Repair over replace – Our focus on Scottish infrastructure

Tam, as divisional director for Scotland and the North East, what are your areas of focus and why?

Across the construction industry, we are well aware that there are a number of ageing highways and infrastructure assets across the UK and Europe. Many of Scotland’s road bridges and highways structures were built in the 1960s-1980s, which means they are now reaching critical maintenance thresholds, especially as they have been subject to the inclement and extreme Scottish weather. This is where VolkerLaser and our expert team can help. Over the last 18 months, there has been a key shift in the mindsets of asset owners and operators, and our focus needs to be on the repair and maintenance of existing structures rather than replacement, and work on extending the service life of vital assets. We have experience in concrete repair, cathodic protection, and waterproofing and offer a full structural rehabilitation and strengthening service. We can help to reduce the remaining lifecycle costs, aligning with sustainability targets. 

Tell us more about your team:

It was important for me to build a team local to our projects – they are the ones who truly understand the unique structures we have in Scotland, as well as having a network of local suppliers to support our range of specialist services. The Scottish team, along with the wider business, are members of the Concrete Repair Association (CRA) and Corrosion Prevention Association (CPA), giving us a wide breadth of knowledge and technical expertise. Many have developed their skills through IcOR and ICRI giving us a truly exceptional delivery team. The process of concrete repair is rarely a simple one, and it is critical to have people on the team who really understand how concrete behaves and the technical complexities of delivering high quality and long-lasting repairs.

What’s next?

We have an excellent pipeline of works across Scotland, and with an estimated maintenance backlog of £2.25 billion being reported by Transport for Scotland relating to Local Authority roads and bridges, we expect this pipeline to expand.  Scotland’s road network covers approximately 56,000km and is the largest and most valuable community asset in Scotland, so it needs the best contractors working on it. Our focus is on helping our clients across Scotland to repair existing assets which, if done correctly, can extend the service life of a structure by a number of years. Scotland has a target to achieve net zero by 2045, and we know repair over replacement has clear environmental advantages. On average, concrete repair can reduce embodied carbon by up to 75% compared to a full replacement, so every retained bridge deck or road network will help to bring Scotland closer to its climate goals. 

We have some key projects currently happening across Scotland including concrete repair and bearing replacement the M9 Knockhill Bridge and key refurbishment works on the Forth Road Bridge. Looking ahead, as mentioned, we’ll be heading back to the Tay Road Bridge to undertake cathodic protection works and a series of concrete repairs, as well as providing the required access. We’ll also be commencing a project on the M90, just north of the Queensferry Crossing, which will see our specialist team deliver a package of works including concrete repair and the design and installation of an ICCP (Impressed Current Cathodic Protection) system.