Ancient finds uncovered alongside the M25 in Surrey
Historical artefacts dating back thousands of years have been unearthed by archaeologists working on the National Highways M25 junction 10/A3 £317m improvement scheme near Wisley, Surrey. Remains discovered include a late Bronze Age/early Iron Age settlement around 1,000 to 500 BC and evidence of post-medieval agricultural practices. Found just south of the A3, towards the eastern scheme limit, he remains include at least five roundhouses, the largest of which has a diameter of about 10m.
The work has been ongoing since 2022, with Balfour Beatty, working on behalf of National Highways, and alongside Oxford Archaeology. A number of archaeological investigations have taken place as part of the scheme to reduce congestion.
Next generation of surveyors championed through project
Topcon Positioning Systems has become the sole sponsor of the global brand ambassador hub project of Get Kids into Survey (GKiS). The new platform will provide a set of resources to the project’s brand ambassadors, a global community of volunteers who visit schools to champion surveying as a career and introduce students to the surveying and geospatial industries. Sponsoring a homework project with GKiS, Topcon will also have its own unique GKiS cartoon character, Yumi the Wildcat Survey Ninja. Yumi will be the face of the Topcon brand to young aspiring surveyors and will have her own character spotlight on the GKiS blog.
£2bn north-south tram extension for Edinburgh up for debate
The Transport and Environment Committee have put ambitious plans for the future of Edinburgh, including potentially a new £2bn tram extension to public consultation. The 12-week public consultation will begin in spring 2024, ahead of the preparation of a strategic business case to the committee, including the responses in autumn 2024.
Engagement builds on a consultation on the City Mobility Plan in 2020/21, which found that 62% of respondents would like to see the tram network expanded. Exploring the expansion would support aims to reduce car kms travelled by 30% and the city's aim to become net zero by 2030. The consultation will show recommended routes across four sections (Granton – City Centre; through the City Centre; City Centre – BioQuarter; and BioQuarter and beyond) and the reasoning, in addition to alternative options explored and the reasons why these have been discounted.
AI-enabled digital twin technology released
Looq AI has launched an AI-enabled digital twin technology known as the Looq platform. The platform has the ability to digitally map physical world infrastructure in minutes to enable a safer, more sustainable, electrified future. Powered by a novel and fundamental computer vision and AI technology, it is a deep technology stack assembling end-to-end solution for digitising the built world. Looq’s proprietary 'Q' camera system allows data to be captured in the field and then processed with their AI based image-to-model software in the cloud to create geo-referenced 3D digital twins and topographic maps with AI semantic information. Project teams can then interact with the digital twin models and AI generated information to complete engineering, surveying, analysis, and coordination tasks.
10% reduction in building and construction CO2 emissions possible – finds research
According to the Construction LCA and Embodied Carbon Experts Outlook 2024 report by decarbonisation tech platform One Click LCA, 59% of respondents expect at least a 10% reduction in embodied carbon emissions in buildings by conducting life-cycle assessments (LCA). However, 83% state that a lack of national regulation and policies is a barrier to adoption, while 80% of highlight the need for more awareness from developers and investors.
Search on for RTS construction partner
The River Thames Scheme (RTS) partners, The Environment Agency and Surrey County Council, are searching for a construction partner to lead on the construction of two sections of the flood alleviation channel. It is part of the overall £300m of works, which includes the creation of more than five miles of new flood channels to carry excess rainfall from the Thames.
In brief:
- Fugro has been selected by KREDO Offshore to conduct a metocean and wind resource measurement on the west coast of South Korea, Yeonggwang County.
- National Highways has awarded Bouygues Travaux Publics–Murphy Joint Venture the contract to build the UK's largest bored tunnels as part of the Lower Thames Crossing project. The project features a new road connecting Kent and Essex, designed to tackle the Dartford Crossing congestion. The tunnels and approaches BMJV team join Balfour Beatty who will build the roads north of the Thames, and Skanska who will build the roads in Kent.
- Following approval by the Iraqi government, the construction of a seven-line 64-station 148km automated metro network in Baghdad has gone out to tender. Expected to cost $2.5bn, it is hoped to start carrying passengers in 2027.
- Exodigo has partnered with Pacific Northwest Laboratory and Rutgers to provide subsurface maps for power lines. It follows the US Department of Energy’s announcement in mid-January of $34m to strengthen and modernise America’s aging power grid.
- Plans are underway to build Southeast Asia’s first ever tidal power generation plant through a contract signed between Philippine energy company Energies PH's subsidiary, San Bernardino Ocean Power and the UK's Inyanga Marine Energy Group.