COWI wins at 2017 British Construction Industry Awards

COWI is delighted that Tower Bridge – Bascule Re-decking and Approach Viaduct Waterproofing was named as winner of the Civil Engineering Project of the Year (up to £10m) at the BCIA.

Tower Bridge is one of the most iconic bridges in the world. More than 40,000 people cross the bridge every day including 21,000 vehicles. Such heavy use impacted the timber decking, which was last refurbished in 1970. Major intervention was needed to restore the surface and preserve the 122-year-old structure.

The project presented many challenges including keeping the crossing open at all times to pedestrians and visitors to the Tower Bridge Exhibition. Furthermore, the bascules had to be able to open with 24-hours' notice throughout the works to allow passage of tall vessels. There were also many weather sensitive processes involved, which were all undertaken between October and December 2016 when the bridge was closed to vehicles.

City of London had spent several years planning and negotiating the closure with Transport for London and the Port of London Authority, so it was essential that works were completed within this period to minimise disruption to users of the bridge and to coordinate with other construction projects in the area. The works finished one week ahead of schedule, allowing the client to reopen the bridge to vehicle traffic earlier than planned.

John Rees, DIrector at COWI said "Tower Bridge is one of the UK's most prominent landmarks. The whole project team is proud to have been involved in rehabilitating this critical piece of London's historic infrastructure. We have been able to renew a piece of our heritage for the use of future generations, and not only that, the collaboration between COWI and BAM resulted in the works finishing ahead of schedule! This is a fantastic achievement. Seeing the team's hard work recognised at the BCIA is most gratifying."

BAM Nuttall appointed COWI using an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) and Design and Construct approach for the task of developing, planning and executing the rehabilitation works of arguably the most recognisable bridge in the world.

About BCIA

Now in their 30th year, the British Construction Industry Awards seek to recognise and reward excellence in project delivery, design, construction and, crucially, delivering outcomes for society.

The Awards call on the whole project team – client, architect, designer and contractor – to showcase their work and demonstrate its impact on society.

The winners were announced at a ceremony in London on 11 October 2017.