09.03.2023

Insights into Geoafrica 2023

Team Solmax joined the 4th GeoAfrica conference in Cairo, Egypt, at the Marriott Cairo Hotel & Omar Elkhayam Casino. The conference with the main subject “Geosynthetics in sustainable infrastructures and mega projects” engaged regional and international experts in the fields of development, manufacturing, and application of geosynthetics.  

09.03.2023

Femern AS surveys the market for stones for new marine habitat

Femern AS is establishing a large 42-hectare stone reef close to the German island of Fehmarn. The reef will be established as part of the construction of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel and will become a new habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna. Femern AS is currently surveying the market to get information on availability of suitable stones for the purpose.  

09.03.2023

HS2 celebrated the female leaders in its supply chain helping to decarbonise construction

HS2 celebrated the female leaders in its supply chain helping to decarbonise construction – Qflow on site at Old Oak Common station site (Credits: HS2)

As HS2 strives to attract more women into the construction sector, on International Women’s Day (Wednesday, 8 March), it is shining a light on the female leaders at Qflow who are helping HS2 to decarbonise construction. Founded in 2018, London-based Qflow is the brainchild of its joint founders Brittany Harris and Jade Cohen. The company’s mission is simple – leave the world in a better place than we found it. And thanks in part to its work on HS2, Europe’s biggest infrastructure project, Qflow is on track to achieve its goal.

Simplicity is at the heart of Brittany and Jade’s cloud-based software delivery model. With Qflow, a simple photograph allows HS2’s construction partners to digitally log all materials delivered to site and the waste transferred during construction. The requirement for manual data entry, hardware and bar codes is eliminated, which means Qflow saves project teams an estimated 80% of site administration time. It also supports Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting, and can improve waste compliance by over 70%, while delivering valuable insights that can enable construction teams to avoid over 4,460 tonnes of CO2e.

Recognising Qflow’s vital productivity and carbon saving benefits, HS2 innovation funded the initial deployment at its construction sites to allow its contractors to trial and test the software tool.

Brittany Harris, Qflow’s CEO, said: “Working with HS2’s construction partners has introduced multiple contractors to our software, which is another great step towards us achieving our mission. As a result of HS2 innovation funding the initial deployment, we’re pleased to say that every contractor that has used Qflow has gone on to procure us after the trial period ended.”

Sixty percent of the 2,500 businesses engaged in HS2’s supply chain are SMEs and with just 30 staff, Qflow is among those set to benefit from future businesses growth as HS2’s construction programme gathers pace and extends to the north.

Charlotte Hills, HS2’s Senior Innovation Manager said: “HS2 is pioneering sustainable construction in the UK and Qflow fully support our drive towards Net Zero. Through Qflow’s simple app design, the process of calculating embodied carbon in construction gives us a detailed assessment of the emissions linked to the construction process. We’re proud to be working in partnership with this innovative SME. Together we will make a huge difference to the construction sector.”

QFlow were recently recognised at the New Civil Engineer TechFest (Festival of Innovation and Technology) 2022, winning the category of Technology Provider Trailblazer.

Source: HS2

#HS2 #United Kingdom (GB) #major projects #supply chain #ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) #documentation #resource efficiency #Gender #sustainability #Geotechnics #Tunnelling #Energy #Digitalisation services #site documentation #software

                     

08.03.2023

CSIRO launches CarbonLock to tackle climate change

CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has announced the launch of its $20 million research program, CarbonLock, to develop new and innovative ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere and permanently lock it away.  

07.03.2023

Colne Valley – HS2s temporary bridge takes 10,000 vehicles off local roads

Temporary bridge crosses lakes near Hillingdon, Denham, and Harefield