Saint Gobain PAM UK has been awarded a contract to supply high performance carriageway frames and covers for new installations, replacements and retrofits across BT’s national network.
The company has worked collaboratively with Openreach, BT’s local access business, over a number of years to develop a reliable and durable range of high performance access covers capable of withstanding the heavy traffic loads experienced on many of today’s major road networks.
It identified loading hotspots and demonstrated its access system’s durability and safety perfomance under rigorous finite element analysis and test conditions. Saint Gobain PAM UK also worked closely with Openreach’s contractor partners and bedding mortar specialists to develop what it claims is the best installation system available. This helps prevent the significant disruption and costs associated with installation failures.
Dave Lockett, senior contract manager for BT Procurement: “Having a holistic view of the costs of a product throughout its lifecycle is extremely important to our business. The cost of replacing or repairing an access cover is not just the cost of the materials, but also the civil works and labour costs.
“It becomes even more important if it affects our service to customers, to whom the integrity of our network is vital. If the network is affected, then we are committed to get it up and running again as fast as possible.”
Under the contract, Saint Gobain PAM will be supplying approximately 10,000 carriageway frames and covers per year in four different sizes.
Lee Goodall, sales director for Saint Gobain PAM, added: “The fact that we are a UK based company and manufacturer proved extremely important for this contract. Our technical support, product design and quality, plus our excellent service record and our ability to respond quickly, were key to winning this contract.”
