Hope supplying concrete for Crook Hill Wind Farm
Local ready-mixed concrete plants supplying material for 11 wind turbine bases on the Pennine Moors
HOPE Construction Materials are supplying 4,500 cubic metres of concrete to specialist civil engineering contractors I&H Brown (IHB) to build 11 wind turbine bases at Crook Hill Wind Farm, on the Lancashire Pennine Moors.
The project, which launched in October 2014 and should be complete by the end of July 2015, will secure renewable energy for 25,000 homes near Rochdale in East Lancashire with up to 36MW of electricity in total being generated from the wind farm.
Hope are currently delivering more than 350 cubic metres of concrete for each turbine base in one continuous pour, which was necessary to meet the structural design and in-situ concrete performance required. A smaller pour is then required to ensure the bases are ready for the turbine to be fitted.
A C32/40 concrete is being supplied from Hope’s Rochdale and Burnley ready-mixed concrete plants, which are ideally located to meet the demands of the project.
Paul Coleman, area commercial manager at Hope Construction Materials, said: ‘This is a great contract for Hope to be associated with, particularly as it complements our own sustainability commitments, and it is great to know that the outcome will supply thousands of homes with renewable energy.
‘However, delivering more than 350 cubic metres of concrete for each turbine base in one continuous pour to the site from our plants in Rochdale and Burnley has been challenging. Accessing the site means driving along 7km of temporary ‘floating’ roads which have had to be constructed over the top of the moorland, and constantly maintained and repaired by the contractor to allow safe access to the turbine bases.
‘The remote location also presents other challenges including poor visibility and difficult weather conditions, with our drivers operating in convoy to ensure any safety issues are addressed quickly.’
Simon Wray, site agent for I&H Brown Ltd, said: ‘This has been a challenging project throughout with various facets to contend with; the weather has played a significant part in hampering the works, and steep gradients both on site and on the approach to site have continually been testing, but close liaison between IHB and Hope Construction Materials has ensured a relatively smooth-running operation with a total of 22 pours.’
He added: ‘Hope secured the contract based on past performance at a nearby wind farm location. They have proved they have the capability and resources to undertake a project of this scale and are able to cope with the layout and logistics of the site.’
