Browse through some of the projects we have worked on:
Delta Simons - Ground Investigation in Battersea, London – Case Study
A detailed UXO assessment was required at short notice in advance of a proposed intrusive site investigation. Timescales were imperative given that the drilling needed to be undertaken at short notice, and it was necessary to determine whether UXO supervisor attendance was necessary during the intrusive works.
The UXO assessment was completed in a timely fashion, which determined the site to be in a ‘very high risk’ area with respect to potential presence of UXO. 6 Alpha were then able to mobilise to the site to supervise the intrusive works shortly following completion of the assessment.
Site investigation works were completed successfully, and on time, despite there being an alteration to the scope of the works partly through the investigation.6 Alpha completed all works required to enable the intrusive site investigation to be completed as planned, despite tight timescales from the outset. Communication with 6 Alpha was punctual and effortless, and the overall process of engaging with 6 Alpha meant that our Client’s expectations were met.
6 Alpha completed all works required to enable the intrusive site investigation to be completed as planned, despite tight timescales from the outset. Communication with 6 Alpha was punctual and effortless, and the overall process of engaging with 6 Alpha meant that our Client’s expectations were met.
Tom Horner, Principal – Team Leader
Testimonials
“Brilliant service and the report is very detailed.”
“Very happy with the background and on site works of 6Alpha in relation to the UXO intrusive survey and outcome”
“Thank you very much to you and the rest of the 6Alpha team for having worked so intensely to get this to us in such a short timeframe.”
“The service 6 Alpha has provided has been first class.”
“Can you please pass on my thanks to everyone I have spoken to at 6 Alpha. Everybody has been extremely helpful and provided a great service.”
“Thank you so much for coming back to me so quickly. We have all said on various occasions how fantastically quick your service is and we really appreciate it, it makes our lives a lot easier, so thank you.”
“We have been extremely pleased with the service from 6Alpha and I will certainly be in contact for future work”
“We would definitely recommend your services and use you ourselves again if needed.”
“Excellent job and thanks to you all.”
“The support from the supply chain as a whole on this project was fantastic, it also highlighted to me personally how we as an industry can deliver some fantastic innovation and how as a company we are able to attract companies such as you to support us.”
“Really appreciate you and the rest of the team pulling out the stops to get the reports and site mobilisation all sorted at very short notice.”
Anglian Water Strategic Pipeline Alliance – Case Study
Unexploded Ordnance Threat Screening Layer Case Study:
Anglian Water Strategic Pipeline Alliance
Problem
Anglian Water Strategic Pipeline Alliance (AW SPA) is the water company’s multi-million-pound investment to create hundreds of kilometres of new, interconnecting water pipelines across the East of England. When complete, the new pipelines will deliver 500km of new water mains. It will be one of the biggest water infrastructure projects in the UK.
In 2020, 6 Alpha were commissioned to provide Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) consultancy, technical advice and risk mitigation solutions ahead of the installation of pipeline infrastructure. The long and linear nature of the proposed pipeline routes presented an unusual risk challenge in terms of articulating in quick, easy and simple terms, those areas of the proposed pipeline corridors and supporting infrastructure sites that presented an elevated UXO risk and that might therefore require risk mitigation intervention as well as – importantly – those areas that were unlikely to require such work.
6 Alpha’s Solution
In response to this challenge, 6 Alpha designed an innovative and bespoke UXO Threat Screening Layer (TSL) to deliver specialised, visual, georeferenced ground intelligence, which illustrated those areas along the pipeline paths where a potential or confirmed UXO hazard had been evidenced. This work was quickly achieved through the analysis of 6 Alpha’s market leading Azimuth GIS UXO threat database, which was supplemented with corroborative research. The output of the UXO TSL quickly enabled the route to be divided into colour-coded and geo spatially colour-washed zones with Red, Amber and Green (RAG) segments, where each colour signified the level of prospective threat generated by historic and modern UXO where each segment was assigned a common solution.
Benefits
The UXO TSL enabled:
• Simple UXO data integration with the Client’s own holistic project GIS system;
• Rapid, clear, visual and readily understandable UXO risk ratings;
• Sharing of common UXO risk management solutions;
• Focus of resources into areas where UXO risk management was most needed.
Client Quote
SPA Survey Manager, Cathal McGeown, said “The UXO Threat Screening Layer has proved to be an innovative solution that has considerably reduced time and cost, The ability to fully integrate the UXO screening layer within our own GIS system has enabled us to view the UXO hazards alongside all our other relevant project geospatial data and undoubtedly contributed to AW SPA submission and winning of a prestigious British Construction Industry Award”.
RSPB Greener Thames Estuary Habitat Restoration Project – Case Study
6 Alpha are delighted to have recently been awarded a contract to deliver unexploded ordnance risk mitigation measures in support of the Green Recovery – Greener Thames Estuary Habitat Restoration Project which is being implemented by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, in partnership with Kent Wildlife Trust, Essex Wildlife Trust and Elmley National Nature Reserve. After considering a number of more conventional measures including conventional survey techniques, 6 Alpha assessed their likely feasibility, effectiveness, efficiency as well as summarising their cost and risk reduction benefits. In light of this analysis, 6 Alpha developed an innovative, just-in-time solution summarised as a ‘mag-flag-and investigate’ approach. This was accepted by the RSPB and it was subsequently successfully implemented at seven distinct and separate project sites in Kent and Essex.
Will Tofts Greener Thames Project Manager for the RSPB said “6 Alpha delivered innovative project safety, on time and on budget. We were delighted with their solution and professional performance on site”
6 Alpha’s Agile Response Drives Timely UXO Risk Mitigation – Case Study
Guildmore Construction approached 6 Alpha with an urgent problem at their Renforth Street project – they were about to start piling and excavation works, but an Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) desktop study had recently flagged the possibility of buried Unexploded bombs (UXB) on site. Guildmore Construction needed assistance quickly to avoid derailing their programme.
Agile Response
6 Alpha received an initial enquiry over the weekend. We made an immediate action plan and by Monday morning, we were ready to deliver a survey to detect UXB. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that access to the key risk zone – a sheet piling area – required enabling work (predrilling to facilitate the survey) and it was far too limited to enable a conventional UXO MAG-Cone survey from a CPT rig. To avoid delay, we immediately deployed to site and working with the Guildmore Construction team, we jointly devised a revised approach. The solution was to quickly construct an improvised access ramp to facilitate both the enabling and survey work.
Rapid Execution
Within a day, we were back on site with our pre-drilling and survey teams. The UXO survey and support work was completed enabling the project to continue with safety and without disruption.
Successful Outcomes
The key outcomes were:
- Sheet piling work started on time and without delay;
- Standing time and rescheduling were avoided, as were prospective costs;
- A UXO solution was delivered that not only provided safety but that also balanced speed of response and stakeholder reassurance.
Guildmore Construction’s Project Manager Rob Cameron said ‘UXO put our piling schedule at risk. 6 Alpha responded immediately to our initial request, produced a great initial solution and then quickly revised it to keep us on track. They were easy to work with, and we’ll definitely use them again on other projects”.
Drawing upon 6 Alpha’s 20 years of risk management delivery experience enabled a response that highlighted the importance of speed, flexibility, and clear communication that are hallmarks of professional UXO risk management delivery. By reacting quickly, adjusting the plan on site, and working flexibly with Guildmore Construction, we avoided disruption and delivered a safe solution at best value.
If you need a rapid and flexible solution to a UXO risk management problem, contact us at www.6alpha.com
