Excavation Support Systemswww.mgf.ltd.uk

Biomass Ecostore Rail Unload Building for Drax Power Station

www.mgf.ltd.ukSupplier ID 87120

Supplier ID 25105

North EastThistle Road

Littleburn Ind EstLangley Moor

County DurhamDH7 8HJ

T: 0191 3782100F: 0191 3783727

Yorkshire

Allerton Bywater Business ParkNewton Lane

Allerton BywaterCastlefordWF10 2AL

T: 01977 521930F: 01977 553464

North WestWallwork Road

AstleyManchester

M29 7JTT: 01942 896282F: 01942 894152

MidlandsRedbrook Lane

BreretonRugeley

StaffordshireWS15 1QU

T: 01889 574777F: 01889 574794

South West Severn Road

ChitteningAvonmouth

BristolBS11 0YL

T: 01179 820706F: 01179 162060

London NorthUnits 21 & 22

Airfield Ind EstCheddington Lane

Long MarstonTring

HertfordshireHP23 4QR

T: 01296 663250F: 01296 663251

London CityRay Lamb Way

Manor RoadErithKent

DA8 2LBT: 01322 344520F: 01322 344521

Regional Offices

Head OfficeGrant HouseLockett Road

Ashton in MakerfieldWigan

WN4 8DET: 01942 402700F: 01942 402701

Excavation Support Systems

ww

w.m

gf.ltd.uk

14001

Registered

UVDB

Supplier ID 87120Registered

Supplier ID 25105

Head Office: 01942 402700 • North East: 0191 378 2100 • Yorkshire: 01977 521930 • North West: 01942 896282Midlands: 01889 574777 • South West: 01179 820706 • London North: 01296 663250 • London City & SE: 01322 344520

The use of REVIT was particularly useful as the design was technically demanding. The software allowed MGF to demonstrate to all stakeholders that the design brief had been fully satisfied.

Working collaboratively with Volker Ground Engineering, the permanent works engineers RPS, category III temporary works checker Saldanha Design and Management, steel fabricators William Hare and principal contractor Shepherd Construction, MGF provided design services, installation guidance, supply of equipment and aftercare.

The design used approximately 350m of 406UC Brace together with 28No. 2500kN – 400 Series Hydraulic Struts across the three levels of the frame. Where the modular propping was unsuitable MGF’s in-house manufacturing workshop in Wigan was able to provide a flexible and reactive service to supply sections of pre-fabricated steel brace upon receipt of the site measurements.

Outcome

For MGF the project was complete over a 24 week programme of works which included the install and extraction of the modular and bespoke fabricated frame.

406UC Brace Leg Connection

406UC Corner Connection

Knee Brace and Bearing Detail

Strut Extension Connection Detail

Strut End Cleat to Brace Connection

Case Study

Ecostore Rail Unload BuildingDrax Power Station, Selby Volker Ground Engineering Shepherd Construction September 2012 24 weeks

Project Location Customer Main Contractor Date Programme

The scheme at Drax was originally designed with four levels of temporary framing which was to be welded in situ. Construction constraints within the final excavated cofferdam structure meant that we were unable to lower and place long steel sections without considerable health and safety implications for all lifting and placement operations. The modular MGF system gave us a degree of flexibility in this operation which lead to a safer system of work for our employees and reduced programme installation time, which was critical to our Client.

During pre-construction discussions and meetings the Company’s 3D computer modelling enabled us to convey the concept and construction methods that were envisaged, which provided a higher level of confidence in the equipment and thus eased the approvals process.

Once the construction phased commenced over the winter of 2012, our site staff were able to draw upon the support of the MGF design and field services personnel which ensured the successful delivery of the system to provide the required support to a complicated basement structure.

Chris Thomas, Volker Ground Engineering, Director

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The Project

MGF provided excavation support for the Ecostore Rail Unload Building as part of the £200m biomass project at Drax Power Station in Selby.

Drax have invested £200m in creating new biomass storage, handling facilities and other plant modifications to add to its existing co-firing facilities.

MGF’s contract with Volker Ground Engineering for main contractor Shepherd Construction was part of the implementation of an innovative and complex system of fuel delivery, handling, storage and reclaim for the pelletised fuel. It is delivered to site by train and automatically unloaded as the train passes, without stopping, through a dedicated multi- level unloading building incorporating a 18m deep sheet piled basement.

The fuel is transported via a system of conveyers, most supported on steel gantries, to a maximum height of 65m. A bespoke process building facilitates the screening of the fuel to remove over-sized materials and ferrous contaminants. The fuel is then conveyed to one of four 63m diameter, 50m high storage domes, each one capable of storing more than 110,000m3 of biomass fuel.

MGF were first contacted by Volker Ground Engineering (VGE) to provide budget costs for the design and supply of 3 levels of modular propping for the 18m deep basement in the Rail Unload Building. A cost comparison was conducted by VGE and a welded steel frame was initially thought to be cheaper.

MGF were able to demonstrate that the modular frame offered a significantly shorter lead time (2 weeks) and offered significant time savings (6+ weeks) in the installation and extraction process.

MGF identified that the Groundworker would not be able to continue to excavate until the steel frame had been installed in its entirety. So using a faster to install modular frame offered considerable time savings reducing install works from over 3 weeks to just 5 days.

Due to delays in the existing programme and tight deadlines, the modular option was more favourable as the time and expense saved in programme significantly outweighed the additional cost.

The modular frame design was modelled in Autodesk REVIT, software specifically built for Building Information Modelling (BIM), enabling MGF to demonstrate all aspects of the scheme to Volker Ground Engineering and the Project Team at the pre-construction stage.

Project Team