SPECIALIST UK quantity surveying and project services practice A B Rhead & Associates Ltd has been awarded a prestigious commission on behalf of the UK's National Grid Transco on an important project to up-rate to 85bar various parts of the gas transportation system throughout the UK. The consultant will play a major role working along side Transco in the management of complex design and engineering issues involving four individual pipeline systems throughout the UK, extending from the north of Scotland to the south of England. Alan Rhead, managing director, commented: "We are delighted to be involved at the inception of a new strategy. The contract allows the company to bring its experience and core skills to the forefront to assist the client in delivering a project of this scale and complexity on time." The firm will deploy up to 12 members of staff, focusing on a number of aspects from day-to-day management, planning, and monitoring and auditing of design contractors, throughout the conceptual design and detail design phases and, subsequently, the construction phase of the project. A B Rhead & Associates Ltd is a leading provider of quantity-surveying, contract-administration, cost engineering, auditing, project planning, estimating, and project-management services to organizations engaged in the oil, gas, water, cable, petrochemical, civil engineering, and heavy engineering industries. With a current portfolio managing in excess of £700m, the company has built an enviable record of safeguarding clients' projects through applying and delivering good commercial disciplines to leading corporations and organizations world-wide.