Haulbowline Island transformation project takes top engineering award

The transformation of the East Tip of Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbour has been voted national Engineering Project of the Year for 2019. 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.

Undertaken by Cork County Council, RPS, PJ Hegarty & Sons and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the project won in the flagship category of the 10th 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.

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Hilary O’Meara, Managing Director – Resources, Accenture in Ireland, sponsor of the Engineering Education Award, is pictured with Linda Ryan and Kevin Fraser, who accepted the award on behalf of the CONNECT Centre at Trinity College Dublin for their initiative, the Edge Programme. Caroline Spillane, Director General of Engineers Ireland, is also pictured.

The site at Haulbowline Island, 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 to overcome many challenges, the East Tip now boasts new playing pitches, walkways, cycleways and seating areas. The project also involved the planting of hundreds of trees, woodlands and wildflower areas.

“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,”said project manager Dr Cormac Ó Súilleabháin of Cork County Council.

“However, despite all this the project was delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner, and 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 the joint winner of the Local Authority Engineering Initiative Award, sponsored by Colas Bitumen Emulsion. The award was shared with Cork City Council, Keating and Arup for the Mary Elmes Bridge project.

Gold standard

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

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

“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,” said ESB chief executive Pat O’Doherty.

“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.

“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.”

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.

Heritage

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.

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.

“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 Engineers Ireland director general Caroline Spillane.

“The initiatives recognised 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.”

Honoured

Also honoured at the 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 brothers 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.

Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards 2019, held in association with ESB

Finalists

President's Award, sponsored by CRH – Tom Costello, chartered engineer, head of construction at IPUT.

ESB Outstanding Contribution to Engineering Award, sponsored by ESB –

Martin Naughton, chartered engineer, chairman of the Shareholder Supervisory Board of the Glen Dimplex Group.

ESB International Engineer of the Year Award, sponsored by ESB International – Connor McGrath, chartered engineer, project engineer at Arup.

Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Award, sponsored by Siemens – Nick and Jack Cotter for their initiative The Cotter Crate.

Best Presentation Award sponsored by Griffiths & Armour and Beale & Co.

Winner: Lean Management Systems applied to Hyper-scale Data Center Construction. A Breakfast Briefing by Fiachra O Muíneacháin, Kevin McHugh, Stephen Walls and Pat Egan of MACE Technology (Ireland) Ltd. Nominated by Project Management Society.

Shortlisted: Design and construction of the Northern Spire Bridge, Sunderland, by Simon Fryer (Burro Happold Engineering), Tony Dempsey (Roughan O'Donovan) and Stephen McCaffrey (Farrans-Victor Buyck). Nominated by The Civil division;

New materials and control of 3D Morphology - a game changer for many applications by Dermot Brabazon, chartered engineer. Nominated by: Mechanical and Manufacturing division.

Sustainability Award, sponsored by Irish Water.

Winner: Fernhill Park and Gardens by Arup and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Shortlisted: Fixed Electrical Ground Power by daa AMD

Kerdiffstown Landfill remediation project by Kildare County Council and Jacobs; Dwr Uisce by Trinity College Dublin and Bangor University.

Geoscience Ireland Award, sponsored by Geoscience Ireland.

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

Shortlisted: Lidl regional distribution centre, Newbridge – enabling works contract (ground improvement) by AGL Consulting, John Paul Construction and Newton Ground Engineering. Improving drought resilience of Irish Water groundwater supplies in the southwest by Arup. Landslide hazard and risk mapping in Guatemala City by Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions. Concrete end of waste by Golder

Heritage and Conservation Award, sponsored by the OPW.

Winner: Swords Castle east tower consolidation by Fingal County Council, David Kelly Partnership and CORA Consulting Engineers.

Shortlisted: Kilmallock west wall walkway by Limerick City and County Council. Cork Courthouse "model school", Anglesea Street, Cork, by Malachy Walsh & Partners civil and structural engineers. Hillsborough Castle and gardens by O'Connor Sutton Cronin & Associates (Belfast) Ltd.

Local Authority Engineering Initiative Award, sponsored by Colas Bitumen Emulsions.

Joint winners: Mary Elmes Bridge by Cork City Council, Keating and Arup. East Tip Haulbowline Island remediation project by Cork County Council, RPS, PJ Hegarty & Sons and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Shortlisted: Clare County Council Engineers to the Fore! Preparing for the Irish Open in Lahinch by Clare County Council. Skibbereen flood relief scheme by Cork County Council, supported by the Office of Public Works, and in partnership with RPS and Jons Civil Engineering. Kilkenny StreetLight LED retrofit pilot project by Kilkenny County Council in partnership with 3cea (3 Counties Energy Agency) and Hayes Higgins Partnership.

Engineering Education Award, sponsored by Accenture.

Winner: EDGE Programme by CONNECT Centre at Trinity College Dublin

Shortlisted: Where There is No Engineer – designing for Community resilience by Engineers Without Borders Ireland. Certificate in building control management by the National Building Control Office, Institute of Technology, Carlow, and Local Authority Services National Training Group. Inspiring collaboration to create and develop engineering talent by Limerick for Engineering. Inspiring future civil engineers by the school of civil engineering, University College Dublin.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Employer of the Year Award, sponsored by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland and supported by the Department of Education and Skills.

Winner: H&MV Engineering.

Shortlisted: Bristol Myers Squibb Priority Construction.

Chartered Engineer of the Year Award, sponsored by Arup.

Winner: Dr. Cristina Paduano, chartered engineer, B-Fluid.

Shortlisted: Declan Gavigan, chartered engineer, MSD. Ciarán Hanley, chartered engineer, Malachy Walsh and Partners. Tony McGuinness, chartered engineer, ESB Generation. Frances Murray, chartered engineer, Cork County Fire Service. Brian Twohig, chartered engineer, Arup.

Engineering Project of the Year Award, sponsored by Transport Infrastructure Ireland

Winner: East Tip Haulbowline Island Remediation Project by Cork County Council, RPS, PJ Hegarty & Sons and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Shortlisted: IAA Visual Control Tower, Dublin Airport by Arup, Cruiserath Biologics by Bristol Myers Squibb, Dublin Port Ro-Ro Jetty by Keating, Ocean Pier Berth 31-34 by Keating, Center Parcs Longford Forest by ORS.