THE BRIEF

A £12m scheme to relieve congestion on the M42 junction 6 and improve connectivity in and around Birmingham Airport and NEC.

This included the construction of a new junction 5a and a new 2.4km carriageway linking the motorway and the Clock Roundabout and upgrading the existing Catherine de Barnes Road.

Holcim UK was selected to provide key materials and logistical planning for this high volume supply project including technical input.

A robust pavement solution was required to support the long-term demands of this essential part of the strategic road network.

Holcim worked alongside the delivery team to provide materials that met structural performance requirements while also supporting efficient large-scale construction.

A major element of the road build-up was the installation of approximately 47,000 tonnes of Cement Bound Granular Material (CBGM) across the 2.4-kilometre route.

The advantages of CBGM is that it offers a more durable and cost effective alternative to flexible solutions. It is created through a hydraulically bound mixture made up of aggregates, cement and water and is highly effective at incorporating recycled materials, such as those recovered from site.

Vitally, Holcim’s solution also supported the reuse of approximately 5,000 tonnes of site-won planings within the lower layers of the CBGM structure. Some of this material was tar-bound and was successfully processed for reincorporation into the pavement design. The use of recycled content, alongside Foamix principles and bound base innovation, helped deliver a technically strong and more sustainable construction solution.

Holcim deployed its SiteBatch solution, which is its mobile on-site mixing system. This allows for a flexible and continuous supply of materials as they can be manufactured on or close to the project site to help meet program requirements. It also reduces transport movements and mileage to and from site from off-site production facilities helping support sustainability goals.

Articulated Dump Trucks (ADTs) were used on site to move materials rather than conventional road lorries. This improved internal logistics and helped maintain a safer and continuous production cycle.

Holcim also supplied 63,000 tonnes of asphalt for the surface course.