High Water
Blagdon Water Recycling Centre – Live Treatment Works Upgrade
Blagdon Water Recycling Centre – Live Treatment Works Upgrade
Project Overview
As part of Bristol Water’s investment in upgrading Blagdon Water Recycling Centre, a new distribution chamber was required to connect the upgraded treatment works to the existing oxidation ditch. The works involved creating two new pipe penetrations through the wall of a live process structure, without draining the ditch or disrupting treatment operations.
Excavation behind the wall and the discovery that the existing structure was built from blockwork rather than concrete presented additional engineering challenges, requiring a bespoke temporary water-control solution.
High Water Solution
High Water designed and installed a bespoke Modular Limpet Dam to isolate the required section of wall and provide a dry working area for the connection works, while allowing the oxidation ditch to remain operational.
A self-anchoring cantilever arrangement, using kentledge rather than conventional structural fixings, was developed to accommodate the existing blockwork and maintain a secure seal. The design also accounted for hydraulic loading, excavation requirements and the stability of the existing structure.
The system achieved an effective seal with minimal pumping, enabling the pipe penetrations, excavation and distribution chamber construction to proceed without draining the wider process structure or requiring extensive over-pumping.
The Benefits
The bespoke solution enabled critical treatment infrastructure upgrades to proceed safely while maintaining the existing biological treatment process. Only two short, two-hour stoppages were required, scheduled during periods of low network flow, minimising operational disruption.
By combining specialist temporary water control with tailored engineering, High Water provided a practical solution to challenging structural constraints, supporting the efficient delivery of essential water infrastructure improvements
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