Networks Autumn 2014

Issue No.17 Autumn 2014

Coppetts WoodWorking in a nature reserve

Networks

2 Networks Newsletter

> intro

Customers will choose Thames Water because of our performance

CAPEX – Year 5 Outputs

Output Year 5 Target YTD (to end AUG) Comments

Sewer Flooding Outputs 419 32

Further 334 currently in construction, plus 24 part of rolling FLIP programme

CSO quality-driven outputs 4 0 2 of the 4 in

construction.

Lead Pipe Replacements 2,019 936

VMR 9.8km 7.1km

SCADA Installs 704 sites 2045 sites

During the Summer I took part in the presentation of a cheque to the Lighthouse Charity, in front of members of the site team working on the Chamberlayne Road project in Brent.

It really brought it home to me how every pound donated to the charity was a direct result of someone at Optimise identifying a potential safety risk and then taking the time and effort to report it as a Near Miss. And in turn that got me thinking about the extraordinary nature of the way we work on this AMP programme.

The various projects featured in this edition highlight the scale, deadlines, complexities and challenges of many of these projects. And the articles very clearly demonstrate the additional skills we bring to bear on what we do. From protecting rare snail at Thatcham Reedbeds to building excellent relationships with residents at Pennylets Green, Optimise people go the extra mile to do the job properly.

You may be aware that I am being seconded to Thames Water and will be head of water networks under Bob Collington from December. As you know, we’re working in a highly successful joint venture and Thames Water is keen to develop the same levels of collaboration across the company and its supply chain going forward. We know we still have a lot to deliver this year and next and I look forward to continuing to work with everyone in Optimise to successfully complete our work.

With the fifth year of the Optimise AMP 5 contract now half way through, the remainder of the CAPEX programme is becoming evident.

Here we show some of the key facts and figures to the end of August, and for the rest of the financial year – and on the centre pages we hear from delivery manager Paul Sylvester and programme manager John Barnes, who give their views on how the final year is shaping up.

Close-Out Status• 509 Projects in Programme

• 114 closed out

• 20 waiting Final Certificates

• 51 requiring EES FAC (of which 36 submitted and under TW review)

• 186 requiring Final Account agreement (of which 121 are submitted)

• 138 projects not yet taken over

Race is on complete Year 5 targets

Ian Noble contract director

Front Page: Optimise has constructed a new backdrop chamber within a nature reserve

close to the North Circular Road at Coppetts Wood. Full story - page 12.

Capex Close Out

Welcome

3Networks Newsletter

Developer Services in Thames Valley has trained four supervisors on the CAT 4 ‘Replay’ – new interactive software which can be used on site to download and show in real time graphic format the way a CAT cable avoidance tool has been used in recent days or weeks.

The innovation is part of the campaign to drive down the risk of service strikes among the 18 mains-laying and service-laying teams.

Karen Ives said: “The supervisors can take any CAT and within a couple of minutes give to the user and other site personnel clear feedback on the correct or high-risk use of the equipment.

“The information generated can identify problems before anything goes wrong, help with training of personnel, and also build relationships

between supervisors and operatives. We believe overall morale will be improved by this ability to work together better.”

Supervisor Paul Dadds is one of those delivering the assessments. He said: “We go out on site, download the CAT information onto our laptop and bring up a graph and playback of how the equipment has been used. It takes just a couple of minutes and shows clearly whether the user has been operating the equipment correctly or not.

“It gives a really good clear picture of what is going on and we can discuss this information with the team on site.

“The programme is very much about helping the teams, not punishing them. We can compare downloads month on month to see where improvements are happening over time.”

Steve Massey, working in OPEX in the Thames Valley, is the winner of the £50 Near Miss award for the second quarter of the year.

Steve was working on a job in Millbank Crescent when he noticed a loose ferrule - high risk apparatus on the network. As soon as he noticed it was loose he stopped work and informed managers of the problem. The mains pressure was immediately reduced to minimise the risk of it ‘blowing’.

He received his £50 vouchers from district manager Darren Lake in a presentation at the Brixton depot (bottom picture).

And in the Random Near Miss category – also for £50 in vouchers - Kieran Bracken’s entry was drawn from the hat. Kieran works in the North London VMR team and in this entry he escalated an issue

with service drawings to his supervisor.

He is pictured, centre, with Trevor Duane and Dermott Conway.

Software gives users instant feedback

CAT Scans Reduce Safety Headache> health and safety updates


Steve stops high-risk situation

Near Miss Winners

“It gives a really good clear picture of what

is going on and we can discuss this information

with the team on site.”Supervisor Paul Dadds

Congratulations go to the Developer Services and Repair & Maintenance OPEX teams, which have achieved Zero AFR – an accident frequency rate with no reportable injuries for a whole year.

Nick Gilbert, HSEQ manager, said: “This is a real milestone, with 12 months of getting it right. Last summer we came up with an improvement plan for OPEX safety, which included the introduction of SSSTS training.

“This scheme to give additional safety training to the team leaders in our two-man OPEX teams has now been delivered to over 100 people and has certainly paid dividends.”

The establishment of a proactive health and safety committee for R&M has also been beneficial. Nick Gilbert said: “Representatives range from senior managers to dig team members and everyone has the opportunity to

comment on materials and equipment used.

“These are very proactive meetings and the feedback on equipment has been taken on board with new options developed as a result. For instance, we have trialled changes to PPE equipment through the committee, including the use of different lenses and suppliers for the safety glasses that have been introduced.”

12 months accident rate success for teams

H&S: Zero AFR In OPEX> health and safety updates

4 Networks Newsletter Customers will choose Thames Water because of our performance

Near Miss reports raise £4523

Lighthouse Cheque Presentation

Optimise has donated more money to the construction industry’s charity, the Lighthouse Club.

It donates £1 for every health, safety and environmental Near Miss that is reported, and contract director Ian

Noble recently presented a cheque for £4523 to Bill Hill, chief executive of the Lighthouse Club, at the site compound for the Chamberlayne Road project in Brent.

Bill Hill told the site team members who attended the presentation: “This money is really important. The charity receives no state funding and projects like this are vital to continue our work. What you are doing in Optimise is absolutely brilliant - you guys are doing a great job.”

Afterwards, the site team tucked into bacon butties which had been laid on for those attending.

Breakfast presentation: (pictured below) Contract director Ian Noble (left of photo) presents the cheque to Bill Hill of the Lighthouse Club charity. Afterwards (above), team members Ollie McDonagh, Martin Walsh, Kevin Byrne, Ashley Coffie and Ron Clinkar enjoyed a bacon roll


North London Developer Services has completed ‘one of its most demanding jobs in recent years’ – a major main diversion at Victoria Station.

The project, described as ‘technically and logistically challenging’ by project manager David Burke, required the diversion of a water main as part of the upgrade programme for Victoria underground station, being carried out for London Underground by Taylor Bam Nuttall.

The scope of the project was changed greatly from initial design to actual implementation, and as well as the diversion of 40m of steel main, the decision was taken to reline an additional 55m of the existing main using 610mm diameter PE.

David said: “Usually we are working with smaller pipes, up to 300mm diameter, but this was the diversion of a large 800mm diameter steel main – and we had a ‘postage stamp’ to work in.

“Because of other utilities in the ground, our working area for the diversion was extremely tight and we actually exposed the roof of the Underground tunnel with our works! We had to put in a special bend arrangement because the main was so close to the tunnel and I can safely say that it’s the only one like it in the Thames Water network!”

The very busy nature of the Victoria area imposed further challenges, with restricted delivery times and limitations on the size of plant adding to the headaches for site engineer Brendan Ryan, student engineer James Curtain, and site agent Jim Coleman.

David Burke said: “For the relining we constructed 55m of 610mm dia PE main on a nearby road and then

moved it in one piece overnight down Victoria Street, requiring a massive road diversion.”

While the job was originally scoped to last three months, the many design changes meant that the DS team was actually on site for 10 months, including periods of 24-hour working to minimise main downtime.

“It went very well and I look back on the job with relief that it’s done, and pride that we got there despite the many challenges we faced,” said David.

“A lot of people put in a huge amount of effort.”

> health and safety updates


Developer Services job ‘one of most demanding in years’

Victoria Station Upgrade

Lighthouse Cheque Presentation

The Optimise team worked

in extremely tight conditions

(left and above) while a 55m

length of relining main had

to be moved in one piece

overnight (top photo).

“Because of other utilities in the ground, our working area for the diversion was

extremely tight and we actually exposed the roof

of the Underground tunnel with our works!”

Project manager David Burke

> Spotlight


As you travel through the Thames Water region you will never be too far from one of its 3,500 District Meter pillars. Each of the unremarkable-looking pillars performs a vital role in helping to keep 15 million customers with a ready supply of water. Each one forms part of a District Metering Area, or DMA, which is used to track and manage potable water leakage.

Each DMA varies in size, covering anything from a handful through to several hundred properties. Within each DMA will be a number of district meters (DMs) which monitor the flow and pressure of the water distribution pipe lines within a given area.

By measuring the difference between the flow measured by the district meters and the known main network

supply, an accurate figure for leakage can be calculated.

As part of its AMP5 works, Optimise is upgrading the Thames Water DMA SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) infrastructure, working with specialist supplier ABB to manufacture, supply and retrofit 2,970 of the pillars with the latest flow measurement technology.

The new equipment will enable Thames Water to receive DM data for both flow and pressure at its centralised control system every 15 minutes via GPRS - a substantial improvement to the existing communication of once per 24 hours.

The faster data will allow Thames Water to identify potential leaks

and bursts far earlier than previously possible, enabling it to react much more quickly to reduce water loss, limit damage to the network and public areas, and, of course, save money.

Stevie Stocks, project manager for Optimise, said: “We have been working closely with ABB now for over two years and are aiming to complete field installations by October this year.”

So the next time you see one of those anonymous pillars, you’ll know they are more than just bland street furniture – they’re valuable pillars of the community!

“The new equipment will enable Thames Water to receive DM data for both flow and pressure at its centralised control system every 15 minutes via GPRS - a substantial improvement to the existing communication of once per 24 hour.”

Pillars of the community

SCADA

A surface water augmentation project being carried out at Thatcham Reedbeds includes careful assessment and involvement at each stage by the Optimise Environmental team.

Thatcham Reedbeds is one of the largest areas of inland reedbed in Southern England and home to some of the country’s rarest reed specialists, including Desmoulin’s snail. The nationally-rare tiny snails are no taller than 3mm and thrive in the reed-fen areas of the reserve.

The Reedbeds are also important for a number of breeding birds including the Cetti’s warbler, water rail, sedge and reed warbler and reed bunting.

The project is part of Thames Water’s review of sustainable abstraction options which is regulated by the Environment Agency – in this case focussing on the River Kennet.

Optimise is installing a sluice gate on the bank of the River Kennet plus a pipe into the beds to ensure that water from the river can be fed into the beds in times of drought.

Graduate environmental advisor Jenny Minford said: “The level of

the water table in the beds is critical to the success of the Desmoulin’s snail and other wildlife. The water augmentation scheme was selected as the most-effective and environmentally-sustainable solution to safeguard the beds during dry conditions.

“Both the River Kennet and the Thatcham Reedbeds are SSSI-listed – Sites of Special Scientific Interest – and our team is working closely with

Natural England and the Environment Agency throughout the programme.”

Due to its nature, Thames Water was not able to use its Water Industry Act powers to build the project and everything has to be built by agreement with the landowners. Although the project is only 30m in length, it has had to secure twice as many environmental consents as the recent 19km Speen pipeline project.

Tiny snails protected by Optimise project

Thatcham Reedbeds> Spotlight

7Networks NewsletterCustomers will choose Thames Water because of our performance

The nationally-rare

Desmoulin’s snail is no

taller than 3mm

Stable conditions for groundwater flooding solution

Lambourn

The famous residents of a Berkshire village require a special approach to working for the team carrying out a project to reduce the risk of groundwater flooding there.

Lambourn, which is renowned for its British National Hunt racehorse training stables, suffers with serious groundwater flooding and Optimise is undertaking a £1m programme to reline pipes and seal manhole covers to prevent the flooding affecting the sewerage network.The three-month programme includes using innovative pipelining materials and techniques. Delivery manager

Mark Yates said: “Traditional plastic liners can crack away from the pipe during curing, leaving an annular gap. However, this new lining is bonded to the pipe and does not shrink.

“Because of the village’s strong horseracing connection we have to be very careful during working because of the strings of racehorses moving between stables and training grounds. For instance, we have been advised to make sure that we do not leave anything lying on the ground that looks even vaguely like a snake! Apparently, that can ‘spook’ these highly valuable horses.”

Jockeys taking horses to the gallops at Lambourn. Photo courtesy Philip Jelley.

> Spotlight


CAPEX Road Ahead

Optimise is now well into the fifth year of its AMP5 relationship with Thames Water. We asked CAPEX programme delivery manager Paul Sylvester and CAPEX programme manager John Barnes (pictured below right) for their view of this leg of the programme.

Networks: How are the figures looking?

Paul Sylvester: By the end of July we had completed £407 million value of work done (VOWD) and we know we have £83 million remaining. That makes £490 million over the entire AMP process. In addition we are looking at other Thames Water briefs and believe there is a further £30 million of work which we have every indication of receiving.

John Barnes: From now to the end of March there is a major commercial challenge of closing down a lot of projects. We are going flat out. There is no scope for end-of-term feelings.

Our overall target is £520 million, which needs to be awarded but not necessarily delivered by March. Some of our work will run onto into next year. Under our contract, Thames Water can continue to award contract work to us until December 2015 if they wish.

Networks: How would you categorise this final year?

PS: The high value of work in Year 5 means we are continuing to the very end and will support the transition into AMP6.

Traditionally there is a tail off of work and, while other JVs are reaching this situation, Optimise is not. The traditional cycle over the life of an AMP is trough, peak, trough. But at Optimise we will have our foot to the floor to the very end

Networks: Why is Optimise still so busy?

JB: We have been very successful in delivering fast-track projects quickly and responding to emergency projects effectively, so we are continuing to get that work because of our track record.

PS: That’s very much a success.

JB: Another reason is a large part of our work this year is the sewer flooding programme, which was quite back-end loaded. It was not awarded until April 2012 and calls for us to identify and define 280 sewer flooding outputs and come up with the solution for each one. In each case there is the long lead time of surveying the work to prove the properties are at risk, and then identify the solution. This has culminated in the delivery of schemes on site this year.

Networks: How does this year’s workload compare with previous years?

PS: Year 1 was very much about clean water mains replacement. Over the past five years a lot of the mains replacement requirements have been completed in time. Now, in Year 5, £40 million of the £110 million total is for sewer flooding alleviation.

Maida Vale is the largest single project costing £17 million, and delivering 177 outputs which are above and beyond the 280 identified earlier. Other significant examples are at Abbotts Park, Chamberlayne Road, Tariff Road and via the ongoing FLIPS programme.

JB: The lead pipe replacement team also faces a final busy year in North London with 3,500 communication pipes to replace. This is a relentless sausage machine. A new and innovative use of spray lining for small diameter lead pipes down to 2 inches diameter is being used for the first time this year, and at least 400 pipes may be suitable for this technique.

Other significant workload programmes include the Northern Outfall Sewer (NOS) bridge structures; metering, pressure management and associated chamber work; and the £6 million combined sewer outfall (CSO) treatment work, mainly in Lea Valley, east London.

Tough targets mean no scope for ‘end-of-term’ feelings

Customers will choose Thames Water because of our performance 9Networks Newsletter

Swindon Phase 2 is a £5.6 million project to be delivered this year, and another key job is the Iver sludge main, where we are replacing three parallel mains at a cost of £6 million. This is going really well.

Other major schemes being completed this year include Haydon End and the Commonhead Development in Swindon.

The VMR programme is largely finished but one major scheme awarded late offers some very challenging work around Euston Station.

Meanwhile we need to deliver £4.5 million of work this year on SCADA - a pretty challenging programme, which is working at the front-end of technology.

Networks: Are regulatory outputs of greater significance in Year 5?

JB: Regulatory outputs have been a significant factor throughout the five-year programme. Thames Water is liable for penalties from the regulator if they do not deliver certain outputs by the end of the AMP, and these will pass to us.

The most significant regulatory output for Optimise is in sewer flooding, where we are delivering 419 outputs this year. That is double the outputs delivered by Optimise in the whole of the previous four years.

PS: We have hit all our regulatory targets throughout the AMP so far

but the sewer flooding target is a stern one. It has felt like an impossible mountain to climb but with 84 per cent now delivered or on site we can see our route to the top. So we are confident that we will achieve the target.

Networks: How would you describe the Optimise performance through the AMP?

PS: It has been a difficult and challenging programme but we can consider it a success in terms of the way we have delivered jobs, our health and safety performance, and the commercial outcome for Optimise and its JV constituents.

JB: We are proud of Optimise’s performance throughout this AMP. I feel that all four partners within Optimise work well together - and that is not always the case in a JV!

PS: We can be proud of our health and safety record. This continues to be a challenge especially in service avoidance, with so much of our work going on in the streets. Despite the challenge of delivering outputs and dealing with emergency projects we will not compromise our health and safety.

JB: On the construction side we have three major contractors competing against each other elsewhere throughout the UK but coming

together to work for Thames Water and to achieve a common goal. We recognise and use the strengths of each of the partners, and are willing to recognise those strengths and allow the specialist partner to complete the work.

JB: I think we have had a clear Optimise culture where everyone takes a positive approach to the work in hand and because of that our collective resource is impressive. Our approach is reflected in the way we deal with Thames Water’s customers, going the extra mile to build a good relationship with the end-users.

Networks: And what about after the end of this AMP?

PS: There is no guillotine at the end of March. From April 2015 onwards we already have £7 million worth of work guaranteed.

Thames Water has set challenging targets to deliver during the first year of the AMP 6 programme, and Optimise has the capacity to deliver some of that work if required. It depends on how the new alliance looks at the workload.

We have provided accommodation space to the new alliance, and we are in active dialogue in respect of potential engagements for the Optimise partners in AMP6.

> Projects


The flood alleviation project in Abbotts Park, Leyton, which began in February, is now nearing completion.

The project to end flooding at five properties in High Road Leyton, as well as other properties on Abbotts Park Road and Leigh Road, has included the construction of a 575m3 underground storage tank within the park.

Optimise used the Stormcast precast concrete system to create the 46.5m x 8m x 3m tank – the first time it has been used on a Thames Water capital delivery project. The precast system offers streamlined design and reduced disruption to residents and parking. Compared with a traditional in-situ tank it has advantages where space on site is limited, and construction time can be cut by 50 per cent.

Site agent Brendan Melody said: “The tank is now constructed and backfilled and all the open cut 300mm and 375mm mainline replacement

sewers in surrounding roads are completed, as is the 176m of 600mm underground microtunnel from the road to the new tank.

“The biggest challenges have been working in the narrow side roads, plus difficult ground conditions. We have also had to cross under a 36” water

main twice and an 18” intermediate pressure gas main.”

Once construction work is complete reinstatement of the park will begin, with the planting of eight trees, and complete grass reseeding. The park will be ready for use again by local residents early next year.

A leak repair on a 36” potable water main running under a railway line has been achieved using an internal repair system never previously used by Optimise.

The difficulty with this repair was that the leak was on a steel trunk main running underneath the Orient Way sidings and the railway line between Liverpool Street Station and Stansted Airport, it was suspected that the leak was close to a pipe bend, the pipe was encased in concrete, and that the leak was emanating from failed fittings or joints.

Shutting the railway line to excavate onto the main would have had a significant financial and reputational impact; pipe-insertion would have required excavation next to the railway due to the bend; spray-relining

of this diameter of main would not be possible; and directional drilling of a new main underneath the railway line was prohibitively expensive. Technical drawings from 1954 showed that an access manhole would allow man-access to the pipe, negating the need for an excavation. Specialist contractor, PMP (Planned Maintenance (Pennine) Limited), was engaged to carry out the internal repair of the pipe joints, using AMEX-10 patented, low-profile mechanical seals.

A double isolation of the main - two shut valves on either side of the repair - was required to enable the seals to be fitted and careful modelling and operational planning was required to determine the best means of draining the main prior to the works.

Lead design engineer Ian Westwood said: “It was the first time Optimise had used this internal repair system. All the seals installed were successfully tested to half a bar and the repair has solved a leak that was estimated to be losing 250,000 litres per day.”

Underground tank uses innovative precast technology

Successful complex leak repair in NE London

Abbotts Park

Orient Way

The completed repair with the AMEX-10 seals in place.

At Abbotts Park the Stormcast precast concrete system was used for the first time on a Thames Water capital delivery project.

> Projects

11Networks NewsletterCustomers will choose Thames Water because of our performance

Storage tank in supermarket car park

High Road Willesden

The extremely busy Willesden High Road in north London had to be closed for five weeks during construction of the flood alleviation scheme to help 28 properties that have been flooded in the past.

Site manager Jacques Deneys said: “We have sunk a 14m diameter, 14.4m deep shaft to accommodate the 1,800m3 storage tank, which sits mostly beneath the car park, but with ongoing access via manholes in the adjacent Ellis Court.”

The tank is being connected to the existing main sewer running down the High Road via new sewers to be laid in the Ellis Close side road, adjacent to the car park. During a storm event some flows will divert into the new tank until the storm subsides, when they can be pumped back into the network further along the High Road.”

Working within the car park has required the use of traffic marshals to help maximise the remaining car

parking space, and traffic management at the site entrance so that Ellis Court can remain accessible to businesses operating there.

Jacques said: “Also, our open cut working has been along the busy pedestrian access to Sainsbury’s so great care has been taken to minimise impact. For the final section of open cut we will construct 8m of tunnel so our gang can work underneath while pedestrians use the footpath above our heads.”

TBC

Most residents of Pennylets Green in Stoke Poges have a shed at the bottom of their garden – and currently they have an Optimise main-laying team too!

Optimise is working in 19 residents’ gardens to lay a new sewer to replace failing pitch-fibre and clay sewers. The line of the main-laying bisects each of the gardens and temporarily separates the residents from their last few feet of their back garden.

The £809,000 Optimise project will install a new 150mm sewer on a

line parallel to the failing existing sewer. Delivery manager Justin Seely said: “Quite a lot of the existing clay pipe has cracked and some of the pitch-fibre pipes have distorted and collapsed.

The 16-week construction programme is set to be completed by Christmas. Justin said: “Optimise land agent Ruth Ofield did a great job in getting agreement from residents for the work to take place and everything will be

reinstated just as it was before - even prized ponds and apple trees.”

And how have the residents reacted to the Optimise team working in their gardens? Jan Ravenscroft moved into the road just a few weeks before the work began. “They are fantastic,” she said. “All the workmen are friendly and happy and help us with anything we need.”

Optimise takes garden shortcut

Pennylets Green

Below: Craig Defreitas and ‘Taff’ Moule enjoy tea and biscuits, courtesy of residents Jan Rangecroft and mother Kath Coleman.

Craig Defreitas and Benn Claxton on the line of working through residents gardens.


> Projects

“There were plenty of obstacles to overcome and the temporary over pumping was important but tricky.”Site engineer Dermot Coughlan Reinstatement work after the construction of the backdrop chamber shaft included the creation of a new footpath for visitors to the nature reserve.

The £1.7 million work to construct a new backdrop chamber in Coppetts Wood - a local nature reserve with full public access – has been successfully completed.

In July 2013 a sewer running through Coppetts Wood in North London was found to be blocked, discharging raw sewage into the woodland and down onto the North Circular Road. The first response was to setup an over-pumping system to prevent further flooding and to enable inspection of the existing sewer.

The investigation results highlighted that the existing shaft was inadequate and the best engineering solution was to construct a new shaft downstream of the existing one, which had to be decommissioned. In order to carry out the work the site team had to design and install an over-pumping system

capable of dealing with flows up to 800 Litres per second.

Project manager Ovi Frunza said: “Using an integrated over-pumping system enabled cost savings of 2500 litres of fuel per week, as the off-peak flow was managed via a gravity system with the pumps being activated only during peak flows. The risk of breakdowns was managed by using autodial float triggers programmed to give instant SMS alerts to the site team in case of system failure. This, combined with a CCTV system enabled 24/7 monitoring, removed the need for manned supervision.”

Ovi said: “The system provided assurance to our client, Thames Water, that the risk of flooding to one of London’s main arteries is virtually eliminated, at a cost saving compared with standard arrangements.”

Site engineer Dermot Coughlan said: “The newly constructed 13m deep shaft features a vortex system composed of a stainless steel taper designed to create a venturi effect to control the flows entering the shaft on different levels.”

Now construction work is finished an enhancement programme will include a new footpath, bike carriers and new fencing stepping down to the North Circular Road.

Scheme ends flooding threat to North Circular Road

Coppetts Wood

Customers will choose Thames Water because of our performance 13Networks Newsletter

> Projects

Flood scheme is tight fit

Harefield Road

A flood alleviation project in Harefield Road, Uxbridge has been successfully completed on programme and to budget, protecting five properties from sewer flooding.

The 9m deep, 7.5m diameter offline storage tank and 3m diameter wet well were constructed under a pub

car park, half of which had to be kept open for customers.

Site manager James Maguire said; “We have been working in a patch of land just 18 metres square in size – it has been an extremely tight fit,” said James. “Deliveries to site had to be unloaded directly from the road,

requiring very close liaison with the local authority.”

The flooding protection was successfully tested just as the job was being completed when the area was hit with a 1 in 48 year storm on 28 July which disrupted west London and closed the M40.

Box culvert sits beneath residential road

Elsworthy Road

A £1.9m flood alleviation project under way in Primrose Hill, north London is giving the Optimise team a tough task in completing the work, while keeping disruption to neighbours to an absolute minimum. The team has been working in Elsworthy Road, a road of multi-million pound properties, since mid-May. The project aims to reduce the risk of flooding in the area and to remove 16 properties from the Sewer Flooding History database.

The team is installing 112m of concrete box culvert flood storage beneath the centre of the narrow residential road, plus a pumping station. The road has had to be completely closed in order to crane 112 2.7m x 2.2m culvert sections into place.

Site agent Manoj Halai said: “The local residents have been very supportive of the project, especially those with homes that currently flood. We’ve kept the site length as short as possible, to allow access to driveways, and minimise disruption as much as we can.”

The team has already installed a FLIP in a property in Avenue Road at the end of Elsworthy Road and will have installed two more, as part of the solution, before the project finishes at the end of October 2014.

A 112m box culvert has been

constructed beneath Elsworthy Road

in north London to alleviate flooding.

“The local residents have been very supportive of the project, especially those with homes that currently flood”Site agent Manoj Halai

Work is forging ahead on the £6.1m scheme to reduce the risk of sewer flooding at some 35 properties in the Chamberlayne Road area of Brent.

Optimise is excavating a 28m deep, 15m diameter shaft beneath Tiverton Green to accommodate an underground tank that will take excess flows in times of heavy rain.

In addition, 550m of 1.2m diameter micro-tunnel will transfer flows from Chamberlayne Road towards the new

storage tank, and from the tank back to the existing sewer network. Existing sewers in two other local streets also need to be increased in size.

Site manager Mark McGeady said: “In all, we are excavating five separate shafts of various sizes, constructing 1200 and 600mm diameter micro-tunnels and laying 300m of open cut pipe. Tiverton Green is the only open land in the area suitable for our offline storage tank.”

Close liaison with local stakeholders included drop-ins at the local school and in the park before work went ahead.

When the construction work in the park is completed, Optimise will plant a small orchard of plum and cherry trees in the park as part of an enhancement programme. “The orchard idea was suggested by one of the neighbours and everyone loved it,” said Mark. “We are also going to make a donation towards improvements to the local playground at Tiverton Green”.

Open cut and micro-tunnelling come together at Brent scheme

Chamberlayne Road> Projects


Optimise is excavating a 28m deep, 15m diameter

shaft beneath Tiverton Green to accommodate an

underground tank that will take excess flows in

times of heavy rain.

North London programme delivery manager Shane Gorman, centre, with

network engineer Paul McDonagh and streetworks team leader Trevor Hulin of

Brent Council.

Shane Gorman and contract director Ian Noble at the Tiverton Green shaft.

“Optimise will plant a small orchard of plum and cherry

trees in the park as part of an enhancement programme. ”

> Innovation


Sewer will serve new homes in Swindon

Wichelstowe

Work on Phase 2 of the Wichelstowe to Swindon southern trunk sewer is set to start on site in record time, in a bid to complete a river crossing and works in a flood plain before winter flooding can disrupt schedules.

The £5.6 million Optimise project is a continuation of the Wichelstowe Phase 1 project, and is designed to give capacity for the massive new development of 4500 houses under way in Swindon.

The route of the 1.4km, 1200mm diameter pipe, which is being laid predominantly by open cut methods, takes it across the large Mannington Recreation Ground. Delivery manager Justin Seely said: “A lot of Sunday league football is played on this recreation ground and we have carefully routed the new pipe to avoid the best pitches but will have to take out one of the pitches for laying pipes. We discussed with Swindon Borough Council and their

Parks and Maintenance managers and have agreed to target the worst pitch, which should be considerably improved by better drainage as a result of our work.”

The planned crossing of the River Ray and working within the flood plain area has imposed an added urgency to the programme. “We are hoping to get started on site just six or seven weeks after the project was agreed, which is a tremendous effort. There is a real urgency because the river is prone to flooding in winter and we want to beat the floods.”

The project team will also use trenchless methods to cross under the Great Western Way dual carriageway route into Swindon, and an area looked after by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.

Justin added: “We will also be laying a missing link of 80-100 m of 500 mm rising main and disconnecting the

old rising main by the side of the M4 Motorway, where a great crested newt licence is being applied for.

“The crossings are going to be a big challenge, but so are the timescales. We are aiming to give beneficial use by March 31 next year and that is a tall order.”

Optimise discovers Second World War relic

Air Raid Shelter Exposed

Design work for recent sewer works in Tariff Road, North London, revealed a previously unrecorded air raid shelter from the Second World War.

Initially, the design entailed drilling right through the structure to install the new pipe, but in deference to its history – and its inherent strength! – it was decided to avoid it altogether.

Optimise archaeologist Mike Lang-Hall said: “The shelter, likely to have been built in 1939 or 1940, is approximately 10 metres long, and 2.5 metres in width, with a vaulted roof rising to 2.10 metres and an offset entrance, presumably to deflect blast.

“Internally lined with bitumen, to prevent seepage, the shelter now lies a meagre 650mm below present ground surface. Clearly

such a structure would not have withstood a direct hit from a bomb, although it would have kept occupants safe from blast and debris.

“There is no record of the construction or ownership of the shelter, but it could have been built to serve the local community, or the workforce of the Triumph factory which used to stand nearby.”

The only access to the air raid shelter is via a small manhole


“We are hoping to get started on site just six

or seven weeks after the project was agreed, which

is a tremendous effort. There is a real urgency

because the river is prone to flooding in winter and

we want to beat the floods.”

Delivery manager Justin Seely

The Optimise team at Haydon End has been attracting attention, for all the right reasons.

First, members of the British Safety Council were welcomed to the site (pictured right). Then, site team members sub-agent Colin Joyce and Ciaran Nelson raised £740 for the Prospect Hospice by completing a sponsored parachute jump.

Colin (pictured) said: “It was a case of third time lucky! The jump had to be rescheduled twice because of weather conditions but eventually we managed to hold our nerve for the 20 minute flight up there and finally threw ourselves out of the plane at 15000ft. It was an incredible experience and something we are unlikely to forget.”

Maida Vale residents and business owners keen to know more about the Optimise project in their area had the chance to find out at a special open afternoon event in the park at Westbourne Green.

It gave locals the opportunity to get up close to the flood alleviation scheme which has been ongoing since last year. Visitors were able to meet the project team, and take a look inside the work area itself where the giant underground waste water storage tank is currently being built. There was also an exhibition of photos of the project taken by Maida Vale resident Julia Neal tracking the various stages of the work.

Project Manager Iain Tytler said: “We appreciate that our work is disruptive

and although we’ve put a lot of effort into keeping everyone in the loop, there’s nothing like having a good look behind the scenes and seeing things with your own eyes.

“Everyone had the chance to come and join us, whether it was to ask questions or just look down the giant hole we’ve dug. Our younger guests loved seeing the diggers and cranes used by our real life Bob the Builders.”

Doors thrown open to locals at Maida Vale scheme

Maida Vale

Team members jump to help charity

Haydon End

> People


“It was an incredible experience and something we are unlikely to forget”Site team member, sub-agent Colin Joyce

During the recent open day, local

residents were able to see the giant

underground waste water storage tank

currently being built at Maida Vale.

NETWORKS EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION TEAMEDITORS: Erica Fairhurst, Optimise communications manager, Tel. 01189 251755

Ken Harrison, Tel. 07801 649045

DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Anthony Hughes, MWH, Tel. 01925 845000

Contact Us: If you have any comments or suggestions for the Networks Magazine or would like to contribute, please email [email protected]

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Networks Autumn 2014

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Transcript of Networks Autumn 2014