Cumbria Highways Surfacing Framework
Client: Cumbria County Council
Value: £4-5 million per annum
Form of contract: Engineering and construction contract (ECC)
Overview: All planing, machine laid surfacing and large scale patching in two of three regions of Cumbria.
Products used:
- Hot rolled asphalt
- 14mm and 20mm heavy duty binder
- Thin surface course material
- 10mm and 14mm surface course
Cumbria County Council’s highways team is responsible for over 7,300km of principal, non-principal and unclassified roads. Hanson Contracting was awarded the surfacing framework in two of three regions in Cumbria for a four year term to March 2016.
The work carried out by Hanson includes all planing, machine laid surfacing and large scale patching across this rural community. The logistical planning required has been a challenge as some routes are inaccessible to HGV’s and asphalt delivery lorries.
An average of 100 individual schemes, ranging in value from £20,000 to £250,000, are carried out each year and have seen Hanson UK supply and lay a variety of asphalt products.
The key to delivering the work cost effectively has been Hanson’s collaborative working approach and input into the council’s planning and co-ordination.
Each scheme within the framework is measured by the use of 21 different performance indicators including:
- Time – start, completion dates, changes to work packages
- Cost – final account submitted on time
- Quality – right first time, defects at handover
- Employer satisfaction – supplier’s performance, feedback from public
- Supplier satisfaction – project manager performance
- Health and safety – reportable accidents, reportable incidents, site visits
- Environmental – carbon accounting, waste material sent to landfill, tonnes recycled
- Miscellaneous – use of other framework members, demonstration of value for money, innovation etc.
Among the collaborative working initiatives put in place are site visits to look at planned schemes, develop an optimum delivery solution and confirm the scope of work. Monthly programming meetings, the development of a forward work plan and quarterly KPI meetings allow performance to be discussed with other framework members.
Sustainability benefits
- There have been no lost time injuries recorded by Hanson Contracting and all site personnel and managers attend regular health and safety briefings and updates.
- All planing work is subcontracted to allow all planings to be recycled back into asphalt mixes.
- All vehicles are fitted with trackers to monitor and record their carbon footprint.