Geomechanics.io

A 271.5‑tonne Herrenknecht Mixshield TBM, Caroline, has started driving a 2.2km electricity cable tunnel with a 4m internal diameter beneath the River Thames in Essex for National Grid’s Grain to Tilbury project, delivered by the Ferrovial BEMO joint venture. The drive will pass through variable Thames estuary ground conditions between 35m‑deep launch and reception shafts of 15m and 12m diameter, with tunnelling continuing into 2026 and overall scheme completion targeted for 2029. The new tunnel will replace the 1969 Thames Cable Tunnel and carry new high‑voltage circuits between Grain and Tilbury substations.

A 13.46m diameter Herrenknecht Mixshield TBM has broken through into the future Balboa station on Panama Metro Line 3 after completing the first-ever TBM undercrossing of the Panama Canal at depths exceeding 60m below sea level. The 5,600kW, 26,616kNm machine, fitted with an accessible cutterhead and more than 4,500 sensors linked via the Herrenknecht.Connected platform, has achieved peak advance of 150 segment rings (about 300m) per month through mixed sandstone, tuff, breccias and basalt. Around 1.5km of the 4.5km twin-track tunnel remains to final breakthrough.

Federal funding for New York’s US$16bn Hudson Tunnel Project has been frozen, forcing the Gateway Development Commission to suspend works from 6 February after spending over US$1bn and employing about 1,000 site workers. A Manhattan federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order, giving the administration until 5 p.m. on 12 February to restore reimbursements or appeal, while contractors warn that demobilisation, resequencing and remobilisation will add cost and delay. Sites are now in “safe-pause” mode, with dewatering, ground support and environmental monitoring maintained, and assembly of two Herrenknecht TBMs in New Jersey likely to slip beyond the planned spring 2026 launch without funding certainty.

Swiss Federal Railways has awarded an Implenia/Marti 50:50 joint venture five of six MehrSpur Zurich–Winterthur lots worth just under CHF 1.7 billion, including the 8.3 km Brüttener tunnel (Lot 240) with twin 10 m diameter single-track tubes and a 1 km spur to Zurich Airport. TBM excavation will start in August 2029, with a roughly ten-year construction phase using BIM for planning and execution and extensive special foundations, earthworks and embankments. Additional works cover full redevelopment of Dietlikon station, about 6 km of new track across Dietlikon and Wallisellen sections, multiple underpasses, bridges and the Neumühle railway bridge and Storchen underpass near Winterthur.

TBM Xihe, a 7.3m-diameter, 100m-long, 1,000-tonne Herrenknecht slurry machine, has completed the up-track drive to the future Tung Chung West Station and has begun boring the down-track tunnel towards Tung Chung Station for MTR’s Tung Chung Line Extension in Hong Kong. The Bouygues Travaux Publics–Dragages Hong Kong JV turned the TBM underground within the launch shaft using a push-pull method and self-propelled modular transporter, avoiding full disassembly and surface transport. About 1.3km of new twin-bore tunnels are being driven close to existing rail and urban structures, with commissioning targeted for 2029.

Gamuda Engineering has secured the Sydney Metro Stations Package West as principal contractor, covering design and construction of five new underground stations at Westmead, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock and The Bays on the 24km Sydney Metro West line between Greater Parramatta and the CBD. The scope includes deep station boxes, entrances and access points, full station fit-out and integration with surrounding precincts, with Laing O’Rourke and DT Infrastructure joining as MetroVista delivery partners. Site works are scheduled to start on Monday, 5 January 2026.

NG Bailey has acquired Sutton-in-Ashfield-based Engineering Solutions Group (ESG), a £30m-turnover business specialising in mechanical and electrical engineering, steel and composite fabrication, civil works and advanced water control products supplied through exclusive European partnerships. The deal targets the AMP8 water sector programme, which is set to double UK water infrastructure investment to £104bn over five years, and gives NG Bailey deeper access to clients including the Environment Agency, Severn Trent, Anglian, Welsh and Yorkshire Water. ESG’s management, brands and workforce will remain in place within NG Bailey’s Built Environment division.

Barratt Redrow has appointed GTC to deliver a site-wide smart energy system for the 576-home Cosmeston Farm scheme in Wales, targeting operational net zero carbon and outperforming the Future Homes Standard. The integrated package links networked ground source heat pumps, solar PV, home battery storage, smart controls and optimisation, grid flexibility services, and GTC-owned electricity and water networks, while still allowing residents to choose their electricity supplier. GTC will monitor whole-home energy use and local network performance, with Cardiff University independently reviewing data to verify net zero operation at scale.

Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads has issued a detailed design tender for two new south-facing ramps connecting to the Sunshine Motorway at Mount Coolum, tied to an upgrade of the Sunshine Motorway–West Coolum Road interchange. The scheme must integrate with Sunshine Coast Regional Council’s planned link between Suncoast Beach Drive, South Coolum Road and West Coolum Road, creating a new local–motorway interface. Designers will need to resolve ramp geometry, weaving lengths and tie-ins to existing pavement while accommodating future council road connections.

South Australia’s $15.4 billion River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) project has installed the first of three 300‑tonne tunnel boring machine cutterheads, a key step in delivering Adelaide’s non‑stop north–south transport corridor. The lift confirms TBM assembly is advancing on schedule for the twin‑tunnel section, which will carry high‑volume traffic beneath existing urban development. For civil and geotechnical teams, the milestone signals imminent full‑face tunnelling, with associated demands on segment lining logistics, spoil management and settlement monitoring in densely built areas.

More than $107 million from the latest round of the Federal Government’s Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program (SLRIP) will fund 42 new road projects across Australia, targeting safety and productivity upgrades. Over $91 million of this is allocated to projects on nationally significant routes, supporting works such as intersection treatments, shoulder widening and pavement rehabilitation. Designers and contractors can expect a pipeline of small to medium packages focused on reducing crash risk and improving freight efficiency on existing corridors.

National Grid has launched an £80M framework tender for installing high voltage cable circuits across its UK transmission network, seeking contractors to deliver multi-year works. The framework will cover new and replacement circuits on existing 275kV and 400kV routes, including jointing, testing and commissioning, as well as associated civil works such as ducting, trenching and cable trough construction. Bidders will need proven capability in live-network interfaces, outage-constrained programmes and compliance with National Grid’s technical specifications for high voltage cable systems.

Graham has secured places on six lots of the Procure Partnerships North West Contractor Framework, covering construction Lots 4–6 and infrastructure Lots 10–12 for public sector projects valued from £5m to over £30m. Managed by Wirral Council, the framework comprises 13 value- and category-based lots, with 53 contractors appointed following assessment against detailed technical and commercial criteria. Graham ranked first on infrastructure Lots 11 (£15m–£30m) and 12 (£30m+), positioning it strongly for medium- to large-scale regional infrastructure commissions.

Half of small and medium builders report job starts being delayed, with 49% affected, as 72% struggle to recruit skilled trades such as bricklayers, carpenters and site managers, according to the joint FMB and CIOB state of trade survey for H2 2025. Respondents cite extended lead times for critical path activities, difficulty assembling full site teams, and pressure on labour rates as key constraints on programme delivery. For infrastructure and housing projects, this signals higher risk of schedule overrun and tighter competition for experienced site-based personnel.

Major coastal defence works have started on the Sussex coast as the Environment Agency launches its annual spring programme to protect thousands of homes and businesses from tidal and storm-surge flooding. The campaign typically includes beach recharge using imported shingle, repair and raising of timber and rock groynes, and maintenance of concrete seawalls along key frontages such as Pevensey and Shoreham. Contractors will be working within tight tidal windows, with designs based on recent extreme water levels and wave conditions to maintain crest levels and reduce overtopping risk.

Network Rail has completed replacement of thousands of glazing panels on the historic trainshed roof at London Liverpool Street, Britain’s busiest station by passenger numbers. The works form part of a wider roof refurbishment programme targeting ageing glass and steel elements to improve weatherproofing, daylighting and thermal performance over the concourse and platforms. For asset managers and structural engineers, the project signals ongoing investment in life-extension of Victorian station roofs rather than wholesale reconstruction, with implications for inspection regimes, access systems and future maintenance planning.

GeoPura has signed a 10‑year agreement with Forth Ports to install a commercial‑scale green hydrogen production plant at the Port of Tilbury in Essex, supporting construction of National Highways’ Lower Thames Crossing. The facility will use renewable electricity to produce hydrogen for GeoPura’s hydrogen power units, which are being deployed as an alternative to diesel generators on the scheme’s major temporary works. For contractors and plant suppliers, the deal signals growing demand for hydrogen‑ready equipment, on‑site storage, and revised logistics for fuel supply to large infrastructure projects.

Two major roundabouts have opened on the A12 in East Suffolk to serve the Sizewell C nuclear power station construction site, which is expected to host almost 8,000 workers at peak. The junctions are designed to handle high volumes of HGV and workforce traffic accessing the coastal site, reducing reliance on smaller local roads. For civil and geotechnical teams, the works signal substantial highway interface, pavement design and traffic management demands over the multi-year construction period.

An Amentum-led joint venture has been appointed to provide engineering services for the UK’s first small modular reactors at Wylfa, targeting multi-unit deployment on the former nuclear site and early integration with existing grid and marine infrastructure. In parallel, Holtec’s 300MWe SMR-300 pressurised water reactor has cleared a key UK regulatory milestone for potential installation at the former Cottam coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire. Together, the projects signal accelerated planning for SMR-ready brownfield sites with established cooling water access and high-voltage export capacity.

Errigal Group has acquired Dungannon-based specialist joinery manufacturer Woodmarque, which has expanded its factory from 50,000 sq ft in 2019 to 130,000 sq ft and increased turnover six-fold over the past decade. Woodmarque, which produces high-volume doorsets and bespoke joinery for commercial, residential and hospitality projects across the UK and Ireland, will continue to be led by its founders, the Quinn family. The deal follows Woodmarque’s March 2024 purchase of Bristol-based Doorlining, signalling further consolidation in UK and Irish doorset and fit-out supply chains.

National Housing Bank has begun operations as a Homes England subsidiary, mandated to deploy up to £16bn in debt, equity and guarantees to support more than 500,000 homes and large regeneration and mixed-use schemes across England over the next decade. The institution aims to unlock over £53bn of private investment, working with house builders, developers, registered providers and Mayors through Homes England’s new regional model. Launch details include a £100m partnership with Aviva to deliver up to 3,300 build-to-rent homes in underinvested urban areas, starting with 300 units in Liverpool and Manchester.

Kier has awarded Kimpton a £2.4m contract to deliver mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems for the new Wythenshawe Culture Hub within the town’s Civic building, part of a £500m regeneration led by Muse and Manchester City Council. Kimpton will design and install heating, ventilation, air conditioning, smoke extraction, a building management system, internal and external lighting, small power, fire alarm, access control and public address systems. Work is scheduled to start on site in autumn 2026 and complete by mid‑2027, serving a 40‑seat cinema, 200‑seat performance space and flexible studios.

MMoC specialist Reds10 has restructured its leadership, with founder and chairman Paul Ruddick becoming CEO of Reds10 Group overseeing nine businesses, while Ryan Geldard, formerly Managing Director – Offsite, takes over as CEO of Reds10 to run day-to-day operations. The group reported 2024/25 revenue of £144.7m with a 4.8% operating margin and is targeting growth to £500m by expanding in healthcare, affordable housing and temporary accommodation. Reds10 currently manufactures all buildings off site in five factories totalling 300,000 sq ft at Driffield, East Yorkshire, using industrialised construction and AI-enabled processes.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks has appointed Lancashire-based Multevo as the sixth specialist Unimog sales dealer in the UK, adding to its role in the Unimog authorised repair network since May 2024. Multevo, which supplies multi-purpose equipment to more than 40% of local authorities, most major airports and Tier 1 contractors, recently expanded its headquarters to a 2.5-acre site with a dedicated service centre and employs over 400 staff. Unimog operators will now have sales support from Multevo and aftersales coverage from 24 authorised repairers nationwide.

Senior leadership changes across major UK contractors in March 2026 include new appointments in project delivery, digital engineering and major projects portfolios at firms active on HS2, Lower Thames Crossing and large water frameworks. Several tier one contractors have restructured regional operations to tighten control of NEC4 contract risk, supply chain inflation and design–build integration on schemes above £100M. For geotechnical and civils teams, the moves signal closer central oversight of ground risk allocation, value engineering and early contractor involvement on complex infrastructure.

South Australia’s electricity demand is forecast by transmission operator ElectraNet to double over the next 15 years, driven largely by new and expanded mines and mineral processing, including copper, rare earths and hydrogen projects. The company points to a sharp rise in large industrial connections across the Upper Spencer Gulf and Eyre Peninsula, requiring major 275 kV and 132 kV network augmentations and new renewable generation hubs. For miners and project developers, grid access, connection timing and firm capacity are becoming critical design and investment constraints.

Rolls-Royce has begun construction of an 86MWh, 43MW MTU EnergyPack battery storage facility at the Bankside project in Falkirk under an EPC contract for Voltario Helios Energy Storage, using CATL Tener battery products and backed by a 15-year full-wrap service agreement. The grid-connected system, due online in 2027 after connection later this year, is sized to support roughly 10,000 homes or a large industrial load by shifting surplus renewable generation to peak demand periods. The project feeds into the UK’s 27GW-by-2030 battery storage target and is leveraging the Scottish supply chain.

Willowbrook Plant has expanded its Hyundai heavy line dealership for machines over 10‑tonnes operating weight to cover Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, adding to its existing territory across Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. The Corby-based dealer, established in 2008 and selling Hyundai since 2011, will scale up sales, service, parts and field support across this enlarged region. It is among the first in Europe to supply Hyundai Next Generation crawler excavators, alongside dozers, wheeled loaders and articulated dump trucks, giving contractors broader access to newer earthmoving fleets.

A £300M first phase of renewal at Engie and La Caisse’s Dinorwig pumped storage plant in North Wales has been approved, covering full replacement of two of the site’s six turbine‑generator sets. The works will involve removing and installing large underground units within the existing cavern powerhouse, requiring complex heavy‑lift logistics and precise interface with 1970s civil structures and water conduits. Engineers will need to manage outage sequencing to maintain grid support from the remaining four units while upgrading hydraulic, electrical and control systems to modern performance and reliability standards.

The Government’s Major Projects Portfolio has been cut from more than 200 schemes to 81 as the new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (Nista) refocuses central oversight. Nista will concentrate on projects judged most in need of specialist assurance, such as complex rail upgrades, large hospitals and multi‑billion‑pound defence infrastructure, rather than lower‑risk, business‑as‑usual schemes. For civil and geotechnical teams, this signals tighter scrutiny on programme risk, cost escalation and delivery confidence for the largest, most technically challenging assets.

Fragmented early-stage planning between utilities, highways and developers is still causing costly redesigns and delays on UK schemes, with buried services repeatedly clashing with new assets such as 1,200mm trunk mains and 132kV cable routes. The opinion piece argues for utilities engineers to be embedded from RIBA Stage 1, using shared 3D federated models and common data environments rather than sequential diversion requests. For geotechnical and civil teams, this means earlier constraints mapping around easements, protection slabs and corridor widths, reducing late ground investigations and unplanned service diversions.

GRS has been awarded the full roads and sewers package for Persimmon Homes’ new residential scheme, The Acorns, at Pepper Lane in Standish, adding to its ongoing work at Persimmon’s Jack Walker Way site in Blackburn. With more than 60 years’ civil engineering experience, GRS will handle end‑to‑end delivery of adoptable highways and drainage infrastructure to Persimmon Homes North West’s quality and safety standards. The repeat appointment signals continued demand for contractors able to manage complete groundworks, utilities interfaces and Section 38/104‑type obligations on volume housebuilding sites.

Coyle Equipment Services has added two Isuzu rigids—a 13.5‑tonne F135.240(E) and a 7.5‑tonne N75.190(E)—supplied by Cordwallis Group and fitted with bespoke dropside bodies from TLC Auto Refinishing. The bodies are engineered for the uneven weight distribution and pressure points of heavy hydraulic attachments, with reinforced decks and multiple heavy‑duty lashing points for varied load configurations. Both trucks also incorporate a working‑at‑height fall restraint system, signalling continued emphasis on load security and operator safety in specialist equipment transport.

Dawsongroup Energy Solutions has taken delivery of JCB’s first hydrogen internal combustion engine-powered generator, configured to work alongside a battery system and three-phase grid supply. The unit is intended for top-up and peak power demands rather than continuous baseload, signalling early commercial deployment of hydrogen ICE technology in temporary and distributed power applications. For infrastructure contractors, the set-up points to hybrid site power schemes where hydrogen-fuelled generation covers short-duration peaks while batteries and grid handle steady loads.

A new pedestrian overpass at Ballarat Station in Victoria has opened with stair and lift access to each platform, completing the multi-stage Ballarat Station Upgrade. The fully grade-separated crossing removes the need for passengers to traverse live tracks, improving DDA-compliant access for people with disability, prams and luggage. For designers and asset managers, the project signals continued prioritisation of vertical transport and segregated pedestrian rail crossings in regional station upgrades.

Public transport across Victoria’s entire network – including Melbourne’s 250‑kilometre tram system operated by the new Yarra Journey Makers (Transdev–John Holland JV) – will be free for all users every day until the end of April. The measure is aimed at offsetting higher household transport costs linked to fuel price spikes from the Middle East conflict. Operators and planners will need to manage short‑term demand surges, load distribution and asset wear on key corridors without the usual price-based demand control.

Australian social enterprise OC Connections Enterprises (OCCE) is supplying Australian-made recycled plastic bollards into road and transport projects while employing people with disability in supported manufacturing roles. The bollards are produced using locally sourced post-consumer and post-industrial plastics, embedding circular manufacturing directly into road furniture supply chains and diverting material from landfill. For asset owners and contractors, the product offers a stable domestic supply of standard traffic-control components with quantifiable recycled content and documented social procurement outcomes.

Key progress on the $226 million Mulgoa Road upgrade in New South Wales marks milestones on both stage one and stage two of works between Penrith and the M4 Western Motorway, a critical link into the wider Sydney motorway network. The project targets current and forecast congestion on this main access route, with staged duplication and intersection upgrades designed to increase capacity and reduce delays at key junctions. Civil contractors will be watching traffic staging, pavement design and tie-ins to existing M4 ramps as construction intensifies.

Two headline contracts worth about £3bn have been signed for Britain’s fourth high‑voltage subsea electricity “superhighway” between Scotland and England, advancing a major reinforcement of north–south transmission capacity. The deals cover manufacture and installation of long‑distance HVDC subsea cables and associated converter station equipment, forming part of the network upgrades needed to move larger volumes of Scottish offshore wind and other renewables to English demand centres. Contractors will face complex marine installation, landfall civils and grid interface works, with tight coordination around existing subsea infrastructure.

Caddick Construction is tripling its Birmingham office footprint from 900 sq ft to 2,590 sq ft at Northspring, boosting desk capacity by 80% and adding a third meeting room to support a Midlands team that has grown from 10 to more than 75 staff since 2023. The contractor now holds a £300m forward order book with a £1bn target pipeline, anchored by schemes such as Cole Waterhouse’s £43m Upper Trinity Street regeneration in Digbeth and the adjacent Stone Yard project. Current workload also includes a £28m urban logistics scheme at Foundry Business Park, Wolverhampton, and Delamere Health’s £20m addiction clinic on the former Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue HQ site in Bestwood.

Tameside Council has launched a £54M highways maintenance framework tender aimed at upgrading carriageways, footways and associated assets across the borough, with scope for use by other Greater Manchester and neighbouring authorities. The multi-supplier framework is expected to cover routine and reactive maintenance, resurfacing, drainage works and structures repairs, favouring contractors offering innovative methods such as low‑carbon asphalts and digital asset management. Bidders will need to demonstrate capability for working under live traffic, coordinating with utilities, and delivering to tight possession windows.

Turner & Townsend has reshaped its leadership, appointing Patricia Moore as managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa alongside her existing UK MD role, signalling a push to grow its major programme advisory across the region. Andy Scott becomes MD for defence and infrastructure after leading teams on Heathrow, Hinkley Point C and Edinburgh Trams, consolidating transport, energy and defence programme expertise under one portfolio. Former UK infrastructure lead James Corrigan moves to become MD for the USA, taking experience from HS2, Crossrail and wider UK programme advisory into the North American market.

Rising energy and fuel costs are squeezing UK construction materials, with the Construction Leadership Council’s supply chain group reporting a 2% output fall in the three months to January 2026, the fourth consecutive monthly decline. Energy-intensive products and oil-derived materials face sharp factory-gate increases despite some hedging, while imports of wall and floor tiles, exterior porcelain and sandstone from India are being disrupted by higher fuel prices linked to Middle East tensions. Mechanical engineers report copper price rises and steel prices moving so fast that reliable quotes are difficult, prompting calls for earlier forecasting, clearer cost evidence and collaborative risk-sharing across the supply chain.

A £165M government roads fund has been launched to deliver junction upgrades, link roads and access improvements needed to unlock “stalled” housing and employment sites across England. Funding will target off-site highway constraints that currently block planning consents, such as substandard single-access routes, overloaded roundabouts and missing spine roads into large allocations. For civil and geotechnical teams, this signals near-term demand for design and delivery of new connectors, localised widening, pavement reconstruction and associated drainage and utilities diversions tied directly to specific development parcels.

A major junction in Stockport has reopened after a year-long, £20M reconstruction replacing the Greek Street bridge over the West Coast Main Line. The rail overbridge, which carries a busy roundabout above one of the UK’s highest‑traffic intercity corridors, was fully removed and rebuilt under extended possessions to minimise disruption to Avanti West Coast and freight services. For civil and rail engineers, the scheme illustrates the logistical and staging demands of replacing a critical overbridge on a live main line in an urban setting.

Topping out of the five-storey MY Central office block marks a key milestone in Railpen and Socius’s £180m Mill Yard mixed-use campus on Devonshire Road, Cambridge, which will deliver 110,000 sq ft of flexible workspace, 70 build-to-rent apartments and a 2,100 sq ft nursery by 2027. Morgan Sindall Construction is targeting NABERS Design for Performance 5-star and BREEAM Outstanding ratings for the all-electric buildings, using its CarboniCa tool to pursue an embodied carbon saving of 5,013 tonnes and diverting 99% of waste from landfill. The scheme includes 1.55 acres of public green space with over 120 trees, green roofs, bat/bird/bee boxes, hedgehog habitats and a 280% biodiversity net gain target, plus a community pavilion by George King Architects, perimeter running track and secure cycle facilities.

McCann has secured a street lighting term service contract worth up to £18m with the London Borough of Hillingdon, covering an initial seven-year period extendable to twelve. The contract covers maintenance of around 25,000 assets, including 5,130 illuminated signs, bollards and centre island posts, 4,170 non‑illuminated signs and solar or reflective bollards, and 240 feeder pillars, plus full planned and reactive works. Scope includes column replacement, structural testing, cyclical electrical testing, night scouting and a 24‑hour emergency response, alongside wider highway-related works.

New South Wales is allocating $183.2 million to upgrade regional freight routes so heavy vehicles can safely haul oversize turbine blades, tower sections and solar components to wind and solar farm sites. Works will focus on strengthening pavements, widening lanes and improving bridge load capacities on key corridors identified by Transport for NSW as critical to Renewable Energy Zones. For civil and geotechnical contractors, the programme signals upcoming demand for pavement rehabilitation, bridge assessment and strengthening, and geometric upgrades tailored to over‑mass and over‑dimension loads.

Victorian train drivers and around 1000 engineers are training on a full-size X’Trapolis 2.0 replica ahead of the new suburban fleet entering service this year. The simulator replicates the new train’s cab layout, braking systems and signalling interfaces, allowing operators to rehearse degraded-mode running, emergency braking and platform interface management in controlled conditions. For civil and rail systems engineers, early familiarisation with the X’Trapolis 2.0’s performance envelope and control systems will influence future track geometry, power supply planning and station upgrade requirements.

Teesside-based px Group has secured a multimillion-pound contract to operate and maintain two facilities at the UK’s first commercial-scale carbon capture and storage project within the East Coast Cluster. The wider cluster, centred on Teesside and the Humber industrial regions, has now awarded £1.5bn in contracts for CO₂ capture, compression and transport infrastructure. For engineers, this signals imminent demand for O&M-ready designs, robust materials for high-purity CO₂ service, and integration of capture plants with existing heavy industrial assets.