25,000 cubic metres @ 400kg/m3 density for Costains at Gerrards Cross
Propump Engineering have this week (9th November 2009) started work on a project for Costain Ltd at Gerrards Cross, Bucks United Kingdom. The contract is to manufacture and pump some 25,000 cubic metres of a foamed concrete at a density of 400kg/m3. "Materials of this density are technically challenging" says Trevor Ansell, Propump Engineering Technical Director, who went on to say "Propump was pleased to have been awarded the contract and to be working with Costains again".
Once placed the foamed concrete will help form the sub base onto which a new Tesco store and its associated roads and parking are to be built. The location of this new store is such that before it can be constructed, a new 350 metre long rail tunnel has to be built, and it is over and around this tunnel that the ulta lightweight foamed concrete is being used. Foamed concretes of this density are just 15% the weight of traditional granular fills and dramatically reduce the load on the new railway tunnel.
Foamed concrete of this density was specified following the engineering difficulties encountered on the project in 2006 when during construction the tunnel over the railway line collapsed, causing the project to be halted and the rail line shut for a long period whilst the collapse was investigated. During this investigation Costain Ltd, who were not involved in the project at the time of the collapse, were called in to help investigate the cause. They have remained on site ever since, eventually being awarded the contract to complete the project.
Please visit our site again soon for a full in depth report on this project, or telephone +44 1322 429 900 for more information.
