Working smarter with innovative new tools and techniques

New tools and techniques are critical to boosting productivity and safety across the infrastructure industry. Here are five examples of new ideas being deployed in our work.

Keyhole surgery for pipes

We’re using innovative blue light technology to repair wastewater pipes up to five times more quickly than traditional solutions.

The compact no-dig system allows teams to use a keyhole camera to identify defects from above ground. Teams then remotely guide a resin liner into place to patch the fault, before rapidly curing the material using the light wavelength of the LEDs.

Safer working, one pixel at a time

We’re currently trialling virtual reality training programmes featuring excavations and streetwork scenarios to teach our teams’ best practice. Using the latest technology helps us to ensure our people can carry out their responsibilities safely in the real world.

Hoovering up benefits with suction excavators

Our high-tech suction excavators complete trenches up to 16 times faster than manual digging. The non- destructive vacuum process also reduces the risk of utility strikes, while extracting material through a 250mm nozzle means a smaller, neater working area with less disruption.

Live video streaming to boost decision-making

We were the first in the water industry to introduce live video and audio streaming to support decision making on site.

The eviid system enables secure two-way communication, allowing site teams to patch in experts via video link as needed to obtain a second opinion or confirm variations to a work programme without the need for time-intensive visits.

Roadmender – productivity on the go

The Roadmender is a mobile asphalt batching plant. The purpose-built vehicle can heat and mix up to 500kg of hot-mix asphalt every 15 minutes, saving hours collecting asphalt and boosting sustainability. By recycling material collected from excavations, it uses up to 80 per cent less fresh asphalt per sqm of repairs.

The mobile system also unlocks cost savings of up to 26 per cent on asphalt surface remediation.