Supporting Project Ireland 2040 water resilience with Temporary Works

Climate change has led to a number of challenges being posed to the utilities sector and water infrastructure in particular – from dryer summers to colder winters and increased demand. With the Irish Government taking action against these issues, such as through its Project Ireland 2040 National Development Plan, it’s crucial that contractors are supporting these plans. So, how do temporary works factor into this?

The climate change challenge

When it comes to utilities, climate change is making it harder than ever to ensure a continuous and reliable water supply, with hosepipe bans and worryingly low reservoir levels commonplace within the news. But how can issues such as this be fixed?

Project Ireland 2040 National Development Plan

A good example of a government taking action is the National Development Plan 2018 – 2027. Part of Project Ireland 2040, it is a visionary strategy designed to prepare Ireland for the future by focusing on sustainable development, economic growth, and enhancing the quality of life for its citizens. This ambitious plan involves significant investments into infrastructure, housing, healthcare, and education, all aimed at creating a more prosperous and inclusive society by 2040.

It also highlights the critical need for investment into Ireland’s water services, essential if the needs of the country’s growing economy, people and their health are to be met. With the water and wastewater network containing ‘fragmented assets in varying states of repair’, with some dating back from the 19th century, an estimated €14 billion investment will be required by Irish Water between 2018 to the mid 2030s in order to meet the country’s growing needs.

This investment will be delivered in parallel with the continued transformation of the delivery of water services. Ensuring the consistent application of maintenance standards, achievement of significant operational changes and operating cost savings, as well as embedding water conservation and sustainable water resource management into water policy.

Temporary works, permanent impact

With this investment comes a significant increase in construction activity, with new services needing to be installed, in addition to remedial works being carried out to existing infrastructure to bring it in line with new standards and requirements. This is where temporary works can play a key role, able to assist with multiple projects within the utilities sector.

When laying new pipelines, the immediate concern is of course how to ensure the ground and excavation is safely supported. On utility projects, groundworks can vary significantly in size, from smaller trench runs to huge cofferdams. No matter the size, it is vital that the ground is supported before work begins. No ground can be relied upon to safely stand unsupported in all circumstances, something that is further reinforced by the fact that even a cubic metre of soil can weigh as much as 1.5 tonnes.

Ultimately, you have a obligation to prevent danger to any workers who are either in or around an excavation, regardless of its size. As such, it’s important that you have readily available access to a range of temporary support equipment for all applications, from lightweight shoring to sheets, frames and larger bracing struts.

What’s more, it’s not just groundworks support to consider, with projects of this scale often growing arms and legs as construction progresses on site. These additional temporary works needs can vary from formwork for the construction of new structures, to trench crossing units and even small temporary bridges for access. These new pipelines will often be crossing through rural countryside, where gaining safe access for HGVs and other heavy plant equipment can present a major logistical challenge.

Here, working with a temporary works specialist, one that possesses a wide range of equipment for all applications, can be invaluable. We know how many contractors and subcontractors can be involved on any one utility job, especially the larger projects. So, why make it more complicated by having multiple temporary works suppliers too?

Digital engineering

While smaller trench runs can benefit from the ease of standard solutions, larger cofferdams call for bespoke scheme designs. Here, the value of collaborating with a digitally minded engineering team really shines through.

By developing a temporary works scheme bespoke for your specific application and requirements within a 3D digital environment, multiple factors can be taken into account, designing for the site, the ground conditions, and for any existing live services – to name just a few. As well as providing the client with confidence in the design and an assurance that it will be ‘right first time’ out on site, an engineered design can also be carefully optimised. This can mean only using the exact amount of steel support that is required for the specific application, resulting in both cost and carbon savings.

Immersive technology can take this further still, offering teams a digital rehearsal of the works. The ability to visually explore the site and the proposed temporary works scheme before construction has commenced can be invaluable from a health and safety perspective, allowing teams to identify any potential risks or design issues at an early stage.

At MH International, our comprehensive portfolio of temporary works equipment and dedicated team of over 60 engineers regularly provides bespoke, engineered solutions that transform vision into reality, with extensive experience across civil infrastructure and building sectors.

Contact us to find out more