Member Article

Civil engineering firm brings own lab onto quarry site

A civil engineering company has installed its own lab on the site of a supplier’s quarry to ensure products meet its rigorous standards.

North Wales-headquartered Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK is testing limestone supplied by G Webb for use on the King’s Dyke level crossing scheme in Cambridgeshire.

Samples of the stone, which is being used to partially fill a flooded quarry at the site, is examined on a daily basis by an accredited testing company, Celtest, using a mobile lab to guarantee quality and safety before it’s delivered.

The conditions that the stone needs to meet cover the size, or grade, of the material, as well as its strength.

This will ensure the embankment and road built close to the infilled portion of Star Pit, a former clay pit which borders the road and rail project, are on firm foundations just like all other parts of the finished site.

Jones Bros construction manager Rhydian Hafal said: “We have a strict specification to work to, and we need to make sure the material is suitable for the embankment it’s being used on.

“Because of this, we lab test every type of stone that we use.”

A total of 85,000 tonnes of stone is to be delivered, the equivalent of five of the Royal Navy’s largest submarines, with 12 lorries working to deliver around 1,200 tonnes each day.

G Webb is a third-generation family business, based in Longstanton, Cambridgeshire, having been founded by George Webb in 1947.

The company is run by the founder’s sons, David and Bob, and grandson George, alongside operations director Darren Allison.

Darren, who joined the company in 2012, is pleased to be part of a scheme that will make a positive contribution to life in the area.

Darren said: “It’s been a very nice project; Jones Bros is a good firm to work with, and we’ve taken a collaborative approach to finding the best solution on site.

“We have a couple of drivers that are from Whittlesey, and personally, I’ve always lived in Cambridgeshire, so I know what it means to the area in terms of journeys: it’ll make life much easier once the scheme is completed.”

The King’s Dyke level crossing scheme is being delivered by Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK on behalf of Cambridgeshire County Council.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Harris .