/ Awards / VBA Wins Prestigious British Geotechnical Association’s Fleming Award for Crag End Landslip Project

VBA Wins Prestigious British Geotechnical Association’s Fleming Award for Crag End Landslip Project

Parul Dubey on January 3, 2017 - in Awards, Events, News

VBA, the joint venture comprising VolkerStevin, Boskalis Westminster and Atkins, together with Northumberland County Council and Keller, have won the coveted British Geotechnical Association’s Fleming Award for the Crag End Landslip stabilisation project in Rothbury, Northumberland. The Fleming award is given annually to commemorate the life and work of Dr Ken Fleming and to recognise excellence in the practical application of geotechnics, teamwork, expertise and innovation.

The team were given the accolade for their work on reconstructing a local road – the B6334. The scheme addressed the most recent landslip in 2012 and also the underlying causes of ground instability. Following completion in April 2016, local residents are no longer inconvenienced by road closures and lengthy detours.

Mark Gardner, framework director for VBA, said: “From the initial analysis of the issues on this project, it was deemed that the key to success was to deliver a design that could react to changes that inevitably happen through the life of the scheme. VBA provided strong leadership throughout the scheme which has been recognised by the community and this fantastic award.”

The VBA project tackled complex geotechnical challenges; designed and constructed an anchored bored-pile retaining wall; used innovative technologies including a passive dewatering system; identified opportunities for environmental enhancements; and focused on safety with no reported accidents (over 88,000 man hours were completed without a RIDDOR).

Simon Leek, client director at Atkins, said: “Winning the prestigious Fleming Award is a true success for our VBA team. The award recognises excellence in geotechnical design and construction and this has been achieved by the hard work and commitment of the entire team. A complex project like the Crag End one is what drives our team – not only did it require us to think innovatively but it is also incredibly satisfying for us to see how our work can directly benefit residents in the local area.”

The VBA team received a cheque for ÂŁ1000 which they have chosen to donate to a charity called Grace House – a charity working with families from across the North East whose children have complex disabilities, health needs and life limiting conditions.

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