Latest innovations and products in the external works section of the construction industry.

Structural Concrete Alliance sponsors new award

The Structural Concrete Alliance is sponsoring a new Concrete Society award to find the structural concrete project of the year.

Entries were received from members of the three trade associations which make up the Structural Concrete Alliance, with the winner to be announced by Janet Street-Porter at the Concrete Society Awards Dinner to be held at the Grosvenor Hotel, Park Lane, London on 29th October.

Members of the Concrete Repair Association (CRA), Corrosion Prevention Association (CPA) and the Sprayed Concrete Association (SCA) supplied details of the solutions they had delivered to overcome difficulties encountered in a range of demanding projects.

The entries were reviewed by a panel of members from each of the Associations and three projects were shortlisted to go on to the next stage of the competition.

Ken Dykes, spokesman for the Structural Concrete Alliance declared:

“The judging panel was impressed by the high standards of the entries, which served to highlight the professionalism of CRA, CPA and SCA members. Each entry demonstrated the depth of knowledge and skills our members possess and their ability to provide innovative solutions to even the most demanding of engineering challenges.

“Although it was a difficult choice, the judging panel felt that the shortlisted projects best represented the expertise of the asset protection and repair industry.”

The shortlisted entries included Balvac’s repair and refurbishment of the Silver Jubilee Bridge complex in Widnes, Cheshire; BAM Ritchies’ stabilisation of the Hooley Cutting in Surrey; and Mott Macdonald’s refurbishment of Ryde Pier in the Isle of Wight.

The Structural Concrete Alliance is an umbrella organisation which brings together the Concrete Repair Association (CRA), Corrosion Prevention Association (CPA) and Sprayed Concrete Association (SCA) to provide a single co-ordinated voice for the structural concrete refurbishment and repair industry. It offers a single point of contact for major clients and a definitive source of information and advice for all involved in the repair, refurbishment and management of concrete infrastructure and the protection from corrosion of a wide range of structures.

The Alliance offers a series of free regional CPD seminars which aim to provide delegates with an introduction to Structural Asset Protection and Repair. Events are scheduled to take place in Exeter, London and Leeds this Autumn. For further information on Structural Concrete Alliance activities and events visit www.structuralconcretealliance.org.uk.

For details of the Concrete Society Awards or to book a place at the event visit www.concrete-awards.org.uk


Further reading

Decseal provides police protection in Leeds

A car park built as part of a new £34m police station in Leeds has been structurally protected using Stirling Lloyd’s dual function Decseal waterproofing and anti-skid system.

Some 4,182m² of the advanced resin-based Decseal system has been applied throughout the decks of the two-storey car park which serves West Yorkshire Police’s new divisional headquarters. With almost 400 spaces, the new car park provides parking for the force’s operational vehicles as well as for staff and visitors.

With a proven track record in similar car park applications throughout the UK, the fully reinforced Decseal system incorporates a tough, impermeable waterproofing membrane with no vulnerable joints. It has been designed to cope with the awkward contours and profiles associated with multi storey car park decks and ramps and protects the deck from water and chloride penetration and corrosion as well as providing essential skid and slip resistance for both vehicles and pedestrians.

Construction of the new police headquarters, a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) by main contractor, Interserve, was completed earlier this year. Located in Elland Road, opposite Leeds United’s football ground, the new police station and custody suite have become the nerve centre of police operations in the city.

To find out more, please visit www.stirlinglloyd.com


Further reading

Kingspan Klargester’s Guide to Sewage Treatment Systems awarded CPD status by CIBSE

Building engineers, architects and specifiers needing to understand the myriad of legislation and regulation surrounding the sizing and specifying of private drainage will now benefit from clear, professional guidance issued by the world’s leading experts.

Kingspan Klargester, the UK’s foremost manufacturer of off-mains drainage solutions, has published a new presentation on specifying commercial waste water treatment entitled, A Guide to Sewage Treatment Systems. The advice is designed to ensure that architects and specifiers feel confident in designing the correct solutions for offices, schools, hotels etc, and that their professional recommendations meet the stringent legally-binding requirements that surround waste water management.

The presentation has been approved by the Chartered Institute for Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) for its Continuous Professional Development programme, created to help members keep up-to-date on legal requirements, technical advances as well as their own personal development.

Compiled by Kingspan Klargester’s highly-experienced technical team – many of whom have been involved in the drafting of legislation and official guidance on waste water best practice – A Guide to Sewage Treatment Systems explains the nature of waste water treatment and the options available to manage effluent. These include either pumping it to the mains sewer (as a preference) or, if that is not an option, then treating the sewage before filtering it through a suitably-sized drainage field. The slides include step-by-step advice on tightly regulated areas such as site assessment and assessing the nature of the waste water to be treated. It then explains how to use this information to size and how to design and specify the right solution for a wide range of individual situations.

A Guide to Sewage Treatment Systems is illustrated by examples of different building types and installations all of which have different uses and therefore different requirements. These include pubs, hotels, camping and amenity sites to illustrate the potential complexity and individuality of each, and particularly highlighting the value and support provided by British Water’s Flows and Loads 4 guidance.

“Determining what represents the best off-mains solution for a building that might have varying levels of occupancy is understandably still a testing challenge for engineers, architects and specifiers,” says Geoff Oakley, Kingspan Klargester’s Technical Sales Manager.

“Heightened environmental standards, more stringent controls, European guidelines and the Building Regulations have placed greater importance than ever before on the need for properly specified solutions. And rightly so – nothing is more unappetizing (or unhygienic) than overflowing toilets and drains. Our advice and solutions can be trusted to be compliant and proven because our expert team have always been at the forefront of influencing legislation, from the very start.”

A Guide to Sewage Treatment Systems will provide architects and specifiers with best practice from start to finish and we are delighted it’s been afforded this recognition by CIBSE.”

For more information contact 01296 633033, email contact@kingspan.com, or visit www.kingspanenviro.com/CPD


Further reading