We are currently on site with this project, to develop a new waste facility for Stevenage Borough Council, to improve the facilities on offer for the general public. The scheme is being delivered under the Scape Framework, produced via direct award and developed from feasibility stage through to completion by the Conamar team.

To do this, we had extensive liaison with Stevenage Borough Council, the Environment Agency, the Fore Officer, and Building Control to establish the decoration needs of waste, minimise possibility of fire spread and develop the best solution for the site.

The scheme involves the demolition of existing redundant waste bays with a much more sustainable and robust solution. To do this, we needed to consider fire risk and strategy for the site – any fire water needed to be contained in the event of fire. Instead of using an expensive solution such as flood warnings, we managed to design a bespoke system to utilise the existing FW and SW drainage system by justifying the literage of fire water delivered within site within set period of time could also be captured within existing drainage by way of an automatic penstock system. In the event of fire, drainage shuts for use of fire suppression, rather than expelling into the Thames water discharge.

The bays are formed of concrete rocket wall, which gave an additional complication due to the weight. We radar scanned the existing slab as it was thin and unreinforced. Sections had to be removed and reinstated to provide a more stable base. Other sections established voiding underneath the slab to good ground, which require grout infilling for stability. Both of these were much more cost effective savings for the client rather than replacing the entirety of the slab on site.