Thames Water has begun procurement for a £5.7bn design-and-build contract to deliver the proposed Abingdon strategic reservoir in Oxfordshire, covering full design, construction, testing and commissioning under a single main contractor. The utility describes the selection as an “extensive” multi-stage process, signalling a long lead-in for bidders needing capability in large earthworks, major water-retaining structures and complex commissioning. For civil and geotechnical contractors, the scale and integrated scope point to significant opportunities in reservoir embankment design, seepage control and long-term performance monitoring systems.

Disaster recovery has started on the Bruxner Highway at Mallanganee, where Transport for NSW is repairing and stabilising two failed downslopes damaged by a landslip between Willock Street and Bulmers Road, about 40 kilometres west of Casino. Works include installing soil nails to reinforce the slope mass and control further movement, alongside reconstruction of the affected pavement and drainage. Geotechnical teams will need to manage access and traffic staging on this constrained highway section while drilling and grouting operations are underway.

A collaborative project to maintain the Victorian Bateman Dam has secured the 2025 Fleming Award for excellence in geotechnical engineering. The team focused on improving dam resilience, likely involving upgrades to the embankment, foundation seepage control and spillway performance to meet current reservoir safety standards for extreme flood and seismic loading. For practitioners, the award signals continued industry emphasis on extending the life of ageing UK dams through targeted ground engineering and risk-based asset management rather than full replacement.