Building Better Roads: A Carbon-Neutral Makeover

CivilsConstructionDesign

Client

UK Power Networks

Location

Stowmarket

Sector

Civils

Date

Completed August 2024

For those of us living in the UK, potholes and under-resourced roads are all too familiar. But for the team at UK Power Networks in Stowmarket, they weren’t going to accept less than perfect on their access roads. So, after designing the solution, our groundworks teams rolled up their sleeves and got cracking…

We worked our magic on 40 meters of ducting, the old car park, and the existing tarmac and concrete. The car park was restructured, squared off, and future-proofed with new ducting. We installed a new ACO drainage run and laid 890 m² of carbon-neutral concrete, aligning with UK Power Network’s ambition to be the most environmentally and socially responsible Distribution Network Operator (DNO).

The Tru7 concrete formula that we used replaces cement with GGBS (Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag), a by-product from the blast-furnaces used to make iron. Our teams were surprised to learn that this mix performs better than traditional mixes, whilst significantly reducing the environmental impact of a project due to the lack of cement used.

Dennis Craddock highlighted the team’s adaptability: “I’m really proud of how quickly the team embraced working with a new material. They researched thoroughly and it’s caused a lot of interesting discussion within the team which is always nice to see.”

Additionally, a new slab was created to house a bike shed for UK Power Network employees taking up the Cycle to Work Scheme. The access road was regraded, straightened, and levelled to ensure smooth and safe operations.

With UK Power Network’s commitment to achieving Net Zero, we’re behind them all the way.

What our client said

“I was very impressed and pleased, not only with the progress to date but also with how tidy the site was, how safely the team operated, and how professional the whole operation was. Great work, please pass on my comments to Scott and the rest of the team!”