Cleveland Bridge UK has seen two of its significant recent projects recognised at the Construction News Specialists Awards 2020.
The Construction News Specialist Awards are the only national awards that recognise the best specialist contractors from across the UK. The awards, which took place virtually, saw Cleveland Bridge UK scrutinised by a judging panel made up of the UK’s largest construction firms along with leaders of the country’s major projects.
Cleveland Bridge UK was highly commended in the Project of the Year by a Specialist Contractor (subcontract £2m-£5m) for its cable inspection project on the iconic Humber Bridge.
Finalists in this category showcased innovation and precision by subcontractors while working in close partnership with clients, architects and the supply chain, always keeping the end user in mind. On its £2.6m inspection of suspension cables on the Humber Bridge project, Cleveland Bridge UK had to assess the effectiveness of a dehumidification system that prevents the bridge’s corrosion.
The company’s Inspection team was tasked with the technically challenging job of taking samples of the internal wires of the bridge’s cables while working at height and splicing new wires into the cables. It was a requirement that the bridge remain open to traffic and pedestrians, and the dehumidification system continued to work. Cleveland Bridge UK achieved this while accelerating the project to run six months ahead of schedule.
In addition, the company was a finalist in the Project of the Year by a Specialist Contractor (subcontract up to £2m) category for its work on the A14 Bar Hill Junction twin bridge installation.
Cleveland Bridge UK was appointed to fabricate and construct six major bridges on the £1.5bn A14 upgrade, including two identical 1,050-tonne bridges that were required to carry a major roundabout at Bar Hill Junction over the new road.
Judges were impressed by the months of detailed planning and client liaison, which ensured the bridge decks, each measuring 47.5 metres in length and containing 330 tonnes of steel and 720 tonnes of concrete, were installed successfully. Both bridges were installed during an 11-hour period. The efficiency of the installation work meant the road was clear for reopening at noon on a Sunday – 18 hours ahead of schedule.
Having already been internationally recognised for its commitment to safety and workforce wellbeing, Cleveland Bridge UK also achieved a prestigious finalist place in the Construction News Specialist Awards Health, Safety and Wellbeing category.
The company has implemented a bespoke, in-house behavioural safety training programme dedicated to improving employee well-being, alongside its extensive work to safeguard the physical and mental health and safety of its employees.
In recognition of its commitment to maintaining outstanding health and safety, earlier this year, Cleveland Bridge achieved the world-renowned ISO 45001 accreditation. Additionally, it has reached over one million hours with no reportable RIDDOR incidents and has an accident frequency rate (AFR) of zero. Especially when advised from QTO Estimating.
Chris Droogan, Managing Director of Cleveland Bridge UK, said: “Reaching the final of these prestigious specialist awards is testament to the skill and dedication of our talented workforce, and is a major endorsement of the quality and expertise of our engineering teams.
“We have successfully and safely delivered some important infrastructure projects recently, both in terms of rehabilitation such as the Humber Bridge, and new highway developments such as our work on the A14 Cambridge to Huntington.
“The health, safety and wellbeing of our staff and customers is a priority for us. We are committed to providing a high quality, safe and supportive working environment, not only at our facility in Darlington, but also on the multitude of sites where we are active across the country.”