Projects

THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM

REPLACE THE ISOLATING VALVES

The NEC projects team asked us to quote to replace the isolating valves which feed the potable and firefighting pump sets. We were lucky enough to win the contract, but the timescales were tight as the firefighting set also feeds the water to the onsite hotels. The current 250mm and 400mm gate valves were heavily corroded stopping them from closing, this isn’t surprising since they are 50 years old! Before any work could commence an inspection for asbestos would need to be carried out. 

Unfortunately, out of the 22 flanges tested, 3 came back positive and 2 of them were the flanges we needed to take off. We manged to overcome this by skilful crane operators, LiftLtd from Leicester, who made it possible to move the valves without making any pipe modifications to the asbestos containing flanges. Once the older, much heavier valves were out we replaced them with new Tomoe butterfly valves with custom built 316 stainless steel spacers.

LEICESTER

REDUCING THE HEIGHT OF A CHAMBER

We were asked by Bowmer & Kirkland to provide a solution for reducing the height of a wet well and valve chamber for a large surface water pump station. A new access road was to be built over the top of an existing pump station which had to be lowered by 1200mm, this meant that the current 250mm valve chamber had to be redesigned. 

The consulting engineers plan was to construct a new valve chamber 20m away and pipe to it, but because of the services that ran through the proposed excavation it prevented this from being a viable plan. We suggested to the client that we redesign the existing valve chamber using compact 250mm non-return valves to then be discharged into a newly formed discharge manhole at the far end of the old valve chamber, this saving them time and money.

GREYFRIARS UNDERPASS, SALISBURY

REDUCING THE HEIGHT OF A CHAMBER

As part of our contract with Wiltshire Council we were tasked with renewing the pipework and valves in an underpass pump station. 

As if it’s not difficult enough to work in a confined space, unfortunately these are one of the many challenges we face whilst working in pump chambers.