FLI Structures from the Haley Steel Group, recently won the Network Rail Partnership Award for Innovation.

The company specialises in the design and manufacture of steel structures, including screw piles, steel grillages & masts. The award ceremony, held at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole, was hosted by comedian Jimmy Carr.

The Innovation Award was presented to Justine Garbutt, FLI’s General Manager, by Jerry England, Network Rail's Director of Engineering. This award recognises an organisation that has created new approaches for mitigating or solving a problem that Network Rail faces.

FLI Structures is working on Network Rail's communication system, GSMr. This is a multi-billion pound project to provide a national system of secure train-driver to signaller communications for the safe running and improved performance of the railways. The network requires the construction of 2000 radio masts.

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FLI Structures are providing the masts and foundations. Instead of excavating and pouring wet concrete, site contractors are using steel grillages anchored down by screw piles or precast concrete blocks. These new foundation solutions enable sites to be built faster, reducing delays to trains from engineering work.

The Innovation Award was for developing a new steelwork foundation for sites with tight access where the standard grillage could not be used. A site was found for a trial and FLI designed, manufactured and installed the new grillage, which turned from a concept to reality in just two weeks. This new grillage is lighter and 40% cheaper than the standard and it is compact and foldable for easy and safe handling. It can be delivered and installed on sites with restricted access and uses smaller site plant. It is expected to save Network Rail in the region of £1.65 million.

Presenting the awards, Iain Coucher Network Rail's Chief Executive said: "Our finalists have made a real difference to Network Rail and the millions of people who travel by rail every day. We are a nation of innovators, but we still look too much to the past, to out-dated methods, tools, processes and ways of doing work. We are reluctant to take risks, to experiment with new materials and technology. Now is the time to change all that. I give you my commitment to changing Network Rail.

"This award and recognition has given everyone at FLI a boost and encouragement to come up with more new innovative ideas to solve problems and improve its service to customers. Everyone feels a sense of satisfaction at knowing their work is creating a safer and smoother running railway network for Great Britain."

For further information Tel: 01452 722200 or Visit: www.fli.co.uk