One thing for those of us looking from the outside in is that we assume construction agencies have enough of everything required to construct monolithic features, and sand does not even feature on the list of unavailable materials. However, this is not the case. A sand shortage in the Indian state of Hyderabad has left construction companies in a quandary.
It would appear that the recent lull in quarry activity has helped with the lack of sand and it has several developers and contractors extremely worried. Activity on many sites has had to stop because of the sand shortage. Production is at a low because the two week supply that most sites keep on hand, have all been depleted and those with emergency supplies have also run out. The sand shortage is now at a dire stage with several companies paying sand suppliers from other states as much as Rs 2,000 per tonne, which is nearly four times more expensive than the regular price of Rs 600. Even with the sky-high inflation many developers are paying the astronomical prices but they are still running low on sand. The shortage is moving farther out of the city and unless something drastic is done soon enough, many projects will look to suffer through the rest of the next four seasons without completion. Workers can be seen removing their hard hats and safety boots and leaving the sites due to work stoppage.
Some sand suppliers have been trying to push the finer filter sand into the market but developers and construction agencies are loath to use the sand because it would seriously compromise the integrity of the structures. It is a worrying situation that requires government intervention and all those concerned are asking when that is going to happen. In the meantime all workers who are suffering their jobs due to the sand shortage sit in rugged looking shirts resembling Dickies work shirts and hope for at least one more load so they can get stuck in, build the structure, and get paid.
The construction of the Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project has finally commenced after much anticipation. Once complete, the Wallasea Island project will be the largest man-made nature reserve in Europe, and will exist as a fine example of the co operation between construction and nature conservation, which usually have conflicting interests. The Wallasea Island project, which is located at the River Thames estuary, will see 670 hectares of farmland being transformed into wetlands, which will hopefully attract an array of permanent and migratory birds as well as other wildlife.
The Wallasea Island project: A Construction and Conservation Effort
The Wallasea Island reserve is being constructed using 4.5 million tonnes of excavated earth from the Crossrail project, which saw east and west London being linked by 21km of underground tunnels. Of the six million tonnes of excavated earth, around three quarters will be repurposed and transported to the Wallasea Island site in Essex, giving conservationists and engineers much to celebrate on any party boat London has. The earth will be transported via ship and train, and a special jetty has been built outside of Southend to handle the traffic.
The Construction of the Wallasea Island Project
The excess earth from the Crossrail project will be used to raise the ground level of the Wallasea Island site, which is currently 2m below sea level. For centuries, ancient sea walls were used to hold the sea back to allow the land to be used for farming. However since 2006 small sections of the sea wall have been breached to allow sea water to flow back into the area. This will help restore the natural habitat of the Wallasea Island area into marshes, lagoons and mudflats, which will attract spoonbills, Kentish plovers and other native wildlife. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is expected to be completed by 2020 and will cost £50m in total. Although disco cruise services won’t be operating to the area, Wallasea Island will also act as a recreational area where people can enjoy nature.
Just as the London Olympic Games wrap up, some attention is shifted in the direction of the small, Black Sea town of Sochi in Russia, as construction begins to prepare for the 2014 Winter Olympics. It was to many people’s surprise around the world that a particularly unheard of town won the bid to host the Winter Olympics 5 years ago in 2007. When Sochi won the bid, aided by President Vladimir Putin’s vigorous support, an extensive, construction transformation began and construction workers in high vis clothing scattered the town.
Construction In Sochi
The town of Sochi is a renowned Black sea town boasting many resorts but was not logistically viable to host thousands of Winter Olympics spectators and athletes. From the moment Sochi won the bid, furious construction has been taking place and over 20,000 hotel rooms have been built and their once modest but not totally efficient ski areas have been rebuilt from scratch to meet international standards. Transport was a major concern due to Sochi’s location; placed between the mountains and the sea, with very little roads leading in and out of the city. In a solution to this problem, more than 350 km of new roads and 200 km of railway are being built to keep gridlock at bay and aid smooth transportation in and out of the city.
Praise For Russia
It seems that although the central stadium and hotels are behind schedule, the International Olympic Committee officials have praised Russia’s ability to meet the challenges for the 2014 Winter Olympics. The overall cost for the construction underway for the Games is estimated to be around $30 billion and it’s sure that construction workers will work through the cold in hi vis fleece clothing to ensure the Winter Olympics construction’s swift progress and completion for the Games in 2014.
Thames Water has recently released its final proposal for the Thames Tideway Tunnel for public consideration. The Thames Tideway Tunnel plans will be on display for twelve weeks, almost double the time that is usually required for the project type, due to the disruptions that the Olympic Games may cause. Also dubbed the ‘supersewer’, the Thames Tideway Tunnel is a planned 15 mile tunnel that will wind its way 75 metres under the river bed through central London. The primary function of the Thames tunnel is to capture storm overflowing sewerage at particular points along the river, which boat builders UK state is important to industries situated alongside the Thames River.
Because of its infrastructural importance, the Thames Tideway Tunnel has been categorised as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). NSIP projects also undergo different planning requirements and are submitted to the Planning Inspectorate because of their national importance, unlike conventional planning projects. The construction plans show 24 potential construction sites, stretching from Acton in the west to Abbey Mills in the east. Besides newspaper publications, plans for the Thames Tideway Tunnel can also be viewed online. Residents as well as businesses owners in certain industries (such as boat storage) are encouraged to review the released plans.
After public consultation and approval, the construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel will hopefully begin in either 2015 or 2016. When completed, the tunnel will capture an estimated 39 million tonnes of untreated sewage a year that otherwise would have found its way into the Thames. At the moment the sewerage network is struggling to contain storm water and can reach full capacity after just 2mm of rain. The Thames Tideway Tunnel would collect water and discharge it at the Beckton Sewage Treatment Work in Newham.
Consultants and researchers at Loughborough University have successfully charted the health and safety track record of the London 2012 Olympic construction and the results have been excellent. Considering the construction health and safety, time management and budget of the project, the construction of the Olympic Park, the facilities and the regeneration of the surrounding areas by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has been a tremendous achievement all round.
The London Olympics construction was the largest project of its kind in Europe. The Olympic Park alone employed 14,500 construction workers at a single time and 46,000 in total. Overall, 77 million hours were spent on the project. When the scale of the construction is considered, the low level of injuries is a tremendous accomplishment. From an excellent health and safety construction plan to construction workers wearing the correct work trousers, the entire process of the construction was managed in accordance to health and safety regulations and good practice.
In order to learn from the success of the London Olympics construction project, an interdisciplinary team from Loughborough University was commissioned to identify what led to the acclaimed success of the project’s health and safety construction performance. The first study examined the effectiveness of health and safety communication in the Olympic Park and worker awareness, attitude and behaviour. Overall it was found that the communication process worked well and that good practice, such as wearing the right safety gear or work overalls, were followed. The second study examined the human and organisational aspects, which was found to be highly efficient.
Despite strict construction health and safety legislation, construction still remains one of the most hazardous jobs. However, the Loughborough Studies proved that by keeping to tight schedules and maintaining budget controls, excellent construction health and safety performance can be achieved. Key areas of influence included commitment, strong leadership, good communication and respectful relationships.
Commercial and infrastructure construction got a massive boost with the Cross Rail project awarding contracts of around 360 million Euros to various construction companies. The Cross Rail construction, which aims to link the 4 corners of Greater London for faster transportation services in the capital, is gaining momentum with grants for the station developments, which include ticketing, seating and even commercial shelving for station vendors. Balfour Beatty and partners have just been awarded the 110 million Euro contract for the new White Chapel Station, which is set to start immediately with the demolishing of the current station which does not meet the requirements.
The largest contract awarded so far has been for the Farringdon station construction, which is has been granted to joint venture consisting of Bam Nuttall, Ferrovial Agroman and Kier Construction and comes in at the weighty figure of 200 million Euros. All the intensive construction projects will be starting early in the new year, when the final contracts for the Cross Rail project will be awarded to focus on Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road and Liverpool Street stations. There will be a total of 8 stations constructed for the Cross Rail project which aims to assist with the high volume of daily commuting happening in London. Thousands of money has been invested already in new rail technology of improving ticketing systems, safety systems, storage equipment and rail comfort for passengers.
The Cross Rail Project was first proposed in its first concepts in 1948 and it wasn’t until 2008 that the project was approved and plans moved forward. The project aims to include services of 24 trains per hour and with the current rate of projects and construction, with the best of the best working round the clock, the Cross Rail project should be completed in 2018.
One thing for those of us looking from the outside in is that we assume construction agencies have enough of everything required to construct monolithic features, and sand does not even feature on the list of unavailable materials. However, this is not the case. A sand shortage in the Indian state of Hyderabad has left construction companies in a quandary.
The construction of the Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project has finally commenced after much anticipation. Once complete, the Wallasea Island project will be the largest man-made nature reserve in Europe, and will exist as a fine example of the co operation between construction and nature conservation, which usually have conflicting interests. The Wallasea Island project, which is located at the River Thames estuary, will see 670 hectares of farmland being transformed into wetlands, which will hopefully attract an array of permanent and migratory birds as well as other wildlife.
2014 Winter Olympics In Sochi
Thames Water has recently released its final proposal for the Thames Tideway Tunnel for public consideration. The Thames Tideway Tunnel plans will be on display for twelve weeks, almost double the time that is usually required for the project type, due to the disruptions that the Olympic Games may cause. Also dubbed the ‘supersewer’, the Thames Tideway Tunnel is a planned 15 mile tunnel that will wind its way 75 metres under the river bed through central London. The primary function of the Thames tunnel is to capture storm overflowing sewerage at particular points along the river, which 
Consultants and researchers at Loughborough University have successfully charted the health and safety track record of the London 2012 Olympic construction and the results have been excellent. Considering the construction health and safety, time management and budget of the project, the construction of the Olympic Park, the facilities and the regeneration of the surrounding areas by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has been a tremendous achievement all round.
Commercial and infrastructure construction got a massive boost with 