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RPS

Project: Glasgow Airport Investment Area (GAIA): Ancillary Infrastructure


Description: The consultant reviewed an employer design for a road crossing of high tension power cables. The original design called for a piled concrete deck on 30m deep piles with an embodied CO2e of 1,546 tonnes. The consultant provided an innovative alternative using lightweight attenuation crates surrounded with Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate. The design was light in weight to resist settlement, water permeable to allow flood waters pass and air permeable to prevent flotation whilst allowing ongoing cooling of buried cables. The design produced an 87% reduction in embodied carbon and was one of nine worldwide projects recognised by the Institute of Civil Engineers at the 2021 ‘Carbon Champions’ awards.

Read more at their website https://www.rpsgroup.com/, if you'd like to be featured in a future edition of ConsultA or as a spotlight member, get in touch with Louise at Find out more about our members in our members directory - Here: https://www.acei.ie/ws-content/ACEI_2023-p1-176_complete_NEW_V2.pdf