Latest News: Sheet Pile Specialists Up For Innovation Award

January 7th, 2019

Sheet Pile Specialists Up For Innovation Award

Sheet Piling UK’s sheet pile specialists are delighted to be shortlisted in the Business and Product Innovation award category of the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards 2019 – a much-appreciated recognition of our vision in introducing a world ‘first’ to our sector.

 

The FSB Awards reward excellence from small businesses and the innovation category recognises a business driving change within its field of operation. This is certainly true of SPUK, where we are already revolutionising the construction environment around projects such as the SMART motorway network roll-out.

Our Sheet Piling Innovation

During 2018, we had the vision to commission the world’s first long-reach telescopic leader rig, for sheet piling use within major earthwork widening projects. Whilst the initial focus is SMART motorways, our SPUK rig could also soon be able to make a huge difference to the HS2 widening works around Britain’s future high-speed rail network, due to start in early 2019.

Our exclusive TM 12/15 is a state-of-the-art vibratory sheet piling installation rig that is unique thanks to its 8.1-metre horizontal reach, measured from the cab’s centre to the sheet-pile driving position. Its reach is a full 3 metres longer than that of any other sheet piling rig currently available in the world, delivering enormous benefits.

 

Sheet Piling Benefits

Firstly, this steel sheet pile rig allows contractors to cut out the two weeks or more of enabling works typically included during a SMART motorway’s widening phase. No platform-building to accommodate a rig is necessary prior to the commencement of the earthwork widening, if the TM 12/15 is used for sheet-pile driving.

Rather than having to use a specially built platform up to 5 metres away from the sheet piling position, the unique new rig can stand on the existing motorway carriageway and reach the designated sheet pile installation location with ease, thanks to its additional three-metre advantage. Removing the platform-building stage speeds the project up, whilst dramatically reducing costs. A project with a typical 100-metre sheet-pile wall installation can save £40,000-£60,000 by using SPUK’s new rig.

Such sheet-pile walls are typically required extensively along a motorway on which a SMART motorway widening scheme is underway, due to limitations on how much agricultural land can be taken for urban development and due to the need to have Emergency Refuge Areas (ERAs), no more than 2.5km apart, to accommodate all lane running requirements on motorways. Within this framework, the overall savings offered by SPUK’s TM 12/15 are colossal.

This revolutionary rig disturbs fewer wildlife habitats, trees and flora and assists motorists too. Motorway traffic flows better, due to fewer construction vehicles entering and leaving a site.

Sheet Piling Profile

Highways England and Tier I contractors have already applauded our innovation, whilst the construction media has given our sheet piling rig some great profile, even this early in its working life.

Sheet Piling UK’s managing director, Andrew Cotton, says: “The team has been given a great boost from the FSB Awards judges’ decision to shortlist us for their innovation award. They have seen how we have channelled our 20 years of sheet-piling expertise in the construction sector to develop a new solution and have rewarded us with a shortlisting. This will further reinforce our positioning as the UK’s number one sheet-piling contractor and boost job creation.”

FSB Sheet Pile Innovation Award Ceremony
FSB Sheet Pile Innovation Award Winners 2018

 

If you wish to know more about our unique new TM 12/15 sheet pile rig, please get in touch on +44 (0)1772 79 41 41. The winners of the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards NW will be announced on January 31, 2019.

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NOTES TO EDITORS
Sheet Piling (UK) Limited is one of the UK's leading piling contractors. Owning and operating a comprehensive range of specialist piling equipment Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd also carry extensive stocks of new and used piles enabling rapid reaction to any urgent requirements or emergency situations.