We are pleased to present this book which showcases ... - WSP Group

ACCREDITATIONS
Astra Zeneca © Astra Zeneca
Cityline © Per-Erik Adamsson
Kiruna Mine © Ulf Owenede
Kista Science Tower © Pressens Bild Courtesy of White Arkitekter AB
Kvarnsveden © Stora Enso
Museum of World Culture © Anna von Brömsen/Parasoll Courtesy
of Brisac Gonzalez Architecture © Hélène Binet
Partihall Link © Vägverket
Northern Link © Per-Erik Adamsson
Solna Business Park © Lars Clason
Skoghall © Skanark AB © Jan-Olof Hesselstedt
Vallingby © Lars Clason Courtesy of White Arkitekter AB
Clinton Library © William J. Clinton Foundation
Time Warner Centre © Radu Serban, PhD,AIA. Courtesy of Time Warner
Freedom Tower © 2005 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP/dbox
Hearst Tower ©® Alex Troesch Photography. Michael Ficeto,The Hearst Corp
Torre Mayor © Reichmann International
Terrminal 5, Heathrow Airport © BAA
M25 Widening Junctions 12-15 and Heathrow Airport
Terminal 5 Access Interchange Courtesy of Balfour Beatty
Civil Engineering Ltd and the Highways Agency
The Bull Ring Birmingham © Ravi Deprees. Courtesy of Hammersons plc
Manchester Hilton Courtesy of Ian Simpson Architects
WSP AT ITS BEST
WSP AT ITS BEST
We are pleased to present this
book which showcases our best
work. Choosing the projects
to include was a difficult task
– we’re proud of all our work…
…but enclosed is a selection
of WSP at its best.
As providers of management
and consultancy services to the
built and natural environment,
we offer our clients a quality,
well managed multi disciplinary
service making use of our shared
knowledge, our global reach and
our local relationships.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1 – 5
PROPERTY 7
Property projects 8 – 50
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE 51
Transport/Infrastructure projects 52 – 76
ENVIRONMENTAL 77
Environmental projects 78 – 88
PROJECT LIST
65 Area 12 MAC Contract, UK
25 AstraZeneca, Sweden
43 Aspen Pharmacare, South Africa
66 Bath Western Riverside, UK
58 Binh Bridge,Vietnam
30 Birmingham Bullring, UK
83 Breme Park Bromsgrove, UK
46 British Forces Military Court Centre, Germany
10 City of Arabia, Dubai
36 Diocesan Boys’ School, Primary Division, Hong Kong
8 Freedom Tower, USA
84 Glazed Office Buildings, Sweden
57 HANET (Highways Agency Network), UK
26 Hearst Headquarters, USA
28 Holiday Club Åre, Sweden
54 Hungerford Bridges, UK
80 Ithaca College, USA
62 Institutional Development, Bangladesh
68 Kabul-Torkham Highway,Afghanistan
12 Kiruna, Sweden
18 Kista Science Tower, Sweden
47 Kvarnsveden Factory, Sweden
14 London Bridge Tower, UK
72 M25 Junctions 12-15 widening and Heathrow Spur, UK
50 Manchester Hilton, UK
88 Narva Power Plants, Estonia
13 Michelangelo Towers, South Africa
60 National Route 3, South Africa
44 Newcastle United Football Club, UK
32 New Providence Wharf, UK
64 Northstowe New Town, UK
22 Parliament House Extension, Finland
34 Royal Bank of Scotland Headquarters, UK
24 Royal Mail Help Desk, UK
76 Shanghai Business Park, China
86 Shuaibah Independent Water and Power Project, Saudi Arabia
82 Skorpion Zinc, Namibia
37 Solna Business Park, Sweden
78 Terminal 5 Heathrow Airport, UK
52 The City Line, Sweden
42 The Mast, South Africa
48 The Museum of World Culture, Gothenburg, Sweden
74 The Northern Link, Sweden
70 The Partihall Link, Sweden
69 Third Generation Planning Project, Libya
16 The Skoghall Board Mill, Sweden
40 Time Warner Center, New York, USA
20 Torre Mayor, Mexico
49 University Hospital of North Staffordshire, UK
19 Uutela Canal, Finland
31 Vällingby, Sweden
56 Vuosaari Harbour, Finland
38 William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library, USA

Our vision
To be the outstanding supplier of specialist and integrated services
in the built and natural environment.
Our values
To fulfil our vision we base our activities on the following core values:
TRUST
To build trust with our clients and with the staff who deliver our services.
SHARING AND SUPPORTING
To support each other, sharing knowledge and cross selling in order to constantly increase our ability
to provide the customer with the optimum solution.
PRIDE AND PASSION
To encourage pride in our company, our work and our clients and demonstrate our passion for
constant improvement.
SUSTAINABILITY
To ensure that sustainability is built into everything we do and through our long-term commitment
reduce impact on the environment.
INNOVATION
To remain at the forefront of technical development whilst delivering solutions which give our clients
commercial advantage.

WSP At Its Best is a selection
of our most exciting and varied
work worldwide.
Our culture
The projects chosen show how we
are achieving our vision to be the
outstanding supplier of specialist and
integrated services in the built and
natural environment.
Our values embody the culture of
our organisation and provide the
framework for our people to deliver
these projects successfully as good
partners with our clients, project
team members and suppliers.

Our history
WSP has grown organically and through acquisitions to become one
of the leading consultancies in the world. Having started life as a small
building services consultancy based in England, we now work in five
continents with project offices worldwide.
Our head office is based in the United Kingdom with principal offices
in Sweden, USA, Finland, South Africa,Asia and the Middle East.
We floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1987, and celebrate many
milestones in our 30-year history including:
■ 1995 – the launch of WSP Environmental as a global business;
■ 1996 – the beginning of our global expansion with the birth of WSP
Asia and WSP South Africa;
■ 1997 – the acquisition of a strong civils and transportation resource;
■ 2000 – entry into the US market through the acquisition of two
well known high rise specialist firms in America – Cantor Seinuk
and Flack + Kurtz Consulting Engineers;
■ 2001 – doubling in size when we welcomed Jacobson & Widmark,
one of Sweden’s leading technical consulting companies, to the
Group. Our Scandinavian coverage was strengthened soon afterwards
through the acquisition of three Finnish companies;
■ 2005 – the acquisition of the PHB Group, one of the United Arab
Emirates’ oldest established firms of consulting engineers,
strengthened our presence in the Middle East.
Our growth
1975 1987
Turnover £3m
Staff 100
Turnover £138m
Staff 2,500
Turnover £308m
Staff 5,000
2000 2005 2009
Turnover £600m
Staff 8,000

Our Services
We constantly respond to the changing demands of the marketplace
focusing on three key sectors: Property,Transport & Infrastructure,
and Environmental.
We provide a diverse range of design and management services meeting
all the needs of our three key sectors. These serve the demands of
many different markets from defence to sport and leisure, and from
aviation to urban regeneration.
PROPERTY
WSP is one of the largest consultants providing management and design
expertise in the property sector throughout the world. Our expertise
ranges from the world’s tallest buildings and corporate headquarters to
hospitals, urban regeneration and leisure.
TRANSPORT & INFRASTRUCTURE
WSP provides expert advice on a wide range of transport-related
engineering projects including roads, rail, bridges, tunnels and utility
services. Our extensive experience includes planning, analysing, designing
and managing projects for a wide range of service providers.
ENVIRONMENTAL
WSP Environmental is a leading global consultancy that provides
innovative solutions to environment related business issues.
We specialise in the identification, evaluation and mitigation
of environmental, social and reputational risks.We have our
own laboratory and, in WSP Remediation, a technology led
remediation contracting business.We help our clients manage
their risks, enhance their management systems and make
sustainable business improvements.

Our global presence
Principal Offices
Regional Offices
REGISTERED OFFICE
WSP Group plc
Buchanan House
24-30 Holborn
London
EC1N 2HS
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7314 5000
Fax: +44 (0)20 7314 5111
WSP Sweden
Arenavägen 7
Stockholm-Globen
121 88
Sweden
Tel: +46 (0)8 688 6000
Fax: +46 (0)8 688 6999
WSP South Africa
WSP House
Arivia.kom Business Park
Simba Road
Sunninghill
Sandton 2157
Johannesburg
South Africa
Tel: +27 (0)11 233 7800
Fax: +27 (0)11 233 7801
Flack + Kurtz Inc
475 Fifth Avenue
New York
NY 10017
USA
Tel: +1 (0)212 532 9600
Fax: +1 (0)212 689 7489
WSP Cantor Seinuk (NY)
3rd Floor
228 East 45th Street
New York
NY 10017-3303
USA
Tel: +1 (0)212 687 9888
WSP Asia
1/F, K.Wah Centre
191 Java Road
North Point
Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR
Tel: +852 (0)2217 2000
Fax: +852 (0)2802 9626
WSP Middle East
PO Box 7497
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 (0)4 286 1080 / 285 6037
Fax: +971 (0)4 286 1090 / 285 6038
WSP International
First Point
Buckingham Gate
Gatwick Airport
West Sussex
RH6 0NT
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1293 602 600
Fax: +44 (0)1293 602 699

PROPERTY

8
PROPERTY
Freedom Tower, USA
INSPIRATIONAL NEW YORK CITY LANDMARK

Reaching a height of 541 m, the Freedom Tower will provide an
inspirational and enduring landmark on the New York City skyline.
WSP Cantor Seinuk has been appointed as structural engineer for
the tower, to be built at the World Trade Center site in downtown
Manhattan. Revised designs build upon the original’s extraordinary
level of life safety features for an unprecedented level of safety and
security.The Freedom Tower will also provide a world-class model
of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
The tower’s footprint, at 61 m x 61 m, will be the same as those of
the original Twin Towers.As the tower rises from its cubic base, its
square edges are chamfered back, transforming the square into eight
tall isosceles triangles in elevation.At its middle, the tower forms a
perfect octagon in plan and then culminates in an observation deck
and glass parapet which reach a height of 415 m and 417 m
respectively – the heights of the original Twin Towers.The plan
of the observation deck is a square rotated 45 degrees from the
base.A mast containing an antenna for the Metropolitan Television
Alliance and secured by a system of cables, rises from a circular
support ring to a height of 541 m.
Rising from the plaza level, a 25 m high public lobby is topped by
a series of mechanical floors; together these form the 60 m high
building base, which will be reinforced for security and clad with
a mixture of stainless steel and titanium. Sixty-nine office floors
containing 240 000 sq m of office space rise above the base.
There will also be world-class restaurants, below-grade shopping
and access to the PATH and subway trains, as well as to the
World Financial Center.
The structure consists of a robust, high-strength concrete core
paired with a highly redundant perimeter steel moment frame which
together provide column-free interior spans for maximum flexibility
of tenant use.
Freedom Tower is projected to top out in 2009 and be ready for
occupancy in 2011.
Client:
Silverstein Properties
Project team:
Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Construction management:Tishman Construction Corporation
Project size:
Height: 541 m
Footprint: 61 x 61 m
Status:
Projected top out 2009. Occupancy 2011
WSP Cantor Seinuk services:
Structural engineering
9

10
PROPERTY
City of Arabia, Dubai
THE WORLD’S BIGGEST SHOPPING MALL
Dubailand is a 400 million sq m development of over 45 sporting,
leisure and commercial attractions, which represents an integral part
of Dubai’s vision to become the major tourist destination of the
Middle East.At its heart an exciting and imaginative residential and
commercial district is being planned as a major draw for tourists in
the region.
City of Arabia will have the world’s biggest shopping mall, a dinosaur
theme park, hotels, community buildings, high rise towers and over
2000 apartments in a low-rise development around a spectacular
water feature.
WSP is providing full building services and structural design for the
entire development, whose special features are providing the design
team with some interesting and unusual challenges.The sheer physical
size of the shopping mall, Mall of Arabia, calls for the most efficient
solutions in the most exacting detail.With one million sq m of retail
space and around 1200 outlets, even an apparently small saving in
installation costs is multiplied many times in reality, resulting in
substantial savings overall. Once the buildings are operational,
air conditioning will be by far the largest energy expense.WSP’s
designers are therefore working closely with the architects to ensure
that the building design is as efficient as possible both in its structure
and in the integration of the services within the building envelope.
Wadi Walk is a man-made water feature with an overall area
of over 70 000 sq m, intended as a focal point for the surrounding
accommodation.The problem of Dubai’s high ambient temperatures,
coupled with the requirement to maintain near pure water which is
safe for people but without the aroma or look of a swimming pool,
called for a sophisticated, bespoke design solution.
WSP are now working on the first four Elite Towers, comprising
two 45-storey and two 30-storey residential and commercial towers.
WSP is also designing the “Restless Planet”, a 50 000 sq m, fully
air-conditioned attraction with 34 different species of dinosaur
programmed to move and roar in a prehistoric world brought
to life with digital sound and images.
Client:
Ilyas & Mustafa Galadari Group
Project team:
Architects: P&T
Project managers: Hill International
Project value:
Over £1300M
Project size:
In excess of 200,000 sq m
Status:
Phase 1 design to be completed by first quarter 2006
Mall of Arabia and Restless Planet to open third quarter 2008
WSP services:
Building services design
Structural design
Development infrastructure design

12
PROPERTY
Kiruna, Sweden
HOW MINING AFFECTS A WHOLE CITY
In the northern Swedish city of Kiruna, iron ore extraction began
back in 1900. Nowadays, mining corporation LKAB is a global leader
in producing value-added iron ore products for manufacturing steel.
The demand for ore products has surged in recent years, particularly
in China, and as a consequence, LKAB has decided to increase
output. It is investing some £450M in a new pellet works, ore
dressing plant, haulage depot and terminal, as well as environmental
measures such as flue gas purification.
Mining in the region has caused fissuring of the ground, which has
had a major impact on the whole society. In simple terms, rail routes,
roads and parts of the town itself need to be relocated.
The local municipality, LKAB and the Swedish National Rail and
Road Administrations are collaborating with other interested
parties to achieve the best possible solution for the city’s inhabitants.
WSP is involved in a range of projects currently being rolled out
through the region.
The rail project is closest to the fissuring, and therefore has top
priority. Re-routing the rail line will take many years and is due for
completion in 2012.The National Rail and Road Administrations have
appointed WSP to conduct the feasibility studies for the new rail line
and for public highways in the region.
WSP has worked for LKAB since the 1970s, designing tunnels
and shafts for the mine’s three main levels.This experience and
the unique skills of our construction designers led to WSP’s
appointment to work on conversion and extension work at
the mine itself.
Our work included feasibility studies, advance project planning and
construction documentation for the relocation and replacement of
the mine’s pumping station.The new high capacity station can pump
water from the mine at a rate of 500 litres per second.
Building a new 400 m tunnel for the conveyance of iron ore between
the sorting plant and the ore dressing plant is another major and
complex sub-project. In partnership with construction group PEAB,
WSP was assigned as the project planner for the new ore dressing
plant, which fully exploits WSP’s skills.This requires expertise in
construction, excavation, architecture, acoustics, fire safety and
project management, and is particularly difficult because the tunnel
is one of many in the same area.
Client:
LKAB
Project value:
£740M
WSP services:
Structural engineering
Construction project management
Civil engineering
Architecture
Acoustics consultancy
Fire engineering

PROPERTY
Michelangelo Towers, South Africa
HIGHEST QUALITY SERVICES FOR LUXURY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
In South Africa,WSP has provided the building services design
for the Michelangelo Towers, an exclusive tower block located
in the middle of Sandton City, one of the most popular business
and retail centres in the province of Gauteng.As the tallest building
on the Sandton skyline, the project is a major talking point among
the local community.
Michelangelo Towers has 28 levels of upmarket apartments, including
penthouses and kingsuites above two retail levels and eight parking
basements. Finishes of the highest quality were required in keeping
with the elegance and luxury of the building.
For example, the air conditioning system had to be aesthetically
compatible with the overall look and style of the apartments.
WSP’s hvac design incorporates water cooled package units, one
per apartment. Each has a multiple ducting system, with one duct
per zone, to allow individual control for each zone, with each duct
having dedicated volume control dampers and re-heaters.The units
are floor-mounted and positioned along the internal corridor,
ensuring minimal disruption to the apartment owners during
maintenance or repairs.
The quality of WSP’s service, including drawings and documentation,
project and construction management, and accuracy of financial
control, contributed considerably to the success of the project,
which is proving extremely popular with buyers attracted by its
huge investment potential.
Client:
Legacy Developments (Pty) Ltd
Project team:
Architect: Bentel Associates International
Quantity surveyor: de Leeuw Group
Main contractor: Group Five/Stocks Building JV
Structural engineer: Ritchie Midgley
Electrical engineer: Claasen Auret
Project value:
£1.8M
Project size:
28 levels of apartments
2 retail levels
8 parking basements
Status:
Completion October 2005
WSP services:
Building services design
13

14
PROPERTY
London Bridge Tower, UK
EUROPE’S TALLEST BUILDING

Planning permission has been granted for the construction of the
tallest building in Europe, one of a new generation of exciting,
imaginative landmark buildings emerging in London designed by
world-renowned architects.
London Bridge Tower,“The Shard of Glass”, is designed by the Italian
architect Renzo Piano. It is an 83 storey building standing at 310 m
tall and is the first of its kind in Europe.The large floor plates at the
lower levels lend themselves to commercial use, providing 37 floors
of office space over public areas and amenities.Above mid-height
public viewing areas and an intermediate plant level, the tapering
profile provides ideal floorplates for an hotel, private apartments
and, near the top, a public viewing gallery offering panoramic views
over London.
WSP is appointed as structural design engineer, a contract won
against strong competition from the world’s leading companies.
The technical solution demonstrates our ability to design a building
that is economical and financially viable from a structural point of
view as well as supporting the basic architectural concept.
As designer of some of the world’s high profile tall buildings,
our track record and references further increased the client’s
confidence in our capability to deliver the project.
The design maximises space, minimises construction cost and
delivers a safer building.A hybrid form of structure is adopted,
with composite steel construction at commercial levels and
post-tensioned slab construction at hotel and residential levels.
The design provides a high level of structural robustness, with a
number of safety-related innovations including state-of-the-art blast
protection and structural fire engineering design.The building’s unique
lateral bracing system consists of an efficient core and a high level
outrigger truss to mobilize the entire building perimeter. It also uses
the concrete mass at the upper levels of the building to dampen the
building’s acceleration during high winds.
London Bridge Tower has been welcomed by the UK Government,
the Mayor of London and the local council, not only for its design
elegance but also for the much-needed economic boost it will give
to the London Borough of Southwark. Construction is due to
commence in 2006.
“The height, form and excellent design quality
of the London Bridge Tower make it a worldclass
building that will attract visitors from
around the world and bring investment and
jobs to Southwark.”
Paul Evans, Director of Regeneration,
London Borough of Southwark
Client:
Teighmore Ltd
Project team:
Architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Project Manager: MACE
MEP Engineers:ARUP
Project size:
83 storeys
93 000 sq m
WSP services:
Structural engineering
Geotechnical engineering
Civil engineering
Structural fire engineering
15

16
PROPERTY
The Skoghall Board Mill, Sweden
ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT RESULTS IN MAJOR ENERGY SAVINGS
“We have many positive experiences from previous
collaborations with WSP, who were able to present us
with a cost-efficient, flexible solution – we also know
that WSP’s structural engineers possess considerable
know-how and experience.”
Stora Enso’s Project Manager Peter Olsson

The Skoghall board mill is one of the world’s biggest producers
of packaging board for dairy products, juices, sauces and soups.
The Skoghall mill has authorisation to produce 800 000 t board
a year and over 80% of its production is exported.
WSP was appointed against very tough competition to carry out
structural engineering, construction management and site supervision
for a major conversion of the mill to alleviate its impact on the
environment and enhance energy efficiency. Stora Enso has
earmarked £140M for a range of activities including the installation
of modern equipment including a new soda recovery boiler and
evaporation plant, the new strong gas system, tall-oil plant and
rebuild of turbines, new control rooms and pipeline bridges
and the conversion of the oil-fired boiler to bio-fuel with new
fuel processing equipment.
These extensive activities have resulted in considerably more
efficient energy consumption and increased usage of bio-fuels.
The total saving of oil consumption is 60 000 cu m annually, whilst
self-sufficiency in power will increase from 15% to nearly 40%.
After the project Skoghall mill will produce 400 GWh power
a year, equivalent to the heating of 20 000 homes.
Client:
Stora Enso
Project Value:
£140M
Status:
Completion mid-2006
WSP services:
Structural engineering
Construction management
Site supervision
17

18
PROPERTY
Kista Science Tower, Sweden
LANDMARK FOR NORTHERN STOCKHOLM
Kista in north-west Stockholm is Sweden’s leading research and
development centre for the mobile phone and IT industries. Over
28 000 people work here for nearly 800 enterprises, 350 of which
are in the IT sector.The area also has some 4000 students and 1000
researchers. Consequently, Kista Municipal Centre attracts substantial
numbers of visitors to its shops and restaurants.
Kista Science Tower – Sweden’s tallest office block – was built in
2002. Designed by White Arkitekter, this 32-storey building is 158 m
high and has over 41 000 sq m of office accommodation.The tower
is part of an office development extending over six buildings that
interconnect Kista’s working environments and nearby housing
estates.The smaller office buildings all have a triangular plan and are
between seven and eleven storeys high.Apart from offices, there are
restaurants, a conference centre and a gymnasium on the site, which
also has 750 parking spaces.
The tower has a double-skinned glass frontage on its shorter sides,
and is topped with a panoramic viewing gallery. Light, flexibility, safety
and security are the themes of the entire office environment. Kista
Science Tower also has some of Sweden’s fastest elevators with a
maximum permitted waiting time of 35 seconds and a travel speed
of over 5 m/sec.
WSP designed all six office buildings.The tower’s triangular shape
represented specific challenges for the designers, since the wind
loads can be far greater than on traditional four-sided buildings,
in both static and dynamic terms.The tower stands on sloping
rock and was secured with steel core piles.
Client:
NCC Property Development AB
Project value:
£135M
Project size:
80 000 sq m
Status:
Tenants took up occupancy in 2002/03
WSP services:
Structural engineering
Geotechnical engineering

PROPERTY
Uutela Canal, Finland
BRINGING THE SEA CLOSER TO HOME AT
AURINKOLAHTI
Despite its inland location, the new residential area of Aurinkolahti
in eastern Helsinki feels very close to the sea, thanks to the
construction of a new waterway linking it to the seaside resort
of Uutela.WSP was responsible for the entire design and
construction planning of the canal and all the associated
infrastructure and landscaping.
The canal is nearly 700 m in length and is crossed by four bridges.
It consists of three basins with depths varying from 0.2 m to 2.2 m.
The water – sea water – flows from the top basin to the next via
salmon leaps, then falls into the lowest one as a spectacular waterfall
with a path allowing people to walk underneath it.
For WSP, the chief technical challenge was to design a watercourse
from scratch on dry land. Mechanics of the water flow were
thoroughly studied using the best knowledge available in Finland
and through the preparation of full-scale and computerised models.
The client required the highest standards of quality, functionality,
sustainability and aesthetics to be applied to the design and
implementation of the canal. Our team worked closely with the
Helsinki University of Technology and material suppliers to ensure
that the design, materials and technical solutions met the client’s
requirements.The end result is an original and highly attractive
way of bringing the sea closer to the residents of Aurinkolahti.
Client:
City of Helsinki
Project partners:
Architects: B&M Architects Ltd
Contractor: Niska & Nyyssönen Oy
Project value:
£380 000
Status:
Design 2003 – 2006 running concurrently with construction. Completion 2006
WSP services:
Civil engineering
Highway engineering
Bridge design
Landscape design
Geotechnical engineering
Construction planning
19

20
PROPERTY
Torre Mayor,
Mexico
INNOVATIVE SEISMIC DESIGN

The Torre Mayor office building, inaugurated in June 2003, marks the
dawn of a new era in design for earthquake resistance. Currently the
tallest building in Mexico City, and indeed Latin America, its innovative
design solution by WSP Cantor Seinuk maintains stability of the
225 m high, 57-storey first class office through Mexico’s frequent
seismic events.
The tower superstructure utilises composite construction of steel
columns encased in reinforced concrete up to the 30th floor.Above,
steel is the primary material for the structural framing.This structure
not only provides superior performance by balancing loading demand
and capacity, but also reduces the construction budget by using
readily available local materials.
A key design criterion was that the building should be operational
immediately after a large scale seismic event.To attain this high
standard, it was clear from an early stage in the design process that
non-traditional design approaches would be essential. In 1993, when
the project was commissioned for design, a series of structural
analyses were performed to establish the benefits of various viscous
damping devices, including recently declassified technology, in the
performance of the tower.
A parallel research study was also conducted to investigate the
optimal utilisation of dampers.This led to an innovative solution,
acknowledged by the US Patent Office, which recognises the strategic
values of the arrangement, location and integration of the dampers
with the conventional structural system. It would be cost prohibitive
if not impossible to meet the high standard set in the performance
criteria for a building of this scale using only conventional
construction techniques. In one of the world’s worst seismic zones,
the Torre Mayor is one of the world’s safest buildings, achieved with
an extremely cost effective design.
Innovative design for the Torre Major led to many positive impacts:
■ Introduction of a high standard performance based design;
■ Improved reliability in building performance during seismic events,
maximising the protection of property, as well as ensuring the
safety of occupants and their physical and psychological comfort;
■ Reduced usage of conventional construction materials, which
minimised construction time, pollution and the depletion of
natural resources;
■ Improvements in performance of non-structural elements
such as services, elevators and cladding;
■ Readiness of the building for occupation after a strong
seismic event;
■ Massive cost efficiencies through the creation of a more durable
structure that does not require repair after major earthquakes;
■ Reductions in insurance premiums;
■ Advancement in engineering of high performance buildings.
Torre Mayor Awards:
Civil Engineering Research Foundation (CERF) Charles
Pankow Award Winner in 2005; and Finalist in 2003 for
Innovation in Seismic Design
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Award of Merit 2003
The National Council of Structural Engineers Association
Engineering Awards of Excellence Competition
– National Winner (US$100M and above) 2003
American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)
Platinum Award 2004
American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) New York
“One of the most revolutionary advances to
have emerged in recent years within the field
of structural design.”
Anne Elizabeth Powell, Editor in Chief,
Civil Engineering Magazine, June 2003
Designated as one of the hundred top tech innovations
of 2003 by Popular Science Magazine (Dec 2003)
Client:
Reichmann International
Project team:
Architect:Adamson Associates / Zeidler Roberts Architects
General contractor: ICA-Reichmann, Mexico City
Project value:
Construction approximately £200M
Project size:
57-storeys; 225 m high
Status:
Inaugurated June 2003
WSP Cantor Seinuk services:
Structural Engineering
21

22
PROPERTY
Parliament House Extension, Finland
TECHNICAL STRUCTURAL SOLUTIONS FOR 21ST CENTURY GOVERNMENT

For many years there had been a need to extend the Finnish
Parliament in Helsinki to provide improved, modern office space
for growing numbers of staff, including MPs and their assistants.
WSP was appointed to carry out the structural engineering design
for this extremely high profile project, working with the architects
Helin & Co.
The striking architecture of the new extension contrasts with,
yet complements, the original 1920s style Parliament buildings,
with a curved facade of stainless steel and glass. Steel plays an
important role in the building, not only structurally but also
aesthetically. It is used in combination with glass roofing to
create a spacious, dynamic feeling.
The challenging architecture called for complex technical
solutions, including:
■ Demanding post-tensioned structures with long spans
and slender members;
■ A skeleton comprising a triangular section and a curved part with
inclined columns;
■ Double-skinned facades and glass roofing supported by triangular
steel trusses.
Due to the strategic importance of the building, safety issues are of
paramount importance and had to be taken into account in every
aspect of the design.
The building was completed in 2004, in line with the client’s time
frame, within budget and fully achieving the requirements for design
work of the highest quality appropriate for this important landmark
building in central Helsinki.
WSP won the structural design accolade
in the 2004 Steel Structure of the Year Awards.
The judges based their decision on “a passion
for quality, aesthetics and practicality.”
Client:
Finnish Parliament
Project team:
Architect: Helin & Co Architects
Contractor:YIT
Construction management: JP Terasto
Project value:
£29M
Project size:
17 200 sq m
Completed:
31 May 2004
WSP services:
Structural engineering
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24
PROPERTY
Royal Mail Help Desk, UK
AWARD-WINNING PROPERTIES AND FACILITIES SERVICE
Client:
Royal Mail Group
Project value:
£2.1M per annum
Project status:
Contract on-going. Initial contract ran for five years, with subsequent
renegotiation for a further five-year term
WSP services:
Help desk services
Asset management
Business management software
WSP has been delivering the Royal Mail Group’s nationwide
customer-focused properties and facilities help desk since 1999.
This was initially set up to support a series of initiatives to improve
the management of the Royal Mail Group’s extensive estate, reduce
costs and to satisfy its employees’ expectations.
Royal Mail Group (RMG) had made the decision to centralise
planning, project management and facilities management (FM)
responsibilities in line with core business strategy, and established six
regional facilities teams to manage a portfolio of 200 – 400 buildings
each.As part of this drive for improved efficiency, the decision was
made to reduce the number of suppliers and set targets for response
time and quality of service.A central help desk, operating 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, would provide support for these changes and
establish the framework for the necessary communication.
The key elements of WSP’s service delivery are:
■ People – delivering customer satisfaction;
■ Process – delivering performance of property assets supporting
the changing business;
■ Technology – improving overall performance.
People
WSP’s role since the launch of the help desk has evolved from logging
calls and passing on reported faults for remedial action into a
complete service in which our advisors take ownership of the
required maintenance from the first call until a satisfactory
conclusion is achieved for the customer. Many of our staff originally
recruited to work on the contract are still involved in providing a
first class service, most having progressed into more senior positions.
This ensures a partnership based on understanding RMG’s business
priorities and a motivation to continually improve delivery.
Process
The help desk has become an integral part of RMG’s facilities
operations and through it WSP has become involved in the delivery
of far-reaching cultural change at RMG workplaces through increased
customer focus, new business processes and workflows.This change
was initiated by RMG’s chairman,Allan Leighton, in his strategy ‘A
great place to work’, part of the new ‘people first’ approach adopted
by RMG.
Technology
The success of the help desk owes much to the technology that is
integral to this service. Enforma is WSP’s own FM and web-based
business management software suite, developed in partnership with
RMG. It provides real-time access to help desk data, allowing users to
view information from either a ‘contractor’ or ‘client’ viewpoint and
drill down by service and/or location.This enables faster decision
making in the supply chain and dramatically improves the
performance of all parties involved in delivering the FM services.
Enforma has recently been integrated into RMG’s overall enterprise
management system, SAP.This has created a considerably improved
operational tool resulting in reduced call logging and transaction
times and increased data accuracy for improved customer experience
and cost savings.
RMG has recognised the high service levels by presenting the WSP
team with the Royal Mail Gold Supplier Award for six consecutive
years for excellent service, innovation and dedication.The WSP/RMG
partnership was also rewarded with the Premises and Facilities
Management magazine’s 2004 award for ‘Partners in Expert Services’.

PROPERTY
AstraZeneca, Sweden
NEW BIOTECHNOLOGY LAB FOR LEADING PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURER
AstraZeneca is a global leader in pharmaceuticals and one of Sweden’s
key exporters.The corporation has its R&D headquarters in Sweden,
where 5000 of the company’s 11 900 R&D employees worldwide are
based.AstraZeneca’s R&D activities south of Stockholm focus on the
research and development of drugs in the neuroscience therapy area,
focusing primarily on neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease
and multiple sclerosis, as well as neuropathic and nociceptive pain.
Having worked for AstraZeneca for many years,WSP has considerable
experience of the drug industry and its specific demands on
cleanliness, safety issues and operational reliability. In recent years,WSP
has been responsible for power project management at AstraZeneca’s
biotechnology laboratory, a research centre also capable of producing
protein pharmaceuticals.This work builds on a previous project to
design the power and telecommunication systems for the conversion
of an older laboratory into a state-of-the-art chemical research facility
a few years ago.
The recently completed biotechnology lab has an area of 23 000 sq m,
including animal pens and servicing facilities.The interior of this facility
is divided by glass walls to enable contact between the laboratories,
open-plan offices and production facilities.WSP designed the power,
telecoms and transport systems, while also researching and proposing
suitable sites for cameras, technical specifications and technical
drawings for tendering for camera equipment.
Laboratories and animal pens must be easy to clean, while efficient
ventilation is crucial.These facilities are also subject to specific
reliability standards – no power outage is permissible, and accordingly
WSP has installed power back-up making the new building
independent, so that operations are never disrupted.
WSP’s landscape architects were also involved in the project, designing
a tranquil courtyard garden to enable staff to experience the mystery
of the surrounding forest at close quarters.The garden includes a
dramatic waterfall built of locally quarried granite that springs into
life during rain showers in a setting of mossy rocks, shady trees and
colourful bushes.
Client:
AstraZeneca Operations Construction & Facilities
Project size:
23 000 sq m
Status:
Building opened in autumn 2004
WSP services:
Building services
Communication systems design
Landscape design
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26
PROPERTY
Hearst Headquarters, USA
IMPORTANT NEW YORK CITY
HERITAGE LANDMARK

Sister companies Flack + Kurtz and WSP Cantor Seinuk are
collaborating on the design of Hearst Tower, a 46-storey glass and
steel skyscraper rising from the six-storey base of a landmark art
deco building in Manhattan.
The original masonry facade building, completed in 1928, was
commissioned by the magazine owner William Randolph Hearst as
the first stage of a corporate headquarters for his vast publishing
empire. Designed by Joseph Urban and George P Post & Sons, the
building was intended to accommodate nine additional floors which
were never built.With its limestone facade featuring columns and
allegorical figures representing music, art, commerce and industry, the
building was considered an “important monument in the architectural
heritage of New York”, and was designated as a Landmark Site by the
Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1988.
In early 2001, the Hearst Organisation commissioned the British
architect Lord Foster, selected for his partnership’s experience in
high-rise buildings and its track record with historic structures, to
design a new headquarters on the site of its existing building.
A major design requirement was the preservation of the six storey
landmark facade and its incorporation into the new tower design.
The new design incorporates two underground levels and a sevenstorey
high interior atrium, formed by a horizontal skylight system
spanning approximately 12 m from the tower columns to the existing
facade.The tower has two distinct zones, with the office zone
starting at 35 m above street level from the 10th to the 46th floors.
Below, the building houses the sky-lit lobby atrium, an auditorium,
a cafeteria and gathering and event/exhibition spaces.
Client:
The Hearst Corporation
Project team:
Architect: Foster and Partners
Associate Architect:Adamson Associates
Construction Manager:Turner Construction Co
Vertical Transportation:VDA
Lighting: George Sexton
Development Manager:Tishman Speyer Properties
Project value:
£285M
Project size:
182 m, 46-storey tower
80 000 sq m
Status:
February 2005: Steel erection topped out
June 2006: Completion scheduled
WSP services:
WSP Cantor Seinuk: Structural engineering
Flack + Kurtz: Building services
Fire protection
IT infrastructure design
Commissioning services
Structural design by WSP Cantor Seinuk
Landmark facade
Apart from the facade on three exterior faces of the building, all
existing construction was removed. New foundations for the tower
were positioned behind the facade, which is supported by its original
perimeter steel columns and spandrel beams and a new additional
grid of vertical and horizontal framing.A horizontal skylight system
connects the tower to the existing facade.
Structure
The building utilises a composite steel and concrete floor with
12 m interior column-free spans for open offices. On three sides,
the building is open to the streets, but on the west side it stands
close to a neighbouring high rise building.The services core zone
has therefore been placed asymmetrically on the west side of the
tower, but this reduces the structural benefit of utilising the core
as the main spine of the tower.To increase stability, the design
team developed a diagrid system, wrapped around all four faces
of the tower.
Diagrid
The diagrid system gives the tower its distinctive faceted appearance,
with tiers of interlocking triangles in stainless steel and glass resolving
into larger diamond patterns.The nodes at the intersection of the
diagonal and horizontal elements are a key element both of the
structural system and the architectural impact of the building.
Structurally, they are acting as hubs for redirecting the member
forces.Architecturally, they are required to be not larger than the
width of the diagrid elements in order to maintain the pure
appearance.The inherent lateral stiffness and strength of the diagrid
provides a significant advantage for the general stability requirement
for the tower under gravity, wind and seismic loading.This results in
a highly efficient structural system that consumes 20% less steel than
conventional moment frame structures.
Building services design by Flack + Kurtz
The Hearst Headquarters will be one of the first commercial office
tower buildings in New York to be awarded LEED® Gold
certification by the United States Green Building Council.
■ The energy efficient, environmentally sustainable and green design
features include:
– High performance glazing which does not sacrifice the visible
light transmittance
– High efficiency chillers and motors
– Variable speed drives
– Natural ventilation airside economizer
– Variable air volume system
– High efficiency filters
– Daylighting controls
– Energy efficiency controls
– Water side economizer
■ An innovative and efficient system has been developed for the
Grand Lobby space, reducing overall energy consumption through
the recycling of the tower spill air (cleaning and conditioning air
normally discharged to outdoors) to condition the space, including
cooling, heating and dehumidification;
■ The space between an apartment building adjacent to the project
is used to move air;
■ Central air handling units are located on the 18th floor,
as opposed to mechanical rooms located on each floor;
■ Temperature controlled from stations located on each floor;
■ Rainwater is collected and re-used for irrigation, cooling tower
make-up and water feature make-up;
■ Daylight sensors control lighting to reduce overall energy use;
■ This is the first building of its type using radiant floors for cooling
and heating.
27

28
PROPERTY
Holiday Club Åre, Sweden
TURNING A SKI RESORT INTO A
BOOMING SUMMER HOLIDAY DESTINATION
Client:
Peab
Project size:
22 500 sq m
Status:
Completed autumn 2004
Extension completed 2005
WSP services:
Building services design
Construction project management
Fire engineering

Åre is the largest and most popular ski resort in Sweden, attracting
a huge number of visitors every winter.Tourism is vital to the region,
and to attract more visitors in the summertime the Municipality
teamed up with local businesses and resort management company
Skistar Åre to invest in a hotel and leisure centre that has attracted
support from the EU and NUTEK, the Swedish Agency for Economic
and Regional Growth.
In 2004, the Finnish chain Holiday Club constructed a complex
comprising a hotel, conference facility, aquatic centre, health spa and
exhibition centre.The 22 500 sq m development was designed by the
Finnish architects Evata.
Site contractor Peab appointed WSP at an early stage to cost the
power, heating, water and sanitation installations.This led to WSP’s
subsequent appointment to prepare detailed power, elevator, control,
heating, water and sanitation system documentation, as well as power,
control system, pipeline and ventilation construction documentation.
The state-of-the-art aquatic centre with its multiple pools and
sauna section, including the first ice sauna in Scandinavia, was a major
challenge – maintaining a constant temperature and humidity in this
facility is far from easy.A huge glass wall lets in abundant sunlight
when the weather is clear, but the indoor temperature must remain
at a constant 34oC, while relative humidity must not exceed 55%.
The restaurant is open to the pool to allow direct access for bathers.
The team devised an innovative solution to keep humid air from the
pool out of the restaurant whilst maintaining the comfort of users
of both areas.
WSP’s structural engineers have also been involved on the Holiday
Club project, conducting the construction and fireproofing project
planning.The facility’s lakeside location necessitates the use of
concrete piles for the foundations, some of which have been sunk
to a depth of 40 m. Because the lake level changes,WSP has also
prepared a dedicated waterproofing specification.
This facility, which opened in 2004, is extremely popular and the
decision to increase the number of rooms and extend the restaurant
has already been taken.As part of this new extension work,WSP
designed the services for 48 new hotel rooms, which opened in time
for Christmas 2005.
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30
PROPERTY
Birmingham Bullring, UK
EUROPE’S LARGEST RETAIL-LED CITY
REGENERATION PROJECT
Client:
Birmingham Alliance (Hammerson; Land Securities and Henderson)
Project team:
Concept architect: Benoy
Design & Management contractor: Sir Robert McAlpine
Cost consultant: Gardiner & Theobald
Project value:
£500M
Project size:
110 000 sq m
WSP services:
Building services concept and design
Feature lighting design
Infrastructure development
Drainage design
Underground drainage design
Wind studies
Electrical and electronic engineering
Public health engineering
Active fire engineering
Bullring is Europe’s largest retail-led City regeneration project,
which has revitalised Birmingham, Britain’s second largest city.
It has transformed the city’s main shopping centre from a bleak 1960s
concrete mall into a vibrant new retail environment, and is credited
as the core element in the city’s transformation into a world class
destination.The 11 ha site includes open spaces, covered streets
and piazzas, restaurants, cafés, two new market places and a new
three-storey shopping centre.The project has also improved public
transport links, substantially increased car parking and completely
refurbished award-winning Edwardian Moor Street Station.
Opened in September 2003, Bullring is a proud achievement for the
client, Birmingham Alliance, the main contractor, Sir Robert McAlpine,
WSP and all members of the project team, who developed a strong
working relationship during the contract, based on trust, mutual
benefit and friendship.
The project consisted of several different packages completed over
a three-year period, for which the construction approach was a mix
of traditional procurement and design-and-build.WSP’s appointment
not only included the provision of appropriate design documentation
for the various procurement routes, but also provided separate
teams to support the design-and-build contractor and the client.
WSP’s integrated role embraced all aspects of building services design
and included infrastructure development and management and retail
delivery, with invaluable input relating to utilities diversions and the
installation of new supplies.With most of the work carried out by
WSP engineers from our Birmingham office, at times of significant
peak demand the Group’s strong UK resource base enabled us
to respond effectively, particularly during the design, handover and
tenants’ fit-out stages.The major systems were commissioned three
months before the centre opened but connecting tenants’ systems
traditionally occurs during the last few weeks before opening.WSP
was able to provide teams of engineers on site day and night,
commissioning and witnessing the electronics installations to
ensure the best possible product was presented to the public.
The end result is a world class, award-winning project, completed
early, on budget and with zero defects, and delivered in the true
spirit of strategic partnering, with a genuine desire for success across
the supply chain, that is often talked about but rarely achieved.
Bullring Awards
Best International Retail Centre Award
International Council of Shopping Centres
Supreme Gold Award for the most outstanding
shopping centre, for “setting a new benchmark
in retail developments”
British Council of Shopping Centres
Silver Jubilee Cup
UK Town Planning Profession
Conservation Award for “superb example of
good practice in renovation, meeting all modern
standards whilst preserving its heritage aspects”,
for the conservation of Moor Street
National Railway Heritage

PROPERTY
Vällingby, Sweden
21ST CENTURY UPDATE FOR AUTHENTIC FIFTIES ENVIRONMENT
When it opened in 1954, the municipal centre of Vällingby in
Stockholm received much praise for its unique architecture and
contemporary social planning. Fifty years on, however, there is a
considerable need for improvement and modernisation.
Consequently, the public housing corporation Svenska Bostäder
has initiated an extensive renewal project, which will include new
housing, offices, shops and car parking for the municipal centre.
Almost £200M is to be invested in revitalising the centre, and the
project, which will run until 2007, is focusing on retaining the good
architecture and the mix of residential and well-planned public
environments with ready access to artwork as important ingredients
of the development.WSP has worked alongside Svenska Bostäder for
many years, and was entrusted to produce new inventory and
programming documentation for the power, telecoms and transport
systems for the entire renewal project.This also included systems
design and tendering documentation for temporary premises during
the construction phase, for Vällingby itself and for the new loading
bays under the centre.
Throughout the project the aim has been to maintain an authentic
1950s environment, modified to contemporary requirements. For
example,Vällingby is re-creating a 1950s-style two-storey food court,
with some 15 restaurants and cafés.WSP is participating in the
renovation of a major office building, updating its 1950s style to
satisfy current standards of comfort and efficiency.
The redevelopment of this municipal centre, which is almost like
a town in itself, is a very extensive and complex project. One of
the challenges for WSP’s power consultants is to work around
all the activities of the centre, which will remain in full swing
during the conversion period, albeit with some stores being
relocated to temporary accommodation for a time.This necessitates
extremely thorough planning to replace the old systems without
disrupting business in the offices and shops.The fact that all the
development work is taking place above subway tracks is another
major consideration.
Client:
Svenska Bostäder
Project value:
£200M
Status:
Completion 2007
WSP services:
Building services engineering
Lighting design
Fire and security systems design
Communication systems design
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32
PROPERTY
New Providence Wharf, UK
FROM BROWNFIELD SITE TO EXCLUSIVE HIGH RISE ADDRESS
In 1999 Ballymore Properties acquired the former Charrington’s
Wharf oil depot, a contaminated site close to London’s Canary Wharf
that had lain vacant for many years. Ballymore’s objective was to turn
this 3.1 ha brownfield site into a prestigious high density residentiallyled
mixed use development.
Proposals were progressed in the context of the London Plan, an
initiative led by the Mayor of London to ensure that planning in the
capital takes into account the health of Londoners, equality of
opportunity and the contribution to the sustainable development
of the UK.To meet these requirements, the client aimed to achieve
planning consent for a development which would create an exclusive
address for private residents whilst incorporating affordable housing
and a mix of other land uses.
The agreed scheme comprises 1050 residential units in two
riverfront buildings: a crescent-shaped block rising from 11 to 20
storeys and a 29-storey tower. In addition, there is a 169 bedroom
four-five star hotel and 42 600 sq m of commercial office space.
This mix is enhanced through the provision of retail, leisure and
community spaces at ground level. In a significant enhancement
of the public realm, 31% of the site area is dedicated to open
space, with a public boulevard running along the environmentally
landscaped riverside.
WSP was appointed to assist in the development of proposals for
the site, supporting the client’s application for planning permission
and addressing the complex engineering issues associated with the
site. In providing a multi disciplinary range of services,WSP was
involved from the outset, through the stages of public consultation
and meeting significant technical challenges along the way.
The scheme has won many awards and the commendation of the
commercial, planning and architectural worlds. It demonstrates how
a successful balance can be struck between the aims of the planning
authorities and market drivers to achieve a design that is inclusive,
accessible for all, sustainable and safe.
Technical challenges included:
■ Securing agreement from the local authority to develop
the site with low levels of car parking provision, and
developing an approach using mechanical car parking
systems and valet management;
■ A flexible approach in which the structural design was changed
from staggered steel trusses to post-tensioned concrete in
response to market conditions;
■ Construction methodology and structural solutions for
building the hotel over the Blackwall tunnel and facilitating
the legal agreement with Transport for London within tight
time scales.WSP also advised on the implications and alternative
foundation solutions to building over the proposed alignment of
the Crossrail tunnels.

Nightview
Client:
Ballymore Properties Limited
Project team:
Architect: Skidmore Owings and Merrill Inc
Town planners: GVA Grimley
Planning solicitors: Lovells
Project value:
£500M
WSP services:
Transport planning
Development infrastructure design
Structural engineering
Geotechnical engineering
Building services engineering
Site supervision
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34
PROPERTY
Royal Bank of Scotland Headquarters, UK
WORLD CLASS WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The Royal Bank of Scotland’s new global headquarters provides a
world class working environment for its 3250 head office staff and
Royal Bank of Scotland Executive, with facilities in keeping with its
status as the fifth largest bank in the world.
Attracting and retaining the very best people was one of Royal Bank
of Scotland’s (RBS) key objectives, and the strategically located
Gogarburn Headquarters on the outskirts of Edinburgh offers an
enviable range of facilities. 100 acres of landscaped, woodland grounds
provide a campus-style setting for one million square feet of
development with office accommodation in seven low rise office
buildings linked by an elegant, 300 m long, glass-covered street, with
shops, a bank, cafés and a restaurant.Ancillary buildings include a
conference centre, sport centre, crèche and a refurbished grade A
listed building.The development also incorporates parking for 1650
cars in basement areas and on a decked car park.Access to the site
is via a new feature bridge over the main A8 road into Edinburgh.
WSP provided a fully integrated engineering design for the project,
working on-site in a co-located office in collaboration with the
construction manager, architects, contractors and Bank personnel.
WSP’s introduction to the project was supported through strong
referrals following the successful completion of the European
headquarters of GlaxoSmithKline in London, when we worked
with Mace Ltd, the project and construction managers of the
Gogarburn development.
The development illustrates a high level of innovative and sustainable
design and in every aspect has delivered to the client a head office
building of which we are all extremely proud.The combined
experience, co-location and commitment of the entire professional
team underpinned the enormous team spirit, mutual respect and
support that ensured the delivery of the RBS building on time and
within budget. Most importantly, our clients are delighted with their
new headquarters, which meets their requirement for projecting
their culture and presence in their markets.
The Royal Bank of Scotland’s headquarters was officially opened by
HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh on 15 September
2005, and has been the springboard for the development of an
ongoing relationship between WSP and RBS.

Client:
Royal Bank of Scotland
Project team:
Architect: Michael Laird Architects / RHWL
Project and construction management: Mace Ltd
Quantity surveyors: Mott Green Wall & Doig & Smith
Project value:
£350M
WSP services:
Building services engineering
Structural engineering
Civils/highways engineering
Geotechnical engineering
Environmental assessments
Acoustic engineering
Specialist day lighting consultancy
Infrastructure designs
Vertical transportation
Construction Supervision
WSP provided a fully integrated engineering design service
■ The development incorporates one of the largest passive chilled
beam installations in Europe and has been awarded the highest
BREEAM rating, even though it is fully air conditioned.The chilled
beam design incorporates an integrated services beam in a
coffered ceiling to give a fully compliant LG3 lighting solution;
■ The services designs incorporate numerous energy saving
measures, with free cooling for a large part of the year for
the cooling systems and heat reclamation for all air systems.
The landscape design has been developed to incorporate the
latest sustainable drainage designs to attenuate rainwater run-off
into the Gogar Burn, and therefore help alleviate local flooding, a
significant problem in the area.Artificial ponds provide a haven for
wildlife, in keeping with the surrounding parkland and the bank’s
objective to minimise the impact of the development on the
natural environment;
■ The structural and geotechnical designs are both innovative.
The frame is a post-tensioned concrete structure to reduce
building heights, create flat slabs and give clear ceiling voids.
Time-saving procedures, such as the introduction of prefabricated
columns wherever possible, enabled the momentum and quality
of the installation to be maintained.The geotechnical designs had
to accommodate the high water table and flow of groundwater
from one side of the site to the other;
■ Detailed design and supervision of all off-site highway works to
mitigate the effects of the additional traffic included a new access
from the main A8 dual carriageway into Edinburgh.This forms part
of a loop constructed on a reinforced earth embankment
providing access to the site for vehicles, cycles and pedestrians.
“The project was delivered to the satisfaction of the
Group Chief Executive, three months ahead of time
and on budget, and the quality of the work has been
acknowledged by numerous awards.This is truly a
world class working environment and the thrill now is
seeing our designs come to life with our staff using and
enjoying facilities like the street just as we envisaged.”
Neil Grassie, Senior Manager working with Property Development
and Asset Management at the Royal Bank of Scotland
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36
PROPERTY
Diocesan Boys’ School Primary Division, Hong Kong
A COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO LEARNING
A multi disciplinary service by WSP enabled the architects of a new
Hong Kong primary school to fulfil the client’s brief for innovative,
non-standard school design, despite a low budget and a difficult site.
The project was to build a new 30-classroom primary school
within the existing campus of the Diocesan Boys’ School, one
of the top secondary schools in Hong Kong.WSP provided fully
integrated civil, structural, geotechnical and building services
engineering for the entire project, from the schematic stage
through to construction management.
Cost-effective solutions overcome difficult site constraints
The school comprises three interconnected rectangular blocks of
up to six storeys, housing classrooms and administration, a laboratory
and a library and assembly hall.The site is a sloping platform over
a disused tunnel, surrounded by high and steep slopes with a main
railway track running alongside. Our cost-effective civil and
geotechnical solutions supported the building planning to overcome
these difficult site constraints and also avoided extensive disturbance
to the existing natural vegetation and topography.They included
an innovative exploratory method using CCTV to assess the exact
alignment and condition of the tunnel to eliminate short term risk
during piling as well as to ensure long term site safety. In the
construction of a 78 m long double-lane, tree-lined elevated driveway,
we were able to support the architect in the preservation of existing
trees in the central reserve without incurring costly excavation works.
Integration of building services with architecture and
structural design
Careful planning of the distribution of building services to integrate
with the architectural layout and the structural design enhanced the
overall aesthetic appeal of the building and the utilisation of space,
creating a sense of light and transparency.The environmentally
friendly, energy-saving design includes natural ventilation, heat
recovery from the air-conditioning system, and rain-water flushing.
Careful coordination of the structural, civil and building services
design ensured an efficient solution to the delivery of power, water,
drainage, communications and gas over the varying contoured
landscape and bridge link from the city main to the school complex.
Award winner
The project was awarded the ‘Medal of the Year’ in the Hong Kong
Institute of Architects Annual Award 2004. In their citation, the jury
praised the creativity and professionalism of the design team, stating:
“Many design touches show the designers’ desire to go beyond
standard specifications, resulting in a comfortable environment that
is conducive to learning.”
Client:
Diocesan Boys’ School
Project team:
Architect:Thomas Chow Architects in association with Taoho Design
Architects Limited
Quantity surveyor: Davis Langdon & Seah
Main contractor: Hsin Chong Construction Co Ltd
Foundations:Tysan Contractors (HK) Ltd
Site formation: Nishimatsu Construction Co Ltd
Project value:
£9.3M
WSP services:
Structural engineering
Civil engineering
Geotechnical engineering
Building services engineering

PROPERTY
Solna Business Park,
Sweden
TRANSFORMING AN ANONYMOUS
INDUSTRIAL ESTATE INTO A
CONTEMPORARY OFFICE ENVIRONMENT
Client:
Solna Business Park/CLS Holdings
Project Size:
Renovation of an existing 50 000 sq m building
Status:
Completed 2005
WSP services:
Architecture
Solna Business Park just outside Stockholm is an old industrial estate
that is progressively metamorphosing into an attractive contemporary
office environment.This estate is very popular, largely because of its
good public transport links.
WSP has been appointed for the design of two major projects on
the estate, preparing overall building and traffic management solutions
from an urban planning perspective.
WSP also designed the elevation of one of the estate’s major
buildings, an assignment secured in competition against three
other architectural practices.
The 1970s building needed
updating to meet contemporary
flexible office standards.
WSP’s proposal was based on
re-facing the existing frontage
with an external glass membrane,
creating a signature main entrance,
and highlighting existing entrances.
New fully glazed meeting areas
were incorporated into the arches
of the gable end, an attractive
solution for optimising the space.
Because the glass is gently inclined
in different directions, the effect is
an exciting array of reflections that
create a sense of life and colour.
Computer-controlled lighting varies
the effect in twilight and darkness.
A glass canopy over the shop and restaurant entrances from the
street has been constructed to create a more sheltered feel.
Previously the main building had only four staircases, which made
it difficult to rent space to smaller tenants because of difficulties
in meeting evacuation standards.WSP’s architects resolved this
issue by creating new staircases in the building’s three courtyards.
37

38
PROPERTY
William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library, USA
GREEN SOLUTION FOR THE USA’S TWELFTH PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
The William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock,
Arkansas, is part of the Presidential Centre for the 42nd President of
the United States.The 20 000 sq m complex contains the Museum,
Great Hall and Private Residence, the Clinton School of Public Policy
Institute and the Archive, which contains the National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA) research and storage facilities.
Designed by the Polshek Partnership, the centre recognises President
Clinton’s commitment to the environment, and features sustainable
buildings that emphasise state-of-the-art strategies for water saving,
energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality.
Flack + Kurtz provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire
protection and information technology design services for the
William Jefferson Clinton Library, a cantilevered structure located
along the south bank of the Arkansas river.Their contribution to the
sustainable design of the building ensured a 34% reduction in energy
consumption compared with a similar building designed to meet the
Energy Code, and along with other innovative “green” technologies,
helped it gain Silver LEED® certification from the United States
Green Building Council.
This is the USA’s twelfth presidential library, all of which have three
primary purposes – archive storage, library and museum. Countless
documents are preserved, catalogued and stored in the archives, and
exhibitions and displays reflect the life and times of the President.
One feature of Flack + Kurtz’s design work was to meet the
requirements of the archive and museum functions of the library
by creating the conditions for maintaining the extremely tight
temperature and humidity tolerances required by NARA. In this
way, valuable documents are being preserved for future generations,
providing researchers, historians, scholars and journalists with a
valuable insight into the President’s views and the decisions made
during his term of office.

Project features:
■ High performance curtain wall glass reducing heat gain by use
of ceramic frit, double skin technology and double glazed high
performance inner assembly;
■ 16 km of inslab floor heating and cooling incorporated into
the design;
■ All appliances energy star rated;
■ Extensive computation fluid dynamics simulations were performed
to evaluate various system and building envelope alternatives to
optimise performance;
■ Plumbing fixtures were selected to reduce water consumption;
■ 60kW photovoltaic array installed to supply 5% of the building’s
annual energy usage.
“The building
is technically brilliant
and environmentally
responsible.”
Jim Polshek,
Polshek Partnership Architects
Client:
William Jefferson Clinton Foundation
Project team:
Architects: Polshek Partnership
Lighting: Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting
M&E engineers: Cromwell Architects Engineers
Landscape architecture: LAI
Structural engineering: Leslie E Robertson Associates
Co-ordinating architect: Polk Stanley Rowland Curzon Porter Architects
Exhibit consultant: Ralph Applebaum
Commissioning:TME Inc.
Architects/planners:Witsell Evans Rasco
Design and construction observation:Woods Carradine Architects
Owner representative: Eikenshorst and Associates
Flack + Kurtz services:
Building services design
IT Infrastructure design
39

40
PROPERTY
Time Warner Center, USA
“VERTICAL VILLAGE” NEAR CENTRAL PARK

The 55-storey twin towers of Time Warner Center are an exciting
new addition to the New York skyline.The mixed use ‘vertical village’
contains 260 000 sq m of space and sits on a 14 000 sq m site at a
prime location adjacent to Columbus Circle on the south-west
corner of Central Park.
The 230 m high towers are topped by 20 m tall lanterns and contain
luxury condominiums and the Mandarin Oriental hotel.They sit on a
podium base containing a luxury shopping mall,Time Warner offices,
large span studios, CNN broadcasting facilities, classroom facilities,
parking and a performing arts centre for jazz.
In effect, the complex contains a number of different types
of building, all designed by different architects according to
the requirements of the various end users.These are stacked
above each other, and WSP Cantor Seinuk’s task was to select
a structural system and construction materials that would support
the different layout requirements as well as providing maximum
flexibility for each unit.
The main spine of the development comprises two concrete
cores, one in each tower, passing down through the podium to the
foundations.They house the elevators, stairs and mechanical plant
rooms.The towers are framed in reinforced concrete, whereas the
podium is a steel-framed structure.The podium consists of 24 floors
on the south side and 17 floors on the north, each topped by
double-storey height transfer trusses, which serve as the foundation
for the towers above.The transfer truss levels also serve as floors for
mechanical plant.
The ‘double-spine’ cores resist all lateral and torsional forces.
This allows the design of the columns to be adapted in the most
efficient way according to the different uses of the building. Some had
to be inclined, some were split “A” shapes, while others that could
not be extended to the foundations became hanger columns
supported from the transfer trusses.To resist the large horizontal
forces produced by the sloped columns, a horizontal truss system
within the floors was also introduced.The major compression
columns, known as ‘boomers’, and the major transfer trusses were
encased in reinforced concrete to provide increased rigidity and
better protection for fireproofing. Furthermore, this value engineering
design also resulted in a major reduction in steel tonnage.
Nestling in the centre of the podium is “Jazz at Lincoln Center”,
a 1200-seat multipurpose concert hall.To prevent the transfer
of noise and vibrations, the structural solution resulted in the
construction of a separate box supported on neoprene pads that
provide acoustic isolation from the rest of the building as well as
vertical and horizontal support.
Time Warner Center is the collective effort of a wide spectrum of
participants resulting in a new jewel in the crown of New York City.
Time Warner Center Awards
Diamond Award 2004
American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) New York
Best Project of the Year 2003
New York Construction News
Client:
Columbus Centre, LLC (a partnership comprising The Related Companies,
L P and Apollo Real Estate Advisors L P)
Project team:
Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Construction manager: Bovis Lend Lease
Project Value:
£1000M
Project size:
Two 55-storey towers of 230 m
260 000 sq m floor space
Status:
Completed 2004
WSP Cantor Seinuk services:
Structural engineering
41

42
PROPERTY
The Mast, South Africa
DURBAN WATERFRONT RESIDENTIAL AND RETAIL DEVELOPMENT
The Mast is a residential and retail development in the new Point
Waterfront area in Durban, South Africa.At 31 storeys, this high rise
project is unusual in the Durban environment, where building heights
are normally restricted to preserve the sea views of the surrounding
property holders.
The Mast is one of a number of landmark buildings which are
contributing to the transformation of Point Waterfront from a
previously dilapidated area into a prestigious retail, hotel,
entertainment and residential complex. It overlooks the new Ushaka
Marine Park, a fully integrated aquarium and marine research facility
together with a multi-million rand leisure development.
WSP was appointed to provide a full multi disciplinary consulting
service for The Mast, which is currently (2005) at design stage.The
client requires a development with minimal finishes, which will then
be sold on to intermediate development companies.The design must
therefore incorporate the full infrastructure to allow for the final
fit-out to the standard of a modern upmarket residential complex.
All services are coordinated in-house before the designs are passed
on to the architectural team for design review and incorporation into
the building.This approach
streamlines the design process,
enabling details to be changed
at a very early stage. It has been
made possible by a very proactive
and interactive relationship with
the architects which, combined
with our “one stop shop” offering,
is adding value to the professional
design input.
The building fabric has been moulded to accept the requirements
of the mechanical, wet services, fire services and electrical systems.
In incorporating pipes, conduits, fittings and fixtures in the walls,
WSP’s designs require detailed coordination between the structural
engineers and the services consultants.
WSP’s team have also held detailed discussions with the local fire
authority to ensure that the design accommodates the appropriate
fire safety and protection requirements.
WSP’s collaborative and pro-active approach to services design for
The Mast is one example of how this development is breaking the
mould of old established Durban city traditions, allowing innovative
thought and design to guide the development process.The sustainable
and cost-effective solutions of the WSP design team will contribute
not only to the success of this project, but also, through the delivery
of an economically viable residential component, to the regeneration
of the whole Waterfront Point area.
Client:
Private Property Group SA Pty Ltd
Project team:
Architects: Charles Taylor Architects
Structural engineers: May Housemann
Quantity surveyors:VRS and Partners;VJV
Construction: J T Ross
Project Value:
£22M
Project Size:
31 storeys
30 000 sq m
110 m high
169 apartments from small 50 sq m bachelor flats to 500 sq m penthouses
Status:
Construction to commence January 2006. Completion mid 2008.
WSP services:
Building services engineering
Fire engineering
Public health engineering
Vertical transportation

PROPERTY
Aspen Pharmacare, South Africa
NEW PLANT CELEBRATED FOR ITS DESIGN EXCELLENCE
In 2002,Aspen Pharmacare,Africa’s largest pharmaceutical
manufacturer, appointed WSP to undertake the building services
design for a new Oral Solid Dosage (OSD) plant to be constructed
next to Aspen’s existing pharmaceutical plant in the industrial area of
Korsten in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.The plant was to conform to
South African and European regulatory standards to allow the plant
to produce tablets for export to European countries.
The quantity, quality and extent of the services in this building
are extremely onerous, due to the exacting demands of the
manufacturing process.Therefore the general layout and size
of the structure were heavily influenced at concept design stage
by the services requirements, resulting in a number of innovative
and unique solutions.
This extremely services-intensive project was completed on time
and within budget, and the client was able to apply for and receive
international certification for the plant from the US FDA (United
States Food and Drug Administration), the UK MHRA (United
Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority) and the
WHO (World Health Organisation). International auditors praised
the plant’s quality of construction and systems, rating it as good as
any other in the world.
The achievement of USA FDA approval has enabled PEPFAR Funding
(President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) to be made available to
purchase products from this plant.This has contributed to the plant
already exceeding growth plans and a further similar plant is now
being considered.
Client:
Aspen Pharmacare
Project team:
Architects: Danie Bekker & Associates CC
Main contractor: Grintaker LTA / Boshard J.V.
Quantity surveyor: Randall, MacLennan & Potgieter
WSP services:
Building services design
Fire engineering
■ Main services plant rooms are centrally located to minimise
lengths of services runs and spatial coordination issues;
■ Vertical services runs between floors are separated by gratings to
allow flexibility for future changes. Fire protection design for this
“chimney” structure within a conventional masonry building was
agreed with the local fire chief;
■ Walk-in ceiling voids allow access to services which, due to
hygiene considerations, cannot be accessed from within the high
cleanliness (Grade D) production areas;
■ The Special requirements of the tablet compression area preclude
the use of walk-in ceiling voids for services maintenance. Services
are therefore routed via adjacent areas where there is adequate
ceiling void and a sealed but demountable metal pan ceiling, which
gives access to the ceiling void if absolutely necessary;
■ A single 3000 kg capacity lift with separate and interlocked
doors provides transport of raw materials, new equipment
and maintenance equipment, with one side opening to plant
and services spaces and the other to access production areas.
Two lift lobbies per floor are separately air-conditioned and
service the dual purpose of an air lock so pressure regimes
can be maintained throughout;
■ Air-conditioning ducting for Grade D systems was fabricated
under closely controlled conditions then cleaned before being
sealed for transportation to site;
■ Air-conditioning parameters are maintained and logged, with
sensors in all production rooms to show pressure differential,
temperature and humidity, remotely displayed at the entrance
to each room;
■ Process and instrumentation (P&I) diagrams for the air
conditioning system were provided for each room to detail
stringent air flow requirements and the effects of dust extraction
on the air balance quantities. P&I diagrams were also a
requirement of the quality assurance system.
The design for WSP’s MEP services at Aspen Pharmacare
won the South African Association of Consulting Engineers’
annual Design Award Competition for Design Excellence
43

44
PROPERTY
Newcastle United Football Club, UK
WORLD-CLASS STADIUM FOR PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM

Client:
Newcastle United Football Club
Project team:
Architect:TTH
Main contractor: Ballast Wiltshier
Services Contractor: Balfour Kilpatrick
Project value:
£100M total investment
WSP services:
Structural engineering
Geotechnical engineering
Environmental engineering
Building services engineering
Football has been played at St James’s Park in Newcastle city centre
since 1880.The home of Newcastle United Football Club (NUFC),
the stadium is a focal point in the community and a landmark in
the region, with facilities the envy of virtually every football club
in Europe.
Redevelopment began at St James’s Park in 1990 to modernise the
stadium in line with NUFC’s requirement for a seven day a week,
year round operation which would include multi-storey city centre
car parking, facilities for corporate events, conferencing and
banqueting, exhibition space, bars, restaurants and retailing.The
capacity of the ground would be increased from 36 000 to 52 500
all seated spectator accommodation, with retail, corporate hospitality,
food and beverage concessions and private bars and boxes.
WSP has been responsible for all civil and structural engineering
relating to the progressive modernisation of the stadium over the last
15 years. Our most visible achievement is the stadium roof, which
extends up to the edge of the pitch to provide the crowd with an
uninterrupted view whilst protecting them from the weather.To allow
sunlight to reach the pitch so that the grass can grow, the final design
required the roof and the side walls for the stands to be made of
glass.This solution called for the design of the largest single span
glazed cantilever roof and suspended glass gables in Europe, with
self-cleaning glass for ease of maintenance.
The development programme required an additional tier of seating
to be added to half of the existing stadium during the football season.
By careful design and close working with the club,WSP was able to
ensure that there was no major loss of seating capacity during this
phase of construction.
The scheme was completed on time and without compromising the
operational flexibility of the stadium during construction work. Some
seating and corporate entertainment areas were handed over early
so that the club could maintain its revenues throughout the period
of redevelopment.
WSP’s understanding and ability to work within the urban constraints
of the ground have helped the club to fully maximise its potential.
Newcastle United now has the second highest stadium capacity in
the UK, and on match days generates the second highest revenue
in the UK (fifth in Europe). On non-match days, the club has the
capability, through its size and scale, to host other major football
matches, such as England Internationals, as well as conferences,
exhibitions, banquets, concerts and other sports events.
45

46
PROPERTY
British Forces Military Court Centre, Germany
NEW FACILITY TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY
Client:
Defence Estates Europe
Project value:
£2M
Project size:
2500 sq m floor area
Status:
Concept design and planning: September – December 2004.
WSP services:
Conceptual planning
Architectural
Structural engineering
WSP has provided conceptual architectural and structural
engineering services for a flagship law court centre for the
British military in Germany.
After the Second World War, the British military established their
judicial system in Germany, using converted military buildings as
accommodation to administer trials by courts martial to serve the
needs of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). Until the late 1990s,
disciplinary procedures within BAOR followed the chain of military
command, necessitating the co-location of top legal and military
personnel. However, a European judicial review ruled that the
judiciary process should become independent of the chain of
military command, and this paved the way for the development of
a new court structure working independently, but on behalf of the
British military. Now for the first time, there was the possibility for
British Forces Germany (BFG) to create a centralised purpose-built
courtroom facility, in the centre of Germany, which would better
serve the needs of the whole military estate.
This complex and challenging project involved finding a suitable new
military site in a setting appropriate to the function and authority of
this high profile building.WSP reviewed the physical aspect of each
possible site, seeking to avoid or minimise disturbances from firing
ranges, aircraft, traffic and sporting activities.
WSP also researched a multiplicity of issues in considerable detail,
including legal and court design requirements, separate facilities
for the different user groups and transport communications for
defendants arriving from locations worldwide.
The new building will feature three courtrooms with adjoining
chambers for the judges and other court participants.The design
concept incorporates the latest in high-tech communications
systems as well as the best features of British and German building
design regulations. It prioritises security and safety issues, as well as
optimising the more mundane aspects of car parking, road access and
utility services. It also deals with the risk of ground contamination
and flooding.
WSP’s conceptual designs have provided the judicial service of
the British military with a sound basis for developing a full design
state-of-the-art law court facility, which will allow the dignity,
authority and independence of the judicial system to demonstrate
and uphold its independence from the military organisation.
The proposed site in front of the gymnasium

PROPERTY
Kvarnsveden Factory, Sweden
INSTALLING THE WORLD’S FASTEST PAPER MACHINE
One of Sweden’s largest industrial projects of the contemporary era
is under way at Kvarnsveden, a paper mill at Borlänge in the heart of
the country. Stora Enso is investing in the world’s fastest paper
machine to produce the high-grade SC paper used in glossy
magazines and weeklies.This new machine, called PM 12, has an
estimated annual capacity of 420 000 t.
The paper mill has been in production since 1900, and is one of the
major employers in the area.The installation of the new machine has
reverberations through all stages of the manufacturing process,
requiring conversion and extension work throughout.A total of 20
major sub-projects are under way at the works, where WSP has a
sizeable multi disciplinary commitment.
The new machine will be housed in a hall 300 m long and 30 m high.
One of WSP’s tasks was to ensure that the foundations supporting
the enormous machine eliminated all vibrations. Raw materials
reception has been converted to take even larger volumes of pulp
wood.A new mechanical pulping hall has been built while storage
facilities have been extended to cope with the higher volumes.WSP’s
designers have developed a new conveyor belt to bring the paper
rolls from the new hall into the packaging centre, where the beams
have been reinforced to support the higher volumes. Other
responsibilities include increasing the water supply and improving
purification and waste management capacity to satisfy the
requirements of the mill’s increased production; and project managing
the major earthworks to enable the construction of a large car park
and the re-routing of access roads.
WSP’s size and skills coverage were the deciding factor for Stora
Enso, who wanted to appoint a local firm prepared to take on overall
responsibility for major parts of the new production, conversion and
extension projects.A tight schedule is one of this project’s biggest
challenges, and consultants from several WSP units are now
collaborating at the plant.With so many projects running in parallel
and many decisions having to be taken on site, smooth project
management is vital.
Client:
Stora Enso
Project value:
£312M
Status:
Paper machine operational November 2005
WSP services:
Structural engineering
Civil engineering
Road design
Site supervision
Project management
Water and waste water services
Fire engineering
Landscape design
47

48
PROPERTY
The Museum of World Culture, Sweden
DISCREET SERVICES FOR MODERN MUSEUM ENVIRONMENT
Client:
The Museum of World Culture/The National Property Award
Project value:
£23 M
Project size:
11 000 sq m
Status:
Opened December 2004
WSP services:
Building services engineering
Lighting design
Fire and security systems design
Communications systems design
The Swedish government-financed Museum of World Culture in
Gothenburg was opened in 2004.The museum integrates historical
and ethnographical museum collections with contemporary global
development.Activities adopt an interdisciplinary perspective, closely
linked to current research at the University of Gothenburg.
Designed by Brisac Gonzalez Architecture of London, the museum
is built on a hillside.The six-storey building houses five exhibition
galleries, a research library and offices. Its modernistic structure in
glass and concrete is in keeping with the theme of openness.The
focal point of the building is a wide staircase at the centre where
visitors can meet and take a break, or visit the museum’s shop and
restaurant. A 43 m glass wall in the main exhibition hall showcases
the museum to passers-by.
WSP designed the electrical systems including power, lighting,
telecoms, fire alarms and transport systems, using computer
modelling to calculate all the running costs.The installation was
complicated by the fact that cables and other equipment had to
be hidden from sight in keeping with the aesthetic demands of the
museum, whilst meeting exacting standards for lighting and security.
Additionally,WSP carried out the design, testing and inspection of
the museum’s IT network, while also supporting the museum in the
procurement of audiovisual technology.
WSP also designed, reviewed tenders and designed and supervised
the installation of the museum’s highly integrated security systems,
incorporating alarms and entry controls, as well as security
communication.
The Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg won the
Swedish Building of the Year Award in 2004.The citation
read:“The judges were impressed by the welcoming and
generous interior, but the constructive and creative
collaboration between all parties involved was particularly
inspirational.”

PROPERTY
University Hospital of North Staffordshire, UK
MAJOR PFI PROJECT FOR HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENT
Client:
Laing O’Rourke
Project team:
SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle): Equion
Architect: RyderHKS
Contractor: Laing O’Rourke
Project value:
£400M
Project size:
Total New Build: 130 000 sq m
Total Refurbishment: 30 000 sq m
WSP services:
Infrastructure design
Highway engineering
Structural design
Geotechnical engineering
Environmental consultancy
Building services engineering
Vertical transportation
The University Hospital of North Staffordshire is one of the largest
acute teaching hospitals in the UK, serving a local population of half
a million in the central part of the city of Stoke-on-Trent and
providing more specialist services for around three million people
in the wider area.
In one of the largest strategic health care improvement projects
in the UK, hospital provision in the area will be rationalised through
the £400M ‘Fit for the Future Project’.This will centralise all clinical
services currently delivered by three hospitals onto one site, whilst
six miles to the north a modern community and sub-acute hospital
will improve the local health provision.
WSP has been involved in the project since 2002, when we were
appointed by contractor Laing O’Rourke to provide design input to
support their client Equion in its bid for selection by the NHS as its
private sector partner with responsibility for delivery and
maintenance of the hospital buildings.
In September 2003, Equion was selected as one of two bidders who
would liaise with the NHS Trust to draw up specifications for the
new hospitals and agree financial and legal issues.At this stage,WSP’s
role was to produce high level drawings showing the location and
interrelationship of all areas within the hospitals. In December 2003
Equion was chosen to be the preferred bidder to go forward to the
next stage and to build the hospital, with WSP as part of the project
team providing a multi disciplinary engineering design service.
There are six elements to ‘Fit for the Future’:
■ A new accident and emergency department with dedicated
areas for adults and children and staff from a range of services
such as psychiatry, occupational therapy, social services and
district nurse liaison;
■ A new diagnostic and treatment centre for non-emergency
treatments and procedures requiring patient stays of less than
23 hours, this will be complemented by separate work to improve
facilities within community hospitals and local health centres;
■ A new maternity unit, providing antenatal services, foetal and
maternal assessment, delivery and antenatal and post natal
inpatient care in a homely environment;
■ A new cancer unit, incorporating oncology, haematology and
outpatient and radiotherapy services;
■ A new cardiac services area, bringing together cardiac surgery
and cardiology;
■ The Haywood site in North Stoke will have new wards and a
walk-in centre as well as being refurbished and landscaped to
provide a more people-focused environment where staff can
provide a more efficient and responsive level of local healthcare
in a currently under-resourced area.
Work began on site in October 2005 and will continue for seven
years, through a phased programme of delivery in which WSP must
meet the challenge of maintaining hospital facilities and ensuring all
functions can continue whilst altering the entire infrastructure of the
hospital complex.
Laing O’Rourke’s confidence in WSP’s ability to accomplish the
complex task is based on strong multi disciplinary skills in the
healthcare sector, and on the experience of working together on
other major PFI schemes.These result in well resourced projects and
a seamless “one-stop-shop” service to deliver high quality, innovative
designs for guaranteed, long-term performance of hospital buildings,
against tight timescales and within fixed budgets.
49

50
PROPERTY
Manchester Hilton, UK
UK’S TALLEST RESIDENTIAL BUILDING
The continuing trend for inner city regeneration in the UK is leading
to an increase in residential high rise buildings, of which the tallest
is currently the Manchester Hilton, due for completion at the end
of 2006. Strategically located close to the city centre, the 48-storey
hotel and residential development will feature a strikingly slender
glass tower surmounted by a glass ‘blade’ taking the full height of
the building to 171 m.
WSP is providing all the engineering services for the building,
including structural, building services, fire and environmental
engineering.Working closely with the architect, our structural
engineers have made possible the slender design, which
incorporates a 4 m cantilever at level 23, providing an
interesting line to the façade.
The building comprises a tower housing the apartments and hotel
bedrooms, which is a post-tensioned concrete frame structure,
adjacent to a five-storey steel framed ‘podium’ containing the hotel
ballroom, restaurants and bars with a plant room above.
Efficient design has resulted in low costs, which will enable
the developer to achieve the maximum value from the site.
Examples of this include:
■ Storey depth trusses across the plant room create a 16 m clear
span over the ballroom and the elimination of transfer structure
which would normally be required due to the complex
requirements of the different uses of the podium;
■ The foundation design, using a raft instead of piles, saved
approximately £0.5M;
■ Potential energy efficiency problems caused by the fully glazed
façade were overcome through the installation of a combined heat
and power plant (CHP). Heat produced as a result of on-site
power generation is used for domestic hot water and electricity,
thus helping to resolve compliance with Part L regulations relating
to energy conservation;
■ Innovative fire engineering techniques offer significant cost savings
as well as important life safety benefits.These include a 50%
reduction in the number of escape cores in the main building and
a unique risk-based method of analysis which eliminates the need
for fire protection of the steel structure in the podium.
Client:
Beetham Organisation Limited
Project team:
Architect: Ian Simpson Architects
Contractor: Carillion
Client’s agent: Qubed
Project value:
£55M excluding fit out
Project size:
171 m, 48 storeys
Project status:
Completion end 2006
WSP services:
Geotechnical engineering
Structural engineering
Building services engineering
Fire engineering
Environmental consultancy

TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE

52
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
The City Line, Sweden
SOLUTION FOR STOCKHOLM’S RAIL BOTTLENECK

Stockholm is built on many islands.Water surrounding the city on
all sides gives it great natural beauty, but causes difficulties for city
centre communications. In rail traffic terms, Stockholm is ‘waspwaisted’,
with only two tracks approaching from the south, a situation
which has existed since the railway first reached the city back in
1871. Since then, traffic levels have soared and the two tracks now
carry 500 trains a day, causing delays at peak times.
The City Line is a project to bore a new 6 km rail tunnel under
central Stockholm between Tomteboda, northwest of the city, and
Stockholm South station. It will enable more traffic to be routed
through the narrow approach to the city centre, easing congestion
and increasing capacity by providing local commuter trains with their
own dedicated section of track through the city. City Line will also
have two central underground stations to relieve city centre rail
traffic, doubling capacity through the city from the current 24 trains
per hour in each direction to 48.
The Swedish Rail Administration has appointed WSP to project manage
the track, water and waste water installations for the entire length of
the tunnel, as well as undertaking rock investigation, geotechnical and
construction work for the northern half of the project.
Building a new rail tunnel in a city centre between 10 and 40 m
below the surface is a very complex and high-risk undertaking.
In fact, the project’s geotechnical models are the most complex ever
run in Sweden.The new tunnel intersects the existing subway in two
locations, so blasting necessitates the relocation of the subway track.
WSP’s activities include the preparation of a new prefabricated bridge
concept to carry traffic during the construction period.
The new tunnel has several interchanges with services tunnels
carrying traffic control, power supply, water, waste water, telecom
and energy lines.Access tunnels will also be required for the removal
of building materials and blast rubble.
Client:
The Swedish Rail Administration
Project value:
£7400M
Project size:
6 km rail tunnel
Status:
City Line opens in 2011
WSP services:
Permanent way design
Geotechnical engineering
Water and waste water design
Geotechnical surveys
Construction planning
Risk assessment
Environmental consultancy
53

54
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
Hungerford Bridges, UK
SPECTACULAR LONDON LANDMARK
Client:
Westminster City Council on behalf of the Cross River Partnership
Project team:
Architect: Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands
Cost consultant: Davis Langdon
Contractor: Costain Norwest Holst joint venture
Contractor’s designer: Gifford
Project value:
£45M
WSP services:
Structural engineering
Civil engineering
Project management
Site supervision
Electrical engineering
Geotechnical engineering
Environmental impact assessment
WSP has played a leading role in the transformation of one of
London’s ugliest eyesores into a spectacular new landmark.The
beautiful new Hungerford footbridges across the River Thames have
become the preferred crossing for commuters and visitors alike, with
the capacity to carry some seven million pedestrians across the river
each year.
The footbridges replace a narrow, noisy and dirty footpath built
in 1863 alongside the railway bridge running into the new Charing
Cross Station. In 1996,Westminster City Council held an
international competition to design an improved river crossing to
provide access between the South Bank and Westminster for able
bodied and mobility impaired pedestrians.The consortium of WSP,
architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands and cost consultants Davis
Langdon won the competition with a design for two footbridges on
either side of Charing Cross railway bridge.
The bridges span a busy waterway and a main road and are
positioned next to a main line railway and close to two underground
railway tunnels and a telecoms tunnel.They are suspended from
outward-leaning, tapered steel pylons supported by multiple cables
and held at the correct inclination using further cables and steel
frames. Lifts installed at each end of the bridges provide access
for mobility impaired people.
WSP is proud of its contribution in the creation of a new and highly
acclaimed London attraction.The Hungerford footbridges have
opened up new views of the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament
and St Paul’s Cathedral, to the delight of both Londoners and visitors
to the capital.The many awards from organisations including the
Institution of Structural Engineers, the Civic Trust and the
Westminster Society are testimony to the power of partnership
working and the commitment and close working relationships
of all members of the design team.
“While the bridge is now one of London’s newest
treasures, its construction is testimony to the power of
partnership working – overcoming hurdles which could
have defeated a less committed group of partners.”
Cross River Partnership

Technical challenges during design and construction
of the bridges included:
■ The foundations are independent of the railway bridge, and during
construction London Underground became concerned about the
threat from undiscovered unexploded bombs. Special precautions
including hand dug foundations were required to minimise the risk
to Underground tunnels;
■ In the absence of any code guidance to determine the design loads
for ship impact, the foundations, which are independent of the
railway bridge, were designed to withstand the impact of ships
up to 3,000 t;
■ Pedestrian-induced vibration was another concern, highlighted
by severe problems recently experienced on another high-profile
pedestrian bridge across the Thames.The Hungerford bridges
were checked by calculation and by vibration measurements
on site to ensure no such problems would occur;
■ Site management was complicated by the requirement to keep
a pedestrian route open at all times during construction, a
stipulation made by the client from the outset, and achieved
through skilful logistical management.
55

56
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
Vuosaari Harbour, Finland
CONNECTING THE HARBOUR TO ROAD AND RAIL NETWORKS
Client:
Finnish Road Administration, Port of Helsinki
Project value:
Total cost of road and railway links: £162M
Project size:
2.5 km road with 1.5 km twin tunnel section under sea
19 km railway with 14 km tunnel section
Status:
Planning and detailed design complete 2004
Construction ongoing, complete 2008
WSP services:
Infrastructure planning
Traffic engineering
Civil engineering
Rail engineering
Bridge design
Highway design
Landscape design
Cost-effective and efficient harbour services are an important factor
in the development of Finland’s economy.A third of its foreign trade
passes through the port of Helsinki.A new harbour currently under
construction at Vuosaari, on the eastern periphery of Helsinki, will
provide increased capacity as well as greater efficiency of harbour
operations and freight transportation.
WSP was appointed in 2000 by the Finnish Road Administration to
plan the land transport connections linking Vuosaari harbour to the
public road and rail networks.WSP undertook the planning as one
of the consultant groups involved in the work, and focused on the
planning and design of road and rail connections, the harbour
interchange, traffic planning of the harbour interchange and gate area,
as well as environmental planning and design.The detailed design of
road and rail links was completed in 2004 and site design services
will continue until 2007.
The project, which aims to encourage greater use of the railways for
land traffic, involves construction of a 19 km, single-track, electrified
railway to transport freight between the main Helsinki-Riihimäki line
and the harbour.To minimise the environmental impacts, most of the
railway will run through two tunnels with a total length of over 14 km.
A new 2.5 km four-lane road connecting the harbour directly
to the metropolitan Ring Road 3 will also be built, including three
interchanges and a 1.5 km twin tunnel section under the sea.
This will ease road traffic congestion in Helsinki city centre and its
inbound routes.A dominant feature of this part of the project is the
Laivanrakentajantie (Shipbuilder Road) interchange, which provides a
functional high quality entrance to the harbour.
On completion of the new harbour, freight harbour operations will
move from central Helsinki to Vuosaari, freeing large areas for
housing and office use. It is anticipated that homes will be built in
these areas for over 20 000 people, whilst Vuosaari harbour and new
buildings to be constructed nearby will provide some 3500 new jobs.

TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
HANET (Highways Agency Network), UK
INTERNET-BASED TECHNOLOGY FOR NATIONWIDE CCTV NETWORK COVERAGE
Speed and compatibility were key requirements of the UK Highways
Agency in commissioning HANET, a national CCTV image delivery
system covering the major parts of the English motorway network.
Having worked in a trusted partnership with WSP over many years,
the Highways Agency knew they could rely on our intelligent
transport systems specialists to rapidly develop the technology which
would provide them with a new level of monitoring capability for
improved management and maintenance of the motorways.
HANET is a development of the motorway CCTV surveillance system
used by the police, in which cameras linked to a Police Control Office
can be selected at any time for viewing on their monitors.
Previously, external access to motorway CCTV images was limited, and
the Highways Agency believed that extending the system’s availability to
certain Agency personnel and third party stakeholders such as route
managers and maintenance contractors would bring considerable
benefits in improved management and maintenance through increased
utilisation – and hence the value – of the CCTV asset.
As project managers,WSP began by developing a pilot system,
which gave the Highways Agency the confidence that we could
deliver the national system.With responsibility for designing and
managing the installation of HANET, as well as for its operation
and support and maintenance management, we have developed an
internet-based system that provides fast scan motorway CCTV
images, updated every three seconds, to Highways Agency
stakeholders. Designed for compatibility with Agency desktops,
it does not require additional software or hardware to operate
and has minimal space and power requirements.
Through innovative supply chain management and a rapid project
delivery technique,WSP was able to meet the challenge of delivering
the bulk of the national system on time and in budget within six
months. During this time we also carried out work to engage
regional Highways Agency stakeholders to support the delivery
of HANET within each area.
Thanks to HANET the Highways Agency can now view cameras
across different regions for the first time. Nine hundred users,
ranging from Highways Agency employees to the emergency services,
now have access to over 600 cameras covering major motorways and
interchanges on the English road network with a system that is
simple, economic, reliable and easy to maintain.
Client:
Highways Agency
Project team:
Contractor: Simulation Systems Ltd
Project value:
£1.5M
Project size:
600 cameras nationwide across the English motorway network
Status:
Completed 1 November 2005
WSP services:
Project management
Technical management
Installation management
Operation and support
Maintenance management
Highways Agency Network Viewer
57

58
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
Binh Bridge,Vietnam
COOPERATION OF FINNS, JAPANESE AND VIETNAMESE
STRADDLES REGIONAL DIVIDE IN HAIPHONG CITY
In May 2005, the Binh Bridge,Vietnam’s second biggest cable-stayed
bridge, opened to traffic.The bridge crosses the Cam river at
Haiphong City, a major north Vietnamese port of some 1.8 million
inhabitants, providing the first ever link between the urban area on
the south bank and the rural area to the north.
With the support of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland,WSP’s
Finnish bridge specialists carried out the design of the bridge as part
of the feasibility study, which was commenced in 1992 by Finnroad
Oy.The two companies, working under the name of FINNRA Team,
went on to prepare the tender stage design and detailed design for
the bridge, which received the approval of the Prime Minister of
Vietnam in 1998.
Finance from Japan enabled construction of the bridge to commence
in 2002, providing final construction design and supervision as part
of the project team headed by Japanese construction supervision
company, Chodai.A simple construction method, using modern
steel and concrete composite construction technology, enabled
installation of the superstructure to progress smoothly, resulting
in a total construction time of around 30 months.
The Binh Bridge provides a beautiful new landmark for
Haiphong City.With pylons standing 101 m above the water
level, a main span of 260 m and clearance under the deck of
25 m, it has four lanes for motor vehicles and another two
for pedestrians.An elegantly curving approach road
enhances the outlook for those passing over the bridge.
Already the Binh Bridge is fulfilling its role of
facilitating the economic development of the region
by providing a vital link between the city and the
surrounding rural areas, stimulating economic
activities in the region and bringing the social and
cultural services of the city within better reach
of the rural population.

Client:
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland
Haiphong Bridge Projects Management Unit
Project team:
Contractor: IHI-Shimizu-Sumitomo
Construction Supervision: Chodai Co Ltd and JOC in association with
Finnroad & HECO
Project value:
£44M
Project size:
Total bridge length: 1347 m
Width: 22.5 m
Main span: 260 m
Pylons: 101 m above water level
Clearance under deck: 25 m
Project status:
Opened 13 May 2005
WSP services:
Design for tendering stage
Detailed design
Construction supervision
59

60
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
National Route 3, South Africa
INNOVATIVE AND PRACTICAL TECHNIQUES FOR MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING A MAIN FREIGHT ROUTE
Construction of surfaced shoulders
Steel slag asphalt surfacing

Recycling of asphalt base
The N3 National Route between Durban and Johannesburg is a route
of considerable strategic importance in South Africa, carrying the
heaviest long distance freight traffic in Africa as well as being heavily
trafficked by light vehicles. It was let as a toll concession to the N3
Toll Concession Company (N3TC) in 1999 for a 30-year period.
The managed route is 416 km long. From Johannesburg, it crosses
inland high plains, then traverses a steep mountainous escarpment
before descending onto the coastal plain to Durban.
In order to provide satisfactory and safe operational conditions
for road users N3TC required a strategy for all upgrading and
rehabilitation of the route to generate cost savings whilst delivering
high standards.WSP has contributed significantly to this through the
adoption of a practical and innovative approach and the
implementation of strict quality control and experienced
site supervision of all works.
One of the greatest technical challenges for the team has been the
rehabilitation of the mountainous Van Reenens Pass section of the
route, where rutting of the asphalt on the steep road sections due
to heavily loaded and slow moving trucks has always been a problem.
Other organisations have tried various approaches over the years with
only limited success.The WSP solution has been to utilise asphalt
manufactured from steel slag and polymer modified bitumens.Although
steel slag asphalt has been used for some time in Europe, it has only
previously been used on a small scale in South Africa, and certainly
not on a high profile and heavily trafficked route such as the N3.
Innovation WSP has brought to the project includes:
■ Optimised cost efficient pavement and rehabilitation strategy,
resulting in substantial cost savings;
■ Use of new materials and approaches, particularly steel slag asphalt
to combat heavy pavement loading;
■ Use of new technology to find optimal alternative route alignments
in difficult mountainous terrain.
Client:
N3 Toll Concession Company (Pty) Ltd (N3TC)
Project value:
Approximately £13M per annum over 30 years
Project size:
416 km of inter-urban freeway
Status:
Ongoing, started 1999
WSP services:
Civil engineering
Highway alignment design
Materials consultancy
Construction supervision
61

62
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
Institutional Development, Bangladesh
SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF LAND TRANSPORT

Bangladesh emerged from its war of independence in 1971 with a
shattered infrastructure and a large and impoverished population.
Its recovery has been largely dependent upon its transport
infrastructure.With considerable external assistance, Bangladesh
has developed a major highway network of over 20 000 km of main
roads incorporating 10 000 bridges.This network is now contributing
significantly to a sustained economic growth and a gradual
improvement of social conditions.
WSP has been working since the late 1970s on developing the land
transport sector in Bangladesh. Since 1994,WSP has provided
extensive management and technical assistance as lead consultant to
the Bangladesh Roads and Highways Department (RHD), as part of
a Department for International Development (DFID) funded project
known as Institutional Development Component (IDC) of the World
Bank’s Road Rehabilitation and Maintenance Project (RRMP).
WSP has matched DFID’s long-term commitment to support the
transport sector in Bangladesh with its own corporate and personal
commitment.The project benefits in every respect from the direct
personal knowledge and deep insight of the real issues in Bangladesh
of our most senior managers and advisers.As a team, we have
become fully “embedded” into the government’s organisation.The
appointment of senior Bangladeshi consultants onto the WSP team
has helped us gain access to decision makers and opinion formers,
both in the public and private sector. Over the years this has enabled
the project to achieve policy change at national level.
In an independent review of around 200 World Bank projects, RRMP
was rated the highest and the IDC was specifically mentioned as best
practice. IDC has resulted in the delivery of a pragmatic national
transport environment for Bangladesh, reflecting modern social,
economic and environmental conditions, to enable future
sustainability in terms of both investment and management.With
modern management information systems, a management plan, and
the technical procedures and manuals in place, the RHD is moving
towards a position of being able to manage the national road
network independently. Furthermore, Bangladesh will have the
beginning of a dedicated Road Maintenance Fund, designed to secure
adequate funding from the public as well as the private sector for
maintenance essential for the long term preservation of the network.
Our large multi-national and multi disciplinary team provides a broad
range of technical services to RHD and related institutions:
■ Organisational restructuring of RHD, which has some 15,000 staff;
■ Assistance in the formulation of new standards and guidelines in
technical, environmental and social areas;
■ Establishment of a comprehensive management information
system including nationwide road and bridge condition databases;
■ Training, with the creation of a dedicated RHD Training Centre;
■ Improved procedures for budgeting and accounting;
■ Preparation for the creation of a Road Maintenance Fund
for Bangladesh;
■ Formulation of National Land Transport Policy;
■ Establishment of a Transport Sector Coordination Wing in the
Planning Commission.
As an add-on to the main programme,WSP was recently
requested by DFID to manage and monitor its contribution
to emergency support for road rehabilitation following the
2004 flooding. Our deep insight into RHD’s operation led
to praise for the DFID programme, in terms of the speed
and quality of its response and the value for money
achieved. Commenting on the input of our WSP consultant,
DFID wrote:“The lessons you learned and communicated
have influenced DFID Bangladesh’s thinking on how to
improve value for money.”
Project:
Institutional Development Component (IDC), IDC2, IDC3 and CIDC3 of the
Road Rehabilitation and Maintenance Projects, RRMP2 and RRMP3
Client:
Roads & Highways Department, Ministry of Communications
Planning Commission, Ministry of Planning, Bangladesh
Funding:
Department for International Development, UK
Status:
Current phase due for completion March 2006
WSP services:
Managing organisational change
Technical assistance
Policy formulation
Financial management
Training planning, management and delivery
Establishment of management information systems
Design and introduction of management systems
63

64 In July 2005, a major planning application was submitted for the
development of a new town, Northstowe, to the north-west of
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
Northstowe New Town, UK
PLANNING A NEW TOWN IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE
Client:
Gallagher Longstanton Ltd
Project team:
Master planners: David Lock Associates
Planners:Arup Associates
Urban designers: John Thompson and Partners
Project value:
£1000M
Project size:
600 ha
8000 houses
120 000 sq m commercial use
38 000 sq m retail use
WSP services:
Transport planning
Flooding and drainage advice
Infrastructure design
Highway engineering
Environmental consultancy
Cambridge. Northstowe will eventually be home to about 18 000
people, with 8000 houses, a town centre, five local centres with
primary schools and a secondary school. It is anticipated that around
7000 jobs will be created for local people, whilst a comprehensive
public transport network will link Northstowe with the nearest
towns of Huntingdon and Cambridge.
The application, by developer Gallagher Longstanton Ltd, follows
many years of planning and consultations with the community and
other stakeholders.WSP has been involved since 1999, initially helping
to identify and promote the site and providing advice on strategic
transport and infrastructure requirements for the area, then advising
the client through all the necessary stages up to the planning
submission.This included the preparation of a strategic masterplan
in association with the master planners and urban designers, and
providing support in public participation exercises to promote the
site locally.
A key area of work was to provide a transport strategy for the new
town.This included a highway network with a suitable interface with
the existing and possible future A14 road alignment, public transport
proposals, and facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.WSP
also assisted in the promotion of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway
scheme as an integrated and high quality public transport system for
the town.
To resolve issues relating to flooding,WSP liaised with the
Environment Agency and other local drainage authorities to produce
a flooding and drainage strategy.As part of the solution, significant
landscaping will include water features which also assist with drainage
of the site. Other environmental aspects dealt with by WSP in
preparing the environmental assessment for the planning application
included ecology, archaeology, noise and vibration, ground conditions
and air quality.
The project’s progress to date can largely be attributed to
good relationships at all levels.WSP’s successful liaison with
Cambridgeshire County Council, the Department for Transport,
the Highways Agency and the Environment Agency ensured that their
plans for the area were compatible with the requirements of the new
town.Within the WSP team itself, coordinated work amongst the
different disciplines contributed to the provision of an effective
masterplan along with a transport and drainage strategy to be
implemented in stages in line with the construction programme
which is due to commence in 2006.
Masterplan for new UK town: 18 000
people, 8000 homes, 7000 jobs, town
centre, five local centres and schools

TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
Area 12 MAC Contract, UK
MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING NORTH-EAST ENGLAND’S MAJOR ROAD NETWORK
Client:
The Highways Agency
Project team:
Joint Venture with Carillion Highway Maintenance Ltd
Project value:
£175M over 5 years
Project size:
525 km of motorway and All Purpose Trunk Roads
Project status:
Five year contract commencing 1 July 2003, with possible extension for up to
two years
WSP services:
Project management and financial reporting
Safety and detailed inspections
Engineering design for roads, bridges, communications and street lighting
IT systems
Identification, design and implementation of road improvements and advice on
developments adjacent to the network
Recovery of costs associated with accident damage
24/7 incident management and customer services
England’s strategic road network is divided into fourteen areas
by the Highways Agency, the organisation responsible for operating,
maintaining and improving the nation’s trunk roads.The Trunk Road
Network comprises less than 2.5% of England’s roads but carries
nearly a third of all traffic and two-thirds of all freight. Since 2003,
WSP, in a joint venture with Carillion Highway Maintenance Ltd, has
been responsible for managing and delivering all maintenance and
improvements in Area 12 in the north-east of England.This area
represents about 8% of the national network with 525 km of
motorway and trunk roads stretching from the Pennines in the
west to the coastline in the east, and from Sheffield in the south
to Scarborough in the north.
Our duties include regular safety inspections, detailed condition
surveys and renewal of the carriageway and all roadside features,
maintaining all the motorway lighting, signals and communication
systems, and providing a complete winter maintenance service.
Our solutions include the development of innovative new road
technologies.The application of thin surfacing improves the
experience of road users by decreasing surface noise. Slip-formed
concrete safety fences, being more robust than metal barriers,
increase road safety by preventing vehicles from crossing the central
reservation, as well as delivering long term cost benefits through
reduced need for maintenance and repair.
In addition, we man a customer service desk at the Highways
Agency’s Regional Control Centre, providing 24/7 incident
management, working in close cooperation with the Agency’s incident
desk to assist the emergency services in dealing with accidents.
In partnership with all members of the project team, and backed
by many years experience of working for the Highways Agency, we
deliver value for money projects supported by sound management
of project finances and a quality of work that has been the subject of
numerous letters of commendation and regular positive Performance
Review, Improvement and Delivery (PRIDe) audits.
In Area 12,WSP is contributing to the achievement of the Highways
Agency’s ambition to deliver a high quality service to all road users by:
■ Reducing congestion and improving journey reliability;
■ Improving road safety;
■ Respecting the environment;
■ Seeking and responding to feedback about the network
and its operation.
65

66
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
Bath Western Riverside, UK
A MASTERPLAN TO REGENERATE ONE OF THE UK’S MOST BEAUTIFUL CITIES
A UNESCO World Heritage City, Bath is one of Europe’s finest and
most complete examples of 18th century architecture and urban
design.The city and its partners are now seeking to develop a new
urban quarter that will demonstrate their vision for an international
exemplar of sustainable living for the 21st century and beyond.
WSP was appointed in January 2004 by Bath & North East Somerset
Council to provide transport and environmental input to the
masterplan for Bath Western Riverside, a major regeneration project
on the edge of the city centre. Situated to the west of the historic
centre of Bath, alongside the river Avon, the new quarter will embody
the principles of mixed-use development, excellent design, innovation
and sustainability.At almost 40 hectares, the mostly derelict site is
almost as large as the existing city centre and represents a substantial
proportion of the overall urban area. It will create a distinctive and
vibrant public realm which embraces and opens up access to the river.
Working as part of a large-scale multi disciplined consultancy team,
WSP is responsible for all transport and environmental inputs to
the masterplan and for preparing both transport and environmental
assessments to accompany future planning applications for the site.
Additional challenges include minimising adverse impacts of the
development on flora and fauna and maximising the role of the
river Avon.
Early on in the planning process,WSP provided expert witness
support at the Local Plan Inquiry on behalf of the developer.
The team has subsequently developed sustainable transport and
environmental strategies for the proposed scheme, bearing in
mind the need for the development to be implemented in a
manner entirely consistent with the wider Bath city vision.
As part of the planning team,WSP is helping ensure the successful
integration of the new quarter into the existing city centre and
surrounding communities through the provision of a new living and
working environment with leisure, cultural and retail attractions to
enlarge and enrich the heart of the city.
Innovative solutions include:
■ Application of a new generation GIS-based transport
simulation model;
■ Planning of a new bus-based rapid transit system (Streetcar).
Client:
Bath & North East Somerset Council
Project team:
Master planner: Llewellyn Davies Yeang
Project manager: EC Harris
Project value:
£1000M
Project size:
40 ha mixed use development scheme comprising:
■ 40,000 sq m offices
■ 200,000 sq m residential
■ 60,000 sq m retail
■ hotel
■ café/bars
■ leisure
■ community facilities
WSP services:
Transport planning
Multi-modal transport modelling
Environmental impact assessment
Expert witness support

68 Afghanistan’s infrastructure has suffered during the recent decades
of war, and lack of investment and maintenance has led to a
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
Kabul-Torkham Highway,
Afghanistan
RECONSTRUCTION OF STRATEGICALLY
IMPORTANT ROAD LINK TO PAKISTAN
Client:
Ministry of Public Works (Afghanistan)
Financier:
EC/ Sida
Project team:
Design: BCEOM (France), NESPAK (Pakistan)
Contractors: China Railway Shisijou Group (CRSS), and Sinohydro
Project value:
£51M
Project size:
221 km Kabul-Jalalabad-Torkham National Highway
18 km bypass for Jalalabad City
Status:
Completion December 2006
WSP services:
Detailed design
Supervision
Surveying
Highway engineering
Structural engineering
Drainage engineering
Geotechnical engineering
significant deterioration of its road network.This is a particular
problem in land-locked Afghanistan, which with no railway links
depends on its roads to enable supplies to enter the country.
The 221 km Kabul-Jalalabad-Torkham Highway is one of the main
roads from Pakistan, linking the port of Karachi in Pakistan to the
Afghan capital, Kabul.The road is of utmost importance, facilitating
trade, humanitarian aid, reconstruction efforts and the return of
Afghan refugees. However, the
highway, which was a good
standard asphalt road when
it was completed in 1969,
has deteriorated into a gravel
road, making the journey long
and tortuous.
Reconstruction of the road is
now under way, with funding
from the European Commission
(EC) for its construction and
from the Swedish International
Development Cooperation
Authority (Sida) for its design.
WSP has been appointed
by Sida to undertake design and
supervision of the reconstruction.
Key requirements are to build a
road of the correct standard for
a national highway, and to ensure
the continuous flow of traffic
throughout construction.
The difference in altitude between Kabul and Jalabad is approximately
1200 m, and the road passes through some extremely mountainous
terrain. One of the main technical challenges for the design team is to
ensure an alignment for the road that fits with the existing alignment
and structures whilst maintaining a reasonable standard throughout.
To ensure that the road remains open throughout the construction
period, it is being constructed half a width at a time in some places.
Elsewhere diversions need to be maintained, of which the longest is
a stretch of approximately 70 km between Kabul and Sarobi, climbing
2200 m through passes that are covered by snow during the winter.
When the reconstruction is complete, travel time between Kabul and
Torkham will be reduced from around seven to less than four hours
and road safety will be greatly increased.The new, strong road will
make a significant and long-lasting contribution to Afghanistan’s
economic recovery.

TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
Third Generation Planning Project, Libya
URBAN PLANNING FOR FIRST QUARTER OF THE 21ST CENTURY
WSP is providing expert staff to support the National Consulting
Bureau (NCB) of Libya in the Third Generation Planning Project.
During a four-year planning period they will assist NCB in preparing
regional, local, urban and detailed plans for the Libyan Government,
as well as updating approved urban plans in line with Libya’s rapidly
changing economic conditions.
This project follows a Second Generation Planning Project
implemented in 1980-82 by a Polish consultant whose services
were procured by NCB.A team of experts from WSP in Sweden
were asked to evaluate this work in 1982, and this led to an
invitation to tender for the Third Generation Planning Project and
our appointment in December 2004.At the same time WSP staff
were also allocated to the parallel National Programme for Water
and Sanitation, which has synergies with the main project.
By 2005 a team of 20 experts were employed in Libya on the
Third Generation Planning Project, with a further 15 working on the
National Programme for Water and Sanitation.Their main challenges
were the collection of data from the many different authorities –
a very time-consuming process – and the introduction of a modern
planning methodology in a country which has been almost closed
from foreign influence during a number of years.
The scope of WSP’s work on the main planning project covers the
period 2005-2025 for a quarter of Libya, including the region of
Tripoli.WSP’s appointment covers the period 2005-2009, of which
the first two years is being spent preparing regional planning reports,
followed by the delivery of urban and detailed plans from 2007-2009.
In addition WSP will be surveying, updating maps, providing statistics,
setting up the IT and GIS infrastructure and providing the project
with maps at various scales.The planning documents produced will
form steering documents for Libya’s future spatial development.
Client:
National Consulting Bureau (NCB) of Libya
Project value:
£30M
Timescale:
Four-year project covering the planning period 2005-2025
Status:
Completion December 2008
WSP services:
Regional planning
Urban planning
Traffic engineering
Landscape design
Environmental consultancy
69

70
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
The Partihall Link, Sweden
EASING GOTHENBURG’S TRAFFIC PROBLEMS

Client:
The Swedish National Road Administration
Project value:
£220M
WSP services:
Highway engineering
Geotechnical engineering
Traffic engineering
Metrology and cartography
Landscape architecture
Environmental impact assessment
Sweden’s second city, Gothenburg, is the meeting point of many
of the main highways that make up western Sweden’s transport
network.Traffic conditions here have been a long-term environmental
and safety problem, with adverse impacts on business and the local
population, and consequently for regional development.
The Tingsstad Tunnel under the city’s river is a major traffic
bottleneck in peak hours.The Partihall Link is a solution intended
to relieve this Tunnel and improve safety and access to the section
of Gothenburg’s traffic system that has been burdened with the most
severe traffic problems.The Link will comprise a six-lane motorway,
three interchanges, tunnels, including a tunnel under the river, and
multiple bridges.
The Partihall Link will interconnect the E20 motorway, Highway 45
and the E6 Motorway, while also creating an opportunity to redirect
traffic from the local street system to these major trunk roads.
The Swedish National Road Administration commissioned WSP to
conduct the highways survey and prepare the project programme for the
whole scheme, plus construction documentation for the Partihall Link.
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72
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
M25 Junctions 12-15 widening and Heathrow Spur, UK
NEW FREE FLOW INTERCHANGE FOR TERMINAL 5

The busiest section of motorway in Europe, carrying over 200 000
vehicles per day, lies to the west of London on the M25 orbital, close
to Heathrow airport and between the strategically important M3 and
M4 motorways leading to England’s south and west coasts.
WSP, in a joint venture with Gifford & Partners (GWSP), is providing
engineering design, design project management and construction
certification services to widen the M25 from four to five and six
lanes in both directions over a distance of 11 km.Another major
element is the design and supervision of a new spur road and free
flow interchange from the M25 to Heathrow Airport’s prestigious
new Terminal 5 building.This includes 8 km of new link roads and
five new major bridges, including a viaduct across the M25 and
an environmentally and aesthetically sensitive bridge over the
River Colne.
This flagship scheme for the UK Highways Agency demonstrates
a range of innovative road widening techniques which pave the way
for future motorway widening.These include a unique retaining wall
design and construction process developed by GWSP in conjunction
with the contractor, Balfour Beatty, extremely complex geometry to
fit the widened road into tight width constraints, and a sustainable
solution including the extensive use of recycled materials such as
granular fill from the demolition of old Wembley Stadium.
The project provides considerable environmental benefits for both
road users and the adjoining local communities, with improvements
such as environmentally sensitive lighting, low noise surfacing and
acoustically absorbent environmental barriers.There is also extensive
new landscaping including the planting of hundreds of semi-mature trees.
A key requirement of the Highways Agency was that there should
be minimal disruption to road users.This was achieved through
exemplary traffic management and vehicle recovery systems,
maintaining four lanes of traffic in each direction during daytime
hours, setting up a dedicated public information helpline and providing
a reception, refreshments and crèche area for stranded motorists.
Working closely with the Highways Agency,Atkins and Balfour Beatty
and all other members of the project team, GWSP as designer has
played a key role in contributing towards the Highways Agency’s aim
of meeting its vision of “Safe roads, reliable journeys and informed
travellers”. Delivered on time at the end of November 2005,
the end product is of the highest quality, providing a new section
of aesthetically pleasing motorway, with considerably reduced
congestion for the foreseeable future and an attractive access
route to Terminal 5 at Heathrow.
“The successful and timely completion of the M25
widening has highlighted the skills of the professional
team as well as demonstrating a range of innovative
road widening techniques which pave the way for
future motorway widening.”
Peter Anderson, Project Director for Balfour Beatty
Client:
The Highways Agency and Heathrow Airport Limited (BAA)
Project team:
Contractor: Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd
Employers agent:Atkins
Project value:
£148M
WSP services:
Structural engineering
Highway engineering
Design project management
Works inspection
Geotechnical engineering
Environmental design (landscaping and ecology)
Communications and lighting design
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74
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
The Northern Link, Sweden
ENHANCING STOCKHOLM’S HIGHWAYS ENVIRONMENT
Stockholm’s new northern city link road will connect Sweden’s major
freight harbours and ferry terminals serving the Baltic states, Finland
and Russia.
Currently in the planning phase, the 13 km northern link is mainly
tunnelled. It is intended to relieve the heavily congested city centre
streets, whilst also benefiting city dwellers and road users through
the introduction of environmental measures such as reduced noise
and NO2 emissions.
WSP’s contracts on this extensive project include design of all the
link’s systems installations, including power, ventilation, drainage,
lighting and fire alarm systems. Underground electrical power
installations, pumping stations, evacuation routes and fan rooms
all meet stringent standards to ensure a safe and efficient highway
environment for road users.
These installations are in three classes:
■ Basic installations such as power, ventilation, water, waste water
and lighting;
■ Traffic management installations, such as road and lane signage;
■ Tunnel safety installations, such as fire alarm systems, CCTV and
emergency intercoms.
WSP is participating in all these projects and has prepared the overall
safety concept and fire safety strategy for the link, conducting risk
assessments, hazardous goods transportation reviews and evacuation
surveys for the tunnels.
WSP also prepared the tendering documentation for a contemporary
traffic management system including detection systems, automated
booming systems, signage and signals.
Client:
The Swedish National Road Administration
Project value:
£460M
Project size:
13 km mainly tunnelled road
Status:
Opens 2011
WSP services:
Power engineering
Telecoms design
Control systems
Heating, ventilation and sanitary installations
Water and waste water systems
Architecture
Fire Safety
Traffic management
ITS (intelligent transport systems)
Data collection

76
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
Shanghai Business Park, China
PREMISES OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARD FOR HI-TECH TENANTS
A new business park currently under construction just outside
Shanghai will provide a blend of city centre quality offices within
a landscaped park environment, which will be unique in China.The
Shanghai Business Park aims to attract international and domestic
companies, especially those in the information industry, with the
ultimate ambition of boosting the development of the information
and hi-tech industries in China by importing advanced information
technology and knowledge as well as financial and management
training and experience.
The park is planned with long-term occupiers in mind, offering a high
level of accommodation, an attractive environment, better value than
city centre offices, and flexibility for a wide range of uses.The park will
be developed in phases according to the take-up by future tenants.
WSP is providing full engineering design services and contract
administration associated with the buildings and infrastructure of the
park. Our appointment as main engineering consultant was based on
our capability to provide a fully integrated engineering service and on
our international project management experience and technical skills,
which are not readily available in the local market.These international
resources combined with our local knowledge ensure relevant, costeffective
delivery of a product of international standards. In addition
they enable us to fulfil a key requirement for effective coordination
with various parties including international and local firms, clients,
future tenants, government organisations and utilities agencies, greatly
assisted by the bilingual skills of our engineers.
The project is still in its early stage, with infrastructure and landscape
construction of the first phase largely complete, and construction of
the first two speculative buildings beginning in the autumn of 2005.
Also under construction is the first “pre-let” to Philips for
20 000 sq m of R&D facilities, with a further 18 000 sq m to follow.
WSP look forward to continuing to contribute to the success of the
project, which will be testament to the rapid acceptance of the new
business park model in Shanghai and China as a welcome alternative
to the standard downtown office tower.
Client:
Shanghai Business Park Development Company Ltd
Project team:
Project management:Arlington, UK
Architect: RMJM, UK
Landscape architect: Macgregor Smith, UK
Project value:
£20M for design/construction phase to 2005
Project size:
Masterplan approval has been granted to develop about 6.5m sq m of business
park accommodation
Status:
Construction of first phase commenced September 2005. Design and
infrastructure of second phase due for completion mid-2006
WSP services:
Civil engineering
Structural engineering
Mechanical and electrical engineering

ENVIRONMENTAL
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78
ENVIRONMENTAL
Terminal 5 Heathrow Airport, UK
ENVIRONMENTAL SUCCESS STORY FOR NEW AIRPORT TERMINAL
Terminal 5 (T5) at Heathrow Airport is one of Europe’s largest
construction projects of the 21st Century.When fully complete
it will provide Heathrow Airport with the capacity to handle up to
35 million additional passengers annually.When T5 opens in 2008,
its design and construction will set new standards in environmental
performance, an achievement in which WSP has played a major part.
The public inquiry into T5 was the longest in UK planning history,
lasting nearly four years.The inquiry set down almost 700 conditions,
many of which related to the responsible management of the
terminal’s environmental impacts during construction and operation.
Balancing environmental and commercial awareness
WSP was commissioned to assist in managing the environmental
aspects of the project, working jointly for British Airways (BA) –
the airline that will operate from T5 – and airport owner BAA.
In developing the design brief it was necessary to ensure that
throughout the design, construction and operational phases the
project would meet both the high environmental standards required
by the public inquiry and the stringent operational requirements of
both organisations.
To achieve this,WSP developed and managed the environmental
management system (EMS) for the design work and the construction
phase of the project, working in alignment with BA’s and BAA’s own
emerging EMS programmes.This work involved complex negotiations
with both organisations, each of whom had their own aspirations and
business drivers, and hence EMS requirements.
As part of this,WSP helped to establish an environmental design
review process, which involved management of internal and external
stakeholder engagement to enable the design to be progressively
developed and signed off at each critical stage by both clients and
stakeholders.We set up design expert groups, using both project
specialists and external advisors, who were world leading designers,
engineers and environmentalists, to verify the work of the design
teams.This process was crucial in enabling the overall design of this
complex project to be progressed in alignment with the public
inquiry commitments and ensuring that design solutions were
optimised technically and commercially.
Contribution to overall project success
A key focus of the work was to ensure that the handling of all
environmental issues contributed positively to the overall success
of the project at all stages.
For example, an early challenge was to supervise a revised
environmental impact assessment (EIA) planning application for the
diversion of the ‘twin rivers’ which run across the site.There had
been problems with the initial EIA submitted to the planning inquiry
by another environmental consultancy, and this work was undertaken
to a very tight schedule during the early enabling works phase to
allow the construction phase to commence on time.
One of the most successful environmental stories for T5 was the
water saving measures that were achieved within the design. 70%
of water demand in the buildings will be from non potable sources.

Maintaining relationships
As a result of this very successful work,WSP has continued
its involvement throughout the duration of the project and has
additionally forged a working relationship with both BA and BAA
separately, having undertaken a number of additional commissions
with each.These include WSP staff being seconded to the
environmental and strategic planning teams of each organisation.
Client:
BAA and British Airways
Project value:
£1.5 M (environmental services)
£4 200 M (total construction)
Project size:
Largest construction project in Europe
Busiest airport in the world
T5 capacity approximately 35 million passengers per year
Project status:
Commercial operations commence mid 2007
WSP services:
Environmental consultancy
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ENVIRONMENTAL
Ithaca College, USA
SUSTAINABLY DESIGNED BUILDING FOR THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
“This building is intended to be a ‘tool of teaching’ in
the fullest sense of sustainability, so that it will model
economic, environmental, social, ethical and human
performance. Our vision is to create an exciting setting
for values-based thinking and debate about the role of
economics and business practices and their impact on
the environment and society.”
Susan West Englekemeyer,
Dean of the School of Business,
Ithaca College

“WSP’s work was essential in getting this project off
the ground.Their vision and leadership led directly to
our key funding and to the most innovative elements
of the design.”
Peter Bardaglio,
Provost and Chief Academic Officer,
Ithaca College
Client:
Ithaca College
Project value:
£8M
WSP services:
Environmental consultancy
Flack + Kurk: Building services
WSP has worked closely with the School of Business at Ithaca
College in New York state to develop a concept for a new building
which will reflect and support the school’s mission to incorporate
sustainable thinking into every aspect of its curriculum.
On learning that Ithaca College intended to build a new home for
its School of Business,WSP recommended that the building should
incorporate sustainable design principles in order to exemplify the
school’s commitment to sustainable development.
The college commissioned WSP to develop a design brief that would
break the mould of sustainably designed buildings and create a new
global benchmark for higher educational facilities. In physical terms,
it would aim to meet the highest level of LEED (Leadership in Energy
& Environmental Design) standards of the US Green Building Council.
The building would have lower operating and maintenance costs,
produce much of its own energy and minimise the use of water
and other natural resources.
It would also offer practical teaching opportunities and serve as
a living laboratory for twelve cardinal sustainability principles:
■ Ethics
■ Diversity
■ Cultural awareness and preservation
■ Ecological balance
■ Life cycle thinking
■ Long term financial management
■ Knowledge sharing and relationship building
■ Personal fulfilment at work
■ Life-long learning
■ Community engagement
■ Capacity building
■ Changing unsustainable patterns of production and consumption
This framework formed part of a brief for architects in a competition
to design the new Business School.WSP not only developed the
sustainability criteria in the preparation of the design brief for the
competition but also advised on the selection of the firm of
Robert A M Stern Architects to design the new School of Business.
Construction is due to start in 2006 with occupancy by the autumn
of 2008.
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82
ENVIRONMENTAL
Skorpion Zinc, Namibia
BOOST TO NATIONAL ECONOMY WHILE SAFEGUARDING IMPORTANT NATURE RESERVE
The Sperrgebiet in southern Namibia is one of the world’s best
preserved natural environments. For over 80 years it has been closed
to all public access, and as a result is in a pristine state, harbouring
many rare and endemic species of flora and fauna. Under its surface,
however, lies a valuable resource – zinc. For the past ten years WSP
Environmental has been supporting the Skorpion Zinc project in the
identification, assessment and mitigation of impacts of mining zinc in
this particularly environmentally sensitive region.
The Skorpion Zinc project is a good example of the ‘cradle-to-grave’
approach to environmental management.This began with the
commissioning of an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for the
exploration phase, continuing through the Environmental Assessment
and EMP for both construction and operations to the development
of an Environmental Management System for operations.WSP
Environmental carried out all these services and continues to provide
support to the project today.
Outputs of our work include:
■ On-site waste separation and recycling programme
■ Environmental Code of Conduct signed by all site personnel
■ Strict track and litter control
■ Full-time environmental coordinator on site
■ Massive plant rescue and relocation programme
■ Innovative designs to reduce water consumption
The design philosophy adopted from the beginning of the project was
to eliminate as many of the avoidable impacts as possible through
careful site planning and the use of appropriate designs.Where
impacts could not be eliminated, they were minimised through
various control measures and technological solutions. Furthermore,
there was a conscious effort to maximise the benefits of the project
for the people of Namibia.
In meeting an increase in world demand for zinc, the project is
proving commercially competitive and economically robust, with
mine production costs amongst the lowest in the world. It has been
a major boost to the Namibian economy in general and has brought
much needed economic and social development to the local area.
Skorpion Zinc Awards
Premium Award for Environmental Excellence
International Association for Impact Assessment (South Africa):
ISO14000 accreditation achieved, facilitating on-going
environmental performance.
Client:
Reunion Mining Namibia (Pty) Ltd, later acquired by Anglo Base Metals
Zinc Division
Project size:
Mineable reserve of 14.7m t of zinc to produce some 150 000 t
per annum of zinc ingots over a mine life of 12 years
800 m x 400 m open pit, 185 m deep at deepest point
Status:
Feasibility study 1996
Plant commissioning and first zinc poured 2001
WSP services:
Environmental assessment
Environmental management
Environmental training

ENVIRONMENTAL
Breme Park Bromsgrove, UK
INNOVATIVE REMEDIATION SOLUTION ENABLES SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT
OF FORMER INDUSTRIAL SITE
WSP’s remediation team has designed and completed an innovative
and sustainable remediation solution to enable the transformation of
a former drop forging works into a flagship residential development
and technology park.The remediation has brought about the
regeneration and redevelopment of a large tract of blighted land,
providing much needed employment for local people in the
immediate and long term.
The sensitive location of the 22 ha site above a major aquifer,
combined with the extensive and widespread nature of
contamination from 50 years of heavy industrial activity, represented
a significant development challenge. Contamination included
saturation of soils with heavy oils, an on-site landfill containing
hazardous substances, and over 20 000 sq m of land affected by neat
oils floating on the groundwater table from leaking sumps, tanks and
industrial operations.
WSP was appointed in advance of the sale of the land to undertake
a rapid programme of ground investigation to quantify liabilities
associated with the proposed redevelopment and provide a
guaranteed maximum price for remediation.This facilitated the
purchase of the site by Persimmon Homes, who then commissioned
WSP’s specialist land remediation arm to undertake the remediation
of soil and groundwater under a fixed price contract.
The approach was based on the on-site treatment of the majority of
contamination at a fraction of the cost of traditional off-site disposal.
The work was integrated with the demolition programme to reduce
the time required for remediation.
Human health and controlled water risk assessments were
undertaken in close and extensive consultation with the regulatory
authorities, who have since used the site as an example of best
practice in land remediation in their staff training sessions.
Our ability to provide cost certainty at the point of acquisition and
deliver the project on time and to budget has resulted in the site
being one of the most successful brownfield reclamation projects
within Persimmon’s portfolio and has reinforced the company’s
desire to continue to develop on complex brownfield sites.
Remediation work at Breme Park included:
■ Management and verification of site decommissioning, asbestos
removal and demolition works;
■ On-site treatment of oil hydrocarbon contaminated soils using
bioremediation to reduce the concentration of total petroleum
hydrocarbons (TPH) to agreed target criteria;
■ Remediation of light non-aqueous phase liquids from a network
of 350 groundwater remediation wells using WSP’s proprietary
vacuum extraction techniques – over 15 000 litres of oil
recovered from the groundwater;
■ Disposal of untreatable PCB contaminated soils to landfill
or for incineration;
■ All contamination reduced to below agreed target concentrations;
■ All works signed off by regulatory authorities.
Client:
Persimmon Homes
Project team:
Architect: RPS
Project value:
£2.4M
Project size:
22 ha former drop forging works
WSP services:
Geo-environmental investigation
Hazardous materials survey
Quantitative risk assessment
Remediation design
Remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater
Regulatory authority sign-off
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84
ENVIRONMENTAL
Glazed Office Buildings, Sweden
RESEARCHING THE ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF GLAZED FACADES

WSP is leading a Swedish research study into the indoor
environment and energy efficiency associated with glazed office
buildings.The project is driven by an increasing interest among
architects in designing office buildings with glazed facades coupled
with a need for improved understanding of how these perform in
the Scandinavian climate.
During the nineties, office buildings with glass facades were popular,
particularly in Germany, offering the attractions of an airy, transparent
appearance and more access to daylight. It was found that buildings
with double skin glass facades offered the additional advantages of
reduced requirement for heating and cooling, better insulation and
more efficient solar shading.
The double-skin facade technique has been applied in Scandinavia
in recent years, especially in Stockholm where examples include the
Kista Science Tower and the offices of ABB and Nokia. However,
current knowledge of the function, energy use and visual environment
of glass-facade office buildings in the Swedish context is insufficient.
The WSP project began with a virtual reference building to simulate
the environmental performance of typical construction methods.
The building construction, HVAC system and control system were
described in great detail.Then different scenarios were tested, varying
the building’s orientation, architecture, floor plan, control set points
and glazed facade elements such as window type and size and shading
devices.A sensitivity analysis based on the simulated alternatives was
carried out to assess occupant comfort and energy efficiency.
A complex and detailed model for life cycle cost analysis of the
building was also developed.
WSP is managing the project
team of 13 experts from Lund
University of Technology, Skanska
and WSP, who also bring specialist
knowledge of glazing and HVAC
systems.The project benefits
from the support of Pilkington,
Emmaboda (Saint-Gobain), the
Swedish Glass Trade Association
and Skanska Sweden.
The project is increasing knowledge of how to construct energy
efficient glazed office buildings which are visually attractive,
comfortable for the user and make better use of daylight.The project
team is currently supporting the design of a glazed office building in
Malmo with the provision of expert advice and advanced energy,
indoor climate and daylight simulations.
The research is attracting considerable interest in the property
sector, including a group of eleven major Swedish property owners
and developers who work together on energy-related issues, and
who handle 25% of the entire commercial building space in Sweden.
Client:
Swedish Energy Agency
Development fund provided by the Swedish Construction Industry,
Skanska and WSP
Project team:
Lund University of Technology
Skanska Teknik
Project value:
£650 000
Status:
4 year project
Completion December 2006
WSP services:
Project management
Glazing consultancy
Life cycle costing
HVAC design
Architecture
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86
ENVIRONMENTAL
Shuaibah Independent Water and Power Project, Saudi Arabia
SETTING NEW STANDARDS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
WSP is setting the standards for environmental performance at Middle Eastern power stations like this, which is similar to Shuiabah

Demand for power and water in the Middle East is growing in line
with the rapid economic development of the region. In Saudi Arabia,
the government is investing £1700M in power and desalination
plants over the period 2005-2025.As the first independently
operated and financed water and power project (IWPP) in
Saudi Arabia, the 900 MW plant in Shuaibah, which will treat
880 000 cu m of water every day, is setting new standards
in terms of its environmental performance.
WSP was appointed by the Saudi Malaysian Consortium to undertake
the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the
project and to develop a plan for its ongoing environmental
management and monitoring.
The ESIA had to comply with the Equator Principles and meet the
standards of both the Saudi Regulator (Presidency of Meteorology
and Environment) and the lending banks financing the project.
In delivering the planning approvals within the stringent time
constraints of the programme, and keeping all stakeholders
on the project informed about its progress,WSP ensured that the
consortium could achieve sign-off from these bodies to build and
operate the plant.
Our work has established a new set of environmental benchmarks
and the development of appropriate environmental mitigation has led
to construction and operational costs being minimised. Key areas for
which WSP provided solutions through innovation and careful design
of mitigation measures included:
■ Design and operation of marine outfall to minimise impact on
oral reef ecology, including water quality modelling undertaken
by Danish Hydraulics Research (DHI);
■ Air quality modelling of IWPP atmospheric emissions to
demonstrate compliance with World Bank guidelines;
■ Identification of an appropriate site and disposal option for power
station fly ash;
■ Close cooperation with Saudi nationals from the King Abdulaziz
University, Jeddah, to ensure a culturally sensitive approach to
consultations with local community.
The consortium will operate the plant for 20 years, selling water and
power back to the Water and Electricity Company of Saudi Arabia.
The IWPP’s performance will be closely monitored, and the
environmental management and monitoring plan developed by WSP
provides a sound basis for protecting the client’s investment by
ensuring ongoing compliance with environmental standards.
The ESIA was completed in a timely fashion and achieved PMR
approval in December 2005 and the required Financial Closure for
this £1500M project by mid January 2006.
Client:
Saudi Malaysian Consortium (four partners)
Project team:
Trowers and Hamlin (Legal Counsel)
Mahassni (Saudi Counsel)
ILF Consulting Engineers (Technical Advisor)
Standard Chartered Bank
Environmental Consulting Bureau
King Abdulaziz University Jeddah
Status:
Environmental planning consents achieved by December 31 2005
WSP services:
Environmental Consultancy
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88
Narva Power Plants, Estonia
ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT IN
THE POWER SECTOR
Client:
ENVIRONMENTAL
AS Narva Elekrijaamad
Status:
Contract commenced 2003
Completion 2009
WSP services:
Project management
Environmental consultancy
Construction supervision
Mechanical process engineering
Instrumentation and controls engineering
Project finance advice
In 2003, the Estonia power generation company,AS Narva
Elektrijaamad (NEJ), part of the Republic of Estonia’s state owned
energy company Eesti Energia contracted WSP to lead and execute
three environmental projects at its main electricity generation plants.
Eesti power plant, the world’s largest oil shale fired thermal power
station, and the Balti power plant are located close to the city of
Narva in eastern Estonia, an area rich in oil shale deposits which
form the basis of Estonia’s energy production.
Following Estonia’s accession to the EU in 2004 its energy sector
faces significant environmental challenges to comply with EU
standards and implement its directives.WSP’s appointment to manage
the projects was based on the team’s considerable experience of
managing projects for power plant owners and suppliers, in-depth
understanding of EU legislation and specialist expertise in power
plant technology.
Continuous emission monitoring system
All large combustion plants must be equipped with continuous
air emission monitoring (CEM) systems as required by EU (LCP
directive) and Estonian legislation.As part of the project,WSP is
managing and supervising the installation and commissioning of CEM
at the power stations and the oil plant, where waste emissions to the
air must also be monitored continuously.
At the Narva site, several boilers are connected to a single stack,
allowing the installation of CEM equipment to monitor several
hundred megawatts of generation capacity at one point.The CEM
system installed involves very advanced technology providing the
best possible technical solution for boiler power plant installations.
It will enable the client to make considerable savings on investment
and maintenance costs in years to come.
During the first year of the contract, the project was planned and
the purchasing process completed in accordance with Estonian public
procurement legislation, with WSP taking the lead in ensuring
compliance. Implementation commenced in 2005 following the
appointment of an independent contractor in international tender.
Reconstruction of ash handling system
About 10m t of oil shale is burnt each year, producing 5m t of ash
which once extracted from the plant boilers is mixed with water and
pumped into a landfill site.As the ash settles and separates the water
is sent back to the power plant and re-used for further ash
treatment and transportation.
To comply with Estonian environmental commitments NEJ must
reduce the negative impact of this process on the environment by
substantially reducing the amount of alkaline water in the ash fields,
reconstructing used landfills, and re-cultivating redundant settlement
ponds.WSP is assisting in the design and testing of a new pilot plant
prior to construction of a new ash handling system before mid 2009.
As this represents a considerable investment,WSP is also supporting
the company in preparing the documentation required to secure
financial support from the EU.
Ash field closure
A redundant 500 ha ash field at the Balti power plant, is to be
levelled, covered in soil and planted with herbaceous plants and
trees.Although it has not been used for ash disposal since 1986,
the field has been used to collect and evaporate excessive rainwater
from the landfill.The pH of the water on the ash field will be
lowered in a new state-of-the-art neutralisation unit and discharged
into the environment. Existing huge “green water pools” above the
landfill will be treated and the top plateau re-cultivated.The lower
pond water level will be lowered to create a wetland.Twelve new
wells will be installed in addition to 12 existing wells to monitor
the ground water. Conditions for natural progress of long-term
ecosystem recovery will be established, and a new industrial inert
waste landfill will be created in part of the closed ash field.
Construction of this project is ongoing and scheduled for
completion in March 2007.