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Flood scheme makes two short lists

The River Witham Flood Defence Scheme has made the short list for two highly prestigious awards - the BCIA 2007 Civil Engineering Award, and the 2007 Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award.

Improvement works have been carried out to 30km of the River Witham bank, across 50 separate sites. An integrated team comprising the Environment Agency (customer), Faber Maunsell (consultant) and May Gurney as contractor has worked together closely and successfully to deliver the project.

Designs were prepared on site for each location to optimise the opportunity for value engineering and to find local solutions. Borrow pits close to the river allowed water borne transport to be used.

Other innovations included combining the waterproofing properties of polythene and bentonite to prevent seepage, and the use of more than one million recycled tyres in compressed bales as low-weight embankment fill material.

The BCI Awards are widely regarded as the construction industry's 'Oscars'. They are the most rigorously judged awards with all short listed projects visited by members of the judging panel. Simply making the short list is an achievement in its own right.

The judging process lasts several months and culminates in the Awards Dinner on 10 October at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London's Park Lane. The dinner is one of the highlights of the construction industry calendar and is attended by around 900 guests, including clients, architects, consulting engineers, contractors and important supporting companies.

All short listed projects are also eligible for the BCI Best Practice Award, which is sponsored once again by May Gurney for the fourth consecutive year.

"I congratulate all the contenders for this year's award"
The (then) Prime Minister, Rt Hon Tony Blair
The Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award, now in its seventh year, recognises the crucial role that great new building and public spaces play in improving public services.

In selecting the shortlist the judges look at design, construction, financial management, procurement method and sustainability credentials.

The (then) Prime Minister, Rt Hon Tony Blair MP, said: "I congratulate all the contenders for this year's award.

"They represent the very best in the design and commissioning of public buildings and also demonstrate how our design and construction industries are successfully rising to the challenge of climate change."

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