- Project Major Project: Waste Bunker at Earls Gate Energy Centre
- Principal contractor Clugston Construction
- Project lead Paul McVittie, Regional Sales Manager
- Key benefit Tackling unsafe ground conditions with one of the strongest hydraulic struts on the shoring market
‘There is a partnership here between Clugston and MGF. Everyone has had to work together and it has been a real team effort. MGF have been on the phone available to me all day every day, it’s been fantastic service.’
Mick Cleary, Clugston Construction Section Manager
Introduction
Assistance was required at a major project site in Grangemouth, Scotland, to provide temporary support for safe access to complete ongoing progress made on a new waste bunker.
MGF became involved with the project after meeting with the contractor, Clugston Construction. Discussions took place surrounding the initial design and how external factors had the potential to affect the end scheme.
‘We sat down with their designers and through numerous phone calls and meetings we came up with a temporary work solution which sped up the process.’
Paul McVittie, Regional Sales Manager, MGF
The Solution
The MGF Major Projects team provided an initial design of one frame for the excavation, but due to issues with Deep Soil Mixing installation, this was amended to a two-frame solution. As excavation works progressed excessive sheet movement occurred due to poor ground conditions and it was decided a third frame be added to reduce any additional movement.
The final solution comprised of 15m long sheet piles with three levels of propping comprising MGF 406UC Tank Brace supported by 8 No. corner braces. The innovative element of this project was the inclusion of MGF’s 350 tonne hydraulic strut which was used due to the very high loads on the project as a result of the unstable ground conditions.
The 350 tonne hydraulic strut is one of the strongest in the shoring market.
The solution incorporated MGF’s integral prop load monitoring hardware. Prop load monitoring enabled MGF, the contractor and designers to monitor the live loading on the prop through an online portal. This provided significant benefits as it was possible to assess how the excavation was behaving through the pressures induced in the hydraulic struts.
The overall excavation was 28 metres x 24 metres x 7.8 metres deep.
‘The (Prop Load Monitoring) system that MGF supplied allowed people anywhere to monitor the pressures being applied on the system…It did offer a calm effect on the job. So everyone could see that the pressures were for example, half their design working load.’
Mick Cleary, Clugston Construction Section Manager
The Verdict
Keeping in constant contact with the contractor, allowed MGF to respond quickly and efficiently when any issues arose. By having members of the team onsite meant MGF were on hand to assist in any way necessary.
A recent update on the project showed that the dig and pile cropping is now complete with rebar installation at approximately 80%, with future plans to pour the concrete base and have the bottom frame removed sometime after.
