SHEQWs Newsletter November

What’s been happening across eight 2
O
1. Digging up our past at
Axford
Archaeologists working on the
Axford pipeline project have been
discovering new information
about our past around current-day
Swindon.
Evidence of our Roman ancestors
re-using their chalk quarries as pits
to burn their rubbish in have been
discovered at a number of locations
along the new pipeline route. The
quarry pit below was discovered
south of the M4 and was adjacent
to a Roman roadside settlement.
(The darker areas show evidence of
burning.)
More evidence of Roman life has
been found in the area of the buried
Roman town of Durocornovium.
Fine pottery vessels and five Roman
Denarii (silver coins) dating from 2nd
century AD highlight the wealth of
people living in the area during these
times.
2. Sharing knowledge
between Utilities
A fantastic demonstration of best
practice sharing and collaboration
between contracts, eight2O, tRIIO
(joint venture for National Grid) and
SQS (a tRIIO recycled aggregates
supplier), occured this month.
Members of the construction, design
and procurement teams from both
SMBJV and CABVJV attended a
recent event to showcase recycled
aggregates; increasing awareness of
the production techniques, technical
applications and ways to ensure a
final quality product.
Chris Stones, from SQS, talked
through the process from when the
waste aggregate is received at the
site through to sorting, screening
and finally production of the recycled
aggregates, including Type 1, pea
shingle and eco surround.
The SQS team also demonstrated
how recycled aggregates are used
for reinstatement across all of
their tRIIO contracts. Backfilling a
specially prepared excavation they
demonstrated how the material is
tampered down and compacted
and how this compaction is tested
aggregates on their contract.
Mark Guinn, Strata Highways,
detailed the testing that is carried
out on the recycled aggregates
produced at SQS and on the
stability and compaction of
the material once it has been
placed in the ground. Mark
also explained the possible cost
savings available if recycled
aggregates are used.
The day provided great learnings
and experience that can be used
on eight2O to increase the usage
of recycled aggregates across our
contracts.
The earliest (and most worn –
on the far left) is a rare silver
Denarius struck in Gaul or Spain
for the Emperor Vitellius in AD
69. The remaining four coins are
all minted for the Emperor Trajan
(AD98 – 117)
Prehistoric grain storage pits of,
likely Bronze Age or /Iron Age
(c.2000BC – 43BC) have also
been found close to an Iron
Age enclosure below Badbury
Hillfort. This enclosure may have
Page 10 | August 2016 SHEW Newsletter
SHEW Newsletter
August 2016 | Page 11