Thames Menteth
Verified
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Thames Menteth
Shropshire canal collapse to cost ‘millions’ as investigation continues
Repairs to a canal embankment that collapsed in December are expected to take most of this year and cost the Canal and River Trust millions of pounds, the charity has said, as investigations into the breach continue. The significant breach of the Llangollen Canal near New Mills Lift Bridge, Whitchurch, in Shropshire occurred in the early hours of 22 December. It was initially declared a major incident by emergency services.
Webuild team bags £572M civils contract on new Naples metro line
A Webuild-led consortium has won a £572M (€660M) contract for the design and construction of civil works on the new metro line 10 in Naples, Italy. The consortium including Webuild, Eteria Consorzio Stabile, Costruire, ICM, and MN Metropolitana di Napoli will build the first section of the lot 1 on the new metro line. The mega transport project will significantly expand the underground metro network in Naples and connect the city’s northeast to a new high speed rail hub.
Exploratory works approved on Borumba pumped hydro scheme
Public energy company Queensland Hydro has secured regulatory approval to undertake exploratory works on its proposed Borumba pumped hydro project in eastern Australia. The exploratory works will enable Queensland Hydro to gather critical geotechnical data to progress design development and the revised business case for the hydro project, pending state approvals. The regulatory approval was secured under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
Piling: Complex culvert repairs in a South Wales village
The dramatic collapse of an historical culvert beneath a South Wales housing estate last year demanded rapid stabilisation works and a complex £4M repair. In December 2024, a South Wales village on the outskirts of Merthyr Tydfil caught the country’s attention when a large hole formed in a quiet cul-de-sac. The ground collapse on the Nant Morlais estate in Pant rapidly enlarged to at least 12m deep and 10m wide.
Soil nailing ‘best solution’ to stabilise Swanage seafront
An engineering report has recommended soil nailing as the most effective way to stabilise a subsiding section of Swanage’s seafront, with project costs expected to be at least £4.5M. The area known as Green Seafront in Swanage, Dorset, suffers from ongoing ground movement and slope instability. A recent monitoring report published in November this year identified 55 defects at the site, with the majority relating to ground and retaining wall instability.
Woodsmith project reaches 30km tunnelling milestone
The tunnel boring machine (TBM) excavating the mineral transport system tunnel (MTS) on the polyhalite project in North Yorkshire has reached 30km in a “major milestone”. When completed the 36.7km long and 4.9m diameter MTS will be the world’s longest conveyor tunnel of its kind. It will move tens of millions of tonnes of polyhalite from beneath the North York Moors National Park.
HS2 progresses cut-and-cover tunnel after road realignment
The next stage of excavation work on High Speed 2’s (HS2’s) longest cut-and-cover tunnel is set to begin after the realignment of a local road in Northamptonshire. The tunnel at Greatworth in West Northamptonshire will be 2.7km long once completed. It is being built inside a shallow cutting using the cut-and-cover technique. Designed as an m-shaped double arch, the tunnel will have separate halves for southbound and northbound trains.
Piling: New River reinforcement safeguards London waterway
Innovative land- and water-based piling techniques were deployed to tackle leakage along a stretch of the 400-year-old New River in North London while safeguarding local ecology. The New River is one of London’s oldest water infrastructure assets. Opened in 1613, the man-made aqueduct is now owned and managed by Thames Water. It transports around 500ML of drinking water per day from Hertfordshire to North London, supplying reservoirs and water treatment works along the Lea Valley.
Bridgewater Canal embankment restoration enters next phase with SLR appointment
Stabilisation of a canal embankment in Cheshire that breached a year ago is nearly complete, with SLR Consulting overseeing the design and project management of the next phase of reinstatement works. A section of the Bridgewater Canal’s embankment collapsed on 1 January this year following a period of heavy rainfall across the north west of England. The canal is owned by the Bridgewater Canal Company, a member of the Peel Land and Property Group.
Foundation work progresses on TRU East as Van Elle installs piles
Piling works are underway on the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) East as part of the overhead line foundation works package. Van Elle announced last week that it is making progress on TRU East with piling underway. It is working on behalf of Murphy, which is part of the TRU East alliance that also comprises Network Rail, Volker Rail, Siemens, and Systra. The alliance is delivering works on the TRU East between Leeds and York.
Bateman embankment dam scheme wins 2025 Fleming Award
The British Geotechnical Association (BGA) has awarded this year’s Fleming Award to United Utilities, Stantec, and Keller for their work on maintaining a Bateman embankment dam. The British Geotechnical Association’s (BGA’s) 2025 Fleming Award Competition was held at the Institution of Civil Engineers in London on the evening of 2 December.
Regulators back Abingdon reservoir progress, unlocking £100M funding
Water regulators have recommended that Thames Water’s proposed 150M.m3 reservoir near Abingdon in Oxfordshire moves to the next stage of development in a decision that is set to unlock £100M in funding. The Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) has published its draft decision proposing that the reservoir should pass RAPID gate three and progress to gate four.
Autumn Budget 2025: Infrastructure remains a government priority amid tax rises
This week’s Autumn Budget, which paired tax rises with protected capital spending, has been welcomed by some trade bodies and businesses across the sector for prioritising critical infrastructure projects and planning reforms. Rachel Reeves ended months of speculation when she delivered her 2025 Autumn Budget to Parliament on Wednesday (26 November).
Offshore engineering: Managing risk at Moray West wind farm
Ternan Energy’s risk assessments for the Moray West offshore wind farm in Scotland helped cut project costs by optimising cable burial depths and targeting rock placement. Moray West is a new offshore wind farm situated in the Moray Firth, around 22.5km off the northeast coast of Scotland. The 225km2 site contains 60 wind turbines that have an installed capacity of 882MW – enough to power nearly 600,000 homes.
Piling underway for £35M St Helens transport interchange
Vibro piling plant is being used to prepare the ground ahead of main construction works on a major new transport interchange in the Merseyside town of St Helens. The new St Helens Transport Interchange development is expected to improve bus, rail and travel connectivity in St Helens town centre. It is being majority funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
RSK Group boosts UK transport presence with Octavius Infrastructure acquisition
RSK Group has bought Octavius Infrastructure from Sullivan Street Partners in a move that strengthens its presence in the UK transport infrastructure sector. UK civil engineering and electrification transport infrastructure businesses Octavius has over 700 employees working across rail and highways. The business has long-standing relationships with clients in the sector such as Network Rail, National Highways, and Transport for London, and has a portfolio of over 30 frameworks.
Strabag wins tunnel contract on Germany’s new Fehmarn Sound Crossing
Strabag has been chosen to deliver the main contract for the tunnel connection to the island of Fehmarn in Germany for the Fehmarn Sound Crossing project. The contract is among several that the Austrian construction company has secured on the project to connect the island of Fehmarn to the German mainland underground. The new 2.2km-long tunnel will replace the existing Fehmarn Sound Bridge and create a high-capacity road and rail link.
Funding awarded for BGS-led research into UK geological storage
A research project led by the British Geological Survey (BGS) that aims to assess the UK’s subsurface storage potential for hydrogen and carbon dioxide has received funding. The two-year project, ‘Maximising the UK geological storage resource’, is led by BGS with collaborators from the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) and researchers at Heriot-Watt University and The University of Manchester.
EWR plans mined Bourn Airfield tunnel amid post-consultation design changes
The company delivering East West Rail (EWR) has unveiled major design updates to the scheme following a public consultation, including a mined tunnel crossing at Bourn Airfield. The more than 80 design updates to the scheme were presented in East West Rail Company’s (EWR Co’s) ‘You Said, We Did’ report published earlier this week.
Emergency stabilisation halts active landslide on Sussex railway embankment
Emergency works to stop an active landslide on a railway embankment near Rother, East Sussex, were carried out last month after monitoring data indicated significant movement at the site. Network Rail identified movement on the embankment on the Tonbridge to Hastings railway line at River Brede near Whatlington, East Sussex, over the summer. The affected embankment extends between Robertsbridge and Battle stations, adjacent to agricultural land, on the upside of the track.
Landslides: How GI and monitoring enabled reopening of Isle of Wight road
After a major landslide closed a key Isle of Wight road in 2023, extensive investigations and monitoring enabled its safe reopening – offering a model for managing landslide risks amid coastal erosion and climate change. On the Isle of Wight today, traffic flows along the A3055 Leeson Road in Ventnor on the island’s south coast.
Progress on Bremen’s Weser Tunnel as first tunnel elements arrive
The first two concrete elements of the Weser Tunnel in Bremen, Germany, have been transported 60km along the river to site. The elements named Judith and Martha are the first of six tunnel sections that will make up the 1.7km tunnel, which will take the new A281 motorway underneath the River Weser. The tunnel is being delivered by main works contractor Wayss & Freytag on behalf of German state-owned project management company Deutsche Einheit Fernstraßenplanungs- und -bau (Deges).
Teesworks £16.8M remediation pipeline opportunities unveiled
Tees Valley Combined Authority has published pipeline notices for remediation and consultancy services on the South Bank of its Teesworks development. The South Bank is the western most point of Teesworks, one of Europe’s largest brownfield developments that is set to transform 1,821ha of land south of the River Tees. The development includes the former SSI UK/Tata Steel UK steelworks site in Redcar, which closed in 2015. It is part of the Teesside freeport – the UK’s largest freeport zone.
TfL starts market engagement on £1.6bn DLR extension to Thamesmead
Transport for London (TfL) has started early market engagement for its proposed extension of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Thamesmead. The project proposes to construct a 3km extension of the existing DLR network under the River Thames from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside. Government body TfL issued a preliminary market engagement notice on 6 November ahead of publication of a formal contract notice, expected in June 2026.
Complex temporary works delivered for Kings Cross life sciences development
A specialised temporary works solution was delivered for the complex deep basement excavations at the new Tribeca life science campus in London’s King’s Cross. Designed by architects Bennett Associates for developer the Reef Group, the Tribeca development will provide 92,903m2 of life sciences, office, retail, leisure and residential space. Phase one of the project, including the seven-storey Apex building, was completed in July 2024.
Suspected mine collapse swallows car in Cornwall
A suspected mine-related ground collapse in Cornwall that swallowed a car over the weekend has been secured by the council and its contractor. The 2m deep “sinkhole” opened on Saturday (1 November) behind a bakery in Redruth, engulfing a local man’s parked Mini car, Cornwall Live reported. Photos from the scene on Saturday show the rear of the vehicle and its back wheels lodged in the hole.
Train derails in Cumbria after ‘suspected’ landslide amid heavy rain
A train that derailed in Cumbria yesterday after hitting a “suspected” landslide in adverse weather conditions is being investigated. The Avanti West Coast high speed service between Glasgow Central and London Euston derailed in the Shap area in Cumbria at around 6.15am on Monday. It was travelling at around 80mph when the first vehicle of the 11-carriage train came off the tracks, Network Rail said.
Government exempts ‘low-risk’ early construction works from environmental permits
Site investigations, dewatering and some groundworks activities will now be exempt from the environmental permitting system as part of the UK government’s drive to deliver new housing and infrastructure. The Environment Agency will be given new powers to define what types of activities should be exempt from the need to hold a permit and the conditions that apply to them.
East West Rail launches £700M support works framework engagement
The East West Rail Company (EWR Co) has launched a market engagement exercise for a £700M framework covering archaeology, ground investigations, minor civils and utilities. EWR Co published the preliminary market engagement notice (PEN) for the Programme Support Works Framework, which includes multiple lots and multiple suppliers, on 24 October. The stated value of the framework is £700M excluding VAT.
Market engagement launched for £360M low-level waste capping job
Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) is seeking a contractor to carry out £360M worth of capping and large-scale earthworks activities at the UK's low-level radioactive waste store in Cumbria. The government body issued a preliminary market engagement notice for the job earlier this month, with the value stated at £360M including VAT. The project involves providing engineering protective cover, known as capping, over all the low-level waste that has been disposed of at the site in trenches and vaults.
Bangkok ‘sinkhole’ repairs progress as authorities confirm no further subsidence
Thai authorities have confirmed no further subsidence or structural damage to an underground subway tunnel that collapsed beneath a Bangkok road last month, triggering a major “sinkhole”. A large section of Samsen Road in the Thai capital caved in on 24 September, forming a hole that was estimated to be 30m wide by 30m long. The collapse was above the under-construction Vajira Hospital train station on the Bangkok’s new Purple Line.
FPS updates working platform certificate to improve rig safety
The Federation of Piling Specialists (FPS) has published an updated edition of its working platform certificate – a safety initiative that has reduced accidents on work sites. The working platform certificate requires the principal contractor to ensure that the working platform has been properly designed, constructed, and will be regularly inspected and adequately maintained.
Deep boreholes drilled beneath Thames inform Palace of Westminster restoration
Deep ground investigations in the River Thames and River Terrace have been completed for the Palace of Westminster restoration programme. A jack-up barge opposite the Palace’s river-facing terrace was used to drill a total of 14 marine boreholes up to 74.5m deep into the Thames riverbed. The boreholes are needed to assess the geological conditions of the riverbed.
‘Sinkhole’ on Lancashire estate linked to sandstone workings, MRA reports
Mining Remediation Authority (MRA) investigations indicate that a large ground collapse on a housing estate in Darwen, Lancashire, may be related to former sandstone workings and is “not the result of historical coal mining”. The ground collapse on 21 September engulfed an area of driveway in front of homes on a recently developed housing estate. Emergency services, led by Blackburn and Darwen Borough Council, secured the area, and some nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution.
Ground engineering Early Careers Challenge 2025 winners announced
The winners of the 2025 Early Careers Challenge (ECC), presented by Ground Engineering in partnership with the British Geotechnical Association (BGA), were revealed at this month’s GeoTech conference and awards.
HS2: Bromford Tunnel breakthrough ends major tunnelling from London to Midlands
The second tunnel boring machine (TBM) excavating High Speed 2’s (HS2’s) Bromford Tunnel broke through earlier this week – marking the completion of major tunnelling work between London’s Old Oak Common and the West Midlands. TBM Elizabeth ended its journey on 13 October at Washwood Heath after being launched 19 months ago. It was one of two TBMs excavating the 5.6km long Bromford Tunnel between Warwickshire and Birmingham, which is set to become the longest railway tunnel in the West Midlands.
Newly launched group aims to improve data sharing and digital ecosystems
A new industry-led group has been formed to encourage greater sharing of subsurface data and to raise the baseline of digital capability across the ground engineering sector. The Digital Transformation of Ground Data group was established by representatives from engineering consultancies at a meeting at the University of Birmingham in July this year.
Lancashire council seeks contractor for £2.6M landslide-hit road repair
Lancashire County Council has advertised a £2.6M contract to design and rebuild a retaining wall that collapsed during a large landslide at the start of this year. The B6236 Haslingden Old Road has been closed since New Year’s Day when a 2,500t landslide following a storm took out a 30m long section of the road and the wall that supported it. The council has said that rebuilding the Ramsclough Farm retaining wall and opening the road is a priority. It has secured up to £3M to carry out the work.
Costain, Hochtief and Morgan Sindall win £2.9bn Sellafield contracts
Costain, Hochtief UK and Morgan Sindall have won contracts with a total value of up to £2.9bn to provide non-nuclear infrastructure works on the Sellafield decommissioning programme in Cumbria. The three companies will be part of a long-term arrangement called the Infrastructure Delivery Partnership (IDP).
RSK provides geotech support on Aberdeen landfill-to-solar farm project
RSK Renewables is providing geotechnical support to the team redeveloping a historical landfill site in Aberdeen into a solar power and hydrogen project. The transformation of the former Ness Landfill site is part of the first phase of a green hydrogen infrastructure initiative being delivered by bp Aberdeen Hydrogen Energy Limited (bpAHEL), a joint venture between Aberdeen City Council and bp.
Latest people moves from Balfour, Keltbray, Systra and others
Balfour Beatty welcomes a new chief executive, Keltbray announces a new CEO, and Systra UK & Ireland names a new managing director of engineering in the latest people moves from across the sector. Balfour Beatty has appointed Philip Hoare as group chief executive. He joins the company from Atkins Réalis where he was first CEO of the UK and Europe, then president of the company’s global engineering services business, and finally its chief operating officer.
£50M Cynon Gateway project resurrected as Atkins Réalis joins team
A £50M road bypass project in Aberdare, Wales, has been revived after being paused for two years due to the Welsh government’s roads review, with Atkins Réalis appointed to the project team. Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s 1.2km long Cynon Gateway North project will connect the A4059 Aberdare Bypass, east of Penywaun, to a new roundabout at Croesbychan, constructed as part of the A465 Heads of Valleys scheme.
Cynon Gateway road project resurrected as Atkins Réalis joins team
A road bypass project in Aberdare, Wales, has been revived after being paused for two years due to the Welsh government’s roads review, with Atkins Réalis appointed to the project team. Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s 1.2km long Cynon Gateway North project will connect the A4059 Aberdare Bypass, east of Penywaun, to a new roundabout at Croesbychan, constructed as part of the A465 Heads of Valleys scheme.
‘Why trial pits must be treated as excavations’
Lucion Delta-Simons technical manager Will Capps discusses the importance of treating trial pits as excavations, safety and regulatory frameworks that surround them, and why they continue to hold an indispensable role in ground investigation. Trial pits are often seen as a routine part of geotechnical investigation, simple, controlled, and low risk. But appearances deceive. On 5 September 2008, 27-year-old geotechnical engineer Alex Wright lost his life when a trial pit collapsed on him.
National Highways’ £686M Newark bypass scheme green-lit
A £686M scheme to upgrade and widen a 6.5km stretch of the A46 in Newark has been granted development consent by the secretary of state for transport. National Highways’ A46 Newark bypass scheme aims to tackle congestion on a stretch of road between Farndon roundabout and Winthorpe roundabout near Newark-on-Trent in the East Midlands. The work involves widening 6.5km of the existing single carriageway to a dual carriageway with two lanes in each direction between Farndon roundabout and the A1.
2025 GeoTech Awards winners revealed
The winners of the first-ever GeoTech Awards that celebrates excellence in innovation, technology and smart engineering were revealed at an in-person ceremony on Thursday night (2 October). The new GeoTech Awards shine a light on the growing role of digital innovation and emerging technology in geotechnical design, construction and asset management.
Heathrow unveils 'offline' M25 tunnel plan for third runway expansion
The company running Heathrow airport has revealed how it plans to use an “offline” construction method to build a new tunnel under its proposed third runway. Plans for the expansion of Heathrow airport with a third runway were submitted in January of this year. They included realigning a section of the M25 motorway 130m westwards and lowering it, so it passes beneath the runway in a new tunnel.
Consultants appointed to study viability of Shetland islands tunnels
Stantec and Cowi have been appointed by Shetland Islands Council to develop a study that will establish the viability of building tunnels between Shetland’s islands. The consultants will investigate contractors’ appetite to engage in the work, and what financial support could be available. They will also help the council to understand the range of resources it needs to put in place for any future fixed link projects.
AI and satellite tech identify 3,000 actively moving slopes across UK
British Geological Survey (BGS) researchers and university academics have been trialling a method that combines artificial intelligence (AI) with satellite data to detect actively moving landslides at a national scale. The BGS in collaboration with the University of Florence in Italy has used the new method to identify 3,000 slopes that are actively moving, thereby highlighting areas potentially at risk.
Ground Engineering's monthly round-up of events from across the geotechnical sector. SPOTLIGHT 2 October: GeoTech 2025 Conference and Awards The Kia Oval, London, SE11 5SS This conference and awards are new must-attend events that will showcase new approaches, transformative solutions, and breakthrough innovations in the ground engineering sector today.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Thames
Contact Thames, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack