How AECOM Saved Nearly £1M and 14,600 Tonnes of Materials on the Howden Relief Road Using ORIS Materials Intelligence

The context

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Building a new link road within the UK’s major road network

The Howden Relief Road project required designing and constructing a new 1.6 km link road within the UK’s Major Road Network. The design was carried out in two phases.

Phase 1: Building two new roundabouts, a spur into an industrial site, and connecting links to the major road network (1 & 2).
Phase 2: Extending the new link road to a local road comprising two additional new roundabouts and connecting links (3 & 4).

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AECOM used the ORIS platform to evaluate the 60-year whole-life cost and environmental impact of the project's preliminary pavement designs.

AECOM is a global leader in infrastructure consulting, delivering sustainable and innovative solutions in transportation, water, energy, and urban development. The company partners with governments and private sector clients to design and implement future-ready projects that balance performance, cost efficiency, and environmental responsibility.

The challenge

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Identifying the optimal design for sustainability and cost savings

The project aimed to minimise material consumption and costs while ensuring long-term sustainability through key strategies:

Optimising carbon & cost: Balancing environmental impact with financial performance.
60-year Life Cycle Assessment: Accounting for maintenance and long-term investment.
Circular economy: Using local and recycled materials like steel slag to reduce natural resource use.
Data-driven design: Leveraging Whole Life Cost analysis for informed pavement decisions.
Sustainable infrastructure: Delivering durable, cost-effective infrastructure with minimal environmental impact.

The ORIS platform assessed and compared three design options against AECOM’s client base design to ensure this objective was reached. The designs were produced following the DMRB (Design Manual for Roads and Bridges).

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The solution

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Driving a circular economy with ORIS and sustainable pavement design

The ORIS platform identified an efficiency gain for the project, utilising locally available steel slag, a by-product of steel manufacturing. This could reduce virgin aggregate consumption by 50% in specific asphalt mixtures, significantly lowering the carbon footprint and material consumption while maintaining performance standards and offering substantial financial savings at the early design stage.

"The ORIS all-in-one platform allows us to directly visualise the layers comprising our pavement design, their carbon footprint, and material consumption. This capability empowers us to select the solution that best supports a circular economy while optimising cost savings."

James Burdall - Head of Pavement Design and Asset Management at AECOM

The results

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Key project results: Nearly £1M in cost savings, 15% reduction in carbon footprint, and efficient material use

The project delivered substantial financial and environmental benefits, including:

£0.87M in cost savings at the early design stage.
15% reduction in carbon footprint (0.52 million eq. kgCO₂) over 60 years.
15% reduction in material consumption (14,600 tonnes) throughout the project’s lifespan.
£3.23M Lower Whole Life Cost for the fully flexible Thin Surface Course Systems (TSCS) option.
50% reduction in aggregate consumption in TSCS asphalt mixtures by incorporating steel slag.

"By using the ORIS platform, we saved nearly £1M and reduced material consumption by 14,600 tonnes on the Howden Relief Road. This optimisation level would not have been possible without ORIS’s powerful digital capabilities."

James Burdall - Head of Pavement Design and Asset Management at AECOM

How AECOM Saved Nearly £1M and 14,600 Tonnes of Materials on the Howden Relief Road Using ORIS

The context

The challenge

The solution

The results

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