Getting Roads Ready for Winter
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The ONE and only magazine dedicated to the highway maintenance and traffic management industry DECEMBER 2013 Getting roads ready for winter INSIDE Delivering street works & utilities Maintaining tunnels Barriers built to last www.highwaysmagazine.co.uk “WE HAVE SEEN IMPROVED DRIVING STANDARDS UTILISING THE QUARTIX DRIVING STYLE REPORTS, RESULTING IN REDUCED VEHICLE INCIDENTS AND AN 8 IMPROVEMENT IN FUEL CONSUMPTION.” 1 % ANDREW GIBBONS, FLEET CI MANAGER, GINSTERS LTD Award-Winning • FREE for first 3 months • Then £22.90/month Vehicle Tracking • 12 month contract • FREE installation • On-site warranty • inc. Driving Style Monitoring Van Fleet World *Limited Offer. 0870 013 6663 [email protected] www.quartix.net Quartix Ginsters A4.indd 1 03/10/2013 09:13 www.highwaysmagazine.co.uk DECEMBER 2013 EDITORIAL COMMENT 3 KEEP IN TOUCH Preparing for winter Join Highways Magazine LinkedIn group This is the time of year when temperatures drop Follow us on Twitter and snow starts falling. @highwaysmag Any drop in temperature fuels the global warming debate, but put simply local authorities have to be prepared in order to get the roads ready for winter. They are under increasing pressure to keep the roads clear of snow and ice. But what lessons can be learned from other countries in Europe? Sign-up for FREE weekly updates John Saint from Scarab explores this subject in detail on page www.highways magazine.co.uk/ 15, and makes the point that the UK’s approach to winter road highways-on-fridays maintenance is being increasingly placed in the spotlight. Whilst temperatures here may never fall as low as they do in countries such as Denmark and Sweden, it is surely worth taking a look at the winter maintenance techniques used on the continent. With so much technology now in place to help keep the UK’s roads clear and safe, local authorities at least have a fighting chance. Motorists can also play a part by taking responsibility for their own At our annual Highways Magazine Excellence Awards driving and journeys. Preparation is key. I recently experienced www.hmea.co.uk the thrill of a drift experience at Goodwood Motor Circuit. Under the guidance of an instructor, I was led out in the very latest rear- wheel-drive Toyota GT86 to a low grip facility, which features a special custom-made slippery surface. I was guided through several car control exercises, including straight line braking, obstacle avoidance braking techniques, and controlling under steer and over steer on an ice-like surface. The instructor also showed me how to control and steer the car in a sideways slide to experience the thrills of drifting safely. As well as Or our biennial Seeing is Believing being extremely fun, the whole experience got me thinking. exhibition – demonstrating real working environments – urban, This would be a great thing for young drivers to experience as an rural and motorway – in daylight, educative, entertaining and safe way to experience car handling dusk and darkness on the limit. It also goes back to my earlier point about motorists www.sib.uk.net being properly prepared for winter. Although you should avoid driving in wintry conditions unless your journey is essential, every driver should be able to adjust their driving to suit the conditions. Learning how to do so from a young age would definitely help. Subscribe to Highways and receive Alec Peachey ten printed copies a year and/or for regular digital copies visit Editor www.highwaysmagazine.co.uk Highways Magazine CONTENTS 5 WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP VOLUME 82 No. 10 DECEMBER 2013 WITH THE INDUSTRY The ONE and only magazine dedicated to the highway maintenance and traffic management industry Editorial & ln this issue... advertising INDUSTRY ROUND-UP Editorial 01732 459683 Latest news from the industry 6-7 Editor Alec Peachey COMPANIES & CONTRACTS t: (01732) 459683 e: [email protected] A round-up of the latest Design Adele Humphries company and contract wins 8-9 t: (01732) 459683 VIEWPOINT e: [email protected] How to improve resource Advertising 01732 459683 efficiency 10 Publications Manager Andy Davies t: (01732) 459683 HIGHWAYS AGENCY e: [email protected] The National Traffic Operations Sales Manager Gavin Harrison Centre (NTOC) 12-13 t: (01732) 459683 e: [email protected] WINTER MAINTENANCE Recruitment & Production Learning from Europe, Carole Beckham preventing flooding, plus e: [email protected] TRL on how to provide t: (01732) 459683 an effective winter service 15-26 f: (01732) 455837 SURFACE MAINTENANCE Subscriptions 01342 314812 High friction surfacing Daniel Verrells plus updates from the Data Services AIA and RSTA 29-36 e: [email protected] Subscriptions TUNNEL MAINTENANCE UK – £75 Overseas – £85 A look at what goes ISSN 0267-825X into maintaining six Established 1934 separate tunnels 39-41 Printed by Buxton Press, STREET WORKS & UTILITIES Palace Road, Buxton, Delivering essential services plus Derbyshire SK17 6AE a scorecard for street works 42-46 © Highways is published 10 times a year by Alad Ltd. BARRIERS Barriers with safety in mind Average ABC audited plus an update from circulation between Tilon Composites 49-52 July 2012 and June 2013 – 6,930 LEGAL Publisher Considering the future of the Highways Agency 55-56 IHE Neil Levett MIHE MIAT MAIRSO All the latest news and Alad Ltd, 6 Wealden Place, views from the Institute 59-60 Bradbourne Vale Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 3QQ. Alad Ltd is a member of the Professional Publishers Association 6 INDUSTRY ROUND-UP DECEMBER 2013 www.highwaysmagazine.co.uk Park wants LED revolution Investment in roads The managing will create almost director of Digiland LED 10,000 jobs Lighting has Transport Minister Robert Goodwill called on more has announced that almost 10,000 UK councils to construction jobs will be created replace their next year as a result of more street lights than £1.9 billion of investment in with LEDs. Britain’s roads. New York recently The total investment became the latest in 209 schemes is big city to replace £4.3 billion, £1.9 its street lights billion of which will with LEDs – all be spent in 2014 250,000 of them alone – more than – and Jaydee Park twice the amount (pictured) would like more UK councils seem to be lagging behind a bit in spent in 2013. to follow the lead of American cities. the UK, although it is now starting to These road programmes – which will gather steam. New York’s mayor announced the either start or be completed in 2014 – plans to replace all the city’s lights “Using LEDs to light streets, car parks are estimated to boost the economy by with LEDs by declaring the scheme and other public areas like parks not over £18.8bn and are part of a £100bn would save taxpayers $14 million a only saves energy but also provides package of investment in Britain’s year in energy and maintenance costs. a better quality of light too. That can infrastructure over the next seven years; And yet many UK councils are still improve safety and make them more the largest programme of investment reluctant to follow suit because pleasant places for people to enjoy.” since the 1970s. of worries about how to meet the Digiland is currently in discussion The roads programme is just one part upfront investment costs. with a number of councils about the of the government’s drive to prioritise investment in projects that provide an Park, who established Digiland LED finance options available to them, as economic boost, and will help create Lighting in Telford earlier this year, it is possible that no initial investment a high-performance road network believes the long-term benefits of is required with support from the that can cope with the expected 43% LEDs are too good to ignore. Carbon Trust. increase in traffic by 2040. He said: “We are really keen to talk Park added: “We know that councils Goodwill (pictured above) said: to councils and other organisations, are on very tight budgets, but if “Roads are the lifeblood that keeps such as car park operators, about how they get a guaranteed loan with the our economy going – they create jobs we can help them significantly cut Carbon Trust they can pay it back with and help get products to markets. This their energy bills. The LED revolution what they save on their energy bill government is committed to delivering is in full swing in the US and we each month.” the modern infrastructure we need to compete in the global race, investing across the board to cut congestion and Councils stockpiling salt in preparation for winter reduce journey times in roads, rail and local transport.” Councils are stockpiling more Over half of the 209 schemes are salt in preparation for this year’s due for completion next year. This winter, according to the latest will be followed in 2015 by an even figures from highways bosses. larger programme of improvement and investment on major roads, with A Local Government Association survey spending rising to £3bn a year by 2020. of councils across England and Wales estimates an increase on the 1.3 million The government’s £28bn commitment tonnes of salt stockpiled in depots as part of the 2013 Spending Review in 2012. will deliver extra capacity to the UK’s busiest motorways, along with 52 major The survey finds that 95% of councils road projects funded and delivered are either maintaining or increasing less likely to be blown off roads by wind between this parliament and 2020/21. stock levels this winter, with around or traffic. half also planning to work alongside Commercial Secretary to the Treasury Cllr Peter Box, chair of the LGA’s neighbouring councils to share Lord Deighton added: economy and transport board, said: equipment and salt.