issue two: may 2009 - Halcrow

King of the roadA-one+ nowEngland’s leadingmotorway maintenance providern unprecedented four contract area wins with the UK’sA Highways Agency has catapulted A-one+ – Halcrow’s jointventure with Colas and Costain – to the position of England’sleading managing agent contractor (MAC).Kicking off in October this year, the £200 million, five-year Area12 project was the latest MAC to be awarded – in March 2009.Encompassing the motorways and trunk roads of Yorkshire, thisincludes stretches of the M1, M62 and M18 motorways, as well as theA1 and A64, both key regional trunk roads.The win means A-one+ now manages 32 per cent of England’smotorway and trunk road network – the maximum market sharepermitted by the Highways Agency. The company’s annual turnoverhas increased to over £200 million and its forward order book hasswelled to over £750 million – distinct reasons to be cheerful in thesetroubled times.The latest coup follows the award of the Area 7 MAC contract earlierthis year. Out of the four Highways Agency area contracts up forgrabs in 2009, A-one+ bid for three and scooped two. As the executivedirector for Halcrow’s transportation group, Geoff Brown, noted:“For any organisation to win one major MAC commission is a hugeachievement, but to win two contracts of this size in one bidding roundis unheard of in the industry.”The Highways Agency has declared the sections for which A-one+ isresponsible to be some of the most challenging, heavily trafficked andcomplex in the network. As the MAC, A-one+ will plan, design andconstruct all maintenance schemes up to a value of £500,000 in thefour areas. It will also design and supervise motorway and trunk roadimprovement and renewal projects up to £8 million in value.Contractor of the year“A-one is fast becomingthe benchmark to adopt forits pioneering approachand innovation.”Highways Magazine on namingA-one contractor of the year 200810Vox | issue two

The fabulous fourArea 14 – a four-year contract won in 2003, with a threeyearextension secured in 2006. It covers the A1 and A66– a total of 69km of motorway and 420km of trunk roads.Estimated value – £25 million per year. Managed fromA-one’s Darlington office.Area 7 – the five-year, £220 million contract willcommence on 1 July 2009. Covering roads inNottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire andRutland, the contract will be serviced from Nottingham.Area 10 – a £158 million, five-year contractwith a two-year extension option won in 2007.The contract covers one of the UK’s busiestnetworks in the north west of England and ismanaged from the Warrington office.Area 12 – covering 79km of motorway and428km of trunk roads, the new five-yearcontract will be managed from the Wakefieldarea, west Yorkshire.As principal contractor, A-one+’s role includes fulfilling theconstruction design management (CDM) regulations, as well asmanaging, designing and integrating all routine services, such asemergency response and maintenance of employer’s vehicles.Close liaison with the police, the Environment Agency, adjacentarea service providers and other stakeholders, as well as workingcollaboratively with the Highways Agency’s traffic officers, are key todelivering an integrated service.Unsurprisingly, A-one+ is now undergoing a period of growth, offeringlong-term highways and design management opportunities in theeast Midlands, Yorkshire and north west England. The Area 7 and 12contracts will more than double the size of the existing business toover 2,000 employees.A-one+’s managing director, Andy Jamieson, attributes the successin part to cultivating a great client relationship, in which keepingpromises is a key factor: “I am extremely proud of this latestsuccess and our now dominant market position. We are winningthese contracts on quality rather than price and have establisheda reputation with the Highways Agency for delivering on ourcommitments and being easy to do business with.”Able to focus entirely on its client, the A-one+ team has aligned itsbusiness strategy with that of the Highways Agency in order to deliverits objectives. The emphasis has always been to deliver on time and tobudget, with the team working in all weathers to meet the brief. “It isabout understanding our client’s needs and adapting our organisationto suit – even when it is problematic for us – and delivering a quickresponse service,” explains Andy.The team is now preparing to re-bid for the Area 14 contract, whichcomes to an end in 2010. “We’re well positioned to win the newcontract with established offices, service and IT. But we are not in anyway complacent, and are determined to submit a high quality bid inJuly,” explains Andy.And with such a winning streak under its belt, A-one+ seems destinedfor continued success in the fast lane.

Down, down,deeper and downalcrow is playing a leading role in theprogramme management of Thames Water’sHproposed London Tideway Tunnels – thecapital’s most ambitious project since its extensiveVictorian sewerage system was built in the 1850s.The 11-year scheme will ensure that up to 32 millionmetres 3 of untreated sewage no longer escapes intothe River Thames after rainfall. Such occurrences haveincreased in recent years with rapid urban development,an expanding population and changing weather patterns.Halcrow will work on the scheme – the utility’s singlebiggest investment – as associate to CH2M HILL.The London Tideway Tunnels will capture sewage thatwould otherwise spill from the combined sewer overflowsand transfer it to Beckton Sewage Treatment Worksfor processing.Ultimately, the scheme will ensure London’s seweragesystem fully complies with the European UrbanWastewater Treatment Directive.The scheme consists of two distinct and independentprojects: the Lee Tunnel – which will capture dischargesfrom a combined sewer at Abbey Mills, responsible forhalf the volume of sewage discharged into the tidal RiverThames every year. And the more complex 32km-longThames Tunnel, which will capture the flows of sewagefrom 34 combined sewer overflows. Up to 75m belowground, both tunnels will be the deepest in London.Halcrow played a major part in winning the commissionand will deliver around 50 per cent of the cross-business,multidisciplinary programme management services.Not only will it strengthen the company’s project andprogramme management capability, it will enhanceHalcrow’s relationships with Thames Water, and thestrategic alliance with CH2M HILL.The water and power business group’s managingdirector, Michael Norton, said: “This is a milestone inthe development of Halcrow’s water business – theprogramme management of probably its largest everwater sector project. Following the successful completionof High Speed 1, it ensures that Halcrow remains centrestage of London’s tunnelling projects and has theopportunity to work on the largest current Europeansewerage scheme.”Once completed, the work will not only benefit wildlife,but the river’s extensive leisure users. And it will ensurethat ‘Old Father Thames’ remains a continuing source ofpride for future generations of Londoners.12Vox | issue one two

Extended meritDocklands Light Railway wins ICE merit awardMetaphorical hats were thrown in the air at Halcrow’s London officeas the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Woolwich Arsenal Extensionproject won the city’s highest honour for civil engineering excellence– the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) London Merit Award forInfrastructure.Undertaken as a joint venture between Morgan Est and Colas Rail –with Halcrow as designer – the DLR extension provides a modern andreliable public transport link from Woolwich Arsenal to King George Vand Canary Wharf, as well as to the London Underground network.The judges’ criteria included factors such as creativity and innovation,sustainability and environmental sensitivity, and benefits to the clientand wider public. They were particularly impressed with the team’sco-ordination through the design, build and commissioning stages,which led to the project opening ahead of schedule.Halcrow project manager Andy Alder said: “The project was deliveredthrough the ability and experience of the whole team. This award istestament to everyone’s hard work and desire to pull together.”The extension comprises 2.5km of new railway in a pair of paralleltunnels under the River Thames, connecting to a new undergroundstation at Woolwich Arsenal. This new station is integrated with theexisting Network Rail station at Woolwich, which was upgraded aspart of the project.Alice Bhandhukravi (BBC), Richard Pollard (Morgan-Est),Robert Sharpe (ICE), Dave Duncombe (Morgan-Est),Christophe Chassagnette (Colas Rail) and Halcrow’s Alan Runacres

Artist’s impression of the proposed Isle of Dogs station at Canary Wharf14Vox | issue two

Project profilesCelebrating excellenceCyber team helps harbour policeSan Diego’s harbour police force will soon be able to tapinto a sophisticated integrated geographic informationsystem (GIS), with engineering drawings meshed into theexisting maps.Layering technical data within the GIS, the projectpaves the way for further information tiers and futuredevelopment of the district’s infrastructure managementprogramme. As the port’s infrastructure evolves, userswill be able to access changes in real time.In order for engineering drawings to be made availablethrough the port authority’s GIS system, a standardisedformat had to be agreed on, established, and all dataconverted accordingly. With a testing five-month deadline,the team raced through this detailed process, enablingboth live computer aided design information and legacydata to be displayed.India’s new industrial ageWith the Indian economic tiger snapping at the heels of developednations, investment in infrastructure is accelerating to match thecountry’s aspirations. Halcrow is taking a prominent role as thenascent plans evolve.Linking the powerhouses of Mumbai and Delhi, a proposed industrialzone will stimulate economic growth and integrate essentialinfrastructure. Flanking the planned 1,400km railway, the DelhiMumbai industrial corridor will connect a series of investment regionsand industrial areas.Edging out competitors such as Arup, Buro Happold, Scott Wilson andFaber Maunsell, Halcrow joined forces with Synovate and Knight Frankto secure contracts for the initial region.First off the drawing board, the Ahmedabad-Dholera investmentregion in Gujarat state is also the largest proposed zone and a perfectfit for Halcrow. With the development planning team gearing up for itsbiggest challengeto date, projectdirector RajeevVijay said: “As thefirst region to hitthe market, we’reable to stamp ourleadership onthis scheme.”Mark Brown at Gurajat GlobalInvestors summit in January 2009A ‘cyber office’ environment seesemployees working remotely, without therequirement to relocate. Jerry Wallenbornis leading the geographically-disparateteam, drawing on technical skills fromLong Beach, Houston and New York.Cutting time, cost and carbon, the teamhas made ample use of the latesttechnology to stay in close contact.Weekly meetings via WebEx webconferencing allows employees ineach office to view each others’work and discuss progress.Cleanup effort almostas big as Texas itselfTearing across Texas at 180km per hour and gouging a scar ofdestruction through the landscape, Hurricane Ike whirled pastHouston in the early hours of 13 September 2008.With roads impassable and littered with debris in the wake of thecategory two hurricane, the Texas Department of Transportation(TxDOT) moved swiftly to clear access routes to stricken residents.TxDOT drafted in Halcrow’s regional manager, Joe Graff, to prepareemergency contracts for the large-scale cleanup and repairs to thebattered transport infrastructure. Joe helped the TxDOT contract teamput together 31 contracts worth over £13 million for work includingsignal, sign, guard rail and pavement repairs, ditch cleaning anddebris removal.As Texas completed the mammoth rebuilding task,Halcrow compileda final report forall post-hurricanecontracts inthe state – 84agreements in sixTxDOT districts,valued at over£19 million.Hurricane Ike causedwidespread devastationHalcrow is drawing on its multidisciplinary capabilities todeliver a range of services:• conceptual and detailed master planning for theentire site, new township and industrial park• social and environmental impact assessments• pre-feasibility and techno-economic feasibility studies• infrastructure assessment for transport, logistics,water and waste water, power, ports and airports• base mapping and GIS database management16Vox | issue two

Entrancing entranceHuman rightstake centre stageetal bit into frozen earth on 19 December 2008, as primeminister Stephen Harper turned the first clods of earth onMthe Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) site inWinnipeg, marking the start of an ambitious scheme.The Halcrow Yolles structural team faces the mammoth challenge ofconverting the architect’s sculptural vision – described as ‘a symbolicapparition of ice, clouds and stone set in a field of sweet grass’ – intoglass, concrete and steel.Designed as a series of shapes and forms, the CMHR eschews allreferences to traditional building construction. This departure fromconvention has pushed the project team to devise novel methodsof working, using the latest in three-dimensional software to planinternal spaces and calculate floor loads.bridges. Rising almost 100m above the exhibition halls and galleries,the prismatic Tower of Hope will offer panoramic views of the city.Given the green light in 2003, the CMHR is both the first nationalmuseum to be built outside the national capital region and thefirst new institution planned since 1967. Due to open in 2012, thissculptural feat of engineering aims to be the largest museumdedicated to human rights in the world.Museum from northBreaking the architectural whole into manageable, buildable chunksor structural concepts, the project team considered each segment aspart of a complex engineering process.Most of the building’s steel supports will be hidden from public view,and with few of the steel spans presenting an easy design task – manyare curved, unique and up to 40m long – the team faces a raft ofvibration issues.Visitors to the £137 million museum will be able to wander through awinding kilometre of interactive experiences, connected by a series ofMuseum – South Forks(images courtesy of CanadianMuseum for Human Rights)

Project profilesCelebrating excellenceDesertoasisLuxury five-star resort risesfrom the sandsLet there be lightCalgary Eaton Centre (courtesy of MMC International Architects Inc)Flooding the space below with natural light, Canada’slargest skylight will float above the Calgary Eaton Centreand TD Square development, bridging three city blocks.The property team is providing structural and glass designservices for the 213m-long, 26m-wide structure which willfeature steel tube arches with glass suspended below –without any visible expansion joints.Minimal discernible supports maximise visibility, whilethe sweeping, vaulted design provides a unique methodof stabilising the external arches under gravity, wind andthermal loads.And just as the light is set to pour in, the redevelopment isattracting new tenants, revitalising the existing mall.he Empty Quarter – which crosses SaudiTArabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, andYemen – is the largest continuous body of sandin the world, but is changing fast.It’s already home to some of the world’s largestsand dunes (taller than the Eiffel Tower), a rich varietyof plant and animal life, including the rare Arabianonyx gazelle, and a scattering of local villages. ComeSeptember 2009, it will also be the backdrop to Qasr alSarab, a luxury five-star Arabian retreat.Located 90 minutes from Abu Dhabi in the Liwa Oasis onthe northern edge of the Empty Quarter, this emergingdesert resort will boast a luxury health spa, observatory,tented villages and a royal pavilion for visiting dignitaries,royal families and the global rich.The project – owned by Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Developmentand Investment Company (TDIC) – sprang into life in2007. Halcrow will provide multidisciplinary design andsupervision services to Dubai-based architect Dubarch.This will include structural, mechanical, electrical,plumbing, roads and infrastructure design services, aswell as civil engineering and construction supervision.Halcrow’s assistant projectmanager, Fadi Azzam, said:“The fast-track nature ofthis project is a major – butsurmountable – challenge forus. The contractor was alreadyon board as we began work on the design. This meant wehad to work fast and issue information at key stages tokeep the contractor busy.”Another hurdle for the project team was the lack of utilityservices, as Fadi explains: “The site is in the middle of thedesert, so there was no water, electricity or gas supply –just sand.”Adding to the already impressive degree of co-ordinationrequired, Halcrow proposed a reinforced earth systemfor the 5km retaining walls. This is a fairly new methodof construction in the area and helped reduce both costsand the environmental impact of the works.With an anticipated finish date of September 2009, theopening of Qasr al Sarab will be just in time to host someof the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix’s elite away from the crushof the city.Qsar al Sarab (from top):East entrance,west entrance andvillas under construction18Vox | issue two

Making tracksHighways team creates way forward for Scottish cyclistsAs increasing numbers of Britons eschew their cars in favour of the environmentaland health benefits conferred by the humble bicycle, Halcrow continues to build itsexpertise in the delivery of much needed cycle tracks throughout Scotland.Newly opened coastalroute to KentallenThe highways team in Inverness, led byMurray Innes, has taken the lead on anumber of cycle track projects, securedthrough Transport Scotland’s standardsadvisor and auditor commission. Halcrow hastaken design and supervision roles as wellas construction, design and management(CDM) co-ordination and road safety auditorresponsibilities on the bulk of the tracks.Providing assistance in the feasibility stages of these projects is Halcrow’stransport planning team, headed up by David Stephens as project manager. AndInverness-based cycling enthusiast Cathy Kay has been a source of good advicewhen it comes to pinning down the needs of the average cyclist.The study was commissioned in response tomounting pressure from the local community …following the death of a cyclist in 2005Scraping the skyChicago’s emblematic Sears Tower remains the tallestskyscraper in the western hemisphere, 35 years afterit was built.The property business group has been entrusted withrenovating the windy city’s favourite landmark. Setthe daunting task of replacing 6,000 panes of glasswith insulating glass units, the team investigated theviability of the proposed material as part of a massivere-cladding exercise and submitted four design optionsto the client.Designing for such eye-watering heights brings itsown challenges. Ensuring that the new panes remainadhered to the window frames – even in the eventof breakage – was crucial to avoid sections of glasshurtling towards unsuspecting pedestrians below.Four retractable glass boxes – planned for installationin May 2009 – will add an additional dimension to the103 rd floor observation deck. Extending 1.4m from thetower’s exterior walls, the glass additions will providean eye-popping view of the tower, Chicago skyline, andthe ant-like people on the ground below.Work began back in late 2006 with a feasibility study into the provision of an 8kmcycle route on the Black Isle in northern Scotland, adjacent to the A835 betweenTore and Maryburgh. The study was commissioned in response to mountingpressure from the local community and cycling groups for a safe link between thetwo villages following the death of a cyclist in 2005.The project completes a gap in the route between Inverness and Dingwall. Theteam’s feasibility study recommended combining existing footways with lightlytrafficked local roads and a new 2m-wide shared-use facility.Delivered to budget at just over £500,000, the route was largely constructed alongthe A835 southbound verge to create a safe, direct route which minimised theneed for trunk road crossings. Highland Quality Construction was the principalcontractor for the works, with Alex Scott as Halcrow’s man on the ground.The local community welcomed the new facility which now attracts a high volumeof cyclists and pedestrians. “Positive feedback from both Transport Scotland andThe Highland Council helped us secure a number of other cycle track projects.These include routes in the CairngormsNational Park, Glencoe and Argyll,”said Murray.The team is currently providingdesign input for all trunk roadsections on a cycle route betweenOban and Fort William on Scotland’swest coast, led by sustainabletransport charity Sustran. The routecuts through an old railway line, whichhad been filled with surplus materialfrom the construction of the road bridge at Creagan. Around 7,000m 3 of materialhad to be removed. “The route also passes through a special area of conservationand site of special scientific interest,” explains Murray.Excavating Creagan MoundObservation boxes(courtesy of SOM Architects)On top ofthe worldThe Sears Tower held onto its title of ‘world’s tallestbuilding’ for an impressivequarter of a century, onlybeing usurped in 1998 byMalaysia’s Petronas Towers.Standing at a colossal 442m,the 110-storey structureremains one of the world’smost recognisable modernlandmarks.The next project – a 6km route further along the A828 – is being designed by leadtechnician Kelly Gray from Inverness. Adjacent to the A82, it will link the recentlycompleted Sustrans route and provide a community link from the Glencoe VisitorCentre to North Ballachulish, at a cost of around £500,000.

Project profilesCelebrating excellenceTaking its tollTraffic streaks along the newly constructedthird lane of the M42 motorway east ofBirmingham, UK, a testament to thescheme’s success.Halcrow took on design duties for contractorCostain during the tender and detaileddesign phases. Commissioned by MidlandExpressway in October 2007, the design andbuild scheme opened to motorists – on timeand to budget – in July 2008. Linking the M42to the M6 toll road, the extended southboundsection reduces snags on one of the UK’sbusiest stretches of motorway.Halcrow’s tender designs sought to reducework areas on the 2km scheme, cuttingmaterial costs and the need for laneclosures. Given the heavy traffic flows on thisarterial route, slashing traffic managementcosts was identified at the outset as adeciding factor in securing the contract.Detailed drainage analysis made the casefor downsizing drainage works. Revisingthe road alignment shaved sizeable chunksfrom the verge width – trimming down theearthworks andreducing theneed for off-sitedisposal. Thesereviews enabledCostain to scale back theconstruction programme,cutting costs and improving the project’ssustainability credentials.Sharp contract negotiations and valueengineering will also bring savings forHalcrow. Any differences between projectexpenditure and tender predictions were split50:50 between the two parties, providing anextra incentive to review every section of thescheme and find areas for potential savings.Managed from Halcrow’s Cardiff base withspecialist support from Swindon, Chichesterand Derby, the contract is the first designand build scheme delivered out of the Welshcapital since regional empowerment.Project manager Paul Sandford reflected:“This has been a real team effort and acredit to those involved, characterised byGlowing reviews from Costain ina recent client survey culminatedin an overall score of nine outof a ten, with the contractorenthusing that it would ‘definitelyrecommend’ Halcrow to others.The companies are teaming up onanother design and build schemein South Wales.a commitment to deliver a qualityservice. Thanks in particular toSimon Rimell, Lesley Campton andDavid Smith.”BeforeAfterM6 Birmingham Road overbridgealong the M42 southbound vergeShine a lightHalcrow’s switched-on street lighting team has dazzledChichester residents, lighting up four iconic landmarks in thehistoric West Sussex town.An architectural lighting trial made 21 October a night tosavour, with illuminating results for The Market Cross, TheButter Market, The Council House and the cathedral.Halcrow’s David Hollingsworth, Rob Jones, Cedric Whitingand Kam Mak – seeking to push the boundaries of theirInstitution of Lighting Engineers (ILE) exterior lighting diploma– demonstrated bags of initiative. Not only did they liaise withlocal authorities to plan the display, but they got local firm PhilipsLighting on board.The Market CrossThe Council HouseDonated floodlighting equipment and the latest LED technology inhand, the bright sparks set about flicking the switch on their centralobjective – creating a lighting scheme that enhances both theilluminated structure and the surrounding scene.Local residents and councillors swarmed around the lit-upmonuments, ablaze in the night sky. City council property manager,Guy Clifford, applauded the team’s efforts:“This innovative demonstration gives the city council a valuableinsight as to how these prominent buildings could be enhanced. Thepossibilities are endless, and I am certain that this project will helpdetermine future plans for the lighting of these buildings.”(L to r) Kam Mak, Cedric Whiting, PaulRansley, Sarah Nichols, Richard Bennett,Rob Jones and David Hollingsworth20Vox | issue two

Watch this ISPAceTwo years after Romania’s president, TraianBasescu, rejoiced in his country’s journeyalong “the road of our joy” to Europeanmembership, the first tangible signs of themillions of euros flooding through Bucharestare evident.Complemented by the rhythmic pop ofchampagne corks, Romania marked theofficial opening of its first instrument forstructural policies for pre-accession (ISPA)project – in Satu Mare – with a ceremony on29 September 2008.Taking a strategic overview of the£29 million project’s component parts,Halcrow supervised the delivery of awater supply treatment plant and wastewater plant, as well as sewerage andwater supply networks.Residents across Romania are nowsipping cleaner water, minus thedetrimental manganese and ironconcentrations that had previouslyblighted the supply. The overhauledtreatment plant boasts anenhanced ultraviolet disinfectionstage, ensuring that the torrentof discharged water pouring intothe Somes River meets stringentquality standards.The overhauled treatment plantMarching eastPart of the European Union’s mechanismto apportion funds to new members of theEuropean family, instrument for structuralpolicies for pre-accession (ISPA) projects havebolstered recent recruits’ transport networksand environmental credentials.Intended to improve infrastructure inaccession countries, around £14 billion will bepumped into the ‘new Europe’ between nowand 2013.The sewer tunnelLight at the end of the tunnelHalcrow helps complete ISPA-funded project in RomaniaA challenging sewer construction project in Romania –plagued by funding issues – was finally inaugurated inJanuary 2009, 20 years after work began.The project in Braila – a port city on the Danube Riverin Muntenia, eastern Romania – involved building a newmain sewer for the town’s 230,000 residents. Halcrowprovided technical assistance to the scheme’s criticalprocurement and supervision phases of the final andmost challenging stages.challenge thanks to the depth anddifficult soil conditions under thewater table.Halcrow’s team leader, StewartNeal, together with theRomanian supervision team,ensured this vital communityasset was finally delivered.Construction began in the final days of communismin 1989, but a lack of funds stopped work after thefirst three sections were built. The final hurdlewas overcome after cash was secured from theinstrument for structural policies for preaccession(ISPA) programme in 2000 – one ofthree European Union funding sources. Thislast 289m section of the 4km-long schemewas a major design and construction

Project profilesCelebrating excellenceRISAS to the topPutting on its figurative auditor’s hat, Halcrowissued certification to an industry supplier aspart of the Railway Industry Supplier ApprovalScheme (RISAS).A recognised assessor since 2006, Halcrowapproved Rail Door Solutions (RDS) to undertakedoor maintenance services under the RISAS thirdparty evaluation process. The team has beencommissioned to carry out a further assessmentof RDS after the first certificate expires in June.UK traffic jam reliefRed-faced motorists can look forward to a calm new era in Tipton in the WestMidlands thanks to a new road scheme, which will see Halcrow removing the lastrailway crossing on the West Coast Main Line running between Birmingham andWolverhampton.West Coast Main LineAs part of SandwellMetropolitan BoroughCouncil’s aspirationsto regenerate the localarea, the £22.4 millionproject – partly fundedby Network Rail – willsee the railway crossingat Tipton stationreplaced by a reliefroad. At peak times,the railway crossingcloses for up to 45minutes every hour, bringing motorists to a grinding halt.The new relief road will allow traffic to flow freely.Working with construction provider BAM Nuttall, Halcrow has designed a15m-wide, 9m-high, 53m-long concrete box to provide passage under the railwayline. With the box successfully put in place in April, a 300m road realignment will beconstructed and the level crossing will be decommissioned by the end of the year.Halcrow’s David Mullins(left) presents theRISAS certificate toRDS managing directorJeremy SpriggThe project included numerous design challenges, such as squeezing the roadbetween the Birmingham canal which runs parallel to the tracks, a high-pressuregas main and the existing railway infrastructure – including the buried remains ofold rail bridge abutments. The majority of excavated materials are being reusedwithin the site to provide improved sports playing fields.Halcrow’s project manager Simon Ogborn said: “The scheme’s success is downto the commitment of John Sreeves, Mike Ball and Paul Wright from Swindon’sbridges team, who have overcome difficult challenges to find a workable solution.”Gonu with the windHalcrow has made a phenomenally accurate prediction of when adevastating, once-every-100-year cyclone would rip through Oman,warning the government of the Gonu cyclone’s imminent arrival.The team’s uncanny accuracy earned it a favourable write-up and glowingpraise from Farhan Faraidooni, the executive chairman of client SamaDubai, in the Gulf News newspaper.The article centred on Halcrow’s work on the £650 million Salam resortand Spa-Yiti project in Muscat.Cyclone Gonu near peak intensityFarhan Faraidooni told GulfNews: “Not very many peopletook them seriously. Thencame Gonu – and it devastatedthe area, as predicted by theconsultants. That’s the kindof accuracy we have to ensurewhile we plan our projects.”The Salam Yiti project straddlesa wadi and is prone to floodingduring the cyclone period.Halcrow’s study helped the clientavoid the worst excesses of thecyclone’s raw power.Damage in Muscat, Oman22Vox | issue two

ElginmarvelCoastal communities scattered along Scotland’s Moray Firthare turning on their taps to a safer water supply, thanks to aHalcrow-led infrastructure overhaul.Concealed by hills and scrubland, the Badentinan water treatmentworks supplies the city of Elgin with 27 million litres daily. Villagesstrewn across the firth’s far-flung reaches and a soup factory also tapinto the plant’s supply.Water quality tests consistently returned results of high turbidity orcloudiness. Readings were up to four times higher than acceptablelevels, as determined by recent water quality directives.Undertaking work for Scottish Water Solutions, Halcrow’s team washeavily involved in the investigations, design work and production oftender and construction documents for the essential upgrade. Halcrowinherited several concept designs, a proposed rapid gravity filter (RGF)and an approved £12 million budget.Badentinan water treatment worksConvinced there was a more effective method of treating turbidity andfollowing discussions with suppliers, the team arrived at an alternative– an ultra-filtration (UF) membrane plant.Tenders for the revised design came in at £5 million – a hefty saving onthe funds already committed. While the initially proposed RGF facilityrequired a 9km pipeline to pump waste to Elgin’s sewage treatmentplant, by-products from Halcrow’s option are minimal and easilyneutralised. Recognising this, the Scottish Environmental ProtectionAgency has permitted the discharge of treated waste flows into a localwaterway, removing the need for the pipeline.After selecting the membrane supplier – and ordering the parts fromAustralia – the team designed a bespoke building to house the plantand associated machinery. This included a 50m 3 reinforced concretefeeder tank and a 36m-long, 20m-wide, 7m-high steel-clad building.The Invernessproject teamNeil AimersMathew BotMurray RichardsonBrian CarsonScot BellPaul BrettAli MuirLouise RossEddie DouglasAlan MacLarenAlexsej FrolovRichard Sewerniak£The new plant came ‘on stream’ at the close of 2008, four monthsahead of schedule and several million pounds under budget.

AwardsCelebrating achievementA quite beautiful awardCrystals at CityCenter in Las Vegas has won theengineering design and steel categories at the Bestof 2008 Awards for Nevada, sponsored by SouthwestContractor magazine.Designed by internationally renowned architect DanielLibeskind, Crystals is the high-end retail, dining andentertainment venue which will form the core of MGMMirage’s CityCenter.It is currently the largest privately-fundeddevelopment in the US. One judge dubbed it“an incredible steel and engineering accomplishmentthat is also quite beautiful”.As well as providing complete structural engineeringservices for this noteworthy project, the propertybusiness group is involved with other elements of the5.2 million metres 2 , £4.8 billion multi-use development.Reaching highThe mixed-use Gate development in Doha,Qatar, has won the best development and thehigh-rise architecture categories at the CNBCArabian Property Awards 2008.The Gate’s podium hosts a new shoppingmall, which includes retail outlets, fitnesssuites and restaurants. Emerging above thepodium are three towers of prestigious officeaccommodation.Two of the towers rise 13 floors above thepodium, with the three upper floors connectedto form a portal, from which the title of thedevelopment is derived.Ageing gracefullyHalcrow has scooped a commendation at this year’s Institution of CivilEngineers Historic Bridge and Structure Awards.The work to rebuild the Oil Mills bridge on the Stroudwater Canal inGloucestershire entailed building a reinforced concrete integral bridge to21 st century loading standards, while preserving its 18 th century arch.The bridge abuts a company that provides fake snow for films such asHarry Potter and Quantum of Solace. Before work could begin some214 slow worms and 18 grass snakeswere moved.(L to r) ICE president Jean Venables,Mark Craddy, Andrew Elms and Terry GirdlerHalcrow Yolles is providing a host of servicesto this landmark scheme, including structural,architectural and interior design. The propertyteam is also co-ordinating the mechanical,electrical and plumbing engineering aspectsand is providing technical support duringconstruction.The Gate development24Vox | issue two

AHalcrow’s asset management andengineering skill group is making hugestrides in fire damage assessment, yieldingsignificant savings for asset owners andimproving safety for urban residents.Helping to stave off demolition for fireravagedconcrete structures, the team’sresearch is highlighting alternatives to thewrecking ball through cutting-edge testingand inspection techniques.The Concrete Society recently publisheda new technical report, TR68: Assessment,design and repair of fire-damaged concretestructures, which features sizeable input fromHalcrow and is set to be adopted as standardreference material.Reinforcing Halcrow’s materials technologyexpertise, Jeremy Ingham recently spoke atthe 4 th International Conference on ForensicEngineering, held at the Institution of CivilEngineers’ (ICE) London headquarters.Presenting a paper on Forensic engineeringof fire-damaged concrete structures, Jeremyoutlined the scope for inspection and testing,structural analysis and concrete repairmethods. On the back of this, a revisedversion was published in a forensic-focusedissue of the ICE’s journal, which landed ondesks around the UK in April 2009.Jeremy commented: “Concrete has excellentfire resistance and fire-damaged structuresare often capable of being repaired. Our workto preserve buildings following fires providesHalcrow is blazingahead in fire-related fieldsissuesubstantial reductions in capital expenditure,and permits earlier reoccupation.”The work of Halcrow’s fire safety engineeringteam – designing fire-resistant structures –dovetails with that of the asset managementand engineering skill group. The recentlycompleted assessment of passive fireprotection measures for Dubai InternationalCity’s buildings, involving extensive firetesting at Ulster University, is a pertinentexample of this collaboration.Fathi Tarada, the team’s director, added:“The combination of our strong fire andasset management skills has alreadyreaped dividends in terms of new projectinstructions, assessing fire-damagedstructures, identifying the causes, andensuring adequate future mitigationmeasures. Halcrow is recognised as a forceto be reckoned with in all fire-related areas.”Legal eaglestake flightHalcrow’s legal agreements team has justcompleted a tour of UK offices to promotebest practice as part of the ProjectExcellence programme.Team members Nigel King, RachelGriffiths and Rebecca Hunt have beengiving employees a crash course on whatto look out for when negotiating legalagreements with Halcrow clients. Adviceincludes referring to the agreed contractthroughout the life of the project to checkthe correct processes and mechanisms arebeing used.Employees were also reminded thatHalcrow is not insured for fitnessfor purpose obligations. Duty of carestatements in contracts should be confinedto ‘reasonable skill, care and attention’,but they are not always so clearly stated.Bidding practice also came under scrutiny,as the team stressed the importance ofensuring that only up-to-date Halcrowinsurance policies – in terms of monetarylimits and coverage – are used in biddocuments. If in any doubt, employees areadvised to contact the team, along withany client requests for parent companyguarantees and performance bonds.Further information is available onHalnet’s legal agreements siteunder the support services menu.Les in LisbonHalcrow’s Technical Excellence scheme aimsto boost technical experts’ skills profiles andserve to broadcast the company’s successes.Part of Halcrow’s business improvementprogramme, Technical Excellence providesa framework for mentoring relationships –supporting and encouraging future technicalleaders. More experienced employees casttheir net a little wider, and may get involvedin cutting-edge external research to furtherdevelop their skills.For Les Batty, a senior ecologist based inPeterborough, the support of his TechnicalExcellence mentor, Val Cooper, spurredhim to build on research he first started asa lecturer at the University of Algarve. Lesoutlines his aims within the programme:“One of my targets under TechnicalExcellence is to establish a collaborative linkwith a university.”With support from the consulting businessgroup’s research and development funding,Les recently visited Portugal to put togethera major research proposal with an interdisciplinaryteam from the University ofAlgarve, the Technical University of Lisbonand the A Rocha Field Study Centre.Describing the project objectives, Les said:“The research hinges on developing anintegrated ecosystem model for a smallseasonally-arid estuary in southern Portugal.We believe that the inter-disciplinaryapproach we are developing, including theintegration of different modelling styles,represents an innovative contribution tocoastal science and management in Europe.”The project proposalhas been submittedto the Portuguesegovernment’s scienceand technology fund tosecure funding, while Leslooks for backing fromHalcrow’s innovation fund.Val is fully behind Les’sresearch: “The skills Les isdeveloping are exactly whathe needs to become a worldclasstechnical expert,”she said.Visit the Technical Excellencesite on Halnet or emailtechnicalexcellence@halcrow.com for more.Les Batty

State ofthenationPeter Gammie takes on the 3Csoncluding a week of whirlwind talksC and delicate negotiations, the Groupof 20 (G20) leaders traipsed throughLondon as March eased into April, havingsecured an historic £746 billion stimuluspackage. But while the international financialmotor appears to be spluttering into life andthe first encouraging green shoots of growthpeep through, the slump is far from over.As a world-wide company, Halcrow isexposed to the full range of global eddies andmarket surges – both positive and negative.The UK is facing a biting recession, whilethe Middle East’s turbo-charged growth hasbeen pegged back. Dubai and Sharjah areexperiencing sharp downturns, yet Halcrow’smarkets in Abu Dhabi and Qatar remainsteady. Recovery in North America is on thecards – earlier than anticipated – and otherHalcrow markets are projecting growth thisyear, including Asia, Latin Americaand Australasia.Having seen out 2008 with a bumper orderbook and a hefty balance sheet, Halcrow haseased through the first quarter of 2009 aheadof budget.Chief executive Peter Gammie believes thereis plenty to be positive about. “Overall, we arebearing up well as demonstrated by the profitfigures just in for the first quarter. With Q1profit of £7.1 million, we are performing£1.3 million above budget, but £1.1 millionbehind this point last year.”Work won in the first quarter has also beensteady, and although a little behind target, it iswell ahead of the same period last year. “Thehighlight of this has been our Crossrail win inthe UK, which will provide eight years of workfor our rail and tunnelling teams. However,some markets remain weak and regrettablywe have had to reduce our staffing levels insome regions and sectors,” explained Peter.Much of the resilience shown is attributableto teams taking on the 3Cs: cash collection,client care and cost control.Just as the banking crisis has crippledindividuals lacking a source of ready cash,businesses unable to maintain the flowof funds have been mercilessly sidelined.“It’s not a lack of profit that bankruptsWith Q1 profit of£7.1 million, we areperforming £1.3 millionabove budgetcompanies,” Peter explains, “it’s runningout of cash. I recognise that collecting cashdoesn’t always sit easily with people. Butwe have to do it – and do it better.” The needto invoice and collect payments promptlyremains as acute as ever.Clients are facing their stiffest challenges,and the deepening global malaise has causedmany to tighten their grip on the pursestrings. Building enduring relationships anddelivering on client expectations is imperativeif Halcrow is to weather the storm – andeveryone has a part to play.With clients seeking out partners to help themachieve value for money and maintain quality atlower cost, the path is wide open for securingnew deals and strengthening relationships.Operating in the present climate of fragilefrugality, many clients are facing their toughesttimes. “Remember our goal,” reiterates Peter,“to become the consultant that clients andpartners naturally seek out when addressingtheir greatest challenges. The current timesmust surely be one of those challenges – thisis our chance to show what we’re capable of.”Breathing in deeply while yanking on itscollective belt, Halcrow is keeping a watchfuleye on costs, tightly managing its cash flow.Prudency – as opposed to a panicked freezeon spending – is the company’s overridingobjective. “Whatever action we take withrespect to cost control,” Peter points out, “weshouldn’t compromise our ability to run – andgrow – a successful business.”And what of the accusation that values-basedorganisations turn their backs on ‘nice-tohave’elements that don’t turn a profit? Peterresponds decisively: “Our values make us whowe are. Rather than it being a choice betweensaving money and living our values, we seethese themes as being complementary.”Peter is confident that Halcrow has takenappropriate steps to withstand financialpressures: “We shouldn’t lose sight of the factthat we have a healthy business. We have agood order book. We have a strong pipelineof work and we continue to win new projects.And we are pulling together like never before.”Budget beaters – Peter’s tips for saving, slashing and shelving costs• Planes, trains and automobiles: Halcrowracks up millions of pounds worth oftravel costs. Unless they’re essentialto deliver projects, bid for new work orbuild client relationships, think hardabout whether face-to-face meetings arenecessary. Technology is your friend –video conferencing, conference calls andweb conferencing (WebEx) are cheap,convenient methods of keeping in touch.• Bidding: during more barren times, thetemptation arises to bid for any projectsthat come up. We need to be morerigorous during the assessment anddecision-making stages, ensuring wefocus on projects where winning is astrong probability.• External training and development: cutdown or postpone where possible – butdon’t stop. Halcrow’s competitive edgeis dependent on having the market’s topskills and expertise at our disposal. Wehave a well-equipped internal trainingresource – let’s use this to its full capacity.• Recruitment of non-fee-earningemployees: avoid taking on new teammembers for the time being.26Vox | issue two

Sustainable businessIn February 2009, chief executive Peter Gammie joined regional managingdirector David Yaw in the Middle East to take part in the Arabian WorldConstruction Summit.Hosted by Middle East Business Intelligence(MEED) in Abu Dhabi, the conferencetheme – achieving business sustainabilityin a challenging market – was a timelyconcept as participants discussed adaptingto new realities.Peter took part in a panel of prominentchief operating officers, where hediscussed Halcrow’s approach toachieving business sustainability basedon the company’s 55-year pedigree in theregion. “We focus on long-termrelationships with clients whohave the same values as us,”said Peter, “and we look forpartnerships that combineequity and risk sharing.”Peter went on to request thatthose organisations involvedin procuring services focus onvalue and not cost as this will create sustainable business into the future: “It isabout balanced and fair contracts that recognise what the service provider isbringing to the table,” he said.New Indian office inauguratedHalcrow has moved its offices in the Indian capital from Delhi to Noida.David Kerr, David Birchand members of India’smanagement team attendeda special Hindu inaugurationceremony at the new officestowards the end of 2008.The Noida premises arespread over four floors,with 172 workstations,five meeting roomsand a soundproof videoconference centre.David Kerr joins India’s senior management team in a Hindu Pooja ceremony

Larry Ellison, founder of the Oracle software empire,famously quipped: “When you innovate, you’ve got to beprepared for everyone to think you’re nuts.”in actionHalcrow is clearly ready for sideways glances and furtive whispers.The company’s innovation fund pumps revenue from tax creditclaims into an ongoing research and development programme.Established in 2007, the fund backs projects that channel researchknowledge into new and improved products and services.The technology and innovation subcommittee allocates the grants,with individual projects able to secure up to £150,000 per year for amaximum of three years. Large scale or cross-business projects topthe list for investment, which may supplement existing businessgroup or external funding sources.CanuteDS:managing flood risk£180,000 over 18 monthsMaking huge strides in flood risk modelling and decision supportsoftware, this project is helping maintain Halcrow’s position as theleading integrated flood risk management consultancy.As the waters receded after the UK’s sodden summer of 2007, theForesight Future Flooding report warned that flood risk in urban areascould jump by a factor of up to 20 over the next century. Given thisleap, existing flood risk policies will be ill-equipped to cope.While flooding stems from different sources – rain, river or sea –flood risk models tend to focus on the chief threat. By its very nature,climate change presents a series of unknowns. Sea level rises,intense rainfall and storm surges are on the cards, although no-onecan foresee the ferocity or full range of potential scenarios.Bolstering the tools available to decision makers, CanuteDS willhelp those responsible for managing flood risk navigate a paththrough present and future uncertainty, delivering sustainable, robustinvestment decisions.✉Tim Wells – wellst@halcrow.comAsset managementtoolkit£77,000 over 12 monthsDeciding when and how much to invest in infrastructure is a constantchallenge for asset owners. Striking a balance between capital andoperational expenditure while weighing up potential risks to servicedelivery is no easy task. Owners often struggle to determine theoptimum time to repair, replace, or intervene to slow the rate ofinfrastructure decline.Positioning Halcrow at the forefront of asset management, this projectfocuses on developing a software tool to optimise the design and realtimeoperational control of water distribution networks.Using the existing ENCOMS in-house software package as a startingpoint, the project aims to enable broader applications, and is exploringthe potential for integration with Halcrow’s shoreline and nearshoredata system (SANDS).A cutting-edge genetic algorithm optimiser underpins Halcrow’srapidly evolving asset management toolkit. “In layman’s terms, thegenetic algorithm will automate and accelerate complex decisionmaking and find the best solution in a fraction of the time that it wouldtake to solve the problem through trial and error,” explains projectmanager Paul Conroy.✉Paul Conroy – conroyp@halcrow.comGot a bright idea? Visit the innovation fund site on Halnet under knowledge.28Vox | issue two

Sustainable solutionsIt’s in our handsince the industrial revolution, civil infrastructureS has rightly been paraded as a measure ofprogress and modernity. Roads and railwaysscored their way through the countryside, enabling therural poor to flock to cities in search of new opportunities.Steering the US out of the economic landslides of the1930s, Franklin D Roosevelt boldly declared: “Therecan be little doubt that in many ways the story of bridgebuilding is the story of civilisation.”But while last century’s transport routes linked A to Bat the lowest cost, easing the impact on wildlife and thenatural environment now tops the list of requirements.Nowhere is this more evident than the Cross Valley LinkRoad (CVLR) and Upton flood attenuation area phases2 and 3, near Northampton, led by the Homes andCommunities Agency (formerly English Partnerships).Arching around Northampton’s south west district, theroad is part of a new suburban development for the EastMidlands market town. Representing a marked departurefrom typical sprawling suburbs, the urban extensionpreserves large swathes of the natural environment.Halcrow’s ecologists were involved from the outset,with environmental protection measures fused into thescheme as part of the design stage. Appointed ecologicalclerk of works (ECW) in 2007 when the diggers rolled in,Halcrow was tasked with minimising the ecological impactof construction on the site and surrounding areas.Engagement and compromise within the multidisciplinaryteam were key to the project’s success. Project directorTrevor Rackley explains the significance of this approach:“As well as exceeding our client’s requirements onenvironmental performance by achieving ‘excellent’status through the civil engineering environmental qualityassessment and awards scheme (CEEQUAL), our projectteam has managed to deliver the best possible solutions,balancing sometimes conflicting environmental andengineering objectives.“We looked at how both the design and constructionprocess can be improved to reduce environmental impact.And our environmentalists recognised that engineersdon’t want to ride roughshod over the environment, butcannot totally avoid having some impact.”30Vox | issue two

Aerial view of lakes intwo county wildlife sitesNaturalselectionEnvironmental impact assessments were carried out for each of theproject’s components – CVLR and the two flood alleviation areas. In all,19 ecological experts descended on the site, picking their way throughthick foliage on the look out for badger setts and other signs of wildlife.Armed with comprehensive data, the team consultedNorthamptonshire’s wildlife trust on the most appropriate mitigationmeasures to take. With construction set to disrupt numerous species’habitats, protection during the works phases – and the creation of newforaging and nesting areas – remained priorities.In all, 19 ecological expertsdescended on the site, pickingtheir way through thick foliage onthe look out for badger setts andother signs of wildlifeShaded by ancient oak trees, the project covers six county wildlife sitesand three potential wildlife areas. Hedgerows, wetland grasses andother vegetation were successfully transplanted, and the embankmentdesign was altered to avoid disturbing veteran tree roots. Where treeremovals were unavoidable, 15 roosting boxes were installed for thelocal pipistrelle bat population.Strategically placed fences sprang up across the site, protecting treeroots and branches from heavy machinery. While the main badger settwas fenced off to prevent damage, animals remained free to roamaround, meaning excavations and potential hazards had to be covered toavoid injuries.Much of the ecologically-sensitivework focused on the River Neneand its surrounds.As part of the works,a channel section wasrealigned to remove ameander – identifiedas having the potentialto underminethe CVLR bridgestructure. Afterexcavating thenew channel andconnecting it tothe river, theexisting channelwas filled in.Easing the effects of constructionon resident wildlife, Halcrow’steam caught and relocated ninegrass snakes; transplantedvegetation from the old channelto maintain habitats; and deftlycaught over 1,000 fish as part ofa rescue effort, releasing thesedownstream of the works.A silt curtain installedacross the River Neneprevented sediment fromthe construction workscontaminating localwaterways.Effective communication – including ‘toolbox talks’ to keep the siteteam updated – safeguarded ecological protection, despite the rapid,ever-changing construction programme. Reflecting on the extensivecross-discipline co-operation underpinning the scheme, ecologistAbigail Meddings said: “During a meeting at the siteoffice, I realised just how large and complicated aproject this was. I counted nine Halcrow disciplinessat around that table.”Halcrow’s Trevor Rackley andSteve Collins of the Homes andCommunities Agency collectthe CEEQUAL award from ICEpresident Jean VenablesBotanical and invertebrate surveys arescheduled for mid-2009, with the informationto supplement future management plansfor the county wildlife site. Meanwhile,vegetation clearance to reduce shade andencourage growth of other plant varieties isnearing completion, and 20ha of wetland habitat is setto be created.

Sustainable solutionsIt’s in our handsTwo birds with one stoneEnvironment Agency’sDominic Nickson (far left)and Ian Winstanley(far right) with Halcrow’sNigel Pontee andEmma ToveyHalcrow celebrates award-winning coastal realignment projecteptember 2008 saw the grandSopening of one of the largestcoastal realignment projectsin Europe. The scheme has returned168ha of land to its original tidal regime,countering flood risks from rising sea levelsdue to climate change – while providing acelebrated new wildlife habitat.Halcrow carried out the initial design andconsent studies for the scheme at HeskethOut Marsh West, on the south bank of theRibble Estuary in Lancashire.The realignment manages flooding in theRibble Estuary by allowing Hesketh OutMarsh West to flood. This creates a large saltmarsh, absorbing tidal energy and reducingthe risk of flooding the surrounding area.Additionally, existing inland sea defenceswere repaired to protect farmland on theeastern side of Hesketh Out Marsh with anew sea wall.Before the 1980s, when local landownersbuilt flood defences to block the flow ofwater, Hesketh Out Marsh West was anatural salt marsh. Returning the land to thisstate creates a breeding ground for wadingbirds such as the lapwing, redshank, avocetand oystercatcher, while acting as a vitalwintering ground for species like pink-footedgeese, whooper swans, wigeon, teal andgolden plover.The Ribble is one of the most importantestuaries in the UK for birds and willeventually become one of the RoyalSociety for the Protection of Birds’nature reserves.Halcrow’s project manager, Emma Tovey,said: “Halcrow was delighted to work on theinitial design of this challenging realignmentscheme – one of the first to extensivelyrecreate the network of creeks that existedon the site before it was reclaimed foragriculture. The creeks allowed all thesoil needed to create and strengthen flooddefences to be sourced from within the siteitself. The creeks should also speed up thedevelopment of intertidal habitat.”Ian Rowland, the scheme’s EnvironmentAgency business sponsor, added: “Theexcellent support of the Halcrow project teamenabled a smooth transition through theplanning process and provided an essentialsound basis for us to progress the detaileddesign and to complete this project.”The coastal realignment of HeskethOut Marsh West has beenrecognised with a BestPractice Award from theInstitute of Ecology andEnvironmental Management.A paper on the scheme alsowon the Halcrow 2008 BestTechnical Paper award.Share and share alikeFour eager car sharers at Halcrow’s Peterborough office in the UKhave been doing their bit to reduce their collective carbon footprintsince August 2007.The group – Sharon Duggan, James Negus, Clare Cox and MarcellePsaila – all live in Cambridge and commute to Peterborough each day.Using a spreadsheet, they have diligently kept a record of the impactof their car sharing efforts. From April to November 2008, they saved6.4 tonnes of carbon emissions which averages out to ten tonnes ofcarbon for a full year.32Vox | issue two

Heavy weather in New YorkEvery major world city is waking up to therealities of climate change and the need tomitigate its effects.New York is no exception, and a recent highprofile project win puts Halcrow at the centreof efforts to defend the ‘Big Apple’ againstclimate change.The company has been selected by the NewYork City Department of EnvironmentalProtection (NYCDEP) to undertake a£2.4 million climate change study project,as part of a joint venture with environmentalengineering firm Hazen and Sawyer.Opportunity knocksRenewable energy generation systems?Check. Hyper-efficient building fabric tomeet stringent insulation standards? Check.Intelligently controlled daylight dimminglighting systems, rainwater harvesting andnatural ventilation? Check, check, check.With the full sustainability contingentcarefully integrated, Okehampton BusinessCentre swept to a deserved victory atOctober’s District Surveyors Association(LABC) Built in Quality Awards.Halcrow will help the NYCDEP to identify andquantify the impacts of climate change andpopulation growth on New York City’s sewer,drainage and wastewater systems. Theteam will also collate data on local rainfall,sea level rises and storm surges for use insimulation modelling.Halcrow climate change adaptationspecialists – Murray Dale and Steven Marsich– will lead a team of international experts toprovide adaptation strategies and processesto mitigate anticipated risks.Work is expected to begin in mid-2009.West Devon Borough Council, throughthe complex decision-making process forrenewable energy options, the combinationof which has slashed the project’s energyconsumption from traditional sources.The installed wood pellet boiler has cutemissions by 40 per cent, while the 6kWwind turbine and 8kW solar photovoltaicsystem have contributed savings of 10 and15 per cent respectively.IN BRIEFHigh fiveUK magazine Sustainable Businesshas ranked Halcrow fourthin its annual survey of leadingenvironment consultancies.Gross sales for Halcrow’s UKenvironmental services in 2008were estimated at just over£65 million – approximately25 per cent of the company’stotal UK turnover.The survey looked at the value ofthese services to clients acrossHalcrow’s market sectors.Petronas in PakistanHalcrow’s Pakistan team has beenselected by Malaysian oil andgas company Petronas Carigalitoto provide a complete range ofenvironmental services toits projects.These include initialenvironmental examinations,impact assessments, and healthand safety and environmentalmonitoring. Due to run for twoyears, the contract is extendablefor a further year.Electric dreamsVerging on carbon neutrality,‘Opportunity Okehampton’ –for which Halcrow providedadvice on building services andsustainability options – took homethe prize for ‘best sustainabilityproject’. Halcrow guided the client,Okehampton Business CentreAward winner Simon WilsonTop marks for sustainabilityOpportunity Okehampton’s all-round sustainability credentials have scored ‘excellent’ratings from the Building Research Establishment’s environmental assessment method(BREEAM) and the civil engineering environmental quality assessment and awardscheme (CEEQUAL).Halcrow was closely involved in the project’s scoring under BREEAM, having acted as anadviser to ensure compliance.The project is currently awaiting its 12-month post-construction BREEAM assessment,which measures the design specifications against what was actually installed. Given itssuccess to date, Opportunity Okehampton looks certain to smash expectations.A paper focusing on energy useand saving within the waterindustry has scooped top prizein the UK East Midlands heat ofa worldwide competition run bythe Institution of Engineering andTechnology (IET).Electrical engineer Simon Wilsonfrom the Peterborough officebeat ten competitors in this firststage of the competition, held atthe University of Nottingham inJanuary. He took home £150 and ayear’s IET subscription.

Sustainable solutionsIt’s in our handsBuilding trust in carbonIan Behling fromHalcrow’s environmentteam is now an accreditedCarbon Trust assessor,empowered to verifythe emissions oforganisations wishingto meet the UK’s CarbonTrust Standard.The body separatestangible results fromthe ‘greenwash’ oftenseen in corporate claimsregarding environmentaland climate change impact.Ian Behling, Carbon Trust assessorIt provides organisations with independent verification of theircarbon reductions, allowing them to confidently shout about theirsuccess. The standard also provides companies with a significantbenefit under the carbon reduction commitment, a new regulatorytool to be launched in 2010.One of only 25 consultants accredited to deliver this work in theUK, Ian has already begun his first three assessments, with amajor mobile telecommunications company, a defence industrysupplier and a major utilities company.This work builds on Halcrow’s carbon credentials, includingcarbon accounting in the water sector and dynamic carbonfootprinting in the transportation field. It will furtherestablish Halcrow’s credibility in the field of climate changemitigation consultancy.River ItchenHalcrow has beenawarded the nextphases of a feasibilitystudy for the UK’sEnvironment Agency’sRiver Itchen waterlevel managementplan (WLMP).The project’s ultimate aim is to improve water levelmanagement practices in the Itchen, a site of special scientificinterest (SSSI), in Hampshire.As part of the feasibility work, Halcrow will supply ecology, hydrologyand river engineering expertise. The team also recently secureddetailed design work following previous feasibility assessments.Regarded as one of the world’s finest chalk streams, the River Itchen’sclear waters support a diverse range of wildlife. Also, much of theecological diversity of the flood plain is dependent on a steady supplyof fresh water from the main river.This Environment Agency-funded WLMP initiative seeks to reconcileand integrate conservation objectives with those of other usersincluding fisheries, agriculture, recreation and flood risk managers.More than CEEQUALto the taskGlasgow-based Catherine Taggart hassuccessfully qualified as a civil engineeringenvironmental quality assessment andawards scheme (CEEQUAL) verifier.The CEEQUAL programme provides anevidence-based evaluation of a project’senvironmental and sustainability performance.Catherine is the first Halcrow employeeto achieve verifier status, and follows herappointment as the company’s first CEEQUALassessor back in 2007.In addition to her current role, Catherinewill now be responsible for independentlyreviewing external projects that are seekinga CEEQUAL award. She will ensure that theevidence provided is appropriate and that theprocess has been undertaken fairly beforerecommending an award grade for the project.To avoid any conflict of interest, Catherine willnot be able to perform the verifier functionon any Halcrow projects. However, she willcontinue to act as an internal CEEQUALassessor of Halcrow’s work.Catherine’s assessment skills are currentlybenefiting Glasgow’s White Cart water floodprevention scheme and Sandy Lane relief roadin Northampton.She recently completed an award for theCross Valley Link Road in Northampton whichachieved an ‘excellent’ whole project awardwith 85.9 per cent.CEEQUAL principles can be applied at anypoint on a project by clients, designers orcontractors to promote environmental qualityand aid the decision-making process.CatherineTaggart,CEEQUALverifier34Vox | issue two

It’s an urban thingTwo Halcrow consultants presented papers at the AsianDevelopment Bank’s (ADB) inaugural Transport Forumin the Philippines at the end of 2008. Held in the capital,Manila, the event was designed to publicise the ADB’snew initiatives in sustainable transportation and relatedclimate change issues.Attended by government representatives and consultantsfrom across the world, keynote speakers includedIndia’s minister of urban development and seniorrepresentatives from the ADB, the World Bank and theUK’s Department for International Development (DFID).Senior consultant Joe Wood presented his findings onthe relationship between land development and urbantransportation. His conclusions built on his previous‘sustainable development for the urban fringe’ work forthe World Bank, through new research into how citiescope with their future spatial expansion.Modelling the likely carbon reduction potential of a rangeof transport policy interventions formed the basis oftransport planning associate Robin Hickman’s presentation.He reported on studies – at national and or city level – inthe UK, India and Canada.With carbon reduction and urban sustainability now keyobjectives for development agencies, Joe believes thatthe critical factor for urban transport policy is that it hasto become better integrated with overall city developmentand strategies have to be based around public, rather thanprivate, transportation.Delegate feedback indicated that these messages are likelyto be increasingly adopted by Asian cities.The conference has already provided a positive spin-offin the likely commissioning of Halcrow to lead aninfrastructure prioritisation study for Khulna in Bangladesh.Joe WoodPump it upWith Top Gear’s resident petrol-head Jeremy Clarkson an unlikely ambassador for therecent ‘eco driving’ craze, car owners are on the hunt for small changes to help cutemissions and save money.Soft tyres are the latest environmental pariah, with under-inflated rubber forcing the engine towork harder, burning more fuel. Environmentally-conscious employees from Halcrow’s BurderopPark office took part in a drive for correct tyre pressure, with help from the local etyre branch.The etyre team visited Halcrow’s car park late last year to check the 68 vehicles whose ownerssigned up for the scheme, with cold tyres ensuring accurate pressure readings. Cars were issuedwith a sticker once their tyres had been inflated to the optimum level, and a safety assessmentcarried out.Regional director Chris Kearns said: “There was a great response to this initiative,demonstrating that Halcrow employees are keen to do their bit to reduce fuel consumptionand lower emissions.”Chris Kearns testshis tyre pressureTyred of under-inflation• 44 per cent of all UK cars arerunning with under-inflated tyres• 34,300 tonnes of CO 2 could be savedannually if all UK cars drove on thecorrect tyre pressure• the Automobile Association foundthat 40 per cent of air pressuregauges in petrol stations andgarages are inaccurate

Sustainable solutionsIt’s in our handsDecontaminationAn interview with Scott RatcliffeOne of Cardiff’s specialistbrown field team dishes thedirt on contaminated landfor thenationSo Scott, tell us a bit about the Cardiff brownfield team.What’s the significance of brown field sitesfor sustainable development?Has the current economic climate affectedyour workload?Our team includes people from both thetransportation and consulting businessgroups, providing the technical skillsnecessary to deal with diverse landcontamination issues.Why are there so many issues with sites inthe UK? Can’t we just bulldoze what’s thereand start again?As a result of historical industrial uses, manyof the sites we encounter have inherited alegacy of ground hazards that can seriouslyconstrain their redevelopment. Hazards couldbe anything from old foundations to heavymetals or chemicals in the soil.Without thorough investigation at the outset,developers and contractors are taking amassive gamble, with the potential for timeand cost overruns looming large.The state of things to comeA Halcrow-designed data centre has scooped a Future Thinking andDesign Concepts Award for its ability to deliver massive cost andenergy savings.Remediation work reduces the pressureon greenfield areas – urban growth cantake place with minimum habitat loss orenvironmental impact. Previously derelict ordangerous sites take on a new lease of life –such as the former steelworks at Ebbw Vale.There are also clear benefits to removingcontaminants from the soil, which couldpreviously have leached into local waterways.What’s one of the biggest challenges?Even seemingly simple procedures, suchas the excavation and reuse of soils on aredevelopment scheme, are subject to arange of regulations and may pose potentiallysignificant risks – especially if contaminatedsoils are involved. We’re constantly updatingour knowledge of the regulatory frameworkand best practice to stay ahead in this everchangingfield.Unfortunately, the economic downturnhas curtailed our opportunities in the landdevelopment sector. We’re now exploringthe potential for generating brown field workfrom existing frameworks and contractsacross Halcrow. So if you have any projectsinvolving previously developed sites, try andget some advice as early as possible – ideallyat the planning stages. It’s well worth it forthe time and cost savings.What’s the strangest thing you’ve uncoveredon a site?We’ve dug up ship cannons while remediatinga site at Woolwich on the Thames, WorldWar II incendiary bombs, and an entireunderground World War II bomb shelter andhospital. Not to mention underground tanksfull of tar and ammonia in someone’s backgarden. And it doesn’t get stranger than that!Halcrow was represented at the ceremony by lead energy designerTrevor Thorogood. The shortlisted project was up against stiffcompetition from the likes of HP and Arup.Elean Business Park Energy CentreThe Elean Business Park Energy Centre won the gong at theDatacentre Leaders’ Awards 2008.The award was formally made to project developer BNBDevelopments, which is creating the 65,000m 2 datacentre on a formerairfield near Cambridge. Key to this success was an innovative energysystem that consumes virtually no new power to generate all the site’sheating and cooling needs.Boasting up to seven data centre buildings, the Elean data campuspromises to deliver reduced running costs through the use of energyefficient technologies. Such bold objectives are achieved through onsiteenergy generation, the reclamation of waste heat and the provisionof chilled water from absorption cooling to the data centres. It is hopedthat in the near future, the harnessing of such energy could also heat400 homes at a nearby eco village.A 25MW electricity grid connection is used to provide supply security –a key element for data centres – and top-up power.The project was also the runner-up at the Uptime Awards held in NewYork in April. Up against stiff international competition, the schemenarrowly missed out on the top spot.Powering up the green wayGenerating 27MW of electricity and 34MW of chill capacity, the Eleancentre will achieve an energy efficiency saving of over 75 per cent. Andonce it is connected to the adjacent eco-village, it will deliver over80 per cent. This equates to an £8.5 million a year energy saving.36Vox | issue two

Transformingchildren s livesA brighter future for Romania’s orphanselping to drive forward a complete culturalHchange in how Romanian orphans are treatedis a key goal of the Foundation for the Relief ofDisabled Orphans (F.R.O.D.O).And it is a step closer to reality, thanks to a £27,500 cashinjection from the Halcrow Foundation, organised byproject sponsor Elena Staicu.More specifically, the funding will directly impact on retrainingstaff at Crinul Alb – a Bucharest placement centrefor children with physical and learning disabilities. CrinulAlb was the subject of a 2008 undercover television exposéabout a visit by the Duchess of York – now a F.R.O.D.Opatron. Viewers were shocked by images of traumatisedchildren tied to their beds for hours on end.With the full support of the Romanian authorities, UKcharity F.R.O.D.O has been working with the children andstaff to improve the quality of care. It aims to create anew concept of residential care that combines education,including practical vocational skills for older children, witha therapeutic approach.The charity will implement its ‘institutionaltransformation’programme todeliver dramatic improvements to the children’s lives. Itaims to accelerate the children’s development in the hopethat it will shorten their time in the institution throughplacement with family members or foster carers.F.R.O.D.O’s team has been chosen for its expertisein working with children with learning or physicaldisabilities. The group will visit the orphanage on aregular basis over the next 12 months, and has alreadystarted to form the policies and procedures that willunderpin the new approach.The Halcrow Foundation donation will pay for a full-time,Crinul Alb-based programme co-ordinator. Not only willhe or she help care for the children, they will ensure thatthe lessons learned during F.R.O.D.O’s visits are not onlymaintained, but developed even further.Vanessa Cummings, F.R.O.D.O chief executive, said:“We are committed to do whatever we can to stop thedamage that typically occurs to a child from long-terminstitutionalisation.”Despite the Romanian government’s commitment to deinstitutionalisationas a priority in its child-care policies,this cannot be achieved overnight, says Vanessa. “Morethan 20,000 children continue to be institutionalisedin Romania,” she says. “By working with us, we canhelp ensure that they receive loving care, where theirpersonalities and talents can be developed, where theirdisabilities can be managed properly and where they canlook forward to a future of hope.”A better life: many ofRomania’s disabledorphans have thepotential to live full andhappy livesF.R.O.D.O hopes to roll outthe scheme as standardpractice across Romaniaand believes the programmehas the potential to changehow orphaned and disabledchildren are cared for acrossEastern Europe.Find out more at www.frodokids.org

Giving generouslySpread a little happinessRepresentatives from Halcrow weredelighted to officially open a new patio atSwindon’s Prospect Hospice on 17 April.Following the refurbishment and extensionof the day hospice last year, it soon becameapparent that a new patio was needed. TheHalcrow Foundation stepped in to the tune ofjust over £8,000, more than enough to fundthe entire project.New patio for Prospect HospiceHalcrow’s group board director, Neil Holt,was there to witness the patio’s officialopening, along with foundation trustees JohnMartin and Andrew Yeoward, and projectsponsor Kerry Hammond.“It’s great to see what a difference theextension to the patio has made. I’m surethat its sheltered setting overlooking thehospice grounds will make it extremelypopular with both residents and day visitors,”said Neil.Fundraising manager at the hospice, SherylCrouch, agreed, adding: “During the summermonths this is a lovely space for our patientsand their families to use. The patio meansthat some activities can even take placeoutside. We are extremely grateful to theHalcrow Foundation for its support.”Find out more at www.prospect-hospice.net(L to r) Neil Holt, the hospice’s Sheryl Crouch,John Martin, Kerry Hammond, the hospice’sMark Smith and Andrew YeowardImpoverished children with special needs in Mozambique havereceived a vital lifeline from the Halcrow Foundation which will helpkeep their school open throughout 2009.The school in Maputo is supported by a registered charity, Cooperativapara a Educação e Reabilitação de Cidadãos Inadaptados (CERCI),and helps educate and rehabilitate 24 children aged from six to 15.The Halcrow Foundation’s £10,000 donation will meet almost half theannual running costs.CERCI’s school provides a lifeline tomany improverished childrenMost of the children attending the CERCI school are from poorfamilies unable to contribute any fees. In 2010, CERCI is planning tomove the school from its rented, temporary premises, to a permanentsite on land donated by the local council.While Halcrow is not currently engaged on any project work inMozambique, old Halcrovian Baghi Baghirathan is closely involvedwith the Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP)-supportedMaputo water and sanitation project serving 150,000 people. SeveralHalcrow engineers have also been involved with the Maputo project,including Rob Clarke and Richard Shackleton. Richard, a waterengineer, currently on a six month assignment in Maputo, has offeredto support and monitor the school programme.Established by a group of parents seven years ago, CERCI, togetherwith interested professionals, aims to provide education andrehabilitation facilities for children with special needs. It also aims tofoster social integration where the disabled have traditionally beenexcluded and marginalised.38Vox | issue two

Swindon therapyMultiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferers in Swindon willsoon have access to a diverse range of holistictherapies, thanks to a £5,500 donation from theHalcrow Foundation.Tough girlAs the UK experienced its most severe winter for overa decade and heavy snow brought London and othercities to a standstill, the ultimate endurance event wasin full swing near Wolverhampton.A not-for-profit organisation supporting peoplewith MS and other neurological conditions, SwindonTherapy Centre for Multiple Sclerosis (STC) is a longstandinglocal charity. STC is upgrading to larger,modern premises, and a dedicated therapy room ishigh on the agenda.With holistic therapists offering reiki, reflexology,Indian head therapy, aromatherapy and bodymassage, the centre will provide an invaluableresource for MS sufferers.Anna Price“These therapies can help people manage theircondition more effectively and remain in work,keeping them as mobile and independent aspossible,” explains Halcrow’s project sponsorCharlie-Louise Presley.Restoring a semblance of normality to people’s lives,the centre boosts self-esteem and confidence byreconnecting potentially isolated groups with thewider community.Located near Halcrow’s Burderop Park office, arelationship already exists between centre staff andHalcrow employees.Log on and make a differenceHalcrow’s Anna Price was among the thousands offearless challengers who signed their waiver forms,braving Arctic conditions for the annual Tough GuyChallenge on 1 February. On an endurance scale to rivalthe US Navy S.E.A.L.S ‘Grinder’ assault course, theaptly-titled event strikes trepidation into the hearts of theworld’s hardiest competitors.While broken bones, dislocations and over 600 cases of hypothermia forcedhundreds to retire, Anna conquered the mud, freezing water, underwater tunnels,electric fences and ropes to finish tenth in the women’s field, in under two hours.The Handforth-based ecologist signed the compulsory ‘death warrant disclaimer’prior to tackling the ‘uniquely fear-ridden’ course to raise money for the HalcrowFoundation. Supporters pledged over £450, and further contributions can bedonated online at www.justgiving.com/annaprice5.When she finally thawed out, Anna said: “It was a great experience – out of ten, I’dsay it was ten for how extreme it was. With wind chill, it was -8 degrees Celsius. Icouldn’t stop shaking. So many people got pulled out by the medics that they ranout of ambulances to get them to hospital! I am now able to take on the title of‘tough guy’, and am mad enough to do it again in the future.”Users of Halcrow’s ISIS software – one of the UK’s leadinghydrodynamic river modelling suites – have helped raiseover £850 for charity simply by logging on.In 2008, Halcrow set up the isisuser.com site to provideonline support for users of the suite, with manuals,support forums, knowledge bases and other information.Since the launch, each user has generated points whichconvert into a monetary sum – totalling £852.30.Half of this amount has been donated to the HalcrowFoundation and half to WaterAid.WaterAid thanked Halcrow for its support, saying: “Thisgenerous gift will help some of the many people livingwithout access to safe water and sanitation take their firststeps out of poverty.”Halcrow Foundation chairman David Kerr agreed, adding:“This is a great example of how money can be raised whilethe company goes about its business.”Find out more at www.halcrow.com/isis

Giving generouslySpread a little happinessHampers for helicoptersHalcrow recently added a touch of luxury to a charity event held by theUK’s Highways Agency to raise money for the London Air Ambulance’smedical helicopter services.Providing Londoners with emergency medical attention, the helicoptersavoid potentially fatal delays caused by congestion in the city’s hugelybusy road system.A Halcrow project team in Surrey is working closely with the HighwaysAgency to deliver a design, build, finance and operate project on theinfamously busy M25.Halcrow’s project manager, Marc Glass, arranged for a Harrods hamper tobe delivered as a prize in the event’s raffle, not only helping raise a total of£619 – bringing the overall donation to £1,500 – but delighting the team’sHighways Agency colleagues into the bargain.For further information, visit www.londonsairambulance.comMike Kendon, Shane Phillips, Paul Hargreaves,Matt Tompsett, Natalie Rees, Nancy Collins,Jane Narramore, Siri Frost and Dan FoxNosey nonetSimply redEmployees at Halcrow’s Edinburgh officewith a distinct penchant for red, brightenedup their office to raise cash for UK charity,RedR, on 13 February.Many arrived at work wearing various shadesof red or clutching homemade red cakes,raising £80 in the process. RedR helps rebuildlives that have been devastated by naturaldisaster and conflict.Nine big-hearted employees at Halcrow’sExeter office spent a lunchtime joggingaround an industrial estate with the soleaim of raising cash for Comic Relief’srecent Red Nose Day.The nonet even found time to run into apub, stop cars, lorries, and unsuspectingsouls queuing up at burger vans and inoffices in their hunt for donations. Their45-minute adventure raised over £500.Dressed for the occasion: the Edinburgh teamPakistananswers SOS callTen orphans at the SOS Children’sVillage in Karachi, Pakistan, arebenefiting from the rigours ofeducation – and a passport out ofpoverty – thanks to the generosity ofHalcrow employees.The orphanage belongs to theworld’s largest UK-based orphan andabandoned children’s charity – andwas visited by board members fromthe local Halcrow operation duringits annual quarterly meeting in theformer capital.As the largest community orphanagein the province of Sindh, it boastsa youth house, 15 family houses, afootball field, computer lab and avocational training centre for over1,200 students receiving pre-school,primary and secondary education.Halcrow’s Jim Fyvie, Bill Peacockand Ken Mair, together withDubai-based personal assistantJain Garrod, enjoyed a tour of thefacility, chatting with children andteachers alike. Opened in 1987, SOSChildren’s Village provides a numberof opportunities for higher education,including an intermediate collegeand technical training institute.Halcrow’s Pakistan team is nowactively sustaining and improvingthe lives of ten students at theorphanage through the sponsorshipof their education.(Opposite page) It’s a pirate’s life for me: David Grigsby, MariaHerrington, Moranda Matthews, Lucy Lyall, Simon Pearson,Robin Baldwin, Dan King, Emma Wilson and Clair Anderson40Vox | issue two

Christmas crackersLend a hand(lebar)Braving the December chill, a groupof enthusiastic Worcester employeesworked off any festive mince pie excesseswhile raising money for the local AcornsChildren’s Hospice.Organised by keen runner Gav Vickers, the4.3km fun run netted £237 for the charity,which has a centre in Worcester. TheChristmas-themed event saw a motley crewof super heroes and tinsel-adorned racerspound the pavements, with the route loopingpast County Hall and the Countryside Centre.Gav Vickers and John Owens set a blisteringpace en route to being crowned ‘fastest men’,while Anita Inight and Jen Gillies strode to thefront of the women’s field.Worcester’s team gets into the spirit of givingArr me heartiesThe girls ...... and the boysBurderop Park went into charity overdrive on14 November in support of the UK’s annualChildren in Need appeal.The ‘pirates and princesses’ theme saw aneclectic mix of tiaras and hooked prostheticsroaming around Swindon’s corridors as thedonations rolled in.Creative competitions pitted employees’‘guestimation’ skillsagainst each other, withprizes for accurate calculations. Tim Nichollswas the proud owner of a 2.21kg chocolatecake, Peter Reynolds lugged home his booty– 163 coins from the chest – while NinaJohanson-Brown discovered that a diminutiveSmart car’s balloon capacity is 117.Ian Macey and his Castlewood busker organraised £105, contributing to over £500delivered to the campaign at the end ofthe day.Eight clean shaven men fromHalcrow’s Crawley office in the UK putaway their shaving foam and razors togrow a dizzying array of moustachesduring the month of November.In a phenomenon sweeping certainparts of the planet, ‘Movember’ seesparticipants grow moustaches in returnfor sponsorship to raise awareness andfunds for men’s health issues, such asprostate cancer and depression.The Crawley team witnessed the rebirthof the ‘slug’, the ‘handlebar’ and the ‘FuManchu’- to name just a few styles beingsported by Saber Razmjooei, RaymondDobiecki, Oliver Evans, Colin Gittings,David Best, David Johnson, RossBransby and Giuliano Feliziani.And to reward their hirsute efforts,a competition was held to vote forthe best ‘tache. Although nearlyoutdone by the girls, Ray Dobieckiemerged victorious with a finehandlebar moustache, while SaberRazmjooei’s ‘slug’, was a closerunner-up. Both winners securedthemselves much needed shavingequipment.An impressive £350 was raised.

Giving generouslySpread a little happinessBox of delightsSome 21 shoeboxes bursting with toys winged their way around theworld as part of Operation Christmas Child, thanks to donations fromthe Worcester office.Filling the boxes of joy on behalf of international charity Samaritan’sPurse, Halcrow employees helped to bring some Christmas cheer tochildren in homeless shelters, hospitals, orphanages and deprivedneighbourhoods.As the gifts were handed over to customs officers for their onwardjourneys to Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia, organiser Becky Allensaid: “For some of these kids, an old Nike box containing sweets andpencils is the only gift they receive all year. The team’s contributionwill go a long way towardsbrightening up Christmasfor children in need.Leap of faithThrowing yourself off the topof a building in the depths ofwinter might not be everyone’sidea of a fun afternoon. ButBill Tate did just that whenhe demonstrated his supportfor Kidney Research UK withhis first attempt at abseiling– a 25m descent from oneof Peterborough’s landmarkbuildings.Bill netted £250 for hisefforts, contributingtowards the £15,000 raisedon the day by fearless participants.The experience was over far too quickly for the seniorelectrical engineer who now plans to plunge downthe side of Guy’s Hospital tower – a heart-inthroatjump of 140m – on 16 May 2009. Bill willagain be pledging his support forKidney Research UK, and wouldappreciate any donations – minusgood-natured suggestions that he‘break a leg’.Bill TateTo sponsor Bill, visitwww.kidneyresearchukevents.org/bill_tateBoxing dayA listening ear in SwindonHalcrow’s Burderop Park has opened up its facilities to the town’s Samaritans charitySamaritan volunteers are ordinary people, from all walks of life andbackgrounds, who, every year, help tens of thousands of troubled,often depressed, individuals. People like transport planning associate,John Costello, who has been a listening volunteer at the Swindonbranch for three-and-a-half years and is now a deputy director withresponsibility forongoing training.The charity has beenusing Burderop Park’sTudor Rooms for trainingsessions since latelast year, prompting apersonal thank you fromthe charity’s director andan acknowledgement inits annual general report.The room offers highquality multi-mediafacilities, perfect forpresentations andtraining, says John:“Each new volunteergoes through a wellrehearsed and organisedtraining programme andevery qualified SamaritanHelp is just a phone call awayis required to undertake five hours of ongoing training a year. Thisrequires facilities to accommodate up to 20 people, working togetheras well as in break-out groups.”Maintaining 24/7 coverage of the phones requires around 100volunteers in Swindonalone. “As this isa transitory town,volunteer turnover ishigh,” says John. “Thereis a constant need torecruit and train newvolunteers.”Since Halcrow openedits doors to theorganisation, two otheremployees are trainingto be volunteers. “I’mdelighted that Halcrowis living up to itspurpose of sustainingand improving thequality of people’s lives,”says John.Find out morewww.samaritans.org42Vox | issue two

AlumniOld friendsA grand gatheringTo rememberJohn Wylie passed away on 9 March 2009 at the age of 79. John joined Halcrowas head of the architect’s team in Dubai in 1979, and then worked as principalarchitect in London and Iraq between 1981 and 1983.Robert Landau died on 10 October 2008, aged 86. He took early retirementfrom Halcrow in 1982.Herbert Archard died on 21 January 2009 at the age of 87 having worked forHalcrow from 1973-1983. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth.Arthur Beard passed away, aged 90, on 13 December 2008. He retired in 1982,having worked for Halcrow in the finance team since 1976.Louis Kirwan died on 4 August 2008, aged 89 years of age. He is survived byhis wife, Rita.To send condolences, email pensionsteam@halcrow.comFriendsreunitedMemories, stories and updates on yearspast – all coated with a liberal sprinklingof misty-eyed nostalgia – were the orderof the day at the inaugural Caledonianbranch pensioners reunion towards theend of last year.Recognising that many northern friendshadn’t ventured south for the nationalreunion, retired Halcrovian Roy Dargieorganised the event – held at theHighland’s Atholl Palace Hotel inPitlochry – a little closer to home.After catching up with old friends overlunch, regional managing directorNeil Johnstone and Halcrow’spension fund trustee chairman,Derek Pollock, cleared the mists oftime, bringing the room up to dateon the company’s current activities.Several members of the gatheringshared their memories of meetingSir William Halcrow, having joinedthe company in the1950s when theemployee headcount numbered inthe hundreds.Well-thumbed photos circulatedthe room, spurring people torecount their time on Scottishhydropower sites and other iconicprojects. With plenty left to catchup on, plans are underway for arepeat event in 2010.Edward Gosschalk(1924 – 2008)A model of inspiration,dedication and courtesyAt the age of 23, Ted Gosschalk embarked on a careerwith Halcrow that lasted nearly four decades. He stayedwith the firm until retiring in 1985, continuing to work asa consultant.Ted specialised indams and hydropowerfor most of hisworking life. Initially,he was concerned withsurveys, designs andsupervision of hydroelectricdevelopmentsin Ireland, Scotland,Jamaica and Malawi.In 1955 he went toGhana to supervisethe construction ofthe first major bridgeacross the Volta River.After planning a ricemilling complex for Guyana, he was engaged to designand administrate several hydro-electric projects andprovide a hydrological assessment of the Muda irrigationproject. He then supervised construction of three sizeabledams in Malaysia and a 7km tunnel.Later, he was resident engineer for Sri Lanka’s100m-high Kotmale dam and hydro-scheme and preparedmaster plans in Ethiopia and China. He also designedpost-tensioning works for the Mullardoch Dam inScotland, UK.When problems inevitably arose on some projects, Tedwas completely unflappable and was determined toresolve them in his clients’ best interests. He was aninspiration to younger colleagues and, as an externalconsultant and supervisor for the masters in irrigationcourse at Southampton University, took a great interest inhelping the next generation of engineers.He wrote more than 30 technical papers and severalbooks as well as being an active participant in The BritishDam Society, the International Societies of Soil Mechanicsand Rock Mechanics and the International WaterResources Association.Despite his considerable eminence in the engineeringfield, Ted remained highly approachable and was a modelof courtesy and kindness to all who knew him.Ted died at his Bath home in November 2008. He leaveshis wife, Kim, and daughters, Karen and Louise.

AlumniOld friendsOlek Zienkiewicz (1921 – 2009)An elemental influence in engineering historyIn the 1940s, Halcrow could counta future revolutionary among itsemployees. The late Professor OlekZienkiewicz was principal creator ofthe computer-based Finite ElementMethod that was to revolutioniseengineering design – and he notonly worked at Halcrow, but firstused the method on a major projectat Halcrow.Born in Poland in 1921, Olekcompleted his bachelor degree inLondon after his family fled thecountry in wartime 1940. Afterreceiving his PhD in 1945, the youngOlek spent the next five years as asenior engineer in design and damconstruction with Halcrow.During his career, Olek earneda dizzying array of internationalhonours in the fields of engineering,mathematics and academia. Andhis prime achievement continuesto impact upon the work of Halcrowengineers today.As founder of the finite element method,he revolutionised design and analysisprocedures in civil, mechanical, aerospaceand other branches of engineering. Initially,the formulation of the method followed atraditional structural engineering approachbut as the underlying mathematical basisbecame better understood, its application toother disciplines became possible.His first industrial application of the techniquewas a stress analysis of the Halcrow-designedClywedog dam at Llanidloes, midWales, in 1963.Retired Halcrow employee DerekParker, who project managed thedesign of what is still Britain’s tallestconcrete dam, remembers: “Thisnew analysis method was a turningpoint in engineering history, and I’mextremely proud that its first majorapplication was to check our damdesign. Olek used it to determinethe stresses that could arise in thecompleted dam and foundationsunder various conditions oftemperature and loading.”Since this trail-blazing exercise, themethod has achieved worldwiderecognition. As well as being usedas a powerful analytical tool, it isstill a flourishing research topicwith considerable potential in newscientific areas, including biomedicalengineering and the life sciences.Olek Zienkiewicz died on 2 January 2009,aged 87. He leaves behind his wife, Helen,two sons and a daughter.His place in engineering history was securedwith numerous obituaries in the world’spress, including the UK’s The Sunday Times.Kunjukrishnan Suresh (1955 – 2009)A top flight engineerRoy Lester(1944 – 2008)Water and power business group surveyengineer, Kunjukrishnan Suresh, has diedafter suffering a heart attack while walking tohis site office in Ras Al Khaimah, United ArabEmirates, on 19 January 2009. He was 54.Kunjukrishnan, a father of three, joinedHalcrow in 1995 and started work onthe fourth phase of the Sharjah SewageTreatment Works as an inspector ofworks/surveyor.He later moved to the Amiri Flight Facilityat Adia, Abu Dhabi, before leaving Halcrowin 1997. Kunjukrishnan re-joined Halcrow in2000 as a survey engineer at the Abu Dhabiship building site expansion.For the last three years he worked on theMa’arid Bay reclamation project in Ras AlKhaimah. Here, he successfully supervisedthe contractors building two breakwaters andmeasured reclamation quantities.Kunjukrishnan’s friends and colleagues atHalcrow have donated funds to help supporthis wife and three school-aged children, whoall live in India.Roy passed away on 22 December 2008, atthe age of 64. He had worked as a documentcontroller at Halcrow’s Cardiff office sinceFebruary 2005 and was known by everyoneas a true gentleman and a careful, highlydiligent worker.On 17 January 2009, over 400 peopleattended his memorial service. At theservice, regional director Barrie Jonespresented a memorial book to his widow,Carolyn, filled with kind words and messagesof condolence from Roy’s colleagues, many ofwhom attended.Following a suggestion from his family,Cardiff employees raised funds for MarieCurie Cancer Care, specifically the HolmeTower Hospice in Penarth, which helped carefor Roy when he was unwell.Further informationVisit www.mariecurie.org.uk44Vox | issue two

Achieving ambitionsRaising the barMD collects MBEThe Queen honours Michael NortonMichael Norton was invited into the inner sanctum of Windsor Castleto officially receive his Member of the Order of the British Empire(MBE) medal.Announced in the 2009 New Year’s Honours List, the award recognisesthe water and power business group managing director’s services toboth the water industry and international trade.Michael and his family made the trip to Windsor on 7 April for theinvestiture ceremony, where he was presented to Her Majesty TheQueen Elizabeth II. “It was a momentous occasion,” remembersMichael. “I was thrilled to share it with my family. The fact that I’veachieved this doing what I love makes it all the more satisfying.”Michael joined Halcrow in 1985 after spells working with waterauthorities and companies in Yorkshire, Scotland and Merseyside.Appointed business development manager in 1990, he becamea director in 1997, taking on the role of development director forHalcrow’s water and power business in 2005.Leading water and power since 2007, Michael is now responsible foraround 1,500 employees and a turnover in excess of £100 million. Aleading figure in the water industry and an ambassador for Britishcommercial interests, he was appointed chair of the UK Trade andInvestment (UKTI) India water working group in 2007, while thefollowing year saw Michael join UKTI’s water sector advisory group.In November 2008, Michael joined the Institution of Civil Engineers’(ICE) water panel – a coterie of eminent voices in the water sectorchannelling best practice in the delivery of sustainable water policyand infrastructure worldwide.Riding the tide of pivotal water issues, the panel has beeninstrumental in co-ordinating ICE’s response to a range of UKconcerns through its support of seminars, industry awards, and thepublication of technical papers and research.The Norton clan:Robert, Michael, Shirley and GrahamReflecting on receiving his MBE, Michael said: “This recognitionsays a lot about the opportunities Halcrow provides, and the excitingprojects Halcrow people get involved with. As a child I was sure thatI wanted to be either an engineer or an explorer. My 24 years with thecompany have taken me to far-flung places from China to Colombia,so I feel like I’ve achieved both of my boyhood ambitions.”IN BRIEFHalcrow blazed ahead with an80 per cent pass rate inthe recent Institution ofCivil Engineers (ICE) 2008professional review session.Assistance from supervisingcivil and delegated engineers,sponsors and reviewers playeda key part in the candidates’achievements. The followingHalcrow people are nowcorporate members of the ICE:• Fida Choudhury, water andpower, Swindon• Robert Elfed Davies, waterand power, Cardiff• Nicholas Dobinson,transportation, Swindon• Gareth Edwards,transportation, Cardiff• Kuruparan Kasilingam,transportation, London• Ka Ki Lee, transportation,Swindon• Sin Tan, maritime, Swindon• Farzad Nikoukar,transportation, Worcester• Christopher Parry, maritime,Swindon• Matthew Stannard, maritime,Abu Dhabi• Chuan Ming Tan, water andpower, Manchester• Shauket Kahn, water andpower, Swindon• Jehangir Nawaz, water andpower, PeterboroughSandra Brennan recentlygraduated with a bachelor ofarts in occupational health andsafety management. The healthand safety consultant receivedher degree from GlasgowCaledonian University.Glasgow’s Ken Stewart, adirector in the property team,has been elected a fellow ofthe Institution of StructuralEngineers.46Vox | issue two

People paradeTaking a breakMiddleEastern ICEThe most recently formed branch of theInstitution of Civil Engineers (ICE) hasopened in the United Arab Emirates.Over 250 ICE members, partners and theirguests attended the inaugural annual dinnerin January, held at the prestigious Jebel AliGolf Resort and Spa in Dubai.Halcrow officially sponsored two tables often, but scores more employees attended toenjoy the networking opportunity, dinnerand dancing.Our man inChinaShanghai-based Halcrow developmentdirector for China, Ralph Parkin, spent tendays on a whirlwind tour of the countrywith the UK government’s department oftrade and industry and British Water.The tour targeted three provinces ineastern China, beginning in Shanghai,before heading off to Hefei inAnhui province, Nanchang inJiangxi and ending in Fuzhouin Fujian.Ralph’s presentations on ‘improving thequality of your assets’ and ‘urban waterquality management’ were well received andlaid solid foundations for developing deepercommercial relationships in the future.Also benefiting were the Lighthouse Cluband RedR charities, with almost £3,000raised in a raffle that included a varietyof Halcrow-branded items such as caps,t-shirts, golf accessories and more.At each location, the programmeincluded a day of round tablemeetings with governmentofficials and a second day offormal technical presentationsto over 100 delegates. Thesewere then followed by one-toonemeetings with governmentofficials and other interestedprovincial parties.Ralph Parkin at a China Water plantPhone anenterprisingfriendThe winning teamBudding inventors transcended history at arecent Enterprising Inventors Challenge heldin Scotland, dragging iconic technologicalinnovations into the imaginative realm of the22 nd century.Held as part of the Scottish Government’s‘Determined to Succeed’ initiative – inpartnership with Young EnterpriseScotland – the event enabledinquisitive year seven students toexplore the forefront of scienceand technology.Halcrow’s Glasgow-based SarahLee donned her judge’s hat forthe 6 November innovation-fest,presiding over 15 teams of tentalented youngsters. Tasked withprojecting pioneering Scottishinventions forwards 100 yearsto 2108, the students produceda refreshed version of theirallocated avant-garde productsand developed a marketing campaign topromote the revitalised gizmos.Presenter Mary Queenof Scots (pre-execution)kept her head and thestudents on trackDoppelgangers representing famous Scots– Thomas Telford (civil engineer), AlexanderGraham Bell (father of the telephone), ElsieInglis (suffragette and medical pioneer)and John Logie Baird (television inventor)– provided snippets of information on theirdiscoveries, while presenter Mary Queen ofScots (pre-execution) kept her head and thestudents on track.‘Phoneomenal’, a 22 nd century take on Bell’stelephone, stormed to victory, and the winningteam members – as judged by their peers –flew the flag for Glasgow at the national finalin Edinburgh on 25 November.48Vox | issue two

Artistic licenceAway from the office’s formalconfines, employees, clients andbusiness partners toasted Halcrow’songoing success in Edinburgh at anevening reception late last year.Under the watchful gaze of formerkings rendered in rich oils, guestsmixed and mingled at Edinburgh’sneo-classical National Galleryof Scotland – a visually enticingbackdrop to the evening’s events.Regional director for Halcrow’sEdinburgh office, Jamie Baxter, said: “Theevent was an opportunity to not only meet withclients and colleagues in a relaxed environment,but to appreciate a small taste of the rich artand culture that the venue had to offer.”Regional managing director for UK North, NeilJohnstone, echoed similar sentiments: “Thisamazing turnout by clients – and their partners– is immensely gratifying for Halcrow. It helpsunderpin the importance we place on buildingclient relationships, and allows us to betterunderstand their needs and impart Halcrow’s values.”National Gallery, EdinburghTop: Neil Johnstone,Jamie Baxter and Peter GammieNationaltreasureNestled in the iconic Princes StreetGardens, in the shadow of the hulkingEdinburgh Castle, Scotland’s NationalGallery is home to an expansivecollection of works by Old Masters,Impressionists and exponents of theScottish School.Spanning 600 vivid, colour-soakedyears, the collection opens with thedawn of the Renaissance in 1300,meandering through successivemonarchs, ideologies and styles.Since first throwing its doors open topublic view in 1859, the gallery hasundergone countless restorationsand face-lifts, retaining its status asthe jewel in Edinburgh’s present-daycultural crown.Sharjah lit up for DiwaliThe Sharjah office celebrated Diwali – thefestival of lights – with an informal eveningof colourful chaos. Over 100 employees andtheir families gathered for food, dancing andrevelry, with the children performing freneticimpromptu dances.A focal point in the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist andJain calendars, Diwali brought together someof the 30 nationalities within Halcrow in theMiddle East. These festivities followed themore subdued Iftar – fast-breaking – meal.Don’t Diss goingback to schoolTwo Halcrow employees went back to school to give a talkon the Broadland Flood Alleviation Project (BFAP) at DissHigh School, Norfolk, UK, in December.Sharjah office employees and their families celebrate DiwaliMatthew Philpot and Jamie Manners outlined the mainengineering and environmental issues to consider whendesigning such a project.The event was part of a geography careers afternoonorganised for 15 to 16-year-old students and includedpresentations from other organisations.A group exercise ensured the students considered thepotential impacts of a fictional flood defence scheme andpossible mitigation measures.Feedback hailed the day a success and a great opportunityfor Halcrow to engage with local schools, encouragingstudents to explore the possibilities of a career inengineering or environmental consultancy.

People paradeTaking a breakSisters aredoing it forthemselvesThe construction industry’s gender chasmhas been the subject of numerous studies, campaignsand initiatives, aimed at encouraging more womento don hard hats and enter the engineering industry.Women in the industry are few and far between – just onein ten within the construction sector. Halcrow is attempting toredress the imbalance by supporting Interconnect, a three yearproject to build a Scottish network for female science, engineeringand technology students. Women count for just 12 per cent of thesecourses, and the pronounced gender gap at college level means thereis unlikely to be a sudden influx in the near future.Women in the industry are few andfar between – just one in ten withinthe construction sectorDeveloped by the Scottish Resource Centre (SRC) for women inscience, engineering and technology (SET) at Napier University andfinanced by the Scottish Funding Council, the project is a partnershipWelsh dragonreaches middle ageRevelling in four decades of work in Wales, Halcrow’s 40 th birthdaybash transformed Cardiff’s National Museum from a hushedexhibition gallery to a festive party zone.Over 380 people – present and past employees, their partners, clientsand local students – crammed into the Welsh capital’s pre-eminentarchive to pay tribute to the company’s successes, and look towardsan equally glossy future.Halcrow’s chairman, Tony Pryor, and chief executive, PeterGammie, cracked open the champagne andmingled with guests.Welsh rootsWhile 1968 marks the launch of Halcrow’soperations in Wales, the company’sinvolvement in the area stretches backthrough reams of black and whitephotographs to the close of the 19 th century.Halcrow’s founder, Thomas Meik, was firstcommissioned to work on the Port TalbotDocks and Railway Company in 1898.between National Union of StudentsScotland and Equality Forward.Designed to both support existing students and encourage fresh faces,Interconnect will establish student groups and provide careers advice.Boosting the visibility of professional women forms a pivotal part ofthe project, providing students with industry role models and contacts.As part of the programme, Halcrow’s Jet Cameron – who, along withcolleague Shona Tait was key to organising the link up – shared herworking experiences in the planning and design team with NapierUniversity students. Both also feature on the Interconnect website.At least 50 people crammed into the Edinburgh office forthe Interconnect launch on 25 March 2009, held to raiseawareness and promote the Interconnect website, withregional director Jamie Baxter addressing the guests.The walls featured an unprecedented mix of irreplaceable artefactsand A-level artworks from Whitchurch High School’s Halcrowsponsoredart and design competition. Guests’ aural tastes werecatered to by the Cardiff County and Vale of Glamorgan YouthOrchestra string quartet’s welcoming serenade, while the talentedstudents later swapped their visual feats for a choral programme.50Vox | issue two

Universityc h a l l e n g eFor many students, time spent at universityis characterised by endless baked-beans,last minute ‘all-nighters’ and familiarisingoneself with the union bar.For civil engineering students at Glasgow’sUniversity of Strathclyde, daytime televisionrecently took a back seat in favour of a seriesof Halcrow management insight lectures.After a well-received presentation last year onthe challenges of design and build contracts,Halcrow offered a further four tailored talks.Around 250 young minds traded familiarcampus surrounds for City Park, to absorbthe experiences shared by an assortmentof Halcrow representatives – graduateengineers, experienced project managers andsenior directors. Kat Kelly, a Glasgow-basedgraduate engineer, beamed in via a ‘videopostcard’ from her base in Abu Dhabi.Donald Bell, Halcrow’s regional director,reiterated Halcrow’s commitment toknowledge sharing and inspiring young talent:“By creating and nurturing new links, we areforging an important relationship betweeneducation and industry, and building on thestudents’ knowledge and ability.“One of the company’s core values is toadvance our skills and experience – we wantto share these with the engineering stars ofthe future.”Port planninggoes globalHalcrow’s maritime business grouporganised its first terminal planningseminar – in Felixstowe, UK – todiscuss topical port issues facingglobal terminal operators.Developed and facilitated by JulianJohanson-Brown, the event broughttogether Halcrow employeesfrom the New York, Oakland,Swindon and London offices, aswell as representatives from hostsHutchison Ports (UK) and the Portof Felixstowe.Back to schoolProving that not all young peoplewant to be professional footballersor Big Brother contestants, sixstudents from St Roch’s SecondarySchool have been rewarded for theiractive interest in politics.Regional director DonaldBell presented the buddingparliamentarians with the Halcrowaward for teamwork,along with a stash of bookvouchers. The pupils’exemplary work toprepare for, attendand contribute towardsthe Scottish ParliamentEurope Day in Holyroodearlier in the year –where they represented Glasgow –earned their teachers’ nominations.Halcrow’s ‘back to school’ mentoringwork saw St Roch’s notch up its bestever exam results in 2008’s springterm, contributing to the students’collective sense of achievement.Donald Bell with the St Roch pupilsAndrew Harston, port developmentdirector for Hutchison Ports (UK),opened the seminar. Halcrow’sQuentin Holland spoke aboutthe company’s relationship withthis client, John Martin lookedat terminal automation and JimKukucka discussed terminalmanagement and staffing.Also, Ted Daly gave a presentationabout equipment procurement, whileMike Fidler described Halcrow’ssimulation capabilities.A comprehensive tour of the port’sberth, yard and rail operations atFelixstowe rounded off a thoroughlyenjoyable day.Picnic peace in IndiaChildren’s laughter and the rhythmic‘thwack’ of bat on ball peppered the air asIndia-based employees and their familiesrecently enjoyed a luscious picnic spread.Relaxing beneath Krishna’s benevolentshadow amid 5,000 temples dedicated tothe eponymous god, the group enjoyed theVrindavan region’s scenic surrounds.The India team spells it outFelixstowe port

Pub OlympicsDusting off their knowledge of all thingsdecidedly trivial to enter the realm of GrandNational winners, capital cities and CoronationStreet characters, the Cardiff office’s brightestyoung things claimed the bronze medal at theInstitution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) pub Olympics.Halcrow’s graduates – Daniel Barnet, NaribaGittens, Peter Halstead, Margaret Hendersonand Alex Jones – plus a smattering of CardiffUniversity engineering students, celebrated theirthird place with the culinary delight of pizza.Constructing a careerRaj mastershalf marathonSwindon’s rolling hills and shadowy valleys were nomatch for Raj Janmejay’s indomitable spirit, chargingtowards the finish line of the town’s half-marathon on12 October.Halcrow’s associate bridges director completed theundulating 22km course in just under three hours on hisfirst attempt at distance running. While some trained formonths, Raj subscribed to the ‘less-is-more’ approach,cramming his build-up into two weeks. His supportersmanaged to pick him out from the 1,500-strong field,spurring him on for the final gruelling stretch.Pounding the pavement in preparation for this year’s race,Raj said: “That final kilometre was an absolute killer. Iknew I had to keep going for my supporters – they’d cometo see me reach the finish.”Thousands of students and job-seekers millingaround at JobServe Live 2008 – an annualcareers event held in Cardiff – ambled up toHalcrow’s stand, stopping to discuss careerprospects with company representatives.Sharing a stand with ConstructionSkills, theemphasis was on encouraging women to embarkon a career in the built environment. Reflectingthis, the booth was ‘manned’ entirely by women.Visitors to the interactive stand viewedpresentations, browsed halcrow.com, trawledthrough current vacancies and posed questionsfor Halcrow as a prospective employer.Structurally savvyTowering above a group of 11-year-olds, a gianttetrahedron emerged from a morning’s effort tograpple with engineering challenges at St CenyddSchool in Caerphilly.Raj celebrates at the finish lineLeague of gentlemenLeather on willow provided the soundtrack for Halcrow’s annual inter-officecricket match in India.The Daredevils took on the Royal Challengers, with employees from the Delhi andNoida offices trading their business shirts for cricket whites. After electing to batfirst, the Daredevils were reeling at 15 for three. The arrival at the crease of manof the match Subhash steadied the innings – peppering the boundary, he slashed atimely half century. Narender Kumar’s lethal arm claimed five Daredevil scalps tosnare ‘best bowler’ accolades.Set 217 to win, Royal Challengers made a solid start, with eventual ‘best batsman’Vishwadeep belting a quick-fire half century. Tight bowling and fielding heroicsrestricted Royal Challengers’ progress, and the batting team eventually faltered amere ten runs short of the target.A delicious match tea followed the closely contested game, with the managingdirector of Halcrow’s operations in India, Pradeep Jain, presenting the awards.Daring to be devilishHalcrow’s Nariba Gittens and another civilengineer from Glamorgan EngineeringConsultancy helped the students to build theceiling-scraping structure, introducing them tothe built environment, structural engineeringconcepts and the idea of mega-structures.Nariba discussed material choices andconstruction techniques with the pupils, as wellas routes into the industry.Having a ballTrading their work shirts for dinner jackets andsparkly gowns, five young engineers from theCardiff office scrubbed up for the inaugural ICEgraduate and student companies ball. Deckingout the Swalec Stadium, the event pushedHalcrow into the spotlight. Sally Sudworth andSimon Dunn were on hand to answer questionsfrom potential employees.52Vox | issue two

Run for it ...It’s Friday the 13 thOver 550 people threw caution to the wind on Friday13 February 2009 to take part in Dubai’s 17 th Wadi Bih relay race.Among them were two teams from Halcrow. The run hasbeen held every year since 1993 and is one of longestrunning (literally) sporting and social events in theexpatriate calendar.Sporting successField of dreamsTeam Halcrow sprint tothe finishing lineSami Al QazzazSome 108 teams took part in the gruelling75km dash alongside a smattering of solorunners and cyclists – a record turnout forthe event.The course was split into 2-4km legs with teammembers running each in turn. Participantspounded along the picturesque wadi bed,running as high as 1,000m above sea levelbefore ending where they started at the GoldenTulip Hotel in Dibba.Despite a strong shamal – a northwesterly windwhich blows over the Arabian Gulf states – theday before, the weather was pleasantly cooland allowed runners to enjoy the landscape andmountain air.All the Halcrow runners and their supportteam camped on the beach the nightbefore with some opting for another night underthe stars after the event. With a 6:30am start, allHalcrow’s athletes had finished by around 2pm andmerrily tucked into a well-deserved buffet lunch back atthe hotel.Team Halcrow 1 – consisting of Sami Al Qazzaz, JasveenSidhu, Arun Kaushal, Guillaume Tamagnan and guestrunner Russel Bowen (general manager of Corus in theMiddle East) finished in 7 hours 05 minutes.James Milner, David Fox, Ashraf Alkhadrawy, andguest runners Ali Bushnaq (Wadi Rum Decor) and PaulDunnage (Wozair Middle East) came in 18 minutes later.... in the West MidlandsTransferring industry rivalries onto astroturf, the annualInstitution of Civil Engineers’ West Midlands five-a-sidefootball tournament took place in Birmingham on 7 March.Trading bid documents for bone-crunching tackles, ateam from Halcrow’s Birmingham office took on otherconsultants and contractors for the title.Split into two groups with the top four progressing to thequarter finals, the initial round-robin stage saw Halcrowgoing head-to-head with Birse Rail, Arup, Morgan PS andtwo teams from Mouchel. Striding through to the quarters in a wellearnedthird spot, the team’s slick passing and movement dispatchedAtkins Rail in style, 2-0.With four teams remaining, Morgan PS stood in the way of a place inthe final. In a reversal of their meeting in the group stage, Halcrowtriumphed 1-0 courtesy of an early goal and solid defending.Just one game away from glory andin another rematch from earlier inthe day, the team faced Mouchel’ssecond team, winners of the previousencounter. Aching legs forgotten,Halcrow’s players battered theopposition’s goal, kept out only by thekeeper’s acrobatics. A late Mouchelgoal sealed victory for the third yearrunning, Halcrow’s battlers having tosettle for the runners-up medal.... and in the south eastLate last year, football enthusiasts from the UK’s Kent, Crawley andWaltham Cross offices, along with a team from client South EastWater, fought it out to be crowned the south east’s champions.Battling brummiesBaggy trousers... the Kent teamAfter a series of close matches, the Kent officefound itself up against South East Water in thegrand final. Having held on to a 1-1 draw in thefirst half (following a goal by Andrew Halliday),the client team proved too strong, hitting theback of the net a further two times. Crawleydefeated Waltham Cross in the third place playoff,winning a thrilling game 4-2.After the match, friendly rivalries were thrustaside as everyone tucked into a buffet meal,washed down with a well-earned drink.

Longbridge Baby boom Birmingham:Development New arrivals begins...31275461) Syed Jaazib Ali made happy parents ofToronto’s Nazli Khan and her husband,Qurrat, when he arrived on 13 November2008, weighing 3.12kg.2) Sarah and Mark Seward (Waltham Cross)and their sons, Sam and Joseph, welcomedanother little man into the family – FelixJames – on 28 February 2009.3) Kuala Lumpur office manager RobertDavies and his wife, Carolyn Teh, celebratedthe birth of their new baby girl, Maya Yen, on29 October 2008. She weighed 3.2kg.4) Ismail Haniff and his wife, NorlianaBinti Hussin, welcomed their new littledaughter, NurSyifa Auni, on 6 October2008. She weighed a healthy 3kg.5) Ross Bransby’s daughter Evelyn Nancywas the first arrival of the year at the UK’sRedhill hospital, born on 1 January 2009.She weighed a bouncing 4kg.6) Claire Sandhu and husband Tonycelebrated the birth of their beautiful babyboy – Harveeia Singh – on 28 January 2009,weighing 2.8kg.7) Danilo González of the Santiagooffice, wife Carola and sonCristóbal celebratedthe latest arrival totheir family – babyGabriel Alonso – on8 November 2008.54Connections Vox | issue two | July 2008

8) Ports engineer John Martin and partnerAbi were overjoyed to welcome all 3.9kg ofEva-Grace to the family on 21 August 2008.9) Ray of sunshine Candela was born on24 July 2008, weighing 2.25kg, to happyparents Patricio Ormzabal from the BuenosAires office and his wife, Laura.10) A smiley Adam Nowakowski was born on21 October 2008 to proud parents, Warsawengineer Tomasz and his wife Zaneta.11) Chichester consultant Andy Seek and hiswife, Clare, were the happy recipients of a3.7kg bundle of joy – Mariella – born on1 November 2008.12) Alvin Alvarado of the Manila team and hiswife, Jemimah, celebrated the birth of theirbaby boy, Jelvin Alfred, on 7 October 2008.He weighed 2.8kg.13) Jim Whalen of Halcrow Yolles, Toronto,and wife Kelley toasted the arrival of theirthird child, Jack, on 8 September 2008. Heweighed 3.8kg.14) Remi Ryan Velasco from Manilaand wife Cinelle introduced their2.3kg baby girl – Yonah – to theworld on 28 August 2008.15) Chichester’s Beverley Baylissand husband Chris are proud aspunch of baby Edward John, bornon 2 October 2008, weighing 4kg.10981311121415

Longbridge Baby boom Birmingham:Development New arrivals begins...216171918202116) Isla Jadyn Towle was born on8 November 2008, a healthy 3.2kg, toecstatic parents Emma – from Halcrow’sGlasgow office – and her husband, Alan.17) Iain Henry of the Glasgow office andhis wife, Kirsty, are proud parents to abeautiful baby girl, Jessica Ann Nicola.She was born on 19 October 2008,weighing 2.8kg.18) Glasgow’s Wendy Cameron was madea grandmother for the second time whenlittle Cameron Kerr – a 4.2kg bundle ofjoy – arrived on 17 October 2008.19) David Raeside from the Edinburgh officeand his wife, Carol, welcomed a bonny babyboy named Calum on 4 October 2008.He weighed 3.5kg.20) Iona Mercer made headlines on1 January as the second baby to be born inScotland in 2009. Parents Ken Mercer (of theEdinburgh office) and Debbie were overjoyedat her healthy weight of 3.7kg.21) Angus Bowman from Glasgow and hiswife, Jean, celebrated the safe arrival oftheir second granddaughter, Hannah, on29 November 2008. She weighed 4.2kg.56Connections Vox | issue two | July 2008

22232624252722) Anurag Srivastava from Halcrow’s Delhioffice looked forward to a bright future withhis new wife, Geeta, as they made their vowson 30 November 2008.23) Matt Jones of Halcrow’s Cardiffoffice was made an honest man by EmilyGeorge on 23 August 2008 at Canada Lodge,Creigau. The couple honeymooned aroundThailand, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.24) Jacky Mou from Shenzhen in Chinamarried Xuerong Qin on 30 Jan 2009, amidstthe good wishes of family and friends.25) Marcus and Lindsay Rooney (néeMcLagan) met beneath the fireworks atHalcrow’s summer party in Swindon, back in2006. They tied the knot two years later onthe shore of Rottnest Island off the coast ofPerth, Australia, on 29 October 2008.26) Sarah Payne from the Swindon officemarried Graham Nichols, among family andfriends, at the height of the festive season on20 December 2008.27) Delhi’s Amit Kumar made his weddingvows to Supriya on 23 November 2008.28) Dana Rusescu from the Glasgow officeand her groom, Gabriel Radulescu,celebrated their wedding day in London on13 September 2008.28

Longbridge Out of officeBirmingham:Development A day in the life begins...Tackling a bush fireCA TCH A F IREChris and a young recruitChris Zito on high alert to tackle Australian wildfireshen Chris Zito, wife Kristie andtheir daughter moved into a newWhome on the edge of Australia’sBlue Mountain world heritage park fiveyears ago, they were quick to realise justhow fortunate they were to be living in suchidyllic surroundings.So much so that the Sydney-based transportplanning associate promptly signed up asa volunteer for the New South Wales RuralFire Service. “It’s a beautiful area and Ithought it was worth protecting,” said Chris.In fact, the area surrounding the home ofthe fledgling Zito clan is considered one ofthe finest eucalyptus forests on the planet,steeped in aboriginal legend and home tothe dramatic Three Sisters rock formation.Save for a few small bush fires, there hadnot been too many serious incidents forChris and the Faulconbridge Rural FireService to contend with over the last coupleof years.Pressure dropBut all that was to change with dramaticeffect in February 2009 as wildfires sweptthrough southern Australia killing at least173 people and leaving destruction in theirwake. The state of Victoria, some 1,000km tothe south, bore the worst of the inferno.Thousands of homes were destroyed in thefires, which coincided with a freak heat wavein which temperatures sent the mercuryrocketing to 47 degrees Celsius. Perhapsmost disturbing of all, many of the fireswere started deliberately. Others werecaused by electrical faults.“It’s been described as the perfectconditions for fire,” explained Chris. “With45 degree Celsius heat, a 100kph wind andhumidity down to 5 per cent, it was a ‘perfectstorm’.” The resulting deaths and carnagemade it the world’s worst bush fire disaster– far more devastating than the previousrecord of Ash Wednesday in 1983, whichclaimed the lives of 73 people.Chris and 11 of his fire service volunteercolleagues were placed on standby, ready todrop everything to help the exhausted firecrews tackle the blazes destroying homesand lives further south.While four were sent down to Victoria, Chrisnever received the call. “For those that wentit has been a very emotional experience– fighting fires next to dead bodies. Theyneeded lots of counselling.”Yet aside from one of the longest runningdroughts in Australian history, spirallingtemperatures and tinder-box dry bush, it isthe wind – or more accurately – changingwind direction which represents the biggestthreat, as Chris explains:“The lives of many civilians and fire-fightershave been lost because of a sudden windchange. We try and keep abreast of weatherforecasts when we are in the field to ensurewe aren’t caught if a wind change arrives.But this is not always possible and therecent fires are testament to the devastationthat a sudden wind change can bring.”While nothing Chris has previously had todeal with has been on the same scale asthe recent February fires, the father of two– Alexandra (six) and Nicoletta (four) – didtake part in a search and rescue operationfor a 15-year-old boy in 2006. He was found,dead, at the bottom of a ravine a few weeksbefore Christmas.While a grim discovery, it did at leastallow the child’s parents to bring closureto the mystery of his disappearance andbegin mourning based on tragic fact, notconjecture, said Chris.Many people across rural Australia’shinterland sleep better in their beds at nightknowing that people like Chris are willing togive up their free time and put their lives onthe line to ensure they can do just that.58Vox | issue two

Keep yourproject on targetProject controls teamproviding specialist planning supportDeveloped within the water and power business group,the team’s planning expertise is now available to all projects.Overruns, changes or unforeseen events could derail yourproject. Don’t wait for problems to happen. Contact the teamtoday and be prepared for any eventuality.identify potential riskscontrol project costsearly trouble shootingall market sectorsFurther informationContact: David K Watterswattersd@halcrow.com +44 (0)1925 867 537