Case studies – Temporary Climate Solutions

Concrete support for Scotland’s bridges.

The ‘Forth Road Bridge’ which opened in 1964 has shown significant signs of deterioration over recent times, meaning that it can no longer be deemed as a viable option for the main crossing of the Firth of Forth. Following a study conducted by Transport Scotland, it was decided that‘Queensferry Crossing’, a new cable stayed bridge, would be constructed and situated to the West of the current ‘Forth Road Bridge’. The ‘Forth Replacement Crossing’ is Scotland’s biggest transport infrastructure project in a generation and four construction companies were selected to complete construction.

Thousands of cubic metres of concrete were required to complete the project, with 16,869 cubic metres of concrete needed for the foundations of the South Tower alone. Ensuring the environmental conditions were correct throughout the concrete manufacturing process was of the upmost importance.

Problem

The background heating for the environment in which the concrete slabs are poured and manufactured must be correct. If optimum temperature levels are not achieved, the concrete may not set properly, and blemishes or cracks could appear on the surface as a result. The client required a temporary climate solution that would eliminate any issues with product quality and prevent any delays as a direct result of an incorrect and inconsistent temperature.

Solution

Polygon was selected by the client due to their experience as a world leader in providing temporary climate solutions to the construction industry. Firstly, Polygon technicians inspected the facility where the concrete slabs were being manufactured and poured. This was an essential step in the process, as thorough heat calculations were required to best determine the size of equipment that would suit the demands of the project. Following this assessment, a bespoke plan of action was created.

Following the heat calculations, a 170kW indirect fired diesel heater was supplied, along with a 3,000 litre fuel tank to run the heater. This equipment was chosen as it would ensure good airflow as well as guaranteeing that enough heat was being produced for the building.

Polygon also had to engineer a dog leg chimney section for the heater so that it was possible to pass the chimney through the wall of the building. This was to ensure that any fumes would be emitted outside of the production facility. Polygon’s specialist technicians, combined with their expert industry knowledge, allowed for the perfect construction environment to be achieved.

Benefits

  • Construction process accelerated - By utilising temporary climate solutions for construction in the correct way, the overall construction process can be accelerated allowing for accurate completion times, product quality and long-term service.
  • Providing consistent environmental condition - With the provision of consistent environmental conditions along with accurate moisture readings enables a drying timetable to be provided.
  • Shortening drying times - Humid, wet air is drawn from surrounding construction materials which results in shortening drying times.

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