Latest News
Forterra online culvert specifier service
The Forterra website now includes an online calculator service to users which enables them to calculate storage capacity and discharge rates for box culverts based on dimensions and gradients specified. The new calculator
is available at:
http://forterra-precast.co.uk/culvert-specifier/
Milton's largest Box Culvert Order Ever
When Milton Precast started the Nottingham Tramways project in December 2012, they were aware that the project would include 17.5km of new track and 28 new tram stops so wasn’t going to be a small order. Initially four different sizes of box culverts were to be manufactured: MC18.12 (102no), MC24.12 (169no), MC24.15 (224no) and MC36.15 (59no) all with dished invert internal profiles and many special units required throughout the runs.
Construction work was being undertaken by Taylor Woodrow and Alstom, in a joint venture on behalf of Tramlink Nottingham and due to the customer requirements the box culverts were made using timber extensions covered with 6mm steel plates to take the rigours of double casting four units per day. This worked extremely well and is a testament to the guys involved in their construction and care whilst at the factory.
The manufacturing side of the project is almost complete with Milton’s now making the final stage of a Cascade unit which see’s MC33.21 and MC30.21 culverts set on their sides to form an internal step down from one to another. Again, a very tricky job to tackle but with the experience Milton’s have on site with units of this kind, all is going well.
Once the expansion is complete the tram network will consist of 51 tram stops, with the two new lines linking directly to Line One at Nottingham Station. The expanded tram network will visit 7 park and ride sites, providing service to approximately 23 million passengers a year.
Updated Concrete Pipelifter Information
The Concrete Pipe Lifter leaflet has been updated with additional information on suppliers and the new Type 2 lifter for larger size pipes. The Pipe Lifter reduces offloading and pipe laying time by around 50% and you can reduce the size of your installation gang, so construction costs are lower. If HSE Best Practice for manual handling is followed, pipes of all material types DN300 and larger should be mechanically lifted. In fact, the Manual Handling Operations Regulations require the employer to avoid the need for manual handling whenever possible. The Concrete Pipe Lifter provides a perfect answer whilst simultaneously saving time and money.
To download the Pipe Lifter leaflet please click here or visit the Concrete Pipelifter site for more information and videos.
Concrete Heavyweight Competition Winner!
The winner from our recent Concrete Heavyweight Competition has now been notified. Thank you to all those who took part in the competition. To find out more about why “Concrete can’t be beaten” please click here.
Updates to online calculators plus new App
Two of our most frequently accessed online tools – our Structural Design Calculator and our Material Cost Calculator - have been updated to make it even easier to select the most appropriate and economical sewer pipeline solution. At the same time we are launching a downloadable App, providing access to the Calculators for people on the move, available from the Apple Store and the Google Play store.
To help designers and installers select the most economical buried pipeline solution the Concrete Pipeline Systems Association (CPSA) has updated two of its key online resources: the Structural Design Calculator and the Material Cost Calculator. The Association has also introduced a downloadable web App, to enable users to replicate the online calculators on portable devices.
The changes to the online calculators have been introduced to further simplify the calculation process and to improve the user experience.
The CPSA’s Structural Design Calculator is a source of expertise for the structural design of concrete sewers. It simplifies concrete pipeline design calculations based on the recommendations in the standard BS EN 1295-1 Structural design of buried pipelines under various conditions of loading. The Calculator takes into account external design loads, pipe crushing strength and bedding factors to offer advice on the type of bedding to use.
The recent updates now enable the Structural Design Calculator to automatically select the correct factor of safety used in the calculations according to pipe size and construction, based on British Standard BS 9295: 2010. In addition, the results table produced by the Structural Design Calculator can now be exported to a pdf file, an Excel file and to the CPSA’s Material Cost Calculator.
The Material Cost Calculator was developed by the CPSA to help designers and installers estimate the material costs for concrete pipe installations using different bedding designs and to make a comparison with plastic pipes. The calculation includes the cost of bedding, infill material and that of the pipes, seals and fittings.
Updates to the calculator give users the option of entering their own values for the bulk density of excavated material and granular backfill, or the default values can be used if project-specific data is unavailable. In addition, further data has been added to the results table to illustrate how the calculations are put together, for example it includes a value for the depth of initial granular backfill for Class S installations. As with the updated Structural Design Calculator, results can now be exported to a pdf file and an Excel file.
To check out the online calculators go to:
www.precastdrainage.co.uk/calculators/structural-design
www.precastdrainage.co.uk/calculators/material-cost
In addition, a new web App replicates the online calculators and has been optimised for portable devices. The App is available from the Apple Store and the Google Play store.