issue two: may 2009 - Halcrow

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