Water and Effluent Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/931631
FEBRUARY 2018 WET NEWS 11 PROJECT SPECS • Use Skilled Assembly Factory Environment (SAFE) modular construction for borehole pumping station upgrade • Keep existing plant operational right up until the new equipment had been commissioned and tested TECHKNOW • The treatment plant is housed within an SR4-rated kiosk, complete with building services, heating and ventilation system • A 3D laser scan using a FARO focus scanner captured the dimensions and positions of all assets on the site THE VERDICT "The factory build has allowed us to test equipment and software before it arrives to site, increasing confidence that it will work first time. This technique has reduced the overall construction programme and helped minimise disruption to local residents." Greg Cameron, Business Lead, Affinity Water NEED TO KNOW 1 The approach led to savings of more than £110,000 2 Virtual design technology reduced the need for the 500-mile round trip to the site 3 Only a single brief shutdown was needed to connect the new services simply had to be craned onto the supports. This project also saw Nomenca introduce Saint Gobain's Universal Rapid Vi Pipe to the UK. The design's anchored joints employ an innovative gasket and steel teeth to withstand the thrust forces that high water pres- sures produce around bends. That removes the need for bulky concrete anchor blocks, accelerating installation, mini- mising space requirements and, again, reducing costs. The results The technical innovations drove a number of financial, environmental, safety and time-saving benefits for Affin- ity Water. The survey tech- niques produced an accurate digital site plan extremely quickly, while Level 2 BIM technology enabled collabora- tive working at all stages of the project. The use of 3D modelling made sure assets built offsite fitted with existing site piping and equipment. Testing the treatment plant to high toler- ances and identifying and dealing with minor issues off- site all contributed to the suc- cess of the project. On installa- tion day, the kiosk lined up within 5mm of the existing pipework. All upgrading works took place while the legacy plant continued to operate as nor- mal. Only a single brief shut- down was needed to connect the new services, keeping the water supply running to thou- sands of Essex residents while minimising noise and disrup- tion. The rapid connection also avoided the vast extra costs associated with importing water from elsewhere. Offsite building allowed parallel working, with the resulting shorter programme of onsite works cutting project timescales and costs. The pro- ject realised a 5% saving on the original project capex, with savings of more than £110,000. The benefits continued with reduced HSE construction risk, as much of the construction work took place in a controlled indoor environment. The off- site construction process also wastes fewer raw materials and has a smaller overall car- bon footprint too. The development is the largest off-site construction project the water industry has yet seen and stands out in the wider construction sector too. Its excellence has already been recognised, winning the Appli- cation of Technology Award at the 2017 British Construction Industry Awards. From safety to efficiency and costs, the innovative tech- nology and techniques this project demonstrates shows the impact offsite technology can have for the future of the industry. Greg Cameron, Business Lead at Affinity Water, said: "The project is the first time we have applied offsite build on this scale and has provided numerous benefits. The factory build has allowed us to test equipment and soŸware before it arrives to site, increasing confidence that it will work first time. This technique has reduced the overall construc- tion programme and helped minimise disruption to local residents." extremely compact compared to conventional onsite installations. All equipment was installed, electrically con- nected and every process tested and commissioned before the treatment plant went anywhere near the site. Once complete, it was transported to site, put into position and linked to power and piping – all in a single day. Mounting the treatment plant on precast concrete sup- ports instead of a poured con- crete base further simplified and speeded both onsite works and the installation process. AŸer arriving onsite, the kiosk Offsite construction allowed for minimal disruption