Site Closed

The site is now closed for Christmas until January 2nd 2008

Knostrop Christmas Party

The Knostrop team had a lovely meal at the Casa Mia and then celebrated Christmas in style around Leeds centre.

Mid December Update

2 Day Area: Interface are currently putting in the building services for the MCC kiosk and the excavations for the draw pits are progressing.

21 Day Area: The final tensioning on tank 5 walls is taking place today.

Thickening Building: The base is being continued as the thickening room blinding and rebar are being placed.

"Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it. Plan more than you can do, then do it"
-Anonymous

Aerial View of 21 Day Area

"Its a very funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it"

- William Somerset Maugham

Foundation Article: RECORD BREAKING SLUDGE STORAGE TANKS INSTALLED IN UK

The Black & Veatch project at the Knostrop WwTW has the twin objectives
of proving an advanced sludge processing facility together with a new
odour control system for the new and existing equipment. As part of the
project a number of new holding tanks are being constructed. The tanks
themselves consist of a reinforced concrete base design and built by
Black & Veatch, with an innovative pre‑cast post‑tensioned concrete
segmental wall designed, supplied and installed by A‑Consult. The
pre‑cast nature of the walls has enabled the tanks to be erected in a
remarkably short time, thus ensuring that there has been a minimum of
disruption to other construction activities.

At 12 metres high, the tanks themselves are the tallest structures of
their type erected in Europe and consist of a series of Pre‑stressed and
traditionally reinforced
concrete panels held together with internal post tensioning cables. The tanks
each have 67 cables, again the largest number for such an installation.
The tanks were installed using an innovative lifting and stay technique
developed for the site, which has very tight size constraints and
overhead high voltage cables adjacent to it, further complicating the
procedure. The final element of the completed structures is the access
stairways and covers, which were provided by Kirk Engineering.

Overall the integrated approach by the Black & Veatch / A‑Consult teams
have enabled the erection of some record breaking tanks in record
breaking time with no safety, cost or programme impediments, truly an
example of Building a World of Difference."

Thickener Building Polymer Room

For the thickener building, the floor of the polymer room has been poured and the underground pipework placed.

"Too low they build who build beneath the stars"

-Edward Young

21 Day Panel Erection

A Consult have lifted the tank walls into place for tank 5 and started tensioning the tendons.

"Energy and persistence conquer all things"

- Benjamin Franklin

2 Day Area Water Tests and Pipework

In the 2 day area, the water testing to tank 2 is continuing as is the below ground drainage pipework for this tank.
The photo (left) shows the MCC kiosk installation.

"To know just what has to be done, then do it, comprises the whole philosophy of practical life"
- Sir William Osler

2 Day Area Mcc Floor Metalwork and Underground Overflow Pipework

Work has begun around the back of the erected tanks on a supporot plinth and the MCC floor metalwork is complete.

The underground overflow pipework is completed for tank 1 and ongoing for tank 2.

"Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination"

- Fitzhugh Dodson

Thickener Building MCC and SAS

The MCC trench walls have now been poured with the SAS pipework ongoing under the thickener room and currently half finished according to scheduling. The valve chamber base has also been poured.

"Go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will see farther"
- Orson Swett Marden

High Level Storm Tanks

For the High Level Storm Tanks, the mixing pipework has now been completed.

Aim for the top. There is plenty of room there. There are so few at the top it is almost lonely there.

- Samuel Insull

November Developments

21 Day Area: The backfill is now completed and the chemical storage tank is being installed.

2 Day Area: The water testing in tank 2 is currently underway and underground pipework is ongoing. The MCC trench is being completed with the blower base having been poured.

Thickener Building Area: Pipework is being laid below the drum thickener room and the reinforcement for the MCC walls is continuing.

"The only true happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a purpose"
- William Cowper

Thickening Building Area Blinding and Rebar

Blinding has been finished and construction for the ring beam for the poly room has started.

The rebar for the MCC trench has begun and ground trimmed to formation for the drum room.

"Common sense is the best sense I know of"

-Lord Chesterfield

21 Day Area Bases Completed

The bases in the 21 day area are now completed with the scabbling the rebate on tank 4 underway.

Backfilling around the tanks is ongoing.

"You sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve"

-J.K. Rowling

2 Day Area MCC and Steelwork

Blinding is currently being put in the base of the MCC trench in the 2 day tank area and the maintenance access steelwork has been erected up the middle of the tanks.

"You can be pleased with nothing when you are not pleased with yourself"

- Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

21 Day Area Concrete Pouring

The base for tank 4 was poured on 26-10-07 and took until 3am with staff members enthusiasm highly commendable. The rebar for tank 3 was completed on the same day with the concrete to be poured on 01-11-07, completing all the concreting for that area

"I am where I am because I believe in all possibilities"

-Whoopi Goldberg

2 Day Tank Area: Roof Lifted into Place

Marking the one year anniversary of Black & Veatch in the UK, the second tank roof in the 2 day area was lifted and placed as illustrated by the photos taken on the day.

"Act as if it were impossible to fail"

-Dorothea Brande

October Summary

In the 2-day area the first tank roof has been positioned and secured by A Consult with the 2nd tank to follow.

The developments in the 21-day area consist of the concrete pouring for tank 3, the fixing of steel for tank 4, and the base having been poured on Monday with regards to tank 5.

In the thickening building area, Kellys are sinking the shaft for the new return liquors pumping station with the building on hold until the existing cables are diverted.

"Fortune favours the brave"
-Publius Terence

2 Day Area Tank Erections

In the 2 day area the erection of the second tank is well underway with construction of the site drainage pumping station commenced

"The great and glorious masterpiece of man is to know how to live to purpose."

-Michel de Montaigne.

21 Day Area Preparation

Preparation has begun in the 21 day area with blinding put in the base ready for the concreting to be done shortly.

"If everyone is moving forward together then success takes care of itself"

-Henry Ford

Thickening Building

The groundworks have been commenced with regards to the base with excavation for the main shafts started for the return liquors pumping station.

"In everything the ends well defined are the secret of durable success."

-Victor Cousins

Team Building: 20th September 2007

In order to ensure the continuing quality of the Knostrop Odours project, a team building event was held at the Jurys Inn hotel in Leeds involving anyone with a vested interest in the project:

• BV Site Team


• BV Design


• Arup


• Yorkshire Water

A variety of activities were carried out allowing the team to identify existing and potential problems to overcome them with ease in the future, and to allow the teams to be more cohesive. The event was agreed to have been a success though its effects in the long term have yet to be proven, optimism is however high!

"The world of achievement has always belonged to the optimist"

- Harold Williams

Skelton Grange Environmental Volunteering: 17th September 2007

As part of the 'Leeds Cares Challenge', volunteers from Black and Veatch, Yorkshire Water and Arups carried out a variety of activities on September 17th to improve the experience at Skelton Grange Environmental Centre for children across Yorkshire.

http://www.skeltongrange.org.uk

"The way to get started is to quit talking and get doing"

- Walt Disney

August Developments

In the 2 day area, August 20th remained the target for A Consult. Pipework progressed in the 21 day area meaning a move in focus to pressure testing. The pressure testing was finished along as well as thrust blocks and the concrete encasement of the existing overflow pipe. Backfill is needed around the tanks though the design team were consulted relating to a concern over the lack of manoevrablility space for a roller. The problem was dealt with swiftly.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit" - Aristotle

July Developments Part II

The concrete pours in the 2 day area were completed on July 20th involving Scarlet, one of the B&V subcontrators for this project.

In the 21 day area, design of the connections was reconsidered with a manhole incorporated. Complex existing services below the ground were also found, presenting a temporary logistical nightmare which was later dealt with.

The handover certificate for the manholes in order to begin work on the thickener building were handed to B&V from Yorkshire Water and it may be noted that to ensure quality, all man holes were dug by hand so as to prevent any potential risk that may have ensued from the use of an excavator.

Particular focus was given to meeting programme timescales

"Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution, it represents the wise choice of many alternatives"

- William A Foster

July Developments

Fill to the 2 day area is substantially completed with trimming of the 2 bases to be undertaken when the valve chamber contruction is complete.

In the 21 day area, the pipelines are progressing with the bulk of the excavation works completed.

With regards to health and safety, the roadways are marked up with requirements to paths and access to be implemented with a fully developed traffic management plan by the end of the month

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Use of Recycled Imported Material

Use of recycled imported material and reuse of in situ excavated material:

Knostrop is the main Waste Water treatment Works serving the city of Leeds and the scheme is valued at circa £10m and programmed for completion over an 18 month period ending June 2008.

The scheme is to design and build a new sludge management and odour control process including associated new structures to provide sludge storage, sludge thickening facilities and all the necessary activities to fully integrate the new process into the existing operations on site.

During the initial excavation stages of the scheme, unforeseen previously buried demolition waste was discovered comprising large concrete slabs and brickwork to a total quantity of circa 30,000 cu metres. It was a requirement of the design that all demolition waste discovered would be removed and replaced with suitable engineering fill.

A decision was made by the site management team to bring a licensed mobile concrete crusher on to site to crush the discovered demolition material. This produced approximately 20,000 cu metres of graded fill material suitable as backfill for the new sludge storage tank facility that was being constructed. The crusher waste product was of a very fine grading and used for landscaping around new works (10,000 cu metres).

There was still a shortfall of suitable backfill material needed for the new structures so rather than source new "virgin" aggregates it was decided to try to source some local and suitable recycled material. Enquiries led to two likely sources from:

• Another contractor on the Knostrop site who was producing surplus material (concrete and masonry) from their capital works (1000 cu m)


• From an approved Waste Transfer Station situated in the immediate vacinity of the works who was also B&V's appointed waste contractor for the scheme (3000 cu m).

It was necessary to have the material from both these sources suitably processed/ crushed and graded to the specified quality. Furthermore in order to be allowed the import of this material to the B&V site it was necessary to obtain the Environment Agency approval for a Waste Management Regulations 1994 Exemption (schedule 3, paragraph 19a - "arisings from demolition or construction work... suitable for use for purposes of relevant work.."). This approval was successfully obtained prior to imports commencing.

Any additional material used on the project was a recycled demolition waste graded fill sourced from a local supplier therefore all backfill used on the scheme was provided either from reuse of exisiting material on site or from locally imported recycled material after suitable processing.

- John Thornton

June Developments

June represented a real turning point with regards to health and safety in order to set the standard for increasing activities on the site.
We also focused on the reduction of our carbon footprint by excavating the existing poor ground and hiring a crusher to recycle the results to use for the fill in the 2 day area. This also minimised pollution by having less vehicles bringing imported materials.
In the 21 day area major diversions were put into place including the critical final effluent main serving the incinerator and processed sludge mains.
Most of the sub contractors were also put into place during this month e.g. Lintott, Monsal and A Consult for the tank walls.

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply.Willing is not enough; we must do."

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Work starting in the 21 day tank area

Last week excavations started in the area for the 21 day tanks - which will hold thickened sludge during the annual incinerator shutdown. We are excavating out everything inside some old storm tanks which will then be backfilled to provide a good foundation for the new tanks.


"The perils of overwork are slight compared with the dangers of inactivity"
- Thomas Alva Edison

Introduction to the scheme

This scheme is one that will really impact the work of the operators of the largest sewage treatment works operated by Yorkshire Water.

This project will provide odour control facilities to new and existing plant and new sludge treatment facilities and also involves modifications to existing facilities which will improve sludge management at the site.

Today Excavation is continuing for the 2 sludge tanks that will store sludge in covered tanks prior to incineration.

We are digging down within old storm tanks that have been used as a landfill and have found newspapers from 1956 - with the top 10 on!

Currently B&V are addressing the challenge of an unchartered pipe discharging into a culvert through the excavation.

Material from the excavation will be crushed and reused where possible as backfill to reduce the amount of material going to landfill.

"Talent wins games, but team work and intelligence wins championships"

-Michael Jordan

Project Particulars

Brief Description of 'The Works'

Design and build a new odour control scheme at High and low level works including associated new structures to provide sludge storage, sludge thickening facilities and all the necessary activities to fully integrate the new process into the existing operations on site, comprising of:

• Additional sludge storage and transfer at high level works
• Odour control of new sludge storage facility at high level works
• Storm tank cleaning system at high level works
• Additional new storage at low level worksand conversion of existing storage
• Sludge thickening facilities at low level works
• Storm tank cleaning system at low level works
• Sludge mixing to new and converted sludge storage facilities
• Odour control of new sludge storage facility at low level works
• Interconnecting process pipe work
• Control building and power supply infrastructure
• Commissioning and testing of installation