The shortlisted entry focuses on the success of the VERIFI® – in transit concrete management used on the M6 J21a to 26 Smart Motorway Project.
Whilst the shortlisted entry is specific to the M6 J21a to 26 Smart Motorway Project, this recognition actually highlights the success of a 2 years collaboration which has seen Extrudakerb and GCP Applied Technologies “innovate the innovation”.
VERIFI® was already an innovation in its own right. For a number of years, GCP Applied Technologies had provided major suppliers within the concrete industry with VERIFI®. The technology had already proven itself as a successful in-transit concrete management tool with higher consistency concrete, but was seldom used with low consistence concrete.
GCP and Extrudakerb’s respective Technical departments worked tirelessly to trial and develop the VERIFI® system. The data required to develop the system could only been collated when the system was in operation. This meant the trials and development had to be undertaken whilst Extrudakerb continued to deliver tight and demanding programmes on various National Highways projects up and down the UK.
Over the course of several months, data was captured, analysed and adjustments were made to the VERIFI® system and as each month went by, improvements in slipform outputs were being realised.
Over the last 12 months, Extrudakerb’s Customers have realised the benefits of the hard work and collaboration between Extrudakerb and GCP, utilising the bespoke algorithm’s that now form part of the VERIFI® system.
We believe the introduction of Extrudakerb’s state of the art bespoke ready mix concrete trucks, the addition of their in-house Concrete and Materials Manager, both perfectly complemented by GCP’s innovative in-transit concrete management tool has seen a collaboration that has offered more to the slipform industry than any other innovation in the last 10 years.
Extrudakerb received the National Highways Award for Outstanding design innovation, using research and development to create efficiencies and continuous improvement earlier in the year and securing this award would further cement our position as the leading specialist slipform concrete contractor in the UK.
Extrudakerb (Maltby Engineering) Limited has been awarded a National Highways Industry Award for 'Outstanding design innovation, using research and development to create efficiencies and continuous improvement' in this year's awards ceremony.
Below is a video highlighting the project in more detail:
As part of Extrudakerb`s growth, innovation and continual improvement programme it recognised that the consistency of its concrete was greatly affected by its transport and delivery method. Moving forward Extrudakerb invested in eight of its own concrete mixer trucks, to help run the trucks as efficiently as possible. All the trucks were fitted with the Verifi concrete management system to assist with this process.
Extrudakerb use a specific family of concrete mix designs that lend themselves to the slipform paving process whilst still conforming to the required exposure classes. The Verifi system had to be tailored to measure and manage these types of concretes. Extrudakerb and GCP applied technologies formed a partnership to enable both parties to get the best out of the Verifi concrete management system, striving to achieve the best quality and most consistent concrete delivered directly to our pavers. We were invited to support GCP applied technologies, in presenting their Verifi concrete management system, at the Highways UK (Roads for a connected Britain) show at the NEC Birmingham, and supplying some customer feedback, as one of their most successful customers. Adrian Pickard (Extrudakerb, Materials and Concrete Technology Manager) and Helen Frape (GCP Applied Technologies, Business Analyst) presented to representatives from some of the companies attending Highways UK and to some of the representatives from Highway England. The presentation was well received with positive feedback from all involved and the system was viewed very highly by Highways England as the way forward in concrete management. GCP entered their Verifi concrete management system into the “Resilience, Sustainability and Waste reduction category” at the show and successfully won.
There were three other categories’ open to awards, the winners of all four categories were put forward to the overall winners of the show and GCPs Verifi system took this award. Highways England and their main contractors are looking at GCP and the Verifi system as a market leader. The accuracy and traceability of concrete delivered using this system is a major game-changer in terms of concrete quality and the supply. With the performance requirements of in-situ concrete continuing to increase this technology will become invaluable to numerous parts of the construction industry, who are all striving to utilise the highest level of quality concrete. Extrudakerb are proud to be at the forefront with this type of technology and see this as a very positive step forward in the continual growth as an innovative and market-leading company.
Extrudakerb has, once again, revolutionised the concrete cutting world with the introduction of an automated concrete slot drain cutting machine that utilises diamond wire, designated the Extrudakerb Wire Saw. The Extrudakerb slip formed concrete slot drain requires sections to be removed to allow outfall chambers to be installed. These outfalls can be as frequent as 30 linear metre intervals. Historically, these sections have been cut with hydraulic chainsaws manually held by the operator. This carries a risk to the operator and limits the time that can be spent cutting, because of the potential for hand-arm vibration. Even though this is an acceptable method of cutting concrete, Extrudakerb knew that by challenging the present, the future could be better. Using in-house design engineers, Extrudakerb created a bespoke piece of equipment specifically tailored to the application, allowing optimum results in performance, safety and quality. To read the full, two page case study, open/download the PDF of the CS006 Wire Saw Leaflet in full using this link:
Extrudakerb’s Operations team have identified that all too often concrete delivery targets are not met by our supply chain ready mixed concrete partners. Frequently the size of the existing fleet of concrete delivery trucks based at a ready mixed concrete plant is insufficient to meet the intense demands of a slipform concrete pour. In addition this fleet is typically suited to the transportation of high slump materials to normal building and civils works rather than the low slump exacting concrete demanded by the slipform paving process. Whilst the ready mixed concrete supply chain partner will attempt to mitigate the problem by hiring in additional trucking, the success of this is often limited. As a result the quality and rate of supply of concrete delivered can suffer. After extensive research and proactive discussions with our ready mixed concrete supply chain partners, Extrudakerb decided to procure bespoke 8m3 capacity concrete mixer trucks specifically designed to meet the demands of a slipform paving concrete pour. To read the full, two page case study, download the PDF of the CS007 Concrete Truck Leaflet in full using this link: