Finalists for Research, Studies and Consulting Advisory Award

AECOM

Over the past 12 months, AECOM's Engineering Doctorate programme has come to successful completion and resulted into 14 publications, with several additional articles still being submitted - an all-time record for an EngD at Loughborough University.

This included presentations at international conferences and to the Parliamenty and Scientific Committee.

The work also developed innovative methods for assessing corrosion of full-scale RC structures, including the infamous "Spaghetti Junction" (M6 Junction 6) and demonstrated how it can be reproduced reliably over a period of 3 years. These methods have been fully disclosed in the public domain and incorporated within ISO BS EN 12696.

BWB Consulting Limited

East Midlands Gateway is a proposed Strategic Rail Freight Interchange, promoted by Roxhill Developments, on a green-field site adjacent to East Midlands International Airport.

BWB has played a pivotal role in progressing the scheme and, in particular, has:

•Led a Transport Working Group of 3 County and two city highway authorities, together with the Highways Agency, in marshalling an integrated response from all parties on the transport implications of the development

•Assisted the Developer in securing technical approval for an alternative alignment for HS2 in tunnel beneath the site that has subsequently been approved by the railway promoter.

IMC Worldwide Ltd

IMC Worldwide’s long history in Uganda and strong relationship with local actors in the road construction sector allowed us to identify an underlying cause of poor transport infrastructure and barrier to development – acute lack of access to affordable financing for contractors.

Comprehensive research, together with its existing knowledge of the road sector in Uganda and comparable developing countries, enabled IMC to develop an innovative and sustainable solution to this problem – the CrossRoads Construction Guarantee Fund.

By increasing access to finance, the fund is enhancing industry competitiveness, leading to a more robust road sector and boosting Uganda’s economic development.