vox, september 2011

september 2011projects and people

Halcrow Foundation helps Thai village escape the poverty cycle – 28

FuTure FisHingsri Lanka’s fisheries sector rebuilds with Halcrow support – 12

THames barrier iconic structure protects London from flood risk – 18

PLUS catch up with colleagues around the world – at work and outside the office

VOX

2 ◆ Vox ◆ projects and people

editor’scomment in this issue of Vox we focus on what makes Halcrow a truly great company – the projects it delivers and the inspirational people who make them happen.

We take a look at a project to help sri Lanka’s fisheries industry recover after the 2004 tsunami. other schemes under the spotlight include London’s thames Barrier, a rail upgrade for Gdansk port in Poland, and the first high-speed rail link in the Americas linking rio de Janeiro and sao Paulo.

We also follow Bill Bruin and marc Percher on a post-earthquake reconnaissance trip to Japan and catch up with Halcrow employees around the world.

Please continue to send your project successes and other news to eloise Young.

Projectsrecovering From THe big one 3Halcrow employees on reconnaissance mission to japan

speeding buLLeT 10brazil’s high-speed rail link stays on track

FisHing For a beTTer FuTure 12rebuilding sri lanka’s coastal infrastructure

cLean energy 16Us power team lights path away from fossil fuels

no barrier To progress 18extended life for london’s iconic flood defences

Trains and boaTs and cranes 24Gdansk rail upgrade promises boost to baltic trade

projecT news and awards 26

GivinGa Hand up, noT a Hand ouT 28Halcrow Foundation supports thai village

PeoPleobiTuaries 34

sporT 36

announcemenTs 38

out of officeTaLes oF THe undead 40Iain paton creates a zombie-inhabited world of horror

vox team

eloise Young, editor [email protected]

Haidee Harrison

richard rhydderch

emilie dadswell, designer [email protected]

no barrier

to progress – 18

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projects and people ◆ Vox ◆ 3

from tHe BiG one

Bill Bruin and Marc Percher on reconnaissance mission to Japan

t is perhaps a reflection of the digital age we

live in that japan’s disaster in march 2011 very

quickly became a real-time world disaster.

Footage shot from mobile phones showed people

outrunning the post-earthquake tsunami’s surging black

water and cars bobbing like apples in rolling waves of

debris. When cell sites eventually jammed under the

volume, twitter and Facebook told the story of lost

parents, siblings and children. as the water receded,

rescue and reconstruction teams touched down to scenes

of apocalyptic destruction.

i

>

Recovering


across the country

mangled cars, a scene repeated

a ship is left marooned on the dock


When Halcrow’s bill bruin and marc percher arrived

in the shell-shocked country, two months after the

9.0-magnitude quake and resulting tsunami, the number

of people confirmed dead or still missing stood at almost

25,000. over 120,000 residents had been evacuated, many

of whom were escaping the world’s worst nuclear crisis

since chernobyl after the damaged Fukushima plant

began emitting radiation.

no strangers to international reconstruction efforts,

bill and marc travelled to japan in early may 2011 as

part of an american society of civil engineers (asce)

coasts, oceans, ports and rivers Institute (coprI)

reconnaissance mission. the oakland-based pair had

previously visited chile and Haiti respectively in 2010,

also under asce auspices, following the massive

earthquakes that decimated both countries.

UnMitigated destrUctiOnjapan is right at the top of the global pile when it comes

to earthquake preparedness, following the Kobe quake in

1995 in which 6,400 people died. people live in an almost

constant state of readiness, given that the country suffers

a fifth of the world’s most powerful tremors. modern

buildings are built with deep foundations, the most

advanced supported by shock absorbers that allow the

structure to move with the earth, rather than against it.

but although japan was ready for ‘the big one’, it was

powerless to stop the force of the ocean. First stop for

the team was sendai, the closest major city to the

earthquake’s epicentre and among the worst

hit. coastal areas had been obliterated by an

inescapable wall of water, raging up to

10m high and travelling 6km inland in some

parts. churning with mud and debris, the

wave had swallowed everything in its path

– cars, houses, fishing boats and trees were

all picked up and swept along. confronted by

staggering damage, the asce team visited oil

terminals and other marine infrastructure to further

develop the industry’s body of knowledge and better

prepare for future events.

“damage at the sendai refinery was predominately due to

the tsunami, and was almost beyond our comprehension,”

bill recalled. “We saw things that one could only

imagine the horror of seeing in real time. pipelines were

Although Japan was

ready for ‘the big one’, it was

powerless to stop the force of the

ocean


everywhere; to be described as spaghetti would be an

understatement. repairs will be monumental. empty

large diameter tanks (20-40m) had floated like rubber

ducks and landed on top of concrete containment walls

or hit other stationary objects. We also observed one

oil barge, overturned and leaned against the pipe rack

structure more than 100m from the ship channel.”

With the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant just 80km

to the south, marc and bill kept a watchful eye on their

radiation dosimeters. millirem readings were reassuringly

low as the contamination proved more localised than first

feared, but this proximity to a potential nuclear crisis

further emphasised the uphill battle facing those tasked

with reconstruction.

BUilding knOwledgeamid the destruction the team found small pockets of

resistance. Infrastructure that stood up to this most

demanding test now provides a valuable source of

information and lessons for the international engineering

community. Where innovative, alternative designs or

construction methods had survived the twin onslaught

of earthquake and tsunami, this evidence can be used to

support new approaches or bolster building codes. at the

sendai container terminal complex, as marc explained,

some of the cranes had escaped almost unscathed.

“there were four large container cranes in total

at the site, two on the older, less damaged

portion and two on the newer, more

damaged portion. the cranes on the

newer portion were something special

as they are base-isolated, relying on an

invention developed by dr. sugano from

the japanese port and airport research

Institute (parI), who was part of our

team. Having an opportunity to assess their

performance was highly constructive and will

potentially shape the way this innovation is developed

and used across the industry.”

the coastal towns of onagawa, ofunato and Kesennuma

were next on the team’s itinerary, adding to the catalogue

of destruction. In ofunato the team was approached by a

local seaweed fisherman, Yosida Yoshio, whose weather-

beaten face told the story of a life at sea. His experience,

recounted pragmatically, was typical of many. When the

earthquake hit, he realised a tsunami was likely to follow.

Infrastructure that stood

up to this most demanding test

provides an invaluable source

of information

a building flipped on its side with a pile hanging


He got into his boat and tried to make it to the open water.

as he tried to leave the port area the tsunami current

pushed him back, then sucked him out to sea. He made

it out to water about 130m deep, waiting until the next

morning to return. His house, beside the port, had been

swamped by waves 6-8m high, while his wife had escaped

to high ground in her car.

many residents of neighbouring onagawa were not so

fortunate. “It was reported that as much as 80 per cent

of the village population was killed,” said bill. “the

devastation was widespread, with the wave reaching deep

into the valley. cars were on top of five-storey buildings,

while a few three-storey buildings had overturned

>

a car is stranded on top of a three-storey building


TOKYO

EARTHQUAKEEPICENTRE

25,000NUMBER OF PEOPLEDEAD OR STILL MISSING

600,000EVACUATED FROMTHEIR HOMES

2.6 MILLION NUMBER OFHOMES LEFTWITHOUT POWER

1.4 MILLIONPEOPLE LEFT WITHOUT ACCESS TO WATER

210,000 PEOPLE EVACUATEDFROM THE EXCLUSIONZONE AROUND FUKUSHIMANUCLEAR PLANT

£9 BILLIONESTIMATED COST OF DAMAGE TOPROPERTY BY THE EARTHQUAKE

THE NUMBER OF CENTIMETRESTHE EARTH WAS THROWNOFF ITS AXIS BY THEPOWERFUL EARTHQUAKE

252.4 THE DISTANCE, IN METRES, JAPAN WASSHIFTED EAST FROM ITSORIGINAL POSITION

MORE POWERFUL THAN THE EARTHQUAKE THAT HIT CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND, IN FEBRUARY 2011

1,000 TIMES

517,050PARTIALLY DAMAGEDBUILDINGS

111,944DESTROYED BUILDINGS

139,870PARTIALLY DESTROYEDBUILDINGS

completely, with piles broken or extending

from the foundations. the aftermath

was sobering. a whole village, almost

entirely swept away, with only a few of the

sturdiest structures still standing. this site

gave us all something to think about.”

the lOng rOad tO recOVeryas well as contributing to the investigative

work of parI and other organisations

to support rebuilding efforts, marc and

bill took home a bulging dossier on

infrastructure performance under extreme

conditions. “We need to take everything

we can from these disastrous

circumstances,” said marc,

“to build on the body of

knowledge available and,

hopefully, improve the

way we prepare for

these events in the

future.” the team’s

findings will be used to

augment existing industry

knowledge, and in some

cases may lead to changes in

design codes or accepted best practice.

reflecting on the significance of the trip

and the scale of what he witnessed, marc

concluded: “as each day began, we had

no idea of what we would see, or how the

damage would affect us personally. the

recovery effort is going to take years, if not

decades, but the japanese are determined

to rebuild and are doing an incredible job

of clearing the countryside.

“even when we were there, just two

months after the event, they had already

removed much of the debris leaving a

barren landscape behind. that said,

the japanese community will need

to determine how it wants to rebuild;

whether to allow people to return to areas

that were inundated and how to protect

them if they do.”

Cars were on

top of five-storey buildings,

while a few three-storey buildings had overturned

completely

The earthquake in numbers


TOKYO

EARTHQUAKEEPICENTRE

25,000NUMBER OF PEOPLEDEAD OR STILL MISSING

600,000EVACUATED FROMTHEIR HOMES

2.6 MILLION NUMBER OFHOMES LEFTWITHOUT POWER

1.4 MILLIONPEOPLE LEFT WITHOUT ACCESS TO WATER

210,000 PEOPLE EVACUATEDFROM THE EXCLUSIONZONE AROUND FUKUSHIMANUCLEAR PLANT

£9 BILLIONESTIMATED COST OF DAMAGE TOPROPERTY BY THE EARTHQUAKE

THE NUMBER OF CENTIMETRESTHE EARTH WAS THROWNOFF ITS AXIS BY THEPOWERFUL EARTHQUAKE

252.4 THE DISTANCE, IN METRES, JAPAN WASSHIFTED EAST FROM ITSORIGINAL POSITION

MORE POWERFUL THAN THE EARTHQUAKE THAT HIT CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND, IN FEBRUARY 2011

1,000 TIMES

517,050PARTIALLY DAMAGEDBUILDINGS

111,944DESTROYED BUILDINGS

139,870PARTIALLY DESTROYEDBUILDINGS

The earthquake in numbers


Speeding bulletBrazil’s high-speed rail link stays on track

Rio de Janeiro


Speeding bullet very year over 7 million people travel between

Brazil’s two largest cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao

Paulo – 60 per cent of them by air.

When the Trem de Alta Velocidade (TAV) high-speed rail

link hurtles into life, a significant proportion of them

will be coaxed from congested airports and highways,

on to state-of-the-art trains running at speeds of up to

350km/h. Halcrow has played a significant role in the

project to date and the company recently signed a major

contract extension with the Inter-American Development

Bank (IDB) to support the Brazilian government.

“This contract builds on our previous work to produce

a comprehensive set of feasibility studies and further

strengthens Halcrow’s relationship with the IDB and

the Brazilian government,” said project director Mark

Jeffcott. “We look forward to working with local partners

and stakeholders to help Brazil progress this pioneering

project in Latin America.”

As the sole technical adviser, Halcrow will be responsible

for developing the TAV business model, tender

preparation and bid evaluation.

Once built, the TAV will be the first dedicated high-speed

rail link in the Americas. The project represents a step

change in service quality, with journey times slashed from

five hours by bus to just 90 minutes. It is also expected

that the line will play a major role in supporting economic

growth between the two cities.

e

Halcrow’s previous involvement in

this seminal project included leading

alignment studies. using the QuantM

modelling system the team was able to

integrate environmental, engineering,

cost, community and cultural factors

into a single analysis, delivering an

appropriate high-speed alignment

within the project’s demanding time

frame. this success was recognised by

the british expertise judging panel at

the organisation’s international awards

in 2009, where Halcrow’s work on the

project won innovation of the year.

QuanTM leap


y 10am on any other day the

catch would have already

been hauled in, sorted and

whisked away by truck and rickshaw.

Around this time on 26 December

2004, however, people living in Sri

Lanka’s coastal communities faced

an unrelenting wall of water and

debris surging inland.

The tsunami’s force obliterated

everything in its path – levelling

buildings, uprooting trees and

splintering the fishing boats pulled

up along the shore. With two thirds

of the country’s coastline directly

hit, the effect on the fisheries sector

– on which much of the population

depends – was overwhelming.

More than 75 per cent of Sri Lanka’s

industrial fishing fleet was wiped

Halcrow supports United Nations project to rebuild Sri Lanka’s coastal infrastructure

FiSHing For a

better Future

out, along with countless small-

scale craft. Ten of its 12 fishing

harbours were severely damaged,

including breakwaters, shore

facilities, buildings, machinery and

equipment, as well as other related

infrastructure such as ice plants,

landing ports, markets and homes in

the fishing community.

Some six years on, while the

resilience of the community is

clearly evident, much of what was

destroyed by the tsunami and Sri

Lanka’s bloody civil war has yet to be

fully rebuilt. Halcrow is supporting

a multi-agency project aimed at

supporting the small-scale marine

fisheries sector. Fish landing centres

(FLCs) across the country will be

redeveloped and upgraded based on

detailed needs assessments, with

ongoing stakeholder engagement.

Facilities including net mending

halls, fish auction sheds, access

roads, engine and ice storage,

toilets, electricity and water supply

are set to help local fisher people

get their stock to market and access

the supply chain as efficiently

as possible.

To help meet the project objectives,

Halcrow is working with Sri Lanka’s

Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic

Resources Development (MFARD)

and the Ceylon Fisheries Harbours

Corporation to develop a national

geographical database of all

b

>

More that 75 per cent of Sri Lanka’s industrial fishing fleet was wiped out by the tsunami


Riding the surf out to boats at anchor

in Kalmunai on the south-east coast

ProjecT deLivery ParTNerS• Implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations

• Funded by the Canadian International Development Agency

• Executed by the Sri Lanka Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development

• SANDS is being developed within the National Aquatic Resources Agency


existing FLCs, accessible to all

agencies involved in coastal and

fisheries management. Halcrow’s

shoreline and nearshore data system

(SANDS) is being used to compile and

analyse pockets of information

already held by various organisations,

as well as incorporating additional

data gathered more recently.

The database will hold technical,

geographic, infrastructural,

socioeconomic and fishing fleet

information covering all known fish

landing centres, anchorages and

fishing ports, providing an integrated,

holistic view of Sri Lanka’s fisheries.

“This current project builds on

an earlier SANDS database we

developed in Sri Lanka back in

2000, so we started with a strong

information base,” said SANDS

project manager Michael Stickley,

who led a series of training and

planning workshops for the project

partners. “The participants at our

seminars were quick to recognise

the benefits – SANDS is both a

computational and relational

database. Users are able to make

links between risks – such as

Halcrow’s SandS suite was

developed to help shoreline and

asset managers, coastal engineers

and environmental scientists

develop a better understanding of

coastal processes and management.

tailored to suit the needs of specific

clients or projects, SandS is used

to capture, analyse and compare

information – geospatial, temporal,

weather, shore condition, climatic,

environmental and asset data.

users are able to visualise

correlations between a host of

different factors, determine the

probability of various outcomes

and map the results – all of which

strengthen asset management

decisions. authorities responsible

for flood defences or beach

management, for example, can

model a range of flood and erosion

scenarios based on different

combinations of asset condition and

extreme weather events.

Visit halcrow.com/sands for

more information.

SaNdS – how it works and how it can benefit your client

A river landing site in Polathumodra on the south-west

coast. The FAO is building an extension to the

jetty at this site to reduce overcrowding

http://www.halcrow.com/sands/


storms – and coastal defences and

onshore assets. This relevance has

led to SANDS being in hot demand

beyond the FLC project and we’re

currently discussing the potential for

supplementary databases.”

Further training is in the pipeline and

the project is continually evolving

– with Halcrow’s scope expanding

accordingly. Michael is enthusiastic

about the direction things are

headed: “SANDS is delivering a whole

host of benefits beyond the original

project parameters, demonstrating

its value as a comprehensive

information management tool,”

he said. “This is a great example

of Halcrow fulfilling its purpose to

sustain and improve the quality of

people’s lives.” FAO project manager

Simon Diffey added: “MFARD is

currently developing a strategic

management system. With so much

data to manage in such a complex

and diverse sector, the Halcrow

SANDS database is considered an

SANDS is delivering a whole host of benefits beyond the original project parameters

extremely valuable tool to support

the ministry’s objectives. The FLC

project is working hard to ensure the

SANDS database has a pivotal role to

play in the future development and

management of the fisheries sector.”

As FLC infrastructure takes shape

around the coastline, Sri Lanka’s

resilient fishing community can look

forward to a more secure future.

coast involves the whole community

Hauling in a beach seine at Kalametiya on the southern


Cleanenergy

ot since 1973 has world

energy use increased by

as much, in percentage

terms, as it did in 2010.

The Economist reported this fact in

June 2011, drawn from BP’s annual

Statistical Review of World Energy,

which baldly stated that 2010’s

energy consumption had risen

5.6 per cent on the previous year.

Global energy consumption is

expected to double by 2030 and

yet, according to the International

Energy Agency, 80 per cent of the

world’s current generation capacity

comes from burning fossil fuels: oil

provides 35 per cent of all primary

energy, coal accounts for 25 per

cent and natural gas chips in with

n20 per cent. The US – which for

now retains its title as the world’s

largest energy consumer over a

fast-encroaching China – broadly

mirrors this spread.

Scientists and economists alike

warn that continued reliance on

finite resources for another two

decades would be devastating

for both the global environment

and business. Even with massive

growth, renewable energies are

in no position to knock fossil

fuels off their perch any time

soon. However, as Halcrow’s Tom

Stringfellow explains, a market

for viable alternatives to carbon-

intensive power is essential if the

world is to avoid future energy and

environmental crises.

US power team lights path away from fossil fuels


THe NexT Big THiNg?With yesterday’s radical innovations

swiftly becoming today’s mainstream

practices, one of Halcrow’s current

commissions could herald a new

direction for energy-from-waste

generation. In Ohio, the team

is providing owner’s engineer

services on a £12.2 million

($20 million) project to convert the

scrap-tyre mountains that blight

the landscape into energy and other

saleable by products. At present,

70 per cent of the 300 million tyres

discarded in the US every year are

dumped in landfills, with only

30 per cent salvaged or recycled.

Using microwave technology, old

tyres will be converted into syn-

gas to generate electricity, useful

activated carbon and diesel oil for

use in the transportation industry,

with clear environmental benefits.

As well as blazing a new technology

trail, Halcrow is working with

municipal electricity providers

to develop sustainable energy

programmes and improve energy

efficiency in homes and businesses.

As fossil fuel deposits dwindle and

emissions caps tighten, governments

and investors around the world

are looking to renewable sources

to improve sustainability, in both

environmental and supply terms.

Renewables are tipped to grow from

a 4 per cent share of the energy mix

in 2008 to almost 40 per cent by 2035,

with the largest increase coming in

wind and biomass energy. With multi-

million dollar projects being rubber

stamped across the US and beyond,

Halcrow’s power and energy business

is poised for big things.

“The energy market is approaching a

watershed,” he said. “The sooner we

act, the more of a chance we’ll have

to turn things around. Technology

development is moving swiftly, and

options that were experimental

just a few years ago are now being

delivered on a commercial scale.

“Halcrow has the expertise to inform

the decisions that will shape our

global energy mix in the decades to

come. Here in the US, we’re working

on a number of hugely innovative

projects that will surely have a

bearing on our future direction.”

Halcrow’s involvement in the US

market, which spans more than

three decades, provides some fitting

examples of the rate of uptake.

The current Americas power and

energy team includes veterans of the

Department of Energy’s then-cutting-

edge technology programmes of the

early 1980s, including Solar One,

the pilot solar-thermal project in

California’s Mojave Desert.

Halcrow also had a hand in the first

large demonstrations of fluidised

bed combustion and biomass

gasification in the US, as well as

pioneering approaches to landfill

gas extraction. Demonstrating

the viability of new and emerging

technologies, these seminal projects

paved the way for the larger scale,

commercial operations that are now

commonplace and emphasised the

need for ongoing development.

One of Halcrow’s current commissions

could herald a new direction for

energy-from-waste generation


NO bARRieR TO PROgRess

panning 520m across

the river at Woolwich,

the Thames Barrier has

protected London from flooding for

almost three decades. The city’s

long-term defence strategies hinge

on the barrier continuing to fend off

tidal surges. Halcrow has played a key

role in an ongoing maintenance and

refurbishment project since 2001.

exTeNded liFe FOR lONdON’s icONic FlOOd deFeNces

s

>


The Thames barrier is operated and

maintained by the environment Agency


Stretching from its source in Thames

Head, Gloucestershire, the Thames

winds eastwards through London before

emptying into the sea. The river has sustained

human activity for thousands of years, but also poses

the greatest threat to those living in its floodplains.

Fourteen people drowned and thousands made homeless

in 1928 when flood waters swamped the Thames

Embankment. Then in 1953, a devastating tidal surge

swept in from the North Sea. Water levels rose up to 3m

higher than normal in some areas and 307 people lost

their lives. Central London escaped unscathed, but the

event set the ball rolling for a concerted debate on how to

manage flood risk in the capital.

Construction of the Thames Barrier began in 1974 and

the project was completed just under a decade later. It

was called into action almost 40 times during the 1980s

and 1990s. In 1997 MV Sand Kite – a dredging ship sailing

in thick fog – crashed into one of the piers, dumping its

3,300-tonne load of aggregate as it sank. Swirling around

in the rushing tides, the gravel scraped and damaged the

gates’ protective coating.

The Environment Agency is responsible for managing

the barrier, and initially commissioned Halcrow in 2001

to inspect the structure and supervise necessary repairs

to the damaged coating. As well as assessing changing

structural loads, the team also carried out a series

of trials to explore the scope for improvements, from

HAlcROw HAs PlAyed

A Key ROle iN AN ONgOiNg

mAiNTeNANce ANd ReFuRbisHmeNT PROJecT siNce

2001

London’s flood risk

Around 1.25 million people live or work below

the average high-tide level. Flooding would have

a disastrous impact on the capital, with potential

damage costs estimated at £30 billion. much of

metropolitan london would be at risk of flooding

without the Thames barrier and associated flood

defences. This includes:

• a 340km² area of land

• 500,000 properties

• £80 billion worth of assets

• 30 mainline and 68 underground / docklands

light Rail stations

• 400 schools and 16 hospitals

A 2m-wide trunnion

image courtesy of

The closed barrier with the

being milled in the 1970s

the environment Agency

gates set in underspill position


developments in cathodic protection

to applying new coatings using crawler

robots. This kicked off Halcrow’s

work to support the Environment

Agency, which has continued over the

ensuing decade. “Inspections served

as the catalyst for a much broader

assessment of the barrier’s condition,” said water Europe

regional director Roland Grzybek. “With the structure

approaching the midpoint of its 50-year design life, our

role also expanded to help the Environment Agency

extend this, from 2030 to 2100.”

Following the four-year assessment and upgrade project,

Halcrow was retained in 2008 to assist the Environment

Agency as it undertook repairs on the main rising sector

gate bearings. The barrier’s four main gates, each 62m

long and weighing 3,500 tonnes, rotate around a 2m-wide

> Flooding in east london, 1953


bearing mounted on a steel cone,

or trunnion. The trunnions are

fixed to the river piers by three

post-tensioned bar systems, each

capable of taking the full load of the

closed gates.

A specially developed limpet dam provided

safe access to the bearings, which sit below

the low-tide water level. “We found that some of the

post-tensioned bars no longer met the performance

requirements,” said senior project manager Jon Holland.

“We worked closely with the client and the contractor,

VolkerStevin, to safely re-tension or replace these during

fixed possession times while the

barrier remained operational.”

As well as a full inspection and

refurbishment of the barrier’s

components, the project team

developed and installed a series of

monitoring devices, including water and

pressure sensors. Remote monitoring gives

the Environment Agency a much clearer picture of the

barrier’s performance, in turn enabling a proactive, long-

term approach to maintenance. Reducing the number of

physical inspections required also brings considerable

cost savings and slashes safety risks.

A Navigation lights

B Pier roofs

C Rocking beams

D Shift and latch mechanism

E Gate arm

F Gate leaf

G Pier cranes

H Trunnion bearings

I Concrete cill

J Gate spacing (200mm gap

between gate and cill)

K Service tunnels

L Central piers

Key

iNsPecTiONs seRved As THe cATAlysT FOR A mucH bROAdeR AssessmeNT OF THe bARRieR’s

cONdiTiON


“This series of projects has proved highly

successful,” said Environment Agency technical

specialist Edward Morris. “Extending the

barrier’s serviceable life pushes back the

need for replacement defences, providing a

sustainable, cost-effective approach to flood

management for London.”

In March 2011, the Thames Barrier trunnion

and bearing refurbishment project won

the heritage prize at the Institution of Civil

Engineers London Civil Engineering Awards,

reflecting the asset’s past, present and future

protection of the capital.

Inside the limpet dam

with work being undertaken below the low-tide mark, a

specially designed limpet dam was used to allow the team

access to the bearing for assessment and re-stressing. The

structure is submerged against the gate arm and the water

pumped from its body to provide dry working access.

The dam is equipped with ventilation, lighting and power,

as well as mechanical handling equipment for the bearing

cover plate and tensioning tools.

The limpet dam (yellow structure)

in place on the circular gate arm

coating specialists assess the condition

diagram courtesy of the environment Agency

of the gates by rope access


estled on Poland’s northern coast, Gdansk

is the country’s foremost trading port and

serves as the primary gateway to the Baltic

Sea. A bustling shipping hub, it straddles Europe’s

main transport routes and connects its eastern and

central regions with the west and Scandinavia.

As part of a consortium, Halcrow is set to deliver

design and tender documentation for a major rail

upgrade to support the port’s future development.

A 12.4km stretch of the existing 226 line will

be modernised to meet international combined

transport standards. The project scope also includes

a new double-track bridge over the Martwa Wisła

River – literally the ‘Dead Vistula’ – Poland’s great

south-to-north waterway, which gently curves its way

through the city before emptying into the sea.

Gdansk’s continued status as the Baltic coast’s

pre-eminent port hinges on its connectivity, with the

rail upgrade crucial for future expansion. Similarly,

land-locked countries such as the Czech Republic,

Slovakia, Belarus and Hungary rely on regional

transport networks for the safe, speedy movement of

goods to and from the port.

“Rebuilding the railway line will bring a host of

associated benefits for nearby communities and the

environment,” said rail director Krzysztof Celinski.

Trains and boats and cranesN

gdANsK RAil uPgRAde PROmises bOOsT TO bAlTic TRAde

“Noise emissions and vibrations will be greatly

reduced, while planned bridge and culvert upgrades

will allow farmers to move their livestock safely.” A

complete overhaul of traffic control systems is set to

lessen the probability of serious breakdowns clogging

the line. In addition, transporting more cargo by rail

is likely to have a positive knock-on effect for road

safety, with fewer freight-related accidents.

“This contract is likely to net upwards of £1.2 million

in fees for our consortium, representing one of the

most significant rail projects in Halcrow’s Polish

portfolio,” said Krzysztof. “We already have a strong

relationship with the client – Polskie Linie Kolejowe

S.A., which manages Poland’s rail network – and this

latest win can only serve to heighten our industry

profile and help us secure future work.”

Since its accession to the European Union in 2004

Poland has kicked off a programme of accelerated

infrastructure development, further fuelled by

its performance as one of the region’s standout

performers. A wholesale overhaul of the country’s

transportation networks is in full swing, and this

latest upgrade will connect Gdansk to the main

trunk railway, the E65, for which Halcrow is

currently exploring high-speed options. All this

points to a bright future for Poland and its flourishing

strategic port.


Trains and boats and cranes

The existing rail bridge at gdansk

gdansk Port


Halcrow is part of the winning

consortium awarded a £150 million

contract to design and build a section

of the A465 Heads of the Valleys

trunk road in South Wales.

In the UK, the Broadlands flood

alleviation scheme recently celebrated

its ten-year anniversary. Broadland

Environmental Services Limited (BESL)

– a partnership between Halcrow and

contractor BAM Nuttall – is delivering

the 20-year public-private partnership

contract to maintain and improve the

flood defences of the Norfolk Broads in

East Anglia.

The China National Petroleum

Company has appointed Halcrow as

owner’s engineer for the Tangshan

liquefied natural gas terminal in

northern China.

Halcrow Barry – Halcrow’s joint

venture with JB Barry of Dublin –

beat off stiff competition to provide

engineering consultancy services for

the new N5 Ballaghadereen Bypass in

County Roscommon, Ireland.

Connecting Kamień and Solec City

in Poland, a proposed £52 million

bridge will replace the current ferry

service and dramatically reduce the

distances people must travel to cross

the Vistula River. Halcrow has been

awarded the design contract.

Halcrow has been awarded two

contracts worth a total of £1.5 million

to improve Al Ain Municipality’s

geographic information system (GIS)

data, in partnership with engineering

and geospatial software provider

Intergraph Middle East.

The company has been appointed

to plan, design and supervise the

construction of a new base for the

Indian Navy. The contract scope will

cover the marine and operations

sections of the naval base, the

supporting development for which

will be spread over 1,860ha near

Visakhapatnam in southern India.

The world’s longest sea crossing

bridge will bear Halcrow’s stamp, with

the company set to design a section

of the 36km-long Hong Kong-Zhuhai-

Macau crossing.

A major new container and ethanol

terminal is set to take shape

in Santos, Brazil, with Halcrow

contracted to provide engineering

services on the project’s first phase.

Halcrow has been awarded the design

contract for a 550m-long, four-lane

bridge for Abu Dhabi’s prestigious Al

Reem Island development. The sea

crossing includes an additional 12.5m

width requirement to accommodate a

proposed light rail transit corridor.

Dubai Mall is the world’s largest

shopping mall, covering an area

greater than 50 football pitches.

A Halcrow-designed, 750m-long

pedestrian bridge will connect the

Burj Khalifa metro station to the

shopping centre.

Mining giant Rio Tinto has appointed

Halcrow to design mine buildings and

support facilities in western Australia.

The company has been awarded

a major extension to its existing

standards adviser and auditor role for

Transport Scotland, set to run until

September 2012.

project news in brief

Tan

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Hong Kong-Zhuhai-macau crossing

Norfolk broads, uK


Three Halcrow inland waterways projects

were recognised at the UK’s Waterways

Renaissance Awards in May. The Bedford

and Milton Keynes Waterway project has

been supported by Halcrow for over ten

years and took home the award for strategy

and master planning. It also claimed the

outstanding achievement award, which

gives special recognition to an inspiring

project. Three Mills Lock in east London

won the design and construction category,

while Ryeford Double Lock on the

Stroudwater Navigation in Gloucestershire

was runner up in the historic environment

awards category.

Four marketing projects produced by

Halcrow’s corporate communications

team were recognised at the 2011 Hermes

creative awards. external client magazine

exceptional experiences and a Halcrow-

produced short film, ‘designing financing

models for sustainable infrastructure’, both

won the top accolade of a platinum award.

The internal newsletter for Halcrow’s North

American offices, eNews, snapped up a gold

award and the Halcrow 2011 calendar won

an honourable mention.

Halcrow won the commercial and

business services sector award at the UK’s

prestigious Royal Society for the Prevention

of Accidents (RoSPA) occupational health

and safety awards 2011.

Ontario’s Richmond Hill centre for the

Performing Arts, for which Halcrow yolles

provided structural engineering services,

received the jury’s choice award at canada’s

tenth annual woodworks! Awards.

The Halcrow-designed Docklands Light

Railway London City Airport extension

won ‘best built project five years on’ at the

2010-2011 London Planning Awards.

Accrington rail station in lancashire, uK,

won the sustainability project prize at

the 2011 North west Royal institution of

chartered surveyors (Rics) awards. Halcrow

provided a variety of services for this project,

including building services, structural and

civil engineering, and acoustic consultancy.

Halcrow’s global headquarters, Elms

House, was one of six finalists in the

refurbished workplace category at the

British Council of Offices 2011 regional

awards for London.

Halcrow has won a prestigious environment

Agency exemplar award for its role in

the uK’s Radcot Paddle and Rymer weir

replacement project.

The Pembroke Power Station gas pipeline

in Wales has won the George Gibby 2011

award at the Institution of Civil Engineers

(ICE) Wales Cymru project awards. The

horizontal directional drilling crossing

project was also commended at the

2011 Ground Engineering Awards, in

the category for geotechnical and geo-

environmental UK projects over £1 million.

Two Halcrow yolles projects bagged

awards at the canadian institute of

steel construction’s (cisc) 21st Ontario

steel design Awards of excellence.

Toronto’s iconic Ritz-carlton project was

recognised in the engineering category,

while calgary’s first steel skyscraper and

its tallest building, The bow, won the

section dedicated to innovative schemes

constructed beyond Ontario.

The Bow tower also

took centre stage at

CISC’s 2011 Alberta

Steel Design Awards

of Excellence. Halcrow

Yolles provided

structural design

services for the project,

which both topped the

engineering category

and was a finalist in

the architecture and

engineering section.

The blackpool central

area coast protection scheme won large

project of the year at the ice’s north west

civil engineering awards.

AwardsIn Trinidad, Halcrow is providing

comprehensive design services on a

42km extension of the Sir Solomon

Hochoy highway. The original highway

was designed by Halcrow in the 1970s.

The Russian Federation’s first waste

management project to be financed

through a public-private partnership

will feature significant input from

Halcrow. The company has been

appointed lender’s technical adviser

for the £264 million (ń300 million)

project, which includes the design,

construction, financing, operation

and maintenance of a waste

processing plant in Yanino.

Halcrow has been contracted by North

Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation

(NQBP) to provide engineering

management for the early contractor

involvement phase of a major

development at Abbot Point coal

terminal in Australia. This follows

another Halcrow contract win from

NQBP – the design of an upgraded

breakwater in Mackay to replace one

that was badly damaged by Cyclone

Ului in March 2010.

Halcrow has been appointed by

Essar Projects (India) Limited to

carry out the detailed design of

marine structures associated with

the development of an all-weather

terminal at Dahej, Gujarat.

Abbot Point coal terminal

The bow Tower

Halcrow’s Tabindah Akhtar (right) with members

of the british waterways team


Giving


A hAnd up,not A

hAnd out

ne criticism often

levelled at international

aid surrounds its

long-term effectiveness. Non-

governmental organisations arrive in

underdeveloped or disaster-stricken

areas, so the accusation goes, hand

out emergency supplies and then

pull out, leaving the recipients ill-

equipped and largely dependent on

external help.

A community-level poverty alleviation

programme in south-east Asia has

flipped this model on its head, and

Baan Klang village in Thailand’s

Buriram province exemplifies its

success. The Halcrow Foundation has

supported Baan Klang since 2009

o

>

hAlcrow FoundAtion supports villAGe development project in thAilAnd

through the Village Development

Partnership (VDP). Focusing on five

inter-related areas – community

empowerment, income generation,

health, environmental improvement

and education – this multi-agency

umbrella helps rural communities

lift themselves out of poverty, rather

than providing a short-term fix.

Baan Klang is a remote settlement

near the border with Cambodia and

home to some 600 people. The village

lacked a permanent healthcare

centre or piped water supply, with

residents relying on surface water

collected from wells. As rice farming

provided the main source of both

income and food, a poor harvest

Giving


Tub Udomsiri“I am so glad this project was

introduced to our village. We understand

it’s important to keep money aside

and villagers can borrow money to do

business. I want this to last forever.”

could easily destroy livelihoods.

The average annual income in Baan

Klang stood at just 11,666 baht

(£234), forcing families to subsist on

64p (US$1.05) per person per day,

without taking children into account.

This left the community languishing

well below the international poverty

line, creating a daily struggle to fulfil

even the most basic human needs.

The foundation’s involvement began

in May 2009, but the seeds were

sown the previous year. In April 2008,

village leaders decided to join the VDP

>

Baan Klang villagers with employees

Green fingers: villagers plant young trees

from halcrow and the pdA


‘Mr Condom’ turns attention to poverty alleviation

the village development partnership is the brainchild of thailand’s mechai viravaidya, affectionately

known as ‘mr condom’. in the 1970s mechai set up the population and community development

Association (pdA), with the aim of promoting family planning, improving sexual health and alleviating

poverty. thousands of free condoms have been distributed in poor communities – a move supported

by education programmes and speaking openly about contraception – which have saved countless

lives and slowed the spread of hiv/Aids. the pdA also runs several ‘condoms and cabbages’ restaurants

around thailand, where patrons can get information on sexual health over dinner. mechai’s belief that

“only business can eradicate poverty” underpins the vdp model, providing support for community

empowerment and sustainable entrepreneurship.

>

project and a democratically elected

committee was formed to manage

the programme. The 24 members

were split into three subcommittees,

each tasked with representing

different ages and issues. The

village youth government (VYG)

was established to speak for those

aged between 14 and 24, the village

development bank (VDB) committee

would deal with the concerns of 25

to 54-year olds, and the council of

elders sought to represent residents

aged 55 and above.

The committee developed a strategy

to steer the six-year programme,

reflecting the village’s specific needs

and objectives. At its heart was the

village co-operative bank which

opened for business in May 2010, a

year after work to establish it began.

“Micro-finance and the village

development bank are key to the

project’s sustainability,” said project

sponsor Ali Adam. “Villagers have

access to affordable loans, as well

as support and training to ensure

preparing soil bags for planting seedlings


their small businesses thrive. These

successes then further strengthen

the project – the loans are repaid,

and the community is more

prosperous as a result of flourishing

small enterprises.” Residents set

up a host of ventures including silk

weaving, raising pigs, producing

seedlings and fertiliser for rice

farming, potable water bottling,

vegetable and sugar cane cultivation,

and a small grocery store.

Community activities have

created a sense of ownership and

empowerment. Over the past two

years, the committee has organised

village clean-ups, the refurbishment

of the Ban Pho Yoi temple, wellbeing

programmes and the planting of

15,000 trees.

Engaging the next generation is

crucial for the project’s long-term

viability and it’s clear the young

people of Baan Klang have picked

up the idea and run with it. The

Green Village Toy Library is just one

of several youth initiatives that has

captured imaginations and proved

an overwhelming success. Children

can borrow toys in exchange for

community work such as collecting

recyclables. These are then sold in

local towns to maintain the library

and buy new toys.

Second-hand computers donated

to the village bank are also being

used to teach young people

valuable IT skills. A ‘lunch farm’

has been planted in the school

grounds, providing fresh produce to

Prangtip Sudtachu “I am applying what I’ve learned at school to

support the community in various ways. It’s a

good way for us to develop youth philanthropy

and help others as much as possible.

In the future I would like to take a loan to start

my own retailing business.”

supplement pupils’ diets and combat

malnutrition. The garden also

provides an opportunity for students

to learn about agriculture.

Improving the health of local people

is another central strand of the

partnership. “There was a big drive

to reduce infection rates for dengue

fever, HIV/AIDS and influenza,” said

Ali. “The village health volunteers

met with villagers of all ages to get

the messages across, as well as

carrying out practical measures such

as treating water sources to repel

mosquitoes. Some 550 people from

Baan Klang and surrounding villages

attended a workshop organised by

open for business: selling handicrafts

generates income for families


Thongkham Chamnanthae “Part of the profit from the village bank is

allocated to development activities, so the

money stays in the village and helps the

community. The project also teaches

people how to save money and manage

their own expenses.

We want Halcrow to come and visit us more

often to encourage the villagers to work even

harder for our future.”

the youth government to learn about

preventing the spread of swine flu

– a really important initiative that

benefited a huge number of people.”

In 2010, a group of Halcrow

employees from the Bangkok office

visited Baan Klang. After being

formally welcomed by the village

development committee, the team

visited the tree-planting site, various

small businesses and the local

primary school. Wiriya Pienchob said:

“It was fantastic to see the village’s

progress first hand and speak to

people about how their quality of life

has improved. We’re looking forward

to visiting again in the future.”

The Halcrow Foundation has

committed £40,000 to the project

over six years: money very well

spent, according to chairman David

Kerr. “The amount that has been

achieved on this limited budget is

just staggering. The project is wholly

self-sufficient, both financially and in

terms of the institutions now firmly

embedded in village life. It really

demonstrates the power of community

engagement and what can be

accomplished when people are given a

chance to help themselves.”

school students prepare seed

bags for tree planting


Former Halcrow partner Harry Arnold

died early in 2011, aged 86.

Harry joined the company in 1947 and

retired in 1986 after 39 years of service,

the last 13 of which he headed its marine

department. Maritime projects dominated

Halcrow’s work during this period, with

designs for some of the largest ports in

the world propelling the company to the

top of Engineering News Record’s list of

consulting engineers.

Harry was instrumental in delivering

major projects around the globe,

including Ghana’s Tema port, Dubai dry

dock, and a handful of projects in Saudi

Arabia – the twin harbour complex at

Jubail, port developments at Jeddah,

and a cement terminal and commercial

deepwater harbour facilities at Yanbu.

Without exception, this infrastructure

has proved pivotal to each country’s

subsequent development.

“The scale of the ports at Jubail was

massive,” said Malcolm Fletcher, who

admired Harry’s skills over the years.

“Halcrow had to plan, design and

supervise five separate contracts for

the two main harbours. In total this

amounted to well over £1 billion in

mid-1970s prices, and Harry was

responsible for pulling the whole

project together – a feat he achieved

with distinction.”

Even as he scaled Halcrow’s management

ranks, Harry remained a quintessential

designer, always interested in the

technical aspects of maritime design.

In addition to serving as a member of

several international associations and

committees, Harry authored a number of

technical papers on engineering design

and construction.

He is survived by his wife, Jean.

Harry Arnold (1925 – 2011)A ‘big harbours’ designer

To remember

In his younger

years, motorcycle

enthusiast Brian

Murray toured the

UK on his trusty

1947 500cc Triumph

Speed Twin. This thirst for adventure,

travel and challenging experiences was

evident in every facet of his life.

Brian enjoyed an expansive career that

saw him travel the world and settle in

the Philippines. He worked for Halcrow

from 2004 until his death in 2010, and

was instrumental in developing the

company’s local energy portfolio.

Brian played a pivotal role in securing

high-profile renewable energy projects,

many of which proved seminal – both

for the Philippines and for Halcrow’s

profile in the country. These included

the Philippines’ first bio-ethanol project,

Sibulan hydroelectric project, as well as

feasibility studies for several wind farms.

After serving in the British armed forces

during the 1950s, Brian moved to Hong

Kong to take on a regional management

role with the English Electric Company.

After two decades at Jardine Davies as

chairman of the company’s Philippines

subsidiaries, he set up his own company

in 1981, Murray Management, aimed

at helping foreign companies establish

business in the Philippines.

Brian began to build strong links with

Halcrow in 2004, helping to amplify its

presence in the Philippines through his

extensive contacts.

Brian is remembered as an archetypal

English gentleman who embraced

Filipino culture and considered the

country his second home. He always

made time to mentor younger colleagues,

sharing his knowledge and experience.

Brian was diagnosed with cancer in 2009

and died shortly after making a final visit

to the Manila office.

Brian was a loving father, trusted friend

and reliable colleague. A true visionary,

his role in establishing Halcrow in the

Philippines will always be treasured. He

is survived by his wife, Leslie, and their

two children.

Brian Murray (1929 – 2010)Visionary figure helped build Philippines business


To remember

Simon Jones passed

away at home on 21

February 2011.

Simon joined

Halcrow’s Manchester

bridges team in

August 2006 as a

senior engineer. His

extensive experience

in the rail sector

helped Halcrow win a number of Network Rail commissions,

in particular reconstruction and repair schemes for bridges and

culverts along the Cumbrian Coast Railway.

Most recently, Simon supported A-one+ in Area 10 on a range

of schemes and was heavily involved in feasibility studies for

managed motorway schemes. He also worked closely with the

Environment Agency on flood alleviation schemes in the UK’s

north west region and the Lake District.

Simon was a focal point of the team and shared his knowledge

with colleagues, taking time to explain technical issues. He is

remembered as a calm, talented pragmatist, approaching tasks

with minimum fuss.

Simon was a keen cyclist before his health deteriorated. He

was also an avid spectator and sports fan, travelling as far as

Asia to watch Formula One Grand Prix racing. A Leeds United

supporter, his love for the ‘beautiful game’ saw him join the

ranks of die-hard football aficionados in the ‘92 Club’, having

attended a match at every club in the English professional

league. Simon also loved music, especially soul – a passion

expressed through his extensive record collection.

Simon’s quiet presence will be greatly missed by his colleagues

and friends.

Simon Jones(1960 – 2011)

Exemplary bridge engineer who sharedknowledge and experience

Ivor Price passed away on 21 july 2011. he was 83. ivor worked

for halcrow between 1976 and 1986 and is survived by his partner,

vera hamblin.

Margaret Moore died on 6 may 2011, aged 74. she is survived by

her husband, michael. margaret worked for halcrow between 1976

and 1982.

Derek Raven died on 16 April 2011. he was 72. derek worked for

halcrow between 1974 and 1998 and is survived by his wife, Belkia.

Allan Muir passed away on 20 April 2011, aged 87. survived by

wife muriel, Allan worked for halcrow from 1976 until 1985.

Christopher Davis, aged 64, died on 7 February 2011. he worked

for the company between 1973 and 1978.

Max Fuller died on 21 january 2011. Aged 77, he is survived by his

wife, cvetka. max worked for halcrow from 1974 until 1983.

Andrew Skinner passed away on 3 december 2010, aged 55. he

worked for halcrow between 1989 and 1993, and is survived by his

wife, catherine.

Sarah Jane Sharp (nee oswald) died on 11 november 2010. she

was 45. sarah worked for halcrow between 1994 and 1996 and is

survived by her husband, Geoffrey.

Constantine Antonakis passed away on 11 november 2010, at

the age of 86. he is survived by his wife, Ann. constantine worked

for halcrow between 1949 and 1980.

John May died on 12 February 2011. Aged 76, he is survived by his

wife, doris.

JS Cowie died on 18 April. he was 78. mr cowie worked for

halcrow between 1964 and 1974.

Judith Jones died on 19 August 2011, aged 70. she is survived by

her husband, john, who also worked for halcrow. judith worked

from the cardiff office between 1978 and 1997.

Claire Taylor passed away on 16 july 2011, aged 32. claire worked

as a human resources adviser in elms house.

Chris Strong died on 15 july 2011, aged 55. chris worked for

halcrow as a safety assurance professional from 2004 and was

based in london. he is survived by his wife, jill.

Malcolm Bell, who worked for halcrow between 1989 and 2008,

died on 8 may 2011. he was 67.

John Marsden died on 8 july 2011, aged 66. he is survived by his

wife, susan.

To send condolences [email protected]

In remembrance


On a beautiful April day in Sydney,

six brave souls from Halcrow swam,

cycled and ran their way through the

2011 corporate triathlon.

The hardy competitors, all based

in Halcrow’s Sydney office, formed

two teams. Hayley Davis, Neil

Smith and Michael Little – who was

persuaded to take part only two

days beforehand – made up the

Black Cats, while the Halcrow Go

Gos comprised Paul Gregory, David

Strong and Upul Wijayananda.

Commitment to pre-race training

varied across the group. David

Strong admitted to having gone

swimming once at New Year, while

sport

Upul suffered sleep deprivation on

the day, having stayed up to watch

the cricket World Cup final between

India and his native Sri Lanka.

The event has been running for 24

years and attracts a diverse range

of participants, from the carbon-

fibre-bike-riding enthusiast to the

weekend dabbler. Most participants

complete the course in around 40

minutes, and individual efforts are

aggregated to give a team time.

Step forward the Black Cats, whose

time was just under two hours,

some 15 minutes faster than that

of their colleagues. Still some way

behind the fastest team, though,

who came in with just one hour and

21 minutes on the clock.

“I’ve been doing this triathlon for

four years now,” said David, “and

it just gets better every year. The

atmosphere and organisation are

first-rate, and I love the sense my

team mates and I share of just

taking part together. I’d like to

see our Melbourne colleagues

doing the Melbourne event next

year, too.”

Sydney team SetS the pace“I love the sense my team mates and I share of just taking part together”

(l-r) hayley davis, neil smith, michael little,

david strong, paul Gregory, upul wijayananda


What does it take to

win an Olympic gold

medal?

Constant training,

peak fitness, the

desire to win and…

great brushing skills?

If you’re aiming for

the very pinnacle of

success in curling,

nifty brushwork could

help your stone glide to glory, as

Olympic hopeful Alasdair Guthrie

will testify.

Glasgow-based Alasdair has swept

his way to glory in a series of key

international contests in recent

years. A two-time winner of the

Scottish junior championships, he

represented Scotland at the World

Junior Championships in South

Korea in 2006 and the US in 2007.

Earlier this year, Alasdair and his

team mates represented Great

Britain at the World University Games

in Erzurum, Turkey, where they

missed scooping a bronze by the

narrowest of margins.

AiminG For A cleAn sweep

Alasdair has now set his sights

on representing Great Britain at

the 2014 winter Olympics in the

Russian city of Sochi.

“This year, my team and I have

been selected as part of the Scottish

national curling squad,” he said.

“I’m following an intensive training

regime which involves monitored gym

sessions every week and an on-ice

practice programme with my team.

“I’m hoping that the experience

of competing against some of the

best teams in Europe and Canada

combined with the intensive training

will help me to get selected for the

2014 games.

“Curling has given me some great

opportunities to travel to some

interesting places and also to develop

team and communication skills

which are very much needed in day-

to-day life.”

Alasdair first started curling

20 years ago when his family moved

to Scotland. He and his sister were

taught by their father Alan, a Halcrow

employee who is also based in the

Glasgow office.

AlAsdAir Guthrie sets his siGhts on 2014 winter olympics

Brush with success: Alasdair slides into action


Announcements

evelyn Aurora was born on 1 may 2011, weighing 3.59kg, to

saravanan thangavelu took a break from his role on the lusail development

Alexia dominique was born on 24 october 2010, weighing

wesley peter of the halcrow yolles toronto office and

Florida’s steve loporcaro and his wife, lisa, welcomed

Adam Kenny enticott arrived

happy parents ian washbrook of the halcrow yolles calgary

in Qatar to marry his beautiful bride, subathra, on 26 january 2011.

2.86kg, to proud parents jaymi esteban of the manila

his wife, veronique, celebrated the birth of chloe Anouk

marco robert on 26 december 2010, weighing 2.98kg.

on 17 january 2011, weighing

3.2kg, to dad mark and mum Karen

from chichester.

office and his wife, stephanie. older sisters Kaeli and Anna

the celebrations took place in thanjavur, southern india.

office and his wife, lanie.

on 16 january 2011. she weighed 3.38kg.

were especially excited by the latest addition to the family.


Announcements

noah peter james was born on 17 october 2010,

dublin’s michelle murray married husband Garrett in county Kildare, ireland.

london-based haidee harrison and her groom Alex hudson

swindon-based Gerard and lucy thacker (nee lyall) tied the

edinburgh’s mike roberts and his wife, cathy, were overjoyed

weighing 3.12kg, to edinburgh-based jason Glass

the weather gods were smiling on the big day, 22 july 2011, and

celebrated their marriage in the sunshine, with family

knot on 6 november 2010 in norwich, lucy’s home town.

with the arrival of baby matthew, little brother to dearly missed

cameron. Born on 29 november 2010, he weighed 3.66kg.

and his wife, sarah.

the couple’s 90 guests partied into the early hours.

and friends at their village wedding on 30 july 2011.

the couple – who met at university and work together at

Burderop park – spent their honeymoon in Avignon, France.


he cloying stench of

corruption filled Stefan’s

mouth and nostrils as the

skull-face leered forward, yellowed

fangs poised to bite and tear. He

lost his balance, falling backwards

onto the grass. Withered claws slid

sharply into the taut flesh between

his ribs, rending meat and gouging

deeply before grasping his heart in

unbearable agony…”

Iain Paton knows fear. As the excerpt

from his story Blood in the moonlight

illustrates above, stomach-knotting,

dry-throated horror is his forte. An

avid reader for as long as he can

remember, Iain enrolled in a creative

writing course back in 2008. The

transformation from consumer of

fiction to creator came swiftly, with

his Japanese horror story ‘Mira’

accepted for publication the following

year. Fast forward 24 months and the

Edinburgh-based urban planner has

“t

tAles oF the

undeadIaIn Paton Creates a zoMbIe-InhabIted world of horror

cemented his place in the macabre

world of the undead, with 15 stories

published to date and first prize in

the recent Spilling Ink 2011 short

story competition.

Joining his work already in print,

several tales are set to chill readers’

spines in the coming months –

‘Preacher man’, based in part on

his day job, and ‘Mira’, which is due

to feature in the aptly named Dark

Tales magazine. Iain has also found

time to co-edit an anthology to

support rebuilding efforts in Japan

– Senbazuru, or A Thousand Cranes,

now in its final stages of production.

While samurai-wielding killers

and zombies gorging on human

flesh provide action and intrigue in

their own right, Iain also explores

the response extreme events elicit

in his characters. “Zombies are

interesting to write about,” he said,


tAles oF the

undead“especially the human reaction to

such overwhelming disaster and

the suspense that follows. Usually

it’s someone getting out of their

depth into a disturbing situation,

sometimes through their own fault,

and struggling to get back to shore

– will they make it? It’s a journey as

well, for the writer, building a world

that is new to them and the reader.”

With his stories traversing centuries

and continents, from feudal

Japan to the gritty streets

of modern Glasgow,

Iain invests

countless hours

researching

different time

periods. Several

visits to Japan

to wander the

twisting alleys

of Yokohama and

Kamakura have

imbued his narratives with

authenticity and subtle nuances.

His personal experiences also find

their way into his writing. Daily

occurrences are cast in the dark

shadow of the macabre; an infected

cat bite providing the inspiration for

one story.

Having mastered the short story

medium, Iain is now branching into

longer formats with his first novel

– a blood-spattered crime thriller.

The story follows sword-wielding

psychopath Banzai Billy – part

Japanese warrior, part Glasgow

hardman – as he slashes his way

across the globe. “The idea came out

of a short story competition,” said

Iain. “It wasn’t a great short story

as it had far too much going on, so

my hugely supportive peers at the

Glasgow Writers’ Group urged me to

turn it into a novel. The core idea was

still there, but I built around it and

added a cast of characters including

the corrupt politician ‘Big Jim’

McConnarty, and a final showdown

in Japan.”

Most evenings after work Iain can

be found tapping away at his latest

manuscript, sending his characters

into eerie back alleys and recently

occupied graveyards. “Writing is

amazing, once you get into it and

master the basic skills,” he said,

“especially when you get into a

creative community. It’s addictive

– I can’t remember the last time I

watched TV. There is an amazing

level of creativity in many cities, at

the grassroots level, that provides

inspiration and motivation.”

From desperate students selling

their souls on eBay to an architect

transformed into a giant insect and

eerie clowns hurtling through the

night in a minibus, Iain’s stories push

readers to the limits of their fear

threshold. Only he knows where his

imagination will take them next.

most eveninGs AFter worK iAin cAn

Be Found tAppinG AwAy At his lAtest

mAnuscript, sendinG his chArActers into eerie BAcK Alleys And

recently occupied GrAveyArds

Licensed to

thriLLclick the titles to order iain’s

latest creations

Preacher Man

Storm Coming Down

Mira

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/morpheus-tales-urban-horror-special-issue-digest-size/15836588?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_4377768_

http://wildwolfpublishing.com/ZombieAnthology.aspx

http://darktales.co.uk/volume-xv.php

Think

BIGMajor projects are at the heart of Halcrow’s growth strategy, with

£450 million of earnings targeted by 2018.

Be part of the story.

Halnet/who we are/major projects

Major projectsbuilding our future

http://halnet/OurOrganisation/MajorProjects/

vox, september 2011

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