Sophie the Spectacular Sprayer’ paves the way for Bristol surface treatment works
A surface treatments sprayer that will improve the roads across Bristol, has been affectionately named Sophie the Spectacular Sprayer by a local pupil.
Ember of Avanti Gardens School competed against her fellow classmates to name one of four 26 tonne road emulsion sprayers that make up this season’s new fleet from Kier Highways Solutions, a surface treatment provider and bitumen manufacturer, which is part of Kier.
Ember’s school learned about the big vehicle, which has cutting edge technology, and how it’s used to keep the highways network safe by spraying bituminous emulsion onto the road before applying stone. They enjoyed sitting in the cab and pressing the horn. They then took part in interactive workshops led by Kier, learning about how the business maintains, protects, and preserves the highway network in the UK.
The Eden Sprayers, which were introduced to the fleet earlier this year, are custom-specified road emulsion sprayers. They are fitted with advanced technology and safety features that prioritise the safety of road workers and road users. These features include direct vision technology, a two-step entry design, electronics to monitor tyre pressures and wheel nut tightness, and spray bars that are controlled automatically by a series of radar sensors.
Lee Draper, general manager, Kier, said: “We really enjoyed visiting the pupils at Avanti Gardens School. They are our next generation of employees, so it’s important we have opportunities like this to teach them about different careers in industries like highways.
“We think Sophie the Spectacular Sprayer is a great name for our vehicle. We’d like to thank all the children who entered the competition; there were some fantastic suggestions.”
This year, on behalf of Bristol Council, Kier Highways Solutions will carry out c. 260,000sqm of surface dressing using 450t of emulsion that it manufactures in its dedicated factory in Wymondham, Norfolk.
To learn about Kier’s commitment to social value, please visit: https://www.kier.co.uk/sustainability/
