Howard Civil Engineering

Technical expertise and experience are fundamental to what we do at Howard Civil Engineering, and nobody personifies that better than Jose Rocha, our Reinforced Concrete Site Supervisor.

With 34 years in construction and more than 20 years managing reinforced concrete projects, Jose is one of the most valuable members of our team. His knowledge, practical approach and ability to solve problems on site are hugely valued by everyone who works with him.

From major projects in the UK to his earlier career in Spain, Jose has worked on some fascinating schemes and has plenty of stories to tell along the way.

In our latest colleague spotlight, Jose talks about his career, some of the projects he’s most proud of and what he enjoys about being part of the HCE team.

Swipe through to hear about his proudest achievements, career lessons, and what keeps him motivated on site daily! ➡️

You can also read Jose’s story here:

https://www.howardcivileng.co.uk/news/colleague-spotlight-jose-rocha-rc-site-supervisor/

What a fantastic morning at our Recruitment Open Day at Howard House last week!

A huge thank you to everyone who braved the rainy weather to come down to Seacroft and chat with us about building a rewarding career in construction. We had a brilliant turnout, meeting both keen 18-25-year-olds ready to kickstart their traineeships and experienced groundworkers looking for their next move across West and South Yorkshire.

Special thanks to the HCE team on-site today, James Page, Steve Dakin, Tony Kilbane, and Ewan Mason for running the sessions.

We also want to give a massive thank you to Adam Simpson, George Probert, Andy Doc, Micky Joe and Kiel Tetley. They took time out of their busy schedules to share their experiences in construction, how they got there, and what helped them succeed in the industry.

Our team is currently reviewing all the applications and we’ll be reaching out in the coming weeks to extend offers to successful candidates ahead of our 28th September start date.

On a busy construction site, it’s easy to get caught up in the next task, the next deadline and everything that needs doing.

But every now and then, it’s worth taking a step back and looking up.

One of the site team at our Skelton Grange project took a moment to capture this brilliant view recently

A nice reminder that there’s more to a day on site than just getting the job done.

♻️ Recycle Week: making more of what’s already on site

For Howard Civil Engineering, responsible waste management starts with looking at what can be recovered, reprocessed and reused before it becomes waste.

Across our construction sites, we manage different waste streams carefully and look for opportunities to put site-won and waste materials back to work.

That can include:

🔹 Concrete – demolished material reprocessed into reusable aggregates.
🔹 Timber – waste wood separated and channelled to specialist recycling partners for repurposing.
🔹 Steel – recovered from demolition work and recycled for future use.

Where materials can be reprocessed and reused on site, it can also reduce the need for new materials and the associated environmental impacts.

In fact, the estimated net greenhouse gas saving from reusing material on site is 19kg CO₂e per tonne.

For HCE, better waste management is about making the most of the materials already available, reducing waste and supporting more sustainable construction practices.

At Howard Civil Engineering, we’re always looking for ways to improve how we work, from exploring new technologies and techniques to assessing the latest plant and machinery available to the industry.

As part of that ongoing approach, we currently have a brand-new Develon DX230LC-9 demonstration machine out on our Skelton site.

Built entirely from the ground up, we’re trialling it predominantly for our demanding civil engineering tasks to see how its 141 kW Develon engine and advanced electro-hydraulic system handle the heavy lifting.

We’re particularly keen to put the machine’s groundbreaking AI features and active safety systems through their paces, including 360-degree Around View Monitoring and an intelligent Human Detection System.

Integrated features include an automatic E-Stop, which detects personnel up to 6 metres away and brings the machine to a complete stop by 3 metres, alongside customisable Virtual Walls designed to help operators work safely in confined or restricted areas.

We’ll be closely assessing the machine’s performance, capability and safety benefits over the coming weeks.

Great progress is underway on site at Airedale Hospital! 🏗️

Following the successful completion of the east retaining wall base pour, our site team moved straight into the attenuation tank capping slab pour.

We are proud to be delivering the £1.9m groundworks and infrastructure package for Airedale Hospital’s brand-new Same Day Emergency Care facility.

Working in close partnership with VINCI Building, Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, AGH Solutions, Hive, and Wingate, we’re helping build vital, modern healthcare infrastructure that will directly benefit the local community for years to come.

We look forward to sharing more updates as work continues on site!

We have just invested in a brand-new Komatsu D61 Crawler Dozer to lift our earthworks and grading capabilities to the next level.

With its signature slanted-nose design for maximum operator visibility and a powerful 169 HP engine, this machine delivers incredible precision. Our chosen model features an advanced Power-Angle-Tilt (PAT) blade, making it the ultimate tool for both heavy bulk dozing and high-accuracy fine grading.

Investing in efficient plant ensures Howard Civil Engineering keep delivering maximum value, safety, and speed for our clients across all current and upcoming civil engineering projects.

A major milestone was recently reached at Woldgate School & Sixth Form College, with the team successfully completing the final slab pour for the new main teaching block.

As part of the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme, Howard Civil Engineering is delivering £5.1 million of enabling works, foundations, drainage, ground floor slabs and hard landscaping for Wates Construction.

Working within a live school environment, the project has presented a number of challenges, including restricted working areas, existing services, high groundwater and difficult ground conditions. Through careful planning, specialist techniques and close collaboration with the wider project team, progress has remained on track.

The final slab pour marks an important step forward as the new teaching facilities begin to take shape - helping create a modern, sustainable educational environment for students in Pocklington and the surrounding area.