Highways

Cormac is perhaps best known for its highways capability and expertise. Our broad range of services includes design and build of major roads and infrastructure projects, as well as management and maintenance of existing highways

Our offering includes early contractor involvement, surveys, excavation and earth works, retaining walls and structures, highway and traffic management technology, footways, cycleways and trails, as well as section 278 and 106 developments.

Cormac’s aim is always to provide the most cost-efficient, durable and environment friendly solution to all highway schemes.

We offer innovative solutions to highways projects, from the investigation stage through to design and construction – employing high-tech 3D imaging drones, ground penetrating radar, a dedicated testing site with in-house laboratory. We have an extensive pool of plant machinery and vehicles, both Cormac owned and sub-contracted, which can be employed to handle any job – large or small.

We work with local authorities to install the most effective highway and traffic management technology to keep the roads running smoothly. Cormac has designed and installed digital bus shelters across Cornwall – helping to facilitate and encourage a greater use of public transport.

As part of our road maintenance service, Cormac carries out patching and resurfacing, as well as surface dressing to prevent water entering the road structure, reducing skidding risks and ultimately extending the life of the road. Our expertise also covers drainage maintenance and consultancy, flooding prevention.

Highways services are wide ranging, and include providing trained staff for school patrols, carrying out ground works, and gritting and maintaining roads during winter. We provide an emergency hotline service, and our teams are ready to respond to any urgent highway issues – from subsidence blocking a road to mine-shaft collapse, to flooding and potholes.

Geotechnical and Mining

The management of geotechnical and contaminated land risk is key to the successful delivery of an infrastructure project. Early recognition, understanding and management of ground risk is essential to the successful delivery of an infrastructure project, and Cormac applies extensive skills and knowledge within these areas, to the benefit of its clients.

Among other risks, we successfully manage mining subsidence risk, slope instability risk, contaminated land risk and foundation failure risks, to name but a few. We seek opportunities and innovative approaches to deliver cost effective solutions, which can include design solutions when dealing with poor ground, or providing earthworks material re-use opportunities.

From complex projects with stakeholder interests through to routine inspections; from access to Drone (UAV) generated 3D photogrammetry and cloud-based LiDAR models shared with our client, through to routine materials sampling and analyses, we have the tools and team to deliver trusted solutions.

Geotechnical design

Cormac’s geotechnical design team provides innovative and cost effective designs for a variety of projects, including slope stability assessment and monitoring (coastal and inland), strengthening earthwork and rock slope mitigation design, embankments, cuttings and foundations and soakaways, geotechnical hazard and risk assessment, and pavement construction design. From initial Desk Study to Geotechnical Design and latterly, Geotechnical Feedback Reporting, we provide an extensive range of services.

Investigation and surveying

Our high-tech investigation solutions, including 3D modelling drones and ground penetrating radar are supported by in-house drilling capabilities. We also offer aerial and ground surveying services. Our drones are used for stockpile and cut/fill assessments and the 3D photogrammetry models we generate are shared with our clients via a cloud-based application to access easy visualisation and measurement.  We also supply high resolution imagery for marketing and public engagement as well as to aid asset management inspection and maintenance, particularly for hard-to-reach locations (for example roof surveys).

Site investigations

On-site assessments are carried out by our in-house team of geologists, engineers and technicians, together with our highly experienced drilling crew using our own rotary bore hole and percussive drilling rigs. We offer ground and surface water sampling and analysis, as well as the monitoring of ground gases and closed landfill sites. Additionally we regularly undertake soakaway tests, install and monitor groundwater boreholes, and can provide investigations in difficult to reach or restricted sites. We also carry out ground stability assessments, informing geotechnical and structural design solutions, as well as asphalt and concrete coring with associated laboratory tests. 

Geo-environmental services

Our services include soil and materials testing for contamination, water testing and monitoring and risk management in line with the latest Environment Agency guidelines.

Materials consultancy

Through our UKAS-accredited materials and soils testing facility (Accreditation No. 0756), we offer a full consultancy service on the selection and use of materials. We provide comprehensive advice and testing for a wide variety of civil engineering and building projects including: highway design, construction and maintenance, architectural design and building construction.

Mining investigation and remediation

Cornwall has a long history in mining, and Cormac has well over 30 years’ experience of dealing with all aspects of mining legacy issues, from assessing ground stability prior to major construction projects, to carrying out emergency works in response to mineshaft subsidence and collapse.

Our mining expertise includes remediation works in large or small sites, on private land or in the public realm. We offer surveying and design and build services to provide long-term solutions to mine related ground issues.

Consultancy

Cormac provides a comprehensive turnkey service for delivery of highways, transport, and wider infrastructure projects for local authorities and the private sector. We draw on decades of local expertise in consultation, design and construction services and develop creative and innovative design solutions that are sympathetic to our environment and the communities we serve, throughout Cornwall and the Southwest.

Client Support & Project Management

Our unique offering of in-house design and construction allows us to provide relevant, accurate pre-construction and feasibility advice and continuity of service throughout the project lifecycle.

Highways Design

Our highways design team is responsible for all aspects of the design and specification of road schemes, including major new roads, local improvements, minor junction and drainage enhancements and developer proposals. We also have considerable experience in developing infrastructure for sustainable transport modes, including walking, cycling and public transport, and car and/or bus parking provisions.

Drainage Design

We have expertise in delivering surface water and foul water drainage solutions and SUDS to adoptable standards. 

Structures design

Cormac’s structures design team inspects, maintains, assesses and designs bridges, culverts and retaining walls on road networks and public rights of way, and supports the highways design team on major projects. We undertake assessments and provide advice relating to new, occupied and disused buildings, including historical mining features which is a significant part of Cornwall’s heritage.

Coastal consultancy

Our coastal expertise offering includes consultancy and design solutions for coastal protection and inspection, maintenance and repair services for coastal buildings, harbour structures, piers and promenades.

Environmental consultancy

Cormac’s environmental services include environmental and ecological advice to support project objectives and compliance with planning and statutory processes. Our landscape architects and ecologists work closely with highways design and construction teams to inform the design, undertake surveys and provide support during construction.

Ground Investigation and Surveys

Our GeoConsultancy Services team undertake geotechnical and environmental investigations, aerial (drone) surveys. The team provides design for ground stabilisation and reinforced earth structures, as well as contaminated land remediation design, and investigations and remediation of mining features.

Materials Testing

Cormac provide UKAS accredited ISO 17025 materials testing, asbestos sampling and testing services (Accreditation No. 0756) and an ISO 17020 asbestos surveying facility (Accreditation No. 0261). Our asbestos services include management and re-inspections, air monitoring and four-stage clearance, surveying and bulk sample analysis.

Asbestos and Radon Gas Surveying and Advice

We offer a UKAS accredited facility with a fully qualified and experienced team that are able to work throughout the Southwest.  Legally, duty holders  (owners, landlords or business owners) are required to identify the location and condition of asbestos in non-domestic premises and to manage the risk to prevent harm to anyone who works on a building or to building occupants. We offer Management and Inspections, Air Monitoring and four-stage clearance, Surveying and Sample analysis.

We provide radon monitoring support and Radiation Protection Supervisor duties for Cornwall Council, many schools and local councils. The lab has developed a significant amount of experience in management of schools, offices and public buildings throughout the County and provide a comprehensive radon monitoring service, ensuring IRR17 compliance. We design bespoke radon surveys based on the layout and occupancy of the property, perform ambient radon testing and produce comprehensive reports with recommendations for managing radon exposures within the property. We are also member of the UK Radon Association.

Environmental

Cormac’s Environment department covers everything from managing the impact of construction and civil engineering projects to tree surgery, and from grounds maintenance to wildlife habitat conservation. We are totally focused on protecting and managing flora and fauna, preserving the natural landscape and ensuring all communities have access to nature and green spaces.

Our Environment department has a vital role in all of our work, whether it’s highways construction, verge and woodland maintenance, cliff stabilisation, wetland and flood management.

We have specialised in-house teams working across a variety of areas, including:

Arboriculture

Cormac’s highly qualified professional tree inspectors offer a consultancy service for all arboriculture requirements – giving advice on tree management, tree surgery and the statutory protection of trees. Each member of our arboriculture team originally trained as a tree surgeon, and we work closely with our tree surgery contracting teams to ensure that management advice is both appropriate and beneficial.

All actions and recommendations of our inspectors are insured under our public liability and professional indemnity policies and we maintain corporate membership of the Arboriculture Association.

Our Invasive Plants and Arboricultural Service has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the residential and commercial business sector in advising, treating and controlling invasive plants. We are a leading specialist within the industry with INNSA accreditation.

Community spaces

Working with the community is at the heart of Cormac’s work. We have an excellent reputation for liaising with local residents and businesses in all of our projects. We are particularly proud of our work implementing Making Space for Nature, Cornwall Council’s multi-million pound scheme to regenerate and introduce natural spaces into towns across the county while increasing biodiversity. Find out more here.

Verge management, hedges

We provide teams, equipment and machinery to offer a full management service for highways and public spaces. Whether it’s mechanical flailing for hedge cutting, to our innovative approach to verge cutting, Cormac can support major public sector projects or private clients.

Grounds maintenance and landscaping

From sports field renovation to wildflower planting and weed control, to litter and leaf clearing – Cormac has highly experienced teams who can provide a maintenance and landscaping service for private clients and local authorities.

Our highly skilled teams are supported by landscape architects, planning advisers, civil engineers and a design team. We undertake high quality workmanship within budgets and to agreed deadlines.

Surfacing

With more than forty years of experience, Cormac is at the forefront in machine surfacing – reducing carbon impact and utilising the latest technology to reduce costs for our clients. We offer our customers feasibility, design and delivery of all surface treatment solutions including any associated civil engineering, preparatory works, lining and specialist treatments.

Local authorities

Our extensive experience of working with local authorities has allowed us to become a leading provider of all aspects of surfacing design and delivery. This can include required traffic management design and installation, consultation and liaison with affected stakeholders to ensure minimum disruption to residents, business and the travelling public. Our knowledge, experience and understanding of the complexities of delivering surfacing solutions on busy highway networks provides our clients with confidence that every aspect of the design and delivery will be meticulously managed.

Cormac currently supports surfacing delivery within Cornwall Council, Devon County Council, Torbay Council and a range of district authorities across the South-West! 

Commercial

Our clients include residential, commercial and industrial developers. We deliver carriageway infrastructure, section 278 and section 38 civils and surfacing solutions with significant knowledge of planning, technical and legislative requirements. 

To further complement our surface treatment offering, we also provide our clients with civil engineering solutions, including drainage, footway construction, electrical ducting and hard and soft landscaping through our fully trained and skilled teams.   

Environment

As a company we strive to offer the latest technology and expertise, to minimise the environmental impact of our operations. This includes the utilisation of warm mix asphalts, lower emission vehicles and plant, and the introduction of biofuels for vehicles and plant. Part of our environmentally conscious offering includes the capability to recycle 95% of all construction related waste. This is done through our five dedicated recycling centres, along with a mobile crushing and screening plant, capable of producing recycled aggregates to approved specification.  

Innovation

Cormac, through its in-house quarry and asphalt facility in Cornwall has worked with industry experts to develop low carbon asphalt as an alternative to conventional material. This investment and upgrade now provide Cormac with the ability to increase the use of recycled carriageway planings within asphalt mixes, produce lower temperature asphalt and provide our clients with comprehensive carbon saving statistics that support client and end user requirements.

Marine, Coastal and Waterways

Cormac has over three decades of experience working with Cornwall Council and private clients in the management of over four hundred and twenty miles of coastline and beaches, as well as inland waterways. Our Marine, Coastal and Waterways department covers a broad range of projects; from specialist cliff inspections and advice to major coastal protection works and sand clearance, to events management.

By keeping capabilities in-house, we offer highly experienced teams that streamline processes to drive efficiency. From the very first stage of advice, investigations and testing, to design, planning and liaising with communities through to construction – our highly qualified and multi-disciplinary teams ensure that the project is seamlessly managed.

We offer a consultancy service for all areas of marine, coastal and waterways planning and design. Any investigations and works are carried by our own highly qualified employees and trusted sub-contractors. We also employ a large in-house fleet of plant machinery and vehicles.

Beaches

Our experience covers all aspects of beach management – whether it’s resolving subsidence from cliffs and access routes, advising on seaweed removal, or advising on and supporting beach-based events. We offer advice, design and construction capabilities to ensure that projects are completed with minimal impact on communities and the environment.

Coastal protection and infrastructure

Cormac’s expertise in sea defences is second to none. We have carried out major projects to renovate sea walls, reverse the impact of storm and coastal erosion and protect against future sea damage. Recent projects include installing rock armour on storm-battered coastlines, rebuilding Penzance promenade and the Jubilee Pool, and renovating Newquay Harbour Pier.

Waterways and wetlands

Ensuring that watercourses are free-flowing and at low risk of flooding is at the heart of our wetlands and river maintenance specialism. Cormac has been contracted to carry out river and marsh projects including clearing reed beds and subsidence, clearing silt, debris and gravel deposits, as well as remedial work on flood-damaged wetland areas. Our multidisciplinary teams assess, design and project manage a wide range of river and wetland remedial and monitoring works. 

Aggregates and Asphalt

Cormac’s quarry and asphalt business, located in West Cornwall provides a comprehensive range of aggregates and asphalt materials throughout the South-West to support the construction industry.

Through significant investment, we are now producing low temperature asphalt mixes to further complement our existing product ranges. The investment in this technology provides carbon savings of approximately 15% which can be further increased through the use of our RAP processing plant. The introduction of both RAP and Low temperature asphalt further demonstrates Cormac’s commitment to sustainable construction.

Cormac have been supplying rock armour for use in coastal protection projects across the southwest for many years and with our fully integrated design capabilities are able to provide fully bespoke design, supply delivery and installation to our clients. Through partnership we are now also able to ship these materials to locations across the UK and Europe where required.   

Environment

Cormac’s commitment to support carbon reduction throughout its operation has seen significant investment including: the purchase of the latest construction machinery, introduction of biofuels across our business and investment to allow the production of low temperature and low carbon asphalt.

More recently we commenced construction installing a solar farm, to further support the renewable energy requirements across the quarry and introduced a foam mix alternative to complement our asphalt and aggregate offering. Our foam mix production and laying capabilities offer further carbon savings to our clients.