Mechanical Engineering, bridge bearings, structural engineering Specialists In Structural Movement Control

 

 

Leading structural engineers Ekspan have fought off more than 500 nominations from around the globe to win this year’s Green Apple Environmental Best Practice Award. 

 

The award will be presented at a ceremony hosted in the House of Commons on 11th November 2013.   

 

Ekspan have also been invited to publish their winning project in The Green Book following this success - the world’s only work of reference on environmental best practice. They could also progress to represent the UK in the European Business Awards for the Environment. 

 

The award was given in recognition of Ekspan’s outstanding contribution to sustainable development, protection of the natural environment and innovation in environmental best practice.  

 

Ekspan’s award-winning project ran from 2006 – 2012 and it involved repairing 228 pipe supports along a 5km pipeline used to deliver water from Coedty reservoir to the Dolgarrog hydroelectric plant in Snowdonia National Park – a Site of Special Scientific Interest and area of outstanding natural beauty.

 

The environmental challenges were huge and involved accessing a remote mountain-side site across steep, uneven terrain, peat bogs 1.5m deep and extreme, rapidly changing weather conditions which meant the work could only take place between March and September.

 

The project’s achievements included:

 

• A low carbon footprint – no interruption to Dolgarrog’s supply of 450,000 Mwh of ‘green’ electricity to local communities eliminated the need to rely on fossil fuels for an alternative energy source that would have generated an estimated 258,000 tonnes of CO2. 

• Reduced use of raw materials – the construction of access roadways requiring up to eight tonnes of aggregate per metre of roadway was avoided

• Minimal waste produced from the site - significant volume of spoil removal avoided.

• Minimal generation of noise, dust, nuisance and pollution   

• Zero pollution incidents during the project

 

Ekspan used a wide range of environmentally- friendly, innovative techniques to preserve Snowdonia’s natural ecology during the repair work including:

 

• Specially designed steel bearings to reduce leaks, extend the life of the pipeline and reduce the need for maintenance

• Haglund all-terrain vehicles adapted to avoid damaging the fragile landscape

• Employing local suppliers and operators to minimise the use of fuel  

• Constructing enclosed working areas to contain noise, dust and waste water run-off