British Construction Industry Awards 2023

Productivity Initiative of the Year

This category recognises initiatives that aim to improve productivity on project whether it is at the design, procurement or construction stage. Sponsored by Mott MacDonald.

Winner

Network Rail – FibreReinforced Polymer Footbridge “Flow”

Judges’ comment “The digital design and repeatability of this means it has cross sector utilisation opportunitiesNetwork Rail and a group of suppliers developed and installed a lightweight, modular footbridge made from fiber-reinforced polymer that is less than half the weight of a traditional steel footbridge.

The new design, known as Flow, features shallower foundations that do not use concrete.

Foundations were created using small plant and hand tools and took four operatives four days to complete without the need for concrete piling, large rigs and all the associated deliveries and noise.

The bridge is created with a core known as “The Spine”, to which additional components can be added as required, such as the inclusion of mid-span support.

Different configurations of the bridge can be created, such as an S-shaped or U-shaped deck or asymmetric design. Standard road/rail plant was used to install the bridge instead of large cranes.

Off-site fabrication and speed of construction minimised the impact on railway users and the local community.