Celebrating 21 years in business, Ward & Burke Construction Ltd delivers class-leading, reliable and cost-effective construction solutions, specialising in bespoke design and quality construction of water and wastewater infrastructure, including treatment processes, pumping and storage solutions.
Projects with Irish Water, coupled with a successful expansion into the Finnish market, helped Ward & Burke increase its revenue by €6m to €278m in 2020. And there was further good news for the Galway-based micro-tunnelling company recently when it was shortlisted in the ‘Civil Engineering Over €10m’ category of the 2022 Irish Construction Excellence Awards (ICE Awards) for the Ennis South Flood Relief Scheme.
The Irish Construction Excellence Awards are the original and premier recognition of performance excellence for the contracting sector in Ireland, and provide an opportunity for the industry to showcase and reward best practice across the full range of construction disciplines and project categories.
Ward & Burke was the main contractor on the Ennis South Flood Relief Scheme which represents the final phase of flood defence works throughout the Co. Clare town. The works undertaken for the client – Clare County Council – included the upgrade of the existing flood defence embankment between the Quin Road and the N85 Clareabbey Bridge at Clareabbey, and separate Flood Overflow Culverts from St Flannan’s Stream and Ballybeg Stream to the Clareabbey flood plain.
Construction of flood relief works at Ennis South commenced in April 2019. A significant redesign of the original scheme was undertaken during the course of the construction. This redesign included a piling solution necessary to address instability of existing embankments. The lead designer on the project was Ryan Hanley Consulting Engineers.
The works was completed on programme in July 2021, despite all the adversity of dealing with arduous ground conditions and ecological constraints of working in a Special Area of Conservation, not to mention the impact of Covid-19. The project is a major success and the risk of flooding in the area has been completely diminished as a result of the works.
Since its establishment, Ward & Burke has sought to develop and adopt the ideals and aspirations to civil engineering construction. The result is a company that has enjoyed rapid growth and development in a wide variety of construction disciplines. Ward & Burke currently employs over 1,000 highly-skilled, self-motivated and dedicated people with experience across a broad range of construction activity. Micro-managing construction projects in terms of design alternatives, construction method and programming has been fundamental to ensuring client satisfaction and company success.
Ward & Burke excels in the areas of water, wastewater, road and bridge, marine and coastal, energy infrastructure and waste treatment facilities. The company is an industry leader with experience in water conveyance, pumping stations, water treatment facilities and reservoirs. Its reputation in this technically complex area stems from a combination of civil and MEICA resources, design, project management skills and extensive self-performance capabilities.
The Galway firm’s award-winning projects in the wastewater sector include design, construction, operation and maintenance of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants, pipelines, storage and full turnkey solutions. It delivers schemes utilising in-house civil and MEICA resources.
The company’s approach combines industry-leading design expertise with self-performing capability, not just in construction but with maintenance, repair and operation. Its wastewater experience includes major projects for municipal water authorities as well as industrial water treatment. Its expertise in design, construction and start-up of wastewater solutions and processes for customers ensures the whole life cost and operability are at the forefront of every solution. Ward & Burke has experience with all major treatment technologies and can provide solutions that offer the lowest risk and best results for its clients.
Ward & Burke has undertaken numerous road and bridge construction projects on behalf of both local and national authorities. It has adapted to an increasing variety of contract forms, ranging from traditionally procured to lump sum design and build construction.
Bridge construction projects undertaken by the company have included new architecturally significant bridges, rehabilitation of existing structures and reconstruction of protected bridges. A particular feature of many of its road and bridge construction projects has been the use of in-house design solutions and innovative construction methods to deal with project constraints such as environmental restrictions and fisheries requirements.
Ward & Burke’s marine experience includes sea defence works, flood prevention, breakwaters, fish passes, causeways, harbours and maintenance projects such as fendering works. Many of these projects are typically isolated geographically and demanding on both labour and plant. In-house engineering and ingenuity are a key feature of the company’s marine and coastal capability. It carries out marine projects as stand-alone schemes and as part of major frameworks.
In addition, Ward & Burke has carried out a number of energy and waste-to-energy projects, particularly in the UK. Its size and flexibility allow it to offer various construction options to suit clients’ needs, including stand-alone FRC, earthworks, pipework or any combination of the above. Ward & Burke also provides detailed design across civil, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control automation and process disciplines.
The first 21 years have been hugely successful for Ward & Burke which has offices in the UK, USA and Canada. Here’s to the next 21!
Ward & Burke Construction Ltd
Stradbally East,
Kilcolgan,
Co. Galway,
H91 W279.
Telephone: +353 (0)91 340 100
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.wardandburke.com
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, August 2022, Vol 8 No 8
