Stakeholder - FP McCann

FP McCann’s drainage systems incorporated in new North Yorkshire facility
Vinci Environment UK won the contract to build the new energy-from-waste facility in Allerton Park near Knaresborough and construction is well underway. The former quarry site is bringing together brand new technologies to generate some 25 MW of electricity per annum that will be exported to the main grid system. Construction commenced in February 2015 and the plant is scheduled to be fully operational in 2018.
Keen to maximise the plant’s performance both above and below ground, main contractor Vinci Construction opted for a durable, high performance concrete drainage system.
As part of this huge £300 million scheme, FP McCann’s precast concrete wide wall Easi-Base manhole chambers and catchpits were used.
The order was delivered over an 8 month period and has comprised of mainly DN1200, DN1500 and DN1800 wide wall chambers and catchpits. These products are designed to suit the drainage infrastructure sitting beneath the internal road network that will carry the large daily flow of heavy waste vehicles running in and out of the site.

The WRc approved precast concrete Easi-Base systems and catchpits have replaced the outdated labour-intensive method of in-situ manhole base construction. Installation is quick and efficient and with site health and safety of paramount importance, the pre-formed base, benching and channels significantly reduces the number of visits and overall time spent in the excavation during construction.
Tom Woodward, Section Manager for Vinci Environment UK said, “FP McCann’s precast concrete wide wall manhole chambers and catch pits were quick and simple to install. Productivity increased as the drainage team operated far more efficiently. The addition of the Easi-Safe fall arrest system is an excellent feature with the health and safety benefits clear for all to see.”
Placement of the units at Allerton Park and connection of the inlet/outlet pipes was typically undertaken in as little as 1 hour. This compares with up to 48 hours for a traditional in-situ build where wet trades have to cure and multiple visits in the excavation are required.

An additional safety feature built into a number of the chambers on-site was FP McCann’s award winning Easi-Safe fall arrest grid. The galvanised steel grid is built into the chamber cover slabs and offers protection from falls during construction. On completion of the chambers, the system remains in place beneath the manhole lid and frame; spacing between the bars allows for ease of inspection and jetting throughout the life maintenance period.
Both the precast concrete manhole chambers and the sealed sump catchpits are manufactured by FP McCann to suit just-in-time deliveries. In the case of the Allerton Park scheme, this was critical with all the other work and deliveries that are on-going across the site.
Once fully operational in 2018, the new facility will reduce the amount of waste going to landfill in the county by 90%. The waste conversion will generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 40,000 homes.