Case Study: FOG Block Leading to Pump Station and Repair

Annually, over ten million people use this very popular retail and hospitality location, so a major challenge was to provide remedials that would not disrupt continuity. The two pump stations had begun to fail, through pipes blocked with fats, oils and grease.

The Challenges:

• The pump stations were underneath an underground delivery yard, busy with daily deliveries and also with construction lorries for a major overhead development.
• There were safety issues from the traffic and from the proximity of a fire exit to one of the pump stations.
• A thorough survey, including cctv, discovered cracking and leaking concrete in the pump pits and the chamber walls.
• Access to the pump stations was restricted via old, heavy, unhinged covers

The Solutions:

Several solutions were considered, including:

• Purchasing and building an above ground temporary pump station
• Bringing in IBC (intermediate bulk container) tanks to make up the operations whilst the pump stations were out of service

The Metcor Environmental Solution:

• Bring in a 4,000-gallon tanker on site in the underground delivery yard
• Cone off pathways for delivery and construction traffic; the tanker and works teams could then operate safely 24/7
• Over-pump from pump stations as required to the tanker, enabling each pump pit to be renovated in turn – laying over 90 metres of hoses between tanker and pump stations
• Replace old access covers with new double door hinged covers
• Disable fire exit by one pump station and build new fire door; access to pump pit would not obstruct fire exit
• Pump pits would be stripped, chambers removed, joins in concrete filled, and a specialised coating applied to concrete walls
• Metcor’s sister company, award-winning Anglo Pumps, would install new Sulzer pumps in both stations, together with inverters to maximise efficiency and sustainability
• Install new electronic control panels

The Result:

• The project ran to schedule, on time
• Two new pumping stations, running at far greater energy efficiency, with new, longer lasting tanks, better protected from leaks.
• No interruption to business at Broadgate Circle
• All specialist materials delivered on time
• No accidents

Metcor Environmental, Anglo Pumps and Aylesford Electrical are all part of the Metcor Group