Manufacturing and Engineering Magazine Volume 425 - January 2016 | Page 8

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GREEN EMISSIONS TECH TO ISTANBUL TOWER SUCCESS FOR AECOM
BE FITTED TO UK BUSES

Over 400 UK buses are set to
be retrofitted with green
technology in a bid to reduce
nitrogen oxide emissions.
The Department for
Transport has set aside £7m in
funding for the upgrades which
will reduce the vehicle’s current
output by 90 per cent.
Due to the high mileage and
long operational life of the city
buses, the green technology
should help to significantly
boost air quality in town and
city centres.
The Clean Bus Technology
Fund will be used to retrofit
439 buses that together
complete more than a million
journeys a year.
Transport Minister Andrew
Jones said: “Greener buses
mean cleaner town and city
centres and a healthier
environment for everyone.
“The upgraded buses that
will soon hit the roads in England
continue our commitment to
better air quality by investing in
greener transport.
“By targeting pollution
hotspots and backing the low-

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emission technology of the
future, we are making the right
long-term decisions to improve
people’s lives.”
The Government published
its air quality plan in December
which focuses on bringing in
clean air zones in five English
cities by 2020.
The zones will use charging
to discourage the most
polluting vehicles, including old
diesel buses, taxis, coaches and
lorries, from entering the city
centres of Birmingham, Leeds,
Nottingham, Derby and
Southampton.
However, they will not
affect private cars, which
environmental
group
ClientEarth said are one of the
biggest sources of poor air
quality in cities.
London is also set to bring
in an ultra-low emissions
zone in 2020, which will
apply to all vehicles.
In November, Bristol
announced it was launching a
fleet of buses that would run on
methane gas extracted from
human waste.

MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING MAGAZINE

Designs by engineering giant Aecom
and Italian designers Pininfarina have
been chosen for an air traffic control
tower in Turkey.
Operator IGA chose the joint
submission for the structure at
Istanbul New Airport. It was selected
from a strong shortlist that included
Zaha Hadid and RMJM.
The competition called for
contemporary concept designs for the
tower that reflected the city’s culture
and history. The winning design was
inspired by the tulip, an important
cultural reference in Turkish history.
IGA chief executive Yusuf Akçayoğlu
said: “One of the world’s largest aviation
projects, Istanbul New Airport’s air
traffic control tower will be an iconic
structure, visible to all passengers

travelling through the airport.
“We were looking for a striking
design fit for a 21st century airport while
remaining sensitive to Istanbul’s unique
heritage. We received excellent designs
from all over the world and are delighted
to announce the Aecom and Pininfarina
team as the competition winner.”
Aecom head of architecture across
Europe, the Middle East, India and
Africa Jennifer Dixon said: “In this
competition, our aim was to combine the
dynamism and romance of Pininfarina’s
architectural style that is so influenced
by automotive design with Aecom’s inhouse aviation architecture capabilities.”
Istanbul New Airport will
eventually have six runways and three
terminal buildings, giving an annual
capacity of 200M passengers.

CIVIL ENGINEER OPENS DOORS OF
NEW TELFORD FACTORY
The company, which is based in
Euston Way in the centre of Telford,
cut the ribbon on its new 1,520 sq m
(16,000 sq ft) site in Ketley, which
represents part of a five-year plan to
expand in the town.
With a total space on the site of
1.8 acres, it will allow the company to
increase production and maintain the
quality of its manufacturing, servicing,
and testing of bridge components.
It has also invested in new
machinery on the site, including a
state-of-the-art test rig which is
capable of compressing 2500 tonnes,
the equivalent in mass of 20 double
decker buses.
Freyssinet managing director Paul
Bottomley officially opened the new
premises at a grand launch party.
“With the continued growth and
improvement
in
the
UK’s
manufacturing and construction

industries, we are delighted to be
opening a new factory, which will
enable the company to expand on its
manufacture, storage and laboratory
testing,” he said.
“The new facility features one of
the largest test press in the country
and state of the art equipment.”
Freyssinet, which employs around
150 people in the UK, has been involved
in bridge bearing design, manufacture
and installation since 1950.
As part of the Frenchheadquartered Soletanche Freyssinet
group, its portfolio of products and
services includes specialist repair,
strengthening and protection of
structures in the building, civil and
marine sectors.
The launch of its new factory will
cement Freyssinet’s standing as the
largest structural repair company in
the world.