The East Tip Haulbowline Island Remediation Project by Cork County Council, RPS, PJ Hegarty & Sons and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has been awarded the title of Engineering Project of the Year.

The transformation of the East Tip of Haulbowline Island has been voted national Engineering Project of the Year for 2019, it has been announced.

Transformed from a desolate, toxic, industrial site

The remediation project, delivered on time and under budget, has seen 22 acres of the island’s East Tip transformed from a desolate, toxic, industrial site into a magnificent public recreational facility for local residents, workers and visitors in what has been one of the biggest environmental works in the history of the state.

The site at Haulbowline Island in Co Cork, formerly the home of Irish Steel, has been used for waste disposal for decades, with an estimated 650,000 cubic metres of slag and other waste metal from the steelworks deposited on the site from the 1960s until steel making ended at the plant in 2001.

Adopting the most innovative and customised engineering solutions throughout to overcome many challenges, the East Tip now boasts new playing pitches, walkways, cycleways, seating areas and the planting of hundreds of trees, woodlands and wildflower areas.

Undertaken by Cork County Council, RPS, PJ Hegarty & Sons and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the project won out in the flagship category of the tenth annual Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards, held in association with ESB, at a ceremony in the InterContinental hotel in Dublin.

The Engineering Project of the Year category is sponsored by Transport Infrastructure Ireland and is voted for by a panel of judges and the public.

'Immensely challenging'

Dr Cormac Ó Súilleabháin, the project’s manager from Cork County Council, said: “This was an immensely challenging project considering the extensive risks presented by the uniqueness of the site, nature and characteristics of the waste material involved, and location within Cork harbour.

"However, despite all this, the project was delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner and very much provides a template for the successful delivery of transformative public sector projects.

"Cork harbour has been transformed by the remediation of the East Tip, and we believe this is a great civil and environmental engineering achievement. It’s great to see this recognised by Engineers Ireland and we are very appreciative of this award this evening.”

The East Tip Haulbowline Island Remediation Project was also awarded the ‘Local Authority Engineering Initiative Award’, sponsored by Colas Bitumen Emulsions, and with two awards in this category, this award was jointly won by Cork City Council, Keating and Arup for the Mary Elmes Bridge project.

In other award categories, Dr Cristina Paduano, an aerospace engineer, won the prestigious ‘Chartered Engineer of the Year Award’, sponsored by Arup.

The professional title of Chartered Engineer, considered to be the gold standard of the profession, was established in Ireland 50 years ago this year.

Rigorous review process

Within the Republic of Ireland, Engineers Ireland is the sole authority to award the title, which is granted to professional engineers who, through a rigorous review process, have shown their ability to apply their professional competencies in the workplace.

Pat O’Doherty, ESB chief executive, said: “This year’s awards once again highlight the outstanding and diverse achievements of engineers across Ireland who have demonstrated exceptional engineering skills through their work.

"Building a progressive, sustainable Ireland is of paramount importance and with engineers a critical part of making this a reality, now more than ever we must ensure Ireland has a ready supply of skilled engineers to safeguard our society’s future development.

Aerospace engineer Dr Cristina Paduano has been named Engineers Ireland’s Chartered Engineer of the Year having won the prestigious Arup sponsored category award at the Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards, held in association with ESB.

"We are proud sponsors of the Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards now for many years and it is events like this that inspire and encourage further innovation in the area. I commend all the participants in the various categories of this year’s awards.”

GFG Alliance, Overburden Beneficiation Plant SIMEC Mining by CDE Meta won the ‘Geoscience Ireland Award’, while the ‘Fernhill Park & Gardens by Arup and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council’ won the Irish Water sponsored ‘Sustainability Award’.

Fiachra O Muíneacháin, Kevin McHugh, Stephen Walls and Pat Egan of MACE Technology (Ireland) Ltd won the ‘Best Presentation Award’, sponsored by Beale & Co and Griffiths and Armour, for their submission on Lean Management Systems applied to Hyper-scale Data Center Construction.

Swords Castle – East Tower Consolidation by Fingal County Council, David Kelly Partnership and CORA Consulting Engineers, won the ‘Heritage and Conservation Award’, sponsored by the OPW.

While the Limerick headquartered H&MV Engineering won the ‘CPD Employer of the Year Award’, sponsored by IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland and supported by the Department of Education and Skills.

'Making the impossible a reality'

“Engineering is about making the impossible a reality, it is about thinking beyond the conventional to tackle the biggest challenges in society and this year’s projects once again exhibit the best of our sector in this regard,” said Caroline Spillane, Engineers Ireland director general.

“The initiatives recognized by our annual Excellence Awards make a vital contribution to Ireland’s sustainable future and showcase the talented and creative engineers we have across the country.

"I offer my congratulations to each of the project teams and engineering leaders involved, with a special word of mention for the overall Engineering Project of the Year winner East Tip Haulbowline Island Remediation Project, which has been remarkable in its success transforming what was an environmentally toxic waste ground into a magnificent eco-friendly public park of significant amenity value.

"This has been done through high quality engineering design, construction and project delivery. This project will hugely benefit the region for generations to come.”

Also honoured at the Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards 2019 were: Martin Naughton, chartered engineer, chairman of the Shareholder Supervisory Board of the Glen Dimplex Group, who was presented with the ‘ESB Outstanding Contribution to Engineering Award’; Connor McGrath, who received the ‘ESB International Engineer of the Year Award’ for his work in in Ladakh, India on an upgrade programme at the Druk White Lotus School; and Tom Costello, head of construction at IPUT, who won the ‘President’s Award’, sponsored by CRH.

The Edge Programme by CONNECT Centre at Trinity College Dublin won the Accenture sponsored ‘Engineering Education Award’ while brother’s Nick and Jack Cotter from Limerick, who won the Siemens ‘Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Award’ earlier this year, were also recognised at the event.

For further information about the Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards 2019 visit this page.

Auranta (www.auranta.ie) won the New Frontiers Award category which was sponsored by the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.

The company was founded in 2013 by Dr Pat Ward and John Cullen and currently has offices and laboratory space at NovaUCD and Alexandra House, Dublin.

Synergies between plant extracts and natural organic acids

Auranta supplies AuraCalf, AuraPoultry and AuraPig products, based on synergies between plant extracts and natural organic acids, in liquid and powder formats.

The company is currently collaborating closely with a number of universities, including, University College Dublin, and agricultural research institutions, to further develop and test the company’s products.

John Cullen, co-founder and managing director, Auranta, said: “We are thrilled to have won an Irish Times Innovation Award from a very strong shortlist of companies in the New Frontiers Category.

"Winning this award is a recognition of the hard work and dedication of our entire team in building and developing Auranta, which is shaping the future of agriculture through our animal feed products.

'Follow a science-based approach'

“At Auranta we follow a science-based approach and we are continuously innovating animal gut health products for new markets and applications in Ireland and globally.”

Tom Flanagan, director of enterprise and commercialisation, UCD, said: “I would like to congratulate Auranta on winning a prestigious Irish Times Innovation Award. We are all very proud of your achievement here at NovaUCD.

"I wish the entire Auranta team continuing success as they grow and scale their company and impact the agriculture sector globally through innovative animal feed products.

“The multi-million-euro project to develop NovaUCD’s eastern courtyard has increased our capacity to house start-ups by more than 50 per cent, we are now looking to support more ambitious startups, like Auranta, who want to locate here to leverage our ecosystem to help them grow and scale globally.”

The Irish Times Innovation Awards, which are now in their 10th year, were presented at a ceremony attended last night by more than 200 people at the RDS in Dublin and more than 100 companies took part in the awards this year.

Auranta was the only Dublin-based company to win an Award as finalists from the West of Ireland claimed four of the five category awards.

Atlantic Therapeutics won the overall 2019 Irish Times Innovation Award and also the Life Sciences and Healthcare category Award.

Spun out of Bio-Medical Research

Atlantic Therapeutics, based in Galway, was founded in 2015 when it spun out of Bio-Medical Research. The company has developed and is selling Innovo, a non-invasive device as a long-lasting solution to bladder weakness and other disorders associated with pelvic floor muscle problems.

PEL Waste Reduction Equipment, based in Balla, Co Mayo, won the Manufacturing and Design Award category; FarmHedge based in Limerick won the IT and Fintech Award category while Electricity Exchange, also based in Limerick won the Sustainability Award category.

The Irish Times Innovation Awards 2019 were supported by The Irish Times in partnership with Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Skillnet Ireland, KPMG and UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.

To view each shortlisted category in detail and to vote for the Engineering Project of the Year Award, visit: http://www.engineersireland.ie/Awards.aspx

Shortlisted projects:

Improving drought resilience of Irish Water Groundwater Supplies in the South West by Arup

Improving drought resilience of Irish Water Groundwater Supplies in the South West by Arup.

Arup’s hydrogeology team assisted Irish Water with groundwater supply development and drought alleviation works at a time of 'absolute drought' in the summer of 2018.

Eight of Arup’s hydrogeologists audited more than 90 Irish Water groundwater supply sites across Cork, Kerry and Limerick.

Drilling of new boreholes for water supply where current supplies were failing was progressed concurrently. Over a 12-month period, the Arup team designed, drilled and tested 67 new water wells until completion on August 31, 2019.

The project included a broad range of challenges with significant variation between the sites, in terms of hydrogeological setting, land access, sensitive receptors and civil works required.

Arup provided a strong hydrogeology lead to critically assess the sites and develop appropriate remedial programmes and designs for new wells. This ensured successful delivery via a robust procurement process, active contractor and client engagement throughout the construction phase.

The expert advice provided by Arup enabled Irish Water to define the vulnerabilities in the network and develop solutions to improve the resilience and sustainability of their groundwater supply assets in the south-western region.

Lidl Regional Distribution Centre, Newbridge – Enabling Works Contract (Ground Improvement) by AGL Consulting, John Paul Construction and Newton Ground Engineering

Lidl Regional Distribution Centre, Newbridge – Enabling Works Contract (Ground Improvement).

The upper 3-4m of ground on the site of the new €100 million Lidl Regional Distribution Centre in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, contained stratified layers of soft alluvial clay, loose gravel and peat, which were unsuitable for supporting the new 58,000m2 warehouse.

The Enabling Works Contract included a Contractor D&B element for ground improvement on the site. AGL Consulting prepared the design for the main contractor – John Paul Construction - which involved excavating, mixing and blending the alluvial clay and gravel and processing them into structural fill by lime-cement stabilisation.

Soil stabilisation was also used to produce capping for the external pavements. It is the largest stabilisation project of its kind in Ireland and it sets a new benchmark for materials that can be stabilised into high specification structural fill and capping.

Crucial to the success of the contract were the staged earthworks strategy devised by JPC, which allowed the building to be constructed in parallel with the ground improvement on a fast-track programme, and the state-of-the-art stabilisation equipment used by the specialist subcontractor – Newton Ground Engineering.

GFG Alliance, Overburden Beneficiation Plant SIMEC Mining by CDE Meta
In 2017, CDE designed and delivered two wet processing plants to South Australia, constructed to convert 17 million tonnes of low-grade iron ore overburden waste to high value product.

GFG Alliance, Overburden Beneficiation Plant SIMEC Mining by CDE Meta.

The first of their kind within the Australian mining industry, the CDE wet-processing plants are transforming 100+ years of legacy waste from life of mining to saleable product, injecting an estimated $AUD€25 million to the local economy and securing 1,000+ jobs during a period of significant economic depression.

In the context of depleting natural resources, the mining sector presents significant growth opportunities for efficient processing systems which allow for all valuable materials to be recovered and sold or reused.

CDE has made it its business to create a new world or resource and over the past 27 years has developed patented, novel solutions for industrial processing which not only protect and extend the life of the earth’s finite natural resources but add value to the customer’s bottom line.

The GFG Alliance processing plants are testament to this mission, providing a novel approach to mine sustainability which represents best practise for business and environment.

Landslide Hazard and Risk Mapping in Guatemala City by Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions
Landslides affect tens of thousands of people every year in Guatemala, causing fatalities and generating considerable economic losses.

Landslides are triggered by rainfall, earthquakes and human factors where the risk is exacerbated by poor land-use planning and urban sprawl into dangerous areas.

Landslide Hazard and Risk Mapping in Guatemala City by Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions.

In 2015, the El Cambray slide killed 300 people and buried over 100 homes. Hundreds of low-income families live at the crest of high-risk slopes and thousands of commuters face long delays from rockfalls on the main highways every month.

Analysing landslide behaviour in Guatemala is particularly complex due to the characteristics of the volcanic soils. The Word Bank commissioned GDG in 2018 to undertake a landslide risk study in Guatemala City.

Our team analysed conditioning and triggering factors that explain the spatial and temporal distribution of landslides and developed susceptibility and hazard maps to identify the locations most likely to be impacted by slope instability.

This project culminated in a suite of dissemination events and workshops to communicate the project outcomes to the public, academics and local government providing tools for the safer management of landslide risks.

Concrete End of Waste by Golder
Golder prepared an end of waste (EOW) submission for the recycling of waste concrete to produce aggregate for use in construction. The submission gained regulatory approval from the EPA and is the first EOW decision granted for the construction sector in Ireland.

Construction activity in Ireland is generating significant volumes of waste concrete; landfill capacity for this material is limited.

Concrete End of Waste by Golder.

A recovery goal of 70 per cent non-hazardous construction and demolition waste is set for 2020. The EU Waste Framework Directive establishes EOW criteria subject to four factors being met.

The key criteria proving that concrete reuse would not lead to ‘adverse environmental or human health effects’ was the significant challenge in this case.

Potential risks from concrete aggregates include alkaline, metalliferous, and/or saline drainage. Leach testing was carried out on recycled aggregate samples.

Golder’s probabilistic modelling software ConSim© was used to estimate potential impacts and risks of leachate on aquifers under multiple scenarios incorporating characteristics of Irish aquifers.

A quality protocol was also prepared to ensure that the fully recovered products may be used without the need for waste management controls.

To view each shortlisted category in detail and to vote for the Engineering Project of the Year Award, visit: http://www.engineersireland.ie/Awards.aspx