KITE Shuttle

When you’re working inside an active military base, there’s no room for error. Every detail matters, from compliance and safety to programme certainty and long-term durability. That was the challenge facing the B Lock handrail upgrade at HMNB Portsmouth, a complex infrastructure project delivered by KBS Maritime as Main Contractor, with Suttle Projects and KITE Projects working in close partnership to deliver a bespoke handrail solution.

If you work in flood and coastal projects, you’ve probably felt the shift already. Things are getting harder. Storms hit more often. Flood events becoming a scarily regular occurrence. And a lot of the infrastructure we’re relying on was designed for conditions that just don’t line up with reality anymore.

Storms, showers, sun and snow. Yes, the UK’s seen it all within the first three weeks of 2026! UK winters don’t behave the way they used to. Rather than predictable periods of cold, we’re now dealing with sharp swings in weather; cold snaps followed by heavy rain, flooding, high winds and rapid thaws, often within weeks of each other. For infrastructure, that change is far more challenging than cold weather alone.