Hyder Consulting
Encyclopedia
Hyder Consulting is a multi-national advisory and design consultancy with particular specialisation in the transport, property, utilities and environmental sectors. The firm employs approximately 4,200 people across the UK, Europe, Germany, Middle East, Asia and Australia and has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since October 2002. The name Hyder is the Welsh
word for "confidence".
in 1860, Sir Charles Fox and Sons later became Douglas Fox & Partners. The firm was later joined by partners Sir Ralph Freeman
(who had worked for the firm since 1901, later becoming a partner) and Sir Gilbert Roberts
, and in 1938 became as Freeman, Fox and Partners in 1938, and later Acer Freeman Fox.
The firm was responsible for the design of projects such as the Victoria Falls Bridge
(1905), the Sydney Harbour Bridge
(1932), the Forth Road Bridge
(1964), the Severn Bridge
(1966), the Bosphorus Bridge
(1973), the Humber Bridge
(1981), and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
(1988). Other notable projects included the Parkes radio telescope (1961), the 46m Algonquin Radio Observatory
(1965), and Melbourne's West Gate Bridge
(1978), in which the company's structural design was held partly responsible for a collapse in 1970 that killed 35 workers.
Over the same period John Taylor & Sons built its reputation in water and wastewater engineering with projects such as the Shanghai water supply project and major water and sewerage projects in Leningrad (now St Petersburg) and Tehran.
The two firms merged in 1987 to form Acer Consultants. Over the next few years, several smaller specialist firms were incorporated to form a worldwide infrastructure and civil engineering consultancy.
The company and another consultant Wallace Evans Ltd was acquired by Welsh Water
in 1993 and renamed Hyder Consulting in 1996. When Hyder Consulting was bought by Western Power Distribution
, the senior management of Hyder Consulting instigated a management buy-out, completed in January 2001. The firm then listed on the London Stock Exchange
in October 2002. They now employ approximately 4,200 staff worldwide and operate in development infrastructure including civil engineering, utilities, environment, buildings, geotechnics and transportation.
, the Melbourne CityLink
and EastLink (Melbourne) tollways, Hong Kong Greening Master Plan, Ski Dubai
, the Burj Khalifa, and the Cairo Wastewater Project.
On 28 August 2008, Hyder announced they had won a landmark project to build a new eye catching twin leaf bascule bridge (Te Wero Bridge) in Auckland City Harbour.
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
word for "confidence".
History
Through the 20th century, Freeman Fox & Partners built an international reputation in the field of bridges and highways. Founded by Sir Charles Fox in partnership with his son Sir Charles Douglas FoxCharles Douglas Fox
Sir Douglas Fox was a British civil engineer.-Early life:Douglas was born in Smethwick, Staffordshire, the oldest son of Sir Charles Fox and had two brothers and a sister. Sir Charles was a civil engineer and had designed, amongst other things, The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park...
in 1860, Sir Charles Fox and Sons later became Douglas Fox & Partners. The firm was later joined by partners Sir Ralph Freeman
Ralph Freeman
Sir Ralph Freeman was an English structural engineer, responsible for the design of several of the world's most impressive bridges....
(who had worked for the firm since 1901, later becoming a partner) and Sir Gilbert Roberts
Gilbert Roberts
Sir Gilbert Roberts was a British civil engineer.He was born in Hampstead, London to Henry William Roberts, a pharmacist and educated at Bromley High School. He then went to Gresham College to study engineering but on the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Flying Corps...
, and in 1938 became as Freeman, Fox and Partners in 1938, and later Acer Freeman Fox.
The firm was responsible for the design of projects such as the Victoria Falls Bridge
Victoria Falls Bridge
The Victoria Falls Bridge crosses the Zambezi River just below the Victoria Falls and is built over the Second Gorge of the falls. As the river is the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, the bridge links the two countries and has border posts on the approaches to both ends, at the towns of Victoria...
(1905), the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
(1932), the Forth Road Bridge
Forth Road Bridge
The Forth Road Bridge is a suspension bridge in east central Scotland. The bridge, opened in 1964, spans the Firth of Forth, connecting the capital city Edinburgh, at South Queensferry, to Fife, at North Queensferry...
(1964), the Severn Bridge
Severn Bridge
The Severn Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the River Severn between South Gloucestershire, just north of Bristol, England, and Monmouthshire in South Wales, via Beachley, a peninsula between the River Severn and River Wye estuary. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and...
(1966), the Bosphorus Bridge
Bosphorus Bridge
The Bosphorus Bridge, also called the First Bosphorus Bridge is one of the two bridges in Istanbul, Turkey, spanning the Bosphorus strait and thus connecting Europe and Asia The bridge is located between Ortaköy and Beylerbeyi The Bosphorus Bridge, also called the First Bosphorus Bridge is...
(1973), the Humber Bridge
Humber Bridge
The Humber Bridge, near Kingston upon Hull, England, is a 2,220 m single-span suspension bridge, which opened to traffic on 24 June 1981. It is the fifth-largest of its type in the world...
(1981), and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, also known as the Second Bosphorus Bridge , is a bridge in Istanbul, Turkey spanning the Bosphorus strait...
(1988). Other notable projects included the Parkes radio telescope (1961), the 46m Algonquin Radio Observatory
Algonquin Radio Observatory
The Algonquin Radio Observatory is a radio telescope research facility located in the Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. The site's primary instrument is a major 46 m parabolic-dish radio antenna. This instrument is historically famous for taking part in the first successful very...
(1965), and Melbourne's West Gate Bridge
West Gate Bridge
The West Gate Bridge is a steel box girder cable-stayed bridge in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It spans the Yarra River, just north of its mouth into Port Phillip, and is a vital link between the inner city and Melbourne's western suburbs with the industrial suburbs in the west and with the city...
(1978), in which the company's structural design was held partly responsible for a collapse in 1970 that killed 35 workers.
Over the same period John Taylor & Sons built its reputation in water and wastewater engineering with projects such as the Shanghai water supply project and major water and sewerage projects in Leningrad (now St Petersburg) and Tehran.
The two firms merged in 1987 to form Acer Consultants. Over the next few years, several smaller specialist firms were incorporated to form a worldwide infrastructure and civil engineering consultancy.
The company and another consultant Wallace Evans Ltd was acquired by Welsh Water
Welsh Water
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is a company which supplies drinking water and wastewater services to most of Wales and parts of western England.It is regulated under the Water Industry Act 1991.-History:...
in 1993 and renamed Hyder Consulting in 1996. When Hyder Consulting was bought by Western Power Distribution
Western Power Distribution
Western Power Distribution is the trading identity of four electricity distribution companies - WPD South West , WPD South Wales and WPD Midlands...
, the senior management of Hyder Consulting instigated a management buy-out, completed in January 2001. The firm then listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
in October 2002. They now employ approximately 4,200 staff worldwide and operate in development infrastructure including civil engineering, utilities, environment, buildings, geotechnics and transportation.
Services
- Building and Infrastructure Services
- Environment
- Geosciences
- Transport Services
- Structures
- Water Services
- Management Services
- Property Services
Recent acquisitions
Since 2002, Hyder has acquired a number of UK based companies to widen its capabilities and service base. These include:- ACLA Limited - Landscape Architecture, Urban Design and Master Planning, Middle East and East Asia
- Ashact - Environmental and Process Engineering Consultancy, UK
- Bettridge Turner & Partners - Transportation, Environmental and Land Development Consultants, UK
- Cresswell Associates - Ecologists, UK
- Marcus Hodges Environmental - Environmental and Ecology Consultants, UK
- RPA Quantity Surveyors - Construction, Cost and Project management, UK
- Acerplan - Engineering Consultants, Germany
- SEIB Ingenieur-Consult - Engineering Consultants, Germany
- Voigt Ingenieure - Engineering Consultants, Germany
- Crescent PSS Pty Ltd - Project Management and Advisory Consultancy, Australia
- Holford Associates - Architectural and Interior design, Dubai
Recent landmark projects
More recent landmark projects include Taiwan High Speed RailTaiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs approximately along the west coast of the Republic of China from the national capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung...
, the Melbourne CityLink
CityLink
CityLink is a system of tolled urban Highways in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company Transurban was awarded the contract to augment two existing freeways and construct two new Toll roads—labelled the Western and Southern Links—directly linking a number of existing freeways to...
and EastLink (Melbourne) tollways, Hong Kong Greening Master Plan, Ski Dubai
Ski Dubai
Ski Dubai is an indoor ski resort with 22,500 square metres of indoor ski area. It is a part of the Mall of the Emirates, one of the largest shopping malls in the world, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates...
, the Burj Khalifa, and the Cairo Wastewater Project.
On 28 August 2008, Hyder announced they had won a landmark project to build a new eye catching twin leaf bascule bridge (Te Wero Bridge) in Auckland City Harbour.