News in Brief – January 2012

Work to strengthen the Coalport Bridge in Shropshire has won a prestigious Historic Bridge & Infrastructure Award from the Institution of Civil Engineers. The bridge, which spans the River Severn, received bonded steel plates to reinforce cast iron arch ribs. Construction traffic and pedestrians were carried during the works by a temporary steel girder bridge designed and built by Mabey Support Systems.

First Minister for Wales Rhodri Morgan opened a new manufacturing facility for Rowecord Engineering in Newport last month. The £2.5M investment includes new shot-blasting and spraying facilities, pipe-cutting and steel cutting machines and a precision plasma cutting machine.

REID Architecture has designed a new 46m high control tower for Newcastle International Airport. The proposed tower is of circular plan form, with a narrow stem that expands towards the top and splays out at the base. The tower is to feature a steel frame at the base and to support some of the upper section and the structure will incorporate stainless steel cladding. Structural and engineering work will be carried out by Arup and construction work is expected to commence in March 2006 and finish in September 2007.

Bourne Parking Ltd – a subsidiary of Bourne Steel – has been awarded a £2M contract from Lichfield District Council to design and build a 277 space semi basement car park and a 116 space temporary car park. The company is also to design and build a 220 space, single deck car park to serve a new accident and emergency department at Coventry Hospital on behalf of Skanska in a £1.3M deal.