Stuart Michael Associates awarded commission

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Stuart Michael Associates awarded commission to review option for improving traffic management at Thatcham Level Crossing

(December 2011) Stuart Michael Associates has been awarded a new commission to review the options for improving traffic management at Thatcham Level Crossing. The crossing is on a busy commuter and freight railway line and long traffic queues can occur on the approaches to the crossing during peak road traffic periods.

The study will review the options for providing drivers with advanced warning of potential delays at the Level Crossing and information regarding diversion routes. In addition the study will also review the options for reducing the number of traffic conflict points close to the Level Crossing and ways to improve the discharge of queuing traffic.

Details of Stuart Michael Associates’ work on this project can now be seen on the West Berkshire Council website details of which have been published on the BBC News website.

January 25, 2012

MP Marks Start of Work on Groundbreaking New Biogas Plant in Stockport

(December, 2011) Local MP and Minister at the Department for Communities and Local Government, Andrew Stunell, marked the start of work on a new £5 million biogas facility in Stockport, Cheshire. The plant is being built by Bio Group, in partnership with British Gas, on an old landfill site. It will use food waste from local hotels, restaurants and offices to generate biomethane gas to supply 1,400 homes. The scheme will be the UK’s first purpose-built site to benefit from the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and is being heralded by Government as the first financial support scheme for renewable heat in the world.

Original structural designs for the site by other consultants were rejected as non-viable. SMA’s Structural Engineering Division produced an innovative and economically viable solution to overcome the problem of differential settlements in old landfill sites, which enabled the project to go ahead. This project followed SMA’s previous involvement in biofuel projects including the Adnams Bio Energy facility in Suffolk and the Branston potato waste plant in Lincoln.