Building, the historic home of Manchester School of Art

Conlon Construction and Cassidy + Ashton will restore Manchester Metropolitan University’s Grosvenor West Building.

Conlon Construction will perform a ‘life cycle’ project refurbishment designed by Cassidy + Ashton that includes exterior brick and stonework, roof and rooflight repairs, and secondary glazing to boost insulation.

Work involves improving accessibility, inclusivity, upgrading and replacing internal heating and lighting systems, and conserving, enriching, and reintroducing original heritage elements to conserve the 141-year-old building and satisfy the demands of the next generation of art and design students.

Manchester School of Art is the UK’s second-oldest art school and includes Grosvenor West and the Benzie Building. The historic Grosvenor West Building also contains the Holden Gallery, a public gallery since 1898. The School of Art, designed by George Tunstal Redmayne, has housed Walter Crane, Sylvia Pankhurst, Adolph Valette, and LS Lowry.

Work is ongoing on campus to create temporary housing for the Manchester School of Art. The project is scheduled for completion in spring 2024.

Simon Barlow, associate architect at Cassidy + Ashton, said he was proud to work on another of MMU’s listed treasures. This is a large project that will draw on our knowledge as heritage architects and our excitement and dedication to preserving and promoting heritage properties for future generations.

“It’s a honor to work on a project to conserve a building that has inspired creative thinking since 1881. Grosvenor West Building has a rich history, and we’ll continue to collaborate with the university to ensure it inspires future artists and designers.

Conlon Construction’s commercial director, Darren Lee, said, “With great experience in education and heritage constructions, we’re happy to work with Manchester Metropolitan’s Estates Team again.”

“The plans are interesting and well-thought-out, and the end outcome will be remarkable.” This is a prestigious legacy that, with our aid, will be transformed into an efficient and motivating location to study and be inspired.

Manchester School of Art has a rich and vital tradition in our city, and its historic location in the Grosvenor West Building is key to that. We’re collaborating with Conlon Construction and Cassidy + Ashton to preserve and restore this wonderful space.

Cassidy + Ashton was hired through the Procure Partnerships Professional Services Framework, and Conlon Construction through the North West Construction Hub High Value Framework.

Manchester School of Art is a UK art education pioneer. Established to provide design training to the manufacturing industry, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses influenced by industry to give students the skills and information they need for their jobs.

Double triumph for construction business delivering Goole train building facility

Original Source: Double win for construction firm delivering on £200m Goole train building facility

Siemens Mobility awarded Goole’s £200 million train manufacturing facility’s lead contractor two excellence awards.

GMI Construction Group is leading the £40 million project on the 247,676 sq ft site where trains will be constructed.

Working Together as One and Responsible & Sustainable Procurement awards were given during the 2022 Supplier Awards.

GMI Construction Group CEO Lee Powell remarked, “It’s great that Siemens Mobility has recognized GMI’s basic characteristics of partnership, trust, and quality.”

We’ve worked closely with Siemens Mobility and our delivery partners to ensure this project’s success.

GMI delivers buildings, warehouses, offices, and stabling sidings. 4.5km of rail track will connect the facility to the main line.

The Yorkshire-based firm won the contract, which will create 250 construction jobs, by committing to employing local suppliers, focusing on employment skills and education, and having an outstanding project performance record.

Goole will become a centre of rail technological expertise with 700 new jobs. First trains made there will be for TfL’s Piccadilly line.

Siemens Mobility Limited’s Rolling Stock and Customer Services Managing Director Sambit Banerjee said, “Congratulations to GMI Construction for these awards, which recognize the excellent progress being made in delivering our Goole facility and the strong sustainability credentials of this industry-leading development.”

“Working closely with a Yorkshire contractor underlines our commitment to a local and national supply chain.” This applies to Goole and other UK activities. We’re happy that 90% of our UK spending goes to UK suppliers.

Andrew Hurcombe, GMI’s Yorkshire divisional managing director, stated, “Sustainability is core to our company.” Working with Mace Group, we recorded and managed carbon emissions during construction.

This has allowed us to adopt sustainable projects, such as rebar-free concrete slabs. Together with carbon offsetting, these actions helped us build sustainable development.

These accolades show our team’s hard work and dedication.

Summary of today’s construction news

Overall, we have discussed today that AmeySRM will replace the A533 Expressway bridge across the M56 in North West England. Amey and Sir Robert McAlpine will need a weekend to hoist the 67m road bridge into place. The first span of Lowestoft’s rolling bascule bridge is set and the Gull Wing bridge is part of a £146M project to relieve traffic on local roads, which features a new bridge, two roundabouts, and 130 utility diversions. The Grosvenor West Building at Manchester Metropolitan University will undergo restoration thanks to the efforts of Conlon Construction and Cassidy + Ashton that will perform a lifecycle refurbishment. Two prizes for excellence were given by Siemens Mobility to the prime contractor for the £200 million train manufacturing plant in Goole.