Snow, flooding, and live watercourses – those were just some of the challenges our Cogden Beck site team overcame as they reconstructed two bridges in Swaledale this winter!
After their collapse in 2019 due to flooding, Howard Civil Engineering were awarded a £0.9m contract from North Yorkshire County Council to reconstruct the two bridges at Cogden Beck in August 2020.
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Emphasis was placed on our ability to react and mobilise quickly in order to meet the challenging deadlines, and Howard Civil Engineering commenced work on the remote countryside site the following week.
Contracts manager Tony Kilbane spoke about the challenges posed by this rural location: ‘Planning deliveries of material and heavy plant to an isolated location with limited access was very tricky. Given the area is also a Site of Specific Interest and the roads connecting our site to nearby villages are primarily B and C roads, which are frequently used by local farmers, consideration for local stakeholders, suppliers, and operatives was paramount.”
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Though close together in location, each bridge required a very different method of reconstruction. The northern bridge was constructed using a box culvert and faced with stonework salvaged from the original collapsed bridge, and the southern bridge used a mixture of new and reclaimed stone elements to form the abutments and arched barrel, in addition to in situ concrete support works.
Working over a live watercourse is not foreign to Howard Civil Engineering (have a read of our Arla River Wall Repair project here), and our team expertly controlled the water level in order to pour the foundations beneath the riverbed with the use of large sub pumps. However, the irony was not lost on any of us when the site flooded several times during construction due to excessive rainfall!
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“When in flood, Cogden Beck is extremely powerful and on occasion we would have to wait until the water subsided in order to continue work safely,” Tony explained. “The flooding resulted in additional works such as pumping out and removing debris, boulders and riverbed cobbles, which put significant strain on the programme schedule.”
Running water wasn’t the only thing that put a spanner in the works at Cogden Beck – severe snowfall also forced works come to a grinding halt earlier this year.
“The main challenge for us was the adverse weather we experienced in the first week of January,” said project manager Patrick Furlong. “The site was situated 300m above sea level and in a very remote area of the countryside. Getting our operatives to site safely and continuing work in such cold and dangerous conditions was simply unachievable, and it made laying the stone walls with cement nigh on impossible.”
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Despite these consequential setbacks, Howard Civil Engineering were able to complete works and restore the surround areas to their natural state only four weeks later than scheduled.
“We are very happy to re-open these bridges to the local community and I personally am immensely proud of the good work achieved by our Cogden Beck site team,” said Tony. “Their determination and ability to deliver a quality product for our client whilst navigating and overcoming the various challenges posed by the remote location and adverse weather on site is certainly something to be commended.”
See the finished result!
Repairs to a bridge which connects communities in the #Yorkshire Dales have been completed.
Cogden South bridge, on the C106 near Grinton Moor, was one of two ruined by flooding in 2019.
🔊”The new bridge will serve communities for years to come.”
More: https://t.co/yq8FqYXabf pic.twitter.com/ThJstOyQhC — North Yorkshire CC (@northyorkscc) March 7, 2021
Today we’re raising awareness of the various different roles available for women within the construction industry that you may not have considered! Abbie Harrop (right) and Chloe-Leigh Preston (left) are our internal marketing gurus and look after everything from social media and website content to community liaison newsletters and social value initiatives. Have a read of their experiences as women in construction below.
How long have you been in your current role?
Abbie: I joined Howard Civil Engineering two years ago but was promoted from Marketing Executive to Marketing and Social Media Manager last summer.
Chloe-Leigh: I’m a very new member of the team – I only started as a Marketing Administration Apprentice two weeks ago!
What brought you to Howard Civil Engineering?
Abbie: I was looking for a marketing role in a company that would both support me in my professional development and allow me to make the role my own. The fact that Howard Civil Engineering was a construction company never flagged up as something that could potentially deter me as a woman – everyone I had interacted with prior to accepting the role had been extremely professional and friendly.
Chloe-Leigh: I wanted to pursue an apprenticeship in marketing, but I’d never considered construction as an industry I might want to go into. I came across Howard Civil Engineering and I was taken aback by how much they do for their communities and how much they dedicate to social value. I also love the fact that I get to go out on site to see the progress that is being made on our projects and learn about the different methods of construction.
What advice would you give to women entering the industry?
Abbie: I’d echo Sophie’s comments and say don’t be intimidated by the fact that construction is a male-dominated industry. Be confident in your knowledge and experience – you were hired for a reason!
Chloe-Leigh: I’ve only been here two weeks, but in my experience, I think confidence is definitely key!
How do you think being a woman has benefitted your role?
Abbie: My background as an English and History graduate, subjects which are primarily taken by women, could not be further from my peers’ backgrounds which are primarily in construction. I’ll admit this made things a little daunting at first, but the skills I practiced throughout my education now enable me to offer different perspectives and solutions to problems which my colleagues may not have considered.
Chloe-Leigh: It’s too early to say at the moment – ask me again next year!
It’s #WomenInConstructionWeek! Today we’re celebrating pre-construction coordinator Sophie Henderson. Sophie started her journey with Howard Civil Engineering seven years ago as a trainee health and safety advisor on-site, but she currently heads up the company’s sustainability focus and community liaison programs in addition to estimating.
We sat down with Sophie to discuss her experience as a woman in construction at Howard Civil Engineering.
How long have you been in your current role?
I joined Howard Civil Engineering as an apprentice in health and safety in 2015, but I have been Pre-Construction Coordinator for 9 months now.
What brought you to Howard Civil Engineering?
During my teenage years I always found myself wondering how buildings and construction projects came to be. People always see the finished product, but I wanted to get involved with the whole construction process beforehand.
I originally wanted to just get my foot through the door in the industry and Howard Civil Engineering seemed like the perfect company in which to do so – they had a good reputation and, as a family-owned business, values that I identified with. Everyone was very friendly and approachable.
Don’t see it as though you’re a woman in a man’s job. You’re a woman in a job!
What advice would you give to women entering the industry?
Don’t see it as though you’re a woman in a man’s job. You’re a woman in a job! Times are changing, and women are now more accepted in what is a predominantly male environment.
I’d also encourage women not to be put off by the fact that it is a male dominated industry – there are so many roles in construction that have good scientific and mathematical bases that aren’t being out on site all day, and even roles that don’t require an intricate knowledge of the methods of construction such as accounting and marketing.
There is an unspoken bond between women who work in construction.
How do you think being a woman has benefitted your role?
I think my experience as a woman has enabled me to bring a softer and more approachable side to the community liaison initiatives undertaken by Howard Civil Engineering. I find I am able to sympathise with people a bit more and I can focus on building relationships with stakeholders such as local residents and businesses.
What do you like about being a woman in the construction industry?
I feel there is an unspoken friendship or bond between women who work in construction. Because we are usually the minority gender, we tend to stick together where possible. I love the interactions I have with other women in the office and on-site!
I also really like to stay updated with WISE (Women in Science and Engineering). The WISE Campaign encourages women and girls to value and pursue science, technology, engineering and meths-related courses in school and it’s so inspiring to see the work they do! It’s definitely something to aspire to and look up to.
NHS fundraising efforts undertaken by a local school have been given a significant boost thanks to Howard Civil Engineering’s Greengates Junction site team.
Inspired by Captain Tom’s 100 laps of his garden and his recent passing, students at Greengates Primary Academy in Bradford have been challenging themselves in what they are calling the “Captain Tom Challenge.”
The school, which is stone’s throw away from our Greengates Junction site for Bradford Council, has taken a leaf out of Captain Tom’s book to undertake a series of exercises to raise money for the NHS.
Pupils of all ages have been raising money in various ways, from performing 100 bounces on a space hopper and 100 keepy uppies with a balloon to naming 100 nouns and remaining silent for 100 minutes. Staff members have also joined in the fun, with one member of staff riding a bike for 100 minutes and another pledging to run 100 miles throughout March!
Howard Civil Engineering were only too happy to sponsor the school’s remarkable efforts and added an extra £200 to the pot, bringing the total raised so far to just under £2,000!
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It is fantastic to see the children of Greengates Primary Academy pull together and raise money for such a worthy cause during what is undoubtedly a challenging time for them,” commented community liaison officer Sophie Henderson.
“Captain Tom’s fundraising efforts have been an inspiration to us all and it’s great that the pupils of Greengates Primary have been able to remain positive and proactive despite the challenges that lockdown has thrown them, and have fun doing it!
“Howard Civil Engineering have always demonstrated a commitment to improving the communities in which we work, and we are very happy to have helped the school exceed their target and support dedicated and passionate young members of the Bradford community.”
Anyone wishing to sponsor the children can donate here. You can also keep up to date with the fundraising efforts on Greengates Primary Academy’s twitter, @DeltaGreengates, and by following the hashtag #CaptTomChall.
Engineering apprentice Oliver Maundrel may have only joined Howard Civil Engineering five months ago, but he already knows he is in the right place to start his career as an engineer.
This National Apprenticeship Week, we sat down with Oliver to discuss his motivations behind his decision to join Howard Civil Engineering and how he hopes to make the most of the experience.
“I was initially attracted to HCE as I knew that they are one of the north’s leading engineering companies,” he said. “With this reputation in mind, I knew the support that I would receive would help me hone and develop my skills and competencies.”
Although only five months into his apprenticeship, Oliver has already cut his teeth on two different sites. He was initially placed at our high-profile Greengates Junction site in Bradford and has since been relocated to our Gateway 36 site in Barnsley. Howard Civil Engineering are primary contractor on both of these sites, so attention to detail is even more paramount.
“The key responsibilities of my role include managing health, safety, and the quality of work on site,” he explained. “I also provide setting out information for the works which take place on site and assist with the administration of office documentation such as quality inspection forms.”
Commenting on the support he has received, Oliver couldn’t be more complimentary: “My experience has been excellent so far! I am enjoying the role and the combination of the teaching provided from Leeds College of Building and the support given to me from experience operatives has been great. I feel quite confident in my role, even though I only started five months ago. Being placed with experienced engineers has definitely helped a lot.”
So where does Oliver see his apprenticeship with Howard Civil Engineering taking him?
“I am hopeful for a successful future at Howard Civil Engineering,” he said. “I want to gain my qualifications and then expand on my experience to eventually move into a management role. I have certainly been given a great opportunity to work hard, develop my knowledge and my skills, and eventually progress my career to a higher level.”
Sounds fantastic, Oliver! Keep up the great work.
After leaving college in 2019, Dan Heffernan was faced with a choice – go to university and continue studying full time or start a new adventure with an apprenticeship and learn on the job.
Dan made the decision to join Howard Civil Engineering a year ago as an apprentice engineer and spent six months on site before being offered the position of trainee estimator.
Dan is currently training under the tutorage of pre-construction co-ordinator Sophie Henderson (pictured below), who also started her career with Howard Civil Engineering as an apprentice and was a member of the estimating team until she was promoted last summer.
“Switching to estimating was certainly a positive change and I think it’s been highly beneficial,” said Dan. “I have a challenging, yet manageable level of responsibility and I know I have all the support I need. Everyone has been really welcoming and it has been easy to fit in with everyone.”
Looking forward, Dan is optimistic about his career with Howard Civil Engineering.
“I am hopeful that in a few years I will be a fully qualified estimator, and I can assess my options from there. I am ambitious and I want to reach my full potential. I know that Howard Civil Engineering will give me the opportunity to do so.”
Best of luck, Dan!
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