Rainham Steel, Enabling Works
Downwell Enabling are pleased to announce the completion of the Enabling Works package at our Rainham Steel project. We interviewed Lewis Turnbull (Contracts Manager) and Shane Chambers (Site Manager) to give an overview of the project.
Who are you, what is your role at Downwell Enabling and what project are we presently at?
Lewis (L) : My name is Lewis Turnbull and I am a Contracts Manager at Downwell Enabling.
Shane (S): My name is Shane Chambers. I am a Site Manager for Downwell Enabling and we are currently working on the Rainham Steel remedial project.
Could you give a brief overview of the project and your involvement?
L: The project as a whole was to construct a new piled ground floor slab and install a new steel gantry frame to facilitate 2no. 36t magnet gantry cranes. The project boasts 900 precast concrete driven piles, 36 grouted mini piles, installation of drainage and ACO channels, relocation of services, hydro-demolition to existing foundations and all associated FRC (Formwork Reinforcement Concrete) works. My involvement is overseeing all works from Pre-construction through to completion.
S: As Site Manager, my involvement in this project was to oversee all site based operations, meeting our clients needs and completing the project to a high standard. I am solely responsible for the management of all subcontractors on the project as well as our own site team undertaking works such as concrete blinding, fixing reinforcement and installing slab edge formwork.
Could you give some insight into site figures?
L: A total of 913 precast concrete piles were driven, 36 mini grout piles installed, 210 tonne of steel reinforcement were fixed, 2100 cubic meters of concrete were poured over a span of 6 Slabs.
S: We had a number of large concrete pours with the largest pour being 460m3 installed during adverse weather conditions. We started the pour at 5:30am, the site team were tasked with unloading 6 concrete lorries per hour, lining and levelling holding down bolts and drainage whilst working in heavy rain conditions. The team worked tirelessly to ensure that we achieved the best results possible with a brush finish achieved. In total, we poured over 1500m3 of concrete in total on the project.
What was the biggest challenge of the project?
S: Co-ordinating with Rainham Steel and their operations to undergo a series of mini piling works inside their steel bending factory. This work involved shutting down a selection of Rainham Steel’s machinery to core through an existing concrete slab and foundations to install grouted mini piles to a depth of 14m. This series of work involved discussing and planning the sequence of works with Rainham Steel to enable them to shut down machinery and for us to create access to the locations needed by moving bollards, machinery and electrical items, working within a limited period of time to ensure we did not cause delays to Rainham Steel and their day to day running of their own operations.
Any thank you’s?
L: Firstly I would like to thank Rainham Steel, who were very accommodating in ensuring our works went ahead alongside their own operations, mitigating delays to both sides and lastly I would also like to say a massive thank you to all of our own operatives who worked with us on this project. It’s thanks to their hard work and experience that we were able to complete this project both on time and budget.
S: I would like to personally say thank you to Capital Concrete for their excellent and reliable service throughout and Keller Piling for the supply and installation of the precast concrete driven piles, who were ultimately key to assisting us in delivering the works ahead of program.
