County Down-headquartered DAWSON WAM has announced a "groundbreaking milestone" on its works on the National Emergency Area Retrofit programme.

The civil engineering company has successfully carried out the first-ever reuse of steel sheet piles for permanent works on the SMP Alliance National Highways project.

During the M4 works, DAWSON WAM, in collaboration with Balfour Beatty plc, Jacobs Engineering Group Incorporation, WSP and National Highways, installed used sheet piles on a permanent structural wall to allow the construction of a new Emergency Area.

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These sheet piles, originally used in the Thames Tideway project, came with full mill certification and were thoroughly check for compliance, ensuring they wouldn't compromise safety or performance.

This departure from standard saved 62,885 kg of new steel procurement, avoided 173,562 kg CO₂e emissions, and delivered significant cost savings on material procurement.

Discussing the project, DAWSON WAM said: "It's worth noting that this was achieved on one relatively small wall, imagine what could be achieved across more walls, on multiple schemes. This project isn't just a one-off success, it's a blueprint for wider industry adoption.

"One of SMP Alliance and DAWSON WAM's core objectives from the outset was not just to deliver a sustainable solution, but to create something repeatable, scalable, and shareable."