SpaceOpal, the Galileo system operator under contract with the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), has awarded Ineco the extension of its current contract as the company responsible for the operation and maintenance of the European Satellite Navigation Services Centre (GSC) of the Galileo Programme for the next five years. Based in Torrejón de Ardoz (Madrid), the GSC provides satellite navigation services to users worldwide. 

This extension ensures the continuity of Ineco’s activities in the project until 2027, a period in which the GSC will incorporate new capabilities such as the provision of the Galileo High Accuracy Service (HAS), one of Galileo’s main differentiating elements with regard to its competitors.

In the image, the European Satellite Navigation Services Centre (GSC), where Ineco provides operation, security, cybersecurity, integrated logistics and support services for the development of user services and applications.

The company has obtained recognition from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the National Air Safety Agency (AESA) for the design of instrument flight procedures, which establish the trajectory of aircraft to prevent collisions.

Ineco has thus become the first Spanish company to obtain the ICAO certificate, which only 14 other companies worldwide have been awarded. The accreditation is valid for three years, for both conventional and performance-based navigation (PBN).

The National Air Safety Agency (AESA) has also certified Ineco as a provider of flight procedure design services, making it the second organisation in Spain, after Enaire, to have received this recognition, which is valid throughout the European Union.

MITMA Group companies, including Ineco, have joined the STEAM Alliance for female talent. On 9 February, the signing ceremony of the protocol took place with the Ministers of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda and Education and Vocational Training, Raquel Sánchez and Pilar Alegría, respectively, and the presidents of Adif, Renfe, ENAIRE, Aena, Puertos del Estado and Ineco, Sergio Vázquez (third from the left). 

Under the slogan ‘Girls in Science’, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training is promoting this initiative in the public and private sectors to “encourage the interest of girls and young women in disciplines related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics” (STEAM).

Supporting the STEAM vocations of girls and women in education is a priority issue not only for the United Nations, which includes it in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, but also for the European Union and the government of Spain, which has included it in the Digital Spain 2025 Agenda. Meanwhile, Ineco has made equality one of the pillars of its strategic business plan.

The Spanish-Dutch consortium KL AIR, formed by the architects Kaan and Lamela, and the engineering firms ABT and Ineco, are carrying out a new study of the sizing and location of spaces for the new South Terminal of Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport. The study, following the impact of COVID-19 on the airport’s traffic, is limited to the same plot of land where the previous design was planned, and must consider a phased development of the new terminal, adapted to its future needs.

Ineco’s consultancy work will focus on the sizing of the different areas of the building, the establishment of a concept of operations and the analysis of the requirements that will form the basis of the future design.

The company has added two new contracts, now numbering eight in total to date, to the work it has been carrying out since 2019 together with other Spanish companies (Ardanuy and IDOM) for the Rail Baltica high-performance corridor, which will link Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with Europe over 870 kilometres. 

On the one hand, it will provide consultancy services for the storage of supplies, including both the development of the strategy and the technical and design requirements for the materials storage bases. On the other hand, it will carry out a study of the potential synergies of the corridor to improve the design of the infrastructure, analyse future development and business opportunities, and advise national governments on EU policies and strategies.

These works are in addition to those already being carried out, such as the design of the railway accesses to Riga, the design and supervision of a 94-kilometre section in Northern Latvia, the implementation of the energy strategy and the analysis and design of the maintenance facilities along the entire line.

Ineco is collaborating with Renfe on the Commuter Stations Plan 2019 to 2024, which includes various works to increase the capacity and performance of the network and increase comfort and accessibility to trains and stations. Among other works, the company has carried out projects and works management for the Cerdanyola-Universidad and Santa Perpetua de Mogoda stations in Barcelona. At Cerdanyola-Universidad station, which has five tracks and three platforms, access for people with reduced mobility has been improved thanks to the installation of three lifts serving the subway. At the new Santa Perpetua de Mogoda station, the main works have consisted of the construction of a main building, a subway to connect the platforms, the installation of lifts, new shelters and the development of the accesses.

Adif has also commissioned Ineco to draw up the construction project for the new Parets del Vallès railway station, which forms part of the conventional gauge line linking Barcelona, Vic and Puigcerdà. The project includes a new passenger building with lifts, a car park and an urban pedestrian connection footbridge.

Ineco has been entrusted with the management of the refurbishment works for the new headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Located in the centre of Madrid, it is an energy-efficient building with more than 50,000 m² of floor space, where more than 1,200 public employees will work. The building is highly flexible in its use of space and complies with EU energy efficiency directives and is BREEAM-certified for sustainability. All site information has been integrated into a Building Information Modelling (BIM), which has improved the quality of the project and optimised costs during construction and maintenance.

As part of the group of companies of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Ineco is participating in the new European railway R&D&I programme that has recently been launched and is the largest to date: Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (ERJU), which replaces the previous programme called Shift2Rail.  

In addition to the MITMA Group, ERJU has 25 other founding partners, including manufacturers, infrastructure operators and managers, and others. Its aim is to promote research and innovation projects linked to the creation of a Single European Railway Area on the continent, similar to the Single European Sky initiative in the field of air transport. 

Since time immemorial, building new structures has always been more glamorous than maintaining and improving existing ones. Although today’s construction materials are diverse, high quality and more sophisticated than those of times past, they also require more maintenance than –for example– the iconic stone structures built by the Romans. 

In order to define a suitable maintenance programme that will maximise a structure’s service life, which begins as soon as the construction work has come to an end, it is necessary to carry out a study. First, it is vital that you obtain data on the real condition of the structure. To do this, you need to go out into the field, visit the structure in question and perform an inspection. In Spain, there are specific guides and instructions that define the different types of inspection. Is the case, for example, the Instruction for the Technical Inspection of Railway Bridges (ITPF-05), which defines three types of inspection: basic, main and special. There are similar documents for other types of structures. 

3D model of the Martín Gil viaduct, created using photogrammetry. / INFOGRAPHIC_INECO

These inspections are visual and the information obtained regarding the functional condition and durability of the structure depends, in large part, on the skills and capacities of the inspector. In the university environment, the focus on new construction has resulted in a lack of learning and knowledge with regard to how existing structures behave over time. This, combined with other factors, makes the assessment process more complex. 

When it was built, the Mattín Gil Viaduct on the Zamora-A Coruña line boasted the world’s longest concrete arch, measuring 192.4 metres across the central span

Examples of these other factors include the extremely wide range of structural types and materials (concrete, steel, hybrid, stone, composite, etc.) and the many different pathologies generated by mechanical, chemical or physical causes. In addition to these factors, there is also the fact that the majority of structures are not designed to be inspected; many of their elements are hidden or difficult to access. Another of the inspector’s enemies is adverse weather conditions, which can make outdoor work very complicated.

Ineco started to carry out inspections of railway bridges in the 1990s. It has been a member of the Association for the Repair, Reinforcement and Protection of Concrete (ARPHO) since 2010 (when the Association was created); and a member of the European Association for Construction Repair, Reinforcement and Protection (ACRP) since 2020. 

Ground plan and elevation of the reinforcement works for the viaduct over the River Miño in Ourense (AVE Madrid-Galicia). / PLAN_INECO

Today, Ineco’s structural inspection specialists not only provide services to external clients, but also work on a cross-departmental basis within the company, helping all of the different units
–including those specialising in airports, railways and roads– to perform analyses on all types of structure: from bridges and stations to airport terminals and port facilities. The work is usually carried out in two stages: a field inspection, which often includes a series of tests; and an office-based stage, in which the inspection report and plans for structural retrofitting and strengthening are prepared. 

Drafting the design project and carrying out the construction work only marks the start of a structure’s service life, although it is a very important stage that creates the base for long-term functionality and durability. However, no structure can exist forever. With a well-defined plan, proper execution with suitable materials and strict supervision during construction, plus preventive and corrective maintenance throughout the structure’s service life, it is possible to reach an age of more than 100 years. However, whether modern buildings can match the longevity of Roman structures remains to be seen!

The new tunnel will be the first infrastructure to be built across the Thames since 1991, increasing public transport provision sixfold upon its commissioning. The project, which is being undertaken by London’s public transport authority Transport for London (TfL), is the largest road investment in this area of the city in the last 30 years. It includes the design and construction of 1.4 kilometres twin bored tunnels under the River Thames, which, together with the cut-and-cover tunnels at both ends, add up to a total tunnel length of 2 kilometres. The design also includes the necessary road works and junctions for tunnel access. With a budget of more than one billion pounds, the project has been awarded to the RiverLinx consortium, which is responsible for its design, execution, financing, operation and maintenance. RiverLinx is made up of Spanish operator Cintra, construction companies Ferrovial-Agroman and BAM Nuttal, engineering firms SK E&C, designers Ayesa, Arup, Cowi and financiers Aberdeen Standard Investment and Macquarie Capital. 

General layout of the route of the tunnel under the River Thames.

In turn, RiverLinx has contracted Ineco/RPS joint venture as an Independent Certifier throughout the design and construction process. As such, Ineco is participating in the construction of the tunnel, bringing its extensive experience in the supervision of particularly complex tunnels. The contract is being executed through a joint venture with the company RPS, in which Ineco has a 57% shareholding. Both companies will provide support as an Independent Certifier until the commissioning of the new tunnel. The design phase started in 2020, with work scheduled for completion in 2025. 

 Less traffic jams, better connections

Currently, the only means of crossing the Thames in this area of the city is the Blackwall Tunnel, which has been in service for over 120 years, with very high levels of congestion (over 48,000 vehicles per day in each direction) and gauge limitations. It is estimated that more than one million hours of congestion are generated each year due to tunnel capacity constraints, with an economic impact of 10 million pounds each year. 

Ineco is contributing its experience in the supervision of particularly complex tunnels

The new tunnel will be the first road crossing under the River Thames since the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge opened on the outskirts of London more than 30 years ago. It is estimated that the tunnel’s area of influence will see an increase in population of 650,000 people and the creation of 286,000 new jobs by 2036. Once operational, it will enable a six-fold increase in public transport capacity in this area of London. Today, due to the limitations of the tunnels, there is only one bus service that allows crossing between the two eastern neighbourhoods of the city. The new tunnel will have one bus lane in each direction, allowing an increase to 37 bus services per hour. All services will also be operated with zero-emission vehicles. 

TfL estimates that improving congestion in and around Blackwall will significantly reduce journey times. Studies predict that, without the Silvertown Tunnel, both traffic and emissions from congestion in the Blackwall Tunnel would increase in the coming years, such that morning rush hour delays in east and south-east London could increase by more than 20% on average. The new infrastructure will help to improve air quality in this area of the city by reducing congestion and increasing the flow of public transport, as well as making connections north and south of the river more resilient.

Description of the works

In addition to the tunnels, the works include the design of the accesses and the roads connecting them to the existing network, which are largely developed using open cut and cut-and-cover techniques by means of  slurry walls, sheet piling, micropiles and in-situ walls.

The tunnel is made up of two tubes built with an EPB TBM (Tunelling Boring Machine) of 12 m in diameter to accommodate a cross section with two unidirectional lanes of 3.50 m for each tube, with one of the lanes being exclusively for the circulation of buses, including double-deckers, and freight transport. 

The tunnel boring machine was manufactured in Germany by Herrenknecht. It is approximately 82 m long, weighs around 1,800 tonnes and will have a cutting surface of almost 12 m. 

The new tunnel will be the first road crossing under the River Thames for more than 30 years

Following the execution schedule, the tunnel boring machine will start boring the first tube (southbounds) from Silvertown, where the launch chamber is located, turn around in North Greenwich at the rotation chamber and continue boring the second tube back to Silvertown to the extraction shaft. The infrastructure will include seven cross passages connecting the tubes at 150 m spacing.

Overall, the construction team will manage a total excavation of 600,000 m³ and 100% of the extracted material will be transported by river, minimising the impact of construction traffic on neighbouring communities and roads.

The project also incorporates maintenance buildings and road works and surface links, including an overbridge and a pedestrian and cycling bridge. The works are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025 and will be located within the ultra-low emission zone.