Safer surfacing in the Tyne Tunnel

In 2011, we used innovative new technology to meet the challenge of tight working conditions and manage the health and safety of our workforce while carrying out work in the new Tyne Tunnel.

Accidents involving Heavy Goods Vehicles such as tipper trucks are a significant hazard in the industry. Unloading from a conventional tipper truck is very fast and convenient – but it does involve raising the load up high. However, there is a risk of rollover, especially when unloading on uneven ground or in adverse weather conditions.

In the new Tyne Tunnel, height restrictions prevented us from using conventional tipper trucks to deliver the asphalt in a safe way. Using our new walking-floor tipper truck for the first time, we offloaded asphalt into a paving machine without raising the body of the wagon. This involved ‘walking’ asphalt out of the back of the 27 tonne-payload truck on a moving floor. In total, we supplied 20,000 tonnes of asphalt to the contract and this method proved to be a safe and innovative solution and a great success.