The creation of a new river wall as part of the £20 million Tyne docklands redevelopment is nearing completion with the work supported by innovative technology that protects marine and river life.
The Tyne river is the UK’s most important river for Atlantic salmon and was singled out by the Environment Agency in 2019 as the only river in England where the salmon population is not at risk of falling below sustainable levels.
A bubble curtain the length of a football pitch – 91m – was placed around the work to limit the underwater noise to meet environmental regulations. This allowed contractor John F Hunt Regeneration to continue work without affecting the salmon migration.
The technology was provided by us as the UK’s commercial supplier of Bubble Tubing®. Its deployment for noise reduction during piling – driving cylindrical steel or concrete pile foundations deep into the ground – is a UK first and has earned us an International Gold Green Apple Environment Award for Environmental Best Practice and Green World Ambassador 2024 .
International gold winners
Established 29 years ago by independent, non-profit group The Green Organisation, the Green Apple Environment Awards exist to recognise, promote and reward exemplary environmental achievements around the world. The prestigious ceremonies were held in London at the Houses of Parliament (20 November 2023) and St Paul’s Cathedral (1 July 2024) and were attended by members of the project team.
Green Apple Awards’ judges shared:
“Frog Environmental introduced groundbreaking bubble curtain technology in the UK, surpassing national regulations. It yielded a 99% reduction in underwater noise emissions during piling operations. The project’s success influenced other UK contractors, fostering enhanced environmental protection for aquatic and marine life.“
We were up against approximately 800 other nominations in the International Green Apple Awards and as a result of our success, we have become a Green World Ambassador and our winning paper will be published in an international Green Book that showcases environmental best practice across the globe.
Commenting on the award wins, Associate Director of Marketing and Business Development Felicity McClintock said:
“A trip to the Houses of Parliament and St Paul’s to be presented with gold awards for environmental best practice marks a very special time in Frog Environmental’s history. The team work very hard to support construction and utility companies with achieving their environmental aims through advice, our productised solutions and our relationships with world class suppliers, and I’m so very proud of the team to receive this recognition externally.
“It was extra special to be joined by Simon and Dave from John F Hunt Regeneration to celebrate with us who have been pivotal to our success.”
Bubbles protect aquatic life during underwater construction work
Reflecting on the project’s success, our Technical Director Leela O’Dea said:
“Up until now, the only responsible way to structure project work during salmon migration seasons was to carefully plan your works to avoid this period. From March until November, it was not an option to carry out piling work for up to seven hours a day, so depending on what time those tides fell whole working days could be lost. By using this bubble curtain the noise of the work is significantly dampened and reduced so much that salmon aren’t stressed, or worse yet, killed as a consequence. In effect, it becomes background noise. This allows work to continue even during formerly limited periods.”
A bubble curtain is a simple yet innovative solution to help with water quality and environmental protection. Made of a linear perforated hose which is operated by a small air compressor, it creates a constant flow of bubbles across the entire body of water which can be used for aeration as well as acting as a barrier around an area or to contain a pollutant.
Water-based construction projects can benefit from the bubble curtain’s ability to reduce underwater noise pollution or silt movement as well as environmental initiatives such as aeration or to create bubble barriers to prevent oil spills, litter, algae or deflecting jellyfish and fish from areas.
It can be used in both freshwater and marine environments for temporary works or as permanent infrastructure. It lies dormant on the floor of the waterbody until it needs to be activated.
John F Hunt Regeneration Manager for Marine and Civils, Dave McLaren, said:
“We couldn’t believe the results. There was a staggering 99% reduction in noise from the impact piling when the curtain was in operation – well below the danger level for salmon. We used it last year and it has saved us tens of thousands of pounds and sped up our timeframe for completion by a full week. We’ll definitely be using it again on other projects.”
According to the South Tyneside Council, the Holborn area has been largely derelict for years, and the remediation of disused drydocks at East Holborn into a riverside quarter for living and working is part of a larger mixed-use development. Along with the new quay wall, and restoration of three derelict docks, the site will be regraded to protect against flooding and remediated to deal with past industrial contamination and to turn former industrial land into a desirable location for residents and visitors.
The council estimates the scheme will be finished in spring 2024, although John F Hunt Regeneration will complete the new quay wall by the end of this year.
Frog Environmental are water quality and silt control specialists working with contractors, regulators and consultants within construction, utilities, marine and coastal and public sector industries across the UK and Europe.
With environmental stewardship at the heart of everything we do, we bring innovation to the market through a range of cutting-edge products backed with our technical team’s knowledge, and strive to create new benchmarks for environmental protection, client efficiency and value.
Find out more about how we support clients visit our case studies or product pages. Follow our news and updates or contact us for technical support.
“… gold awards for environmental best practice marks a very special time in Frog Environmental’s history..”
Felicity McClintock, Associate Director of Marketing and Business Development
“Frog Environmental introduced groundbreaking bubble curtain technology in the UK, surpassing national regulations. It yielded a 99% reduction in underwater noise emissions during piling operations. The project’s success influenced other UK contractors, fostering enhanced environmental protection for aquatic and marine life.”
Green Apple Awards judging panel
