From 1st January 2011 many Roads Overseeing organisations of European Union member countries imposed a requirement that all newly installed safety restraint systems must be CE marked.

The components for many factory manufactured systems have for a number of years carried such CE marking. However EN1317 Part 5 as a harmonised standard within the European Construction Products Directive demands that it is the complete as tested safety restraint system that must hold the CE mark. Britpave recognised the difference between component and installed system CE marking and embarked upon a detailed review of the processes involved in the award system CE mark.

Britpave’s extensive suite of detailed construction drawings, associated data sheets and 3rd party audited Licensed  Installation process effectively took the organisations products a long way down the right road already. Britpave employed the MIRA a leading independent product engineering, testing, consultancy and certification organisation experienced in a wide range of certification and homologation services for automotive and non-automotive products and a Notified Body to work with them and all appointed Licensed Barrier Installers to achieve CE marking.

Extrudakerb’s entire workforce embraced the challenges set by the Directors desire to achieve award of this prestigious accolade. In reality only minor improvements to the companies existing bespoke product focused quality management systems were required and in August 2011 the company was awarded by Britpave upon recommendation from MIRA the right to CE mark Britpave Concrete Barrier products.

	Conformity is checked throughout the construction process	Completed CE Compliant Barrier

Concrete barrier will be tagged at the end of the construction process to provide certainty to Clients and Road Overseeing Authorities that the product is installed in line with the Britpave specification and as such is the same product as was successful tested and certified as laid out in EN1317.

The audit system employed by Extrudakerb is not a once a year inspection but rather a live continuous examination of every stage of the process to construct Britpave Concrete Barrier systems. It is a wholly transparent system that carried hold points at every stage to ensure compliance with standards. Construction equipment is included within the audit system and even the humble spirit level must be regularly calibrated to ensure accuracy of measurements taken and therefore product installation.

Extrudakerb have developed their existing training programmes to meet the demands of CE audit with staff at every level within the business receiving regular briefings and examinations to ensure that they are full educated and certified to carry out the duties required of them.

Clients are provided with a comprehensive Completion Pack at the end of every installation that contains every certificate, testing schedule, project installation drawing, project installation schematic and material record for the scheme.

CE marking is not bound by national territory and is valid across all of the European member states. This is of great advantage to companies like Extrudakerb that operate not only within the United Kingdom but in many other European countries. CE mark is a universally accepted sign of quality, its is an award that Extrudakerb believe fits extremely comfortably within the groups portfolio and is a recognition of the ethos that has been developed within the company over a 40 year period.

	Operatives implement the CE quality system throughout	Britpave Highway Barrier in construction

Introduction
On behalf of the Highways Agency, Costain Carillion Joint Venture (CCJV) are undertaking various improvements to the M1 motorway between junctions 10 and 13. These improvements are designed to relieve traffic congestion and improve journey times as part of an ongoing programme to upgrade the M1 corridor.

The works span a 25km stretch of the motorway and will involve the creation of a forth lane through hard shoulder running, active sign gantries displaying variable speed limits and improvements to junctions 11 and 12.

Extrudakerb’s Involvement
Extrudakerb (Maltby Engineering) Limited, being the UK’s market leader in the construction of slip-formed products for the highway network, was, during the tender process, successful in demonstrating our strengths and proven history of successfully providing top-quality products through class leading, focussed managerial support and innovative thinking.

CCJV’s desire to realise cost saving through product innovation and effective partnering with their supply-chain, as well as, of course, securing competitive rates, resulted us being awarded the contract to construct all of the slot drain, associated outfalls and concrete barrier systems on this high-profile scheme.

We quickly developed a good working relationship with CCJV both at a managerial level and at site level.  We feel that this, and our policy of clear and open communication, has been fundamental in the continued success of the relationship and our ability to continually meet our obligations and go the extra mile in delivering a high quality service.

Both Extrudakerb and CCJV’s commercial team work closely together and with their respective technical colleagues, collectively striving to maintain cost effective outputs which meet expectation at all levels.  Extrudakerb have chaired seminars for all interested parties so that all concerned can proactively appreciate the requirements of our product and services and so that we can fully understand our impact on other related disciplines.

Another key area essential to our continued success is building a strong supply-chain partnership with organisations which can assist us in providing excellent service and bespoke solutions to potentially laborious and inefficient construction methods.

	Ready to go! The bespoke slot drain mould showing the required kerb upstand	Construction of an LDO using bespoke components and purpose-built formwork

Health & Safety
Of course, in everything we do, Health & Safety is our top priority and we can proudly claim that so far on this scheme we have maintained an exemplary performance in minimising and negating risks to our experienced workforce and those who are affected by our activities.  We constantly review our procedures to allow for changes in the work environment and work closely with the Health & Safety Management Team at CCJV in maintaining this level of safety.

However, we never rest on our laurels and are in the process of achieving certification against BS OHSAS 18001 so that we can further improve on our high standards.

Innovation
Extrudakerb have, through expert management, a keen eye on quality, continued investment in the latest technology and the innovative thinking which we provide to all areas of our business, developed an efficient methodology in the construction of all the products required by this scheme.

This ‘Engineering Efficiency’ has been supported by our full in-house workshop and engineering facilities and has assisted Extrudakerb in providing CCJV and the Highways Agency with a high value product of which they can be proud.

Indeed, at the time of writing, Extrudakerb’s experienced Technical and Operations Managers are working closely with CCJV and their designers to develop an efficient system of integrating the extra steel reinforcement required at each of the 14m lamp columns, which sit atop the TWCSB (Trough Wide Concrete Step Barrier), in the central reserve, the construction of which is imminent.

The value of the input by our supply-chain partners cannot be overstated.  Part of the slot drain product is the requirement for linear drain outfalls (LDO) and linear drain accesses (LDA).

Due to the high numbers of these units, our technical management team worked with a supplier to provide unique and bespoke outfall and access assemblies which hugely simplify and quicken the process of constructing these units on site.  A natural by-product of this approach is also a high and consistent level of quality and product performance.

CE Marking
As if to perfectly illustrate Extrudakerb’s forward-thinking ethos, we can proudly say that we have achieved a world-first in the right to attribute to all of our Britpave licensed highway products the European CE (Conformité Européenne) marking system.

As such, in this scheme the concrete barrier system in the central reserve will be the first ever constructed under this banner and will be physically labelled with the CE mark.

The right we hold to apply the CE mark to our Britpave licensed highway only goes to further enhance the trust our clients can place in our ability to provide a top quality product

Interesting Statistics
Up to October 2011, Extrudakerb have on this scheme:

•    Slip formed in excess of 26.5km of slot drain;
•    Slip formed six lengths of CSB in the verge for the purpose of structure protection;
•    Constructed twelve transitions from CSB to steel barrier;
•    Used over 8600m3 of concrete in the slip form process;
•    Constructed 506 LDOs (linear drain outfall);
•    Constructed 671 LDAs (linear drain access);
•    Cast in-situ 370m of slot drain where slip form wasn’t achievable.

Remaining Works
There remains approximately 6900m of slot drain to slip form in the verges, as well as further protection to adjacent structures through the construction of CSB and HVCB.

Also and as previously mentioned, there is approximately 4.5km of CSB and TWCSB to be constructed in the central reserve and Extrudakerb Management have been instrumental in assisting CCJV in the design of this barrier.

	Completed Outfall and Slot Drain construction	The finished product! A run of slot drain terminating at an LDO

In Summary
Once again, through our involvement in this high-profile scheme, we have demonstrated to the industry that we are contractor of choice when it comes to the construction of linear barrier and drainage products, both in the UK and Europe.

Off the back of this scheme and others, we are sure that Extrudakerb will play an important role in bringing up-to-date the UK’s highway network and through continued proactive relationships with the Highways Agency and Britpave, will help make the our roads amongst the safest in the world.

Poland’s intensive road improvement programme benefits from the many advantages of machine laid insitu concrete channel construction.

Gomaco Commander III 4-track slipform pavers are being used to construct standard surface water channel on a number of new road construction schemes.

Locally produced ready mixed concrete is discharged onto the paving machines loading  conveyor and fed into a compaction and shaping mould. As the machine travels forward automatically aligned from a pre-set guidance wire perfectly formed insitu concrete channel is left behind.

The channel requires minor manual finishing although crack inducing saw cuts are placed the next day transversely at 5m centres. The cuts are subsequently sealed to prevent water ingress.

Outfalls are simply constructed in the most part simultaneously with the adjacent concrete channel. Grates are set and secured in advance of the machine lay works; a hydraulic side plate incorporated within the mould raises as the mould arrives at the grate; the mould can then travel through the outfall location without hindrance; pre-cast concrete edgings are bedded, set and backed up with the same concrete used to construct the channel and finally the apron surrounding the grate and the adjacent channel are made good.

Various depths of the same channel are constructed using the same slipform paving mould due to the incorporation of hydraulically extending side forms. This reduces the need to delay works whilst moulds are changed. The range of the side forms is large enough to facilitate channels to be constructed fully free standing on the sub-base layer or against partially constructed carriageway surfacing

Productivity is already exceeding 600 linear metres in a single 8 hours shift but not at the expense of quality. Project inspectors who are seeing this technology for the first time are expressing satisfaction with not only the high outputs but also the quality of the finished product.

Extrudakerb are utilising careful quality systems that involve careful sampling and testing of the concrete as well as joint surveys with Clients of the as built product.

Although experienced UK based staff have been utilised to commence works and to staff any short fall in resources caused by programme overlaps the change over to a wholly Polish workforce is well underway. The scale of the Extrudakerb group business across Europe provides great scope for expansion within a given territory as equipment and trained workers are typically available.

Extrudakerb’s local management team have received initial training at the group’s UK headquarters and receive frequent local updates as required.

Heath and safety is as always a primary focus for any of the groups activities and Poland is no exception. The groups strict guidelines are being followed although local customs are being incorporated.

The company hopes to expand activities into the specialist and core activity field of insitu road restraint systems where it believes Poland could like much of Europe could benefit from insitu concrete high performance barrier rather than steel systems.

In conjunction with project main contractor BAM Civil extruded asphalt kerb was successfully introduced along the verge of the new M7 / M8 Portlaoise to Castletown and Cullahill Motorway.

Originally the project design provided for insitu concrete kerbs following Ireland’s traditional practice. However the schemes Contracts Manager had previously worked in the United Kingdom where extruded asphalt kerb is by a way the most prolific machine laid kerb used. He suggested that the project team contact Extrudakerb and enquire if they could assist in evaluating if an asphalt kerb could be considered.

The scheme required around 27km of kerb and so careful evaluation of the potential advantages of an asphalt kerb were essential.

Extrudakerb firstly submitted rates for the kerb as well as a technical submission; a site meeting soon followed and an agreement was reached for a trial to be undertaken locally.

Extrudakerb selected Lagan Asphalt as their local material supply chain partner and worked with them to produce a suitable kerb asphalt mix. The trials were successful and an order placed.

BAM needed to make the decision to change from concrete to asphalt kerb relatively early in the construction programme as the concrete kerb is constructed upon the sub base layer in advance of adjacent carriageway where as the asphalt kerb is extruded directly upon the final surface course.

The 27km of kerb were constructed over 2 visits to site in a period of 3 weeks, 7 days earlier than programme.

Declan Begley, BAM Civil Site Agent, confirmed that the reason for a change from pre-cast to asphalt kerb was driven by clear cost benefits: in fact savings of around 50% of the cost of the original insitu kerb were realised.

Begley confirmed that rates of production were incredible when compared to insitu concrete with a best figure of some 2600lm being achieved within an 10 hour period.

Quality control was excellent with no remedials being required.

Overall BAM confirmed that this first introduction of asphalt kerb to Ireland was a great success for all parties involved and they are keen to adopt the system on similar schemes.

Extrudakerb / HBS partnership have integrated within the HMC Joint Venture team with their designers Arup to ensure that their Client’s – Road Service, demands and expectations were fully realised by the Extrudakerb design.

Extrudakerb’s designers Norder, worked closely to develop an industry first: a concrete barrier system and retaining wall to accommodate carriageway level differences of up to 1.2m. The system based upon the Britpave Concrete Step Barrier is primarily slipformed with some conventional hand poured foundation elements.

The concrete structure needed to meet the structural requirements of a carriageway retaining wall and that of the foundation for a Britpave concrete barrier system.

The brief stipulated that the overall width of the barrier system should not exceed 1.0m, not too difficult for a standard barrier with a footprint of only some 542mm. However carriageway street lighting had to be sited within the central reserve.

As a standard Britpave Wide CSB has a footprint of some 942mm Extrudakerb and their designers spent many, many hours in brain storming meetings to develop compliant but ground breaking structural design as well as minimum clearance width paving moulds, to meet this demanding overall width requirement.

The solution developed saw the construction of insitu mass poured foundations and two parallel CSBs placed in very close horizontal proximity to each other and each aligned with the adjacent carriageway such that their base level differences were up to 1.2m.

Reinforced concrete build outs were designed by Norder upon which 15m high street lights are mounted. A special reduced depth cradle anchorage was developed by Fixing Centre to fit within the limited space available.

Bespoke steel formwork was designed and manufactured by Extrudakerb for each uniquely shaped light column build out.

Where existing carriageway levels were less than 300mm a standard Britpave variable profile barrier was incorporated. To allow for the incorporation of street lighting along the line of the central reserve the wide version including a longitudinal trough where ducting and cabling is installed was constructed.

This variable profile Wide Britpave barrier was constructed using one of Extrudakerb’s variable profile moulds. These moulds are designed and fabricated in house where the blend of experienced slipform contractor and machinery manufacturer has resulted in class leading technology.

In line with Britpave Specification heavy duty stainless steel anchors, again supplied to Extrudakerb by supply chain partner Fixing Centre, were installed and tested by Extrudakerb.

Specific transition details from the twin barrier system to the standard wide variable Britpave barrier were designed and constructed by Extrudakerb again using bespoke steel formwork manufactured in house.

Asymmetric and symmetric transitions were required from the barrier systems to existing strengthened concrete bridge piers and concrete sign gantry bases. The Britpave design was developed by Extrudakerb and Norder to simplify construction and meet specific project demands.

Insitu concrete drainage channels and slot drains were developed as well as the associated outfall chambers and gulleys. In total over 4,500 metres of insitu concrete drainage system was slipformed.

Separate formwork gangs worked in tandem with the slipform paving crew to ensure that these works progressed concurrently with the main line slipform elements. In fact it was the completion of this formwork construction that proved to be the critical path for the works.

Extrudakerb utilised a number of their own HGVs fitted with integral Hiab cranes to transport and handle the heavy steel formwork that had been specifically designed and fabricated for this project.

In total some 8 lorry loads of equipment were shipped from England to Belfast; including over 50 metres of barrier steel forms and 7 slipform paving moulds.

Paving works were carried out using one of Extrudakerb’s four Gomaco Commander III slipform machines. Like all Extrudakerb’s slipform pavers the machine was set up in a 4-track configuration and the machine’s ability to mount moulds to both sides again proved vital allowing paving to always progress in the same direction as adjacent traffic flow therefore avoiding the need to turn supply wagons around on a congested and narrow site.

The paving and shuttering crews were supported by a fleet of some 6 medium vans that carried both the manpower and their specialised equipment.

Extrudakerb set up a local site office to better manage construction on site. Crews from England travelled to Belfast working two full weeks on and one long weekend off. Throughout the works all vehicles and equipment remained in Belfast stored in the principle contractor’s site compound, Extrudakerb purchased minibuses that were used to transport the crews between England and Belfast.

An original 4 month programme developed by Extrudakerb to best meet the critical path of this complex scheme was completed some 4 weeks ahead of schedule with principle works completed by the end of November 2008.

Concrete to this project was again supplied by Cemex; Extrudakerb and HBS’s supply chain partner in Northern Ireland.

Mix was based upon previous proven design although some tweaks were made to suit variations in currently available local aggregates.

Outputs peaked at over 24m3 per hour with the company’s previous daily productivity records being exceeded.

In total over 8,000m3 of concrete were supplied to the barrier works.

Concrete supplied to the barrier works was independently tested for Extrudakerb by Mattest.

Highway Barrier Solutions, the country’s leading steel barrier erector, again provided Extrudakerb with valuable local assistance and guidance as well as construction of the insitu concrete foundation slabs and light column build out reinforcement.

Highway Barrier Solutions also provided steel barrier in the verges and across Greencastle Bridge where loading capacity precluded the use of concrete barrier.

Our partnership with Highway Barrier Solutions grows from strength to strength and now includes concrete barrier installation on the A2 Sydenham Bypass and the A1/N2 Newry to Dundalk cross border motorway. The blend of two specialised concrete and steel barrier contractors with the added benefit of local knowledge and reputation has become an unbeatable combination.

Upon inspection of the bridge it was found that the original wooden platform beneath the carriageway had deteriorated due to water ingress, and the drainage system was at fault.

After discussions between Extrudakerb, Dean & Dyball and the Clifton Bridge Trust a new drainage system was designed. This incorporated the use of a fibreglass channel with the asphalt kerb placed in front.

After several meetings a kerb profile measuring 190mm wide and 100mm in height was agreed and a successful trial with asphalt conforming to BS5931 was carried out at our Denaby works.

300mm wide metal plates were placed at 7.5 metre intervals before laying the kerb which prevented the asphalt kerb bonding to the surface. The offlets measuring 300mm were then cut out and the metal plate removed once the kerb had hardened sufficiently.