August 24, 2010
Crossrail Dialogue
CROSSRAIL DIALOGUE
In a prime example of the type of construction industry dialogue encouraged by the Office of Government Commerce’s Achieving Excellence initiative, Crossrail Limited (CRL) met with members of the British Association of Reinforcement (BAR) to improve its understanding of the reinforcing steel market and to ensure that value for money is maximised in the delivery of the project.
Crossrail, is a new 118km railway that will run from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, through twin-bore 21kn tunnels under Central London out to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. It will require significant tonnage of rebar over a period of 4 years for the central station works. The scale requires close collaborative efforts to drive procurement efficiencies. Due to open in 2017, Crossrail will significantly reduce crowding on London’s transport network.
CRL invited input from reinforcement suppliers concerning on market and procurement issues such as price fluctuations, supply, storage and delivery options with a strong focus on achieving lowest possible environmental impact.
BAR members were able to contribute a range of useful suggestions to Crossrail to facilitate effective and efficient procurement of the steel reinforcement required for the project. They suggested early engagement with designers and contractors to allow their experience to be reflected in optimising final design. They also confirmed that most BAR members either have, or are working towards, externally accredited sustainability approval and that they anticipate being able to meet Crossrail’s sustainability requirements.
“This is an excellent example of a major client wanting to encourage and develop the dialogue and collaboration as initially envisaged by the Latham Report and continues by subsequent major industry reports and initiatives”, said Graham Mackenzie, chairman of BAR. “BAR members look forward to working with CRL to help ensure the success of this important project.”
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