Extension to Granville Industrial Estate, DungannonHighly Commended at Outstanding Achievement Award 2011 for Materials Construction Only Award Main Contractor: PT McWilliams Ltd |
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The Project
In December 2008, works commenced to extend the existing industrial estate at Granville, Dungannon.
The project itself consisted of the development of five industrial unit sites on a 45-acre agricultural site. The units were then linked to the existing industrial estate by a 5-metre wide cycle track and footpath. The site has direct access to the A4, the main arterial route to Belfast.
The works comprised the main infrastructure for the extension to Granville Industrial Estate and included road construction, drainage, fencing, earthworks, surfacing, street lighting, installation of services, landscaping and associated work.
Works were completed as two contracts: Part A included site clearance, topsoil stripping, archaeological supervision and bunding, Part B was the balance of the enabling contract.
 Arial view of the site, summer 2010 |
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Re-use of material
The site contained 277,000 m3 of material of which 135,000 m3 was suitable for re-use. The contractor put forward the option of lime treatment to render the remaining 142,000 m3 of soil suitable for use. This resulted in all 277,000 m3 of material being beneficially re-used on site. As a direct result of this we eliminated the need to import raw material and dispose of unsuitable material, avoiding in excess of 25,000 lorry movements and their associated carbon emissions.
Earthworks |
Lime treatment |
Ecology
Before the main earthworks could commence, precautionary measures were vital in order to protect the adjacent fen area and Black Lough, which form a sensitive wildlife environment. Enabling works therefore included the construction of a bund embankment made from gravel, clay and geotextile to filter water.
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Construction plant
The contractor used a fuel efficiency monitoring tool called JIGSAW, which enables the tracking of fuel usage for each machine. The software package can compare fuel consumption of different plant and thereby assists in decisions about replacing or upgrading machinery.
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Project Environmental Management
The contractor operates an Integrated Management System which is certified to ISO 14001. Under the IMS System, procedures were established and maintained to monitor and measure the key characteristics of operations and activities that had an impact on the environment. This included the recording of information to track performance, relevant operational controls and conformance with the company’s objectives and targets.
Audits were carried out to determine if the EMS was properly implemented and maintained and to ensure the continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of the EMS.
The contractor decided to register the project for a Construction-Only CEEQUAL Award in their own right, with the support of the client.
The Granville site was also visited by judges from the CEF Specify Construction Excellence Awards 2010 and PT McWilliams were awarded top achievers in Northern Ireland in the category of ‘Quality Performance for Environmental Sustainability’. CEF judges commented by stating: “This company impressed the judges not only with their 14001-accredited Environmental Management System, but also within that, their demonstrable commitment to the re-use/recycling of materials, agricultural improvement and creation of new habits, protection of water systems, and vehicle fuel efficiency.”
Other measures adopted on site have included:
- Established woodlands were preserved, hedgerows maintained where possible and an extensive landscaping and planting regime was carried out.
- We involved a local school in a programme of planting native trees and provided a learning environment for them with input from the Ulster Wildlife Trust.
- Water was collected in settlement ponds and was re-used for dust suppression on site.
Construction of the cycle path |
Completed cycle path |
