Innovation in carbon reduction

This award seeks to recognise excellence in initiatives, design tools, maintenance techniques or solutions that have helped reduce the embodied carbon in new build or refurbishment projects and/or delivered lower whole life carbon costs in the UK or internationally.

EKFB (Eiffage-Kier-Ferrovial Construction-BAM Nuttall Joint Venture), ASC (Arcadis-Setec-COWI Joint Venture) and HS2
Cutting Carbon in Landmark Bridge Design

The 450m-long Wendover Dean Viaduct is the first major railway bridge in the UK to be built with a ‘double composite’ superstructure. This innovative deck form has led to an industry-leading lightweight, low-carbon structure. This groundbreaking design has saved an estimated 7,433 tonnes of carbon compared with the reference design and has been replicated in other structures across HS2. Combined with high-quality architectural design befitting its location in the Chiltern Hills AONB, Wendover Dean Viaduct exceeds the client’s aspirations to create a true landmark structure.

FJD Consulting
ICE Award Winning Capital Carbon Assessment Tool - Enhanced for Bridges

FJD has developed a Capital Carbon Assessment Tool to provide our clients with step-change low-carbon solutions for rail assets which are also commercially viable. Four members of the FJD team have been recognised by ICE for their work on the Carbon Engineering tool, being part of the first 27 professionals to be named ICE Carbon Champions. This update makes the Capital Carbon tool bridge-specific, focusing on bridge components. The update has been successfully used on several large projects, significantly influencing design decisions. Although hard to quantify, we believe the update introduced significant cost savings.

Network Rail
FLOW Footbridge

The Flow bridge shows that it is possible to make a lower carbon, lower cost bridge that is also forward looking, offers an improved user experience and allows for continual improvements to reduce the environmental impact further. The concept has looked at the wider environmental impact of construction projects and not just the infrastructure itself. the construction is less disruptive, taking weeks not months on site. Monitoring enables remote asset management , design refinement and assess whether the bridge is still needed or better utilised elsewhere.

Tensar, Arcadis, EKFB, Geofem, Coffey Geotechnics
Design and Construction Carbon Reductions for HS2 Station Road Network Rail Overbridge with Polymer Geogrid Reinforced Soil Wall Abutments and Wingwalls on Shallow Foundations

For the first time in UK load bearing bridge abutment construction history, a polymer geogrid solution was trusted to eliminate piled foundations for the support of a semi-integral bridge, thereby providing up to 66% in carbon reductions and 35% in cost reductions when compared with the original traditional piled reinforced concrete solution. This project showcases how innovative thinking and all stake holder involvement at early stage can achieve inclusion of innovation-led, resilient structures in large-scale infrastructure projects, and at the same time is championing HS2's legacy as one of the world's most sustainable high speed rail network.