October 2009
Halcrow has been shortlisted in four categories for the British Expertise International Awards 2009-10.
Halcrow’s Dames Point Container Terminal has been shortlisted for both the Major Consultancy Project of the Year and Environmental Impact Awards. Project Manager Paul Starr has also been shortlisted for the Individual of the year category.
Halcrow’s Brazil TAV High Speed Line project has been shortlisted in the innovation of the year category.
The British Expertise International Awards recognise excellence in design, planning, management and construction of overseas projects. They support the continued outstanding success of UK professional services throughout the world.
Dames Point Container Terminal was a challenging project. Halcrow was brought in as lead consultant to help deliver Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT)'s flagship facility - one of the largest container ports on the US east coast. The team gained the necessary permits and designed and managed construction in an intense 42-month programme, finishing on time and within budget.
The project successfully met a dizzying array of environmental regulations. The team not only made use of all the materials available, but minimized the environmental impacts generated by such an enormous project. This included the impact to salt and freshwater wetlands, the preservation of a 30-acre freshwater wetland, the avoidance of reclaiming the St Johns River, while simultaneously ensuring the continued operation of Jacksonville’s dredge spoil sites.
The Brazil TAV High Speed Line was an innovative project where Halcrow were appointed to lead the alignment studies for a 350 Km/hr high speed line between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, with an extension to Campinas. The purpose was to provide a reference design to facilitate the award of a concession which would result in the line being built by 2016.
Demanding timescales were required to develop the design and the Quantm modelling system was chosen for its unique corridor and route alignment optimisation capability. This allowed Halcrow planners to integrate environmental, community, cultural, engineering and cost factors into a single analysis and produce a suitable high speed alignment.
The impact of these awards is increasing every year as the range of expertise offered by the membership broadens. British Expertise sees the awards as an excellent opportunity to demonstrate this diversity.
The judging panel was led by the British Expertise President, HRH The Duke of Gloucester, himself a qualified architect.