In the first part of our Technical Team series, we explored how recent laboratory improvements are helping Wainwright enhance testing capabilities, improve efficiency and create a safer working environment. But the benefits go far beyond the laboratory itself.

The insights generated by the Technical Team are playing a crucial role in developing high-performing products, supporting sustainability goals and helping Wainwright deliver even greater value to customers.

Turning Data Into Better Products

Accurate testing is the foundation of quality product development. By providing faster and more reliable results, the Technical Team is helping optimise materials, refine processes and improve performance across Wainwright’s asphalt range.

According to Technical Director Martyn Tatlow, the team’s work is central to the company’s sustainability ambitions. “We’re on a mission to increase our use of recycled materials while maintaining the highest standards of quality and performance. Better testing allows us to optimise the use of Recycled Asphalt Planings (RAP) in our mixes and ensure consistent results across our product range.”

Working closely with operational teams across the business, the Technical Team uses testing data to identify opportunities for continuous improvement, helping drive best practice in recycling while maintaining product quality.

“What gets measured gets managed,” says Martyn. “The insights we gain through testing allow us to optimise our processes and support smarter decision-making across the business.”

Supporting Quality Through Cutting-Edge Technology

Alongside the laboratory refurbishment, several new pieces of specialist equipment have further strengthened the team’s capabilities. In the aggregates laboratory, a new testing device enables more accurate measurement of water absorption in materials sourced from the Moons Hill Quarry Complex.

The laboratory has also introduced enhanced air void testing equipment, helping technicians assess asphalt compaction and optimise mix designs while maintaining performance standards.

Additional binder recovery equipment gives the team greater control when balancing recycled materials and virgin binder, helping ensure consistency, workability and product quality across the range.

Developing the WRIGHT Product Range

The Technical Team’s role extends far beyond compliance testing. Their expertise helps shape the future of Wainwright’s growing range of proprietary asphalt products, with innovation and product development sitting at the heart of everything they do. Martyn and Elliott agree that the laboratory refurbishment has been crucial in developing Wainwright’s range of quality products and ensuring they are fit for purpose.

“We see our role as about more than ensuring the compliance of Wainwright’s materials and processes to relevant standards,” says Elliott. “We want to create the very best performance products we can.”

The results of that work can be seen throughout Wainwright’s WRIGHT range of proprietary asphalt products, developed to deliver quality, workability and sustainability across a variety of applications.

The range includes:

• AirWRIGHT – for airfield taxiways, aprons and runways
• FlexWRIGHT – for high speed, high-traffic road sections, roundabouts and junctions
• PaveWRIGHT – for high-speed roads
• LayerWRIGHT – for applications requiring low texture and high resistance to deformation
• FarmWRIGHT – for agricultural applications
• DrainWRIGHT – for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)
• PatchWRIGHT – for highway reinstatement works
• PathWRIGHT – for footpaths and cycle paths
• DriveWRIGHT – for residential driveways
• ParkWRIGHT – for heavy traffic and parking environments

One standout example is FarmWRIGHT, developed in collaboration with a specialist agricultural contractor to create a product tailored to the unique demands of the farming sector.

Through extensive testing, innovation and close collaboration with customers and operational teams, the Technical Team continues to evolve the WRIGHT range, ensuring Wainwright can offer the right solution for every application while maintaining its commitment to quality and performance.

Supporting a Lower-Carbon Future

Sustainability remains a key focus for the Technical Team. Alongside materials testing and product development, the team plays an important role in carbon reporting and environmental assessment. A couple of years ago, Elliott joined an industry working group that developed the Pavement Embodied Carbon Tool (asPECT), making the software freely available across the industry.

Using this tool, Wainwright can support clients with carbon reporting data, helping customers and local authorities make informed decisions when evaluating project options.

The People Behind the Results

While technology and equipment play an important role, the success of the department ultimately comes down to the people behind it. Elliott is supported by a skilled team that brings extensive experience, expertise and attention to detail to every aspect of the laboratory’s work. “I’m supported on a day-to-day basis by Senior Technician Chris Marshall, who has years of experience in compliance testing, and Lab Technicians Keira-Leigh Underhill and Errol Walsh, who both bring real care to their duties,” says Elliott. “We also have a brilliant Higher Apprentice in Nisha White, who is learning about every aspect of our business and growing each day.”

The Technical Team works closely with colleagues across the quarry, asphalt plants, Viafix and contracting divisions, ensuring its influence is felt throughout the business.

“We feel as if we play a role that touches every part of the company,” says Errol. “It’s rewarding to see the positive impact we’re making.” This collaborative approach reflects the wider culture at Wainwright. “There’s a strong sense of common purpose,” Elliott explains. “That makes it much easier to innovate.”

A Technical Centre of Excellence

Innovation remains at the heart of Wainwright’s approach as the business continues to pursue its sustainability goals while developing high-quality products for customers.

With its upgraded laboratory, specialist expertise and strong cross-functional partnerships, the Technical Team has become a true centre of excellence that supports every area of the business.

As Elliott remarks while reviewing the results of one of the team’s new in-house tests: “With the facilities and expertise to optimise Wainwright’s products, we’re ready for the future.”