Hope supplying concrete for the build of 11 wind turbines

Hope supplying concrete for the build of 11 wind turbines
27 March 2015


Hope Construction Materials (HCM) is supplying 4500m3 of concrete to specialist civil engineering contractor I&H Brown to build 11 wind turbine bases at Crook Hill Wind Farm on the Lancashire Pennine Moors, UK.
 
The project, which launched in October 2014 and should be complete by the end of July 2015, will secure renewable energy for 25,000 homes near Rochdale in East Lancashire with up to 36MW of electricity in total being generated from the wind farm.

HCM is supplying 4500m3 of concrete

to I&H Brown to build 11 wind turbine bases

Hope is currently delivering over 350m³ of concrete for each turbine base in one continuous pour which was necessary to meet with the structural design and in-situ concrete performance required. A smaller pour is then required to ensure the bases are ready for the turbine to be fitted.

A concrete grade of C32/40 is being supplied from Hope’s Rochdale and Burnley readymix plants (just two of the company’s 150-strong plant network) located perfectly to meet the demands of the project.
 
Paul Coleman, Area Commercial Manager at Hope Construction Materials, said: “This is a great contract for Hope to be associated with, particularly as it complements our own sustainability commitments and it is great to know that the outcome will supply thousands of homes with renewable energy.  However, delivering over 350m³ of concrete for each turbine base in one continuous pour to the site from our plants in Rochdale and Burnley has been challenging.
 
“Accessing the site means driving along seven kilometres of temporary ‘floating’ roads which have had to be constructed over the top of the moorland, and constantly maintained and repaired by the contractor to allow safe access to the bases.
 
“The remote location also presents other challenges including poor visibility and difficult weather conditions, with our drivers operating in convoy to ensure any safety issues are addressed quickly.”
 
Simon Wray, Site Agent for I&H Brown Ltd, said: “This has been a challenging project throughout with various facets to contend with; the weather has played a significant part in hampering the works, steep gradients both on site and on the approach to site have continually been testing but close liaison between IHB and Hope Construction Materials has ensured a relatively smooth running operation with a total of 22 pours.
 
“Hope secured the contract based on past performance at a close by wind farm location. They have proved they have the capability and resources to undertake a project of this scale and are able to cope with the layout and logistics of the site. Once completed, the wind turbines will provide green energy to thousands of homes in the region, and getting the bases in place is the first element in this process.''

Published under Cement News