How Strategic Design Saved a Client Over £930,000

At Link, our philosophy is to engineer aspirations. This means we don’t just execute designs; we partner with clients to achieve their goals for performance, value, and reliability. A recent project stands as a powerful testament to this approach, where our value engineering expertise delivered a staggering 38.3% reduction in drainage costs for a client, saving an estimated £934,313.

The project involved preparing development plateaus and access routes for future building plots. While appointed for site infrastructure design under a Design and Build contract, our most significant impact came earlier, during a Value Engineering review of the tender drainage design.

The site presented a complex set of challenges, including:

• A significant 50m fall in topography.
• Shallow mine workings and historic shafts.
• Deep areas of made ground.
• A public right of way and proximity to the West Coast Mainline.
• Strict environmental performance and planning requirements.

Our expert team redesigned the drainage strategy to overcome these hurdles efficiently and cost-effectively.

The Result: A Leaner, Smarter, and Safer Design

By re-engineering the proposed drainage solution, we achieved substantial savings without compromising on performance or compliance.

Total Project Savings: £934,313
Overall Cost Reduction: 38.3%

How We Delivered Exceptional Value

Our approach focused on two key areas:

1. A Smarter Pipe Network Design

• Reduced Total Pipe Length: Eliminated 125m of unnecessary piping.
• Eliminated Oversized Pipes: Removed the need for expensive 2100mm diameter pipes.
• Optimised Installation Depths: Shifted the design to avoid complex and costly 5–6m deep excavations, prioritising a safer and more efficient 2–3m depth range.

2. Simplified and Streamlined Infrastructure

• Reduced Manholes: Cut the number of manholes required from 24 to 18 units.
• Streamlined Materials: Optimised pipe diameter ranges for greater efficiency.
• Enhanced Water Management: Improved the overall strategy for managing surface water runoff.

Beyond Cost Savings: Building a Better Project

The financial saving was just one part of the success. Our optimised design delivered critical additional benefits that accelerated the project and reduced risk:

• Enhanced Safety: Shallower excavations significantly reduced trenching risks.
• Faster Installation: A simpler design led to quicker construction times.
• Simplified Maintenance: A more efficient network is easier and cheaper to maintain long-term.
• Reduced Carbon Footprint: Minimised equipment needs and energy use during installation.

This project underscores how strategic engineering design from the earliest stages is not an added cost, but a major investment in a project’s viability, safety, and bottom line.

Are you looking to optimise your next project? Contact us today to discover how our value-driven approach can deliver exceptional results for you.