CRL wins Infrastructure Remediation Award 2026 at the Scottish Civil Engineering Awards
Awards like the Scottish Civil Engineering Awards don't only celebrate a project that got finished well. They also recognise the expertise, the new ideas and the teamwork it takes to solve difficult infrastructure problems, and the people who do that work.
So we're really proud that CRL has won the Infrastructure Remediation Award 2026, alongside SP Energy Networks and WSP, for the Kincardine XD130 Foundation and Access Remedial Works.
The tower at the centre of the project is the North Transmission Tower, also known as the Kincardine Tower (XD130), on the banks of the Firth of Forth. At 153.9 metres, it's the tallest transmission tower in Scotland and part of the 275kV network that crosses the River Forth, keeping power flowing across central Scotland. It stands on the former Kincardine Power Station site, and its foundations are driven pre-cast piles grouped beneath five pile caps, all sitting in the tidal zone of the estuary. Salt water and tides are hard on concrete, so the pile caps needed specialist repair to protect the tower for the long term.
CRL Scotland started with hydro-demolition, which strips out damaged concrete without sending vibration through the sound concrete left behind. That let the team work carefully around the reinforcement. The exposed steel was then inspected and repaired where needed, and the surfaces were prepared so they'd work properly with the protection systems that came next.
Sacrificial anodes were installed to fight chloride-induced corrosion, which is the main threat in a marine setting. The concrete was then reinstated using dry-spray (gunite), chosen because it copes well with tidal conditions and gives a dense, durable repair with a strong bond. It also let the team build up the repair around the awkward shapes and vertical faces of the pile caps, fully covering the reinforcement and anodes. Follow-on blacksmith works finished the job.
None of this could be done on a normal schedule. Every stage was planned around the tide times, and the team worked under strict environmental controls. That included protecting a known otter holt beneath the access bridge, which the team looked after throughout the works.
Murray Soutar, Regional Director (Scotland & Ireland) at CRL, said: "The Kincardine Tower project really demonstrated what our team does best. Delivering high-quality concrete repairs in a challenging tidal environment required close collaboration with SP Energy Networks and a strong focus on safety, quality, and environmental care. I'm particularly proud of how the team safeguarded the nearby otter holt while completing the works on time and to exacting standards."
The repairs are built to last. The anodes keep protecting the steel long after the job is done, which cuts the risk of future corrosion, and the careful surface preparation gives the new concrete a good grip on the old. That should extend the life of the pile caps and reduce maintenance, and it supports SP Energy Networks' long-term plans for looking after the asset.
For us at CRL, this win backs up what we care about most: helping important infrastructure last longer through specialist concrete repair, remediation and smart engineering.
Huge congratulations to everyone involved at CRL, SP Energy Networks and WSP.
