ISO 55001:2014 Accreditation
Connect Plus (CP) and Connect Plus Services (CPS) have successfully achieved certification to the new international standard for asset management (ISO 55001:2014)
Asset management is a core part of the 30 year M25 Design Build Finance and Operate Highways Contract. Connect Plus (the DBFO company), through Connect Plus Services (operations and maintenance specialist), is directly responsible for end-to-end asset management. This includes making decisions on how best to invest £1.7 billion (2017 prices) in more than 140,000 assets that comprise the M25 road network over the 30-year contract (to 2039).
The asset management system is designed to cope with the scale and complexity of the M25 environment. It underpins asset inspection and, through bespoke Decision Support Tools, generates forward plans to manage the delivery of around £50 million of work every year, through a BS 11001 certified framework.
The international framework for asset management is still relatively new, mainly adopted by airports and water companies in the UK.
Its application to the M25 asset management system provided greater understanding of the current system status, and highlighted improvements that could be made. The certification process provides an external quality assessment of the system for shareholders and client, Highways England.
The journey to align with the standard was a fully collaborative exercise between CP and CPS, ensuring integration of all users across all elements of the end-to-end system, and eradicating duplication in the certification process.
The external audits to secure certification focused on core elements of the asset management system (policy, strategy, objectives and planning), as well as wider elements such as communication, leadership, supply chain management and risk management that all support an effective asset management system. More than 30 people from the M25 community participated in the audits, demonstrating the depth and scale of the certification process.
Lloyds Register (the external auditor) has confirmed CP and CPS’ integrated asset management system meets the requirements of ISO 55001, marking them as industry leaders in the UK.
Benefits to achieving certification:
- Test and improve the effectiveness of the existing system
- Demonstrate asset management capability
- Improve asset management awareness
Key lessons learned:
- Joined-up certification approach improved integration of teams and processes across both businesses
- Scope of standard wider than pure technical aspects. M25 approach benefited from focus on leadership, communication and awareness
- Demonstrable improvements made to the asset management system against each 55001 clause
- Improved asset management awareness in both businesses
---
Notes to Editors
About Connect Plus and Connect Plus Services
- Over 10 years ago, Highways England awarded Connect Plus the contract to operate and manage the M25 and its key arterial link roads.
- Connect Plus is a consortium that includes Edge Orbital Holdings Ltd, Balfour Beatty and Egis Road Operation UK - a unique partnership with a collective strength in highways maintenance and management.
- Connect Plus Services (CPS), is Connect Plus’ specialist and strategic supply chain partner responsible for operations and maintenance, bringing together the collective strength and expertise of its parent companies, Balfour Beatty, Atkins and Egis Road Operation UK.
- With a workforce of around 600 people, based at seven locations around the network, CPS carries out routine maintenance, and whole-life management of thousands of M25 assets. CPS manages the operation of the network 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including a severe weather season maintenance programme.
- Over the past 10 years, collectively we’ve delivered over £1.4bn worth of road improvements and junction enhancements, and we’re continually exploring new and innovative ways to deliver safer, more reliable journeys for our customers. Together, we’re passionate about delivering the long-term needs of the M25 and improving the driving experience for all our customers.
- For further information please visit https://www.connectplusm25.co.uk/ or follow us at https://twitter.com/cpservices_m25
M25 One Community Conference
The Connect Plus One Community Conference 2017 was held at Church House in London on the 2nd March. Hosted by Steph McGovern – the BBC Breakfast Business presenter – we had over 180 delegates including investors, stakeholders, suppliers and advisors to the M25 Contract as well as the Connect Plus and Connect Plus Services teams.
The event was fully supported by the Office of Rail and Road, Transport Focus and Highways England.
We were able to address some of the most important challenges we face as a community together with the inevitable changes the M25 Network will go through over the next decade and beyond.
The centrepiece of the One Community Conference was the four hubs where we considered the impacts of Intelligent Mobility hosted by Atkins, Better Journeys hosted jointly by Connect Plus Services and Highways England. Future Ready hosted by WSP and Connected Assets hosted jointly by Connect Plus and Connect Plus Services.
The line-up of speakers was also impressive. Dave Coplin, and Envisioner and Futurologist from Microsoft, opened the conference with a high-octane presentation on the power of technology to deliver our future. Nick Harris – the new Executive Director for Operations at Highways England, and Alex Williams – the acting Manager Director for Transport Planning for TfL, brought us back to Earth by looking at the blueprint for Highways England’s operations and the Mayors Transport Strategy. Phil Hoare, Byron Tomkinson, David Symons and David Simpson then gave us the big sell on the hub themes.
---
Notes to Editors
About Connect Plus and Connect Plus Services
- Over 10 years ago, Highways England awarded Connect Plus the contract to operate and manage the M25 and its key arterial link roads.
- Connect Plus is a consortium that includes Edge Orbital Holdings Ltd, Balfour Beatty and Egis Road Operation UK - a unique partnership with a collective strength in highways maintenance and management.
- Connect Plus Services (CPS), is Connect Plus’ specialist and strategic supply chain partner responsible for operations and maintenance, bringing together the collective strength and expertise of its parent companies, Balfour Beatty, Atkins and Egis Road Operation UK.
- With a workforce of around 600 people, based at seven locations around the network, CPS carries out routine maintenance, and whole-life management of thousands of M25 assets. CPS manages the operation of the network 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including a severe weather season maintenance programme.
- Over the past 10 years, collectively we’ve delivered over £1.4bn worth of road improvements and junction enhancements, and we’re continually exploring new and innovative ways to deliver safer, more reliable journeys for our customers. Together, we’re passionate about delivering the long-term needs of the M25 and improving the driving experience for all our customers.
- For further information please visit https://www.connectplusm25.co.uk/ or follow us at https://twitter.com/cpservices_m25
When it rains it kills: Warning to drivers
Last year almost 3’000 people were killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads when driving in the rain last year. Connect Plus is supporting Highways England’s campaign to encourage drivers to slow down in dangerous driving conditions.
The safety campaign launched by Highways England last month is encouraging road users to slow down after the latest statistics show that rain is 30 times more likely to kill or seriously injure than snow.
Highways England is warning that even driving within the speed limit can be dangerous if drivers don’t leave enough space between them and the vehicle in front. It can take twice as long to stop on a wet road as on a dry road because tyres have less grip on the roads surface.
In wet weather drivers are being advised to slow down if the rain and spray for vehicles is making it difficult to see and be seen, and to also ease of the accelerator to slow down more gradually if the steering becomes unresponsive.
National Considerate Constructor Scheme – Silver Award for Connect Plus Services
Connect Plus Services has won a Silver Considerate Constructors Scheme 2014 National Company Award.
In making the award, the Considerate Constructor Scheme noted that “the company has shown the highest levels of consideration towards the public, its workforce and the environment through adhering to the Scheme’s five-point Code of Considerate Practice: Care about Appearance; Respect the Community; Protect the Environment; Secure everyone’s Safety and Value their Workforce.
Considerate Constructors Scheme 2014 National Company Award winners are selected from the top performing 20 per cent of registered companies monitored between 1 August 2013 and 31 July 2014. Connect Plus Services has been a member of the scheme since 2011, and this Silver Award is the second National award the company has received.
“Connect Plus Services has played a fundamental role in improving the image of construction and is a credit to the industry.”
---
Notes to Editors
About Connect Plus and Connect Plus Services
- Over 10 years ago, Highways England awarded Connect Plus the contract to operate and manage the M25 and its key arterial link roads.
- Connect Plus is a consortium that includes Edge Orbital Holdings Ltd, Balfour Beatty and Egis Road Operation UK - a unique partnership with a collective strength in highways maintenance and management.
- Connect Plus Services (CPS), is Connect Plus’ specialist and strategic supply chain partner responsible for operations and maintenance, bringing together the collective strength and expertise of its parent companies, Balfour Beatty, Atkins and Egis Road Operation UK.
- With a workforce of around 600 people, based at seven locations around the network, CPS carries out routine maintenance, and whole-life management of thousands of M25 assets. CPS manages the operation of the network 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including a severe weather season maintenance programme.
- Over the past 10 years, collectively we’ve delivered over £1.4bn worth of road improvements and junction enhancements, and we’re continually exploring new and innovative ways to deliver safer, more reliable journeys for our customers. Together, we’re passionate about delivering the long-term needs of the M25 and improving the driving experience for all our customers.
- For further information please visit https://www.connectplusm25.co.uk/ or follow us at https://twitter.com/cpservices_m25
Connect Plus completes joint replacement scheme on QEII Bridge
Connect Plus, the company responsible for managing and upgrading the M25 network, has this month completed the installation of new bridge expansion joints on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at Dartford.
The project, which was recently recognised as the ‘Most Innovative Highway Authority Scheme of the Year’ at the Highways Magazine Excellence Awards, involved replacing six bridge expansion joints, weighing 80 tonnes each.
All had reached the end of their lifecycle having expanded and contracted by over three metres in the heat and cold during the bridge’s 23 year operation.
With over 150,000 vehicles using the bridge daily, traffic flow continuity was critical during the project and Connect Plus, working with its designer Flint &Neill and contractor Jackson Civils, developed a brand new temporary over-ramp system.
This allowed the workforce to repair the expansion joints underneath, while traffic passed overhead. Carriageway closures were dramatically reduced compared to typical bridge joint replacement schemes with restriction to times when the temporary ramp system was installed.
The modular ramp system comprised 1.2 metre wide units which could be dropped into place, further reducing carriageway closure time.
Their built in finger joints allowed the bridge road surface to expand and contract normally and the design of the ramp allowed for vehicles to travel safely at speeds of up to 70mph, well in excess of the limit on the bridge and negating the need for vehicles to slow down. Each ramp was installed and removed four times and each required the removal and replacement of 458 bolts with around 100m³ of concrete removed during the repair process. During the time the ramps have been in place approximately 30.2 million vehicles have driven over the system.
Brian Johns, Connect Plus Services managing director, said: “We are pleased to have been able to finish this important project and that its innovative approach has been recognised as the leading scheme in our industry. The use of the temporary over ramps on the QEII Bridge has allowed traffic to pass over the bridge with far less interruption than would have been the case with traditional roadworks and has improved safety for both road users and road workers for the duration of the works. So successful has the temporary ramp system been that we now plan to use the same system to replace movement joints at other locations on the M25 network during the duration of the 30 year Design Build Finance and Operate contract.”
458
bolts removed and replaced
150,000
vehicles use the bridge daily
30
millions cars have driven over the system
---
Notes to Editors
About Connect Plus and Connect Plus Services
- Over 10 years ago, Highways England awarded Connect Plus the contract to operate and manage the M25 and its key arterial link roads.
- Connect Plus is a consortium that includes Edge Orbital Holdings Ltd, Balfour Beatty and Egis Road Operation UK - a unique partnership with a collective strength in highways maintenance and management.
- Connect Plus Services (CPS), is Connect Plus’ specialist and strategic supply chain partner responsible for operations and maintenance, bringing together the collective strength and expertise of its parent companies, Balfour Beatty, Atkins and Egis Road Operation UK.
- With a workforce of around 600 people, based at seven locations around the network, CPS carries out routine maintenance, and whole-life management of thousands of M25 assets. CPS manages the operation of the network 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including a severe weather season maintenance programme.
- Over the past 10 years, collectively we’ve delivered over £1.4bn worth of road improvements and junction enhancements, and we’re continually exploring new and innovative ways to deliver safer, more reliable journeys for our customers. Together, we’re passionate about delivering the long-term needs of the M25 and improving the driving experience for all our customers.
- For further information please visit https://www.connectplusm25.co.uk/ or follow us at https://twitter.com/cpservices_m25
Connect Plus reduces crossings of live carriageways to save roadworkers lives
Connect Plus, the company which maintains, operates and upgrades the M25 over a thirty year period on behalf of the Highways Agency, has played a significant role in developing a new method of managing traffic approaching roadworks with the aim of saving workers lives.
The method, which has now been approved for use on the English motorway network, will prevent millions of crossings being made by roadworkers across busy live carriageways in front of traffic travelling at fast speeds
Road maintenance is one of the riskiest employment sectors to work in with 13 road workers killed while carrying out their duties on motorways and major A roads in England over the past ten years.
Trials carried out by Connect Plus, with the support of RoWSaF (an industry body which develops ways to improve the health, safety and welfare of our road workers), the Highways Agency and the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), have shown that improved overhead electronic signage and nearside signage removes the need for temporary central reservation signage as a way of encouraging motorists to slow down on the approach to roadworks.
The method was piloted and implemented on over 1000 kilometres of the network over a two year period by our principal services joint venture, Connect Plus Services, (a partnership between Balfour Beatty, Atkins and Egis Roads SA), with support from Balfour Beatty Mott MacDonald, and has already saved over a million roadworker crossings.
The removal of the need to place central carriageway signage across live carriageways applies to carriageways of over three lanes and will be a major contributor to the Highways Agency’s target of eliminating all live carriageway crossings by roadworkers by December this year.
Tim Jones, Chief Executive at Connect Plus, said: “This achievement addresses one of our key safety themes and is a powerful message that the Highways Agency and Connect Plus are totally committed to Zero Harm, and we will continue to work tirelessly to protect our staff and suppliers as they deliver and service the travelling public.”
Brian Johns, Managing Director at Connect Plus Services, said: “The safety of our road workers is our highest priority and I am very pleased that we have been able to remove the majority of road worker crossings to place signage helping to ensure our people can return home safely at the end of every shift. We are very grateful to the Highways Agency, TRL, our suppliers Chevron and Martins and the Roadworker Safety Forum for their support and we are delighted that our road workers are already working in a safer environment.”
Paul Mitchell, Highways Agency Head of Health & Safety and Chair of the RoWSaF working group, said;
“The road working profession has for far too long been one of the highest risk types of employment with thirteen lives lost in the past decade. The reduction of live carriageway crossings is a key part of removing that risk and we are delighted that through collaboration with Connect Plus we have been able to find a way of doing so without impacting on the safety of motorists who need to be alert to approaching roadworks.”
---
Notes to Editors
About Connect Plus and Connect Plus Services
- Over 10 years ago, Highways England awarded Connect Plus the contract to operate and manage the M25 and its key arterial link roads.
- Connect Plus is a consortium that includes Edge Orbital Holdings Ltd, Balfour Beatty and Egis Road Operation UK - a unique partnership with a collective strength in highways maintenance and management.
- Connect Plus Services (CPS), is Connect Plus’ specialist and strategic supply chain partner responsible for operations and maintenance, bringing together the collective strength and expertise of its parent companies, Balfour Beatty, Atkins and Egis Road Operation UK.
- With a workforce of around 600 people, based at seven locations around the network, CPS carries out routine maintenance, and whole-life management of thousands of M25 assets. CPS manages the operation of the network 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including a severe weather season maintenance programme.
- Over the past 10 years, collectively we’ve delivered over £1.4bn worth of road improvements and junction enhancements, and we’re continually exploring new and innovative ways to deliver safer, more reliable journeys for our customers. Together, we’re passionate about delivering the long-term needs of the M25 and improving the driving experience for all our customers.
- For further information please visit https://www.connectplusm25.co.uk/ or follow us at https://twitter.com/cpservices_m25