Branch Award 2006/07

The branch received 6 submissions all of which were of a very high standard.

The judging committee were unanimous in their decision that the Winner should be Nuttall John Martin for their involvement in the New Lifeboat station for RNLI Padstone.

The project was located at the base of a 30m high rock cliff in an extremely inaccessible location accessed through a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The building sits on top of a 1:5 slip way and is almost completely within the surf zone. Nuttall John Martin’s involvement with this project helped to determine the nature of the construction from the Down the Hole Hammer piles through to the Glulam and Timber decked roof. In the opinion of the judging committee the project presented unique challenges and difficulties and resulted in a solution which may be copied in the future by virtue of its excellence and thereby may assist others in not having to re-invent the wheel.

In addition to the winning entry the judges also recommended May Gurney Ltd receive a Special Commendation for their project to carry out remedial works to a stretch of the Fossdyke Canal in Lincolnshire where river bank scouring was risking undermining the embankment to the main Spalding to Doncaster railway line. Instead of using a traditional sheet piled solution May Gurney came up with a totally ‘Green’ solution using Pre-established Coir Fibre Rolls, held in place with timber stakes and planting in order to naturally protect the bank providing both a habitat for plants and wildlife as well as substantial cost savings for the Client.