Category: News

Sorensen Civil Engineering Ltd would like to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas🎄

📢 We’re Hiring!

We have exciting opportunities to join our team in the Munster region.

The N73 Annakisha Road Improvement Scheme Project was successfully completed and reopened to the public last Friday, November 22nd.

The contract entailed realignment of a section of the N73 between Cooldurragha and Powerstown (approximately 7km east of Mallow), realignment of local road junctions, combined pedestrian/cycle tracks, construction of new bridge structures, new underpass structures, culverts, earthworks, fencing, drainage, landscaping, and environmental mitigation works.

We’d like to say thank you to our dedicated and experienced site team, who worked hard to deliver this project. We are very grateful to the local community for their cooperation and patience during the works. Thank you to our client Cork County Council along with the team Transport Infrastructure Ireland for their support and collaboration throughout the project.

Sorensen has been awarded two new marine projects in recent weeks in the Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre (FHC), Co. Donegal. We are delivering these two exciting projects on behalf of our valued client, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

The first project is the Killybegs Smooth Point – Breasting Dolphins project which is located adjacent to the new Smooth Point Pier Extension that we successfully completed earlier this year. The proposed works comprise the construction of four breasting dolphins to aid with stern-on berthing against the existing quay wall. The dolphins will be installed perpendicular to the existing quay face to both guide vessels under the berthing operations and secure vessels in a moored condition. Walkways will be provided to connect the dolphins to the quay wall and provide access for mooring crews. Our site team is very familiar with Killybegs FHC and we look forward to working with the DAFM team and all of the stakeholders on this project.

The second project is the Killybegs Passenger Pontoon and Additional Small Craft Harbour Berths project which is located adjacent Blackrock Pier in the Killybegs FHC. The works initially entail the installation of steel tubular piles. New passenger pontoons, harbour pontoons and gangway will then be installed upon completion of the piling works. A new breakwater will be constructed at the entrance to the Basin along with ancillary landside civils works.

Best of luck to the Sorensen marine teams as they commence mobilisation, and site works on both projects in the coming weeks.

What a fantastic turnout for the ‘Dash on the N73’ on Sunday!

The fundraiser run/walk organised by Sorensen and Ballygown National School aimed to raise funds for essential upgrade works to the school facilities and resources. With incredible support from the community, we exceeded all expectations and raised over €25,000! 🎉

A huge thank you to everyone who participated, donated, and contributed to making this event a success. Special thanks to Donncha O’Callaghan for joining us to kick off the event🌟

Our Celtic Interconnector cable installation teams continue to make steady progress pulling the 320 kV DC cables into the 33km ducting route. The specialist cable jointing crews have commenced jointing works on the 400 kV AC section. These jointing works are undertaken in a controlled environment within adapted steel containers placed at the junction bays along the route.

The trenching and ducting teams are advancing steadily along the 320 kV DC cable route, which extends from the Ballyadam site to the landfall at Claycastle Beach in Youghal and they are currently focusing on cable route sections that are off-road.

At the converter station site at Ballyadam, near Carrigtwohill, Siemens Energy have completed the enabling phase and are now progressing the main civil works phase at the site.

A huge congratulations to our Graduate Quantity Surveyors, Luke Kelleher & Ryan Keenan, who both graduated from Munster Technological University! We wish both young men the very best of luck in their careers🎓🎉

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. officially opened the Smooth Point Pier Extension at Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre on 20th September.

The project involved the completion of a new 120m long quay development at Smooth Point, aiming to alleviate congestion during the peak fishing season. The works also included dredging in excess of 10,000 cubic metres of rock from the bed of the harbour.

Well done to the Sorensen site team for co-ordinating the works safely in a very restricted and challenging environment. Thank you to the Employer’s Representative and Designer, Doran Consulting Engineers for their collaboration with Sorensen on this project.

Sorensen joined SSE Renewables Onshore Development & Construction team at their first Community Delivery Event in Glasgow. Over 100 partners were present and there was lots of interaction and discussions on key topics and common challenges.

The event focussed on Safety and how by collectively utilising the power of a community approach we can achieve the goal of getting people home safely. Also, talks focussed on Sustainability, Environmental delivery and showcased the significant pipeline of onshore projects that SSE will be progressing in the near future.

Following the Contract Award for the Tarbert Jetty Repairs Contract by SSE Renewables, the Sorensen Marine Team has wasted no time getting to work. The project entails replacement of the fendering system on the main jetty, complex scaffolding and encapsulation works to allow critical repairs to the steel work on the four existing bridges. The bridges also require sand blasting and paintwork to all steel members. Ancillary works include a full renovation of the Jetty welfare building on the jetty. Fingers crossed for a spell of good weather in the coming weeks!

Our site teams had a great time with our partners Nexans at the summer site BBQ on the Celtic Interconnector.

A big thank you to everyone who helped organize the event and to all who joined us on the day.

Despite the poor weather conditions experienced during the summer, works are progressing well on the Foynes to Limerick Road Contract No. 1 project. These works are part of the first phase of the long-awaited Adare Bypass project. The Sorensen site team has received a warm welcome from the Adare community and project stakeholders.

We are delivering this project on behalf of our client, Limerick City and County Council and the funding authority Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

#TeamSorensen
#RyderCup2027

⭕We are currently seeking an Accounts/Administrative Assistant for a full-time permanent position based in Cork.

💻To learn more, visit: Vacancies | Sorensen

The Sorensen management team wish to acknowledge the great work being done by our student interns across our civil and marine projects. They have all shown a keen interest in their work and have adapted quickly to site environment. Keep up the good work, and enjoy the remainder of your placement. The future is bright at Sorensen!

Sorensen have recently completed our Fender Installation Project at Dun Laoghaire Harbour’s Carlisle Pier, which was delivered in two phases.

The Project consisted of the installation of 17no. new fenders supported on large diameter tubular steel piles. The project has increased the capacity and flexibility of the Harbour for berthing a wide range of vessels.

Thank you to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and RPS for their collaboration on the Project.

Well done to our Marine Team!

Our Annakisha project team, led by Paraic McCarthy, welcomed the Mayor of County Cork, Frank O’Flynn to the project last week. The Mayor was joined by Cork County Council’s Director of Services for Roads & Transportation, Niall Healy and Senior Engineer, Sean Callery, and Senior Executive Engineer, Eddie Murphy. Read what the Mayor had to say about progress on the project by clicking on the link below.

Echo Live article here: https://lnkd.in/ePDffrXQ

Sorensen recently completed a trial section of the South Kerry Greenway located at Mountain Stage Viewpoint, Ring of Kerry, Co Kerry. This greenway will be among the most impressive and spectacular greenways in Europe when it is complete.

The works delivered by Sorensen included:
Site Clearance
Fencing
Earthworks
Raking down and preparing existing rock faces
Installation of rock anchors and retaining mesh for slope stabilisation
Extensive shotcrete works
Retaining wall foundations
Gabion basket retaining walls
Installation of new drainage systems
Construction of Greenway substructure layers
Landscaping and finishing works

We wish to thank the local community and the road-users for their cooperation and patience during the works. Thank you to our client #Kerry County Council, the designer MWP and the funding body Transport Infrastructure Ireland, for their support and collaboration throughout the project. Well done to the Sorensen project team for their efforts in delivering this project safely and on time.

#Greenways
#TeamSorensen

Sorensen recently completed the Smooth Point Pier Extension project at Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre, which we delivered on behalf of our client, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The project involved the completion of a new 120m long quay development at Smooth Point, aiming to alleviate congestion during the peak fishing season. The works also included dredging in excess of 10,000 cubic metres of rock from the bed of the harbour.

Well done to the site team for co-ordinating the works safely in a very restricted and challenging works area. Thank you to the Employer’s Representative and Designer, Doran Consulting Engineers for the collaboration on this project.

Sorensen wishes to sincerely thank the Killybegs community for their cooperation during the works.

#Marineworks
#TeamSorensen

Minister of State, Kieran O’Donnell, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Cllr. Gerald Mitchell together with representatives from Sorensen & Limerick City and County Council attended the official opening of Mungret LIHAF Road Stage 2 yesterday.

The project involved the construction of two new link roads with associated infrastructure works. The new link roads will facilitate future housing development and a new school.

We’d like to thank our dedicated site team and our trusted support staff in our head office who all worked extremely hard, in collaboration with Limerick City and County Council and Mott MacDonald, to deliver this vital infrastructure project for the Limerick area.

We are nearing the completion of our R614 Ballyhooly Road Upgrade project in Ballyvolane, Cork City. When complete, this 12-month project will facilitate the construction of 753 new homes on the Longview Estates site which will be a major boost to the area.

We would like to acknowledge the hard work and collaboration on the project by the Sorensen project team, MHL Consulting Engineers design team, the Long View Estates Ltd team and our Client, Housing Infrastructure Services Company (HISCo).

As illustrated by the recent drone photos, the Sorensen Project Team are progressing very well on the N73 Annakisha Road Improvement Scheme.

The structures team are progressing the underpasses, river bridges and culverts. Despite the poor weather recently, our earthworks team is on programme and drainage works are also progressing well.

We would like to acknowledge the hard work and collaboration on the project between the Sorensen project team, RPS design team, our Client, Cork County Council and the funding authority Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

Sorensen Civil Engineering Ltd would like to wish our clients, supply partners and all our loyal staff a very Happy Easter.

In recognition of #WorldWaterDay, we’re sharing footage from our Churchfield Reservoir Roof Replacement project which we recently completed on behalf of our client Uisce Éireann Irish Water.

This reservoir upgrade project consisted of the challenging task of removing and replacing 4,200m² of reinforced concrete roof structure over the 40 mega-litre reservoir. Our trusted supply chain partner, #BannagherPrecastConcrete successfully delivered the replacement precast elements to allow our site team to diligently reconstruct the roof structure.

Despite the obvious challenges, the reservoir remained fully operational, ensuring a continuous supply of drinking water to Cork City.

Giving back to the Community: As part of our community liaison work on our Glashaboy Flood Relief Scheme in Glanmire, members of our site team, accompanied by Ken Leahy of Arup, provided a presentation on the design, construction and ecology aspects of the project to the 2nd year students at Glanmire Community College.

Sorensen’s ecologist, Sorcha Dale spoke about the ecological elements on the project, our liaison officer, Elaine Cronin gave the students an insight into the importance of collaboration with the community and stake holders, and Ken Leahy gave a fascinating account of the design process on this complex flood relief project.

We received a warm welcome from the students and teachers during our visit and would like to thank the school for their hospitality and all the students for taking part. A special mention goes to Josh, Damien, Justin, Lucie, Clodagh, Lauren and Jack. Thank you to the school principal, Ronan McCarthy.

Works are progressing well on the flood relief scheme, which we are delivering on behalf of our client Cork City Council – Comhairle Cathrach Chorcaí.

Sorensen, in collaboration with Nexans & EirGrid Group has been working extremely hard to deliver the Celtic Interconnector, which, when delivered, will create an electrical interconnection between Ireland and France to allow the exchange of electricity between the two countries.

Sorensen are installing the ducting, cabling, junction boxes, tunnel works and all associated civil works from the submarine interface at Youghal beach to the final termination point at Knockraha Substation in Carrigtwohill. The cable route is 43km in length, and works are programmed to run until May 2026.

Sorensen wishes to sincerely thank the local communities of East Cork for their patience and cooperation during the works.

The latest Celtic Interconnector Community Newsletter is now available to read.

Celtic-Interconnector-Newsletter-February-2024

Project Flashback ?

Youghal Eco Boardwalk was looking fantastic at high tide and low tide over the weekend.

We delivered this project on behalf of our client, Cork County Council, in 2021. The project comprised the construction of a new ‘Eco Boardwalk’ on the seaward side of the Ballyvergan Dunes from Claycastle to Redbarn, Youghal, Co. Cork. The boardwalk was opened at a time when COVID was at its most prominent, and the people of Youghal were delighted to avail of such a spectacular outdoor amenity at the time.

#TeamSorensen

Our Glashaboy team took part in a Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity #MakeItVisible talk on site yesterday morning.
The talk highlighted the importance of both mental & physical health.
Addressing mental health in the construction industry is vital for the overall health, safety, and wellbeing of our site teams.
A big thanks from all at Sorensen to Dale & Justin for a very enjoyable morning.

The Make It Visible website is a valuable resource dedicated to everyone in our industry, aimed at enhancing the welfare and wellbeing of our workforce.
Discover more: www.lighthouseclub.org

We are pleased to announce the following promotions to Director within Sorensen Civil Engineering Limited; Brian Snow (Operations Director), Luke Treacy (Operations Director), Paraic McCarthy (Operations Director) and Michael O’Leary (Commercial Director). These promotions are an acknowledgement of this groups’ hard work and dedication to the company in recent years. We are confident that, under the guidance of this experienced group of Directors, the company is in excellent hands for the future.

We congratulate them sincerely on their career milestones & wish them the very best in their new roles.

We’d like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Student Intern, Aidan Curry, who is a third-year Civil Engineering student from University of Limerick.

Aidan will join our Celtic Interconnector project team for his 8-month work placement.

We wish him all the best on his work placement and look forward to seeing him thrive within our dynamic project team.

Evan Donovan is a 3rd year civil engineering student at Technological University of the Shannon. He is currently 6 months into his 14-month work placement. He is part of our site team on the N73 Annakisha Road improvement project.

We’d like to acknowledge Evan’s hard work and commitment to date on the project and look forward to monitoring his progress through to becoming a qualified civil engineer in the near future.

As part of our commitment to the Engineers Ireland ‘STEPS to Engineering’ programme, Sorensen Contracts Manager, Paraic McCarthy gave a presentation to the 4th class students at Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School, Limerick City.
We received a warm welcome from the students and teachers during our visit, where we covered topics such as road construction, interesting Civil Engineering projects, and the civil engineering industry in general.
We would like to thank the school for their hospitality and all the pupils for taking part. Hopefully we have inspired some of the pupils to choose Civil Engineering as a career!

Cllr. Bernard Moynihan officially opened the Ballymaquirk Junction Upgrade Scheme on Friday, 17th November.

The project was a safety initiative by Cork County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland that consisted of replacing the existing four-cross-roads on the N72/R579 Ballymaquirk Junction, with a new on-line roundabout. There were also realignment works on all the existing approach roads as well as drainage, utilities, fencing, traffic management and associated ancillary works. We’re delighted to see that the new roundabout is providing a much safer passage through this busy road junction for the people of Banteer and the wider north Cork area.

We’d like to thank our dedicated and experienced Sorensen site team that worked extremely hard, in collaboration with the Cork County Council RDO site team, to deliver this project ahead of programme through very challenging site conditions.

Sorensen is happy to be celebrating the CQI | The Chartered Quality Institute‘s World Quality Week 2023.

Our Integrated Management System is certified by NSAI to ISO9001, ISO14001, and ISO45001 standards.

We would also like to welcome our new Quality Manager, Eoin Dunne, to the Sorensen team. Eoin brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in construction QAQC management to our senior management team.

#WorldQualityWeek

Rounding off Construction Safety Month with a recap of the Toolbox Talks conducted on-site last week. These discussions emphasized critical risks to uphold the highest safety standards across all our sites.

The topics covered were:
?️ Working at Height
?️ Safe Use of Mobile Equipment
?️ Safe Access & Egress
?️ Safe Lifting & Loading Practices
?️ Safety by Example

While Safety Month comes to an end, commitment to the safety and welfare of our team remains our top priority.

#CIFSafety23 #Sorensen

Our Contracts Manager Brian Snow spoke with Neil Prendeville about the flash flooding in Glanmire last week. As the Cois Na Gleann culvert under the main Glanmire road reached its capacity and began to flood the road, our experienced site team in collaboration with Cork City Council – Comhairle Cathrach Chorcaí began to dam off the road and divert the flood waters, saving numerous local homes and businesses from millions of euros of property damage. We’d like to acknowledge all the good wishes that we’ve received from the local community who were extremely grateful for the efforts put in during the floods by the Sorensen team. Most importantly, a big thank you to our site team for their quick thinking and hard work!

As part of Construction Industry Federation (CIF) Safety Month & World Mental Health Day, our Celtic Interconnector team took part in a Lighthouse Charity #MakeItVisible talk on site this morning. The talk highlighted the importance of both mental & physical health. Addressing mental health in the construction industry is vital for the overall health, safety, and wellbeing of our site teams.

#CIFSafetyMonth #CIF #WorldMentalHealthDay

We were delighted to welcome Damien Owens, Director General of Engineers Ireland, to our Cork office this week to present us with our award parchment for the prestigious CPD Accredited Employer Standard in recognition of our continuing professional development (CPD) strategy for all our employees.

Thank you to our HSEQ and Engineering teams who implemented the CPD systems, allowing Sorensen to achieve this coveted award.

The Sorensen team would like to welcome our new Graduate Engineer, Evan Flavin. Evan is a graduate from Munster Technological University and is working on our Carlisle Pier project in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Sorensen is delighted to have been awarded the N73 Annakisha Road Improvement Scheme, which we will deliver on behalf of our client, Cork County Council, with funding provided by Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

This 18-month contract entails realignment of a section of the N73 between Cooldurragha and Powerstown (approximately 7km east of Mallow), realignment of five local road junctions, two combined pedestrian/cycle tracks, construction of two new bridge structures, two underpass structures, two culverts, earthworks, fencing, drainage, landscaping, and environmental mitigation works.

As illustrated in the photos, our experienced site team has wasted no time getting started on site.

Find out more about the project here: https://lnkd.in/eb_sshMp

Our Steamboat Quay hand railing works have been successfully completed by the hardworking Sorensen project team in Limerick City. The new handrail along the quays has been very well received by the local community and our client Limerick City and County Council.

Thank you to all the stakeholders and our local supply chain for their inputs on the project. Here’s a nice article outlining the success of this safety initiative project: New railings close the river gap in Limerick city – Limerick Live (limerickleader.ie)

We have great pleasure in announcing that Limerick City & County Council has appointed Sorensen Civil Engineering as Main Contractor to deliver the Plassey Park Road Improvement Scheme in Limerick City.

This project proposes to upgrade the entrance to the National Technological Park and locally widen some of the surrounding roads to accommodate new cycleways, footpaths and bus lanes at Plassey Park Road and Plassey Road.
The project also comprises of a number of junction upgrades including paving, landscaping, drainage and the installation of bus lanes along with associated site works.

We look forward to delivering this project on behalf of our client, Limerick City and County Council.

We are proud to announce that Sorensen Civil Engineering Ltd. is now an Achilles Supply-Line accredited company. We achieved an incredible 97% compliance so well done to the HSQE team for steering us through the audit with flying colours!

We look forward to collaborating with new clients within the Achilles Information Ltd Supply-Line community.

Sorensen Quantity Surveyor, Cian Binéid, marked his 25-year anniversary with the company this week which is an incredible milestone. Cian joined the company in 1998 after graduating from University of Glamorgan in Wales. He has been a constant rock in the commercial department throughout good times and bad. He has played a key role in our steady growth over the past 25 years and, with a fair wind, he will feature in the next 25 years also at Sorensen!

We’d like to thank him sincerely for his hard work, dedication, honesty and loyalty to the company over the last 25 years, it is very much appreciated. Here’s to another 25 years Cian….!

Sorensen has recently commenced fender installation works at Dun Laoghaire Harbour’s Carlisle Pier.

The project consists of the installation of nine new fenders supported on tubular steel piles, which will increase the capacity and flexibility of the quay for berthing a range of vessels which moor at the Harbour.

As part of the Sorensen Green Initiative, our site team is currently trialling a battery-powered MEWP. The battery-powered plant produces zero emissions which helps to improve air quality and reduce the carbon footprint of our operations.

Well done to our Marine Team!

Our Chairman, Olaf Sorensen and Managing Director, John Wallace joined our client, HISCo to welcome Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Minister Michael McGrath to the sod-turning event at the R614 Ballyhooly Road Upgrade Works on Friday last.

This 12-month contract entails the widening of Ballyhooly Road, utility diversions, new footpaths, cycleways, and boundary walls. There is also a new entrance and trunk road from the Ballyhooly Road through the new Longview Estate Housing Scheme, which will permit the commencement of construction works on 753 new houses in the area. We would like to acknowledge the hard work and collaboration so far on the project between the Sorensen project team, MHL design team, Developer, Long View Estates Ltd and Client, HISCo. The excellent progress to date on site is a testament to the positive approach from all parties involved in the project.

Sorensen would like to acknowledge the great work that our Student QS, Ryan Keenan has been doing since joining us in April on his QS work placement from Munster Technological University. Keep up the good work Ryan!

We have great pleasure in announcing that Cork City Council has appointed Sorensen Civil Engineering as Main Contractor to deliver the Glashaboy Flood Relief Scheme. This 32-month project entails the construction of direct flood defences and conveyance improvement measures along the Glashaboy River and its tributaries. The flood defences proposed include flood walls, embankments, localised channel widening/deepening, and the replacement of culverts and bridges. The scheme will provide much needed protection for 78 residential properties and 25 commercial premises.

We look forward to delivering this project on behalf of our client, Cork City Council – Comhairle Cathrach Chorcaí, and the funding authority Office of Public Works .

At Sorensen Civil Engineering, we are committed to sustainability and protecting our natural resources. We prioritize waste reduction and recycling in all our operations. By implementing efficient waste management practices, we’re minimizing our environmental footprint and promoting a circular economy.

Looking back on our award-winning Marina Park project, one of our major accomplishments was the responsible management of contaminated materials on site. A large quantity of the contaminated material was re-used on-site by implementing a number of innovative methodologies that allowed us to incorporate the contaminated material into the permanent works. Subsequently, we avoided sending significant quantities of material to landfill oversea, thus reducing truck & ship movements. This achieved an increase in environmental standards on the project and resulted in a subsequent decrease in the projects carbon footprint.

Giving back to the Community: As part of our Community Liaison work on our Mungret LIHAF Stage 2 project, our MD, John Wallace recently gave a presentation to the students at Mungret Community College. We received a warm welcome from the students and teachers during our visit and would like to thank the school for their hospitality and all the pupils for taking part.

Works are progressing well on the Mungret road project, which we are delivering on behalf of our client Limerick City and County Council. This new link road will facilitate future housing development and a brand new school premises for the students and teachers at Mungret Community College.

Works have commenced on N72/R579 Ballymaquirk Junction Safety Improvement Scheme. This project entails replacing the existing four-cross-roads with a new on-line roundabout located to the northeast of the existing junction. There is also realignment works on all the existing approach roads forming the four new legs of the proposed roundabout. We look forward to delivering this project on behalf of our client, Cork County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

Well done to the site team for getting this project off to a great start.

Sorensen would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Surveyor, Russell Hulett. Russell has recently moved to Ireland from his native South Africa to join the Sorensen team. He has commenced work on our Ballyhooly Roadworks project and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the site team.

We wish Russell and his family the best of luck settling into Ireland and integrating into the Sorensen team.

Sorensen would like to welcome our Graduate Engineer, Ben Fahey. Ben is a recent graduate from Waterford Institute of Technology & is working on the R614 Ballyhooly Road Upgrade Works. The project team has wasted no time in training Ben to survey and set out the site works. He has proven himself to be more than capable for the challenge so far.

Keep up the good work, Ben!

As part of our ‘Giving back to the Community’ initiative on our Mungret LIHAF project, Sorensen recently sponsored a team for Limerick’s Fittest Superstars which is a fundraising event on behalf of Mungret GAA.

Our Contracts Manager, Brian Snow is pictured handing over the jerseys to team captain Noel Kelly. The event takes place on Saturday 20th May and we would like to wish Noel and his team the best of luck on the day. Go Team Sorensen!

In recognition of #InternationalDroneDay, we’re sharing recent footage from our Churchfield Reservoir Roof Replacement project that we are delivering for #IrishWater.

This is a particularly challenging and complex project that involves the careful removal and replacement of the existing RC roof structure from this 40 mega-litre reservoir. The reservoir remains operational throughout the works and is a key piece of infrastructure for Irish Water in their ongoing supply of potable water to Cork City. The removal works are progressing well, and the team has managed to remove over 80% of the 4,200m2 RC roof structure. Our trusted supply chain partner, #BannagherPrecastConcrete has successfully delivered the replacement precast elements to allow our site team to reconstruct 80% of the roof structure.

Keep up the good work #TeamSorensen and well done on getting this far on the project incident free.

Sorensen recently completed the N24 Beary’s Cross Road Improvement Scheme.

The project is a safety initiative and involved an upgrade of the existing junction between the N24 Limerick to Waterford National Road and the R513 Regional Road to Caherconlish/Mitchelstown.

We wish to thank the local community and the N24 road-users for their patience during the works. Thank you to our client Limerick City and County Council for their support and collaboration throughout the project.

The site team managed to deliver this project safely, efficiently and 4 months ahead of programme which is an excellent achievement. Well done Team Sorensen.

Sorensen recently completed some tricky pile repair works at Kelly’s Quay, which is located in Warrenpoint Harbour, Co Down. The project involved repairs to the existing corroded steel box piles using a reinforced concrete encasement methodology. Works also entailed significant concrete repairs to the existing RC beams and the soffit of the existing RC slab.

Well done to our marine team who worked tirelessly, in collaboration with Designers Doran Consulting, to deliver another high-quality job for our client Warrenpoint Port Harbour Authority!

The N73 Clogher Cross to Waterdyke project was successfully completed last Wednesday, March 15th and the N73 road between Mallow and Mitchelstown reopened to traffic.

We’d like to say thank you to our dedicated and experienced site team, who worked hard to deliver this project 4 months ahead of the planned completion date. We are very grateful to the local community for their cooperation and patience during the works. Thank you to our client Cork County Council along with the team Transport Infrastructure Ireland for their support and collaboration throughout the project

Sorensen recently completed piling works on the Dingle FHC East Basin Passenger Pontoon on behalf of our client, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The project involved replacing an existing pontoon and gangway system with a new piled system providing greater capacity for berthing and passengers. The piling works were completed with the support of our partners at Quinn Piling and Ocean Crest Marine. The pontoon system was recently supplied and installed by Inland and Coastal Marina Systems Ltd and it looks very well.

Well done to our marine team for delivering another high quality job for our client DAFM!

Our Contracts Manager, Brian Snow, was delighted to make a presentation to our Project Manager, JP Lynch & General Foreman, Seamus Scanlon, to mark their 5-year anniversary with Sorensen Civil Engineering. Seamus and JP have brought a wealth of experience to the Sorensen team in road building and infrastructural projects. We’d like to thank them both for their hard work & dedication to the company over the past five years, it is very much appreciated. We wish them well in their next five years with Team Sorensen!

Giving back to the Community: As part of our Community Liaison work on our N73 Clogher to Waterdyke Road Realignment Scheme, Sorensen MD, John Wallace recently gave a presentation to the students at Shanballymore National School.

We received a warm welcome from the students and teachers during our visit where we covered topics such as road construction plant, project progress, interesting Sorensen projects and the civil engineering industry in general.

We would like to thank the school for their hospitality and all the pupils for taking part. We look forward to re-opening the N73 road on St Patrick’s weekend so the teachers and pupils can see first hand the great job that Team Sorensen is doing near their school!

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the N72/R579 Ballymaquirk Junction Safety Improvement Scheme. We look forward to delivering this project on behalf of our client, Cork County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

We have reached one of our first major milestones on the Mungret LIHAF project on the outskirts of Limerick City with the commencement of pavement works. Works are progressing well given the challenging weather conditions encountered in late 2022 and early 2023. Congratulations to the Sorensen site team, who have worked diligently to achieve this milestone. The project is currently scheduled for completion at the end of 2023.

We are delighted to end the year with some good news. We have been chosen to form part of the delivery team for the Celtic Interconnector project by our new client, Nexans. Nexans is the main contractor tasked with delivering the Celtic Interconnector cable project for their client, CIDAC, which is a joint venture between EirGrid Group or Ireland and Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTÉ), of France.

Developed by EirGrid and RTÉ, the Celtic Interconnector is a 700-megawatt high-voltage submarine power cable, running 575 kilometres from East Cork to the northwest coast of Brittany. It is the first two-way interconnector between Ireland and mainland Europe, and it will supply enough electricity to power 450,000 homes.

Sorensen is tasked with installing the ducting, cabling, junction boxes, tunnel works and all associated civil works from the submarine interface at Youghal beach to the final termination point at Knockraha Substation in Carrigtwohill. The cable route is 43km in length and works are programmed to run from January 2023 to May 2026.

This interconnector project will bring huge benefits to the local economy of East Cork and the wider Munster region. We look forward to commencing site works in January 2023. #economy

Sorensen recently completed the footpath & resurfacing works in Glanmire Village over the past few weeks. This was the culmination of a number of months of hard work by our site team in a very congested area.

We would like to thank all residents, businesses and road users for their patience and understanding during these works over the past number of months which has now resulted in a significant decrease in traffic delays through the village. Works are continuing on the Dunkettle Road, and it is anticipated that all major works on the project will be completed in early Spring 2023.

Sorensen’s marine team welcomed 6th year students from Scoil Phobail Bhéara in Casteltownbere, to our Dinish Wharf project for a site visit this morning. The site team explained the various construction methodologies that were used to deliver each element of this large infrastructural project. The feedback from the students was very positive, and they showed a lot of interest in the Civil & Marine Engineering industry, which is very encouraging.

This project is located adjacent to Scoil Phobail Bhéara, so the students and the staff had a great view of the progress over the past year or so. We’d like to thank the staff & students for taking the time to visit us on site today, and we wish the students the best of luck in their future studies.

Works are well under way in our Smooth Point Pier Extension project in Killybegs. We have already installed 35 of the 120 land-based piles which extend to 20m in depth. We are currently in the process of installing our temporary works platform to facilitate construction of the marine based piles for the new Combi-wall. Sorensen’s new dredging plant will mobilise in early November to commence dredging operations which include the removal of 10,000m3 of rock. Well done to the site team for co-ordinating and progressing the works safely in what is a restricted works area.

Sorensen reached a major milestone today on our N24 Beary’s Cross project, where we laid our first section of road pavement on the new roundabout. The site team has recently implemented a major traffic management installation which has allowed them to achieve this milestone ahead of programme.

We wish to thank the general public and the N24 road-users for their patience and for slowing down whilst driving through our site. Well done to the site team for reaching this milestone and thank you for all your hard work in achieving it.

As our CIF Construction Week campaign comes to a successful end, we’d like to acknowledge the positive and collaborative work carried out across all our sites by the Sorensen teams. Our Thumbs Up campaign was rolled out in tandem with this year’s CIF Safety Week and it was a great success.

Here are photos of our HSEQ Manager, Ronan Walsh visiting our Waterford IDA Infrastructure Upgrade project and of our Project H&S Advisor, John Boyle on our Smooth Point Pier Extension project in Donegal.

Thank you to all in Sorensen and including our subcontractors and clients who supported us and took part in various safety campaigns over the month of October.

Dean Finn is an intern from Munster Technological University who is based on our N73 Clogher to Waterdyke Road Improvement Scheme that is being delivered on behalf of our client Cork County Council for Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

Dean is assisting the Site Engineering team on the project and is being mentored by our Contracts Manager, Paraic McCarthy.

Keep up the good work Dean!

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton officially opened the N70 Brackahargh Road Project on Thursday 27th October. Sorensen Contracts Manager, Brian Snow was in attendance on a wild and blustery day on the Ring of Kerry!

The project was a safety initiative by Kerry County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland that consisted of the upgrade and widening of a 1.2km section of the N70 National Secondary Road and construction of a new cycle way.

We’d like to thank our dedicated and experienced Sorensen site team that worked hard to deliver this project throughout some difficult weather conditions earlier this year.

As part our CIF Construction Week safety themes and our Thumbs Up campaign this month, our HSEQ Manager Ronan Walsh visited our Glanmire RIS project in Cork this week.

Our Safety by Example and ZeroRisk messages were well received by all site personnel and the clients team. Well done to all the site personnel on the Glanmire RIS project that have taken part and cooperated with our safety initiatives during Construction Safety Week. #ZeroRisk #CIFSafetyweek22 #Sorensen #safetyculture

Continuing our CIF Construction Week safety themes and our Thumbs Up campaign this month, our HSEQ Manager Ronan Walsh visited our N24 Beary’s Cross project in Limerick this week.

Ronan is delivering a Safety by Example and ZeroRisk message to all site personnel. Ronan received excellent feedback from our experienced site team on the project. Well done to all the site personnel on the N24 project that have taken part and cooperated with our safety initiatives during Construction Safety Week. #ZeroRisk #CIFSafetyweek22 #Sorensen #safetyculture

It has been a very busy few weeks on the Safety front at Sorensen with our site teams getting to grips with the six themes of Construction Safety Week 2022 which has been rolled out throughout the month of October.

The Themes are:

? Lighthouse Club’s Help Inside a Hart Hat Campaign

? Safe Access & Egress

? Safe Working at Height

? Safe Control of Hazardous Energies

? Safety by Example

? Safe Use of Mobile Equipment

To coincide with Construction Safety Week, a Sorensen ‘Thumbs Up’ campaign is being rolled out across all our projects. Giving the plant operator a thumbs up takes no effort but can have life-saving consequences for those on site. This campaign forms part of our ‘Zero Risk’ Policy, which is a behavioural safety concept designed to change the mindset of all personnel on site to ensure that “everyone goes home safely”.

The Sorensen site teams must be commended for their positive and collaborative approach to the Construction Safety Week across all our projects. Keep up the good work!

Sorensen has recently commenced works on the Dingle FHC East Basin Passenger Pontoon on behalf of our client, the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine.

The project involves replacing an existing pontoon and gangway system with a new piled system providing greater capacity for berthing and passengers. The piling works have commenced this week with the support of our partners at Quinn Piling and Ocean Crest Marine.

Dingle FHC is an active fisheries, leisure and tourism harbour, and we look forward to delivering this important project for the area.

With the improved weather in July, the Sorensen site team has made significant progress in Glanmire Village over the past number of weeks. We are making excellent headway on the new retaining walls, road surfacing works, shared footpaths, installation of services, new storm sewer, road gullies, kerbing, and footpath construction. Traffic management controls will remain in place in Glanmire Village until the reopening of the schools later this month. Sorensen wish to sincerely thank the residents & businesses of Glanmire for their patience during these vital works.

Sorensen is delighted to have been awarded the N73 Clogher to Waterdyke Road Realignment Scheme, which we will deliver on behalf of our client, Cork County Council in conjunction with Transport Infrastructure Ireland. The scheme consists of both online carriageway widening and offline carriageway construction, as well as new cycle track construction. This project is a Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Cork County Council safety initiative which will be broadly welcomed by all of the Stakeholders. The Sorensen site team has commenced the earthworks and is currently making the best of the good weather conditions.

Cork County Council, in conjunction… – Cork County Council | Facebook

Sorensen has recently successfully completed emergency scour protection works to the linkspans at Warrenpoint Harbour. These works were carried out between the ferry sailings to allow the Harbour to continue operating as normal. Good collaboration between the divers, the site team and the concrete batching plant ensured the works were completed safely, on time and with no impact on the Harbour activities. Well done to our Warren Point project team.

Sorensen is delighted to have been awarded the Smooth Point Pier Extension project at Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre, which we will deliver on behalf of our client, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The project will see the completion of a new 120-metre-long quay development at Smooth Point, aiming to alleviate congestion during the peak fishing season. The works will also include dredging in excess of 10,000 cubic metres of rock from the bed of the harbour.

We look forward to delivering this challenging and prestigious project which will be of great benefit to the Killybegs area.

Contract for €10.5 million Killybegs project awarded

Sorensen is delighted to be featured in the latest edition of Irish building magazine, which has extensive coverage of the recent Irish Construction Excellence Awards, where Sorensen won the ‘Civil Engineering Under 10m’ award for Marina Park Phase 1.

Click here for further details on the article.

Sorensen would like to welcome our Student Intern, Dean Finn, a 3rd-year Construction Management student from CIT.

Dean will join the Mungret site engineering team for his summer work placement.

We wish him all the best on his placement.

Sorensen is delighted to have been recently awarded the Mungret LIHAF Stage 2 project which is being delivered on behalf of our client Limerick City and County Council. The project involves the construction of two new link roads with associated infrastructure works. On completion the new link roads will facilitate future housing development and a new school. Works on site have just commenced and the project is programmed to run until late 2023. We look forward to delivering this important project for the Limerick Region.

Works on the new quay deck are now fully complete and will soon be handed over to our client for their operational use, which will be welcomed given the heavy volume of activity in this busy port. All concrete works have now been completed on the western breakwater with the eastern breakwater concrete works to follow-on after completion of the rock armour. Ancillary works such as drainage, fencing and ducting are currently ongoing. This challenging project is really starting to take shape now that we move closer to completion!

Works are ongoing in Glanmire with significant progress being made recently with the improved weather. Works at East Cliff Road are completed and the road was reopened following the installation of services, surfacing works and a new public lighting system was installed.

Along the Dunkettle Road the 450mm drainage pipes were installed, a section of the boundary wall was constructed and the remaining site clearance works have now been completed. In the coming weeks a new foul sewer, storm sewer and watermain will be installed along the Dunkettle Road and further sections of the boundary wall be constructed.

Within Glanmire Village a new boundary wall has been constructed to the business park whilst installation of numerous services has been completed in the past number of weeks. Over the coming weeks there will be significant changes, the new section of widened road will be kerbed and surfaced, traffic will be diverted over to the new section of road to allow further works to commence along the R639. Over the coming weeks there will be significant traffic management controls implemented on the R639 between Church Hill & Glanmire Bridge. it is advised that motorists should use alternative routes if possible. The team wish to thank the local residents and business for the cooperation during the works to date.

After a busy few months for our site team on the N70 Brackaharagh Road Project in Kerry, we are ready for the installation of wearing course in late June. The works will be completed just in time for the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle on Saturday 2^nd July, a remarkable achievement by the team to achieve this milestone on a challenging project and in such a short space of time. Road markings, signage, road restraint and snagging will follow in July prior to handover to Kerry County Council soon after. Well done to our team once again!

Sorensen would like to welcome our Student Intern, Gavin Hill, who is a TY student from Coláiste an Phiarsaigh in Glanmire.

Gavin has a keen interest in civil engineering and will be joining the site engineering team on the Glanmire Road Improvement Scheme.

We wish him all the best on his summer placement.

Sorensen have taken delivery of 4 Volvo EC250EL Excavators which will be deployed to our new roads projects in Cork and Limerick. These will prove to be a great addition to our ever-growing plant fleet.

Giving back to the Community: As part of our Community Liaison work on our Glanmire Road Improvement Scheme, Sorensen MD, John Wallace recently gave a presentation to the TY students at Coláiste An Phiarsaigh. The feedback from the students was very positive and they showed a lot of interest in the Civil Engineering industry which is very encouraging. The project is partially located on school grounds, so the students have a birds eye view of the construction activity during the project. We would like to thank the school staff for their patience and cooperation with the Sorensen site team throughout the works to date.

Sorensen is delighted to be part of the delivery team for Marina Park Phase 1 which won an ICE award on Saturday night in the ‘Civil Engineering under €10m’ category.

Congratulations to Cork City Council (Employer and Contracting Authority) , O’Connor Sutton Cronin (Designer & Employer’s Representative) and OKRA (Landscape Architect).

We would  like to thank our site team for their hard work and dedication which ensured the successful delivery of the project.

We are now approaching the completion of the Dinish Wharf project in Castletownbere. The quay deck which includes 42 Nr precast beams, 105 Nr precast slabs and almost 1,000m3 of in-situ concrete is now fully complete along with the piling works on the outline of the breakwaters. The key outstanding works include the completion of the dredging, rock armour around the breakwaters and final reinstatement of the reclamation area at the rear of the site. The project will be completed in late summer, 2022.

Excellent progress by the Sorensen site team in recent weeks.

Sorensen has recently completed the installation of new Cruise Liner Pontoons at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. The project consists of new floating pontoon units, mooring guides and access to the pontoons.

The site works commenced in March with site clearance and demolition of existing concrete structures. The off-site fabrication of the pontoons started in January, and these were delivered to site in April. The pontoons were successfully assembled and installed in advance of Cruise Linear arrivals over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

https://afloat.ie/port-news/dun-laoghaire-news/item/54166-new-cruise-liner-tender-pontoon-berths-for-dun-laoghaire-harbour-to-be-installed-this-week

Well done to our Marine Team!

We have recently achieved a major milestone on our N70 project by diverting traffic onto the newly constructed eastbound lane. Significant progress on earthworks, paving, drainage, utility diversions and soil nailing works to date allowed us to achieve this milestone ahead of programme. Works are now underway on the westbound lane and progressing well, the project remains ahead of programme and is due for completion in late summer 2022.

Keep up the good work Team Sorensen.

Works are progressing well on the Waterford IDA Infrastructure Upgrade Works project and are now passed the halfway point on our programme. To date 12 roads have been completed and handed back to our client, IDA Ireland.

The Sorensen site team and the O’Connor Sutton Cronin supervision team are continuing their excellent relationship with the businesses in the IDA Industrial Estate. The efforts made by all the businesses to co-operate and accommodate the works is greatly appreciated.

Well done to the Sorensen site team on a great job so far.

Works are progressing well on the Glanmire Road Improvement Scheme project with a significant portion of the off-line works well underway. Construction of the new stone faced retaining wall at the back of Coláiste an Phiarsaigh is nearing completion and installation of ducting and drainage will commence in this area in the coming weeks.

East Cliff is currently closed to facilitate the construction of new footpaths, public lighting system and the installation of a new storm sewer. It is envisaged that this road closure will be in place for the next 4 weeks to allow for the safe completion of the works.

Significant works are also ongoing along the L2998/Dunkettle Road, several activities are presently being carried out including site clearance works, construction of reinforced concrete retaining walls, construction of block & stone walls etc. In the coming days installation of a new surface water drainage system will commence along with the installation of other services.

Well done to the Sorensen site team.

Sorensen was delighted to attend the interview stage of the Irish Construction Excellence Awards at The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) last Wednesday. Thank you to the organisers and judges for allowing us the opportunity to present our projects.

Our Marina Park Phase 1 project has been nominated under the Excellence in Civil Engineering category, and our Youghal Eco Boardwalk project has been nominated in the Leisure and Tourism category.

Please visit https://lnkd.in/e7_7d5AP to view our entries. We look forward to the Awards Gala in May!

The Sorensen Dinish Wharf team was delighted to give a series of presentations to the TY, and final year students in Scoil Phobail Bhéara, Casteltownbere in recent weeks. We received a warm welcome from the students and teachers during our visits where we covered topics such as the neighbouring Dinish Wharf Development that Sorensen is delivering for the Department of Agriculture Food & Marine, careers in Civil Engineering and reviewed some interesting Sorensen past projects. We’d like to thank the school for their hospitality and we look forward to meeting with the students later in the year when we hope to arrange a site visit for them to view the completed Dinish Wharf project.

We have great pleasure in announcing that Cork City Council has appointed Sorensen Civil Engineering as Main Contractor to deliver the Glanmire Road Improvements and Sustainable Transport Works. The project entails delivering 3no. sections of the wider scheme, namely; Section P1 (Church Hill Junction), Section P3 (Improvements to Glanmire Bridge/Village) and Section P9 (L2999 Dunkettle Road). Our team will be mobilising to site in the coming days and are looking forward to meeting the local community and neighbouring businesses in advance of commencing the works.

The project works include the following:

Section P1 (Church Hill Junction) involves the provision of a new right turn lane from the R639. To accommodate this layout, the boundary wall of Cólaiste an Phiarsaigh will be set back. The benefits associated with the proposal include a more efficient junction which will provide higher levels of service for all users. Pedestrians will be provided with wider footways with a new footway on Church Hill. The bus stops will be relocated to provide for more direct connectivity with Cólaiste an Phiarsaigh and bus laybys will be provided so the efficiency of traffic movement on the Glanmire Road is improved. A pedestrian crossing will support much safer road conditions.

Section P3 (Improvements to Glanmire Bridge/Village) involves upgrading the existing road network on the R639, Glanmire Bridge and Glanmire Village. The aim of the project is to reduce speeds within Glanmire Village to provide a safer road network for all road users; this will be achieved through the incorporation of a raised carriageway surface. The project will integrate with other proposals included within the project such as improvements to R639/Church Hill Junction, the Proposed Greenway, Proposed Pedestrian Bridge and L2999 Dunkettle Road Upgrades.

Section P9 (L2999 Dunkettle Road) involves the upgrade of the L2999 Dunkettle Road. From Glanmire Village to the proposed Ballinglanna development a 3m shared use footway/cycleway, a 6.5m carriageway and a 2m footway is proposed. From the Ballinglanna Development towards Dunkettle a wider cross section consisting of a 2m footway either side of the carriageway, a 3m segregated cycle track, a 6.5m carriageway and 1m verge either side of the carriageway will be provided. Pedestrian/cyclist crossings will be provided at various locations to improve safety for all road users.

Sorensen Civil Engineering Ltd is proud to have been nominated in 2 categories in the Irish Construction Excellence awards. Our Marina Park Phase 1 project has been nominated under the Excellence in Civil Engineering category and our Youghal Eco Boardwalk project has been nominated in the Leisure and Tourism category. These nominations are the result of a lot of hard work, innovation, and diligence by our project teams in collaboration with our respective clients and design teams on both projects. Well done to all involved in delivering these prestigious projects.

Please visit https://iceawards.ie/finalists2022/ to view our entries. We look forward to the Awards Gala in May!

The N70 Brackaharagh Road Project is located on the Ring of Kerry between Caherdaniel and Castlecove and involves the realignment of 1.2km of the existing road and new cycletrack/footway. The ground conditions vary from a shear face of rock ranging in height from 2m – 10m to peat of up to 4m in depth. Work only commenced in November and already you can see the outline of the new road alignment! The bulk earthworks have been completed on the eastbound lane with drainage and utilities now well underway. The project is due for completion in November 2022.

Our Dinish Wharf Project in Castletownbere is now in full swing! The piling of the eastern breakwater is nearing completion with the last sheet pile arc now well underway. The western breakwater embankment and finished slab within the cell are now complete. Dredging of the rock in both the berth pocket and navigation channel has recently commenced from the floating plant and the installation of precast beams for the quay extension to facilitate precast deck slabs is ongoing. Credit goes to our experienced site team for maintaining the highest standards in safety and quality on this challenging project.

Sorensen has recently commenced works for the Carlingford Lough Ferry company at Greencastle, Co. Down and Greenore, Co. Louth. The project consists of modifications to the piling, walkway and fendering at the ferry terminal structures. The works have commenced with the removal and replacement of the fendering units with the project due to be completed prior to ferry sailings re-starting on St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

Sorensen’s marine team are approaching completion of the works for the Harbour Authority at Warrenpoint, Co. Down. Diving operations for plate repairs and anodes to the existing dolphin structures at Berth 7 were completed over a number of months. The drilling and grouting of the voids at the repair locations was subsequently undertaken in January. Timber piling works and concrete repairs have also been completed at Berth 6 with the area handed back to the Harbour.

Our project in the Waterford IDA Industrial estate continues to progress at a steady rate. To date nine roads have been surfaced and we are 30% complete. Our experienced site crews are expertly negotiating a wide variety of underground utilities within the estate and must be commended for operating so diligently and conscientiously. Sorensen are liaising with the local businesses community, and our collaborative relationship continues. Well done to our Waterford site team and keep up the good work!

We have recently commenced a road project in the townland of Brackahargh, Caherdaniel, Co. Kerry for our client Kerry County Council. The project includes the upgrade and widening of a 1.2km section of the N70 National Secondary Road and construction of a new cycle way. The project has many challenges including the removal of a 9m high shear rock face and the excavation and replacement of peat to depths of 4m below existing ground level. Works on site have progressed very well since mobilising in early November and the site team are doing an excellent job in challenging weather conditions. They are shutting down tomorrow for a well-earned break for Christmas.

Works are progressing well in our Waterford Infrastructure Upgrade Project for our client, IDA Ireland. The programme of works is 25% complete with seven roads surfaced to date.

The Sorensen site team has developed an excellent relationship with the businesses in the IDA Business Park. All businesses have been very co-operative with our team, which in turn greatly helps the project achieve the required end result. Well done to all involved.

Sorensen Civil Engineering Ltd are delighted to be part of the award winning project delivery team on the Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Project, which has been awarded the prestigious title of ‘Engineering Endeavour of 2021’ by Engineers Ireland, having been chosen by their members and the public as the top engineering project of 2021 following an online vote.

We are proud to have collaborated with our Joint Venture Partner Farrans,  Irish Water and Nicholas O’Dwyer Ltd in the delivery of this Main Drainage scheme which now prevents the equivalent of 40,000 wheelie bins of raw sewage being discharged untreated each day from Ringaskiddy, Carrigaline, Crosshaven, Passage West, Monkstown and Cobh Town into Cork Harbour.

https://www.engineersireland.ie/Engineers-Journal/News/clear-victory-project-to-prevent-discharge-of-raw-sewage-into-cork-harbour-scoops-engineering-award

Following the recent completion of the Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage project, Farrans Sorensen Joint Venture invited students of St Mary’s National School in Cobh to enter our art competition with the theme  ‘A cleaner harbour – What it means  to me’.

Congratulations to Honor Cronin, who’s painting was selected as the winning entry. Honor’s drawing will now be displayed on the Old Town Hall control building in Cobh Town Centre.

Sorensen has successfully completed construction of a reinforced concrete slipway for Waterway’s Ireland at Burges Park, Athlone, Co. Westmeath. The project involved the construction of 41m long x 6m wide slipway, founded on 19no. PCC piles with surrounding rock armour acting as scour protection. All works were safely completed within a three-sided cofferdam constructed by Sorensen. The location of the works required the implementation of significant environmental controls including silt curtains, silt fencing, settlement tanks, silt boxes, silt bags and turbidity & pH monitoring to ensure that the works did not have any negative impact on the River Shannon and the surrounding environment. The construction of the new slipway will allow Emergency Services access to the River Shannon in the event of an emergency south of Athlone rather than having to go to Shannonbridge which is 26km away or having to pass through the Athlone Lock which has restricted operating hours.

Our IDA Waterford Infrastructure Upgrade Works Project has commenced in the Waterford IDA Industrial Estate. The Sorensen site team has established an excellent working relationship with the adjacent businesses within this busy Industrial Estate. Surfacing work has been safely completed on one of the roads to date and our extensive traffic management arrangements are operating successfully throughout the estate. The project is due for completion late 2022.

Fantastic progress has been made by our site team in Dinish Island in recent weeks. The piling works on cell 3, which forms part of the eastern breakwater, is nearing completion. The cell is 17.3m in diameter and requires 108 flat piles to be installed to form its circumference. The RC bank seat of the extension for the quay deck has also been completed with works on the steel piles ready to commence in preparation for the delivery of precast units. Foyle and Marine Dredging continue to carry out dredging works in the basin and will move into the navigation channel and berth pocket in the coming weeks.

Sorensen has recently commenced works for the Harbour Authority at Warrenpoint, outside Newry in Co. Down. The project consists of remedial works to two berths within the harbour. Works began with an extensive dive survey for the existing dolphins followed by plate repairs to the existing sheet piles. 

Drone footage showing recent progress on the IDA Site Access Infrastructure Project outside Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork. The carriageway and site works are substantially complete with landscaping, entrance works and the shared path finished in recent weeks. Excellent work by our Roads Team.

Sorensen has recently completed the works at Killybegs Fishery Harbour, Co. Donegal. The project involved the installation of new timber and steel fender piles along with repairs to the concrete deck. The project was completed safely and on time on behalf of our client the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine.

The Dinish Wharf Completion Works project in Castletownbere kicked off in August. The scope includes the extension of the quay wall, construction of breakwater cells, dredging of the navigation channel and berth pocket along with all associated ancillary works.

Earlier this week our Sumitomo 160 tonne crawler crane was getting ready for its maiden voyage on the Wilcarry Barge! Huge planning and preparation has been put in by our site team to allow works to commence on the breakwater cells later this month, the majority of which will be constructed from the barge. In the background works are ongoing with the quay wall extension as well as Foyle & Marine’s EX1200-6 Grizzly progressing well with dredging operations. Great progress is being made by the Sorensen Team!

Taoiseach Michael Martin officially opened the Cobh Dockyard Pumpstation on Monday 06th September. The opening of the Cork Dockyard Pumping Station marks the end of the raw sewage discharge from Cobh Town into the Lower Harbour. This important milestone means that the overall project is now treating 40,000 wheelie bins of raw sewage daily before its safe discharge into the sea and 20,000 homes are now connected to the new scheme.

The Cobh Network Contract has expanded the sewage network in Cobh Town by building 7km of sewer pipes and 5 new foul pumping stations, so that wastewater is now pumped to Cork Dockyard Pumping Station.

Sorensen are very proud of our site team for achieving this significant milestone, along with our partners Farrans and our wider supply chain.

Recent drone footage illustrating progress on our Marina Park – Phase 1 Project. From the latest aerial shots, you can see the landscaping is progressing steadily and the park is starting to mature nicely. Sorensen hope to complete the project later this month and we look forward to officially opening the park to the public in Autumn 2021 on behalf of our client Cork City Council.

Sorensen are delighted to announce that we have signed the contract with the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine for the Dinish Wharf Completion Works project.  Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, presided at the signing for the final phase of the quay development project on Dinish Island, Castletownbere.

Works are due to commence on site shortly, the project will double the workable quay space on Dinish Island and will deliver approximately 2.2 acres of highly usable reclaimed quay storage area, two new major breakwaters at the entrance to the harbour, dredging of the navigation channel and the syncrolift making the boatyard more accessible for larger vessels. An inner basin is also being created which will provide an ideal future development area for a small craft harbour to the benefit of small fishing vessels and leisure craft.

Sorensen are delighted to have been recently awarded the Half Moon Lane Upgrade Scheme by Cork City Council.  The objective of the works is to upgrade the South Douglas Road and Half Moon Lane junction, allowing safe passage for pedestrians and road users to access the Tramore Valley Park at the bottom of the Half Moon Lane. These works include the upgrading of footpaths and carriageway, installing new traffic lights to create a signalised junction and ancillary road works. This new entrance to Tramore Valley Park will be a great asset to the local community when complete.

Sorensen’s site team are making great progress on our slipway project on Dinish Island, Castletownbere, Co Cork. A Spud Leg Barge has been mobilized in recent days to complete the works in conjunction with Marine Specialist Ltd. We are on target to hand over the new slipway to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine in September 2021.

Sorensen are nearing completion of the Cobh Main Drainage project following completion of the main pipelaying works. To date over 7km’s of pipelines, including gravity sewers & pumped rising mains, have been installed in varying ground conditions and ranging in size from 225mm to 1050mm and at depths of up to 6. In excess of 100no. manholes & concrete chambers have been constructed, over 3km’s of electrical ducting was installed to improve the electrical supply, 5no. pumpstations were constructed at various locations throughout Cobh and 5no. marine outfalls were installed. Over the next few months Sorensen shall commence commissioning the new pipelines & pumpstations. We will be intercepting the raw sewage entering the harbour and in turn providing a safe & clean harbour for the people of Cobh & Cork. Well done to the Sorensen site team for delivering an excellent job for our client Irish Water.

Sorensen has successfully completed the Youghal Eco Boardwalk project which forms part of the longest seafront boardwalk in Ireland. The boardwalk was officially opened by Minister Heather Humphreys and Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley. Well done to the Sorensen project team for safely delivering this high-profile project on time and on budget.

The team at Sorensen are delighted to see that the newly constructed watercourse running through our Marina Park Phase 1 project is proving very popular with the local wildlife.

On behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Sorensen Civil Engineering Ltd are working on a New Slipway located on Dinish Island, Castletownbere, Co Cork. The works entail a cast in-situ reinforced concrete deck supported by precast concrete beams, placed on driven circular steel piles. The piled slipway structure is encased by precast concrete facing panels. The works are progressing well with the completion of the pilling works last week and the commencement of the installation of the precast panels this week.

Construction of our marine outfalls has been successfully completed on our Cobh Main Drainage Project for Irish Water. Our recent drone footage captured the piling operations and our bespoke mudmat being installed on site. This marine operation posed a lot of challenges that were managed competently by our site team, so well done to all involved.

Sorensen have commenced works on the IDA Site Access Infrastructure Project at Coolmore Cross, Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork. The works involve the widening of the existing R613 carriageway, construction of a new footpath and cycle lane along with a new entrance, access road and viewing platform. The works are being carried out on a very busy commuter route with temporary traffic management being implemented during off-peak hours and ongoing liaison with local residents. Site Clearance, Drainage and Ducting Works are currently progressing well on site.

Ducting Works at IDA Coolmore

Sorensen has commenced works on the Landing Pier in Killybegs Fishery Harbour, Co. Donegal for the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine. It is the largest fishing port on the island of Ireland with approximately 45% of Ireland’s total fish landings taking place at Killysbegs. The project involves the installation for new timber and steel fender piles and concrete repairs to the landing pier. The works are progressing well with piling commencing today.

Temporary Works Platform Installation

Hydro Demolition Works

As part of the Dinish Wharf North Quay Essential Works Project, Sorensen have completed and handed over Section 1 of the North Quay to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. This will provide much needed berthing capacity for the local and EU fishing boats.

The works comprise of the completion of the new quay structure, approximately 168m in length at Dinish Island. Castletownbere Co Cork. Congratulations to the Sorensen site team who have worked very hard to achieve this sectional handover.

Our drone has captured recent progress on Sorensen’s Marina Park Phase 1 Project for Cork City Council. The central concrete plaza work has been completed along with the main Central Hall structure. The newly formed watercourse is now live, and the water is flowing towards Pairc Ui Chaoimh into the Atlantic Pond. Excellent work by the Sorensen site team.

Sorensen and our Joint Venture partners, Farrans, are proud to have been awarded the Ervia Major Projects Contractor Safety Award in recognition of our proactive approach to health & safety throughout the Cobh Networks project.

Sorensen are delighted with this recognition of our commitment to safety as we deliver this important infrastructure for Irish Water and for Cobh. A huge congratulations and thank you to the hard-working Sorensen personnel on the project.

Here is our recent drone footage illustrating the progress on the Marina Park Phase 1 Project. With works progressing at a good rate, the project is on schedule for completion in Autumn 2021. The new public park will provide an exciting and essential amenity for the local community in Cork City.

Sorensen are delighted to announce they that have signed the contract with Cork City Council for the construction of Marina Park Phase 1 and have commenced work on site.

The works will comprise of the construction of a new city centre Parklands, comprising of hard and soft landscaped items along with associated site clearance, adjustment of existing site levels to form new water storage basins, surface water runoff drainage, diversion of an existing watercourse complete with associated weirs, new pathways both trafficked and non-trafficked comprising of sand blasted concrete, resin bonded paving, natural stone paving and brushed concrete and a timber gantry walkway.  It will also include provision and installation of park furniture, site lighting, surface water pumping station and rising main, water feature and all associated mechanical and electrical services.

In addition, the Marina Park will include an open framed steel structure, partially roofed and wall cladded that will house individual pod like structures including toilet facilities and a coffee shop. The project will also comprise of 2 number bridge structures spanning over the diverted watercourse, one of which is to be trafficked.   A new 250 space car park with associated road and shared cycling / pedestrian path is to be provided along the existing marina, adjoining the Shandon Boat Club.  The works are to include all associated site works, including but not limited to the provision and installation of surface water drainage, public lighting and electrical charge points.

This road improvement scheme entailed the realignment of the existing Maryborough Hill Road and the construction of a new 4-leg roundabout to provide safe access to the new Maryborough Ridge Housing Development The upgrade works also included the provision of right turn lanes serving both the Maryborough Ridge Estate and the Broadale Residential Estate, footpaths, off-road bus stops and an on-road cycle lane. A significant element of the works was the construction of a new natural-stone faced retaining wall with railing adjacent to the new section of road and roundabout. This wall formed the new road boundary to the west. The works also included both hard and soft landscaping as adjacent to the road. Five uncontrolled pedestrian crossings at various locations along the scheme were constructed. All associated road markings, service diversion works, traffic management works, community liaison, bollard retention socket installation, new gullies, tactile paving and footpath build-outs were constructed as part of the scheme.

The N70 Kilderry Bends Improvement Scheme comprised of the design and construction of a realigned section of roadway approximately 6.0 km in length between Miltown and Killorglin in Co. Kerry on behalf of our client Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and Kerry County Council. The new route was located on a greenfield site, to the south east of the existing N70 route and the road works were constructed predominantly off-line. The chosen road type was a Type 2 Single Carriageway with a climbing lane facility for northbound traffic. The N70 Kilderry Bends Improvement Scheme provided improved geometric alignment, a positive drainage system and standardised access along this section of the N70 National Secondary Route. The scheme also included a pedestrian walkway adjacent to the new road and a new 4 -leg roundabout at the Knockavota Junction. Following the completion of the new road, improvements were carried out to the old N70 route including resurfacing, road markings and signage amendments. The project was delivered four months ahead of programme, safely, within budget and to the highest standards in quality. Thanks to Sorensen crew for this great effort.

On the 25th of March 2019, Olaf Sorensen attended an interview of the last four finalists on behalf of Sorensen Civil Engineering Ltd for the 2019 ICE Best Civil Engineering Project in Ireland. This award was for the construction of the Youghal Main Drainage Scheme.

Sorensen along with three other contractors, L & M Keating, Lagan Asphalt and Glan Aqua were selected as the last four after being recommended earlier by two separate judging panels.

The interview involved a question and answer session concentrating mainly on the following;

• The design of the road in a sandy flood plain and the part played by geo-grids and surcharging.
• The design and solutions to the piling for the main structure.
• The pipework in the streets.

We look forward to the ICE Awards Gala Event on March 29th, where the winner will be announced.

The Kilderry Bends are on a national secondary road, on the busy main artery between Tralee and Killorglin in mid Co. Kerry.

The N70 route between Milltown and Killorglin is among the 50 worst roads in the country. Works have begun and are to be completed in mid-2019.

Kerry County Council confirmed that Cork-based Sorenson Civil Engineering Ltd had been appointed the main contractor.

Please read the article that was posted in the Engineers Journal on the 21st August 2107 – relating to Groundforce’s supply of Super Mega Brace for the Marine Works project in Youghal. Click here to read article

A new Wastewater Treatment Plant (WwTP) at Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork was officially opened by Cork East Fine Gael TD and Minister for State for Equality, Immigration and Integration, David Stanton on Monday 3rd October 2016. The contract for the construction of the treatment plant, which involved a circa €12 million investment by Irish Water, was awarded to a Sorensen – EPS Joint Venture partnership in June 2014.

The plant is significant for a number of reasons not least the fact that it is the second plant in both Ireland and the UK to utilise the innovative Nereda biological treatment system. It can now treat waste for a population equivalent (PE) of 30,000 but has been designed to be able to double this capacity in stages.  The project also involved upgrade works to three outlaying pump stations and a 710mm HDPE 1.5 km marine outfall carried out by Sorensen.

Carrigtwohill WwTP was successfully handed over by Sorensen / EPS Joint Venture to EPS Operations on the 18th May 2016. The contract was completed ahead of time and on budget.

The Nereda process has made this plant a key learning center for Irish and international clients.  It is expected that as well as improved water quality and removal of existing health risks for the community, this new plant will unlock the capacity for further development in one of Cork’s fastest growing satellite towns.

Commenting on the project, Minister David Stanton said: “The increase in wastewater treatment capacity will allow for continued, future growth in population and economic activity, as well as in towns such as Castlemartyr, Cloyne, and Killeagh.”

Joshua Sorensen, Contracts Manager for Sorensen said: ‘Sorensen and EPS are delighted to be involved in such an innovative and locally beneficial project and are looking forward to supporting the community through the operate contract duration.’

The Waterford Grouped Towns and Villages Sewerage Scheme and Wastewater Treatment Plants will be officially opened by Senator Paudie Coffey today, Thursday 6th October 2016.

The project, which was delivered by Sorensen Civil Engineering and the EPS Group and involved a €24 million investment by Irish Water, has provided seven wastewater treatment plants in towns and villages across Co. Waterford including Ardmore, Ballyduff/Kilmeadan, Cappoquin, Dunmore East, Kilmacthomas, Stradbally and Tallow.  An EPS/ Sorensen Joint Venture partnership was awarded the contract for the construction of the new treatment plants in July 2014. The project included the design, specification, procurement, supply, construction, commissioning, testing, operation and maintenance of seven complete, fully functioning, wastewater treatment plants and outfall pipes in the seven towns/villages.

The project will ensure the protection and improvement of water quality at the receiving locations which include seaside towns with busy tourist trades and popular fishing areas. The new wastewater treatment plants will serve a future population equivalent of 22,700, which will facilitate ongoing population growth and economic development in the respective towns and regions.

Commenting on the project, John Wallace, Contracts Director at Sorensen Civil Engineering said: “Sorensen and EPS are delighted to be involved in this locally beneficial project and are looking forward to supporting the community through the operate contract duration.’

As this is the season of goodwill, the Management and Staff of Sorensen Civil Engineering Limited have made the following donations to Enable Ireland and the Irish Heart Foundation.

Sorensen Civil Engineering Ltd  with their  JV partners EPS have recently signed a contract with Irish Water for the construction of a new Waste Water Treatment  Plant at Youghal, Co Cork.

The contract involves the design and construction of a 16,000 population equivalent wastewater treatment plant for Youghal, located at the Front Strand beach area. Construction of the new wastewater treatment plant will commence shortly and has an ambitious construction programme of 24 months.

EPS/Sorensen are fully focused on delivering this project successfully on behalf of Irish Water and the community in Youghal.  The investment in a new wastewater treatment plant is part of an overall investment in wastewater infrastructure of approximately €22.8m.  This is a significant investment and commitment by Irish Water and EPS/Sorensen are looking forward to working with all stakeholders, including the community in Youghal, in the delivery of the project.

Sorensen are currently carrying out seven such plants in Waterford and one in Carrigtohill, Co Cork for Irish Water.

[Published : http://www.wit.ie/news/engineering/wit-site-visit-to-wwtp-at-dunmore-east]

As part of their ongoing learning, students on the Quantity Surveying and Civil Engineering programmes at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) made a site visit to the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) project being carried out by Sorensen Civil Engineering Ltd in Dunmore East.

Classroom studies combined with appropriate dedicated site visits are a regular occurrence for students of varying disciplines in the Department of the Built Environment. Robert Smyth, course leader for BSc (Hons) Quantity in Surveying said, “These visits and activities are hugely important for our students as they can truly translate what they learn in the lecture halls to real life situations and engineering solutions.”

Bright sunshine, cool sea air and a complex civil engineering construction greeted students when they visited the WWTP project along with their tutors John Carney, Robert Smyth and Tomas O’Donoghue. Project Manager Luke Treacy gave the students great guidance and instruction on the works carried out to date.

The Waste Water Treatment Plant is in simple terms a very large compartmented box structure (approx. 70 x 20 x 5m high) with reinforced concrete floor and walls sunken below ground level. Once the plant is fitted and commissioned, the waste water from the Dunmore East area will be treated prior to being discharged out to sea via a 350m long pipeline. The 355mm diameter pipe is laid partly underground and then inserted into a bored hole some 300m long under the red rock cliff face.

The borehole allows the exit point of the outfall pipe to discharge 100m from the seashore. This operation is carried out using what is known as directional drilling and this operation had just commenced on site. The drilling operation is expected to take approx. six weeks to complete. The previous week the concrete floor of the tank had been placed (some 500m3 in a one day pour!!) and the reinforced concrete walls are in progress.

The WIT Department of the Built Environment students hope to return to the site in a few months time to review progress and get further experience on the practical aspects of the civil engineering construction detailing.

Deputy David Stanton, who was instrumental in securing approval for the development of the Carrigtwohill Waste Water Treatment Plant, on site to view progress with James O’Donovan and Olaf Sorensen.