AMP8 places high demands and expectations on main contractors serving the water industry. The bar is set extremely high in terms of efficiency, sustainability and resilience. With an enhanced emphasis on operational performance, there’s little scope for missteps in project delivery.
The implications for the specialist subcontractors who will deliver much of the work are clear: better technical solutions, executed through flawless planning and expertise are the price of entry. Track records for innovation, process control, and progress towards net zero will be high priorities when selecting partners.
We like to think that FTE has a good story to tell with each of these criteria. Our approach is underpinned by a fully integrated design-to-handover process geared to eliminating the project risks that come from the traditional disjointed steel fabrication process. We call this intelligent integration.
Our expertise is in structural steelwork and hybrid steel/GRP fabrications, which will be required on many water industry infrastructure projects for walkways, staircases, safe access, guarding and edge protection measures, as well as steel frameworks for modular structures such as pumping stations and equipment platforms.
Innovation and Delivery
Specific water industry experience is only part of the story. The capability to deliver large-scale structural steel projects with a high degree of reliability is just as important. FTE recently delivered and installed 400 tonnes of structural steel to create five 70 metre-long charging gantries for a new fleet of electric buses in Bristol.
Innovation isn’t just about having great ideas. There’s also a methodical process to refine, evaluate and test those ideas so they can be successfully implemented. FTE helped Network Rail achieve a 25% productivity increase at the Eastleigh Long Welded Rail Depot. We did this by designing, testing and installing a series of ‘V’ guides to improve efficiency and eliminate manual handling risks associated with welding long rail sections.
Sustainability
FTE is working hard to minimise our carbon footprint. We generate over 60% of the annual power needed to run our manufacturing facility from solar panels and prioritise using recycled steel where possible. Our meticulous design and detailing process reduces waste and eliminates the need for onsite reworks.
You can find out more about intelligent integration and how it could benefit water industry infrastructure projects by accessing our free information hub, sign-up below.
