Waterways could provide vital construction link

Water-borne freight transportation should seriously be considered by the construction industry, according to Ian Rothen, founder of The Rothen Group.

Construction should be looking to the rivers and canals for answers to transportation problems, says Ian, with approximately 2,000 miles of navigable inland waterways in the UK, construction could use this extensive network to transport materials and pre-manufactured goods.

With Thames Tideway, constructors of the London super sewer, committing to reduce its carbon footprint by transporting as much equipment and materials by water as possible – the idea is not without merit. The project’s use of river transport will be on a scale unprecedented in modern times, seeing 4.2M tonnes of tunnel spoil (90% of excavated material) transported along the Thames.

Ian Rothen, Founder of The Rothen Group – a national independent civil engineering and maintenance business servicing UK Waterways, explains: “Much of the UK’s transportation of construction products is done via the road network, however there is an opportunity – especially for projects like HS2 where the route will cross the canals or be situated nearby – to make use of the canal network instead.”

Innovations in boat design provide a safe solution to entering awkward access sites and lifting products.

Ian comments: “For awkward access locations, the canal can sometimes be the only means of gaining safe access to a site. In these situations, it is important to use specialist boats with fitted cranes to safely lift and move product. At The Rothen Group, we have developed crane boats which can be remotely controlled from a safe distance in order to lift up to six tonnes and a reach of up to 14m.”

Additionally, using the UK’s canals and waterways for transportation of building products will not only help to take pressure off the roads, but it will also have a positive environmental impact.

Ian, says: “Carbon emissions from road vehicles coupled with the increasing congestion problems on our motorways are issues we all need to be aware of and improve. Where appropriate, water-borne freight carrying on the canal network is a viable alternative to road transportation. With careful planning, using the waterways could certainly be an option for distributors and time-pressed contractors to take advantage of.

“The Rothen Group is currently exploring ways to support freight transportation on the waterways, utilising our approved 60-strong fleet of boats, each capable of carrying up to 35 tonnes, to aid the completion of construction projects across the country.”

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