Tarmac has secured a major contract to supply concrete to Align, the joint venture delivering the C1 package of the UK High Speed 2 line (HS2).
The UK’s leading construction solutions provider will supply material for construction of the C1 route, a 21.6km section of high speed rail infrastructure which will include a 3.37km viaduct across the Colne Valley, a 16.04km twin-bored tunnel and five vent shafts handling both intervention and tunnel ventilation facilities.
The contract will see Tarmac supply material for up to six years and follows a successful collaborative mobilisation period as preferred bidder – a status awarded in February 2019.
Jeremy Greenwood, HS2 director at Tarmac, said: “This major award reflects the scale of our manufacturing capability, expertise of our people and longstanding track record of supporting the UK’s biggest and most complex infrastructure projects.
“Our teams have been working closely with Align and its supply chain partners for over a year, and we’ll continue to put collaboration at the heart of successful delivery as we move forward on this significant and exciting contract.”
As well as providing specialist concrete to meet the requirements of rail infrastructure and on-demand technical site expertise, Tarmac will use its nationwide rail freight network to transport aggregates for concrete production to local railheads, removing HGV journeys from the roads with associated improvements in carbon emissions and air quality.
The material supplied will be used for a wide variety of construction applications on the project with Tarmac working closely with Align to ensure the mix designs are optimised to deliver sustainable, whole life performance.
Tarmac’s commitment to safety, sustainability, collaboration and continuous improvement were key factors in securing the contract, with the tenders assessed on quality and financial criteria.
Daniel Altier, Align project director said: “The working relationship we have established with Tarmac over the past 18 months has been very collaborative, and we have been very impressed with the approach to this complex project and evolving environment. The contract is one of our biggest supply chain awards and we are delighted that we will be working alongside Tarmac over the years ahead to deliver what will be a key iconic element of HS2.”
The C1 route starts approximately 20km to the west of central London and runs across the Colne Valley and then through the Chiltern Hills to the north west.
