Docklands – Digging deep
One hundred and fifty years after Joseph Bezalgette built London’s sewage network, the city is due an upgrade. Although the Victorian civil engineer’s work is still in good condition, it was built at a time when the capital had a population of two million. Bezalgette had the foresight to build in capacity for twice that number but with a population of eight million now, London has well and truly outgrown its 19th century sewage infrastructure. The Thames Tideway scheme begun in 2016 and due to be completed in 2023, is a multi-billion-pound project designed to cope with London’s waste and stormwater needs for at least the next 100 years. Phil Stride, head of Thames Tideway Tunnel, (above)
describes the project as “a 22nd century solution for London”. At present, overflows directly into the river occur roughly on a weekly basis, amounting to 40 million cubic metres per year. The Tideway project is projected to reduce this to a little over two million cubic metres of excess waste. Two years in, Tideway and its collaborators are working on 16 of the 24 sites, have shifted 15,000 tonnes of material by river and even raised £60,000 for charity. Alongside this, the project is also promoting education from primary- level through to work experience for post-16-year-olds. All this large-scale civil engineering takes some serious kit, which in turn needs serious support. Pirtek Docklands,
along with other franchises along the course of the Thames, is in place to provide this. For the time being, this means the excavators and similar equipment preparing the sites, but in due course, as the tunnel boring machines make their way downstream, Pirtek Docklands will be servicing the full range of machinery. As centre manager Grant Foster says, “It’s relatively quiet at the moment, but as the tunnel progresses, there will be plenty of work to be had.” This kind of major infrastructure project offers great opportunities for franchises. A willingness to take on jobs large
and small enables centres to build relationships that will lead to bigger contracts.
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