Aqueduct – Programmed Outage Remedial Works
Ram Services Limited has extensive experience maintaining and reacting to critical infrastructure remedial works.
A project based in the North of England required Ram Services Limited to work intrinsically with the utility provider, to remediate a Victorian aqueduct. Due to the reliance on the asset, it could only be taken out of service for the month of October over a period of five years, which required long-term consistency and commitment from the teams working on the asset, so that understanding, experience and lessons learnt were not lost over the project life.
Problem:
- Remedial works to UK’s longest aqueduct, which transports over 225 million litres of water per day, from the Lake District to the city of Manchester.
- The Victorian structure is of strategic importance to the ultimate client, and it was taken out of service to undertake planned and emergency repairs, as part of the enabling works for another strategic asset that was to be remediated in later years.
Solution:
Reconnaissance
- Ram Services Limited worked alongside the aqueduct team to accurately locate the line and level of the aqueduct, allowing the principal contractor to open access points at 800m centres. In subsequent years, these access points were re-opened.
Safe working in a confined space with radon monitoring
- This 800m access points meant that 110 volt electrically operated power tools could be used in certain sections without a significant power loss.
- To ensure a safe working environment forced ventilation was employed throughout, with standby generators and fans. The capacity of the fans was increased in three identified areas, where a pre contract gas monitoring survey had indicated there could be a risk of methane, for example due to the proximity of a landfill site.
- Radon had been identified as a risk during the pre-contract survey and the ventilation also had the benefit of providing mitigation in respect of the presence of radon. A radiological advisor (IRAS) was brought in to supervise and monitor the works by providing workplace monitors and carrying out an evaluation of the exposure levels of the workforce during and after the contract. All our workforce were all given a three-hour briefing session before being permitted to work in the aqueduct.
Cohesive multi-company team with open channels of communication
- Ram Services Limited as a specialist subcontractor, the ultimate client, designer, and principal contractor were in consultation and represented throughout the planning and execution of the work. This was key to the project’s success as these open channels of communication, teamwork, visibility of the programme and an understanding of each other’s constraints enabled the right decisions to be made.
- A foremost part of Ram Services Limited’s work was to undertake reactive repairs, so the earlier Ram Services Limited was informed of the requirement for the repairs, the swifter the work could be successfully remediated.
The range of remedial works included;
- Repairing hollow base defects using low pressure (gravity) grouting
- Resin injection and repair of the base/wall joint defects using a modified cementitious repair mortar
- Repair cracks and fillet joints
- Leak sealing
- Installation of pressure relief pipes
- Replacement of original pressure relief valves
- Provision of confined space entry (top man, ventilation)
- Rebuilding of conduit walls
Additional Benefits to the Client:
- Ram Services Limited completed our scope of work ahead of programme, with the aqueduct being handed back to operational staff pre-completion date on all outages.
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