February 2011
The awards celebrate outstanding achievement, innovation and ingenuity by companies, organisations and individuals in London.
The project was submitted by Halcrow and the Environment Agency in the infrastructure category. This category recognises civil engineering excellence in the design and construction of projects relating to transport, coastal, geotechnical or water engineering; energy, waste or regeneration management.
The barrier, operational since 1982, is an iconic structure for London and the engineering community. The structure has been at the heart of London’s flood defences for 28 years, so far closing on 119 occasions to prevent flooding in the nation’s capital city.
The objective of the Limpet Dam project was to inspect and refurbish the gates main bearings and bearing support structures, managed within a fixed programme, constrained by navigational and maintenance requirements.
In addition to the refurbishment works unique state-of-the-art monitoring systems have been installed on the bearings. These new systems allow remote and continuous monitoring of the condition of these vital components, enabling a proactive approach to maintenance, reducing the frequency of inspections and maintenance interventions yielding cost savings and minimising the need for staff to enter potentially hazardous areas of the structure.
Successful delivery of this challenging scheme has required excellence in management, design and implementation, with safety at the very heart of every stage of the project.
The awards have grown over the last decade into the highest honour for civil engineering excellence in the London region. Previous winners include Heathrow terminal 5A, Hampton Advanced Water Treatment Works, Wembley Stadium and the Sackler Bridge Crossing at Kew Gardens.
The judging panel will visit the shortlisted schemes in February and the winners will be announced at this year’s awards ceremony in the Great Hall at One Great George Street, Westminster on Friday 4 March.
BBC London’s Alice Bhandhukravi will host the evening alongside ICE President Peter Hansford.