The Challenge:
The scope of works included the identification, proving, clearance and diversion of existing utilities for what was originally estimated to be 400 conflicts. Due to the congested nature of the site in a historic city, over 1500 utility conflicts were identified and diverted.
The works were conducted in a high profile, complex, multi-utility, urban environment, with archaeological considerations across multiple sites. It required extensive communication with both public and businesses, along with significant pedestrian and traffic management.
Major diversions included a 315mm MP gas main in the centre of Princess Street and a 400mm strategic water main in South St Andrews Street.
The City of Edinburgh Council were already working to a revised timetable and budget for the Trams Project, meaning we had to deliver to programme despite the changing requirements.
The Solution:
Our multi-disciplinary team began work on site within seven days from contract award. Our experienced management team ensured the project was kept at the forefront of innovation, within budget and with all milestones achieved.
This required close liaison in co-located offices with the Council, its project and cost managers, Turner and Townsend, and our designers, URS.
We demonstrated flexibility to respond to changing requirements when site issues arose at short notice. This lead to modifications of existing utilities and found clear routes for diverted assets.
Extensive Traffic Management planning and implementation was essential, to ensure access for the public to homes and businesses was maintained throughout.
Excellent relationships were forged with all the main utility companies, particularly Scottish Water, Scottish Power Networks and the Council's permissions team enabling us to jointly engage on complex stakeholder matters to expedite resolution.
The Impact:
- Over 1500 utility conflicts identified and diverted, compared with the original estimate of 400, whilst delivering the project within budget and to timescales.
- Carried out 400 remedial works on Scottish Water infrastructure and reconstructed six sewer manholes each 5m deep.
- Saved both time and £60,000 by taking advantage of a digitally-based Contract Change Management (CCM) system for controlling design changes.
- Maintained access for the public to homes and businesses at all times.
- Minimised disruption to local businesses and residents by working 24 hours a day on critically important utilities on more than 40 occasions.
- The success of this project directly led to us being awarded another contract to the value of £350,000.
- The City of Edinburgh Council were subsequently awarded a Light Rail Award for bringing the tram project in on its revised timetable and budget.
" I very much recognise that the transformation and ultimate delivery of the Edinburgh Tram Project was down to the hard-work of all involved. "Sue Bruce Chief Executive The City of Edinburgh Council
View more projects
Every project we deliver is an opportunity for us to bring our unique thinking to solve problems, innovate and collaborate with our clients and beyond.
Luton DART
The Luton DART project is a joint venture project between VolkerFitzpatrick and Kier (VFK). This new state-of-the-art guided mass passenger transit system will link the airport terminal building to Luton Airport Parkway station. Due to open in 2021 it will reduce journey time from the terminal to central London to under 30 minutes.
Southern Resilience Scheme
Delivering a new £27m and 30.5km pipeline for Bristol Water, overcoming biodiversity and sustainability issues, handling the logistics presented by the pipeline passing through five towns and bringing improved water supply to 280,000 customers.
Greenwood Centre
Redevelopment of 25 & 37 Greenwood Place to provide a new 3,600m2 resource and community services centre run by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities. As part of Camden Council’s Community Investment Programme (CIP) it forms a hub for all services that was previously spread across the borough.
South Bank Place multi-utility design project
A short-term central London consultancy project turned into a ground-breaking multi-utility project, moving eight utilities to prepare for a new 800-apartment development, setting the standard in how these projects should be delivered in the capital.
Crossrail
Constructing two railway tunnels that run for 6.4km between the Royal Oak portal and the new Farringdon Crossrail station in Central London. Huge scale building of station tunnel caverns at Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road and Farringdon for the new Elizabeth line.
Gloucester Transport Hub
A unique and distinctive regeneration project promoting Gloucester’s unparalleled heritage from archaeology to aviation. The Hub is a highly symbolic part of the rejuvenation of the main entry point into the city, a gateway used in Roman times which is now served by both road and rail.
Network Rail Burnt House and Three Horse Shoes crossing upgrades
The design, installation and commissioning required for the upgrade of four level crossings in Burnt House Drove and Three Horseshoes.
South Killingtholme sewage diversion
The diversion of a 200mm sewage rising main to accommodate the removal and replacement of a railway bridge.
Emergency bridge replacement at Yoxall Waste Water Treatment works
Kier Utilities replace failing bridge in record time to allow crucial asset to remain functional.
5 Pancras Square
One of the most sustainable mixed-use building in the country and winner of the Prime Minister’s Better Public Building award.
The River Foyle HDD Crossing
The 660m horizontal directionally drilled (HDD) gas pipeline river crossing under the River Foyle in Derry, Northern Ireland, is one of the largest of its kind in Ireland. We were involved in the £3.1m project for firmus energy (FE) from the feasibility stage, through detailed design and planning to construction and commissioning.
Chesterfield Borough Council partnership
Utilising assets and facilities management to enable Chesterfield Borough Council to generate significant annual rent to fund services.
Heron House
Refurbishment of a six-storey vibrant public building in Manchester City Centre, creating over £12.2m of social return on investment.
Aberdeen Music Hall
Restoring, renovating and extending this prestigious Grade A listed performing arts building, utilising building conservation techniques whilst internally upgrading the interiors and finishes to a high quality and installing new, modern building services and a/v equipment throughout.
Browns Hill & Horn Hill Steps, Water Main Replacement
Mains replacement scheme in historically sensitive area.
MEICA Capital Works Framework
Kier delivers work for South West Water (SWW) under the ‘MEICA Capital Works Framework’, a multi-disciplinary framework for maintenance, refurbishment and the expansion of water treatment and sewage treatment works.
Brighton Mainline: Building Resilience
Supporting the power requirement for ongoing Brighton Main Line signalling renewal works. We installed a Westplex System in order to upgrade a key commuter line to increase the quantity of trains able to utilise the line.
FA Parklife
As part of the Football Association’s master-plan to build new football facilities in 30 cities by 2020, Kier have successfully delivered four all-purpose football hubs using state of the art 3G artificial grass at key grass-root areas across Liverpool.
Fibre To The Premise (FTTP)
Providing high speed broadband to 12,000 new customers utilising new FTTP products and innovative techniques, as part of Virgin Media Project Lightning.
Waste Water Alliance
General Repair and Maintenance of Scottish Water’s Sewer Network, including reactive, 24/7, rehab, rising mains, gravity sewers, connections, capital maintenance projects.
S-Skills for Highways
Partnering Surrey County Council with an innovative scheme that brings vulnerable people in social care into the workplace, supporting these candidates to be able to carry out basic highway works in the community and helping tackle the national social care time bomb.
Utility Conflict Resolution for Edinburgh Trams
A high profile 3km route clearance of 1500 utility conflicts through Edinburgh city centre, delivered within budget and achieving all programme milestones, whilst minimising disruption to local businesses and residents.
Sheffield North Active
Transforming a tired council facility into a modern new leisure centre in the north of Sheffield, adhering to Sport England guidelines and taking on board local concerns, introducing a bold exterior design and keeping to tight deadlines.
Glasgow Fort
Constructing a new retail unit that included remodelling existing car parks, a major re-alignment of the existing spine road - including removal of roundabouts - significant public utility services diversions and installation of toucan crossings.
Pipe Bridge Remediation Scheme
Working with Severn Trent Water (STW) to deliver the pipe remediation scheme, monitoring pipes carrying sewage around bridge sites.
Watford Riverwell
Delivering the £450m Watford Riverwell as a 15-20 year joint venture with Watford Borough Council, which involved regenerating 70 acres of land in West Watford to create residential, office, retail, leisure, industrial and hotel space.
West Burton CCGT Power Station
Kier was selected to construct a new 1,300MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power station at West Burton, Nottinghamshire. The site is adjacent to the River Trent and the existing coal fired power station.
Reading 10 Car Feeders and ETE
Creating additional capacity on trains from Reading to London Suburbs by delivering 10-car feeders.
Distribution Operations Alliance
22 successful years of collaborative gas distribution infrastructure. 1st July 1996; the first natural gas pipe was being installed in Northern Ireland by Kier for PNG, the country's first and largest gas distribution business. This Alliance, competitively re-awarded, sets the sector model for collaborative success between Client and Contractor.
Hawkhead Village
Transforming the former site of Hawkhead Hospital into Hawkhead Village, a residential community bringing together restored Art Deco buildings and new homes. Achieving Show Home of the Year in the Scottish Home Awards 2015 and Best Renovation/Conversion in The Herald Property Awards for Scotland 2017.
Ingoldmells Sewage Treatment Works
Repairing the roof of the Ingoldmells sludge treatment building, using an alternative solution to improve efficiency and reduce cost.
Keelby STW sludge holding tank lining
Kier's innovative water solution maintained a communities vital asset and reduced costs for the client.
Fixed Telecom Network
The biggest telecoms project ever on Britain's railways.
ED1SON Capital Delivery Alliance
A step change in the way DNO capital works and connections are delivered. Together with UK Power Networks and our Alliance partners, we deliver the improvements necessary to achieve OFGEM-mandated outputs in Customer Service, Safety, Sustainability and Network Health and Reliability.
East Suffolk Re-signalling
Working with Network Rail to keep the line between Ipswich and Lowestoft up and running. Replacing the line's Radio Electronic Token Block (RETB) system after the frequencies were allocated to the MOD, coming up with a workable solution with the client and ensuring this vital rural connection remained in service.
Crewe Lifestyle Centre
Creating a viable and affordable facility that brought all Crewe's lifestyle services - pool, gym, sports hall, library, specialist daycare and family service facilities - together under one roof, meeting a diverse range of user needs and building within a constrained town centre site.
Caol Joint Primary School Campus
Designing and constructing of a new joint campus school for The Highland Council to incorporate two neighbouring primary schools, Caol Primary School and St Columba's RC Primary School, together with a community facility.
Bank Station Capacity Upgrade
Delivering a 100% BIM3 compliant utilities design at one of London’s busiest interchanges, Bank Station. Serving 73 million passengers annually, situated between London Bridge and the Bank of England.
Huntington Community Primary School
Blending traditional and innovative solutions to create a new-build, two-storey, 420-place primary school and 26-place nursery in Chester.
Balcombe Signalling
Upgrading a key commuter line to increase the quantity of trains able to utilise the line.
New water mains connection
Customers benefit from innovation delivering a faster new connection in Newton Abbot.
Tiger Way
Kier Design and Business Services working in partnership with the London Borough of Hackney to deliver mixed-use developments and education schemes to create revenue for further local investment.
Working Roots
Setting up and running a project aimed at giving unemployed young people the opportunity to work on variety of projects at Kier North Tyneside, working with North Tyneside Council and Justice Prince ( a community interest company), and helping the young people learn new skills and grow in confidence.
Distribution Contract 03, firmus energy
Supporting firmus energy since 2005 to develop and distribute natural gas across 30 Northern Ireland cities and towns as partner. Kier have to-date laid over 1,600km of pipeline, connecting more than 48,000 customers. Responsibilities include main laying, service laying, meter installs, and uniquely 24/7 emergency gas escape response and maintenance.
F1 Meter Exchange Programme
Working collaboratively, the IMDS Alliance and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) improved the method of installing water meters. The new process for Anglian Water’s new smart meters saves time on install and saves end-users water and money through faster identification of leaks and more accurate bills.
Plymouth Central HUBER alternative dewatering scheme
Replacing existing ageing centrifuge assets with a, first of its kind, application of the HUBER Q-Press. This improved odour control measures, reduced chemical consumption and halved annual operating costs at Plymouth Central Sewage Treatment Works, as part of South West Water’s MEICA Framework.
Flintshire Adult Day Care Centre
Delivering new state-of-the-art community day care facilities and social care services for vulnerable adults with varying degrees of learning disabilities. The new facility in North Wales was the 1000th project procured through the Scape National Minor Works framework.
Piries Place Car Park
New carpark, with iconic 14.5m living wall, provides much-needed, modern spacious multi-level parking facilities, completing the regeneration of Piries Place, an historic area of Horsham in West Sussex. Delivered through the Scape National Minor Works framework, the new car park, provides 189 additional spaces.
NHS Louisa Jordan
Converting the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow in to a temporary hospital in just 20 days, providing facilities for 1000 patients.
Keeping customers connected during COVID-19
Providing a 24/7 reactive service to South West Water during the COVID-19 lockdown to ensure the network could cope with increased water demand. Adopting new ways of working to maintain social distancing.