Balfour Beatty has completed the £6.5 million Dundee flood protection scheme on behalf of Dundee City Council.
The project, which was awarded under the Scape National Civil Engineering and Infrastructure framework, will reduce the risk of flooding to the new £1 billion Dundee Waterfront area, and protect numerous homes and major roads between Camperdown Dock and Dundee Airport.
A variety of materials were used including reinforced concrete, concrete blocks and natural stone to build a new, set-back flood defence wall, as well as flood gates to facilitate pedestrian, cyclist and vehicle access.
To minimise disruption to the local community and visitors to the area, Balfour Beatty implemented specialist fencing to segregate the works and maintain right-of-way for members of the public at all times.
Iain Lumsden, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s North Scotland Delivery Unit, said: “The local community and visitors to the new Dundee Waterfront area can now fully experience the extensive benefits of the scheme, which will protect numerous nearby properties and roads from the risk of flooding.
“Through Scape’s framework, we have worked closely with Dundee City Council to make a real and sustainable contribution to the local economy, including the delivery of over 600 apprentice hours through the Angus Shared Apprentice Programme.”
Victoria Brambini, Managing Director at Scape Procure, commented: “Effectively managing our coast through flood protection schemes is vital. The important work that has been carried out in Dundee, will reduce the risk of flooding to houses, businesses and key infrastructure. Over the last 20 years Dundee’s waterfront has been transformed, with the local community benefitting from new shops, restaurants and museums, this project is an important step in securing the area’s future.
“Creating social value is an integral part of our frameworks, and the 600 apprentice hours logged on this project, will have been invaluable for local apprentices. Onsite experience is an essential part in supporting young people to develop vital skills.”
Mark Flynn, Deputy Convener of Dundee City Council’s City Development Committee, said: “The Dundee flood protection scheme has been a significant piece of work which has created greater piece of mind for residents and business potentially at risk of higher water levels in the future.
“The project has been delivered effectively and efficiently and has had lots of positive comments from people saying that it has enhanced some of the waterfront walks.”
Balfour Beatty is the sole delivery partner on the Scape National Civil Engineering and Infrastructure framework. The £1.5 billion framework allows public sector clients to commission works through a procurement process that provides the fastest route to market and utilises early contractor engagement to deliver the best value solutions for clients.
About Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty (balfourbeatty.com) is a leading international infrastructure group. With 28,000 employees, we provide innovative and efficient infrastructure that underpins our daily lives, supports communities and enables economic growth. We finance, develop, build and maintain complex infrastructure such as transportation, power and utility systems, social and commercial buildings.
Our main geographies are the UK & Ireland, US and Far East. Over the last 100 years we have created iconic buildings and infrastructure all over the world including the London Olympics’ Aquatic Centre, Hong Kong’s first Zero Carbon building, the National Museum of the Marine Corps in the US and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
Balfour Beatty has been operating in Scotland for over a century. Today, the company employs 2,000 people across Scotland and works with a supply chain that includes a substantial proportion of local businesses.
The company’s construction business recently completed the award winning Holyrood Student Accommodation development, providing 1,180 student beds within the World Heritage Site of Holyrood in the City of Edinburgh and the construction of a Typhoon Propulsion Service Facility to support the rebuild and supply of the EJ200 engines used by 3 Typhoon Squadron.
Significant projects in the Company’s current portfolio include the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route which will improve the transport network in Aberdeen and across the north east of Scotland, the £14m Almondbank Flood Defence Scheme to deliver a series of flood defences along the River Almond and construct a temporary flood storage unit and the Perth Transport Futures project which will see the creation of a new junction on the A9 dual carriageway to support growth in Scotland’s third busiest region.
Iconic projects of the past include the construction of the new Elgin High School, the first school delivered by Balfour Beatty on behalf of hub North Scotland, the refurbishment of the Forth Bridge which carries the East Coast Mainline over the Firth of Forth and the Fife General Hospital and Maternity Services project which centralised specialist in-patient, acute and emergency services on one site.
About Scape Group
Scape Group is a public-sector organisation, dedicated to creating ongoing efficiency and social value via the built environment. Scape and its subsidiaries offer fully managed frameworks, property services, innovative design solutions, community investment opportunities and joint ventures. By bringing together the strongest teams from the public and private sectors, Scape’s rapidly deployed, highly measurable and collaborative approach delivers value for money and quality buildings whilst stimulating local economic growth and community enrichment. Scape operates with a buying capacity of around £13bn and has helped to deliver over 2,400 public sector projects with more than 1,800 currently in progress. In 2017, Scape Group was named the ‘Best Client to Work With’ across the public and private sector, at the annual Construction Enquirer Awards.
