RIVAL engineering firms competing for a steel contract for a new skyscraper have both won a share of the work.

Darlington firm Cleveland Bridge UK and Severfield- Rowen, in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, were competing for the steel contract for the Shard of Glass skyscraper, in London.

But it has now emerged that the contract for Britain’s tallest building has given to both firms. They will work on different parts of the 80-storey building.

Main contractor Mace Group said: “In a move that uses the best of the UK steel manufacturing and erection industry, Mace Group has appointed both specialist contractors.”

Construction services director Gareth Lewis said: “We took the decision to appoint both in order to build upon the excellent progress made to date on the project.”

Cleveland Bridge will design, fabricate and deliver the plunge columns and steelwork for the basement to ground floor of the 310-metre (1,020ft) tall building.

Severfield Rowen’s Severfield- Reeve Structures will design, fabricate and deliver the steel frame to the tower from ground level up.

Cleveland Bridge, which has been working with Corus on the Shard project, had already started making steel for the skyscraper after it was named steel contractor in June last year.

But in March, a source close to the project told The Northern Echo that the economic downturn had left firms battling for work and Severfield- Rowen had entered the frame.

The source said: “They are competing for it. It is a twohorse race. It is much more competitive now. You would be amazed at the big names in the industry bidding for relatively small contracts of £10m.”

The job involves 11,500 tonnes of steel for steelwork and metal decking on the building.

The Shard skyscraper is the first phase of the £2bn Renzo Piano-designed London Bridge Quarter regeneration project.

In an interim management statement yesterday, Severfield- Rowen, which employs 1,350 people, 700 of them in North Yorkshire, said its trading performance this year was so far in line with management’s expectations and its order book stood at £308m.